Again what’s more important….the development of the young core here or 6-7 draft spots? If all those young guys flop and we don’t have some of them continue to grow then drafting some kid with the 5th pick and gonna mean poop. Sure it’s tougher to draft kids not in the top two or three spots that can develop into elite…but to me it’s just as important to develop the talent here even if none fit the elite profile everyone needs.
For them to tank, they would of had to move 5-6 other guys this past summer.
- landros 2

if not top 5-7, in this draft, for sure.

Brink seems redundant with Frost
- wcorvette

Brink is very good on the walls, finds soft areas, and has good offensive instincts, he’s not redundant with frost.

There are plenty of reasons to reduce his minutes from the 20 he had last night. He's struggling playing that much, and a better player is riding the pine partly so he can get undeserved top line ice time.
- Feanor

20 minutes might be a tad high…but 15 Minutes a night in a top nine spot to me is where he should be. I think Torts is trying to force feed him minutes like he did with Tippet last year. We’ll see if it works.

yea, add in, they are winning and playing decent games, mix all that up in a bowl and just an odd feeling. ND last night was a waste of a roster spot, as bad as the Frost thing was, the Cates thing is coming in a close 2nd. Cates is in year 2, give him a break. Brink sits, Farabee gets Laughton, while Farabee is still playing well, Laughton is not helping Farabee, kind of wasting Farabee's efforts, running the risk of putting Farabee in a slump.

Sit ND, Add Laughton to Cates and Hath, Figure out who plays with Farabee and Brink. I do agree Brinks skating was an issue the last few games.
- wcorvette

Yeah, I kind of feel bad for Cates now. If you're going to reduce his role from 1C at the end of last season to 4C, at least give him two competent wings.

The Laughton-Poehling-Farabee line is particularly weird because they have two nautral RWs playing their off side so they can have an all left handed line.

So Ryan Poehling is the new flavor of the month?

a good numbers of peeps said this beginning of the year, if the youngens stepped forward again, vets healthy and good goaltending, they would not get a top 5 pick. Best to hope for is winning the lottery, or go ahead and squeak into the playoffs.

Their youngens step forward you could trade and re-shape the pool. They should make a ton of moves the TDL, selling off vets and re-shaping.
- wcorvette

I just don’t think that’s what they will do.

Oh yeah! She's a looker.
- Letterkenney

I saw that all the other people had jackets on, she knew she was going to be on national tv with the timeout. I think she and her partner were checking out the game stream to see her on TV.

So Ryan Poehling is the new flavor of the month?
- Tomahawk

He has had a couple of good games in a row.

Again what’s more important….the development of the young core here or 6-7 draft spots? If all those young guys flop and we don’t have some of them continue to grow then drafting some kid with the 5th pick and gonna mean poop. Sure it’s tougher to draft kids not in the top two or three spots that can develop into elite…but to me it’s just as important to develop the talent here even if none fit the elite profile everyone needs.
For them to tank, they would have had to move 5-6 other guys this past summer.
- landros 2

What exactly is being developed here? Any top pair defensemen? Any first line centers? Those are the positions that are nearly impossible to get outside of the draft in their primes and are the exact pieces needed to win a cup. Top pair defensemen can be found through out but top line centers are overwhelming taken at the top of the draft. So the plan right now is that Gauthier can play elite #1 center in the NHL when in every major top level team he’s play on, juniors or the worlds, he’s played wing.

This is a plan for playoff revenue not for a cup.

Brink is very good on the walls, finds soft areas, and has good offensive instincts, he’s not redundant with frost.
- ClaudeFather

He had a couple quiet games but it’s time to get him back in. He’s capable of driving offence…this team needs that.

What exactly is being developed here? Any top pair defensemen? Any first line centers? Those are the positions that are nearly impossible to get outside of the draft in their primes and are the exact pieces needed to win a cup. Top pair defensemen can be found through out but top line centers are overwhelming taken at the top of the draft. So the plan right now is that Gauthier can play elite #1 center in the NHL when in every major top level team he’s play on, juniors or the worlds, he’s played wing.

This is a plan for playoff revenue not for a cup.
- psuhockey

Correct.

Not super impressed with Hathaway so far. For an expensive 4th liner I'd hope for better than 2 points and getting outscored 7-2. I guess he has the excuse of being chained to Deslauriers.

Brink seems redundant with Frost
- wcorvette

A team can -- and should-- have more than one playmaking forward, especially when one is a center and the other a winger. I don't think they'd be ideal linemates but there's certainly room for both in the same lineup.

What exactly is being developed here? Any top pair defensemen? Any first line centers? Those are the positions that are nearly impossible to get outside of the draft in their primes and are the exact pieces needed to win a cup. Top pair defensemen can be found through out but top line centers are overwhelming taken at the top of the draft. So the plan right now is that Gauthier can play elite #1 center in the NHL when in every major top level team he’s play on, juniors or the worlds, he’s played wing.

This is a plan for playoff revenue not for a cup.
- psuhockey

I still think they see York as a potential top pair guy…I think he’s had a rough start this year, but Torts keeps firing him out there. I agree on Gauthier. I just don’t see them doing what would need to be done or if it’s even possible to get to a spot where by they are drafting a the top end of this years draft. To me the next best result is to go young and hopefully develop these young guys so when and if they can get that “Elite” center or “elite” d man they have the depth to win with those additions.

A team can -- and should-- have more than one playmaking forward, especially when one is a center and the other a winger. I don't think they'd be ideal linemates but there's certainly room for both in the same lineup.
- bmeltzer

They are also different style players

Brink and Frost have been healthy scratched 10 times now. They have 10 ES points in 22 games.

Cates and Poehling have been healthy scratched three times. They have 5 ES points in 29 games.
- Feanor

To say Torts is stubborn is the understatement of the century.

I still think they see York as a potential top pair guy…I think he’s had a rough start this year, but Torts keeps firing him out there. I agree on Gauthier. I just don’t see them doing what would need to be done or if it’s even possible to get to a spot where by they are drafting a the top end of this years draft. To me the next best result is to go young and hopefully develop these young guys so when and if they can get that “Elite” center or “elite” d man they have the depth to win with those additions.
- landros 2

Ok they can wait around a hope a #1 center or dman becomes available in trade but then the Flyers will have to have a better package then 31 other teams and the cap space to do the deal.

Or they can just actually rebuild and draft one at the top of the draft. Which way is easier to pull off?

I’d swap Foerester and Brink
- ClaudeFather

I thought about that too but Brink got some play making in him to set up Atkinson who has a shoot first mentality.

It's actually a nice balance throughout the 4 lines that he proposed.

Seeler is the perfect player to have on your team as a 6/7 on a rebuilding team.
- MJL

True but he is also a good chip to move too. Lots of playoff teams will look for 3rd pair depth.

He has had a couple of good games in a row.
- landros 2

Montreal tried to move Poehling up in the lineup. They put him back on the 4th line where he belonged.

Seeler is the perfect player to have on your team as a 6/7 on a rebuilding team.
- MJL

he should be/ should have been moved. You turn a flameout onto an asset that you always talk about.

he should be/ should have been moved. You turn a flameout onto an asset that you always talk about.
- hello it's me 2050

I think there is a very good chance he is moved at the upcoming deadline.

I’d swap Foerester and Brink
- ClaudeFather

I would not, This way each line has a playmaker and a shooter.

Are we counting the teams who haven't won a cup despite having #1 or #2 overall picks in their lineup? There are far more of them over the last 15 years.
- atibus

Excellent point.

I thought about that too but Brink got some play making in him to set up Atkinson who has a shoot first mentality.

It's actually a nice balance throughout the 4 lines that he proposed.
- Pelle31Forever

Atkinson is very much a net driving player who also self creates. His best offensive times here were with Farabee, he doesn’t exactly need a playmaker.