THURSDAY QUICK HITS’
* Rumors persist that the Flyers are actively trying to trade up from the 17th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. As of now, it is unclear how much of that speculation stems from legitimately sourced info about serious discussions involving the Flyers and how much is simply due to people running with Flyers GM Ron Hextall’s comment on Tuesday that there is a “drop off afte
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WEDNESDAY QUICK HITS
* Even when it was announced that Flyers captain Claude Giroux was among the top three finishers (AKA, a “finalist”) in the Hart Trophy balloting, there was never much hope that he had actually won the NHL’s Most Valuable Player award over Sidney Crosby. The Penguins superstar, like it or not, was a shoo-in for the award this year, and the respective second-place and third-
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WILL SCHENN PLAY WING OR CENTER?
Following yesterday’s trade that sent Scott Hartnell to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for R.J. Umberger, the Philadelphia Flyers announced that they had signed Brayden Schenn to a two-year bridge contract. The deal will pay Schenn $2.25 million in 2014-15 and $2.75 million the following year for a cap hit of $2.5 million per season.
Now the big questi
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I have always had a theory about the rhythm and pacing of the regular season hockey schedule: It is sometimes better to catch top-grade opposition either very early in the season or during the stretch drive than in the middle of the year.
During the early part of the season, many teams (even the top ones in the league) are trying to get their systems in sync. Special teams may take a few weeks
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* At 4:00 p.m. today, the National Hockey League will officially release its full regular-season schedule of 1,230 games. Yesterday, the NHL announced the home openers for all teams. The Flyers will begin their regular season on October 8 with a road game against the Boston Bruins. The next night, the Flyers have their home opener against the New Jersey Devils.
* A couple of people on the HB me
Originally posted here: Bill Meltzer
SATURDAY QUICK HITS
* The Flyers own the following picks in next weekend’s NHL Draft:
Round 1: 17th overall pick
Round 2: 48th overall pick
Round 3: 86th overall pick (acquired from Boston in the Andrej Meszaros trade)
Round 4: None
Round 5: 138th overall
Round 6: 168th overall
Round 7: 198th overall
Note: The Flyers would acquire Boston’s second-round pick (56th overall) instead t
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FRIDAY QUICK HITS
* Yesterday, the Flyers announced their preseason schedule for 2014. As usual, the slate of game starts with a match against Toronto in London, Ontario. There is no information yet on the training camp schedule or on the annual Prospect’s Game against the Washington Capitals.
Last year’s training camp arrangement — starting camp at the Wells Fargo Center, shifting to Lake
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MURPHY IN, PADDOCK OUT
The Philadelphia Flyers made a change in their coaching staff yesterday, bringing in former Flyers player Gord Murphy to coach the defense and announcing that John Paddock would not return to the organization next season.
Murphy, 47, has been a defense coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets (2002-03 to 2009-10) and then was hired by the Florida Panthers (2010-11 to the e
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LOTS OF UNDERSIZED SKILL IN 2014 DRAFT POOL
There is an old adage in boxing that says a good big man will always beat a good little man. A skilled and crafty little guy can make a so-so big guy look foolish and slow but, in a battle between relative equals, size prevails.
The same belief applies to modern-day hockey, especially where the NHL Draft is concerned. Undersized players can still
Originally posted here: Bill Meltzer
With the Stanley Cup Finals concluded and a couple weeks to go until the start of free agency, ’tis the time of year for fantasy trade rumors, outlandish speculation and outright misinformation known as Silly Season. As usual, the Philadelphia Flyers are among the teams most prominently mentioned in the rumors.
HockeyBuzz readers and folks on social media often ask me for my take on rumors and
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