Bill Meltzer: Quick Hits: Laughton, Frost, Charity Classic and More

Bill Meltzer: Quick Hits: Laughton, Frost, Charity Classic and More
- bmeltzer

Thanks

Hexy must know something we don’t. Pretty big hole here in the lineup on paper going into the season.

Bill, what is the "high end" of Mikhail Vorobyev and Mike Vecchione in your estimation? obviously its hard to judge but just your thoughts on them.

Hexy does know something; he knows Laughts and Weal have been training with Provy in the motherland. Both will come into camp jacked and ready for a 3C battle.

I as a long time downer on Laughton, hope this kid really did turn the corner into a solid 3rd line center.
Love that we are addressing needs in house.

Bill, what is the "high end" of Mikhail Vorobyev and Mike Vecchione in your estimation? obviously its hard to judge but just your thoughts on them.
- nastyflyergirl

Both are bottom six forwards. Vorobyev is a good playmaker and two-way player but has further adjustments to make in his transition to North American hockey. He lost quite a bit of time to injury as a rookie last year, but made strides. Vecchione is on the bubble of being an NHL player or an NHL-AHL tweener, in my opinion.

Hexy does know something; he knows Laughts and Weal have been training with Provy in the motherland. Both will come into camp jacked and ready for a 3C battle.
- arichardson22

I missed that they were doing the Drago training program with Provy...Love it too!!
Wish more went there too...

I agree with Hextall in that there's absolutely no need to look to FA to solve this potential 3C issue.

Let them battle it out in camp, the first 10-15 games. If there's a huge hole there, then you look around and see what's there.

It's an 82-game season. Yeah, it'd be nice to have a real deal 3C who we know could get the job done on the roster. We don't. But they don't have to know in Game 1, and at some point, the haves and have-nots are gonna separate themselves if they have to go get someone

Both are bottom six forwards. Vorobyev is a good playmaker and two-way player but has further adjustments to make in his transition to North American hockey. He lost quite a bit of time to injury as a rookie last year, but made strides. Vecchione is on the bubble of being an NHL player or an NHL-AHL tweener, in my opinion.
- bmeltzer

for Vorobyev do you think more 3rd line or 4th?

Bill,

If a guy like Letestu can't get a contact, do you think they Flyers might extend him a PTO in camp, just in case Laughton isn't doing well in camp or if a center goes down for an extended time?

Bill,

If a guy like Letestu can't get a contact, do you think they Flyers might extend him a PTO in camp, just in case Laughton isn't doing well in camp or if a center goes down for an extended time?
- jmatchett383

I mentioned Letestu the other day. I'd be fine with him on a one-year deal and Laughton either in 4C role or playing a wing.

Lindblom-Laughton-Simmonds would be a better 3rd line than the Flyers put on the ice for most of last year.

This youtuber is doing goal compilations for the 17-18 season. So far he has done Giroux, Provorov, Voracek, Ghost, Konecny and Patrick.

https://www.youtube.com/u...r/TheFlyersfan1999/videos

for Vorobyev do you think more 3rd line or 4th?
- nastyflyergirl

Hopefully 3rd. If he makes NHL this year, 4th.

The Ratcliffe highlight real was fun to watch.
He has great hands for a big guy.
Reminded me a bit of JVR!

We were in Philly for the weekend visiting my mom. Spectacular weather for July!

Dinics roast pork sandwich at Reading Terminal
and a tahini milk shake at Goldie’s were the food highlights of our weekend.

That goal at :52 seconds on the Ratcliffe highlight video: 👍. The kid has a nice release on his wrist shot and he’s a decent skater.

The Ratcliffe highlight real was fun to watch.
He has great hands for a big guy.
Reminded me a bit of JVR!

We were in Philly for the weekend visiting my mom. Spectacular weather for July!

Dinics roast pork sandwich at Reading Terminal
and a tahini milk shake at Goldie’s were the food highlights of our weekend.
- Marc D

no Oregon Diner??

That goal at :52 seconds on the Ratcliffe highlight video: 👍. The kid has a nice release on his wrist shot and he’s a decent skater.
- Sublime55

Wow!! Ratcliffe has great hands for a big guy!
Have the flyers finally found the sniper that we have been missing from our line up??
Some of his goals, like the one you pointed out, are just beautiful!
This kid has potential to be a steal for where we drafted him

[quote=Just5]
If Couturier goes down, no more Filppula to step in and even then Filppula was never a suitable replacement. We got deep on LW over night when we signed JvR (Lindblum, Raffl).

Does anyone remember the Calgary game of 2002 when the Flames were just working us? By the second intermission we were scored on within the dying seconds, hitch took the team off the ice and only left Recchi out there to take the face off? By the third, we stormed back with Roenick, Recchi and LeClair. LeClair also went on to score four goals in the next game against Montreal. If the season doesn’t go as planned and Hakstol ever needs to hit the panic button as hitch once did, I expect to see a Giroux, Voracek, van Riemsdyk.

no Oregon Diner??
- corduroy

Missed it
Did have a Federal Donut which was very tasty

Wow!! Ratcliffe has great hands for a big guy!
Have the flyers finally found the sniper that we have been missing from our line up??
Some of his goals, like the one you pointed out, are just beautiful!
This kid has potential to be a steal for where we drafted him
- Myfreedomisback

*prays he turns into a Rick Nash-type player*

[quote=SuperSchennBros]

That's the great thing: Giroux could be moved back to center if a long-term injury occurs.

However, I think they'd rather move Patrick up to 1C and fill down accordingly. Definitely leaves something to be desired at the 2C spot (3C becomes an afterthought).

Was catching up on yesterdays thread and saw this:

I know it's kind of lame and probably not the most exciting of opinions, but I would be happy for Frost to stay in juniors this year just for future expansion draft purposes, that on top of the playing time and experience and strength he can build in that year is worth it to me. Then he can break onto the scene next yearike gangbusters
- Fryman4

I would think its almost a certainty that the Seattle expansion draft will be summer 2020. Meaning anyone from the NHL and AHL last season are eligible, and anyone that was in juniors last season is exempt, no matter if they remain in juniors this season, or move to the NHL or are now moving to the AHL. So Frost will be exempt regardless.

Going to be real interesting to see what happens if both Sanheim and Myers have breakout NHL seasons in the next 2 years, as all of Provorov, Ghost, Sanheim, Myers, Hagg, and Morin will be eligible.

Re Vecchs: I just don't see him as ever being more than an AHL/NHL tweener ala Peter White or, going further back, Tim Tookey. He just doesn't have the elite skills to overcome his deficits in the skating dept where he is mediocre at best. He's not a kid, I believe he's 25 so you are pretty much seeing him in his prime at this point.

Vorobyev, OTOH, should at least be a solid 4C and potentially could develop into a 3C at the NHL level. He's a better skater than Vecchione, just as skilled and bigger. He also plays a more complete defensive game from what I've seen of both.