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Hopefully he tries some new things, well, at least new to this current roster. The PP as I saw it was a static, almost movement free mishmash of safe passes and zero creativity. Using Michkov (in my opinion) on the wrong side of the ice, passing up quick shots allowing the defense to get back in position to block, players without the puck standing still, it was painful to watch on a nightly basis.
Looks like Pronman at the Athletic has the Flyers prospect pipeline ranked in the top 8. We will know the exact rank tomorrow I guess.
Unless he blows the doors off everyone at camp, he should go back to Juniors. He did NOT accomplish this last preseason. What I saw was a kid who started to get overwhelmed towards the end of camp as teams started to ramp up their intensity, then I saw a kid who was completely overmatched at the NHL level before being benched and ultimately sent down when the team couldn’t hide it anymore. Torts either got entranced by his obvious speed and it blinded him to all the other shortcomings, or the team was trying to save face when they didnt pick Zeev Buium because Andrae was already on the roster.
He produced 6 assists in the AHL playoffs, though for the most part completely disappeared against Hershey. One would think that a high pick who is supposedly NHL ready would look a lot better than he did when, once again, the intensity ramped up.
My hope for his is that he somehow gets traded out of Guelph to a team that can contend, where he doesn’t have to be the sole decent player on his roster. This is one of those instances where the 19 year old rule hurts a player. I wonder if Europe is an option?
One thing for sure is that I don’t think he is NHL ready. Hopefully he surprises everyone and makes me eat my words.
Just so Im clear here, you aren’t actually comparing AHL playoff games to NHL playoff games are you? They aren’t even in the same realm of reality.
As for Zegras, its not even a guarantee he stays at center.
I’m comparing Buium to Luchanko based on what’s available. Buium was inconsequential in 4 games, then scratched for 2, and Luchanko was a needle mover for LHV in 7. Both guys will be players but you’re trashing the Luchanko pick, right now, based on your feels. We’ll see who does what this year.
You and I have very different definitions of “needle mover”. Luchanko was basically invisible in the Hershey series, picking up 2 assists in 5 games and once again looking overwhelmed against a decent AHL team. He has a long way to go. Meanwhile Zeev Buium was playing over 13 minutes a night against the Golden Knights, holding his own (-1) in 4 games played in the NHL playoffs, as a defenseman. Luchanko should be tearing up the AHL if we expect him to be a consequential player at the NHL level.
The two aren’t remotely comparable.
Jett playing in a few AHL playoff games has no bearing on his NHL potential or career. Hopefully he has improved from the shitshow he was when they tried to force him onto the roster last year. The Flyers need him to pan out but even if he does. When does the actual rebuild start? Still no #1 Center, #1 D, #1 goalie. Rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic.
Then neither does Buium’s 4 inconsequential playoff games where he chipped in one PP assist. Six points in 7 AHL playoff games at 18 is still nothing to turn your nose up at. Zegras is the 1C, Sanheim is the 1D until further notice. Zegras has to get back to the .75 PPG offensive level and surpass it at least a little. There aren’t that many defensemen in the league better than Sanheim. There are about 225 NHL defensemen in any given season. How many are better than Sanheim? I see Top 20 lists without Sanheim on it, but I wouldn’t trade him straight up for some guys I see there.
Just so Im clear here, you aren’t actually comparing AHL playoff games to NHL playoff games are you? They aren’t even in the same realm of reality.
As for Zegras, its not even a guarantee he stays at center.
I am probably most definitely in the minority here. But I would play Dvorak with Zegras and Michkov, at least try it at first. It gives those 2 a defensively strong 3rd, and Dvorak can take importasnt faceoffs when needed. You can take some of the pressure off Zegras from a defensive standpoint and allow him to take faceoffs depending on the situation or importance.
I’ve always subscribed to the idea of “pairs” when it comes to NHL lines. Then you can mix and match the 3rd member depending on game situations and hot/cold streaks.
Zegras Michkov
Couturier Konecny
Cates Foerster
etc.And then add the 3rd to those pairs depending on the game situations/matchups/hot and cold.
With NIL money being a thing, at first I thought the issue with Martone not being able to attend camp if he chooses college was one of those (now) archaic college financial rules. Makes more sense if it has to do with classes being in session. You don’t want players missing too many classes for non school sanctioned events.
I hope he chooses to go to Michigan State. I would rather be patient, and get him on the Flyers when there is no way he can be kept off the team.
if he goes to college can’t imagine any scenario where he isnt a one and done. unless he pulls a cutter…..
wonder how much he would get in NIL funds. owen Mclaughlin, flyers 7th rd pick, left North Dakota for BU. he got over 150k. whats the max for martone?
Penn State is reported to have offered him 250k
With NIL money being a thing, at first I thought the issue with Martone not being able to attend camp if he chooses college was one of those (now) archaic college financial rules. Makes more sense if it has to do with classes being in session. You don’t want players missing too many classes for non school sanctioned events.
I hope he chooses to go to Michigan State. I would rather be patient, and get him on the Flyers when there is no way he can be kept off the team.
Top 100 drafted NHL prospects ranking: Schaefer, Misa, Demidov lead Wheeler’s summer 2025 list
Martone ranked #9 (4th-best from ’25 draft)
Bonk ranked #45 (Perreault ranked #13)
Luchanko ranked #54 (Buium ranked #5)- Top-10
#1 Schaefer
#2 Misa
#3 Demidov
#4 Parekh
#5 Buium
#6 Dickinson
#7 Levshunov
#8 Hagens
#9 Martone
#10 CattonYeah, I noticed the same thing. It is what it is at this point and we can only hope for the best.
The likeliest scenario is that Tocchet will do a lot of experimentation in training camp and early in the regular season. Zegras may primarily play center but he may also periodically take shifts on wing. Ditto Cates for different reasons.
Zegras gets every shot at center. Cates could fill the Jochen Hecht/Ville Leino role on left wing the way those guys did for Briere when he was creating offense down near the goal line. Third man stays high. That’s Cates. Getting to suddenly play on a line with guys like Zegras and Michkov and jack his own scoring numbers will ease any pain. Cates and Dvorak are both too good to not be Top 9 guys on this team.
I could also see Dvorak ending up on Zegras’ wing with Michkov. Taking all the faceoffs but allowing Zegras to “play the position”. Its good to have options.
Sorry… my screw up. I messed up the take-effect for the new rule. I’ll chalk it up to lack of sleep this week.
To correct myself: the new AHL rule would take effect in 2026-27, along with the rest of the CBA.
I am deleting the blog itself.
Mistake on the blog or not, I am glad to see that the new CBA will have this clause. I understand the CHL wants and needs to make money and in order to do that there have to be “star” players in the league to sell tickets. I think the CHL is seeing the writing on the wall with more and more players going the college route and losing those players anyway.
I never thought the 20 year old rule was fair to certain 19 year old players who are in that tweener stage of their development. Too good for the CHL but not yet strong or mature physically enough for the NHL. (Its not about talent so much IMO) It stunts their growth, and I think players go the college route because it is becoming a better league than juniors, at least in terms of player physicality and maturity.
So this is another “exceptional status” designation for players, only on the tail end of the Junior career instead of early. 1 player seems like a good compromise. At most its 32 players league wide, but we all know that wont happen.
