Bill Meltzer: Quick Hits: Back to Work, Hart, Friday Night Fights, Ghost SPCA Event

Don't dare to hope

they miss the playoffs by 5


That said, I hope for a good scoreboard tonight

Little snip from the article over at NBC, it is just crazy talk...

https://www.nbcsports.com...ravis-sanheims-production



It does make you wonder what he could have done last year in a full season or why he was sent down to Lehigh Valley in the first place, where he quickly proved he was above the AHL competition.

Was he really that behind in his defensive principles? And was Brandon Manning that much better of an option?

The 22-year-old Sanheim is now one of the team's best defensemen and the 28-year-old Manning is in the AHL after not panning out with the Blackhawks or Oilers.

Looking at their remaining schedule, unless 2 other teams ahead of them completely collapse, I just don't see them getting in. At best, I can see them going something like 9-5-2 which would get them to 92 points and that's not going to get you in this season unless you play out west.

Little snip from the article over at NBC, it is just crazy talk...

https://www.nbcsports.com...ravis-sanheims-production



It does make you wonder what he could have done last year in a full season or why he was sent down to Lehigh Valley in the first place, where he quickly proved he was above the AHL competition.

Was he really that behind in his defensive principles? And was Brandon Manning that much better of an option?

The 22-year-old Sanheim is now one of the team's best defensemen and the 28-year-old Manning is in the AHL after not panning out with the Blackhawks or Oilers.
- wcorvette

I'm sure the usual suspects will rush to defend them, but this is just another example of Hakstol's incompetence and Hextall's over-protectiveness when it came to young players. Sure, there are a few guys who are exceptions to the rule, namely Provorov and TK (though Hak often benched him way too much), but for the most part, they wait too long to give their better kids a shot.

Hell, if Mark Streit doesn't get hurt, who knows when they would have finally brought Ghost up?

Myers should have been in the lineup over AMac or especially Folin months ago and Hart probably should have been up by the start of December. Waiting too long to make these kind of moves, is a big part of why they are going to miss the playoffs this season.

aaaand, we're off!

aaaand, we're off!
- Scoob

in response to comments about waiting too long to give young players a bigger role on the NHL roster...

I get where you're coming from. Though I'd prefer to err on the side of patience than give our guys the Puljujarvi yo-yo rush treatment

Lewis has done a good job, but I doubt at his age he'd want to come back, especially as he came out of retirement to take the job in the first place.
- BiggE

This is from the last thread. Is Lewis a nickname?

Does anyone else dream of Timonen coaching the Flyers defense one day?

I'm sure the usual suspects will rush to defend them, but this is just another example of Hakstol's incompetence and Hextall's over-protectiveness when it came to young players. Sure, there are a few guys who are exceptions to the rule, namely Provorov and TK (though Hak often benched him way too much), but for the most part, they wait too long to give their better kids a shot.

Hell, if Mark Streit doesn't get hurt, who knows when they would have finally brought Ghost up?

Myers should have been in the lineup over AMac or especially Folin months ago and Hart probably should have been up by the start of December. Waiting too long to make these kind of moves, is a big part of why they are going to miss the playoffs this season.
- BiggE

Smack that beehive.

Looking back, yes I agree, they weren't going to win the cup, let the kids play. Yes, Sanheim benefitted from going back to LHV but there is a case that he would have learned as much in the NHL. Manning was not a better player...

let er rip

This is from the last thread. Is Lewis a nickname?

Does anyone else dream of Timonen coaching the Flyers defense one day?
- NC Flyers Fan

Sorry, had a brain cramp, I meant Wilson.

Would love to see Timonen coaching our D.

in response to comments about waiting too long to give young players a bigger role on the NHL roster...

I get where you're coming from. Though I'd prefer to err on the side of patience than give our guys the Puljujarvi yo-yo rush treatment
- Coburns_Nose

Caution is well and good, and I think starting the season in LHV was the right place for Myers and Hart to be. However, they both should have been here sooner than they were.

Sorry, had a brain cramp, I meant Wilson.

Would love to see Timonen coaching our D.
- BiggE

Oh, I was hoping for a funny story.

Smack that beehive.

Looking back, yes I agree, they weren't going to win the cup, let the kids play. Yes, Sanheim benefitted from going back to LHV but there is a case that he would have learned as much in the NHL. Manning was not a better player...

let er rip
- wcorvette

Honestly I thought that Sanheim should have started last season in LHV and that Morin earned the spot here, but Mensa member Hakstol couldn't figure that out.

Who knows, if Morin stayed with and played for the Flyers last year, maybe he doesn't get injured. We'll never know. I do know this however, the Flyers had better options than Manning last year and Folin this year and they should have used them.

i'm teetering on the line of believing they can do it, and accepting the likely reality they will narrowly miss, and if they do, it will have come down to about 4 or 5 games they blew in the first half of the season...which will suck (frank)ing ass.
- hammarby31 wrote in the last Meltzer post

Yup. Then you look back at the season and you see Cal Pickard as a starter, JVR injured right out of the gate, Simmonds recovering from abdominal surgery and clearly not himself, a bunch of young Dmen, Hexy fired, Hakstol fired,...and lo and behold there they are in the t hick of it at the end of the season. Bodes well for the future.

Oh, I was hoping for a funny story.
- NC Flyers Fan

Sorry. It's what I get for not having enough coffee in the morning. Been watching the Flyers for just about half a century, at this point, I'm gonna get some names confused once in a while!

Bill,

A little off topic but what do you think about Wyatt Kalynuk? I have been watching some of his games and he really seems to have some really good skill. Good skater at 6'1''. Should fill out a little more but he seems to have a pretty good offensive game. Not saying he is as dynamic as Gostisbehere but he can make plays and is all over the ice for Wisconsin.

i know Miller gets lot of the attention but Kalynuk provides just as much impact for that team.

Also do you see the Flyers maybe trying to get into the college free agent market this year or do you think they will spend more time in maybe trying to sign guys like Allison and Lacynzki?

Looking at their remaining schedule, unless 2 other teams ahead of them completely collapse, I just don't see them getting in. At best, I can see them going something like 9-5-2 which would get them to 92 points and that's not going to get you in this season unless you play out west.
- BiggE

yeah, why I keep saying miss by 5, I actually hope Buff stays close in the standings, when the Flyers are out, I hope Buff passes the Flyers in the standings.

Caution is well and good, and I think starting the season in LHV was the right place for Myers and Hart to be. However, they both should have been here sooner than they were.
- BiggE

Yes, perhaps for Myers...Fletcher seemed to do his best to clear room with the Folin trade. Hart was just about right in my mind. He needed that handful of consistent games under him before facing the gauntlet. The real question in everyone’s mind was: would Hextall have pulled up Hart then or looked for a trade/another waiver claim to be a stop gap?

Most of the waiting was justified, but the deadweight and roster holes to start this season were big mistakes...which makes all the little mistakes look worse too.

I'm sure the usual suspects will rush to defend them, but this is just another example of Hakstol's incompetence and Hextall's over-protectiveness when it came to young players. Sure, there are a few guys who are exceptions to the rule, namely Provorov and TK (though Hak often benched him way too much), but for the most part, they wait too long to give their better kids a shot.

Hell, if Mark Streit doesn't get hurt, who knows when they would have finally brought Ghost up?

Myers should have been in the lineup over AMac or especially Folin months ago and Hart probably should have been up by the start of December. Waiting too long to make these kind of moves, is a big part of why they are going to miss the playoffs this season.
- BiggE

As opposed to the usual suspects who create their own reality? What are they saying on other message boards?


When Hextall was fired and Fletcher took over, why did he wait to bring up Myers?

There is no way to know that players brought up earlier would perform then the way they are now. Speculate all you want but you're just pissing in the wind.

Fighting about it is also just pissing in the wind with the added indignation of the other dude's piss on your shoes, too.

Smack that beehive.

Looking back, yes I agree, they weren't going to win the cup, let the kids play. Yes, Sanheim benefitted from going back to LHV but there is a case that he would have learned as much in the NHL. Manning was not a better player...

let er rip
- wcorvette

Sanheim wasn't sent down to the AHL because Manning was a better player.

It's pretty clear that both Hakstol and Hextall along with others including Gordon have done a really strong job in developing young players and guiding them to becoming NHL players, particularly Sanheim.

There is no way to know that players brought up earlier would perform then the way they are now. Speculate all you want but you're just pissing in the wind.

Fighting about it is also just pissing in the wind with the added indignation of the other dude's piss on your shoes, too.
- Scoob

As opposed to the usual suspects who create their own reality? What are they saying on other message boards?


When Hextall was fired and Fletcher took over, why did he wait to bring up Myers?
- MJL

Mostly they just thank God and all that is holy that you're not there.

Honestly I thought that Sanheim should have started last season in LHV and that Morin earned the spot here, but Mensa member Hakstol couldn't figure that out.

Who knows, if Morin stayed with and played for the Flyers last year, maybe he doesn't get injured. We'll never know. I do know this however, the Flyers had better options than Manning last year and Folin this year and they should have used them.
- BiggE

This was my biggest complaint against Hak. I am sure I said that before, and it doesn’t matter now. I can’t wait for Morin to get his second chance this fall...I still think he gets to play a little bit this season.