GDT: #63: Sharks at FLYERS, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020, 7:00 pm ET

[Tripod]

Couturier 2.47
Konecny 2.32
JVR 2.31
Lindblom 2.17
Laughton 2.14
Voracek 2.11

NAK 1.86
Farabee 1.73
Frost 1.67
Pitlick 1.64
Giroux 1.53
Grant 1.34
Hayes 1.31
Thompson 1.11

Vorobyev 0.94
Bunnaman 0.63

Grant 1.34
Hayes 1.31

So I guess we should scratch Hayes since Grant has a better rate, is also a good PKer, can score SH goals, and is big too.

Oh...and we should flip Giroux and Pitlick's icetime because Pitlick outproduces Giroux.

Hmmm...maybe stats don't mean everything or tell the whole story.

 

[bennysflyers16]

how are you seeing practice?

Some clips on the twitter

 

[deadhead]

w

Getzlaf, Henrique and Steel have been their top 3 centers. And listening to Ducks fans, the 4th line took on the hard matchups and sheltered the 3rd line centered by Steel giving them the easiest matchups. Realistically, what we SHOULD have done this year with Frost....but that's another discussion.

It's actually what we DID do with Frost:

Frost had 59% O-zone starts, Bunnaman 51.8%, Vorobyev 51.6%, Hayes 45.5%, Laughton 43.7%.
That's the problem if you play Frost and Bunnaman at center together, can't protect them other than burying Hayes.

With Grant and Thompson, it's easier to play Frost at 3C, because they're both good FO centers and you can reduce Frost's time and play your 4C more with a lead - and Grant at LW can give Frost a physical linemate to do the dirty work with Pitlick or NAK.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

Supposedly lines are:

Giroux-Couturier-Voracek
Laughton-Hayes-TK
JVR-Grant-Pitlick
Raffl-Thompson-NAK

 

[GapToothedWonder]

Listen, fam. Grant and probably Thompson are scoring goals in this game. Let's just get out in front of it, accept it, move along, and not use it as ironclad proof when they do. And they 100% will.

This is the most guaranteed thing of all time.

 

[TheKingPin]

Odd to lose talent in the lineup as a buyer on trade deadline day. That said, maybe this helps us win more. With good coaches and systems it’s plug and play with these types of players and they can only help the PK. Just going to have to see how it works out. If it does not then Farabee will back. Frost is likely done with the flyers this year at this point.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

I had been debating the lines in my head since yesterday.

My leaning was that I don't prefer Grant in the top 6. And I prefer Laughton at wing.

So I support what they are trying tonight. Laughton can always drop back to 3C if needed.

 

[Appleyard]

Odd to lose talent in the lineup as a buyer on trade deadline day. That said, maybe this helps us win more. With good coaches and systems it’s plug and play with these types of players and they can only help the PK. Just going to have to see how it works out. If it does not then Farabee will back. Frost is likely done with the flyers this year at this point.

Thompson though might be one of the worst PKer in the NHL off the underlying numbers this year...

Grant is legit good though on PK.

 

[Amorgus]

Laughton on the 2nd line is Bizarro World stuff to me but I'll be very curious to see if either of the new guys can justify their signings tonight.

 

[GapToothedWonder]

Offensive confidence and Phantoms are not two words that have gone together very well this year!

Dont you know Appleyard. Sending guys to the AHL and getting them a few more minutes a game always leads to more development. Is this your first time playing Xbox?

 

[Ghosts Beer]

The Thompson hate reminds me a bit of the Braun hate.

Boy, the Braun acquisition was met with a lot of critique. Why? Possession metrics without context.

 

[DancingPanther]

I'll take it over Grant being 2LW but Laughton on the second line will always be meh to me.

The ripple effects that I keep talking about. Scooty Loots in the top 6. Hoo boy.

Though yes, it's better than Grant. If he can be a decent 3C with some actual NHL level talent around him it would be big. It'd let Laughton see 4th line minutes (honestly I'd play him at wing and Raffl at center) and bump Thompson out.

Best option is still Frost at 3C and Grant/Thompson at 4C. Though I'm sure in the next couple games it'll be clear who belongs between Grant and Thompson. I'll enjoy watching both like a hawk tonight

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

The Thompson hate reminds me a bit of the Braun hate.

Boy, the Braun acquisition was met with a lot of critique. Why? Possession metrics without context.

I genuinely don't believe that there is Thompson "hate."

The hate is derived from the fact that we acquired two of these types of players instead of just one. If we just acquired Thompson to replace Bunnaman I think this place would be a lot less toxic. Instead the ripple effects that adding these two have caused is causing disdain for the players.

 

[Curufinwe]

Laughton on the 2nd line is Bizarro World stuff to me but I'll be very curious to see if either of the new guys can justify their signings tonight.

really? He’s played with Hayes quite a bit before.

 

[Curufinwe]

I genuinely don't believe that there is Thompson "hate."

The hate is derived from the fact that we acquired two of these types of players instead of just one.
If we just acquired Thompson to replace Bunnaman I think this place would be a lot less toxic. Instead the ripple effects that adding these two have caused is causing disdain for the players.

It’s possible Farabee goes down for a bit even if they only got one. Andreoff is available.

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

It’s possible Farabee goes down for a bit even if they only got one. Andreoff is available.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

He’s played with Hayes quite a bit before.

I think part of the disconnect when things like this are discussed is that there are camps that believe you should/do have a traditional Top 6 and Bottom 6 and those that prefer to go with a Middle 6 designation.

I believe when Hayes was with Laughton, at least a good portion of that time Giroux was at Center. It's tough to draw clear boundaries anymore beyond the Couturier line and the 4th.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

Laughton is better at LW than C.

Laughton seems to be a better fit for Hayes on LW than JVR.

Grant gives them the option of playing Laughton with Hayes.

If Grant cant cut it at 3C, you can move Laughton back there.

Grant can drop to line 4 wing. Raffl goes up.

 

[Tripod]

It's actually what we DID do with Frost:

Frost had 59% O-zone starts, Bunnaman 51.8%, Vorobyev 51.6%, Hayes 45.5%, Laughton 43.7%.
That's the problem if you play Frost and Bunnaman at center together, can't protect them other than burying Hayes.

With Grant and Thompson, it's easier to play Frost at 3C, because they're both good FO centers and you can reduce Frost's time and play your 4C more with a lead - and Grant at LW can give Frost a physical linemate to do the dirty work with Pitlick or NAK.

So you think Frost should be the #3C? Cool.

Thompson though might be one of the worst PKer in the NHL off the underlying numbers this year...

Grant is legit good though on PK.

What I don't understand, is why AV automatically pencilled Thompson into the #4C spot and there was no debate at all about Grant being that guy at some point. Now maybe it's just to "stroke the vets" ego but I wish I would have heard "we added 2 players who both can be good 4th liners centers but with Grant, we have a bit more options of him moving up and down the lineup and at all 3 positions as well. We will see how things gel and how chemistry and injuries play out".

And yeah, I know my "want" is just coaches speak, but it seems that Grant as the #4C and Thompson as the #13th guy is 100% not going to happen at any point. And yet that could be our best lineup.

 

[TB87]

PK Suppression Metrics (CoNtExT iNcLuDeD):




Thompson is a horrendous PKer this season. Truly awful stuff. Grant is legitimately good on the PK this season. Using Thompson at all on the PK would be an unnecessary roll of the dice by Yeo & AV.

 

[deadhead]

So you think Frost should be the #3C? Cool.




What I don't understand, is why AV automatically pencilled Thompson into the #4C spot and there was no debate at all about Grant being that guy at some point. Now maybe it's just to "stroke the vets" ego but I wish I would have heard "we added 2 players who both can be good 4th liners centers but with Grant, we have a bit more options of him moving up and down the lineup and at all 3 positions as well. We will see how things gel and how chemistry and injuries play out".

And yeah, I know my "want" is just coaches speak, but it seems that Grant as the #4C and Thompson as the #13th guy is 100% not going to happen at any point. And yet that could be our best lineup.

I think Frost should definitely be the 3C NEXT year after he adds some more strength, right now, he's just not NHL strong even by Gaudreau standards.

This year he's the injury default option, because you have to seriously protect him which reduces matchup flexibility, especially on the road.

Grant has outscored Goodrow, who isn't going to be a 4C, why not see what he can do for a couple games with better teammates than the three slugs he was stuck with in Anaheim, Deslauriers (1.01 pp/60), Jones (0.94), and Rowney (0.87).

 

[flyersnorth]

Bottom line, we're still missing a truly talented C. It's causing this bizarre mish mash.

Add Patrick back in, and things look at lot more settled, but I'm now very doubtful that he plays this season.

 

[Rich Nixon]

I think part of the disconnect when things like this are discussed is that there are camps that believe you should/do have a traditional Top 6 and Bottom 6 and those that prefer to go with a Middle 6 designation.

I believe when Hayes was with Laughton, at least a good portion of that time Giroux was at Center. It's tough to draw clear boundaries anymore beyond the Couturier line and the 4th.

Vigneault is also a complicating factor, because he's probably the most egalitarian coach in the league when it comes to icetime. Besides fourth liners, he'll basically play any given forward somewhere between 14 and 18 minutes every game, little more/little less.

 

[Tripod]

PK Suppression Metrics (CoNtExT iNcLuDeD):




Thompson is a horrendous PKer this season. Truly awful stuff. Grant is legitimately good on the PK this season. Using Thompson at all on the PK would be an unnecessary roll of the dice by Yeo & AV.

So this make AV making Thompson the de facto #4C and not even thinking of Grant as that guy, even more bizarre.

But maybe it's just a "gotta see what we have here". Let's hope we keep winning during this trial.

 

[AdamParrot]

Thompson is shit all-career. Just tier with VandeVelde, Gordon, Varone etc...

I hope he will be HS soon.

This team needs Patrick so much.