Sanheim is hurt and you call this morning good?!?!
- YuenglingJagr

this was our year too!

Interesting that he’s keeping Laughton on the wing too
- BiggE

It is. I know only one game but I just don't think they really see him as an option for the 3rd line center role. I think his game translates better on the wing. Also Vorobyev is just a more natural play maker and still brings a 200 ft game.

If the plan is for Laughton to be a winger would you look at something like Laughton in a trade to Anaheim for Nick Ritchie who is an RFA and more natural winger?

I feel like Laughton will be one of those trades where it's two guys needing a change or just don't fit right for the respected team type moves.

Has there been a Sanheim update? I was in a meeting all morning and I haven't found anything
- YuenglingJagr

Out for a week.

Hextall also just said he liked the look of Weal, Laughton and Vorobyev in terms of the 3C spot. Doesn't sound like Frost is really in contention.

This info is all from Bill and Charlie's twitter feeds.

It is. I know only one game but I just don't think they really see him as an option for the 3rd line center role. I think his game translates better on the wing. Also Vorobyev is just a more natural play maker and still brings a 200 ft game.

If the plan is for Laughton to be a winger would you look at something like Laughton in a trade to Anaheim for Nick Ritchie who is an RFA and more natural winger?

I feel like Laughton will be one of those trades where it's two guys needing a change or just don't fit right for the respected team type moves.
- J35Bacher

I’d just give him a look on the wing for now, I think he can be a solid 3rd line LW with his skill set.

Out for a week.

Hextall also just said he liked the look of Weal, Laughton and Vorobyev in terms of the 3C spot. Doesn't sound like Frost is really in contention.

This info is all from Bill and Charlie's twitter feeds.
- Feanor

No surprise, I think he’s best off returning to Junior and playing the WJC

I’d just give him a look on the wing for now, I think he can be a solid 3rd line LW with his skill set.
- BiggE

If that's the case then he probably is destined for the 4th line. As of right now this is what I am thinking:

Giroux - Couturier - Konecny
JVR - Patrick - Voracek
Lindblom - Vorobyev - Simmonds
Laughton - Lehtara - Raffl

Unless NAK as a great camp and pushes Lehtara out of the lineup and Laughton to 4th line center.

If that's the case then he probably is destined for the 4th line. As of right now this is what I am thinking:

Giroux - Couturier - Konecny
JVR - Patrick - Voracek
Lindblom - Vorobyev - Simmonds
Laughton - Lehtara - Raffl

Unless NAK as a great camp and pushes Lehtara out of the lineup and Laughton to 4th line center.
- J35Bacher

Doesn’t look horrible.

Out for a week.

Hextall also just said he liked the look of Weal, Laughton and Vorobyev in terms of the 3C spot. Doesn't sound like Frost is really in contention.

This info is all from Bill and Charlie's twitter feeds.
- Feanor

I didn’t expect him to be in serious contention for the spot

If that's the case then he probably is destined for the 4th line. As of right now this is what I am thinking:

Giroux - Couturier - Konecny
JVR - Patrick - Voracek
Lindblom - Vorobyev - Simmonds
Laughton - Lehtara - Raffl

Unless NAK as a great camp and pushes Lehtara out of the lineup and Laughton to 4th line center.
- J35Bacher

Weal. I think Vorobyev ends up back in the AHL for now. I think NAK is more ready to crack the lineup than Vorobyev

If that's the case then he probably is destined for the 4th line. As of right now this is what I am thinking:

Giroux - Couturier - Konecny
JVR - Patrick - Voracek
Lindblom - Vorobyev - Simmonds
Laughton - Lehtara - Raffl

Unless NAK as a great camp and pushes Lehtara out of the lineup and Laughton to 4th line center.
- J35Bacher

Would love to see NAK or Vecchione push Lehtera into the Cote suite. It’s not like at age 30, he’s gonna get any faster.

Weal. I think Vorobyev ends up back in the AHL for now. I think NAK is more ready to crack the lineup than Vorobyev
- YuenglingJagr

I think Weal is more a hope.

I think Hakstoll and the Flyers prefer a bigger center down the middle like Vorobyev.

You could be right where Weal gets first crack as a hope he can produce but i don't think it will be long for Vorobyev to be brought up to fill that role.

Would love to see NAK or Vecchione push Lehtera into the Cote suite. It’s not like at age 30, he’s gonna get any faster.
- BiggE

As would I.

I want something that Dallas had a couple years ago.

Think it was something like Ryan Garbutt - Vernon Fiddler - Antoine Roussell

They could all skate and were all over the the other team physically and with speed

As expected, Shusko, Strome and Wylie sent back to Jrs. Hughes removed from ATO

Looking at tonight's lineup of centers, I definitely get the feeling the team is trying the "throw something against the wall and see what sticks" method of finding their bottom 6 centers.


I just don't see Weal being one of them. He isn't big enough, he isn't good enough defensively, and he isn't a good enough scorer.

Anyone else see that it looks like Crawford could be on the shelf for a while in Chicago to start the season?

Could that be the spot where possibly you move Neuvirth? Allows you then to keep Elliott/Lyon and then run Hart/Stolarz in Lehigh?
- J35Bacher

Maybe they'll take Stolarz for a pick.

Of course I'm going to the preseason game tmrw and all of the big names are playing tonight...

I think Weal is more a hope.

I think Hakstoll and the Flyers prefer a bigger center down the middle like Vorobyev.

You could be right where Weal gets first crack as a hope he can produce but i don't think it will be long for Vorobyev to be brought up to fill that role.
- J35Bacher

Vecchione is more solid and better on face offs. People get sucked in by the fact that occasionally Vorobyov does something flashy, but Vecchione outplayed him in LV.

Whoever centers G will automatically seem like Jesus, because G will make them better. He made Phil Varone look like a legit NHL center. Meanwhile, Vecchione was in the trenches, playing Coots' game.

It is. I know only one game but I just don't think they really see him as an option for the 3rd line center role. I think his game translates better on the wing. Also Vorobyev is just a more natural play maker and still brings a 200 ft game.

If the plan is for Laughton to be a winger would you look at something like Laughton in a trade to Anaheim for Nick Ritchie who is an RFA and more natural winger?

I feel like Laughton will be one of those trades where it's two guys needing a change or just don't fit right for the respected team type moves.
- J35Bacher

He DID have the worst season of his career playing wing. Just saying.

Of course I'm going to the preseason game tmrw and all of the big names are playing tonight...
- bulet13

Root for the logo on the front, not the names on the back

Root for the logo on the front, not the names on the back
- Scoob

Well yes obviously but I went to the rookie game and saw all the youngsters play so now I kinda wanna see the big guys. Don't think that's unreasonable

Looking at tonight's lineup of centers, I definitely get the feeling the team is trying the "throw something against the wall and see what sticks" method of finding their bottom 6 centers.


I just don't see Weal being one of them. He isn't big enough, he isn't good enough defensively, and he isn't a good enough scorer.
- MBFlyerfan

Hexy says one thing (that Laughton and Weal are front runners to the 3C) but the deployment of each says another. First, Laughton is on the wing today, and has been at wing most of camp. IIRC, he split some time at C on the first day with Misha, but he's been at wing.

Weal -- He's an interesting case. He's got skill, for sure. I think he was very snake bitten last year. I think he played better than his raw stats indicated. He’s underrated by a lot of the fan base. To me he’s one of the top 13 forwards on the team right now. I don’t know if he is going to be good enough to play center, but he shows a lot of smarts, which is the most important factor when it comes to playing center in the NHL.

Looking at tonight's lineup of centers, I definitely get the feeling the team is trying the "throw something against the wall and see what sticks" method of finding their bottom 6 centers.


I just don't see Weal being one of them. He isn't big enough, he isn't good enough defensively, and he isn't a good enough scorer.
- MBFlyerfan[/quote]


So what is he good at to be able to play at the pro level? I am agreeing with you, I am firmly believing he is a career AHL type player who can warrant a call up here or there due to injuries , but not an implanted NHL player.

Vecchione is more solid and better on face offs. People get sucked in by the fact that occasionally Vorobyov does something flashy, but Vecchione outplayed him in LV.
- hockeyal

I don't think he did outplay him outside of PP production, plus he's four years older than Vorobyev. He's actually older than Ghost, and has more in common with Corban Knight than an actual prospect.

Vorobyev stands out to me because he controls the possession game so well, not because of flashy plays.

http://phancystats.com/li...p?id=2017-2018%20Phantoms

[quote=MBFlyerfan]Looking at tonight's lineup of centers, I definitely get the feeling the team is trying the "throw something against the wall and see what sticks" method of finding their bottom 6 centers.


I just don't see Weal being one of them. He isn't big enough, he isn't good enough defensively, and he isn't a good enough scorer.
- Buzzo[/quote]


So what is hew good at to be able to play at the pro level? I am agreeing with you, I am firmly believing he is a career AHL type player who can warrant a call up here or there due to injuries , but not an implanted NHL player.

To me he is Peter White.

To me he is Peter White.
- MBFlyerfan

I kind of think of him as a better Akeson. More skilled and faster but still maybe just a little not enough to be a full time NHL player.

Just how I feel.