2014 DRAFT POOL DEEP IN PLAYERS FROM SWEDISH LEAGUES
In helping HockeyBuzz readers prepare for the 2014 NHL Draft in Philadelphia, I am doing a series of blogs on players whose names could be called on either the first or second day of the draft. A few may even end up being selected by the Flyers.
The first part of the pre-Draft series looks at Draft-eligible prospects who played in various
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2014 Draft Depth: Sanheim Among the Fast-Risers
The 2014 NHL Draft may not have as many highly touted names as last year’s crop of talent, but that by no means makes this a subpar year for NHL prospects. Every year, it is common to hear that, beyond the top few picks of the first round, there really isn’t much of a difference between the projected ceilings of most of the players chosen in the t
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WEDNESDAY QUICK HITS
* Yesterday, the Flyers signed 24-year-old forward Matt Hatch to an AHL contract. He will play for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms next season. A versatile and defensively sound forward who was a teammate of defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere the last three seasons at Union College, Hatch was a valuable cog in Union’s NCAA national championship team this season. Hatch is the type of
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The fact that the 2014 NHL Draft will be held in Philadelphia does not increase the possibility that the Philadelphia Flyers will make a major trade on Draft weekend. It also does not make it more likely that the team will swing a deal to move up from the 17th spot in the first round. Likewise, new general manager Ron Hextall will not be “looking to make a big splash” simply for the sake of grabbi
Originally posted here: Bill Meltzer
Revisiting Richards and Carter
Over the last three years, I have generally stayed out of the nearly endless debate over the Philadelphia Flyers’ trades of Mike Richards and Jeff Carter in the 2011 offseason. With the Los Angeles Kings returning to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in the last three seasons, I know we’re in store for another round of reminders.
I find the whole discu
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As the 2014 NHL Draft approaches, I would not be at all surprised if the Flyers choose a goaltender at some point in the Draft. The only goaltenders currently in the pipeline are 25-year-old Cal Heeter and 20-year-old Anthony Stolarz.
Stolarz is the better long-term prospect of the two but is still likely to need at least two seasons of AHL seasoning. Heeter, meanwhile, had a strong first half
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FIVE FREE-AGENT EUROPEAN CANDIDATES FOR THE NHL
Last year, the Philadelphia Flyers took a chance on Austrian forward Michael Raffl after scouting him at the IIHF World Championships. At age 23, Raffl had never played a game in a European major league but was a standout for Leksand in Sweden’s Allsvenskan (top minor league) level as well as holding his own at the Worlds. The Flyers beat out the
Original post: Bill Meltzer
WELLWOOD RETIRES, ACCEPTS OHL ASSISTANT COACH POSITION
Unable to come back from severe leg tendon and artery injuries suffered in a horrific on-ice accident, former Flyers winger Eric Wellwood has announced his retirement as an active player at age 24. The former Windsor Spitfires (OHL) standout has accepted an assistant coaching job with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals.
Wellwood, who dressed in 3
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NO PANACEA SOLUTION ON THE BLUELINE
With the 2014 National Hockey Draft in Philadelphia and the start of the free agency period looming in the next month, the Flyers are sure to be at the center of a slew of rumored trades and free agent signings. Most of the rumors are likely to focus on defensemen.
Here’s the thing: If you look at what has gone on League-wide with defensemen, it is very mu
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Wednesday Quick Hits
* Many times in recent years, the Flyers have bumped up against the 50-contract reserve list limit as they prepare for the next season. This year, the Flyers are actually in good shape in terms of available slots to add and sign prospects.
According to Capgeek.com, the Flyers currently have 33 players under NHL contract, with two slide-rule eligible contracts. While Rob
View original post here: Bill Meltzer