Bill Meltzer: Quick Hits: Hagg Signed, WJC Showcase, and More

Summary:

Great blog, Thanks Bill.

Great Hagg signing.

Maybe reading into too much, but that says a lot about the confidence with Farabee to keep with Hughes and move Wahlstrom down to balance out lines.

Also shows a lot of hope for the Flyers having so many prospects throughout most of the big clubs lineups playing in the showcase.

Has the season started yet?

Some of the earliest memories I have watching the Flyers involve Danny Markov for whatever reason

Hagg deal is fine but hopefully by the time it ends he's either on Seattle or has the role of the 7D

Hagg deal is fine but hopefully by the time it ends he's either on Seattle or has the role of the 7D
- bulet13

Not a fan of the Hagg?

From previous blog

I’ve got to see Morin more. He has more potential for sure. But as of now hagg is better along the boards, better positionally, better at making the simple play.

I like Hagg more than some, not as much as others. I think in a limited #6 role, he's acceptable, but he doesn't do enough (yet - or maybe ever) to help the team win. He does not pass well consistently and can get out of position due to limited mobility. Unlike Mono, I do think he has decent hockey sense but his mobility and puck skills make it seem like he's dumb (No offense to you Mono - I very much trust your hockey eye).

He does do the simple play well. Being good at board pins, and cancellations at net front is a good thing (particularly come playoff time), but it doesn't matter if when you have the puck on your stick, all you do is flip it off the glass for the other team to recover and attack again.

That's the biggest issue people have with Hagg, and they don't see it in his game consistently enough to think he can develop it. I think he can get better with the puck, but I don't know how much. That is why I like the deal, 2 years to see if he can get better. If not, it's a pretty easy contract to move.

Not a fan of the Hagg?
- Glak18

No. He did not pass my eye test at all and I think the stats support me. He struggles to exit his own zone and treats the puck like its a live grenade. Other than his own goal where he took it down the wing and placed a perfect shot, his offense was almost non existent. Sure he can hit well and hes decent at seperating players from the puck, but in todays league you need to be able to do more. That being said, I know he is just a rookie so I hope he can improve but I don;t think he has the potential to develop into a full time nhl starter.

From the end of the last thread:

Morin has some obstacles to overcome first, recovery from injury and staying healthy. Then how his performance and consistency is. He has a decent stretch before he can even be part of the conversation with the Flyers blueline.
- Glak18


Absolutely. However, I've seen enough of him and Hagg to make the following comparisons:

Skating
Neither guy is remotely nimble or quick, but Morin is the faster skater and also benefits from his huge stride. Both are pretty sturdy on their skates.
-slight edge Morin

Passing/playmaking
Morin makes the more accurate outlet pass, and while he'll never be an offensive Dman by any stretch of the imagination, he does bring a bit more skill and creativity to the table than Hagg
-edge Morin

Shot
Morin, if he has time to get it off, has a cannon. Neither is particularly accurate, nor can get a shot off quickly
-slight edge Morin

Physicality
Hagg is a willing and active checker who likes to take the body. He will land more total hits than Morin. Morin though, hits harder and adds the pure intimidation element that no other Dman on the club has.
-edge Morin

Zone defense
Hagg gives up the zone pretty easily, Morin too needs some work in this department, but in general, he uses his reach to break up entries with some success.
-slight edge Morin

Defense zone positioning and awareness
Both are pretty good at separating attacking forwards from the puck and both are relatively sound positionally. Hagg hits a lot, but he doesn't usually take himself out of position to do so, Morin OTOH, is occasionally guilty of this
-slight edge Hagg

On-ice discipline
Hagg doesn't take a lot of bad penalties and plays a relatively clean game. Morin doesn't take many lazy penalties either, but he will lose his cool at times and take an occasional penalty of aggression.
-slight edge Hagg

Overall transitioning from D to offense
Hagg is flat out poor at this. Morin still needs work, but he's already better than Hagg in this dept.
-edge Morin

OVERALL
Hagg, even though he's only 23, pretty much is what he is, a 3rd pair defender who can give you some minutes on the PK and bring some physicality to the game. Morin is already, once healthy, pretty much doing everything Hagg can. Plus he's a flat out beast, more skilled, faster and better suited for success on the PK. He could end up being a solid 2nd pair guy if he keeps working on his overall game.

I have no doubt that if Morin can stay healthy, he's a better all around player than Hagg and that he will pass him on the depth chart. I could see this happening by late in this upcoming season.

Get to watch Farabee today, awesome!

Hagg is fine and was paid accordingly both in term and cap hit. Not every Day man is going to be a stud and they don't need him to be. They just need him to look at Gudas and say "see what that guy does? Do the opposite."

From previous blog



I like Hagg more than some, not as much as others. I think in a limited #6 role, he's acceptable, but he doesn't do enough (yet - or maybe ever) to help the team win. He does not pass well consistently and can get out of position due to limited mobility. Unlike Mono, I do think he has decent hockey sense but his mobility and puck skills make it seem like he's dumb (No offense to you Mono - I very much trust your hockey eye).

He does do the simple play well. Being good at board pins, and cancellations at net front is a good thing (particularly come playoff time), but it doesn't matter if when you have the puck on your stick, all you do is flip it off the glass for the other team to recover and attack again.

That's the biggest issue people have with Hagg, and they don't see it in his game consistently enough to think he can develop it. I think he can get better with the puck, but I don't know how much. That is why I like the deal, 2 years to see if he can get better. If not, it's a pretty easy contract to move.
- VladDrag

I don't think Hagg will ever be more than a solid 3rd pair guy and that's ok. You aren't going to have 6 top 4 guys in your lineup for very long for no other reason than eventually you won't be able to afford all 6. As long as you don't over use him or expect too much from him, Hagg is fine in the right role.

Hagg is fine and was paid accordingly both in term and cap hit. Not every Day man is going to be a stud and they don't need him to be. They just need him to look at Gudas and say "see what that guy does? Do the opposite."
- hereticpride

The sad thing is, that when he's focused and playing well, Gudas is a pretty good player. However, especially once he returned from the suspension last season, he was just a shell of himself. Not only was he hesitant, he was just flat out bad.

The sad thing is, that when he's focused and playing well, Gudas is a pretty good player. However, especially once he returned from the suspension last season, he was just a shell of himself. Not only was he hesitant, he was just flat out bad.
- BiggE

Yeah it's sad. Gudas was great for us his first few years here. Here's hoping he returns to a similar level of play this season

I like the Hagg signing. He's a solid set him and forget him type. I think his role will eventually be what Gudas is. Provides a physical edge but is cleaner with it. Not every defender can be paid 5 million so having a top 6 guy at 1.15 is pretty solid.

I also think there is more to his game. He will never be a big point producer but I still see a little more that he can bring.

[quote=bulet13]

It would really be a huge boost to the team if Gudas can return to the level of play he showed prior to 17-18.

You could roll with the following pairs at ES:
Provy-Ghost
Sanheim-Gudas
AMac-Hagg

and on PK, go with:
Provorov-Gudas
AMac-Hagg
next up: Sanheim

Plus, if Myers or Morin at some point beat out Hagg for a spot, either one could slide right into that 3rd pairing with AMac. Better yet, if Gudas does bounce back, I'd look to move AMac after the season rather than Gudas. You could then go into 19-20 with something like:

Provorov-Ghost
Sanheim-Gudas
Morin/Hagg-Myers/Hagg

[quote=bulet13]

It would really be a huge boost to the team if Gudas can return to the level of play he showed prior to 17-18.

You could roll with the following pairs at ES:
Provy-Ghost
Sanheim-Gudas
AMac-Hagg

and on PK, go with:
Provorov-Gudas
AMac-Hagg
next up: Sanheim

Plus, if Myers or Morin at some point beat out Hagg for a spot, either one could slide right into that 3rd pairing with AMac. Better yet, if Gudas does bounce back, I'd look to move AMac after the season rather than Gudas. You could then go into 19-20 with something like:

Provorov-Ghost
Sanheim-Gudas
Morin/Hagg-Myers/Hagg

Sorry for the double post... FEED THE HAMSTER EK!!!

I don't think Hagg will ever be more than a solid 3rd pair guy and that's ok. You aren't going to have 6 top 4 guys in your lineup for very long for no other reason than eventually you won't be able to afford all 6. As long as you don't over use him or expect too much from him, Hagg is fine in the right role.
- BiggE

I agree for the most part; however, I also think that better in house options will emerge.

I agree for the most part; however, I also think that better in house options will emerge.
- VladDrag

Yup, most likely, but probably not before 20-21 at the earliest, IMO.

Today in Flyers history: With a salary cap coming for the 2005-06 season, the Flyers traded defenseman Danny Markov to the Nashville Predators on Aug. 2,2005 in exchange for a 2006 third-round pick (subsequently traded to LA).
- bmeltzer

Well, in the Flyers' defense, they had to make room for Mike Rathje...

Markov was my favorite Flyers during his brief time. Dude could do everything (including scoring the GWG vs. the Devils in game 5) and was very underrated. Also, the maniacal look he had in the tunnel during the Ottawa brawl game is awesome. I switched to wearing #55 in his honor.

Yup, most likely, but probably not before 20-21 at the earliest, IMO.
- BiggE

My top 6 to start the season would be

9-53
6-3
47-Myers

Hagg/Folin

Not sure what to do when Morin gets back, he's going to have to win a job...Maybe Gudas is moved? You can't have 9 dman, and Morin gets claimed if he's waived....So likely Myers starts the year in the AHL, and the lines look like this:

9-53
6-3
8-47
Folin

We'll see.

Happy to see Hagg signed. Did he edge out Morin at last year's training camp? Or was there an injury to Morin?

Absolutely. However, I've seen enough of him and Hagg to make the following comparisons:

Skating
Neither guy is remotely nimble or quick, but Morin is the faster skater and also benefits from his huge stride. Both are pretty sturdy on their skates.
-slight edge Morin
- BiggE

IMO Morin is a much better skater than Hagg.

I don't think Hagg is bad, and some of the things he does are nice. Paired with Gudas or AMac is a tire fire though and I seriously hope they stop doing that. I like him paired with someone who is able to move the puck up the ice, but honestly I prefer two guys who can move the puck up the ice the most

Happy to see Hagg signed. Did he edge out Morin at last year's training camp? Or was there an injury to Morin?
- bmoreflyer

edged out Morin

Should I get the Witcher 3