deadhead
Registered User
- Feb 26, 2014
- 49,215
- 21,617
The Flyers are not bereft of talent.
Farabee - Couts - TK is a first line with three forwards who are in the top 50 in 5x5 scoring, and both wings have upside.
??? - Hayes - Atkinson, question is Lindblom, Laughton or do they go outside? I think with most veteran HCs they go outside, but Torts may want to see if Lindblom can get back to his pre-cancer level.
Cates - Frost - Tippett, a fast energy line that can control play and has the potential to score, I think Torts will love this group given how they played last season. This is Frost's opportunity to show he belongs, b/c he's best on a speed line, he doesn't have Giroux's ability and vision to play a "half court" game.
Ratcliffe - Laughton/Laczynski - Allison, some combination on the fourth line. Torts seems to use the 4th line less as a checking line than where he stashes players and gives them a chance to play their way up the food chain.
Willman, Hodgson, Sandin, Brown will get a look in camp,
Foerster, Wisdom, Desnoyers, Lycksell, have options so they'll have to outplay others in camp who'd have to be waived.
Provorov - Ellis, if Ellis is healthy, a solid 1st pair, Ellis is the kind of partner that allows Provorov to do less.
Sanheim - Risto, knock Risto all you want, but they were a solid pairing, I'm looking forward to see Torts ride Risto, Torts doesn't have much use for empty hits, he'll focus on positioning but let Risto do more on offense. Keith Jones can slobber over hits, but the first time Risto gets out of position to make a late hit along the boards, expect a profanity laced high decibel lecture when he returns to the bench.
York - Attard, Zamula, Hogberg. York will start, and he'll almost certainly be the PP1 QB. Who plays with him? Depends on Ellis and how the others look in camp.
The wildcard will be the offseason, I don't see Gauthier, Jiricek or Nemec to play as rookies (the most likely picks).
I don't see Torts lobbying for veteran scrubs or a big name FA - I think he prefers younger players who would be easier to sell his system (both scheme and emphasis on conditioning, two way play) - especially the first season when he's imposing his will on the clubhouse.
But you never know what shakes loose, rumor is Carolina might be shopping Necas for defensive help as he's been pushed down the lineup by the emergence of Jarvis. That's the kind of player I'd target, or RFAs on teams against the cap.
One reason I think Torts was noncommittal in his press conference about the schedule to be competitive is that he uses the first season (or part of a season, he took over in CBJ after 7 games) to evaluate his roster - so he may be more focused on learning what his players can and can't do, and identifying the "keepers" and moving out the "losers" than winning games his first season.
Farabee - Couts - TK is a first line with three forwards who are in the top 50 in 5x5 scoring, and both wings have upside.
??? - Hayes - Atkinson, question is Lindblom, Laughton or do they go outside? I think with most veteran HCs they go outside, but Torts may want to see if Lindblom can get back to his pre-cancer level.
Cates - Frost - Tippett, a fast energy line that can control play and has the potential to score, I think Torts will love this group given how they played last season. This is Frost's opportunity to show he belongs, b/c he's best on a speed line, he doesn't have Giroux's ability and vision to play a "half court" game.
Ratcliffe - Laughton/Laczynski - Allison, some combination on the fourth line. Torts seems to use the 4th line less as a checking line than where he stashes players and gives them a chance to play their way up the food chain.
Willman, Hodgson, Sandin, Brown will get a look in camp,
Foerster, Wisdom, Desnoyers, Lycksell, have options so they'll have to outplay others in camp who'd have to be waived.
Provorov - Ellis, if Ellis is healthy, a solid 1st pair, Ellis is the kind of partner that allows Provorov to do less.
Sanheim - Risto, knock Risto all you want, but they were a solid pairing, I'm looking forward to see Torts ride Risto, Torts doesn't have much use for empty hits, he'll focus on positioning but let Risto do more on offense. Keith Jones can slobber over hits, but the first time Risto gets out of position to make a late hit along the boards, expect a profanity laced high decibel lecture when he returns to the bench.
York - Attard, Zamula, Hogberg. York will start, and he'll almost certainly be the PP1 QB. Who plays with him? Depends on Ellis and how the others look in camp.
The wildcard will be the offseason, I don't see Gauthier, Jiricek or Nemec to play as rookies (the most likely picks).
I don't see Torts lobbying for veteran scrubs or a big name FA - I think he prefers younger players who would be easier to sell his system (both scheme and emphasis on conditioning, two way play) - especially the first season when he's imposing his will on the clubhouse.
But you never know what shakes loose, rumor is Carolina might be shopping Necas for defensive help as he's been pushed down the lineup by the emergence of Jarvis. That's the kind of player I'd target, or RFAs on teams against the cap.
One reason I think Torts was noncommittal in his press conference about the schedule to be competitive is that he uses the first season (or part of a season, he took over in CBJ after 7 games) to evaluate his roster - so he may be more focused on learning what his players can and can't do, and identifying the "keepers" and moving out the "losers" than winning games his first season.
