So just watching the World Juniors I really am impressed with Cates. Always seems to be in position, always around the puck, good size and skating. Slick goal last night.

When they talk about him its kind of like when people talked about Lindblom. But I think Cates has a higher offensive upside.

Just something I noticed.

Another potential 5th round steal. Fletch has till 8/15/22 to get him signed.

0 minutes for JOB, though.

I still watch the games. But I don't "watch" as hard. I do other things, surf the internet, play video games etc, while the game is on in the background. Ill listen for Jacksons voice to rise or for he crowd to get loud. I dislike this......
- MBFlyerfan

I watched the Florida game till the end of the 2nd period, had a bad feeling, so then I went to sleep and didn't check the score till the morning. Against Carolina I stopped watching after their 2nd goal. For the Nashville game I was at the movies.

Are you kidding? It would be simple to bench MacDonald and Weise, and replace them with Myers and Aube-Kubel. Myers already has 95 AHL game under his belt, and NAK has 187. They are ready to take the next step.
- Feanor

Im not calling anyone up to this tire fire unless there is a trade.

I’m blanking on the site names BSH mentioned, but 1 site said we have 9% chance for playoffs, another 10% and 1 other being more generous with 14%.
Regardless, It’s time to sell players.

Obviously it starts with Simmonds. Take whatever you can get and hopefully it becomes a bidding war by division rivals close in the standings. Trade Weal for anything. I like Raffl, but take offers on him and just because we move him this season, it doesn’t mean we can’t resign him in the offseason which I would be ok with. Maybe a team battling injuries will nite on Weise, but doubtful. Now for the defensman...

Very soon the Flyers are going to have some tough choices with our D-men. Myers has been playing very well and is knocking on the NHL door, Friedman is close too and I could see him earning a call up towards the end of the year. We also have Morin expected to come back in February and he is not waiver exempt. With that said, I think it’s time to seriously consider retaining at least 2M of Amac’s contract and trading him for whatever you can get. We can handle it with our ample cap space for next season. Take calls on Gudas as he’s having a better season; I like him but as mentioned we are going to have a log jam.

When Stoalie is back, send Hart back down so he can make a playoff run with the Phantoms.

Finish the year out, don’t trade core players, take the lottery draft pick and evaluate hard in the offseason for a guy like Voracek or even Ghost. I’d prefer to keep both but if a deal can be made at the draft that will improve our team I’m all for it.
- arichardson22

Let me also get this straight we want a defense of gost provy hagg sanheim Myers morin right this second? Well it would certainly be exciting. But I'd rather add a veteran to thst core.

Funny how everyone got interested when they called up Carter Hart. It's almost like we want to see the young guys play or something.
- johndewar

Um, with all due respect to them, there won't be a rush to the televisions if/when NAK or Meyers gets called up.

So just watching the World Juniors I really am impressed with Cates. Always seems to be in position, always around the puck, good size and skating. Slick goal last night.

When they talk about him its kind of like when people talked about Lindblom. But I think Cates has a higher offensive upside.

Just something I noticed.
- J35Bacher

I like cates also. Mainly cause he is very reliable high energy guy. He was the only pk forward on for 5 vs 3. I think his ceiling though is an elite 3rd line center who can get you 40 points. Floor a 4th line player.

Im not calling anyone up to this tire fire unless there is a trade.
- MBFlyerfan

Why? They already called up Hart.

You can waive Lehtera to make room on the roster.

So just watching the World Juniors I really am impressed with Cates. Always seems to be in position, always around the puck, good size and skating. Slick goal last night.

When they talk about him its kind of like when people talked about Lindblom. But I think Cates has a higher offensive upside.

Just something I noticed.
- J35Bacher

Cates plays like he's hunting the puck (unlike a lot of guys on our NHL roster), always has high energy shifts, obviously has some skill to. Hopefully this tournament is a stepping stone for him.

Um, with all due respect to them, there won't be a rush to the televisions if/when NAK or Meyers gets called up.
- Scoob

Not right away like with Hart, but I think Myers has the potential to get people excited. A RHD with his size, hands and skating ability is very rare.

Why? They already called up Hart.

You can waive Lehtera to make room on the roster.
- Feanor

It's not about waiving this guy for that guy.

It's more you want guys playing. Bring up Aube-Kubel and sit wiese. Ok. But it's not like Aube-Kubel is getting 15 minutes a night then.

I just want to see guys get solid minutes when up in the role they will likely play. If Aube-Kubel comes up I want to see him on the 3rd line, killing some penalties, getting solid minutes. If it's jut a 4th line role then I want him in the AHL producing and getting major minutes.

Let me also get this straight we want a defense of gost provy hagg sanheim Myers morin right this second? Well it would certainly be exciting. But I'd rather add a veteran to thst core.
- Tfaehner

Its not ideal but we will have 8 dmen once Morin is back. He may have to be slowly worked in but I think we all would want him to get as many games as possible. I’m ok with Myers staying in the AHL for the year if needed but the guy deserves a call up sooner or later imo. Gudas I think you can move fairly easily if you wanted to and realistically AMac won’t be traded so he prob would be still around. But even without a Myers call up, either AMac or young dman is being scratched. And I think we all rather have it be AMac lol. It’s not ideal again, but Gordon is quite familiar with Hagg, Sanheim, Morin and Myers so I think he could find a nice balance to not overwhelm all the youth. I mean how much worse can our defense get lol

Um, with all due respect to them, there won't be a rush to the televisions if/when NAK or Meyers gets called up.
- Scoob

It's not those players I had in mind, in particular, but the idea that the team is going in a young and exciting direction would be more of an incentive to watch than the team as currently constituted.

I think, if the team's play doesn't improve and Fletcher doesn't make any moves, the home crowd will get ugly over the course of the next few weeks. 7 of the next 10 games are at home.

Let me also get this straight we want a defense of gost provy hagg sanheim Myers morin right this second? Well it would certainly be exciting. But I'd rather add a veteran to thst core.
- Tfaehner

Not a problem at all. It would be the goalies' fault they'd be losing.

Why? They already called up Hart.

You can waive Lehtera to make room on the roster.
- Feanor

They had to call up Hart.

They had to call up Hart.
- Scoob

They could have called up Lyon.

But if they can call up a goalie with ~15 games played in the AHL, they can surely call up skaters with ~90 or ~180 GP.

They could have called up Lyon.

But if they can call up a goalie with ~15 games played in the AHL, they can surely call up skaters with ~90 or ~180 GP.
- Feanor

Didn't Lyon have some kind of minor/nagging injury at that time?

Anyway, I'm not lobbying against calling up some youngsters

Its not ideal but we will have 8 dmen once Morin is back. He may have to be slowly worked in but I think we all would want him to get as many games as possible. I’m ok with Myers staying in the AHL for the year if needed but the guy deserves a call up sooner or later imo. Gudas I think you can move fairly easily if you wanted to and realistically AMac won’t be traded so he prob would be still around. But even without a Myers call up, either AMac or young dman is being scratched. And I think we all rather have it be AMac lol. It’s not ideal again, but Gordon is quite familiar with Hagg, Sanheim, Morin and Myers so I think he could find a nice balance to not overwhelm all the youth. I mean how much worse can our defense get lol
- arichardson22

Well.. Morin isnt expected back until February than he will likely do an AHL conditioning stint. So maybe March he will be ready for the big club. Not a pressing issue.

The defense honestly could be a lot worse. Goaltending hasn't been stellar. Our team defense has been atrocious. Gudas is having a solid year. Amac regardless of play has been a good vet for these kids off the ice. Unless we are replacing them with a better vet I want no part of this idea.

Didn't Lyon have some kind of minor/nagging injury at that time?

Anyway, I'm not lobbying against calling up some youngsters
- Scoob

He had just returned from injury as was rumored to not be in game shape.

I don't care if they call up any of the youngsters. I just want them playing. One thing I didn't like about Hakstol is they bring up Aube-Kubel and then use him less then 5 minutes.

If your going to bring up kids then let them play. I don't want Aube-Kubel just playing limited 4th line minutes. If up i would like to see him in a 3rd line role.

Right now I am ready to get Lindblom of the 4th line. if this season is going to play out the way it is then get him playing with guys where he can start to produce. Get him with Couturier and Voracek. Get him more offensive minutes there.

Again I have no problem calling guys up but i want them playing.

Didn't Lyon have some kind of minor/nagging injury at that time?

Anyway, I'm not lobbying against calling up some youngsters
- Scoob

I don't think so. He played against Vancouver in Hak's last game.

By that logic, they should demote Sanheim, Lindblom and Patrick to get them away from the "dysfunctional mess".

But that would be retarded, because young players can still develop by playing in the NHL, even on a bad team.
- Feanor

They already have NHL experience under their belt and are more advanced.

Why? They already called up Hart.

You can waive Lehtera to make room on the roster.
- Feanor

What other choice did they have? Lets be honest here.

I guess they could have called up Lyon, but he was just coming off an injury.

Are you kidding? It would be simple to bench MacDonald and Weise, and replace them with Myers and Aube-Kubel. Myers already has 95 AHL game under his belt, and NAK has 187. They are ready to take the next step.
- Feanor

To be fair to Myers, he would need to
be heavily sheltered. He's better off playing top minutes in the AHL right now.

What other choice did they have? Lets be honest here.

I guess they could have called up Lyon, but he was just coming off an injury.
- MBFlyerfan

Lyon was already on the team. They actually sent him down to make room for Hart, even though Lyon has been the best Phantoms goalie by far this season.

https://theahl.com/stats/...=1&league=4&qualified=all

I think you can start with ~10 minutes a night, and go from there.

Hak only giving him 5 or 6, eventually forcing Hextall to send him back down, was a disgrace.
- Feanor

No it wasn't. He just simply wasnt better than other available players.