Bill Meltzer: Quick Hits: Previewing the Week, 4th line, Phantoms, and more

Thanks as always Bill..

It's exciting to watch the Flyers right now and what makes it more exciting to me is that they still have more high end youth in the AHL that isn't here yet.

It's been a long time, if ever, that this much home grown talent has permeated the lineup across all positions.

Wonderful they have to play isles on a back to back again while the isles won’t have played since Wednesday

This November schedule is murderous

Bill Meltzer: Quick Hits: Previewing the Week, 4th line, Phantoms, and more
- bmeltzer

Cap space is an asset and it has been managed very poorly this season.

One would hope Myers would stay up since they would only have 6 healthy dmen if he was demoted.

The obvious moves to enable the Flyers to do that would be to place Sam Morin (ACL tear, out for the season)...on LTIR

Why wouldn't that have been done already, Bill?

Why wouldn't that have been done already, Bill?
- wolfhounds

There's no need to do it now with Laughton already on LTIR. Putting Morin on IR frees up a roster spot, and they have $989,444 in remaining relief.

https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/flyers

When they put Morin on LTIR it will be done to maximize the usable space. Basically you want to get as close as possible to the $81,500,000 upper limit before placing a player on LTIR.

If the Flyers were, say, $5m under the cap ceiling, Morin would stay on regular IR and not go on LTIR all season, even though he won't play again till 20-21.

There's no need to do it now with Laughton already on LTIR.

When they put Morin on LTIR it will be done to maximize the usable space. Basically you want to get as close as possible to the $81,500,000 upper limit before placing a player on LTR.

If the Flyers were, say, $5m under the cap ceiling, Morin wouldn't stay on regular IR and not go on LTIR all season even though he won't play again till 20-21.
- Feanor

Thanks, Feanor. Clearly I have to brush up on my NHL salary cap rules & regs.

Today in Flyers history: On Nov. 12, 1998, the Flyers traded Shjon Podein to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Keith Jones.

While I loved what Keith Jones did as a player and still really like him as a commentator, Shjon Podein was one of my favorite Flyers of those mid/late-90's teams.

Bill re prospects. I know you wrote a paragraph or two on Isaac Ratcliff recently. But would it be possible to devote a bit more attention to his game so far this season? It must be rare when a 50 goal scorer in the juniors drops off to an AHL 4th line winger position with only 1 tally in the first quarter of the season. Or is it? Any way to look at in more detail both his ups and downs to use your phrase? We all knew he needed at least a year at the phantoms and now maybe its a couple/few, but does his skillset which worked so well in the OHL translate to pro game? Thanks. I know its early, but his lack of production has me concerned. I had though he was a highly probable top 9 Flyer.

Even though they only are +3 in points from last year, the eye test tells you this is a different team. GAA, and special teams are greatly improved. Things are trending in the right direction. Having two assistants who have a ton of head coach experience is proving beneficial. And the biggest thing of all is watching the games are enjoyable again.

Bill re prospects. I know you wrote a paragraph or two on Isaac Ratcliff recently. But would it be possible to devote a bit more attention to his game so far this season? It must be rare when a 50 goal scorer in the juniors drops off to an AHL 4th line winger position with only 1 tally in the first quarter of the season. Or is it? Any way to look at in more detail both his ups and downs to use your phrase? We all knew he needed at least a year at the phantoms and now maybe its a couple/few, but does his skillset which worked so well in the OHL translate to pro game? Thanks. I know its early, but his lack of production has me concerned. I had though he was a highly probable top 9 Flyer.
- biggbear77

Tall guys almost always need more time to develop.

Dave Isaac has said a lot of weird things, but this was probably his weirdest take in years.

https://twitter.com/daveg...tatus/1175166784934223872

Even though they only are +3 in points from last year, the eye test tells you this is a different team. GAA, and special teams are greatly improved. Things are trending in the right direction. Having two assistants who have a ton of head coach experience is proving beneficial. And the biggest thing of all is watching the games are enjoyable again.
- PLindbergh31

I was also surprised that they are only 3 points better than the same time last year. This should change quickly however. After game 17 last year the team fell of the cliff winning only 6 of their next 23 games. The changes in the stats from last year are pretty remarkable. Kudos to the coaches and the players.

Cap space is an asset and it has been managed very poorly this season.
- corduroy

no chance to win the cap cup. damn

Today in Flyers history: On Nov. 12, 1998, the Flyers traded Shjon Podein to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Keith Jones.
- bmeltzer

I'm still not sure how I feel about this trade.

Bill re prospects. I know you wrote a paragraph or two on Isaac Ratcliff recently. But would it be possible to devote a bit more attention to his game so far this season? It must be rare when a 50 goal scorer in the juniors drops off to an AHL 4th line winger position with only 1 tally in the first quarter of the season. Or is it? Any way to look at in more detail both his ups and downs to use your phrase? We all knew he needed at least a year at the phantoms and now maybe its a couple/few, but does his skillset which worked so well in the OHL translate to pro game? Thanks. I know its early, but his lack of production has me concerned. I had though he was a highly probable top 9 Flyer.
- biggbear77

I will doing a Phantoms update for the Flyers website, with a section on Ratcliffe.

Right now, he's struggling on the pacing of play -- Frost does at times, too, because skating ability and pace aren't necessarily one as the same -- and stickhandling departments. Plays disappear on him quickly, and he's struggling to control pucks. Lots of turnovers and forced plays.

I don't worry too much about his numbers at this point. He's not on the power play, only sporadically getting shifts on lines with the better playmakers, and is focusing on details of his game while primarily deployed in a bottom-six role. He's been better so far off-puck than with the puck. Actually, it's kind of his off-puck play so far along with Gordon and staff exercising some patience that's keeping him in the lineup.

All of this is normal, especially for a player of his size. His development cycle figures to take awhile.

Side note: When Frost was with the Soo, I loved his line with Boris Katchouk and (in the second half after his trade acquisition) Taylor Raddysh. I thought that Raddysh might take awhile to master the AHL and then would be a solid candidate to be an NHL power forward but I thought Katchouk would more or less hit the ground running in the AHL once he added a little more structure into his game, which pro coaches demand.

Last season, both players struggled as AHL rookies to make any sort of impact apart from flashes here or there. Year two has so far been basically more of the same for them in Syracuse, although there have been subtle improvements.

I think Ratcliffe's process could be pretty gradual, too, but I remain high on him as a long-term NHL candidate.

Tall guys almost always need more time to develop.

Dave Isaac has said a lot of weird things, but this was probably his weirdest take in years.

https://twitter.com/daveg...tatus/1175166784934223872
- Feanor

I was told by a poster this offseason that the Flyers felt that Ratcliffe had a better shot at making the team this season than Farabee or Frost did.

I'm still not sure how I feel about this trade.
- jmatchett383

Love Podes, love Jonesy: both as people and as hockey players. Podes probably needed a change of scenery at that time but was heartbroken to leave Philly.

no chance to win the cap cup. damn
- daryl stanley

My only real issue with the cap management was signing Stewart while Patrick's status was still up in the air.

I will doing a Phantoms update for the Flyers website, with a section on Ratcliffe.

Right now, he's struggling on the pacing of play -- Frost does at times, too, because skating ability and pace aren't necessarily one as the same -- and stickhandling departments. Plays disappear on him quickly, and he's struggling to control pucks. Lots of turnovers and forced plays.

I don't worry too much about his numbers at this point. He's not on the power play, only sporadically getting shifts on lines with the better playmakers, and is focusing on details of his game while primarily deployed in a bottom-six role. He's been better so far off-puck than with the puck. Actually, it's kind of his off-puck play so far along with Gordon and staff exercising some patience that's keeping him in the lineup.

All of this is normal, especially for a player of his size. His development cycle figures to take awhile.

Side note: When Frost was with the Soo, I loved his line with Boris Katchouk and (in the second half after his trade acquisition) Taylor Raddysh. I thought that Raddysh might take awhile to master the AHL and then would be a solid candidate to be an NHL power forward but I thought Katchouk would more or less hit the ground running in the AHL once he added a little more structure into his game, which pro coaches demand.

Last season, both players struggled as AHL rookies to make any sort of impact apart from flashes here or there. Year two has so far been basically more of the same for them in Syracuse, although there have been subtle improvements.

I think Ratcliffe's process could be pretty gradual, too, but I remain high on him as a long-term NHL candidate.
- bmeltzer

you see him getting any time in the ECHL at all?

My only real issue with the cap management was signing Stewart while Patrick's status was still up in the air.
- Feanor

then there is no issue as that signing is as irrelevant as they come really.

Clearly the organization knows his status isn't up in the air and this is long term.

Ratcliffe and Strome are having tough first AHL seasons, (Strome can barely get in a game) but Sushko is doing really well.

Laberge seems destined to spend all year in Reading.

you see him getting any time in the ECHL at all?
- daryl stanley

I personally don't think he'd benefit much from the ECHL, apart from increased overall ice time and getting PP time. If he were to start being scratched by the Phantoms -- and I think he's been good enough off-puck with flashes of his offensive upside that he deserves to stay in the lineup -- I might feel different.

Love Podes, love Jonesy: both as people and as hockey players. Podes probably needed a change of scenery at that time but was heartbroken to leave Philly.
- bmeltzer

Shjon Podein just seemed to embody the Flyers: not the most talented player ever, but worked his tail off for every second of ice time that he had. He probably had the most cancelled icings I've ever seen by just putting his head down and skating. Jones had more talent (playing on a line with Lindros and LeClair helped), and both had their scrappy sides. It was a fairly minor trade in the grand scheme (Eric Lindros may disagree), but it's one that seemed to mark the end of the 1997 team for me.

then there is no issue as that signing is as irrelevant as they come really.
- daryl stanley

Having the worst forward in the league as your 12th/13th forward is clearly not irrelevant. He's already played 8 games this season, and will be in the lineup tomorrow should any other forward get nicked up in practice or warmup.

If they hadn't signed Stewart, Andreoff might have got a shot at the 4th line earlier, and he's quite obviously a much more effective NHL player in 2019.