This is quite a hectic time around the Flyers organization as players have been heading off to Lehigh Valley or back to their junior teams. There’s a few more cuts that remain, so there’s certainly many questions to be answered from the fans.
We’re here to help you guys out with that. Let’s get into a handful of the user-submitted questions you guys sent us for our first Broad Street Hockey Mailbag of the 2016-17 season.
@Kyle_Phillippi losing manning to waivers that bad?borderline 3rd pairing dman with so many prospects able to come up soon.what’s his value?
— Zach Davis (@zach66827) October 5, 2016
Brandon Manning is an interesting case. At times, he’s about as steady of a defenseman as there as on this team, and he also brings a two-way element that some of the more offensive-minded defensemen lack. That’s his value to the team [see this article].
That being said, he is very replaceable. There’s no secret the Flyers have a wealth of talent on the back end waiting to come in – Robert Hagg, Sam Morin and Travis Sanheim could all be call-ups this season. Likewise, there are a few older guys down in Lehigh Valley that could serve as temporary stop gaps in T.J. Brennan and Will O’Neill. Dave Hakstol likes Manning – heck, he loves to call him ‘Mandog’ – but if the team opts for seven defensemen, Andrew MacDonald would get the advantage it seems and that would mean Manning has to clear waivers. If he gets through, that’s great. If not, it’s not the worst loss.
@Kyle_Phillippi @BroadStHockey Is there really any reason Chris VandeVelde is still here? He’s an easy cut, right?
— John Infanti (@Johnny_2Hats) October 5, 2016
Well, there was never a sense VandeVelde would be among the first cuts if he was to be on the outside looking in, so seeing him among the final grouping of forwards isn’t a surprise. If the Flyers do roll with eight defensemen, then VandeVelde’s odds take a hit.
Even so, it appears he’ll find a spot on this team, but that may be as an extra. VandeVelde provides value in his penalty killing, but this team is littered with those types of players, particularly in newcomers Roman Lyubimov and Boyd Gordon. That basically mitigates VandeVelde’s value to this team as those two can provide the same production, if not more, in the lineup.
My guess as of now is that VandeVelde makes it but serves as a regular healthy scratch to start the season.
@Kyle_Phillippi @BroadStHockey if Provy and Konecny both make the team, who do you see them being paired with?
— Chris Marotta (@marotta215) October 5, 2016
As we saw last year, defensive pairings can come and go after each game. We’ve already seen Provorov work with a few different partners, including Shayne Gostisbehere, and he’ll get a new running mate on Thursday night when he skates with Mark Streit. Considering Radko Gudas and Michael Del Zotto appear to be the one constant among the pairings, my guess is Provorov starts out with Streit if all goes well the rest of the preseason. That leaves Andrew MacDonald with Gostisbehere, a familiar pairing from last season.
@Kyle_Phillippi do you think we trade a goalie before the deadline?
— Sergio (@phillyfan2292) October 6, 2016
Good question. Goalies are very valued at the deadline especially if a contending team in need of a goalie becomes desperate, and both Flyers netminders would be ideal targets for said teams. Often times, though, it’s tough to find a team that fits that mold and is willing to meet your demands.
With that, I don’t see it happening, and I don’t think it really does much for the Flyers if they were to do so. At this point, they enjoy having a 1A and 1B tandem, and they’re intrigued to see how it goes in year two with both guys competing for a new contract with the organization. Steve Mason and Michal Neuvirth seem content with the situation, from what we can tell, and as the saying goes, it takes two goaltenders to win a Cup.
The Flyers were able to salvage a playoff spot last year thanks in large part to the play of Neuvirth in relief before Mason came along down the stretch. Having that 1-2 punch, in whatever order it may be, is a plus.
Our own Travis Hughes summed it up best when this very same rumor came about last deadline: “Good goaltending is a commodity that we, more than any other fanbase, should hold onto dearly.”
@Kyle_Phillippi @BroadStHockey do you think the signing of dale weise was a mistake given all the talent already in the system?
— M.W. (@MLanWI) October 5, 2016
Well it seems a bit unjust to void a new contract as a mistake before the regular season even begins. Weise will provide a nice addition. In his preseason debut, he wound up scoring a very Dale Weise-esque goal in front of the net and followed that up by stepping in to protect Nick Cousins. Those are two things that the Flyers love (and want) on their roster. He’ll provide more production than someone like Ryan White did, and he also can be utilized on both special teams units if need be. I don’t think any of the prospects, at this point, are better than he is right now, and I’m interested in seeing how his first year in Philadelphia goes.
He seems more committed than ever.
@Kyle_Phillippi Which player will surprise the hell out of us this season and why? Yep, prediction time.
— Sunny (@akatheblondeone) October 6, 2016
Ahh, I love predictions. O.K., how about this one … Nick Cousins. Just seeing how he conducts himself around the locker room and the swagger he has, I think he’s in for a big season. He’s always been strong on the forecheck but has looked even more determined on that end this preseason, and as is the case with any young player, another year under the belt should loosen him up on the offensive end as he comes in with more confidence.
His tenacious play will bode well for him as he plays the role of a “smart” agitator. He’s had a strong camp, according to Hakstol, and he’ll carry that over into the season and throughout the 82-game schedule as a valuable third line producer.
@Kurt_BSH @Kyle_Phillippi what was your reaction when csn philly tweeted at the pens yesterday
— gavbrodude (@avolosk) October 5, 2016
