Confirmed with Link: Flyers sign (D) Michael Del Zotto to a one-year contract ($1.3M per TSN)

[onlylordsvsmorebp]

I have a weird feeling that MdZ is going to have a good year. Maybe it's heartburn though.

i honestly think so too. going to be motivated as hell. think hes going to be steal for the flyers. skilled guy. dont believe his early success was a fluke. cant believe hes done, hes still a kid. gonna be another mason-type redemption deal. my biggest worry is how much they are gonna pay him if and when he turns things around.

 

[The Rage Kage]

If he's good people are going to say it's a fluke, he'll have another good season and they'll say it will never last

 

[tymed]

I have a weird feeling that MdZ is going to have a good year. Maybe it's heartburn though.

I need to try some of whatever you're taking for heartburn.

 

[Tripod]

If he's good people are going to say it's a fluke, he'll have another good season and they'll say it will never last

Yup. Even if he has a good season, people will say he didn't(like what happens with Schenn) or they will say he won't do it again.(like Mason).

 

[Curufinwe]

Giroux's one good season is in it's fifth calendar year now.

 

[JDinkalage Morgoone]

Giroux's one good season is in it's fifth calendar year now.

That reads like an Onion headline.

Claude Giroux's one good season reached 5 year milestone.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

I think MDZ is going to be fine. Don't think he will blow anyone away but I expect him to be solid this year.

 

[The Rage Kage]

I don't expect him to be amazing, but I think/hope some teams are going to regret not signing him.

The flyers are like the isle of misfit toys

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

I am not sure how he went unsigned for so long. I know he has struggled recently but you would of figured that someone would of offered him a short term deal like the Flyers did. Of course we don't know if his agent was turning down other similar offers from other teams earlier this offseason.

 

[Alchemy]

He went unsigned because teams are wary about his work ethic and defensive play. Hes been known to be a guy who has conditioning problems.

 

[Flyerfan4life]

guess well find out soon

personaly i think hes gunna be good here

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

He went unsigned because teams are wary about his work ethic and defensive play. Hes been known to be a guy who has conditioning problems.

I really didn't know about prior conditioning issues.

 

[kyuss]

I really didn't know about prior conditioning issues.

That's probably because he didn't have any. He did have a sports hernia which may have hindered his performance, but he's generally touted as highly conditioned. He was criticized by his last two coaches for poor decision making, failure to make strong plays, and lack of intensity--not poor conditioning or lack of work ethic. Sounds like a guy who was out of confidence rather than out of shape.

 

[Alchemy]

That's probably because he didn't have any. He did have a sports hernia which may have hindered his performance, but he's generally touted as highly conditioned. He was criticized by his last two coaches for poor decision making, failure to make strong plays, and lack of intensity--not poor conditioning or lack of work ethic. Sounds like a guy who was out of confidence rather than out of shape.

Coming out of juniors there was always questions about his conditioning. Going all the way back to the 08 draft. In his draft year he was 5'11 218. He was seriously listed at that weight.

 

[Garbage Goal]

Haven't heard a thing about conditioning and I imagine you can't be all that out of shape to be a professional athlete to begin with. Did hear lots of criticism about bad decision making and lacking intensity.

Mason was another case of lacking confidence and decisiveness on his way to being almost out of the league and that turned out pretty well. Hopefully this does too and if it doesn't he'll likely not work out anywhere.

 

[Striiker]

And if he doesn't work out we can Gus him to the pressbox and he'll be gone next year.

 

[kyuss]

Coming out of juniors there was always questions about his conditioning. Going all the way back to the 08 draft. In his draft year he was 5'11 218. He was seriously listed at that weight.

There's no credible source questioning his conditioning at any time. The only negative quote about MDZ's conditioning attributed to a named individual was Tortorella expressing concerns about him returning from injury. 5'11'' 218 at 18 years old is obviously wrong. He'd either be a known juicer or blind from juvenile diabetes. Conditioning is the last thing to worry about with this guy.

Something to get excited about is his track record of production with skilled forwards. MDZ looked good in juniors with Tavares and Stamkos, and in the NHL with Gaborik, so he's likely to produce points if he gets some time with Giroux and Voracek. He's apt at the break-out pass--maybe he can let Vinny cheat a bit. He'll definitely help with transition.

 

[Appleyard]

I never saw him listed that high... but he was definitely listed at around 210lbs around the draft.

For someone who is 6ft and 18 that is big... but for an athlete not 'fat' by any means. He would be carrying a lot of weight in his glutes and thighs I imagine with just some extra body fat on the torso.

Virtanen, Lemieux, Keegan Iverson, Max Pajpach and Lukas Sutter were all drafted this year at 6'0-6'1 and ~210lbs.

Lemieux (6ft and 210lbs) at combine:

Del Zotto at combine:

I am 5'10-5'11 and when I was 19 was 193bs for 2 months in the summer while still having a 30inch waist... and was not stacked by any means... but had played high level (to a youth international level) sport for 10 years, you carry muscle weight in places guys who don't play sport but just go to the gym don't tbh.

 

[kyuss]

I knew a high school aged hockey player who was 5'9'' 200, but he said a great deal of his weight was water he was holding from the copious amounts of creatine his coaches were feeding him. I think most of these listed hockey player weights are grossly exaggerated. Healthy athletes can certainly have that size, but 5'11" 218 is the size of an NFL tailback. Those guys are freaks to begin with, have an extra four years to train, and have an athletic specialty which is conducive to retaining lean mass.

Anyway, most sites have MDZ listed at 5'11" and around 185 in juniors and 195 to 200 now. That makes sense if this is accurate:

Twelve months ago, Michael Del Zotto was a shy, 19-year-old kid just trying to make an impression and prove he was ready to play in the National Hockey League...he spent a large potion of his time in the gym, where he put on some added muscle with hopes of having a better all-round game. The Ontario native told NHL.com he gained five pounds over the summer, raising his weight to 195 pounds.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=538857&cmpid=twt:shr:main

 

[Juneemoon]

 

[Patrick Division]

Yes he is out of shape!!!! Press box Now!!!!!


(my wife wishes I was this out of shape)

 

[onlylordsvsmorebp]

fatty fat fat...and this must be recent considering its for the als charity deal.

 

[Larry44]

I don't know how he ever got this reputation for being out of shape:

from before NHL rookie year:


with the Rangers


Hoping for a lot more like this:


One added tidbit:

http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/summer-is-fun-but-dallas-center-tyler-seguin-cant-wait-for-fall/

And while it’s amusing to think of NHL players from different teams fraternizing with each other during the summer, that’s exactly what Seguin has been doing at the BioSteel camp. He’s one of the captains this summer, along with New Jersey’s Mike Cammalleri, Philadelphia’s Wayne Simmonds and recent Flyers signee Michael Del Zotto.

In fact, Seguin and Del Zotto have been living together during the off-season and Seguin is excited for his buddy, who was dropped by the Nashville Predators and had to wait an agonizing amount of time before Philadelphia put a pen and a contract in his hands.

“I think he’s going to blow people away this year,” Seguin said. “He had quite the summer, but he’s a very focused guy. I’ve always known him a bit and this summer we’ve become close and I think he’ll surprise people. He’s going to have to earn every inch of ice he gets and every second, but I’m looking forward to him having a good year.”

 

[tymed]

Emery's also at BioSteel this year, can't remember if he was last year too.

http://www.tsn.ca/bardown/Story.aspx?Biosteel+Tournament+Player+Draft&id=459411

There's a picture near the bottom with the teams, Emery on Team Simmonds.

 

[Striiker]

Emery's also at BioSteel this year, can't remember if he was last year too.

http://www.tsn.ca/bardown/Story.aspx?Biosteel+Tournament+Player+Draft&id=459411

There's a picture near the bottom with the teams, Emery on Team Simmonds.

Hopefully there's no hula-hoop competition or Team Simmonds is screwed.