Bill Meltzer: Top 25 in 25: Forsberg, Snider Hockey U35 Program, Prospect Updates & More

Bill Meltzer: Top 25 in 25: Forsberg, Snider Hockey U35 Program, Prospect Updates & More
- bmeltzer

You're the best Bill

Foppa


Man, if only he could have stayed healthy.

You're the best Bill
- corduroy

Absolutely!!

I can remember being a young lad and coming across a Forsberg rookie card which was a photo of him being drafted in a Flyers' uniform. Needless to say, what followed was confusion, then sadness

Nothing better than a Forsberg reverse check on a player trying to hit hit him when he had the puck.

Trying

Nothing better than a Forsberg reverse check on a player trying to hit hit him when he had the puck.

Trying
- Giroux_Is_God

Forsberg was just a machine out there. With his combo of speed, strength and skill, it was almost impossible to get the puck from him. The only other guy who could protect a puck as well as Foppa is Jagr, but he has the advantage of being 240 lbs and strong as an ox.

Forsberg in many ways always reminded me of Bobby Clarke in his prime. Both were incredible passers and playmakers, both never gave up on a play, both were tenacious as all hell, both would do anything to win and you often wished that both would shoot the puck more.

With all respect to Giroux, Forsberg was the best Flyers player I ever watched after Eric Lindros. They both had the ability to take over games at will.

Forsberg was just a machine out there. With his combo of speed, strength and skill, it was almost impossible to get the puck from him. The only other guy who could protect a puck as well as Foppa is Jagr, but he has the advantage of being 240 lbs and strong as an ox.

Forsberg in many ways always reminded me of Bobby Clarke in his prime. Both were incredible passers and playmakers, both never gave up on a play, both were tenacious as all hell, both would do anything to win and you often wished that both would shoot the puck more.
- BiggE

Ain't that the truth. But then again, when you're arguably one of the top-5 passers in the history of the game...

Edit: In my lifetime, the only player I've seen that was a better passer was Wayne Gretzky. Even in his Kings/StL/NYR days, his passing skills were still jaw-dropping. But no one could make a saucer pass quite like Forsberg. Even with his foot issues, I often argued that they just push him out stand still towards the defensive blue line and just let him distribute the puck.

Forsberg was just a machine out there. With his combo of speed, strength and skill, it was almost impossible to get the puck from him. The only other guy who could protect a puck as well as Foppa is Jagr, but he has the advantage of being 240 lbs and strong as an ox.

Forsberg in many ways always reminded me of Bobby Clarke in his prime. Both were incredible passers and playmakers, both never gave up on a play, both were tenacious as all hell, both would do anything to win and you often wished that both would shoot the puck more.
- BiggE

Totally agree.

Ain't that the truth. But then again, when you're arguably one of the top-5 passers in the history of the game...

Edit: In my lifetime, the only player I've seen that was a better passer was Wayne Gretzky. Even in his Kings/StL/NYR days, his passing skills were still jaw-dropping. But no one could make a saucer pass quite like Forsberg. Even with his foot issues, I often argued that they just push him out stand still towards the defensive blue line and just let him distribute the puck.
- jmatchett383

There were very few guys that could pass a puck as well as Forsberg and Gretzky would be the only one that I ever saw who was better. The comparable ones would be Orr, Clarke, Mario Lemieux, and Adam Oates.

I remember thinking Ryan Parent was going to be a nice D piece coming back.
Never blossomed.

I remember thinking Ryan Parent was going to be D piece coming back.
Never blossomed.
- Konalover

Couldn't handle the puck to NHL standards. The rest was there to at least be serviceable, but he never lived up to the hype as a future high-end shutdown defenseman. At the time, the Flyers were offered a choice of Parent or Cody Franson in the Forsberg trade package. Based on scouting reports of the time, Parent was the clear-cut choice but it turned out that Franson became the better NHL player.

I would love to be in the alternate universe where the Flyers had Lindros and Forsberg as their 1-2 punch

Couldn't handle the puck to NHL standards. The rest was there to at least be serviceable, but he never lived up to the hype as a future high-end shutdown defenseman. At the time, the Flyers were offered a choice of Parent or Cody Franson in the Forsberg trade package. Based on scouting reports of the time, Parent was the clear-cut choice but it turned out that Franson became the better NHL player.
- bmeltzer

If they had Franson, that MAY have been enough to win the 2010 Cup. The third pairing of Bartulis/Parent/Krajicek was just awful.

Franson is unsigned so he's a theoretical PTO possibility.

https://www.sbnation.com/...cody-franson-thomas-vanek

Franson is unsigned so he's a theoretical PTO possibility.

https://www.sbnation.com/...cody-franson-thomas-vanek
- Feanor

I wouldn't be opposed to it. As much as we're all banking on at least 2 of the kids making the team, they're not sure things.

Bill,

You mentioned David Kase in your post today. At the time he was drafted, there seemed to be some real optimism about Kase given his skill-level as a later round pick. We haven't heard much since then...does the organization still view him as a high upside prospect or had he been hurt by not coming over to the CHL and playing against competition his age?

I would love to be in the alternate universe where the Flyers had Lindros and Forsberg as their 1-2 punch
- HOWSMYDICTATE

I had them on my dream lineup yesterday....

I wouldn't be opposed to it. As much as we're all banking on at least 2 of the kids making the team, they're not sure things.
- jmatchett383

Franson is also an upgrade on Brandon Manning (whom I actually like more than most seem to, and they play somewhat different roles) and could end up being in the lineup for quite a few games.

Roman Polak is another option if he doesn't re-sign with Toronto. I would hope any veteran dman they get on a PTO would be right handed.

https://tipofthetower.com...ot-be-done-with-the-team/

Just stay away from Dennis Wideman. Don't give the refs another reason to hate the Flyers.

Couldn't handle the puck to NHL standards. The rest was there to at least be serviceable, but he never lived up to the hype as a future high-end shutdown defenseman. At the time, the Flyers were offered a choice of Parent or Cody Franson in the Forsberg trade package. Based on scouting reports of the time, Parent was the clear-cut choice but it turned out that Franson became the better NHL player.
- bmeltzer

Amazing how far we have come with our D prospects since then. Can't wait to see who wins the jobs this camp. Should be one of the best/fun to follow camps we have seen in some time.

Bill,

You mentioned David Kase in your post today. At the time he was drafted, there seemed to be some real optimism about Kase given his skill-level as a later round pick. We haven't heard much since then...does the organization still view him as a high upside prospect or had he been hurt by not coming over to the CHL and playing against competition his age.?
- Sublime55

I don't think it helped him to play in the Czech Extraliga as a 4th liner for two years, but the organization still likes him. I don't think he'll have a career like Sami Kapanen's -- Kase is strictly a bottom 6 utility prospect whereas Kapanen had a couple of NHL All-Star seasons in Carolina -- but they are cut from the same basic cloth in terms of work ethic, hockey smarts and fearlessness.

Franson is also an upgrade on Brandon Manning (whom I actually like more than most seem to, and they play somewhat different roles) and could end up being in the lineup for quite a few games.
- bmeltzer

I wouldn't want him here. I guess he could get some second PP time depending on who else makes the team, but I don't think he would be much of an upgrade or get to really utilize his skillset within our d group.

I do agree he is an upgrade over Manning though, so if they don't mind waiving Manning I would be fine with it

Roman Polak is another option if he doesn't re-sign with Toronto. I would hope any veteran dman they get on a PTO would be right handed.

https://tipofthetower.com...ot-be-done-with-the-team/

Just stay away from Dennis Wideman. Don't give the refs another reason to hate the Flyers.
- Feanor

I'm not a fan of him at all.