Phantoms / Royals / NCAA / Juniors / Int'l

[JBM73]

Yep, Homer was good at amassing talent, he just struggled with the concept of building a TEAM.

 

[awaz]

Yep, Homer was good at amassing talent, he just struggled with the concept of building a TEAM.

yep. his trading skills were good I think, he just used them too often and it bit them in the ass when it came to prospects. he tried to compensate for that by making big splashes in UFA which is 98% of the time a bad idea.

 

[Cobiemonster]

yep. his trading skills were good I think, he just used them too often and it bit them in the ass when it came to prospects. he tried to compensate for that by making big splashes in UFA which is 98% of the time a bad idea.

The cap was the major issue, he put himself in bad situations with the salary cap and it caused him to make some dumb trades(Scottie Upshall + 2nd round pick for Daniel Carcillo) and I think part of it was pressure from Ed Snider to sign guys to contracts that wasn't good for the team(Bryz)

I think they needed a different approach and with Hexy on board that should help - the Flyers first round picks have historically always been decent but they've sucked after the first round - Hexy can find talent in later rounds

 

[FlyerFinFan]

I think Hexy can say to Snider just let me do my thing we're close here and what you did in the past obviously didn't work. Hexy has cups on his side for bargaining chips as he was part of the LA success.

 

[flyersfan4706]

2010 Blackhawks 1st rounder right wing Kevin Hayes is a free agent now and apparently the Flyers are making a pitch. I think he goes to Calgary or Florida though

 

[Cobiemonster]

2010 Blackhawks 1st rounder right wing Kevin Hayes is a free agent now and apparently the Flyers are making a pitch. I think he goes to Calgary or Florida though

I think he ends up in Calgary, his two former teammates(including Johnny Gaudreau) from BC are there

 

[flyersfan4706]

I think he ends up in Calgary, his two former teammates(including Johnny Gaudreau) from BC are there

Exactly. Then Florida has his brother. I'm not counting on him to sign, but it is something to discuss in August.

 

[JBM73]

GOALTENDER OUELLETTE SIGNED TO AHL CONTRACT

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have signed 22-year-old goaltender Martin Ouellette to an AHL contract for the 2014-15 season. Originally a seventh-round pick (184th overall) of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2010 NHL Draft, the graduated University of Maine netminder became an unrestricted free agent this weekend after the Blue Jackets declined to offer him an entry-level contract.

Ouellette served as the Black Bears starting goaltender in both his junior and senior seasons after being the backup as a freshman and sophomore. The 6-foot-2 native of Saint Jerome, Que., posted a 2.29 goals against average and .925 save percentage in 34 starts in 2013-14. In his four-year career at Maine, Ouellete appeared in 82 games, posting a 2.51 goals-against average and .913 save percentage.

Although Ouellette's team was not a powerhouse, the goalie gained national attention as a junior during the 2012-13 season when he backstopped Maine to back-to-back wins over defending national champions Boston College. For his junior year, Ouellette had a 2.42 goals against average and .917 save percentage. He played in 30 games after playing a combined 18 games (nine apiece) as a freshman and sophomore.

The Philadelphia Flyers and Phantoms now have six goaltenders under contract for next season. Incumbent Flyers starter Steve Mason and veteran backup Ray Emery will play at the NHL level. European league veteran Rob Zepp and rookie Anthony Stolarz are the most likely duo for the Phantoms, and are both under two-way NHL contracts. Ouellette and recently signed former Buffalo Sabres goaltender Connor Knapp are on AHL-only contracts, and are likely to start the season with the ECHL's Reading Royals.

 

[JBM73]

From ESPN Insider:

Philadelphia Flyers
Org rank: 25

Overview

After previously being a bit barren, the Flyers' system has rebounded a little, with some smart top-round picks and talented players joining the organization.

Top 10 Prospects

Name Position Overall
Scott Laughton C 73
Robert Hagg D 88
Travis Sanheim D 100
Shayne Gostisbehere D
Samuel Morin D
Oskar Lindblom RW
Taylor Leier LW
Anthony Stolarz G
Nicolas Aube-Kubel RW
Nick Cousins C

Shayne Gostisbehere was a first-team All-American and the key player for Union in winning the NCAA title. He's a dynamic skater who can make a ton of flashy plays due to his feet and puck skills. He's small for a defenseman (5-11) and is more of a stick checker than one who takes the body. The major thing to watch is how much defensive value he can bring as a pro, because the offensive skill is NHL-caliber. On the other end of the size spectrum is Samuel Morin, a 6-6 monster with a clearly elite physical game due to his frame and how well he uses his body. Morin can skate and move the puck at a fair level, but the biggest area of concern is his hockey sense. Oskar Lindblom is a strong power winger who gets praise for the tough brand of hockey he brings out of his 6-1, 190-pound frame. He can be a handful for defenders due to his ability to gain the zone with his skill and play a power game.
Taylor Leier is a player whom scouts rave about due to his all-around game and versatility. He has shown good value as a scorer and tough-minutes checker in the WHL. Anthony Stolarz had his second straight great OHL season, with a .926 regular-season save percentage and .933 in the playoffs. The 6-5 netminder has outstanding athletic abilities and reflexes for a player his size. Nicolas Aube-Kubel is a really gifted puck handler; at his best, he creates chances out of nothing and is a good finisher. He has an average top gear and good agility, but he isn't the best off the puck as he can struggle a bit with his reads. Nick Cousins showed high-end skill and possession ability in the OHL, but the small, slight forward had an understandable adjustment period to the pro game. Cousins needs to find ways to be a little more effective when he doesn't have the puck in the offensive zone.

2014-15 impact

The only real significant prospect from Philly's system ready to make the jump seems to be Scott Laughton -- who could be a candidate out of training camp -- but it wouldn't really surprise me if he needed some AHL time first. Some evaluators I've talked to believe Robert Hagg could be in the NHL as well, but that may be a necessity move (based on the NHL blue-line depth) rather than a proper one.

Noteworthy prospect

Jesper Pettersson is really interesting, and I could see him progressing very quickly into a top-10 player in this system with a strong 2014-15, despite being a seventh-round pick in 2014. He's a 5-9 defenseman, but hits and battles like a 6-1 player. He defends pretty well, excelling on the penalty kill, and has enough mobility and puck skills to exit the zone efficiently.

 

[awaz]

I think the flyers are starting to amass a very exciting group of prospects for sure. good article, thanks JBM

 

[lasgop8]

From ESPN Insider:

Philadelphia Flyers
Org rank: 25

Overview

After previously being a bit barren, the Flyers' system has rebounded a little, with some smart top-round picks and talented players joining the organization.

Top 10 Prospects

Name Position Overall
Scott Laughton C 73
Robert Hagg D 88
Travis Sanheim D 100
Shayne Gostisbehere D
Samuel Morin D
Oskar Lindblom RW
Taylor Leier LW
Anthony Stolarz G
Nicolas Aube-Kubel RW
Nick Cousins C

Shayne Gostisbehere was a first-team All-American and the key player for Union in winning the NCAA title. He's a dynamic skater who can make a ton of flashy plays due to his feet and puck skills. He's small for a defenseman (5-11) and is more of a stick checker than one who takes the body. The major thing to watch is how much defensive value he can bring as a pro, because the offensive skill is NHL-caliber. On the other end of the size spectrum is Samuel Morin, a 6-6 monster with a clearly elite physical game due to his frame and how well he uses his body. Morin can skate and move the puck at a fair level, but the biggest area of concern is his hockey sense. Oskar Lindblom is a strong power winger who gets praise for the tough brand of hockey he brings out of his 6-1, 190-pound frame. He can be a handful for defenders due to his ability to gain the zone with his skill and play a power game.
Taylor Leier is a player whom scouts rave about due to his all-around game and versatility. He has shown good value as a scorer and tough-minutes checker in the WHL. Anthony Stolarz had his second straight great OHL season, with a .926 regular-season save percentage and .933 in the playoffs. The 6-5 netminder has outstanding athletic abilities and reflexes for a player his size. Nicolas Aube-Kubel is a really gifted puck handler; at his best, he creates chances out of nothing and is a good finisher. He has an average top gear and good agility, but he isn't the best off the puck as he can struggle a bit with his reads. Nick Cousins showed high-end skill and possession ability in the OHL, but the small, slight forward had an understandable adjustment period to the pro game. Cousins needs to find ways to be a little more effective when he doesn't have the puck in the offensive zone.

2014-15 impact

The only real significant prospect from Philly's system ready to make the jump seems to be Scott Laughton -- who could be a candidate out of training camp -- but it wouldn't really surprise me if he needed some AHL time first. Some evaluators I've talked to believe Robert Hagg could be in the NHL as well, but that may be a necessity move (based on the NHL blue-line depth) rather than a proper one.

Noteworthy prospect

Jesper Pettersson is really interesting, and I could see him progressing very quickly into a top-10 player in this system with a strong 2014-15, despite being a seventh-round pick in 2014. He's a 5-9 defenseman, but hits and battles like a 6-1 player. He defends pretty well, excelling on the penalty kill, and has enough mobility and puck skills to exit the zone efficiently.

After our last few drafts I expected us to be higher than 25th.

 

[JBM73]

After our last few drafts I expected us to be higher than 25th.

Well, they also have Hagg ranked 2nd overall, so take it for what it's worth...

 

[awaz]

yep, and it's still ESPN.

I can understand being rated so low. The flyers don't have an impact forward in the pool right now. Laughton should be good, and a useful member of the team, but I don't expect more than like 50-60 points, sound defense, and energy from him. A lot of teams have that 'future 100 point scorer' they can point to in their pool and ESPN's archaic analysis bases a lot around that. The way the flyers defensive pool is shaping up, I'd put it up against just about any other team in the league. And as we're finding out, it's the teams with great d-pairs that are putting together deep runs these days.

 

[Cobiemonster]

yep, and it's still ESPN.

I can understand being rated so low. The flyers don't have an impact forward in the pool right now. Laughton should be good, and a useful member of the team, but I don't expect more than like 50-60 points, sound defense, and energy from him. A lot of teams have that 'future 100 point scorer' they can point to in their pool and ESPN's archaic analysis bases a lot around that. The way the flyers defensive pool is shaping up, I'd put it up against just about any other team in the league. And as we're finding out, it's the teams with great d-pairs that are putting together deep runs these days.

Agreed - defense is key, and when you accumulate lots of defense you can trade a piece or two if they all pan out, to get help at forward or get more draft picks

 

[JBM73]

Flyers prospect Stolarz bouncing back after hip surgery - Philly.com

 

[Cobiemonster]

 

[JBM73]

Flyers prospect Hagg eager to get started on a pro career in USA

 

[Cobiemonster]

 

[flyersfan4706]

Aube-Kubel just got his first goal of the season

 

[flyersfan4706]

Val d'or scores again. Apparently NAK is getting credit for it. Two goals