Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Flyers Won't Draft by Position

first, wooooo!!!!

This is the time of year when I'm thankful there's still hockey to watch on the one hand and wishing the season would end so we can see what happens for next year on the other.

Let's continue to draft players with mononucleosis, and and steal Grigorenko.. Wouldn't mind seeing them draft Griffin Reinhart or Henrik Samuelsson either.

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Flyers Won't Draft by Position
- bmeltzer

Bill,

Excellent blob.

Great blog.

Don't know the source but saw a recent commentary saying a team should never use a first round pick to take a Dman unless it was for a #1 guy like a Doughty or Karlsson who had clear offensive upside. Great, stay at home Dmen are slow to develop and guys like Chara, Weber and Lidstrom often only begin to show their offensive edge once they get their defensive game in place.

The same comment suggested that you never waste an early round pick on a goalie. There will always be an exception (Cary Price). But, most top prospect goalies never actually make it to the elite level. On the other hand, if you look at the top goalies, how many we're taken in the late rounds.

A team should use their early picks to draft kids who can see and anticipate the game, who can skate, have size and good hand/eye coordination.

It also would be nice to see the Flyers start using some mid to late round picks on goalies. That is another position you will find more gems late in the draft. Lundqvist and Rinne were late round picks and Quick I believe was third.

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Flyers Won't Draft by Position
- bmeltzer

Absolutely. Draft the best player available in the first round, regardless of position. It'd be nice to have more good young defensemen in the system, but at the same time, you got to take the guy at the top of your board.

Let's continue to draft players with mononucleosis, and and steal Grigorenko.. Wouldn't mind seeing them draft Griffin Reinhart or Henrik Samuelsson either.
- pharcyde

Probably would have to trade up for all of those guys. Maybe not Samuelsson.

Absolutely. Draft the best player available in the first round, regardless of position. It'd be nice to have more good young defensemen in the system, but at the same time, you got to take the guy at the top of your board.
- Jsaquella

Play the percentages. Flyers are just better off drafting forwards. Get your young dmen through trades

Hell draft another young center. Then you really have an option for briere's contract if amnesty is available

Bill, I honestly do not know how you are not a full time employee of TSN or the NHL.
The amount of effort and honest interest you put into each and every article surpasses everyone else... and I mean everyone. As a true fan of the Flyers and hockey, it is such a pleasure to get up in the morning and know that I have something like this to look forward to. Outstanding work, and just great thought to put something like this together. Bravo!

Bill, I honestly do not know how you are not a full time employee of TSN or the NHL.
The amount of effort and honest interest you put into each and every article surpasses everyone else... and I mean everyone. As a true fan of the Flyers and hockey, it is such a pleasure to get up in the morning and know that I have something like this to look forward to. Outstanding work, and just great thought to put something like this together. Bravo!
- jak521

It was those 15 drifters he killed along the NJ Turnpike back in the 1990's. Stupid TSN and their "background" checks.

It was those 15 drifters he killed along the NJ Turnpike back in the 1990's. Stupid TSN and their "background" checks.
- Jsaquella

it's his three piece suit (t-shirt, jeans and press credentials)...

Absolutely. Draft the best player available in the first round, regardless of position. It'd be nice to have more good young defensemen in the system, but at the same time, you got to take the guy at the top of your board.
- Jsaquella

I think they should look to add d-men in rounds 2-4. Thats where they should say... "Its round 3 and we have this "C" ranked as the best available, but the next best is this d-man, lets take a shot at the d-man."

We have seen them take enforcers in the 3rd round... I wanna see them start to drafting mid round d-men. Look at MAB for example. A 3rd rounder himself (i believe) and he looks like he might be our 6th dman next year.

It was those 15 drifters he killed along the NJ Turnpike back in the 1990's. Stupid TSN and their "background" checks.
- Jsaquella

As long as he didnt eat any body parts he should be fine.

Speaking of cannibalism a former Bonner teacher was murdered and his heart and part of his brain were eaten.
http://www.myfoxdc.com/st...se-guests-heart-and-brain

I think they should look to add d-men in rounds 2-4. Thats where they should say... "Its round 3 and we have this "C" ranked as the best available, but the next best is this d-man, lets take a shot at the d-man."

We have seen them take enforcers in the 3rd round... I wanna see them start to drafting mid round d-men. Look at MAB for example. A 3rd rounder himself (i believe) and he looks like he might be our 6th dman next year.
- jak521

The other key with the drafting of defensemen is how they handle them. MAB has benefittted from patience. Had they been more patient with guys like Seidenberg, maybe the history of defensemen they have drafted wouldn't seem so bleak.

As long as he didnt eat any body parts he should be fine.

Speaking of cannibalism a former Bonner teacher was murdered and his heart and part of his brain were eaten.
http://www.myfoxdc.com/st...se-guests-heart-and-brain
- jak521

[quote=Jsaquella]

[quote=Jsaquella]


- tangent_man

There just seems to be a huge increase in the amount of brain eatin'

Don't know the source but saw a recent commentary saying a team should never use a first round pick to take a Dman unless it was for a #1 guy like a Doughty or Karlsson who had clear offensive upside. Great, stay at home Dmen are slow to develop and guys like Chara, Weber and Lidstrom often only begin to show their offensive edge once they get their defensive game in place.

- spatso

I agree with that point of view.

it's his three piece suit (t-shirt, jeans and press credentials)...
- phi1671

..... my wife has said the very same thing.

It was those 15 drifters he killed along the NJ Turnpike back in the 1990's. Stupid TSN and their "background" checks.
- Jsaquella

It was only 7.... the rest died of natural causes.

It was only 7.... the rest died of natural causes.
- bmeltzer

The other key with the drafting of defensemen is how they handle them. MAB has benefittted from patience. Had they been more patient with guys like Seidenberg, maybe the history of defensemen they have drafted wouldn't seem so bleak.
- Jsaquella

Very often with defensemen, unless a team is willing to live with up to five years of growing pains from his draft year to his third or fourth pro season, it will be the defenseman's SECOND NHL organization that reaps the benefits.

The Flyers simply are not willing to wait that long, so they pull the plug on a lot of young defensemen. But they've also been the beneficiaries a few times of other teams dealing too soon, such as acquiring Coburn right at the point where he was finally ready to compete for a full-time NHL job.

As long as he didnt eat any body parts he should be fine.

Speaking of cannibalism a former Bonner teacher was murdered and his heart and part of his brain were eaten.
http://www.myfoxdc.com/st...se-guests-heart-and-brain
- jak521

hmmm...maybe the state dept social experiments need to end. next we'll hear about guys eating pucks instead of at pucks.