Dark Horse Candidates To Make The Team

[CapnZin]

Who are some of your dark Horse candidates to make the flyers team in 2017/2018. Feel free to add your own dark horses. If you do not like mine; critique!
Assuming they have a really good preseason/training camp with the Flyers I can see:

Corbin Knight- good 4th liner. Plays with an edge. Good size and skating. Very limited offense. The only way he can crack the lineup is if he somehow scores more goals or gets some points during preseason. He also plays a solid defensive game. Would have to switch from Center to wing.

Scott Laughton- I know you guys may have my head for this. With good depth at C and RW, Laughton will have to show that he can stay with the team. Lehtera may beat him for the 4th center spot or Vecchione may do the same. He may transition to a 4th line LW, but so could Lehtera.

Phil Myers- it looks like there are 3 people ahead of him in: Morin, Sanheim, and Hagg. He looked great at development camp and if he continues this sergence, he may find himself on the roster opening night.

Cole Bardeau- He is kind of the last person I think to make the team. The flyers have good depth at every position except for LW along with the back end of the Bottom 6. Bardeau brings elements that the bottom 6 has been lacking: some offense, grit, tenacity, and energy. Hextall seems to be real fond of him and he's been given an A+ chance before. Could he have the same this year?

Anthony Stolarz- Seems like he's the forgotten prospect of the system... once thought to be our goalie of the future he's already proven through a small sample that he can play in the NHL. He needs more seasoning, but he could have his chance if Neuvirth can't stay healthy or reclaims his year from last year.

Travis Sanheim- I didn't know if I wanted to put him in here. He's most likely our highest rated defensive prospect. He seems to be ready for the NHL, but may need more AHL time to be 100% ready. Hagg and Morin seem to be the 2 that make the team next year, but watch for Sanheim to dominate camp and beat Hagg out for the spot.

I'm not saying all of them make the team. I'm just saying one of these guys could be the dark Horse to fill out the last spot.

Click to read more...

 

[BringBackHakstol]

Laughton or Leier are the only forwards I can see that might be considered dark horses,

Bardreau and Knight have no shot. Although I love Bardreau, I just don't know if he's going to be an NHL player at this point. He's a great AHL player that could probably play in the NHL. Injuries set him back a bit.

 

[Danko]

I think Myers is gonna be something else but with his injuries last season im sure they are gonna weigh that come training camp.

I believe youll see Laughton make the team over Vecchione.

On D i think you'll see Morin and Hagg as well. If Sanheim makes it then they are going to have to make a move on D.

 

[CapnZin]

Laughton or Leier are the only forwards I can see that might be considered dark horses,

Bardreau and Knight have no shot. Although I love Bardreau, I just don't know if he's going to be an NHL player at this point. He's a great AHL player that could probably play in the NHL. Injuries set him back a bit.

Yeah I was thinking Leier. He just didn't show anything while playing last year. I read a couple days ago where they system (coaches and scouts) thought very highly of Knight and Bardeau. I can't find the article/podcast of it or I wouldn't posted it.

 

[Striiker]

Out of people who weren't on the team last year...

I'd be completely shocked to not see on the team next year
Patrick
Lindblom
Laughton

>50% chance of being on the team
Morin (90%)
Sanheim (95%)

<50% chance of being on the team
Hagg (30%?)

Really tiny chance, but not quite zero
Leier
Myers

Basically zero, unless TONS of injuries
Vecchione
Bardreau
Friedman
Aube-Kubel

 

[Rebels57]

Out of people who weren't on the team last year...

I'd be completely shocked to not see on the team next year
Patrick
Lindblom
Laughton

>50% chance of being on the team
Morin (90%)
Sanheim (95%)

<50% chance of being on the team
Hagg (30%?)

Really tiny chance, but not quite zero
Leier
Myers

Basically zero, unless TONS of injuries
Vecchione
Bardreau
Friedman
Aube-Kubel

Seconded all the way except I would give Vecchione a better than 0 chance. He would be in the tiny chance category for me.

 

[kelmitchell]

Do we really need more threads talking about the same ****?

 

[Rebels57]

Do we really need more threads talking about the same ****?

New members, new threads. Is what it is

 

[Curufinwe]

The darkest dark horse I can imagine is Martel making it as a top 9 LW after starring in camp, with Weal getting waived to make room, possibly after losing all confidence in himself from reading Striiker's posts.

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

Out of people who weren't on the team last year...

I'd be completely shocked to not see on the team next year
Patrick
Lindblom
Laughton

>50% chance of being on the team
Morin (90%)
Sanheim (95%)

<50% chance of being on the team
Hagg (30%?)

Really tiny chance, but not quite zero
Leier
Myers

Basically zero, unless TONS of injuries
Vecchione
Bardreau
Friedman
Aube-Kubel

Yeah this is pretty much it.

 

[JWEKD]

Capnzip and Philly fanatik: if you create new threads, make more descriptive titles. While these mysterious titles get people to click the first time to see what the heck you're talking about, I never come back in when scanning the forum because I can't remember what's going on in it.

Oh also most are redundant anyway, so I can see this same stuff in a thread where I know what's being talked about because of the better title.

 

[whitstifier]

Capnzip and Philly fanatik: if you create new threads, make more descriptive titles. While these mysterious titles get people to click the first time to see what the heck you're talking about, I never come back in when scanning the forum because I can't remember what's going on in it.

Oh also most are redundant anyway, so I can see this same stuff in a thread where I know what's being talked about because of the better title.

Just about to write something similar, thanks

 

[Striiker]

Seconded all the way except I would give Vecchione a better than 0 chance. He would be in the tiny chance category for me.

I just think there's too many guys ahead of him. Giroux, Couturier, and Patrick are obviously untouchable. Then Filppula, Lehtera, and Laughton are almost certainly ahead of him next year too. Even if they look bad, they'll be given more slack since two are vets and one is on his last chance. I just don't see how he could possibly make it.

 

[BritainStix]

I just think there's too many guys ahead of him. Giroux, Couturier, and Patrick are obviously untouchable. Then Filppula, Lehtera, and Laughton are almost certainly ahead of him next year too. Even if they look bad, they'll be given more slack since two are vets and one is on his last chance. I just don't see how he could possibly make it.

I like your list, But I believe it will be Hagg over Sanheim percentage wise.

I have no doubt Sanheim will be a fulltime flyer after the trade deadline.

 

[Striiker]

I like your list, But I believe it will be Hagg over Sanheim percentage wise.

I have no doubt Sanheim will be a fulltime flyer after the trade deadline.

Personally, even despite the comments about Hagg, I just can't imagine they really believe he's better than Sanheim... in any way. If he makes the team over Sanheim I'd be shocked.

I think the recent Hagg hype is because of the jump between this last season and the bad one before that, but even that improvement has him solidly behind Sanheim, in my eyes.

 

[BritainStix]

I don't believe Hagg is a better player than Sanheim, I just question if the flyers will be willing to have 3 rookies on the roster. I think Morin and Hagg are pretty much confirmed to make the team. They have nothing else left to gain in the AHL.

It could be argued that Sanheim could possibly spend another half a season in the AHL without it hurting his development. I don't think the same can be said for Hagg anymore.

 

[FlyTimmo]

Out of people who weren't on the team last year...

I'd be completely shocked to not see on the team next year
Patrick
Lindblom
Laughton

>50% chance of being on the team
Morin (90%)
Sanheim (95%)

<50% chance of being on the team
Hagg (30%?)

Really tiny chance, but not quite zero
Leier
Myers

Basically zero, unless TONS of injuries
Vecchione
Bardreau
Friedman
Aube-Kubel

I think Morin is more of a lock than Sanheim. And I'd say Vecchione belongs in the tiny chance tier. A good preseason and it wouldn't be crazy to see him make the team. I agree with everything else.

 

[Adam Warlock]

Hagg, Morin, and Sanheim should all make the team IMO. Amac should be waived and sent down...he can be the call up option.

Thatll never happen though...so reallly its a competition between Hagg and Sanheim.

 

[GKJ]

I know Bardreau is someone that nobody is talking about, whom they like a lot, but that was also being floated around last year.

Knight is also someone who has a chance because he's a guy who will be satisfied being a 4th liner/13th forward and his role on the Phantoms last year sets him up this year to be that type of player.

 

[CapnZin]

Capnzip and Philly fanatik: if you create new threads, make more descriptive titles. While these mysterious titles get people to click the first time to see what the heck you're talking about, I never come back in when scanning the forum because I can't remember what's going on in it.

Oh also most are redundant anyway, so I can see this same stuff in a thread where I know what's being talked about because of the better title.

Just about to write something similar, thanks

Will do guys! Thank you for the heads up!!!

 

[BritainStix]

Hagg, Morin, and Sanheim should all make the team IMO. Amac should be waived and sent down...he can be the call up option.

Thatll never happen though...so reallly its a competition between Hagg and Sanheim.

I wouldn't say never. He has been demoted before. It's not like we had a great options to replace him last year without risking the development of one of the kids.

 

[Ruck Over]

Anyone else read this and auto-correct to Dark Horse Comics?

Think Hagg has a greater chance than Sanheim, think Morin is a lock unless he shows up drunk every other day to training camp.

If Lindblom's contract is waiver-exempt (think it is) small chance, ~25%, he isn't on the opening roster because shuffling reasons.

Laughton is a lock to make the team, attempting to play himself out of the 13th forward position into top 12.

Myers doesn't sniff the NHL until his AHL season is over, except the 1 game debut at end of NHL season if Flyers clearly not in playoffs.

Leier, Bardeau, Vecc, only play if injuries rip through the squad (still extra bodies of Read, Weisse, Lehtera, Laughton to replace actual playing forwards).

 

[Curufinwe]

I wouldn't say never. He has been demoted before. It's not like we had a great options to replace him last year without risking the development of one of the kids.

MacDonald getting waived again is definitely possible. But it's hard to come up with a realistic top 6 that has 3 rookies in it for 17-18. They would only have Hagg, Morin and Sanheim all on the team if they were going to be regulars, and they would surely want to keep Provy and Gudas separated so they could carry their individual pairings. Which means a rookie or Ghost playing on the top pairing.

Provorov-Ghost/Hagg
Sanheim-Gudas
Morin-Ghost/Hagg
Manning

 

[Ruck Over]

Provorov - Hagg
Sanheim - Gudas
Morin - Ghost
Manning

That looks just about perfect. The Morin - Ghost combo most of us have been looking forward to since Morin was drafted. Sanheim - Gudas is a similar combo. And just about everyone is in favor of removing MacDonald from Provorov and replacing him with anybody, and Hagg is somebody, so success.

Someone gets hurt, Manning comes into the line-up, and if needed, Sanheim can switch sides to make the pairs balanced again.

Hagg > MacDonald, maybe not today, but by the end of the 17-18 season, this should be easy to see.

 

[Curufinwe]

I would love for Hagg to be one of those guys who looks better at the next level, but watching him in the AHL I never got the sense he would be a top pairing guy anytime soon, even as a second fiddle.