Bill Meltzer: Wrap: Islanders 3 - Flyers 2 (OT), Injury and Prospect Updates

Glad to see that Mr. Glass is taking preseason seriously -- he's already in midseason form as the most unreliable player I can truly remember for this franchise in the time I've watched it

Hope Ghost is ok and good to go to start the regular season.

neuvirth is a waste of a roster space can we send him down and let stollarz be the back up

Bill, you've killed it all summer and as preseason moves along, you continue to be awesome. Thanks, as always!

Sucks for Neuvirth. Do partly wonder what’s going on there. To be that injury prone.

Autoimmune?

Sucks for Neuvirth. Do partly wonder what’s going on there. To be that injury prone.

Autoimmune?
- flyer_nutter

- 2Real

First name Mister...last name Glass

Sucks for Neuvirth. Do partly wonder what’s going on there. To be that injury prone.

Autoimmune?
- flyer_nutter

Should've moved on from him in the offseason, IMO. Doesn't matter if you're talented if you're not available to play

While we the fans are all nearly unanimous in wanting to move on from Neuvirth, let’s remember who the GM is. There was a considerable period in Hextall’s career where every other word was groin pull/ injury. Ken Wregget was acquired to be a realistic alternative.

IMHO they should be if there isn’t already plans to move on from Neuvirth. He is too fragile. I still believe that Elliott if properly managed can give you as many as 40 good games a year. But those will need to be better spaced out and planned.

Some observations from both last night and preseason in general:

Myers is more than ready for NHL competition. Are there some flaws in his game that need to be worked out? Of course, he's still young and inexperienced and guys like Provorov, who can come in at 19 and within a few weeks be playing top 4 minutes like a seasoned vet, don't come around very often. That being said, he's already better than Hagg and Folin, plays a better all around game than Sanheim and he could quickly move past Gudas on the depth chart too.

Vorobyev should be the 3C, it's not even close. His all around game is better than that of Weal or Lehtera and Laughton, while he's played well, still has a skill set that in my opinion would serve him better playing on the wing. If Laughton is going to play center, he should be on the 4th line.

Hart has looked good, real good. His demeanor and positioning are already that of an NHL starting goalie and his rebound control is solid as well. With Lyon hurt, Neuvirth now hurt and Stolarz probably still rusty after not playing for a year, he just might end up opening the season with the Flyers. If that's the case, don't be surprised if he ends up winning the #1 job from Elliott sooner rather than later.

Lehtera knows how to play the game and gives his all, but if anything he actually seems to have lost half a step from last season. He just can't skate at an NHL level and while he might be in the opening night lineup, I don't think he stays in for long. Weise may be a heartless piece of crap, but at least he can keep up and if he actually puts out some effort, he's a passable 4th line player. However, by the start of 2019 at the latest, I think the 4th line is: Raffl-Laughton-Aube-Kubel.

Weal has been ok, but ok isn't going to win him a spot in the starting lineup. He will be a spare forward along with one of Lehtera/Weise to start the season and I think he gets traded as soon as another team loses a couple of skill forwards to injury. Leier, OTOH, just looks like an NHL/AHL tweener at best and will clear waivers and be playing in LHV.

Provorov is going to have a monster season, he truly is a freak of nature and I can see him easily playing 25+ minutes a night. Ghost too, as long as he can stay healthy, is poised to have a huge season and I think he could come close to 20 goals and 70 points.

Patrick and Lindblom are both going to take the next step in their development and if the Flyers forwards can stay reasonably healthy, they are going to score a lot of goals. This is going to be a fun team to watch.

Neuvirth, sadly, is probably untradeable due to his inability to stay healthy. He will likely end up being waived at some point, will probably clear, and whenever he's healthy enough to play he will be doing so in LHV. However, he will likely come up to be the 3rd goalie once rosters can be expanded and if healthy in April, will at least give the Flyers good depth in goal heading into the playoffs.

I've said this earlier, and I still believe it to be true. If the Flyers can just get league average goaltending, I think they can make a legit run at winning the Metro. I don't think Pittsburgh has done anything to improve and their stars are a year older and Washington will suffer, at least a little, from Cup hangover and the loss of Trotz behind the bench. Columbus will have the Panarin drama hanging over their heads all season and they have some holes in their forward group as well. The other 4 teams have little to no shot at winning the division so I think the Flyers really do have a shot at it.

According to Elliotte Friedman, the flyers tried to make a play for Panarin before landing JVR

3 goalies with an injury injury history, the 4th who is at best an NHL backup injured, and Carter Hart. I think it s a fair bet Hart will be playing NHL games this season.

Should've moved on from him in the offseason, IMO. Doesn't matter if you're talented if you're not available to play


- AllInForFlyers

I agree his injuries are frustrating and I don't trust him but you just can't say they should've moved on from him in the off season. How much of a market do you think there was for an oft injured and inconsistent goaltender?

What is it with injuries to Flyer goalies....holy (frank). I also agree with above statements about Patrick and Lindblom....I think both guys can approach 20 goals each this year. The secondary scoring could make this team a suprise. Excited to get this thing started.

And also thank you Bill Meltzer for all your summer work....it is so cool to be kept in the loop in the dog days of July.....I didn’t make many comments, but read all the stuff you put out. You tireless work is appreciated.

3 goalies with an injury injury history, the 4th who is at best an NHL backup injured, and Carter Hart. I think it s a fair bet Hart will be playing NHL games this season.
- ravishingone

Hopefully we see him a bit and it’s not a case of too quick. I’m a little Leary of goalies straight out of Jr. making it to the NHL....but Hart does seem to be a special case.

Should've moved on from him in the offseason, IMO. Doesn't matter if you're talented if you're not available to play
- AllInForFlyers

It could be worse....imagine Mr. Glass being the future ? He’s just a stop gap back up that might give the Flyers a few good games this year.

I agree his injuries are frustrating and I don't trust him but you just can't say they should've moved on from him in the off season. How much of a market do you think there was for an oft injured and inconsistent goaltender?
- MJL

They could’ve bought him out. They gave him another chance to prove himself with a different offseason training regimen that right now looks like it didn’t make a shred of difference. Now Lyon hasn’t proven himself to be brittle so hopefully he gets back. Lyon and Stolarz could potentially give the flyers nhl starts this year. Just have to piecemeal this year together one more time hopefully

They could’ve bought him out. They gave him another chance to prove himself with a different offseason training regimen that right now looks like it didn’t make a shred of difference.
- Just5

That was an option but why do that? The much better option wold be to waive him and send him down. That's now less likely with the injury to Lyon unless they think Stolarz is ready to backup. If it's a groin, that can linger. That's the worry and don't want to get into having to over play Elliott again. They might want to look at the waiver list and see who becomes available. They have too many goalies under contract as is. They could go with 3 goalies and 13 forwards.

That was an option but why do that? The much better option wold be to waive him and send him down. That's now less likely with the injury to Lyon unless they think Stolarz is ready to backup. If it's a groin, that can linger. That's the worry and don't want to get into having to over play Elliott again. They might want to look at the waiver list and see who becomes available. They have too many goalies under contract as is. They could go with 3 goalies and 13 forwards.
- MJL

Because he’s not showing himself to be the least bit reliable. Right now he can’t be counted on to provide ahl or nhl starts. He seemingly has chronic groin/abdominal problems. I guess they can stash him in the ahl as a 3rd goalie? Would be the way to go I guess

Just waive Neuvirth already. He's not worth the hassle and I really don't want a guy this fragile being your backup.

Because he’s not showing himself to be the least bit reliable. Right now he can’t be counted on to provide ahl or nhl starts. He seemingly has chronic groin/abdominal problems. I guess they can stash him in the ahl as a 3rd goalie? Would be the way to go I guess
- Just5

Need to avoid buyouts. This year it would be no issue but the following season, Provorov, Konecny, and Sanheim need to be re-signed. Might be looking to add more from outside as the team gets better. I'd rather bite the bullet and work around it and be done with it this season.

Training isnt going to help him be less injury prone. Training can be used to try and prevent it but its out of his power. Im nowhere near the shape the NHL players are in and I have never been injured to the point I have had to miss a game. I have fallen and slammed my back against the ground, pulled my groin and thigh(at same time), sprained my knee and I played through those. The sprained knee was the hardest as my movement was quite limited. Funny enough it was during the playoffs and I still averaged 2 goals a game except in the one game that mattered in the finals where we lost

Training isnt going to help him be less injury prone. Training can be used to try and prevent it but its out of his power. Im nowhere near the shape the NHL players are in and I have never been injured to the point I have had to miss a game. I have fallen and slammed my back against the ground, pulled my groin and thigh(at same time), sprained my knee and I played through those. The sprained knee was the hardest as my movement was quite limited. Funny enough it was during the playoffs and I still averaged 2 goals a game except in the one game that mattered in the finals where we lost
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

Please don't try and compare playing in a beer league to playing in the NHL and playing with injuries. That's silly.

i said it in a previous thread and I'll say it again.... the sky is opening for carter hart. lyon got hurt... hart moves up. neuvirth broke before the season started (like most of you predicted) and carter hart sees more action.
and he looks solid!! he looks better than the rest of our goalies right now.
ive never been one to rush a goalie into this league but when the hockey gods give gifts like they are doing for hart he just needs to run with it. id love to see him share a crease with elliott for at least a little while this season