Link: Bill Meltzer

FLYERS MAKING WIDER USE OF MINOR LEAGUE DEALS

* One of the most notable early changes that the Flyers have enacted this offseason under Ron Hextall has been the organization’s wider use of minor league contracts rather that two-way NHL contracts. This summer, the Flyers signed nine players to AHL contracts, including Brett Hextall as well as longtime NHL forward (and former Flyer) Darroll Powe.

More here: Bill Meltzer

ROOKIE CAMP SCHEDULE FINALIZED

Yesterday, the Flyers announced the finalized schedule for their rookie training camp at the Skate Zone in Voorhees, NJ. Camp will open on Saturday rather than today. Ice times on Saturday, Sunday and Monday begin at 11 a.m. EDT. The length of training sessions each day will vary.

Camp concludes on Tuesday with the already announced Rookies Game at the Skate Z

See original here: Bill Meltzer

HOW WILL 2014-15 FLYERS COMPARE TO LAST SEASON’S BENCHMARKS?

New Flyers general manager Ron Hextall has said repeatedly over the offseason that the primary way he wants to use analytics — both readily available statistics and proprietary benchmarks — is to help the team on the ice rather than as the basis of roster moves. In a nutshell, Hextall sees it as a tool for identifying specific game

Continued here: Bill Meltzer

FLYERS IMPROVEMENTS NEED TO START AT EVEN STRENGTH

If the Flyers are to remain a playoff team in 2014-15, it is imperative that they continue to improve their play at even strength. Power plays and penalty kills run hot and run cold over the course of the season, even for the best clubs in these categories. In the meantime, strong two-way play at five-on-five is the backbone of sustained succes

Read the original: Bill Meltzer

SIMMONDS AN EMERGING LEADER ON FLYERS

Whether his team wins or loses or whether he records a point, Flyers second line right winger Wayne Simmonds is inevitably one of the hardest working players on the ice. Generating speed and power that belie the skinny legs that power his 6-foot-2 frame, the rugged Simmonds has emerged as one of the better combinations of physicality and goal-scoring abilit

More here: Bill Meltzer

TRAINING CAMP ROSTER BATTLES: HANDFUL OF SPOTS, ROLES UP FOR GRABS

With the exceptions of the trade that sent Scott Hartnell to the Columbus Blue Jackets and the August revelation of Kimmo Timonen’s medical issues that could force him to miss much or all of the 2014-15 season, this has been a quiet summer for the Flyers. The team made no other trades. There were no major free agent signings, u

Read more here: Bill Meltzer

Three years ago today, new Lokomotiv Yaroslavl head coach Brad McCrimmon and his KHL team were en route from Yaroslavl to their regular season opener in Minsk, Belarus. They never made it. Their chartered plane caught fire and crashed moments after takeoff. The entire team and coaching staff perished.

A subsequent investigation revealed that not only was the Yak 42 plane itself outmoded and un

Visit link: Bill Meltzer

FLYERS PROSPECT UPDATES

* QMJHL: Flyers 2013 first-round pick Samuel Morin was plus-two in Rimouski’s 4-1 preseason win over Acadie-Bathurst on Friday night. Morin did not record a point but the defenseman was credited with four shots on goal and two hits. Teammate Beau Rusk, an invitee to the Flyers’ upcoming rookie camp, was even in the game with no points, one shot and one hit.

* QMJHL: F

Read this article: Bill Meltzer

Through his first three NHL seasons, Flyers center Sean Couturier has rapidly emerged as one of the better shutdown forwards in the league. Last season, Couturier finished ninth in the Selke Trophy balloting. That may not sound impressive, but the 21-year-old was the youngest forward in the NHL to finish in the top 20 of the voting for the NHL’s best defensive forward.

Entering his fourth pro s

Originally posted here: Bill Meltzer