Time to see what the kids got: Flyers at Red Wings Preview
The (20-31-11) Philadelphia Flyers start their 5-game road trip in Detroit to take on the (25-30-7) Red Wings. The Flyers will go with 11 forwards and 7 defenseman with Derick Brassard and Justin Braun both getting moved before yesterday’s trade deadline. You can catch the game at 7:30 pm on NBCSP.
Season Series has not gone well
The Flyers have lost two of the total three games they will have against Detroit already. They lost 6-3 on February 9th 6-3 and followed that up with a 4-2 loss in Detroit just three days later.
Detroit is still extremely young and obviously not in a “win now” mode but, man, do they have some young players that fans should be really excited about. They have two rookies that are top five in rookie scoring (Lucas Raymond & Moritz Seider).
Raymond, who is #2 in rookie scoring behind Toronto’s Michael Bunting, has 19G-28A-47P in 62 games this season. Seider is right behind both players at #4 in rookie scoring (as a defenseman) with 5G-37A-42P in 62 games.
If I had to make a rookie of the year choice, it’d be Seider. Not only is he keeping up with these forwards as a defenseman, but he’s just as good on the defensive end of the ice. He’s going to be a superstar in this league for a very, very long time.
The Flyers will have their hands full with the two rookies and players like Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi.
Special Teams are laughable
Tonight will be a battle for which special teams unit can embarrass the other. The Flyers 26th ranked PK will face Detroit’s 26th ranked PP. Then, the Flyers 30th ranked PP will face Detroit’s 30th ranked PK.
Newly acquired forward Owen Tippet actually looked pretty good on the right wall on the power play Sunday vs the NYI, but the unit itself still went 1 for 4.
Personally, I’d like to see Frost (left wall), Konecny (netfront), Tippet (right wall), Atkinson (slot) and York (point). At this point in the season it’s time to put these kids in prime spots and see what they can do.
Projected Flyers Lineup vs Detroit
Joel Farabee – Kevin Hayes – Travis Konecny
Oskar Lindblom – Morgan Frost – Owen Tippett
James van Riemsdyk – Patrick Brown – Cam Atkinson
– Max Willman – Zack MacEwen
Ivan Provorov – Cam York
Travis Sanheim – Rasmus Ristolainen
Keith Yandle – Kevin Connauton
Nick Seeler
Carter Hart
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Quick Hits
Flyers signed RW Hayden Hodgson to a $750,000 AAV NHL contract today. He’ll look to get some games at the NHL level in this last portion of the season.
Hodgson has 18G-11A-29P in 44 games, tied with Cal O’Reilly for the team lead in goals. This season was Hayden’s first season with the Phantoms, so it’s pretty cool to see an 26 year kid earn a chance to play in the big show.
Cam York and Max Willman were both sent back to the AHL on a paper transaction before the 3pm TDL, making them eligible to play in the AHL playoffs (if the Phantoms make it). That means Owen Tippett and Morgan Frost will not be eligible to return to the Leigh High, further stamping the fact that they will be with the big club for the reason of this season at least.
I think Chuck Fletcher saying he liked what he saw from Frost and Tippett against the Islanders and then proving that he did indeed like what he saw enough to give both players assurance they will not be sent down.
Tippett and Frost are both extremely young and skilled players that have had slow starts to their NHL career and it would be really cool to see both of them pick of their confidence together and start playing a lot more loose.
Mandatory Credit: Flyers twitter / Zack Hill - Flyers PR
