*We are just about to turn the calendar page to September, and it sure feels like things are beginning to ramp up already. We’re still a little ways away from things kicking off for the Flyers, but one of their most intriguing prospects in Maksim Sokolovskii is already kind of popping off in the OHL preseason, which is fun. [BSH]
*Speaking of prospects and the rest of the young core, Danny Briere doesn’t seem to think they’re all the way where they need to be just yet. [BSH]
*He also shared some thoughts in that recent interview on why the team opted not to go the route of a complete teardown. [BSH]
*Still, they’ve been able to do a lot, and this offseason saw them taking some necessary steps to advance in their process. [BSH]
*These are those moves ranked, by the way. [BSH]
*Also, we finally wrapped up our Top 25 Under 25 ranking, and it’s probably not much of a surprise to see that Porter Martone claimed the top spot. This exercise was as fun as ever to put together, and we thank all of you fine folks who played along with us. [BSH]
*Checking in with Travis Sanheim, who just had a monster year, and probably still has quite a bit more to give, still. So, what’s next? [PHLY]
*Sanheim’s place in the lineup is probably pretty set in stone, but the Flyers do have a couple of other key pieces who could see their roles expanded this season. [BSH]
*Speaking of moving up, who could we see moved up from the Phantoms next (at least in a call-up capacity)? [BSH]
*And speaking of the Phantoms, we’re digging into some expectations for newcomer Riley Thompson in his first full season with the team. [BSH]
*Asking the big questions around here: are the Flyers now the best team in the league without a bonadife superstar? [BSH]
*In around the league news, Connor Hellebuyck seems to want out of Winnipeg, and there’s no shortage of teams who could be an interesting fit for him. [The Athletic]
*And finally, the Avalanche finally got a contract extension done with Cale Makar, and it is a doozy. [TSN]
