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9 Comments (3 conversations)
Peter Sherman
Al Morganti mentioned it in between periods that this team just looks different now.
The 1st line is terrific. Fast, Skilled and pretty big now. How many teams in the Eastern Conf have a line better than Tippett, Zegras & Foerster?
Vandit Kalia
That’s a good point.
We’ve all got so caught up in the 1C/1D chatter that we are missing the fact that this is a really deep team. And that works out well in the playoffs.
I still think they need a better C for Michkov – but Briere has done a very good job either way stocking the team with promising talent (even if none of them will make the list of top stars of the league. Not yet anyway).
Matt
I thought adding Martone at RW would jam up the lines but I think it frees them up. Tippet is big and fast and can play with Zegras at C, especially with Foerster back. Dvo can take Martone, and all we need is Cates to play with more skill to unlock Michkov. Cycle Michov a few times on offense draws with lines 1 and 2 and they should score a lot of goals. That said, a true skilled 1C with some size centering Foerster and Michkov is a very high end first line in 2 years.
Vandit Kalia
I think the way this team is structured, they dont need a 100pt 1C. They need another C who can score 60-70 points a game to put between Michkov. That gives them 3 high-end lines: each of those lines, singly, may not have the firepower of a McJesus or McKinnon line, but 3 of those that you can rotate through all game? That’s a winning playoff formula!
OTOH, need of someone with a lethal slapper from the point? That’s pretty key – but i think they may be able to trade for such a D-man.
The most impressive part of the current Flyers management is how they have accrued talent without giving up much – Poehling was a FA signing in a bottom-out year that Danny turned into a 60pt+ forward (essentially a free talent gain). Another FA signing, Walker, got them a first. Giroux got them a 1st and Tippett – which, in hindsight, turns out to be a very good trade. Same with Vladar and Dvorak – both FAs who are punching well about their weight. Even players like Grebenkin and Glendenning have been pleasant surprises.
I am still not sold re their drafting – its still in the “Wait and See” area for me – but their process with FAs has been very good, so far.
Michael Curran
Charlie,
I would like to ask a couple of “future” questions because I haven’t heard anything.
Based on Vladar’s play and having 1 year left on his contract how much of an extension would the Flyers offer?
Are the Flyers negotiating with Zegras’s team on a new contract or does Zegras people want to test free agency.
Charlie O'Connor
AuthorYou don’t have to worry about Zegras. First off, he’s an RFA, so he couldn’t leave this summer without an offer sheet. Second, he loves it here. He doesn’t want to leave. Third, yes, I believe the two sides are talking and I fully expect a deal to get done.
As for Vladar, I really haven’t looked into how much it might cost. But yeah, I imagine they’d be interested in re-upping him. They’re not even allowed to sign him to an extension until July 1 at the absolute earliest, though, so it’s really not a major discussion point now.
Michael Curran
Thank you, Charlie.
David LaVeck
Thanks for the extra contract info on these players, Charlie, Much appreciated!
David LaVeck
Charlie, you took a game recap and turned it into yet another brilliant piece, well done! The analytics do not shine a bright light on the Flyers, as you pointed out the Flyers won this game on the backs of the Zegras line and Vladar’s stellar play in net. The coaching between periods that you highlighted shows the way that they are able to adapt on the fly and come away with a nice win in spite of the numbers which really show that they should have lost. An impressive win in that regard.