Confirmed with Link: Flyers sign Roman Lyubimov

[Hiesenberg]

Hextall can not prepare for an assumption of a draft. Quebec was pretty much killed off in the expansion portion early if the rumors were correct.

I don't understand why in 1 year, NHL will have a complete about face on wanting them.

 

[Curufinwe]

And Seattle aren't close to a new arena.

 

[BillDineen]

Decent signing. More competition the better.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

Ghost,

I wonder if hextall is having a plan incase he feels konecny isn't ready for the NHL this season or if read is gone, then it can be konecny and this new russian could be on this team or have a ligit shot.

but overall are we expecting the flyers to really make the big push to do damage in the playoffs this year? is this year still considered a rebuild year and continue growth of our young talent?

Hextall still is willing to be paitent in devlopment of our guys.

Lou,

I think Hextall is overly cautious with the team's top-end prospects.

Case in point -- Ghost last season. He only got called up when he did because of Streit's injury, and Hextall stated at the time that he would have preferred to keep him in the AHL and had planned to send him back.

Meanwhile, Ghost turned the Flyers' entire season around. He ends up 2nd in the Calder and the Flyers go from one of the worst records in hockey to making the playoffs.

Not only did Ghost belong in the NHL, he was one of the top 3 skill players on the team and a monster difference maker. Were Streit not injured, Ghost would have been riding buses with the Phantoms and the Flyers would have missed the playoffs.

Hextall himself said after the season that the Flyers #1 need was skill at forward. Konecny is a very high-skill top prospect, much in the way Ghost was. He has already dominated juniors. If you took names off jerseys in the Flyers' upcoming training camp, Konecny would probably stand out as a top 4 skill player (with Giroux, Voracek, and Ghost).

I totally get being extra patient with projects like Morin and mid-round draft picks who need a lot of seasoning and lack elite talent.

But Konecny -- he has the ability to play in the NHL now and help the team. Just like Robby Fabbri last season in St. Louis. And I want him to have a legitimate chance to earn a spot, rather than loading up on bottom-six players and having an easy excuse to be overly cautious and hinder the team's skill level in the process.

 

[Mkoll]

So we have all the Russians?

at least all the "ov's"

Rubstov
Fedotov
Provorov
Lyubimov

 

[Beef Invictus]

Lou,

I think Hextall is overly cautious with the team's top-end prospects.

Case in point -- Ghost last season. He only got called up when he did because of Streit's injury, and Hextall stated at the time that he would have preferred to keep him in the AHL and had planned to send him back.

Meanwhile, Ghost turned the Flyers' entire season around. He ends up 2nd in the Calder and the Flyers go from one of the worst records in hockey to making the playoffs.

Not only did Ghost belong in the NHL, he was one of the top 3 skill players on the team and a monster difference maker. Were Streit not injured, Ghost would have been riding buses with the Phantoms and the Flyers would have missed the playoffs.

Hextall himself said after the season that the Flyers #1 need was skill at forward. Konecny is a very high-skill top prospect, much in the way Ghost was. He has already dominated juniors. If you took names off jerseys in the Flyers' upcoming training camp, Konecny would probably stand out as a top 4 skill player (with Giroux, Voracek, and Ghost).

I totally get being extra patient with projects like Morin and mid-round draft picks who need a lot of seasoning and lack elite talent.

But Konecny -- he has the ability to play in the NHL now and help the team. Just like Robby Fabbri last season in St. Louis. And I want him to have a legitimate chance to earn a spot, rather than loading up on bottom-six players and having an easy excuse to be overly cautious and hinder the team's skill level in the process.

There is no such thing as over-developing a prospect.


There is such a thing as rushing a prospect.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

at least all the "ov's"

Rubstov
Fedotov
Provorov
Lyubimov

Vorobyov

 

[Alex91]

There is no such thing as over-developing a prospect.


There is such a thing as rushing a prospect.

Or neither are true and players will play when they get the chance. no way of knowing I guess lol

 

[Hiesenberg]

Lou,

I think Hextall is overly cautious with the team's top-end prospects.

Case in point -- Ghost last season. He only got called up when he did because of Streit's injury, and Hextall stated at the time that he would have preferred to keep him in the AHL and had planned to send him back.

Meanwhile, Ghost turned the Flyers' entire season around. He ends up 2nd in the Calder and the Flyers go from one of the worst records in hockey to making the playoffs.

Not only did Ghost belong in the NHL, he was one of the top 3 skill players on the team and a monster difference maker. Were Streit not injured, Ghost would have been riding buses with the Phantoms and the Flyers would have missed the playoffs.

Hextall himself said after the season that the Flyers #1 need was skill at forward. Konecny is a very high-skill top prospect, much in the way Ghost was. He has already dominated juniors. If you took names off jerseys in the Flyers' upcoming training camp, Konecny would probably stand out as a top 4 skill player (with Giroux, Voracek, and Ghost).

I totally get being extra patient with projects like Morin and mid-round draft picks who need a lot of seasoning and lack elite talent.

But Konecny -- he has the ability to play in the NHL now and help the team. Just like Robby Fabbri last season in St. Louis. And I want him to have a legitimate chance to earn a spot, rather than loading up on bottom-six players and having an easy excuse to be overly cautious and hinder the team's skill level in the process.

If Konecny is as good as well hope, he will win a job. If he doesn't, he wasn't as good as we hoped, he will gain experience and come back next year.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Or neither are true and players will play when they get the chance. no way of knowing I guess lol

It's better to let a guy force his way onto a roster due to quality play than it is to rush him and stunt/set back his development out of necessity because you had a weak roster (*cough* Edmonton). I say build the strongest roster and let the best play.

If The Neck proves himself as one of the best, so be it.

 

[tade]

These forwards are basically lock: Giroux, Simmonds, Schenn, Voracek, Couturier, Raffl, Weise, Read (8).

And forwards who will realistically fight for remaining spots on the Flyers:

Cousins, Laughton, Vandevelde, Weal, Bellemare, Gordon, Leier, Lyubimov, Konecny, Bardreau

Obviously, some of these players with very high chances and others with small but just to show the whole picture... It's going to be pretty big competition in the camp, looking forward to it.

 

[Hiesenberg]

It's better to let a guy force his way onto a roster due to quality play than it is to rush him and stunt/set back his development out of necessity because you had a weak roster (*cough* Edmonton). I say build the strongest roster and let the best play.

If The Neck proves himself as one of the best, so be it.

It's easily a win/win situation. If he wins the job, that means this team got better, if he doesn't, he goes to juniors and gets better.

 

[Les Averman]

These forwards are basically lock: Giroux, Simmonds, Schenn, Voracek, Couturier, Raffl, Weise, Read (8).

And forwards who will realistically fight for remaining spots on the Flyers:

Cousins, Laughton, Vandevelde, Weal, Bellemare, Gordon, Leier, Lyubimov, Konecny, Bardreau

Obviously, some of these players with very high chances and others with small but just to show the whole picture... It's going to be pretty big competition in the camp, looking forward to it.

I'd say Read belongs more on the second group, purely for the option that he'd be the first guy traded out of our existing forwards. I think Gordon is probably a lock as well. Bellemare is pretty closed to a lock as well.

 

[tade]

I'd say Read belongs more on the second group, purely for the option that he'd be the first guy traded out of our existing forwards. I think Gordon is probably a lock as well. Bellemare is pretty closed to a lock as well.

Yeah, he's the most likely to be traded out of those 8 forwards, but if he's not then I believe he's lock to make the team... barring something major in his game.

I agree, obviously, I think Bellemare and Gordon are close to lock, but a little bit less than Read.

 

[kudymen]

Now we have a German and a Roman

Roman Germanek?

 

[Tripod]

It's easily a win/win situation. If he wins the job, that means this team got better, if he doesn't, he goes to juniors and gets better.

Exactly.

If Konecny can show he is better than these guys he will play.

Ghost was a different situation IMO. He missed a whole season with injury and didn't get in the playing minutes that Hextall would have liked. Being cautious with him is expected. And really, for all we know, Ghost playing starting the season in the AHL WAS best for him to get him up to game shape. The rest is history.

I hope Konecny makes it. But if he can't be better than who we have, on well, maybe next year.

What ALL our players know, is that they better work their ass off in the summer because we have more players than spots. I love that. Let the best rises to the top. Trim the rest or trade them for most future assets. Hextall is doing things right.

You don't think Cousins and Laughton just gulped a bit with this news? They know they don't have a roster spot guaranteed. Perfect.

 

[Hakstol Jim Duggan]

For the people saying not to worry, if he earns a job in camp he'll be on the team... do you remember last year's camp? He was unbelievable, and often the best player on the ice. Merit alone, he should have made the team. Hextall came out and said at the end of camp that he wouldn't have helped the team and that's why he was sent back. BS. The reason he was sent back was because Hextall was being cautious. How could you not be at least a little worried the same thing will happen this year, especially with a logjam in front of him?

 

[Curufinwe]

I think VdV gulped harder.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

There is no such thing as over-developing a prospect.


There is such a thing as rushing a prospect.

There is a such thing as needlessly wasting a season of productive hockey from a top young player who could have helped your team make the playoffs, while the rest of the team's vets get a year older and more broken down.

Everyone here seems 100% confident Hextall will find a space for Konecny if he deserves it. I hope they are right. I can't help but become a little skeptical that he's going to get a fair chance to "earn" his spot with so many veterans on contracts. We'll see.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

For the people saying not to worry, if he earns a job in camp he'll be on the team... do you remember last year's camp? He was unbelievable, and often the best player on the ice. Merit alone, he should have made the team. Hextall came out and said at the end of camp that he wouldn't have helped the team and that's why he was sent back. BS. The reason he was sent back was because Hextall was being cautious. How could you not be at least a little worried the same thing will happen this year, especially with a logjam in front of him?

This is exactly what I'm saying. Great username, btw.

 

[Larry44]

This is the new St. Philadelphiasberg movement.

Surely "Hextallgrad"?

 

[Tripod]

For the people saying not to worry, if he earns a job in camp he'll be on the team... do you remember last year's camp? He was unbelievable, and often the best player on the ice. Merit alone, he should have made the team. Hextall came out and said at the end of camp that he wouldn't have helped the team and that's why he was sent back. BS. The reason he was sent back was because Hextall was being cautious. How could you not be at least a little worried the same thing will happen this year, especially with a logjam in front of him?

Honestly, not at all. Because I view next year as another transition year anyways. And if Konecny is pushed back another year, then I expect him to be even better than when he does arrive.

Look at Couts. We have watched his development thru the years. Lots and lots of debate on his usage, upside, etc... Meanwhile, Sheifele was sent back and it served him well. Maybe we should have with Couts too until we were prepared to use him in a scoring role. And yes, this is just an example. I know Couts was more NHL ready and really, we got more years out of Couts...especially defensively. But we also "might" have stifled some of his offense in doing so.

If I have the choice of Konecny being a 35 point guy this year as a rookie or a 45 point rookie the year after, I am fine with the latter. Let this year be the year to decide if Laughton or Cousins have a future with us.

 

[healthyscratch]

Hextall might not want to put Konecny in the lineup this year if there's another expansion in 2019. Konecny would have to be protected if he starts his pro career this year. If Konency plays out the year in junior, he would be exempt from a second expansion draft. Could also see Hextall doing something like this with Provorov, where it makes even more sense.

Most GMs weren't even concerned with next summer's expansion draft, there's zero chance anyone is thinking ahead to an expansion draft that doesn't even exist.

 

[GKJ]

If Konecny is one of the 12 best forwards, he will be on the team.

I don't know much about Roman Lyubimov but I will go ahead and judge him on only having 14 points in the KHL since that's what the beats are doing

 

[Larry44]

There is a such thing as needlessly wasting a season of productive hockey from a top young player who could have helped your team make the playoffs, while the rest of the team's vets get a year older and more broken down.

Everyone here seems 100% confident Hextall will find a space for Konecny if he deserves it. I hope they are right. I can't help but become a little skeptical that he's going to get a fair chance to "earn" his spot with so many veterans on contracts. We'll see.

I'd put Konecny's odds of making the squad going into camp at under 20%. He has to be amazing to make it, if not, Sarnia and the WJC it is. Provorov's had two WJCs, Travis' second could be special.