With Columbus wanting a physical defenseman, dose Luke schenn for Atkinson work? Or is that not enough?
- J35Bacher

if your Columbus would you make that trade?

Seems to be a theme with this team.
- BiggE

Yes it sure does. Lots of square holes, and round pegs.

He's not a first line winger. He's being asked to be something he's not.
- PLindbergh31

No doubt. Doesn't make him a bad player, just not a top line player. He's a 2nd/3rd liner. Of course, he had some of the better scoring chances last night, but like G, Jake and Simmonds, he couldn't bury any of them.

It'll be interesting to see what changes, if any, Hakstol makes tonight.

Smelling the new whipping boy...


- wolfhounds

Whipping boy? I think that would be a gross overreaction that yes, sadly some will here will probably have.

Short-term, he really is the best option for the LW spot on the 1st line. Long-term, he is a very good 2nd line winger, or a great 3rd line winger. He has the skill-set where he can be the beneficiary of a good playmaker. But he is not strong enough in creating offense for his linemates, IMO. When G and Jake struggle 5 on 5, he can't help them work through it. He also is not a pure sniper either.

Hextall should look to keep him as part of the core moving forward, but perhaps shift him down a line once a more viable option comes along.

Whipping boy? I think that would be a gross overreaction that yes, sadly some will here will probably have.

Short-term, he really is the best option for the LW spot on the 1st line. Long-term, he is a very good 2nd line winger, or a great 3rd line winger. He has the skill-set where he can be the beneficiary of a good playmaker. But he is not strong enough in creating offense for his linemates, IMO. When G and Jake struggle 5 on 5, he can't help them work through it. He also is not a pure sniper either.

Hextall should look to keep him as part of the core moving forward, but perhaps shift him down a line once a more viable option comes along.
- TheGreat28

Agreed 100%.

No doubt. Doesn't make him a bad player, just not a top line player. He's a 2nd/3rd liner. Of course, he had some of the better scoring chances last night, but like G, Jake and Simmonds, he couldn't bury any of them.

It'll be interesting to see what changes, if any, Hakstol makes tonight.
- wolfhounds

Agreed.

He's not a first line winger. He's being asked to be something he's not.
- PLindbergh31

The thing is, no one ever said he was. But what was said is that he seems to compliment Giroux and Voracek better than anyone else we have on the team.

The thing is, no one ever said he was. But what was said is that he seems to compliment Giroux and Voracek better than anyone else we have on the team.
- MBFlyerfan

I'm telling you. Try Laughton there.

Moving Laughton to LW for a while is worth looking at. His faceoff numbers are awful and I think that's why Hakstol stops using his line late in games.
- Feanor

From your mouth to Hakstol's ear.

Put Laughton on L1 LW... see what happens.

It may be crazy, but I wouldn't mind throwing Laughton on the top line left wing for a game. Schenn to third line center. See what happens.
- funmaster18

this will piss off some folks, but I think it makes more sense for the team to have Schenn at 2C and Couts at 3C. I'd give Laughton a seat in the press box to take a timeout, watch and learn. Then I'd roll:

Raffl - G - Jake
Umberger - Schenn - Gagner
Read - Couturier - Simmonds

Balance the minutes out a little better and the OZ starts. But unfortunately Couturier and the PEB line is still going to have to take on the hard minutes more so than the other two lines.

With Columbus wanting a physical defenseman, dose Luke schenn for Atkinson work? Or is that not enough?
- J35Bacher

That might actually hurt the Flyers. They're counting on Luke's $3.6M going out the door this offseason. Atkinson's got $3.5M for 2 more years. Granted, they can jettison Gagner, but you need to resign (if you want) Schenn and Raffl, plus the Voracek and Couturier extensions kick in which adds $6.6M to the current cap. This assumes a zero-raise extension for Medvedev.

Now, they could always move on some way from VLC and Umberger, or trade Read/Streit/MDZ/Schultz to free up space. But adding $3.5M for 2 more years is something they'd have to do some hard planning for.

And no, no way Columbus would do that.

From your mouth to Hakstol's ear.

Put Laughton on L1 LW... see what happens.
- Tomahawk

I suggested it first

From your mouth to Hakstol's ear.

Put Laughton on L1 LW... see what happens.
- Tomahawk

I'm not entirely opposed to this.

I suggested it first
- funmaster18

I feel like Nik Grossmann in a race to a 50/50 puck

I feel like Nik Grossmann in a race to a 50/50 puck
- Tomahawk

how is he doing in Arizona, anyway? Tanner have a heart attack yet?

The thing is, no one ever said he was. But what was said is that he seems to compliment Giroux and Voracek better than anyone else we have on the team.
- MBFlyerfan

That is where he's being played. Which means it's a flawed roster, not only on the backend. But again, that's stating the obvious.

Agreed 100%.
- wolfhounds

Once Konecny gets here, Raffl and Konecny would be a nice set of complementary wingers with Couturier, Schenn or a center to be named later. Konecny is that other playmaker the team really needs. Raffl is strong enough on the puck to help offset Konecny's lack of size.

if your Columbus would you make that trade?
- rinaldo

Matt Mother(frank)ing Calvert

The thing is, no one ever said he was. But what was said is that he seems to compliment Giroux and Voracek better than anyone else we have on the team.
- MBFlyerfan

You take your calm, rational demeanor and rabid it up a bit, pal.

how is he doing in Arizona, anyway? Tanner have a heart attack yet?
- funmaster18

Early returns were good... but he's (predictably) sunk like a stone since.

if your Columbus would you make that trade?
- rinaldo

I'd try to pry Sonny Milano from Columbus. If I remember some posters are not big fans, and he has his pros and cons. But we could put him at LW, and he's got the speed and hands to really add value here.

this will piss off some folks, but I think it makes more sense for the team to have Schenn at 2C and Couts at 3C. I'd give Laughton a seat in the press box to take a timeout, watch and learn. Then I'd roll:

Raffl - G - Jake
Umberger - Schenn - Gagner
Read - Couturier - Simmonds

Balance the minutes out a little better and the OZ starts. But unfortunately Couturier and the PEB line is still going to have to take on the hard minutes more so than the other two lines.
- TheGreat28

Not a big fan of the Read - Coots - Simmonds line


I'm wondering if Hakstol put that line together last night specifically for the Dallas game to play and try and ''contain'' Seguin's line, Simmonds being a strong guy checking monster J. Benn with Coots and Read having more a defensive role last night Vs that top Dallas line.

You take your calm, rational demeanor and rabid it up a bit, pal.
- wolfhounds

I'm not your pal, friend!


(i hope you get the reference)

I'd try to pry Sonny Milano from Columbus. If I remember some posters are not big fans, and he has his pros and cons. But we could put him at LW, and he's got the speed and hands to really add value here.
- TheGreat28

We need to add less bros to the team, not more.

Not a big fan of the Read - Coots - Simmonds line


I'm wondering if Hakstol put that line together last night specifically for the Dallas game to play and try and ''contain'' Seguin's line, Simmonds being a strong guy checking monster J. Benn with Coots and Read having more a defensive role last night Vs that top Dallas line.
- Chris48

Who would you swap around? I do not think Simmonds and Schenn have ever really been an effective combination. Too similar. I'm ok swapping Umberger and Read, but that's not what you're suggesting, is it?