Its been a crazy past few weeks for our Philadelphia Flyers and not in a good way. The Flyers sit second to last in the NHL in points (38) trailing only the Los Angeles Kings (37) and currently sit fourteen points back of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. With the trade deadline coming and the World Juniors having just come to an end, Flyers fans have a lot on there mind. So what better time than now to do a Q&A. Without further or do, here are my responses to the most passionate fans in the NHL!
Question:
Hey Ryan, How bout Ersson's play so far as well as Farabee and Frost. Flyers prospects are looking great so far at the world jrs! Does Simmer get moved soon?? Please no more Amac!!! Myers should be called up to replace him. Chuck Fletcher not happy??
— Middleton is a Fraud (@MikefromWCH) December 30, 2018
There were lots of positives out of the World Juniors for Flyers prospects, especially the three you mentioned. I thought Samuel Ersson played outstanding for Team Sweden. He finished the tournament with a record of 3-1-0, with a 2.23 goals against average and a .922 save percentage.
In the game against Team USA, I thought he played extremely well. Without some big stops in those first two periods, Team Sweden doesn’t win this game. You can’t really blame him for the 3rd Period collapse in which he let four goals slip past him. Against Team Slovakia and Team Finland, he looked at his best. He allowed only three goals combined. Team Sweden got beat in the quarterfinal by Team Switzerland (2-0) but he once again kept his team in it by making 35 saves. I don’t think you could’ve asked much more of him.
The highly anticipated Joel Farabee also was on display in this tournament. The LW for Team USA finished the tournament with three goals, two assists, and a +/- of +2.
He made some big plays for Team USA especially in the matchup against Team Sweden where he fed Ryan Poehling who fired it past Ersson to tie the game at 4-4 in the 3rd to send the game to overtime between Team USA and Team Sweden. He also has a heck of a wrist shot. Let’s not forget the first-period hat trick he scored versus Team Kazakhstan.
Morgan Frost had a short but successful tournament for Team Canada. Flyers fans are definitely getting giddy for his Flyers debut. When that will be we just don’t know, but it a lot of fun to watch him play. He finished off the World Juniors with a total of four goals, four assists, and a +/- of +8.
I thought Frost played an overall solid tournament. His best game was against Denmark when he scored a hat trick and also tallied an assist on the way to helping Team Canada defeat Team Denmark by a final score of 14-0. He also moves the puck extremely well. It’s only a matter of time before we see him up with the Orange and Black.
As for Wayne Simmonds being moved I can’t even provide you a definitive answer. People are calling for him to be traded but it hasn’t happened yet. It would be smart to move him and get something in return for him as he is an unrestricted free agent following this season.
Thanks for interacting Mike and I hope you enjoy your weekend.
Question:
What’s your theory for when Elliot comes back? Is Hart the starter? What do you do with Neuvy? (I think Hart should be the starter when Moose comes back)
— Donovan L (@lapdog32) December 30, 2018
I’m like a 50/50 on this one. I do however believe that Hart will remain with the team once Elliott returns. He’s done so well in his eight games played. Out of the eight, he’s had one bad start (New Year’s Eve in Carolina where he got pulled after allowing three goals on ten shots), one exceptional start (versus the Blue Jackets where the Flyers came up short losing 4-3) and six good to great starts. I’m not sure what more you could ask from him. He has three first star honors already which is the most on the team in only eight games played. I’d say that’s a pretty good start
On the other hand, I’m not so sure if he’ll be the starter when Elliott returns. If he continues to play the way he has been, I think it would be silly not to start him. If your going to keep him up, you’ve got to get him into games. Only time will tell.
Thanks for interacting Donovan and I hope you have a great weekend. Hopefully, the win on Thursday night against the Stars turns things around. Lets Go Flyers.
Question:
If fletch makes a love in the near future what u expect from him?
Who is most likely to be dealt. I would be ok if Voracek is the man if return is fair.#FlyersTalk— b86allday (@OrangeBlack12) December 30, 2018
If Chuck Fletcher makes a move in the near future, I have to believe it’ll be Wayne Simmonds that gets the boot. He’s clearly in decline and its best to move him and get something in return for him rather than just let him go in free agency after this season and end up getting nothing for him.
As for Voracek being dealt, I would be okay if we dealt him but only if we got a solid return. I would want at least a NHL caliber player and some type of draft pick in return. That may sound like a lot but Voracek can do a lot of good for a team.
Thanks for interacting OrangeandBlack12. This is a great question. I hope you enjoy your weekend. Lets Go Flyers!
Question:
https://twitter.com/Da_Perminator/status/1079461463520149504
I think in terms of making moves for next season, the Flyers have to go out and get a Top 4 Defenseman. A few weeks ago, another Flyers writer and a good friend of mine Jamey Baskow wrote an article on four defensemen the Flyers could trade for. He included:
Jake Gardiner- Toronto Maple Leafs
Tyler Myers- Winnipeg Jets
Alec Martinez- Los Angeles Kings
Anton Stralman- Tampa Bay Lightning
Now none of these guys are really offensive-minded defenseman but that’s not what we need anyway. We need a guy that can take some pressure off of Ivan Provorov. Not to mention three of these four defensemen are unrestricted free agents following this season aside from Alec Martinez. So in regards to making a move that’s going to pay off next season, this would be at the top of my list.
I appreciate you interacting @Da_Perminator. I hope you enjoy your weekend and will continue to participate in these Q&A’s. Lets Go Flyers!
Question:
Can the Flyers move Jake and his contract?
— Glimmer man. (@GlimmerR79) December 30, 2018
I honestly don’t think they can at the moment. The only way I believe they have a chance of doing that is if we pay off some of it. I don’t think any team wants to take on that contract. Voracek is good but he’s not that good.
He’s got an annual average salary of $8,250,000 and five years left on his contract. Not to mention he’s not lived up to the expectations. I’m sorry to say, but I think we’re stuck with Voracek for at least the rest of the season if not longer.
Thanks for interacting Glimmer Man. I know this isn’t what you wanted to hear. I hope you have a great weekend and Lets Go Flyers!
For future Q&A’s, please use #FlyersQ&A. I had a great time answering all your questions and I hope you will continue to ask questions in the future. There’s never a dull moment with the Flyers. You can always find something to talk about good or bad.
As always, Lets Go Flyers!
Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
