Bill Meltzer: Preseason Gameday: 9/24/22 vs. BOS

Frost, Tippet, and York are not locks? Find that hard to believe.

Frost, Tippet, and York are not locks? Find that hard to believe.
- furio16

Agreed. In fact, if they’re not, we’re in even bigger trouble.

Agreed. In fact, if they’re not, we’re in even bigger trouble.
- SuperSchennBros

Would also be funny if that happened in a bad way.

Frost, Tippet, and York are not locks? Find that hard to believe.
- furio16

Close to a lock is NOT a lock.

Let's say Laughton has no points in camp and several rough practices/scrimmages (just an example). He's still on the opening night lineup regardless.

Now let's say Zamula massively outplays York in camp. Cam wouldn't be guaranteed an opening night job. Frost and Tippett are both waiver eligible and both quite likely to make the opening night roster. However, if they have awful camps (so far nothing negative stands out) they could be scratched on opening night under certain scenarios.

You don't have something until you actually have it, no matter how likely it seems.

FINALLY!!! Hockey is back. Even if just preseason.

Agree with the other posts re: Frost, Tippet and York, and even N Cates, as well. If they're not locks, I'm not sure how to think about this team. Particularly in light of Tort's comments about playing the kids. Maybe this just a way to get a high compete level out of them right away.

Bill, after hearing Fletch talk about Coots, is it realistic that may not need surgery and might just miss a few weeks or is Chuck being overly optimistic? Have we heard from Coots or medical staff?

Bill, after hearing Fletch talk about Coots, is it realistic that may not need surgery and might just miss a few weeks or is Chuck being overly optimistic? Have we heard from Coots or medical staff?
- cdearth23

Take all of it with a grain of salt. Wait and see if they announce a health status and timetable for the player, if that timetable proves to play out as projected and above all how it actually plays out.

FINALLY!!! Hockey is back. Even if just preseason.

Agree with the other posts re: Frost, Tippet and York, and even N Cates, as well. If they're not locks, I'm not sure how to think about this team. Particularly in light of Tort's comments about playing the kids. Maybe this just a way to get a high compete level out of them right away.
- Letterkenney

I expect all of them to make the team and be in the opening night lineup. But, as I said above, close to a lock is not the same thing as an actual lock. Frost, Tippett and York are in "it's your job to lose" territory at this stage.

An actual lock is the player could have the worst camp of his life, get noticeably outplayed in camp and yet the spot is his. Example: barring injury, Carter Hart is the opening night starting goalie. He could have an .850 save percentage in the preseason and he's still starting Game 1.

Close to a lock is NOT a lock.

Let's say Laughton has no points in camp and several rough practices/scrimmages (just an example). He's still on the opening night lineup regardless.

Now let's say Zamula massively outplays York in camp. Cam wouldn't be guaranteed an opening night job. Frost and Tippett are both waiver eligible and both quite likely to make the opening night roster. However, if they have awful camps (so far nothing negative stands out) they could be scratched on opening night under certain scenarios.

You don't have something until you actually have it, no matter how likely it seems.
- bmeltzer

Still find it hard to believe. Especially Tippet as he is the GMs return for Giroux. He is a stone cold mortal lock imo

Still find it hard to believe. Especially Tippet as he is the GMs return for Giroux. He is a stone cold mortal lock imo
- furio16

Yeah, I'd be shocked if Tippett or York are not in the lineup come opening night as they both looked like NHL players to me. Frost is the one that still gives me the most reason to pause cause quite frankly he hasn't proven to me that he has the compete level to stay in the NHL. We shall see. It's time to buck up or hit the road for him cause he'll never have a better chance to prove his worth than now.

hmmm i don't know if this is worth watching

Come on, there is zero chance, other than illness or injury, that Tippett isn’t in the opening night lineup. And, with Couts and Brown on the shelf, I’d say there is less than a 1% chance that Frost isn’t there as well.

hmmm i don't know if this is worth watching
- 2Real

It’s not.

Come on, there is zero chance, other than illness or injury, that Tippett isn’t in the opening night lineup. And, with Couts and Brown on the shelf, I’d say there is less than a 1% chance that Frost isn’t there as well.
- BiggE

if tippett isn't on the roster starting the season he's a major bust of a play this is his chance to shine and if he can't outplay our scrubs then we are doomed

if tippett isn't on the roster starting the season he's a major bust of a play this is his chance to shine and if he can't outplay our scrubs then we are doomed
- 2Real

Am not expecting Tippett to fail. But let's say Allison is fantastic in the preseason and Foerster bags several preseason goals and Tippett is just OK. Tortorella -- the same coach who scratched Laine and who yanked and sat Dubois -- would not hesitate for a second to scratch Tippett.

Whether you like or hate Tortorella, he walks the walk in terms of pushing players and enforcing accountability. So, again, no, Tippett isn't a mortal lock. He's close to being one. He has a role that's his to lose. But it's not a 100 percent guarantee.

Am not expecting Tippett to fail. But let's say Allison is fantastic in the preseason and Foerster bags several preseason goals and Tippett is just OK. Tortorella -- the same coach who scratched Laine and who yanked and sat Dubois -- would not hesitate for a second to scratch Tippett.

Whether you like or hate Tortorella, he walks the walk in terms of pushing players and enforcing accountability. So, again, no, Tippett isn't a mortal lock. He's close to being one. He has a role that's his to lose. But it's not a 100 percent guarantee.
- bmeltzer

Does the GM make the roster decisions? There is no way Chuck is sending Tippet to the minors. So yes Bill he is a mortal lock to make the roster.

What I will agree wtth is it doesn't mean he will play. As that is the coaches choice.

hmmm i don't know if this is worth watching
- 2Real

I think it is …I want to see what some of these guys that because of Covid and injuries haven’t been on anyones radar. We’ll see shortly. A few of these guys were pretty highly rated …I personally want to see if there’s a few that can pick up where they left off.

Bill. After the handling of Ellis and Nopa, how can any information they provide not be taken with a grain of salt? In no way a knock on you, just seems like they have no clue half the time.

Come on, there is zero chance, other than illness or injury, that Tippett isn’t in the opening night lineup. And, with Couts and Brown on the shelf, I’d say there is less than a 1% chance that Frost isn’t there as well.
- BiggE

I'm not expecting Foerster to beat out Tippett this camp. I'm not expecting Allison to play higher than Tippett come opening night. But Tippett isn't so established yet than he could coast and the job is his no matter what. That's just not how Tortorella operates.

Hell, in 2019-20, who was expecting Twarynski and Bunnaman on AV's opening night roster and Farabee (who actually DID have a good camp) to be sent to the Phantoms to start. Waiver considerations make it that much less likely that Frost or Tippett aren't in the opening night lineup even if they are just OK in camp. But they can't struggle to the degree that Frost did offensively (he was actually good defensively, and even physical) in camp last year and be guaranteed they'll be in the lineup.

Again, I don't expect it to happen.

Does the GM make the roster decisions? There is no way Chuck is sending Tippet to the minors. So yes Bill he is a mortal lock to make the roster.

What I will agree wtth is it doesn't mean he will play. As that is the coaches choice.
- furio16

Your just not used to watching the a Flyers team where by “accountability” is a real thing.

Bill. After the handling of Ellis and Nopa, how can any information they provide not be taken with a grain of salt? In no way a knock on you, just seems like they have no clue half the time.
- Peter Richards

It’s been that way in Flyer land for a long time.

Does the GM make the roster decisions? There is no way Chuck is sending Tippet to the minors. So yes Bill he is a mortal lock to make the roster.

What I will agree wtth is it doesn't mean he will play. As that is the coaches choice.
- furio16

Well, yes. It would take a disastrous preseason for either player to be waived and sent to the Phantoms. Neither one is off to a disastrous start. Frost added another couple pounds or so of muscle to last year's 190 pound reporting weight, and fared well in the skating test and had a decent scrimmage (two secondary assists, won the majority of his 50-50 battles albeit against low-grade opposition, 3 shot attempts although two got blocked and one missed the net from a flat angle). Tippett did well in the skating test, too, and had several scoring chances including a penalty shot in his scimmage; although his issue of not finishing cropped up.

Both are off to starts where they'd never have to worry if it continues.

Thought it was interesting this morning that Lappy stopped short of issuing the same praise to Cam York -- who is not waiver exempt -- that he did to Frost. York is in great shape but Lappy challenged him to get better at making the routine play routinely and not just the high skill plays. Those two butted heads over the same stuff with the Phantoms last year.

Bill. After the handling of Ellis and Nopa, how can any information they provide not be taken with a grain of salt? In no way a knock on you, just seems like they have no clue half the time.
- Peter Richards

No, I agree with you. I will believe it when I see it with Couturier, Farabee and any other significant injury that the player doesn't just return from injury but stays healthy and doesn't exit the lineup again shortly thereafter.

Well, yes. It would take a disastrous preseason for either player to be waived and sent to the Phantoms. Neither one is off to a disastrous start. Frost added another couple pounds or so of muscle to last year's 190 pound reporting weight, and fared well in the skating test and had a decent scrimmage (two secondary assists, won the majority of his 50-50 battles albeit against low-grade opposition, 3 shot attempts although two got blocked and one missed the net from a flat angle). Tippett did well in the skating test, too, and had several scoring chances including a penalty shot in his scimmage; although his issue of not finishing cropped up.

Both are off to starts where they'd never have to worry if it continues.

Thought it was interesting this morning that Lappy stopped short of issuing the same praise to Cam York -- who is not waiver exempt -- that he did to Frost. York is in great shape but Lappy challenged him to get better at making the routine play routinely and not just the high skill plays. Those two butted heads over the same stuff with the Phantoms last year.
- bmeltzer

Never heard that with York and Lappy. Good info Bill.

The waiver process is going to hurt some players imo 100%.