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Post by bjernagris (PHI) on Nov 4, 2015 14:37:56 GMT -5
"City of Brotherly Love" - Philadelphia living up to its name
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania - Although the middle of pre-season is not the optimal time for any player to get traded, for recent Flyers addition Trevor van Riemsdyk it is a dream come true. Last night saw him being traded to the Flyers in an exchange that also involved winger Tanner Kero and rights to Swedish defender Andreas Söderberg. In return, the Flyers gave up defenders Shayne Gostisbehere and Maxim Lamarche as well as winger Tyrell Goulborne.
Growing up, Trevor and James van Riemsdyk had plenty of battles in their driveway in Middletown, NJ. However, they have never played on the same team. "James is two years older and I have more or less followed in his footsteps. We have both represented several teams in common, including the Wildcats (Univ. of New Hampshire) but never at the same time. Obviously it is a dream come true for both of us to play together at this level" says Trevor.
Although the younger van Riemsdyk brother signed a 2-year contract extension with the Blackhawks as late as in July this year, on Tuesday they decided to send him East. "We believe that the Flyers can benefit not only from having another pair of brothers on the team, but also think that Trevor is a player with good potential to develop into a solid NHL blueliner", comments Flyers GM Björn Thelin. With Canadians Luke and Brayden Schenn already on the roster, this is the second pair of brothers to lace up the skates for the Flyers this season. "Seeing the kind of positive impact Luke and Brayden have on the dressing room atmosphere, I think this move can mean a lot to our team on and off the ice", Thelin continues.
van Riemsdyk spent most of last season on the Blackhawks roster, however only playing 18 regular season games recording one assist. He also played four games during the Stanley Cup final against the Lightning, thus earning a Stanley Cup ring during his first NHL season.
Joining van Riemsdyk from Chicago is 23-year old winger Tanner Kero. "I am looking forward to coming out East and trying to break into the Flyers lineup. Although the timing is not the best, I am confident in my chances to make an impression on the coaching staff", says Kero. He spent the last four seasons with Michigan Tech University before finishing last season with the Rockford IceHogs (Blackhawks AHL affiliate), where he recorded five goals in six regular season games.
In return, the Flyers have shipped out young mobile defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, big frame blueliner Maxim Lamarche and physical winger Tyrell Goulborne. "We feel we have decent depth on the blueline, and although Shayne is a promising prospect he would have a hard time getting the big league ice time he deserves with us", comments Thelin. Gostisbehere played two games for the Flyers last season (0 points, -2). Goulborne was on the verge of beginning his first senior season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and Lamarche has spent most of his two past seasons in the ECHL.
In the trade, the Flyers also acquired the rights to Swedish 19-year old defender Andreas Söderberg. Söderberg currently plays in the Swedish Second division representing Vita Hästen where he has two goals, one assist in six games so far this season.
- Tim Panaccio, Flyers Insider, CSNphilly.com
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Post by bjernagris (PHI) on Nov 9, 2015 8:40:30 GMT -5
Flyers preseason numbers breakdown – more offensive efficiency needed
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania - As the preseason comes to an end and coaches around the NHL are busy evaluating player and team performances in order to form their opening night lineups, we take a closer look at the Flyers preseason performance.
The Flyers have played seven games during preseason, finishing with a strong 4-1-2 record. The team played five games against opposition from the Western Conference, including a back-to-back encounter with the Arizona Coyotes. Despite outshooting the 'yotes in both games, the Flyers only came away with a narrow 3-2 victory and a 2-1 shootout loss. The only regular time loss came on the road against Blue Jackets, where Flyers were soundly beaten 4-1.
The team scored 20 goals, of which seven came in a 7-1 rout against the Flames, while letting in 14. The top scorer during the preseason was Sam Gagner, netting 4 times in 7 appearances. While filling in for Claude Giroux in the first line against the Flames last week, Gagner presented himself to his new home crowd by netting a hattrick.
Three out of seven games were decided by shootouts. Flyers lost two of these, against the Coyotes and Oilers, while beating Dallas Stars on Friday (Oct 2nd) to close out the preseason with a 4-3 win. The Flyers main shootout choices Jakub Voracek is 3/3 on penalty shots, Brayden Schenn is 2/3 while Matt Read and Sam Gagner are both 0 for 3 so far.
The Flyers’ strategy this year seems to be to get a lot of pucks on goal, having outshot their opponents by at least nine shots in six of their seven preseason games. The preseason opener against Panthers - which ended in a 3-2 win despite being outshot 39 to 22 after a heroic performance by Steve Mason - is the only game in which the Flyers had less shots on goal than their opponent. The team has averaged 35.3 SOG/game, while only allowing 25.9 shots per game. Mark Streit leads the Flyers in shots with 30, followed by Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek with 26 shots each. However, having scored only 20 goals on a total of 247 shots for an efficiency of 8.1%, Flyers will need to improve their scoring efficiency if they are to be successful this season.
The Flyers power play has not looked very good so far, being 12.1% after scoring only four goals on 33 attempts. On the other hand, PK has been solid, giving up three goals on 29 attempts for a 89.7% efficiency.
Turning to individual performances, Flyers captain Claude Giroux has impressed in the four games he played in, with stellar play at both ends of the ice. In the absence of Zdeno Chara, who has been out with a rib injury for the entire preseason, Mark Streit has been the Flyers number one choice on D, logging heavy minutes and showing no signs of slowing down despite turning 38 in December. Streit has netted 6 points, which brings him to a tied lead for the Flyers together with Jakub Voracek and Sam Gagner. To noone’s surprise, Wayne Simmonds has continued to bring his physical style of play to the opponents, dishing out 18 hits during preseason. “Simmer” is trailed by James van Riemsdyk (16) and Brayden Schenn (14). Flyers goaltending has looked solid, with Steve Mason and Michal Neuvirth sharing ice time. Mason has won all three of his starts, posting a 2.27 GAA and .919 SV%, while Neuvirth is 1-1-2 with 1.68 GAA and .926 SV%.
The Flyers’ recent trades have left some roster spots open to claim, and the team’s coaches have tried a few different players during preseason. Alexander Khokhlachev and Pi-Ed Bellemare have both gotten ice time, but have failed to impress and recent sources claim that Bobby Farnham, who has been out with a concussion since acquired from the Penguins, is likely to make the lineup for opening night against the Lightning. Also look for Zdeno Chara to be back in play after injury.
CSNphilly.com predict the Flyers opening night lineup as follows:
Schenn – Giroux – Voracek
van Riemsdyk – Couturier – Simmonds
Gagner – Laughton – Read
Farnham – VandeVelde – White
Chara – Klingberg
Streit – Schenn
Del Zotto – Gudas
Mason (Neuvirth)
- Tim Panaccio, Flyers Insider, CSNphilly.com
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Post by bjernagris (PHI) on Nov 17, 2015 5:22:33 GMT -5
Flyers sign forward Curtis Glencross to 1-year contract
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania - Winger Curtis Glencross signed with the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, Oct 20th. Terms were not released, but Sportsnet reported it's a one year, $615,000 contract.
The 32-year old Kindersley, SK native has been an unrestricted free agent after splitting last season between Washington Capitals and Calgary Flames.
"Everyone knows Philadelphia is a great organization, I have a feeling they believe in me," Glencross told CSNphilly.com on Tuesday. "I have evaluated my options during the past few weeks but when I learned Flyers was interested I didn't think twice. I'm really happy to be there. I wanted to stay in the East after my spell in Washington. I think our team here in Philly looks great, and I am confident we can put up a challenge against those contenders."
Glencross bounced back last year after his 2013-14 season was spoiled by injuries, scoring 13 goals and 35 points combined between Flames and Capitals during the 2014-15 regular season.
"I'm really looking forward to come into the team and bring my best game," Glencross said. "I'm not going to change as a player. I am confident in my abilities, I am going to be the same type of player, work hard every night and give it all for the team."
Glencross has been a valuable penalty killer and two-way forward for the Flames for years. He served as their assistant captain for three seasons between 2012 and 2015. He has 134 goals and 375 points in 507 regular-season games, and one goal and four points in 16 Stanley Cup Playoff appearances.
"I've been mainly doing checking-line work for the past two years," Glencross said. "Whatever they want me to do, I'll do my best at the role they give me. Whatever I can do to help the team win."
- Tim Panaccio, Flyers Insider, CSNphilly.com
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Post by bjernagris (PHI) on Nov 17, 2015 6:02:12 GMT -5
Flyers acquire goaltender Tuukka Rask from Edmonton, send skilled trio in return
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania - The Philadelphia and Edmonton GMs confirmed a trade on Monday, October 20th, sending forward Brayden Schenn, defenseman Michael Del Zotto and goaltender Steve Mason to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for goalie Tuukka Rask and winger Rob Klinkhammer. Draft picks were also exchanged in the deal.
After Tuukka Rask was sent to Edmonton during this preseason, many believed that Oilers had found the missing piece that would help them challenge for a playoff spot in the West. However, with the entry of new Oilers GM Chris Daley the Finnish star netminder was limited to only five games with his new team. "This deal helps our depth and replaces some of the youth lost with the initial deal for Rask. I think this is the right direction for the Oilers to take, given the real lack of depth on the team", Daley said when the trade was made official.
Flyers GM Bjorn Thelin has been very active during the preseason, having strengthened his team on all positions. "I believe Tuukka is the final piece that was missing. Now we have elite players on each position and I think we have what it takes to challenge for a spot in the playoffs". Commenting on what he believes Rask will bring to the team, Thelin was quoted "A lot of skill, of course. Athleticism and experience. He knows what it takes to win."
Rask, having won the Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011 and the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the league's best goaltender, in 2014, is regarded as one of the world's best goaltenders. "I am happy to be in Philly. I believe there is something great going on here. Good to be back with Big-Z [Zdeno Chara], too." Rask said in an interview. Except for the five games with Edmonton, he has spent his entire iNHL career in Boston playing alongside Chara. Rask's contract expires in 2021.
When asked whether he thought the price tag for Rask had been too high, Thelin replied "I don't think so. Given the situation we are in, being crouched under the salary cap for the next couple of seasons, we just could not afford to give Brayden [Schenn] the contract he deserves when his current one expires next summer. It really didn't feel like I had much of a choice. Although it is sad to see such a talented player go and for him to leave, especially with his brother [Luke Schenn] still here, we both understand the situation. We had a good talk."
The deal also sends Michael Del Zotto westward. With recent additions Chara and Klingberg getting heavy minutes on the Flyers blueline, Del Zotto has seen his ice time decrease, mostly playing third defensive pair with Radko Gudas so far. "Michael is a role model professional. He understands this is business and what is best for both teams. I think he will enjoy the increase in ice time with the Oilers", GM Thelin said.
Steve Mason had spent little over two years with the Flyers, but when Rask was brought in it was natural to send him the other way. "Steve is an elite starting goaltender in this league. We would have had limited use for him with Rask on board."
Joining Rask from the Oilers is big bodied winger Rob Klinkhammer. The 29-year old Canadian split last season between three teams, Coyotes, Penguins and Oilers. "Rob fits nicely into the identity we want to build as a team. Big, physical and tough to play against," Thelin said. "We believe in Rob and want to offer him some continuity after his turbulent season last year."
For Oilers this trade means some much-needed increase in depth. Although packed with talent and prospects, the Edmonton roster is relatively inexperienced. Schenn, Del Zotto and Mason are all expected to play important roles on their new team.
Also involved in the deal were draft picks going both ways. The Flyers sent their 2016 2nd round draft pick, and Edmonton sent their 2016 5th round draft pick in return.
Rask and Klinkhammer are expected to make their debut on Oct 20th, when Flyers host Dallas Stars at Wells Fargo Center.
- Tim Panaccio, Flyers Insider, CSNphilly.com
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Post by bjernagris (PHI) on Nov 21, 2015 7:41:46 GMT -5
Flyers struggling at home, looking to build confidence on the road
PHILADELPHIA, PA – After a bumpy start to the season for rebuilt Flyers, the team is now heading out on the road for a five-game road trip.
Daring offseason moves by new GM Björn Thelin left Flyers fans hopeful for the new season. The landing of veteran giant Zdeno Chara, return of offensive talent James van Riemsdyk and acquisition of gifted youngster John Klingberg had made the Flyers one of the more interesting teams to watch. Preseason performances had indicated something interesting brewing in Philly, with the team only losing one of seven games.
However, as the regular season kicked off the Flyers soon learned that preseason results do not matter one bit. The team has struggled to string together wins, and particularly home ice performances have not been up to standard – the team has managed only one win and two shootout losses in six attempts and have only scored 11 times. The shootout loss against the Panthers was heartbreaking – despite dominant play throughout 60 minutes, Panthers managed to come back and score the equalizer with a pulled goalie and 39 seconds on the clock.
The injury to Zdeno Chara, Flyers’ no. 1 D-man, came as a heavy blow. Having recovered from an upper body injury that sidelined him throughout the entire preseason, the big D-man only made five appearances before sustaining a lower body injury against his former team Boston Bruins. Although Mark Streit has been stellar so far with 12 points (5+7) in 10 games, filling Chara’s gap has been a challenge for the Flyers D-line. The Flyers are 3-1-1 with Chara dressed, and 1-3-1 without him. The Slovak veteran is expected to miss another five games.
The Flyers special teams have not clicked so far. The solid penalty killing from the preseason has vanished, and the Flyers find themselves ranked 28th in the league with a 73.0% PK effiency. The power play does not look much better, being ranked 27th in the league with 4 goals in 32 attempts for a 12.5% efficiency. Being on the man advantage, the Flyers failed to capitalize during the first five games of the season, and since James van Riemsdyk’s opening PP tally in Boston, the team has scored four PP goals in five games.
The last two home performances have been lackluster, with losses against the Sabres (2-5) and Devils (1-4), and they have sparked rumours about unrest in the Flyers dressing room related to the many roster changes in recent months. Ironically, however, defenseman Luke Schenn has been stellar since his brother Brayden was shipped out. The defense-first blueliner has posted five points (1+4) in the six games following his brother’s departure, and is +6 during that period.
Next, the Flyers are headed out on a five-game road trip, and will be hoping that their away game stays solid. So far the team has won three games out of four, scoring 19 goals in the process. The only loss came in the season opener against the Lightning. The away tour has already started with a 6-1 blowout of the Sabres, the team that beat the Flyers 5-2 only three days prior. Next up is a trip to the West with visits to Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg, and the team will be looking to build confidence through continued solid road efforts. “We know what we are capable of,” said captain Claude Giroux after the Buffalo game. “We just haven’t been able to make it work at home yet. Sometimes these things happen and it gets into your head. We just need to focus on our game, we showed tonight that we can play. We just need to get out there and do the right things. I think this trip is a good opportunity for us to get away and find the rhythm, build some confidence.”
The Flyers' next game is on Monday, Nov 2nd against the Canucks who are 4-7-0 so far this season, but snapped a five-game losing streak with a 5-3 win against Coyotes in their last game.
- Tim Panaccio, Flyers Insider, CSNphilly.com
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Post by bjernagris (PHI) on Jan 4, 2016 2:58:20 GMT -5
Flyers sign trio of minor league players, improve depth
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania - The Philadelphia Flyers announced today the signing of three undrafted players from the ECHL, defensemen Collin Bowman and Martin Lee and center Matt White. All three players were signed to one-year, two-way contracts and will initially report to the Flyers AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Philadelphia Flyers GM Björn Thelin commented; “We have had our field scouts assess the minor leagues for the past couple of months and they have unearthed a few unrefined gems that we want to bring into our organization and hopefully down the road hone into major league players. According to our reports, the three guys we have brought in already possess the hockey skills required to play regularly at the highest level. What they need now, and what we will focus on with them, is to get them physically and mentally prepared. We respect that this will take some time and they’ll be placed with the Phantoms so we can test them further. Bowman is a two-way defender that we believe is already fairly close to getting NHL ice time, perhaps already this season. From what I have seen, neither he nor [Martin] Lee look like they would make fools of themselves out there. White is a center who can play in all situations, we believe with some fine-tuning we could have a decent replacement for Scott Laughton in him. They are signed for the rest of the season, come springtime we will evaluate how to proceed but if we like what we see, there is room for all three also next season.”
Bowman, a 24-year old right-handed defender from Littleton, CO has had a dominant season on the Colorado Eagles blueline so far, being 2nd among ECHL defensemen in points with 9 goals, 24 assists for 33 points in 34 games. Having played junior hockey with WHL teams Kelowna Rockets, Moose Jaw Warriors and Calgary Hitmen, including one season as Warriors’ captain, Bowman went undrafted in the NHL Entry Draft and moved back to Colorado after his junior years. Despite a loan spell with AHL side Iowa Wild last season (2 goals, 5 assists and +/- 0 in 21 games), he has so far spent his senior career with his home state ECHL team, the Eagles. In a local radio interview following the announcement of the trade, Bowman expressed his feelings: “Obviously it is a dream come true. At [age] 24, you start thinking that maybe playing professional hockey isn’t meant for you. I thought my time in Iowa last year could perhaps get me an AHL contract, and with this season going really well so far, I kind of felt good about my chances. I have never felt better about my game than now. I heard there had been some scouts here to watch me and ask around, but I tried not to think too much about it. Although I am a bit sad to leave Loveland, I feel this is my big chance.”
Martin Lee, a 26-year old Canadian defender from Toronto, ON was signed from the Idaho Steelheads, where he had 6 goals, 12 assists and was -1 in 26 games so far this season. Lee is a late-bloomer, having spent his junior years with NCAA third-tier team Elmira College, and his senior career so far has been spent with four ECHL teams and German third-tier side EC Bad Neuheim. The first month of the current season saw Lee being demoted to SPHL side Peoria Rivermen for an unknown reason. The journeyman defender made it back to the Steelheads lineup and has been a presence there since. Quoted on the Idaho Statesman website, Lee said “I am happy to join the Flyers, this will be a great adventure. The contract is just for the rest of this season but I think I will have enough time to show that I belong in an NHL organization. I know what kind of game I can play and I plan to keep doing just that.”
Additionally, Matt White, a 26-year old center from Whittier, CA, was brought in from Manchester Monarchs. Before the trade, White was leading the ECHL in scoring with 45 points (20 goals, 25 assists) in 32 games. The smallish center has been a force in the ECHL over the past three seasons, but had until now failed to get a chance in the AHL. In a statement on the Monarchs’ website, White stated that “I haven’t played on the AHL level yet, but I know my strengths and will try to build on those, and at the same time work on my weaknesses. Being part of one of the most professional organizations in hockey is amazing, and hopefully I will get the opportunity to bring my game to the next level.”
All three players have already joined the Lehigh Valley Phantoms squad.
- Tim Panaccio, Flyers Insider, CSNphilly.com
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Post by bjernagris (PHI) on Apr 19, 2016 11:19:46 GMT -5
Flyers plan for future, extend trio of players
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania - The Philadelphia Flyers have signed contract extensions with three players within the organization; forwards Curtis McKenzie and Radek Faksa and defenseman Christian Marti. The Flyers GM Björn Thelin announced the extension during a brief meeting with the press at the Flyers’ training facility in Voorhees, NJ earlier today.
Curtis McKenzie, the only player of the three to be a regular in the Flyers lineup currently, has been signed to a 1-year extension.
“Curtis has come in for us and been a very useful player on the bottom line and penalty kill. He knows his strengths and limitations as a hockey player, he always puts the team first and has helped us win hockey games since he arrived. We are happy to have him on board through next season”, commented GM Thelin.
25-year old winger McKenzie was acquired last month from the Dallas Stars, and has 3 points (1g, 2a) and 22 PIM in 21 games for the Flyers this season.
Acquired in the same trade as McKenzie, Radek Faksa is currently centering the first line on the Flyers AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and has taken over the captaincy in the team since he arrived. The 22-year old Czech center has been signed to a 3-year extension.
“Radek was a bit stuck in the system down there in Texas and we felt we could offer him a bigger role here and the chance to develop into an iNHL player. He is a pretty allround guy who has been a little bit forgotten, I mean he was a first-round pick a few years ago [13th overall in 2012] and we still think he has a bit of potential”, said the Flyers GM.
After a 15/16 season hampered by injuries, Faksa has yet to make his iNHL debut.
“His time will come. We have a very competitive situation on our main roster now but Radek will get his moment to prove he is ready for iNHL play. We believe in him and that is why we have extended him”, Thelin pointed out.
Faksa has 15 points (9g, 6a) in 16 games for the Phantoms so far this season.
Flyers Swiss defenseman Christian Marti has signed a 4-year contract extension, keeping him with the club until 2021. Having spent the majority of the current season so far with the Flyers, Marti was recently demoted upon the reacquisition of Mark Streit from Boston.
Comments Thelin: “Christian has bounced back tremendously well after his surgery last year, and proved his worth for us in last year’s playoffs. He has continued on the same path this year and we see him as a valuable piece of the puzzle going forward. Watching him play, it is easy to forget that he is only 23”.
The big-body, two-way defenseman has 7 points (2g, 5a) in 20 games for the Flyers this season, and is -2. He also has 14 points (1g, 13a) in 12 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Thelin also announced that Marti has been recalled to the Flyers as of today.
- Tim Panaccio, Flyers Insider, CSNphilly.com
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