If you take Hextall at his word that he's keeping Lehtera -- not sure I buy it, but he said it -- I really don't know how this works because neither Lehtera or Filppula is a true checking center, but as of right now, here's what I got:

Raffl-Giroux-Voracek
TK-Couturier-Simmonds
Filppula-Patrick-Weise
Lindblom-Lehtera-Read/Laughton

Read/Laughton

I have no idea how that's gonna work -- a $4.7 million center on the fourth line?

That can't be what they're gonna go with

I'm looking at what I just typed and I can't believe Lehtera is staying on this roster
- AllInForFlyers

I would flip Patrick and Couturier

OK, folks.

I think the obvious deal tomorrow is Filppula or Lehtera for one of the Dallas goalies

Hitchcock had Lehtera before and while he may decide to put Spezza back at center, Spezza's declining foot speed is the reason he was playing some games on the wing and I doubt he's gonna get any faster, plus they lost Eakin in the expansion draft

Plus: Dallas needs to move a goalie. They have to be almost desperate to move one, you'd think, and they have to know they're not getting away with not taking any salary back. Just gonna have to reallocate the dollars

The only other places, at first glance, that I could even see taking on Lehtera are Vegas and Arizona -- and Arizona might not even be a fit, since they're probably going something like Stepan-Keller-Strome-Cousins down the middle for next season

Again: Just can't believe they're keeping both Filppula and Lehtera. I just don't see it

I would flip Patrick and Couturier
- Buzzo

Poor Couts, if that's the case -- and it may very well be -- but that puts him right back where he was, with wingers who are either inferior or in decline

Lindblom will step easily in.

Simmer-Lindblom-G-Jake-Ghost

Couturier-Patrick-Provorov......then some combo of Flip, Konecny, Weal, Sanheim (?)
- Mononoke

I like it. I don't know if that's what will happen though, at least not right away. I think Bill has talked about it before, but teams seem to use PP time/assignments as rewards. Lindblom may have to earn it which I definitely think he will.

OK, folks.

I think the obvious deal tomorrow is Filppula or Lehtera for one of the Dallas goalies

Hitchcock had Lehtera before and while he may decide to put Spezza back at center, Spezza's declining foot speed is the reason he was playing some games on the wing and I doubt he's gonna get any faster, plus they lost Eakin in the expansion draft

Plus: Dallas needs to move a goalie. They have to be almost desperate to move one, you'd think, and they have to know they're not getting away with not taking any salary back. Just gonna have to reallocate the dollars

The only other places, at first glance, that I could even see taking on Lehtera are Vegas and Arizona -- and Arizona might not even be a fit, since they're probably going something like Stepan-Keller-Strome-Cousins down the middle for next season

Again: Just can't believe they're keeping both Filppula and Lehtera. I just don't see it
- AllInForFlyers

I want absolutely nothing to do with one of those goalies tbh. They're 34 and have multiple years of decline and just plain stink. We could be asking for a worse goalie tandem than last year.

I think likelier scenario is we just keep Lehtera, as Hexy seemed to indicate he would. Either we trade for a goalie tomorrow, or we have a plan to sign a UFA, not that those are much better, outside Mason. Lehtera won't (frank) anything up on the 4th line, but getting a Dallas goalie and not even getting an asset back to either start or platoon with Mr. Glass would scare me.

I want absolutely nothing to do with one of those goalies tbh. They're 34 and have multiple years of decline and just plain stink. We could be asking for a worse goalie tandem than last year.

I think likelier scenario is we just keep Lehtera, as Hexy seemed to indicate he would. Either we trade for a goalie tomorrow, or we have a plan to sign a UFA, not that those are much better, outside Mason. Lehtera won't (frank) anything up on the 4th line, but getting a Dallas goalie and not even getting an asset back to either start or platoon with Mr. Glass would scare me.
- Mononoke

Trust me, I don't want to believe it, but where is that goalie coming from?

I mean, yikes. We're going to find out, and I acknowledge the Dallas goalies are nasty -- believe me, I know that -- but isn't one of them under contract for just one season?

I suppose we could get a Brian Elliott for a year -- (frank) me if we do, that guy is...(frank) me -- but man. There's not a ton out there

The biggest thing of your point: I am terrified that we have a worse goalie tandem than last year. Terrified

So, short takes -- not hot takes:

1. Really happy they got Patrick

2. No real issue with trading Schenn for the return including two firsts

3. Lehtera wasn't great last year -- can't hide that -- but he can play better. Not making excuses because Lehtera needs to be better, and he might not be much better, but he can be

4. That being said, if he isn't better, $4.7 potentially on the fourth line or even scratched? Ouch

5. Just not sure how the goaltending is going to work. Would Ryan Miller come for a season or two?

6. Wish there was a way to get Giroux some guaranteed help on the left side

7. I also hope that the Flyers are just a little faster next season, even if its incremental. I do think team speed isn't a strength

But all in all, this is a good weekend for the Flyers. Schenn's points have to be made up, but hopefully this fall sees some improved skill in a couple more positions, some more skill on defense, and we start to see a team that will challenge for a Cup sooner than later

Give other forwards his PP time and it's not as hard as you think
- YuenglingJagr

If that was true, there would be more of them in the league. You're misinformed if you think it's just a case of giving a player PP time. You're underrating the skill level it takes to produce at that rate.

Lehtera is going to become MJL's new boy. I can just see it now.
- Nucker101

I think you have an unhealthy obsession.

LOL

Not foremost, but I have seen that dude play at least 40-50 times -- not even joking

I watch a ton of Blues and Blackhawks hockey. Remember that time that same MJL fought me all day on how Matt Read and T.J. Oshie were comparable, when I kept telling him that wasn't accurate? And how Dale Weise was a catastrophe waiting to happen because of how the Flyers were gonna have to use him, and MJL said it was gonna be all good?

I'm not right all the time. I'm not.

But some people talk about players they haven't seen. I talk about players I have

MJL saying that Lehtera "could play wing" earlier should tell you all you need to know -- dude hasn't played a lick on the wing in the NHL. Came over because he was told he was gonna play center, and he beat Patrik Berglund out for the last two seasons to get to play with Freakorenko
- AllInForFlyers

Yea, if you know hockey you know that centers are often converted to the wing and it's not a tough jump for most. COULD play wing is far different than HAS played wing LOL. Now if I had said that Lehtera had played wing in the NHL you might have a point. I'll keep my conversation current rather than just making stuff up!

Here is Ron Hextall on Lehtera.

http://www.csnphilly.com/...ers-someone-has-play-wing

“Someone has to play the wing,” Hextall said. “He can play the wing. Our scouts have seen him play the wing, but he plays center most games. I am assuming he prefers center like most of them. Someone has to play wing.”

Stop posting lineups people. Hexy is not near done

Yea, if you know hockey you know that centers are often converted to the wing and it's not a tough jump for most. COULD play wing is far different than HAS played wing LOL. Now if I had said that Lehtera had played wing in the NHL you might have a point. I'll keep my conversation current rather than just making stuff up!

Here is Ron Hextall on Lehtera.

http://www.csnphilly.com/...ers-someone-has-play-wing

“Someone has to play the wing,” Hextall said. “He can play the wing. Our scouts have seen him play the wing, but he plays center most games. I am assuming he prefers center like most of them. Someone has to play wing.”
- MJL

I know I'm gonna hear it all summer and I most certainly am going to have to change my name now. I have mixed feelings about the 27th pick overall move. First of all, Jori Lehtera mostly plays center. In fact he plays very little wing. That's another logjam at that spot while continuing to keep LW thin. Lehtera is also older. Remember when Hakstol started his first season by replacing Schenn with Raffl on the PP and it was a massive failure? So we're weaker on the PP. As for the 27th pick, I know nothing about the kid but a first round pick is a first round pick.

So, short takes -- not hot takes:

1. Really happy they got Patrick

2. No real issue with trading Schenn for the return including two firsts

3. Lehtera wasn't great last year -- can't hide that -- but he can play better. Not making excuses because Lehtera needs to be better, and he might not be much better, but he can be

4. That being said, if he isn't better, $4.7 potentially on the fourth line or even scratched? Ouch

5. Just not sure how the goaltending is going to work. Would Ryan Miller come for a season or two?

6. Wish there was a way to get Giroux some guaranteed help on the left side

7. I also hope that the Flyers are just a little faster next season, even if its incremental. I do think team speed isn't a strength

But all in all, this is a good weekend for the Flyers. Schenn's points have to be made up, but hopefully this fall sees some improved skill in a couple more positions, some more skill on defense, and we start to see a team that will challenge for a Cup sooner than later
- AllInForFlyers

I'm willing to take a beating for my thoughts by the masses but even you sound like you have doubts about the Schenn trade. Lehtera doesn't exactly make me jump for joy, nor do I see a spot for him on the roster. With Lehtera coming in and Schenn being moved, we enter the season with Filppula needing to play a larger role as it stands. I kind of view the trade in a weak draft bad timing. After the second overall pick was selected, I felt we just became a stronger team, just to get punched back on our ass when we moved Schenn. Hopefully Fast develops into a solid player, much like Konecny did but in the hear and now, Hextall has more work to do.

I'm willing to take a beating for my thoughts by the masses but even you sound like you have doubts about the Schenn trade. Lehtera doesn't exactly make me jump for joy, nor do I see a spot for him on the roster. With Lehtera coming in and Schenn being moved, we enter the season with Filppula needing to play a larger role as it stands. I kind of view the trade in a weak draft bad timing. After the second overall pick was selected, I felt we just became a stronger team, just to get punched back on our ass when we moved Schenn. Hopefully Fast develops into a solid player, much like Konecny did but in the hear and now, Hextall has more work to do.
- SuperSchennBros

I am giving hextall the benefit of the doubt that this move was not the last this weekend. I will judge him by draft end on how the roster is constructed. In all honesty my first opinion of lehtera was we really went out and traded a young 50 point producer to replace bellemare? But 2 firsts seem to be good in hextall hands. Maybe he's already positioning to move up in next year's strong draft. Who knows. I just know we never know the plan until it happens [/img]

So don't know much about player they got for Schenn, so help me understand this move. Is it that Hexy saw Schenn as mostly a player that scores on the PP? Just not sure if I get moving Schenn, just seems to me like Hexy was never big on him.

Stop posting lineups people. Hexy is not near done
- Just5

That's a near certainty. Let's see what they do in regards to getting a goalie.

I know I'm gonna hear it all summer and I most certainly am going to have to change my name now. I have mixed feelings about the 27th pick overall move. First of all, Jori Lehtera mostly plays center. In fact he plays very little wing. That's another logjam at that spot while continuing to keep LW thin. Lehtera is also older. Remember when Hakstol started his first season by replacing Schenn with Raffl on the PP and it was a massive failure? So we're weaker on the PP. As for the 27th pick, I know nothing about the kid but a first round pick is a first round pick.
- SuperSchennBros

I really don't see that much of a logjam at center, even if none of the candidates are moved.

Giroux and Couturier are locks to be centers and Patrick is just about one too. Fip can play wing, so that leaves Lehtera, Laughton and Vecchione fighting for the 4th line and the spare center slot. Vecchs is waiver exempt and I doubt they want a guy in his first pro year sitting in the press box, so he will likely be in LHV this season. So basically it just comes down to Laughton and Lehtera battling it out for the 4th line, with Lehtera possibly being moved to wing if Laughton wins that spot. I don't see the big problem here.

I want nothing to do with the Dallas goalies. They should be able to go out and get Mrazek.

As for the huge logjam we have at forward now let's see what happens today. I think you're going to see some guys dealt.

I'm willing to take a beating for my thoughts by the masses but even you sound like you have doubts about the Schenn trade. Lehtera doesn't exactly make me jump for joy, nor do I see a spot for him on the roster. With Lehtera coming in and Schenn being moved, we enter the season with Filppula needing to play a larger role as it stands. I kind of view the trade in a weak draft bad timing. After the second overall pick was selected, I felt we just became a stronger team, just to get punched back on our ass when we moved Schenn. Hopefully Fast develops into a solid player, much like Konecny did but in the hear and now, Hextall has more work to do.
- SuperSchennBros

I don't think the Schenn trade had anything to do with Lehtera at all. He was simply the contract that we had to take back to make the deal. It was all about trading in a guy who will never be a consistent scorer at ES or a decent player defensively for 2 first round picks.

So don't know much about player they got for Schenn, so help me understand this move. Is it that Hexy saw Schenn as mostly a player that scores on the PP? Just not sure if I get moving Schenn, just seems to me like Hexy was never big on him.
- LJF

Lindblom and Patrick are on the way, Hexy's making room for them while picking up two 1st-round picks. Lehtera is a short-term cap dump, but isn't useless.

To his credit, Schenn put up points, but let's not pretend he's the straw that stirs the drink on the PP. His ES/defensive/consistency issues are well documented.

I really don't see that much of a logjam at center, even if none of the candidates are moved.

Giroux and Couturier are locks to be centers and Patrick is just about one too. Fip can play wing, so that leaves Lehtera, Laughton and Vecchione fighting for the 4th line and the spare center slot. Vecchs is waiver exempt and I doubt they want a guy in his first pro year sitting in the press box, so he will likely be in LHV this season. So basically it just comes down to Laughton and Lehtera battling it out for the 4th line, with Lehtera possibly being moved to wing if Laughton wins that spot. I don't see the big problem here.
- BiggE

Laughton would likely be the one moving to wing in my opinion. Not Lehtera.

I'd package Read with a pick and move him out then try to get something of value for Raffl.

So don't know much about player they got for Schenn, so help me understand this move. Is it that Hexy saw Schenn as mostly a player that scores on the PP? Just not sure if I get moving Schenn, just seems to me like Hexy was never big on him.
- LJF

My guess is that Hexy, Hak and the new pp coach all feel that he can be replaced on the top pp unit without a big drop off. Between TK, Patrick, Couturier and Lindblom, one of them should be able to fill the role. If that is the case, then they swapped a so-so ES player and borderline defensive liability with 4 years of a 5 million+ cap hit remaining for 2 first round picks and a guy with a slightly lesser cap hit and only 2 years left on his deal.

Some folks think that looking towards the future when managing the cap isn't important, I'm not one of them and, from the moves he's made over the last few years, neither is Ron Hextall. In 2019, they will need to re-sign Provorov and in 2020 the same will hold true for Patrick. These could both end up being huge long term deals. Hextall gets it. Between Read, Umbergers buyout penalty, Filppula, Lehtera, Raffl and now Schenn, you have over 22 million coming off the cap prior to the 19-20 season. This is smart asset management and what you need to do in order to be able re-sign your best players and also to have the flexibility to re-sign a guy like Simmonds if so desired or to add a free agent or 2 once you are ready to contend.

I'm very happy with the trade.

I don't think the Schenn trade had anything to do with Lehtera at all. He was simply the contract that we had to take back to make the deal. It was all about trading in a guy who will never be a consistent scorer at ES or a decent player defensively for 2 first round picks.
- BiggE

In Schenn's defense, he was always being moved all over line up, and has had to play every forward position. This wasn't being asked of anyone else.

Laughton would likely be the one moving to wing in my opinion. Not Lehtera.

I'd package Read with a pick and move him out then try to get something of value for Raffl.
- hereticpride

A lot also depends on if they are able to re-sign Weal. In regards to Laughton, they specifically kept him at center the whole time he was in LHV, I think that is where they see him playing, but I could easily be wrong.

Lindblom and Patrick are on the way, Hexy's making room for them while picking up two 1st-round picks. Lehtera is a short-term cap dump, but isn't useless.

To his credit, Schenn put up points, but let's not pretend he's the straw that stirs the drink on the PP. His ES/defensive/consistency issues are well documented.
- Tomahawk

Agree and I expect a bigger role for Konency also. I believe Read will get dealt soon and I don't expect Laughton to be the 13th forward. Either he makes the roster or he'll be traded for a pick, IMO. The youth movement has definitely arrived. I expect 4 more rookies at least this year starting opening night.