Hellllllo and good afternoon Flyers fans. The Flyers Skate Zone has opened, and Phase 2 is officially underway. This is great stuff Flyers fans, as hockey is one step closer to returning. Letttts goooo Flyers, if your excited give me a Helllllllls Yeaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!
Brian Elliott and Derek Grant. I personally believe Chuck Fletcher will re-sign one of Tyler Pitlick or Grant. Pitlick has played great, but Grant is a little more verstaile, as he can play both Center and Wing. Moreover, Fletcher called him an elite Penalty Killer, and to me that means that Fletcher will try to re-sign him. The term “Elite” does not just get used and thrown around very often.
Elliott has a great relationship with Carter hart, and he played well when Hart was injured. There really is no need to mess with something that is effective. Justin Braun is looking for term, as he is 33-years-old, and one can’t blame him considering his age. With all the young budding defenseman, like Mark Friedman for instance. There really is no need to re-sign Braun, and possibly have the Flyers get handcuffed with his contract in the future. Friedman, is just one defenseman that makes Braun expendable. Braun has played well, but a team like Toronto Maple Leafs might be open to give him term, and that’s just one team that need defensive help. Other teams like the Arizona Coyotes, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, and possibly the New York Rangers could be looking for D help, as well.
Mavrik Bourque- Center
Ruben Rafkin- RHD
Landon Kosior- RHD
Bourque is a natural goalscorer, not just a playmaker. He is the scorer the Flyers could use right now to be quite frank. Rafkin and Kosior would restock the defensive cupboard in a big way. Both of these defensemen are puck moving, and good in transition. There really is no reason to believe that either Rafkin or Kosior wouldn’t fit in with Alain Vigneault’s system (Eventually). Both of these fine young defencemen are defensive first, but are so talented offensively.
At the moment Nolan Patrick remains status quo. A good update on Patrick more than likely won’t take place until Phase 3 begins (Training Camp). I will tell you that I’m operating that Patrick will play for the playoffs until the Flyers say otherwise. Fletcher remained optimistic that Patrick would have returned at some point before the season ended due to the Coronavirus. Now with all players going through a training camp, and being rusty. Why wouldn’t the Flyers allow him to play if he is healthy? A healthy Patrick takes this team definitely to the Stanley Cup in my opinion.
Andreoff-O’Reilly-Kase
Ratcliffe-Rubtsov-Sushko
Twarynski-Laczynski-Allison
Strome-Bunny-Sandin
Laberge
Zamula-Wylie
Hogberg-Kalynuk
Wotherspoon/Kalynuk-Prosser
Bigras/Wotherspoon
Ustimenko
Sandstrom/????
Sandin will push for a job out of camp, but only one of Frost or Sandin will win a job in my opinion, with of course Frost winning the job finally with the orange and black. What Sandin does offer the Flyers is insurance, in case Pitlick or Grant want money and term, not to mention that Sandin was a Swedish star in the SHL (After potting 19 goals this past season).
I would love to see Alex Lyon return to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, but he’s only 27-years-old, so he’s looking for a starting role in the AHL, or a backup role in the NHL. Given the fortune the Flyers are in, with their Goaltending prospects within their system there may is no need to acquire a starter for the Phantoms. However, Chuck Fletcher may go out and look for a backup Veteran AHL netminder to aide Ustimenko or Sandstrom’s development.
Right now, I would say Ustimenko (Starter), and a backup Veteran netminder. I don’t foresee Fletcher riding two very young netminders at least to start the AHL season. However, at some point during the season look for Sandstrom to join the Phantoms as a backup at the very least.
You really know how to brighten the days of a Flyers fan, great job with wanting any team to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins. Of course, Flyers fans know the history between the Penguins and the Washington Capitals, and Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. However, Flyers fans hate the Penguins, and they commonly root against the Penguins (For good reason). Be safe, and best of luck to your Capitals when hockey reconvenes.
If you would like to see your questions submitted in our weekly mailbag. Just submit your question on our Twitter page @flyersknitty using #Flyersmail, or @JameyBaskow. Thanks to all the fans for another great mailbag, and Let’s go Flyers.
