Mid-Season Grades Relative To Expectations

[BillDineen]

Flyers overall have been horrible at even strength, good on PP1 and below average on PK. Overall their goaltending has been a detriment whereas last season it was an asset able to overcome a poor defense. Here are my mid-season grades vs expectations.

Flyers are:
#18 in points percentage
#30 in even strength goals against (109)
#25 in even strength goal ratio (.82)
#12 in GF/game
#28 in GA/game
#5 in PP%
#19 in PK%

Jakub Voracek - A - Jake has bounced back points wise. One of the only offensive players with higher points/60 even strength than last season. Many goals have occured when he is on the ice this year though.
Claude Giroux - B - Lowest points/60 of his career thus far. Still a top PP player.
Wayne Simmonds - A - Excellent PP play despite second lowest points/60 even strength of his career.
Brayden Schenn - B minus - Another productive PP player helping his grade, but Schenn is producing less than half of what he did last season even strength. Not effective as a center.
Travis Konecny - A - Started strong. Predictable dip in play for a 19 year old rookie.
Sean Couturier - C - Even strength production down compared to last season despite most favorable zone starts of his career. Ineffective PP2 player.
Matt Read - A - Decent bounce back so far. One of the better defensive wingers on the team.
Michael Raffl - A - Decent in whichever roll he is given. Also one of the better defensive wingers on the team.
Nick Cousins - B - Not good enough to stick at center. Probably not a piece of a contender, but hopefully continues to improve and provide depth.
Chris VandeVelde - B - Overused on the PK. Provided some offense early which is unlikely to continue. Below average 4th liner.
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - B - Overused on the PK. Below average 4th liner.
Roman Lyubimov - B+ - Little offense, but solid so far. Could be an effective 4th liner going forward.
Dale Weise - C - Decent defensively. Hasn't provided secondary offense that Hextall hoped for. Solid 4th liner, but paid to be more.
Boyd Gordon - D - Good on faceoffs, but little more. Did not provide defensive zone specialist roll Hextall envisioned leaving Giroux to still take those draws.

Mark Streit - B - Still provides offense. Defense, not so much.
Shayne Gostisbehere - B minus - Ghost carried the team last year. This season his confidence is shot, likely due to his slap shot being off and not helped by his coach. Typical sophomore slump.
Ivan Provorov - A+ - Probably as much as anyone could have expected. Will be 1D for a long time.
Michael Del Zotto - C minus - Solid defense from last season is a distant memory.
Andrew MacDonald - B minus - Expectations were zero and his overuse isn't his fault. Has looked like an NHL player some games. Others, no so much. Surprising offense probably won't continue.
Radko Gudas - B+ - Would be an A, but he has been sloppy over this losing streak.
Nick Schultz - B - Still ok defensively relative to the average reject on the backend.
Brandon Manning - B - Played well early in the season. Back to his borderline NHL level play of late.

Steve Mason: D - 53rd in Save % among goalies with at least 5 games. Played well in parts during the streak. Was a key player last season. Has hurt the team overall this year.
Michal Neuvirth: D - 60th in Save % among goalies with at least 5 games.

Click to read more...

 

[ChiefWiggum]

The whole team should get Ds at this point. Simmonds and Schenn are pleasant surprises. Voracek is as expected. Giroux and Ghost have been disappointments.

Konecny is looking more average and Provorov has steadily improved.

Trade Mason. Please

 

[Curufinwe]

I give Mason a S for sad. He is a good guy and was a very good goalie for us for three years. But just like Dubynk in Edmonton, he's having his worst season in his contract year, and is most likely going to take a big pay cut in free agency.

At the very worst I thought he might end up at .910 this season.

 

[Les Averman]

I think you're being really generous with a lot of these grades. In my mind, a B would be meeting expectations with anything above being exceeding expectations and anything below not meeting them.

In terms of some of the grades:
- I don't see the disparity between Simmonds and Schenn that much. I think Simmonds has been a great addition to the PK but besides that, I don't see too much difference between those two. Largely inconsistent at even strength, excellent PP goal scoring. Not to mention, Schenn has been moved all over the ice between center and wing. If Simmonds is an A, Schenn should be an A-. If Schenn is a B-, Simmonds should be a B. There should be relatively similar expectations for both.

- Konecny should not be an A. He's been solid, yes, but shows a lot of rookie qualities and is lost in some games. I'd say he's a B. Playing as well as we had hoped but not really exceeding expectations. I don't really like his PP role, but even when given the puck at the half boards, he's typically tried to do a bit too much or mishandled the puck a bit. Likely just some jitters but still not quite carving out a role that we all had hoped he may in that capacity.

- Not sure about Raffl being an A, either. "Decent in the role he's given," isn't exactly screaming an A. He's been about exactly what everybody expected. Very consistent, does his job, ability to move up and down the lineup. Maybe a B+.

- Giving Ghost a B- is very generous. I'm not sure many of us were expecting a repeat of last season, but it's been a far cry from what he was last year. I don't think it's going to last, but he's been a C in terms of relative expectations, at best. This isn't me saying Ghost sucks, so no need for everybody to jump on me for criticizing his game, but this season has certainly been a disappointment for him.

- I'd probably switch Gudas and Manning's scores. As of right now, Manning's about exactly what everybody expected, but he did have a great first few weeks, compared to his typical play. Overall, I'd say he's exceeded expectations for the year. Gudas has been about what everybody has expected. Not quite to last year's level of play but still staying within his game and playing well.

- God, it gets depressing when you make it down to the goalies

 

[Curufinwe]

I think the ratings are pretty good overall, but MDZ has to get a D if it's judged by expectations. He was the dman we counted on last season to play the most minutes and match up against the other team's best players and provide solid defense. He's a totally different player this year.

Also, if ineffective PP2 player is a minus for Couturier it should be mentioned for Cousins, Read, Weise and Provorov.

http://stats.hockeyanalysis.com/rat...aters&minutes=25&disp=1&sort=PCT&sortdir=DESC

 

[tade]

Jakub Voracek: B
Claude Giroux: C+
Wayne Simmonds: A
Brayden Schenn: C+
Travis Konecny: A
Sean Couturier: C
Matt Read: B
Michael Raffl: A
Nick Cousins: C
Chris VandeVelde: D
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare: C
Dale Weise: D
Boyd Gordon: F

Mark Streit: C-
Shayne Gostisbehere: C
Ivan Provorov: A
Michael Del Zotto: E
Andrew MacDonald: D
Radko Gudas: B
Nick Schultz: D
Brandon Manning: C

Steve Mason: C-
Michal Neuvirth: D

I think that you are way too tolerant.

 

[PALE PWNR]

There is only one A on this team right now, and he's 19 years old. Theres not many B's either.

 

[tade]

There is only one A on this team right now, and he's 19 years old. Theres not many B's either.

Provorov, Konecny, Raffl perfectly played into expectations. All deserve A. Otherwise I agree.

 

[deadhead]

I don't know about expectations, I'll just grade them period.

Jakub Voracek (B) Jake has bounced back points wise. But he makes too many mistakes, as a veteran leader he needs to tighten up his game. Also needs to use his body, 15 hits all season?
Claude Giroux (B-) Still a top PP player, but at even strength is a 2nd or 3rd line talent now, some of it is his linemates, some of it is age is starting to show.
Wayne Simmonds (B) Excellent PP play, decent PK but some mistakes, but too many D-zone flubs at ES.
Brayden Schenn (B-) Excellent PP, but not effective as a center at ES, hasn't found a home, may need a real 3rd line C to be added to blossom. Physical, but skating isn't good enough in the middle.
Travis Konecny (B-) He's not a legitimate top 6 winger right now, flashes talent but makes mistakes, gets physically overwhelmed.
Sean Couturier (B-) Scoring goals but not making plays at ES, more mistakes than usual, but just getting healthy and needs a stable line.
Matt Read (B) Limited but supersmart, health is always an issue, but simple stat shows his hidden talent, 4 PIM but 51 hits, never takes cheap penalties and has great possession numbers.
Michael Raffl (B+) Does the little things, scores goals at ES, great puck possession, responsible defensively.
Nick Cousins (C) He's growing into a solid bottom six guy, but has limitations (size, speed) that hustle and smarts can only partially overcome.
Chris VandeVelde (C-) Has been fine on the PK, problem there has been bad defensemen and goalie play. 11 ES points may be a little fluky, but it's up there with the top forwards. Scapegoat, most proposed upgrades are meh, this will be a good team when real upgrades arrive.
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (C-) He's fine except for being an offensive black hole, but maybe a light has gone on, he has skills, just never seems to use them.
Roman Lyubimov (C-) Little offense, but decent possession stats. Should improve next year, but overrated by this board this season because he looks better (hustles, speed) than he plays (muffs a lot of opportunities).
Dale Weise (C+) Solid defensively, great possession stats, starting to play with more confidence. Skates, hits, just has to score more.
Boyd Gordon (F) Legs are shot.

Mark Streit (C-) 2nd tier PP QB, has really slowed down, not physical in the crease, does it on smarts now, because he's a step behind.
Shayne Gostisbehere (B-) The league adjusted to him, but he still tries the same shtick, has to understand the window is tighter and make faster, better decisions, whether passing out of the D-zone or getting an accurate shot off quicker and on the net rather than trying to blast it by the goalie from 60 ft.
Ivan Provorov (A-) Too many rookie mistakes, but playing 1st pair minutes against top opponents, technically sound, just has to get comfortable with NHL speed and know when he can take chances
Michael Del Zotto (D) his defense is so bad it overwhelms his offense
Andrew MacDonald (D+) he's a bottom six guy asked to do more than he's capable of doing, but he's got 12 ES points and while a horrible possession guy, manages to rebound from his mistakes (not allow goals) for the most part.
Radko Gudas - (B) He's playing like a guy who's been dinged a bit.
Nick Schultz - (D) he's disciplined, but has lost a step which makes him less effective as a D-man on defense, and has never had any offense.
Brandon Manning - (D) solid start then straight downhill, looked like a solid 3rd pair guy at first, now looks like a waiver wire candidate.

Steve Mason: (D-) .897 save % is awful, and the defense is really not much different than the last two seasons, can almost count on an easy goal per game
Michal Neuvirth: (E) - .877% looked like early season struggles until the last couple games, now it looks like he's finished.

 

[Flyotes]

Jakub Voracek: B- (play has tailed off even if stats okay)
Claude Giroux: B- (want to see more classic G)
Wayne Simmonds: B (only someone that impacts every game gets an A - Wayne train stopped as a station recently)
Brayden Schenn: C (has a shot, not much else)
Travis Konecny: C (loses the puck too much, needs to learn when to turn on the razzle dazzle vs making the simple play - reminds me of Laughton's mistakes)
Sean Couturier: B- (hurt, coming back, popped in a few goals recently)
Matt Read: D (Tell October I said hello)
Michael Raffl: C (nothing to jump out about)
Nick Cousins: C (meh)
Chris VandeVelde: C (under-rated here but still not a great player by any stretch of the imagination -- at all)
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare: C (played well lately, but PEB doesn't exactly strike fear into anyone)
Dale Weise: D (supposed to be stronger, able to pot some goals, hasn't potted goals, hasn't really brought a physical element either)
Boyd Gordon: C (he is what he is - a slower 4C who can take faceoffs)

Mark Streit: C+ (already putting up points, but was hurt, off his game, lead to some glaringly blown defensive assignments)
Shayne Gostisbehere: C (not putting up O, weak on D -- so, what can you do Shayne besides not being Andrew MacDonald. That's a sexy characteristic on a resume)
Ivan Provorov: B+ (still making rookie mistakes that hurt the team every 3 games -- but obviously he drinks from the god water, so time will assist)
Michael Del Zotto: D (my claim has ALWAYS been -- he's a double edged sword - goal for, then gives up a goal against. then he tries to get that goal back desperately, by firing 2 feet wide and sending 2on1s up ice, he's regressing to the state that had him on tryout level with teams)
Andrew MacDonald: D (irrational fear of blue lines, caused by a scientific blue contrast box as a young child, weirdly contributing points and goals from time to time, but his blown coverages can't make up for it or be forgiven)
Radko Gudas: B- (Good middle pairing guy, needs to bring it up one more gear like last year, played with more swag, he's stepped off a bit)
Nick Schultz: C (is what he is... average to sinking to below after bottom pairing guy at this point in his long well fought career)
Brandon Manning: D+ (he sticks up for his teammates, I'll give him that -- does something good once in awhile, but the brain farts are so dramatic -- plays with emotion at least. still not good)

Steve Mason: D+ (with stats like this-- u below average-- was JR right? He's folding in a contract year-- he should really be on point, but isn't-- maybe personal life having an effect as well)
Michal Neuvirth: D+ (went from best 1-2 netminder punch to one of the worst. often injured, but that was offset by his talent-- welp-- that's in question now too)

 

[pinedak]

Jakub Voracek - A - Jake is Jake and just had a super unlucky year last season
Claude Giroux - B minus - Starting to decline slightly, his last stretch of 10 have been horrendous production wise
Wayne Simmonds - A - Simmer is doing what simmer does. His PK excellence has been a pleasant surprise
Brayden Schenn - C - ES production isn't doing anything special and his PP Production is what it always was. Having an average season.
Travis Konecny - A - We expected him to be a 40-45 point player this season while having some NZ and DZ woes he's being that. Brings speed, creativity, and is a threat every time he steps on the ice.
Sean Couturier - B - Injuries have hampered his production overall, has a great g/60. Coaches need to figure out PP utilization.
Matt Read - B - Done everything we've needed him to do so far. The crazy goal scoring would have been nice though
Michael Raffl - A - Raffl is the do it all player and has frankly been good everywhere
Nick Cousins - C - IDK has been average but I think a better option for a 4th line wing then we've been using
Chris VandeVelde - F - The epitome of "just a guy" and can't even do that well. Actively hurts the team when he's on the ice
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - F - Very disappointed in Pebbles thought he would be more solid this year, but is probably difficult playing with VDV
Roman Lyubimov - A - Has been a welcome addition, Relentless and good on the forecheck. Wish he could play with better 4th liners
Dale Weise - C - Weise has had a strange season good where I thought he'd be meh and meh where i thought he'd contribute.
Boyd Gordon - D - Decent in the circle but has too many other deficencies to be useful. Disappointed 'cause he was my pick to solve the defensive centre issue. Someimes good ideas don't pan out.

Mark Streit - NA - Havent seen enough of him to make a fair judgment in my opinion.
Shayne Gostisbehere - B minus - The spooky one has done everything right this season and seen no pay off. When all of your underlying metrics improve but you go nowhere you just gotta keep at it. That 5% sh won't stay forever.
Ivan Provorov - A+ - Best player on the squad this year vs expectations imo.
Michael Del Zotto - D - Not sure if massive over achiever last year or just having an exceptionally **** poor year this go around.
Andrew MacDonald - A - Super low expectations and he's meant them with gusto. In fairness he can't help how he's used but hes a drag on literally everyone. He's been exactly what I expected it's just bad.
Radko Gudas - B+ - Solid, steady, dependable Gudas. Small slump recently which should correct.
Nick Schultz -NA - Too small of a sample
Brandon Manning - C - Great start then evened out. Not great, not awful.

Steve Mason: D - It's that leaky goal he let in far too often this season. That said, can't do much when half the D-corps is a true 6 or worse.
Michal Neuvirth: D - Injuries and semi-solidish, erratic play when healthy.

 

[PALE PWNR]

Provorov, Konecny, Raffl perfectly played into expectations. All deserve A. Otherwise I agree.

Yea I think it's just a fundamental difference in grading. I would make a C meeting expectations. A B is doing better than expected and an A is far exceeding expectations. A D is not meeting expectations and an F is failing miserably.

 

[tade]

Yea I think it's just a fundamental difference in grading. I would make a C meeting expectations. A B is doing better than expected and an A is far exceeding expectations. A D is not meeting expectations and an F is failing miserably.

Oh yes, got it, that's fair.

 

[FlyTimmo]

Jakub Voracek: B+
Claude Giroux: B-
Wayne Simmonds: A-
Brayden Schenn: C
Travis Konecny: B
Sean Couturier: C-
Matt Read: C-
Michael Raffl: B
Nick Cousins: B-
Chris VandeVelde: C
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare: C
Dale Weise: D
Boyd Gordon: D

Mark Streit: C
Shayne Gostisbehere: C+
Ivan Provorov: A+
Michael Del Zotto: F
Andrew MacDonald: D
Radko Gudas: B-
Nick Schultz: B
Brandon Manning: C

Steve Mason: D
Michal Neuvirth: C-


Wayne Simmonds and Provorov are the only players who really deserve an A relative to expactations.

 

[CanadianFlyer88]

Based on:

A - Way above expectations
B - Exceeding expectations
C - Meeting expectations
D - Failing to meet expectations
F - Way below expectations

Jakub Voracek - B+ - back to where he was a couple seasons ago in terms of possession dominance; prone to silly errors.
Wayne Simmonds - B+ - happy with his PP/PK effort; still a little too inconsistent at even strength.
Michael Raffl - B - solid season to date.
Roman Lyubimov - B - expected nothing; pleasantly surprised.
Travis Konecny - B- - started out very well and has cooled off production-wise, but still makes an impact most shifts.
Matt Read - B- - nice bounce back year before the injury.
Brayden Schenn - C+ - clearly not a centre at the NHL level, but otherwise decent season so far.
Chris VandeVelde - C+ - Hak line has been okay with Lyubimov as the third.
Nick Cousins - C - pretty much as advertised.
Claude Giroux - C- - about where expected, maybe a little less.
Sean Couturier - C- - injuries don't help, but he's been a little inconsistent this year; a lot of uncharacteristic turnovers.
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare C- - expected a bit more after his impressive WC.
Dale Weise - D+ - hasn't seemed to fit so far; no room in the top 6, lacking a creative partner in the bottom 6. He has looked better since Hak through the lines in the blender, though.
Boyd Gordon - F - he done, son.

Ivan Provorov - A+ - looks like a vet, even with the errors.
Radko Gudas - B- - not quite as strong as last year, but playing well enough.
Nick Schultz - C - as advertised.
Brandon Manning - C - as advertised.
Shayne Gostisbehere - C- - I think his hip is bugging him; gets beaten to the outside every game.
Mark Streit - C- - still has offensive instincts; can no longer defend as well as he used to.
Andrew MacDonald - D+ - playing more minutes than he should, against competition that is too good for him, but still failing to meet expectations.
Michael Del Zotto - D- - bad MDZ returned for 2016/17.

Steve Mason - F - no confidence; unfortunate in a contract year.
Michal Neuvirth - F - see Mason, Steve.

 

[bbcelite]

Jakub Voracek - B - good not great
Wayne Simmonds - B - close to A
Michael Raffl - C - solid
Roman Lyubimov - C - hustles...thats it
Travis Konecny - C- - big potential, started hot, cooled down hard
Matt Read - C - perfect 4th liner, makes too much $$
Brayden Schenn - C - top 6 but nothing special
Chris VandeVelde - B - yup
Nick Cousins - D - Had high hopes but has no future as a flyer
Claude Giroux - D - PP god, not much more.
Sean Couturier - D - Big fan of him but this is not a good season
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare C - I wish he could score - hopefully last year as a flyer
Dale Weise - D - needs better linemates to shine
Boyd Gordon - F - What a signing
Taylor Leier - D - hoped for a suprise, but he´s a 4th liner at best

Ivan Provorov - A - our future #1
Radko Gudas - B - good physical presence
Nick Schultz - C - ready for retirement
Brandon Manning - C - started ok, meh
Shayne Gostisbehere - D - hit a wall, will bounce back
Mark Streit - B - gains a 2nd rounder at TDL
Andrew MacDonald - D - Would be ok as #6 but that contract ruins everything
Michael Del Zotto - D - plz trade him asap

Steve Mason - F
Michal Neuvirth - F

Contract year for both goalis and they suck

 

[Rebels57]

Jakub Voracek - B - good not great
Wayne Simmonds - B - close to A
Michael Raffl - C - solid
Roman Lyubimov - C - hustles...thats it
Travis Konecny - C- - big potential, started hot, cooled down hard
Matt Read - C - perfect 4th liner, makes too much $$
Brayden Schenn - C - top 6 but nothing special
Chris VandeVelde - B - yup
Nick Cousins - D - Had high hopes but has no future as a flyer
Claude Giroux - D - PP god, not much more.
Sean Couturier - D - Big fan of him but this is not a good season
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare C - I wish he could score - hopefully last year as a flyer
Dale Weise - D - needs better linemates to shine
Boyd Gordon - F - What a signing
Taylor Leier - D - hoped for a suprise, but he´s a 4th liner at best

Ivan Provorov - A - our future #1
Radko Gudas - B - good physical presence
Nick Schultz - C - ready for retirement
Brandon Manning - C - started ok, meh
Shayne Gostisbehere - D - hit a wall, will bounce back
Mark Streit - B - gains a 2nd rounder at TDL
Andrew MacDonald - D - Would be ok as #6 but that contract ruins everything
Michael Del Zotto - D - plz trade him asap

Steve Mason - F
Michal Neuvirth - F

Contract year for both goalis and they suck

Your rating on Konecny is a bit harsh.

Most 19 year olds aren't even in the NHL yet. He's playing a top 6 role and leading the team in even strength points per 60 minutes.

 

[Alex91]

Jakub Voracek: B+
Claude Giroux: C
Wayne Simmonds: B+
Brayden Schenn: B-
Travis Konecny: B
Sean Couturier: C-
Matt Read: C
Michael Raffl: B
Nick Cousins: B-
Chris VandeVelde: C
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare: C-
Dale Weise: C
Boyd Gordon: D

Mark Streit: C
Shayne Gostisbehere: C
Ivan Provorov: A+
Michael Del Zotto: C
Andrew MacDonald: B-
Radko Gudas: B-
Nick Schultz: C
Brandon Manning: C

Steve Mason: C+
Michal Neuvirth: C-


The goods: Provorov, Voracek, Schenn PPP, Simmer

The Disappointments: MDZ-Gudas as a 1st pairing, Couts staying healthy and producing actual points rather then projections, and Ghost coming back to life

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Jake Voracek - B
Wayne Simmonds - B
Sean Couturier - B
Michael Raffl - B
Travis Konecny - B
Claude Giroux - C
Brayden Schenn - C
Matt Read - C
Roman Lyubimov - C
Nick Cousins - C
Dale Weiss - D
Chris VandeVelde - D
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - D
Boyd Gordon - F

Ivan Provorov - B
Radko Gudas - B
Shayne Gostisbehere - C
Mark Streit - C
Michael Del Zotto - D
Andrew MacDonald - D
Brandon Manning - D
Nick Schultz - D

Steve Mason - D
Michal Neuvirth - D

 

[daa5250]

Flyers overall have been horrible at even strength, good on PP1 and below average on PK. Overall their goaltending has been a detriment whereas last season it was an asset able to overcome a poor defense. Here are my mid-season grades vs expectations.

Flyers are:
#18 in points percentage
#30 in even strength goals against (109)
#25 in even strength goal ratio (.82)
#12 in GF/game
#28 in GA/game
#5 in PP%
#19 in PK%

Jakub Voracek - A - Jake has bounced back points wise. One of the only offensive players with higher points/60 even strength than last season. Many goals have occured when he is on the ice this year though.
Claude Giroux - B - Lowest points/60 of his career thus far. Still a top PP player.
Wayne Simmonds - A - Excellent PP play despite second lowest points/60 even strength of his career.
Brayden Schenn - B minus - Another productive PP player helping his grade, but Schenn is producing less than half of what he did last season even strength. Not effective as a center.
Travis Konecny - A - Started strong. Predictable dip in play for a 19 year old rookie.
Sean Couturier - C - Even strength production down compared to last season despite most favorable zone starts of his career. Ineffective PP2 player.
Matt Read - A - Decent bounce back so far. One of the better defensive wingers on the team.
Michael Raffl - A - Decent in whichever roll he is given. Also one of the better defensive wingers on the team.
Nick Cousins - B - Not good enough to stick at center. Probably not a piece of a contender, but hopefully continues to improve and provide depth.
Chris VandeVelde - B - Overused on the PK. Provided some offense early which is unlikely to continue. Below average 4th liner.
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - B - Overused on the PK. Below average 4th liner.
Roman Lyubimov - B+ - Little offense, but solid so far. Could be an effective 4th liner going forward.
Dale Weise - C - Decent defensively. Hasn't provided secondary offense that Hextall hoped for. Solid 4th liner, but paid to be more.
Boyd Gordon - D - Good on faceoffs, but little more. Did not provide defensive zone specialist roll Hextall envisioned leaving Giroux to still take those draws.

Mark Streit - B - Still provides offense. Defense, not so much.
Shayne Gostisbehere - B minus - Ghost carried the team last year. This season his confidence is shot, likely due to his slap shot being off and not helped by his coach. Typical sophomore slump.
Ivan Provorov - A+ - Probably as much as anyone could have expected. Will be 1D for a long time.
Michael Del Zotto - C minus - Solid defense from last season is a distant memory.
Andrew MacDonald - B minus - Expectations were zero and his overuse isn't his fault. Has looked like an NHL player some games. Others, no so much. Surprising offense probably won't continue.
Radko Gudas - B+ - Would be an A, but he has been sloppy over this losing streak.
Nick Schultz - B - Still ok defensively relative to the average reject on the backend.
Brandon Manning - B - Played well early in the season. Back to his borderline NHL level play of late.

Steve Mason: D - 53rd in Save % among goalies with at least 5 games. Played well in parts during the streak. Was a key player last season. Has hurt the team overall this year.
Michal Neuvirth: D - 60th in Save % among goalies with at least 5 games.

C is way too low of a grade for Couturier given the way you scored everybody else like Schultz, Manning, Amac, Streit, Lyb, PEB and Vand all getting at least a B-. While Cout's 5v5 scoring is down from last year, Couts led the Flyers in 5v5 scoring per TOI on ice last year. A decline from that isnt horrible. His 10 5v5 pts in 29 games would have him on pace for 15.5 5v5 pts this year if he played the whole season. Giroux and Simmonds have 17 and Schenn only has 12 ... I expected a bit more from Couts this year offensively but his 5v5 offense hasnt been all that bad compared to his scoring teammates.

Not sure how Read gets an A either. He started hot but in his last 21 games he has 0 goals and just 4 assists ... How can Read get an A for that offensive production b/c of his good defense but Couts gets a C?

 

[daa5250]

Voracek - A, leading scorer overall and BY FAR the best scoring forward at 5v5 with 26 pts and the next highest being a 4 way tie at just 17 pts.

Giroux - B, 5v5 production has fallen off a lot since 2015. Still good defensively, great of faceoffs and obviously elite on PP

Simmonds - B+/A-, has slowed down after a fast start and his 5v5 numbers arent great but hard to criticize a power forward who is one pace for 30+ goals.

Konecny - A-, graded on a curve for a 19 year old rookie. His 5v5 scoring has been fantastic which is exactly what this forward core needed. I still think we need at least one more top 6 talent like him that is dynamic at 5v5.

Schenn - B, 5v5 play has been brutal but hard to argue too much with his overall point totals

Couturier - B, expected more offensively but his 5v5 production still hasnt been bad this year while still playing his patented shutdown defense.

Raffl - B+, Raffl doing what he does best driving possession and scoring goals at 5v5. Just a very solid complimentary player to have.

Read, B-, what seemed like a nice comeback year has faltered. After tearing up the start of the season Read has 0 goals and 4 assists in last 21 games ... I hope Vegas takes him in the expansion draft

Cousins, B-/B, Cousins is what he is. He seems to be a poor man's Sam Gagner. Above skill but being small and slow hurts his effectiveness at the NHL level. He adds some much needed skill in the bottom 6.

Vand - B, not a fan of the guy but hard to argue with his solid offensive production in a 4th line role. I hope he gets replaced by Leier at least by next season.

Bellamare - B-, has played solid defense but just 3 goals and 3 assists thus far is a bit disappointing. Advanced stats are awful as well.

Defense:

Provorov - A, fantastic season for a 19 year old rookie. Looks all the part of a franchise #1 dman going forward.

Ghost - B-, really disappointing year thus far. His advanced stats look good and all but when you are an offensive dman who struggles in his own zone, you cant have 7 5v5 points up until this point ... Ghost is last among Flyers dmen in 5v5 scoring and 394th in the NHL. Also only has 1 PP goal. A very ineffective year offensively padded with assists on PP.

Gudas - B+, solid sophomore campaign for the Flyers. Still has his rocky games but overall has been a solid top 4 dman. Id argue the 2nd best after Provorov. Gudas also did a good job of holding down the #1 dman role until Provorov was ready. Ghost and MDZ struggled mightily in that role to start the year but Gudas was able to hold his own in it.

MDZ - C+. Terrible defensively. Inconsistent. Missed assignments. Getting caught up. Offensive production has slowed down a great as well.

Streit - B-. Streit is still holding his own as a somewhat competent NHL dman who can still put up some points. Not someone you want in your top 4 at this stage of his career but not awful and still brings offense.

Manning, C, after a great start Manning has fallen way back down to earth. Had 9 pts in 1st 17 games, has 0 in last 22 ...

Mason, C, bad play mixed with horrific defense has led to a ****show year with ugly stats. Defense definitely has a big part in his poor play this year.

Neurvrith, C-, hasnt looked good all year. At least Mason had that 20 game run after Neurvirth went down.

Prospects:

Myers - A, fantastic year including a great performance at WJC on 1st pair for Canada.

Lindblom - A, VERY impressive year thus far in the SHL where he is currently tied for 3rd in the league in scoring behind 2 veterans. I think he'll make the team this next year.

Sanheim - B+/A-, is making nice strides defensively in AHL and his scoring has blown up of late with 7 goals in last 15 games.

Rubstov, C+, tough year so far. Barely played in KHL, had pretty good success in MHL. Hopefully he starts tearing up QJMHL.

Laberge, D, really tough year for Laberge who has been sidelined 3 times for head injuries and is under a PPG.

Allison, B+/A-. Real solid rookie year at Western Michigan thus far. 10 goals in 21 games so far. Could be a good power forward for the Flyers in the future.

Tanner Laczynski - A-. Not a top prospect but a very good year thus far for the 6th rd pick. Has 23 pts in 17 games thus far as freshman at Ohio State. Also made Team USA at WJCs.

Stolarz A-, Sandstrom A-, Hart, A-

 

[Alex91]

C is way too low of a grade for Couturier given the way you scored everybody else like Schultz, Manning, Amac, Streit, Lyb, PEB and Vand all getting at least a B-. While Cout's 5v5 scoring is down from last year, Couts led the Flyers in 5v5 scoring per TOI on ice last year. A decline from that isnt horrible. His 10 5v5 pts in 29 games would have him on pace for 15.5 5v5 pts this year if he played the whole season. Giroux and Simmonds have 17 and Schenn only has 12 ... I expected a bit more from Couts this year offensively but his 5v5 offense hasnt been all that bad compared to his scoring teammates.

Not sure how Read gets an A either. He started hot but in his last 21 games he has 0 goals and just 4 assists ... How can Read get an A for that offensive production b/c of his good defense but Couts gets a C?

It's all based on expectations right. I agree with this poster in that Couts isn't living up to my expectations thus far this year, where as Schultz is doing exactly as a expected, a fill in 7th D.
Couts has missed 16 games, only has like 12 pts thus far. I don't see how that deserves anything more then a C. It has nothing to do with if I like Couts as a player moving forward, he very well may get an A on the 2nd half grades.

For me, I expected Couts to finally, for the first time in his career, become a 40 point scorer, and still be a dominant shutdown 2/3 C. Neither has meet expectations because of injuries which is very important to success. Projected PPG mean nothing if you can't stay healthy long enough.

 

[daa5250]

It's all based on expectations right. I agree with this poster in that Couts isn't living up to my expectations thus far this year, where as Schultz is doing exactly as a expected, a fill in 7th D.
Couts has missed 16 games, only has like 12 pts thus far. I don't see how that deserves anything more then a C. It has nothing to do with if I like Couts as a player moving forward, he very well may get an A on the 2nd half grades.

For me, I expected Couts to finally, for the first time in his career, become a 40 point scorer, and still be a dominant shutdown 2/3 C. Neither has meet expectations because of injuries which is very important to success. Projected PPG mean nothing if you can't stay healthy long enough.

fair enough, but when seemingly every other player got at least a B- on his last like Amac, Manning and someone like Read (11 pts, 0 goals 4 assists in last 21 games) getting an A it doesnt make sense. At 5v5 his scoring has been not as high as we would like but not even bad this year. 10 5v5 points thru 30 gms isnt that low, especially for this team where the 2nd highest 5v5 scorer only has 17 pts.

 

[daa5250]

Jakub Voracek - B - good not great
Wayne Simmonds - B - close to A
Michael Raffl - C - solid
Roman Lyubimov - C - hustles...thats it
Travis Konecny - C- - big potential, started hot, cooled down hard
Matt Read - C - perfect 4th liner, makes too much $$
Brayden Schenn - C - top 6 but nothing special
Chris VandeVelde - B - yup
Nick Cousins - D - Had high hopes but has no future as a flyer
Claude Giroux - D - PP god, not much more.
Sean Couturier - D - Big fan of him but this is not a good season
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare C - I wish he could score - hopefully last year as a flyer
Dale Weise - D - needs better linemates to shine
Boyd Gordon - F - What a signing
Taylor Leier - D - hoped for a suprise, but he´s a 4th liner at best

Ivan Provorov - A - our future #1
Radko Gudas - B - good physical presence
Nick Schultz - C - ready for retirement
Brandon Manning - C - started ok, meh
Shayne Gostisbehere - D - hit a wall, will bounce back
Mark Streit - B - gains a 2nd rounder at TDL
Andrew MacDonald - D - Would be ok as #6 but that contract ruins everything
Michael Del Zotto - D - plz trade him asap

Steve Mason - F
Michal Neuvirth - F

Contract year for both goalis and they suck

C- for Konecny is ludicrous. He's not only 19 and playing a top 6 role but he's tied for 2nd on the team in 5v5 scoring and is the most efficient 5v5 scorer this year per TOI. Konecny by all means is having a good rookie season and has been one of the better scorers on the team.

 

[Alex91]

fair enough, but when seemingly every other player got at least a B- on his last like Amac, Manning and someone like Read (11 pts, 0 goals 4 assists in last 21 games) getting an A it doesnt make sense. At 5v5 his scoring has been not as high as we would like but not even bad this year. 10 5v5 points thru 30 gms isnt that low, especially for this team where the 2nd highest 5v5 scorer only has 17 pts.

Yah I agree that he graded Read to high for me liking. Read prob had a high1/4 season grade but since his injury he has been a forgettable player. Same for Manning really. But as for Amac, if you didn't read online stuff you'd prob be a lot happier with his play IMO. He isn't worth the contract but expectations wise alone, I think he has been 2nd highest achieving D behind Provy this year. A lot has to do with his poor play prior too, but regardless he is better then 55, 23, 32, 15, and 53 defensively.