Avs Angles: An Okay Offseason

The Colorado Avalanche had a disappointing season even though they won the President's Trophy as the NHL's best team. The Vegas Golden Knights sent the Avalanche packing after the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In the team's defense, there were some injuries and games rescheduled due to COVID. The Avalanche would have to figure out a way to navigate an offseason that included the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft. The offseason included making trades, managing the cap, getting key players re-signed, and signing some depth players.

The first piece of the team's offseason was creating cap space to re-sign two key players. The Avalanche traded defenseman Ryan Graves to the New Jersey Devils for Mikhail Maltsev. Graves played top-four minutes for the Avalanche the past few seasons, but about $3.2 million over the next two years came off the books with the trade. Maltsev will be an unrestricted free agent this summer but should get an opportunity to show what he can do on the ice in training camp. This was a good deal since it cleared cap space, brought in a young player, and the team is stacked with young talent on the blue line.

The Avs then lost forward Joonas Donskoi to the Kraken in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. In 116 games played over the past two seasons, Donskoi had 33 goals, 31 assists, and 64 points. He played third or fourth line minutes while with the team and had decent production. The Avalanche may miss his production, but won't miss his $3.9 million cap hit over the next two seasons. I'm sure it wasn't easy to lost Donskoi and his production, but I understand why he was left unprotected for the Draft.

The second piece, and possibly the most important, piece of news was the re-signing of restricted free agent defenseman Cale Makar. The 22-year-old signed a new six-year, $54 million contract which came with a $9 million per season cap hit. Makar made an immediate impact for the Avalanche after getting called up with six points in 10 playoffs games in 2019. The young defenseman has been great in his first two full seasons even with the craziness of COVID-19. He won the Calder Trophy as best rookie for the 2019-20 season and finished second in the Norris Trophy voting as the League's best defenseman. The raise and investment was a good one for the Avalanche since Makar is young and hasn't even reached his prime yet.

The Avs picked up depth defenseman Kurtis MacDermid, who could fill the role of the sixth or seventh defenseman on the team. The team then went and re-signed captain Gabriel Landeskog to a new contract before he hit free agency. The deal is eight years, $56 million, and comes with a $7 million per season cap hit. The veteran has played for the team for the past 10 seasons after being drafted by them. The 28-year-old has had some injuries in the past few seasons, but when he's healthy, he produces. He may be entering his prime, and the eight years are the thing that bothers me about this contract.

The Avalanche lost a few key players in free agency like Philipp Grubauer, Brandon Saad, and Pierre-Eduoard Bellemare. Saad and Bellemare were cap casualties since both are depth players that will be replaced. The Avalanche couldn't agree to a new contract with its Vezina Finalist goalie, Grubauer, so he signed with the Kraken in free agency. After losing Grubauer, the team went and made a trade with the Arizona Coyotes. The Avalanche acquired goalie Darcy Kuemper for defenseman Connor Timmins. Kuemper is a good goalie, but his issue is staying healthy, and that is the biggest reason to be skeptical of this trade.

In free agency, the Avalanche let some of the organizational depth go and replaced it with new faces. The Avalanche signed the following players to one-year deals: Roland McKeown, Stefan Matteau, Dylan Sikura, Jordan Gross, Ryan Murray, and Darren Helm. The signings will create battles for depth spots on the roster come training camp. Helm, should he make the team, will bring more veteran leadership, while Sikura could bring some speed to the bottom six. Jack Johnson and Artem Anisimov are invited to training camp.

The Avs re-signed some of its restricted free agents, starting with Jayson Megna, who signed a two-year deal worth $1.5 million. Tyson Jost, a versatile forward, signed a new two-year, $4 million deal. The Avalanche also signed defenseman Dennis Gilbert to a new one-year, $750,000 contract.

The Avalanche receives a B- for the offseason. I liked the Makar signing because the kid will be a stud on the blue line for years to come. The Graves trade made sense to shed some cap, and the team is loaded with young talent on the blue line. The fact that Makar is under contract and should report on time to training camp is big. There are still teams that do not have notable restricted free agents under contract.

I am not a fan of the Landeskog contract because he is under contract for the next eight years and is 28 years old. It could be hard to move down the road if needed. Another reason for the B- is the goalie situation. I get that the Avalanche have a decent goalie now, but he is injury-prone, and my biggest concern is if he can stay healthy. Grubauer was a Vezina Trophy Finalist and played phenomenal last season despite the team losing in the second round.

 

Sabres Slashes: An Offseason to Forget

 Kevyn Adams and the Buffalo Sabres have had an offseason to forget. The team underperformed again in a shortened 2020-2021 season. Granted, the Sabres missed their best player and captain, Jack Eichel, for most of the season. The team looked like it wasn't even trying most nights and leaving the goalies to make the save. Ralph Krueger was fired late in the season, and Don Granato took over. Under Granato, players looked looser, more relaxed, and started to look like they were having fun again.

Eichel was out of the lineup due to an upper-body injury, and this was just the beginning of the soap opera. There were reports that Eichel needed to get neck surgery to improve, and the Sabres' organization was not allowing him to get it. The surgery was not a common one among hockey players, and the team wasn't sure how he would recover. The Sabres did have him on the trade block around the NHL Entry Draft, but the asking price was too high for most teams because of the injury situation. As of now, Eichel is still on the Sabres' roster and it will be interesting to see how this saga turns out. Does he not report to camp, sit out, or get traded? Only time will tell.

Adams and the Pegulas decided to remove the interim tag from the head coach and sign Don Granato to a three-year deal. This was the right move for the team. Granato seemed to let the players play and keep it simple after he took over the bench last season. He used players right and put them in situations to succeed. The team will likely be on the bit of the younger side this season, and I think Granato could help make them better, even though they'll be in the hunt to win the NHL Lottery again this season.

Adams started the offseason with Will Borgen going to the Seattle Kraken in the NHL Expansion Draft. He quickly bounced back and managed to pull off a good trade before the NHL Entry Draft. The Sabres traded defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen to the Philadelphia Flyers for the 2021 13th overall pick in the 2021 Draft, a third-round pick in the 2023 Draft, and defenseman Robert Hagg. The trade was a good one by Adams, and the Flyers overpaid for Ristolainen. There were probably other teams looking for Ristolainen's services, which could have played a part in the haul. Hagg is a serviceable third-pairing defenseman who can kill penalties and doesn't shy away from playing a physical game.

Drake Caggiula signed a one-year, $750,000 contract extension for the 2021-2022 season. Caggiula played 11 games with the Sabres last season and had two goals, one assist, and three points. The left wing has never played a full season in the NHL and will likely be a bottom-six depth player for the Sabres. Then again with the way this roster is shaping up, he could very well be a top-six player. It was a cost-effective deal for the Sabres, and Caggiula will have a chance to prove himself while with the team.

The Sabres lost players in free agency like Linus Ullmark, Jake McCabe, and Carter Hutton. Sabres fans would probably agree that it was time for these guys to go since the team didn't turn around with them on the roster, but they were better than anything brought in by the Sabres brass in free agency. Adams and the Sabres couldn't come to terms, and by the time Ullmark hit free agency, there wasn't much left in the goalie market, so the team wound up signing Craig Andersonand Aaron Dell. There wasn't an upgrade made in goal for the team this offseason.

Will Butcher and Mark Pysyk were the notable defensemen that were acquired in the offseason. Butcher was acquired in a trade with the New Jersey Devils, and Pysyk signed a free agency deal. Butcher had a decent first three seasons in the NHL but only played 23 games last season and became expendable after the Devils signed Dougie Hamilton to a substantial free agency deal. Butcher is a mobile defenseman who can move the puck, play top-four minutes and contribute offensively. Pysyk will likely play bottom-pairing minutes or be the oft-scratched seventh defenseman.

Adams was able to re-sign some restricted free agents to decent bridge deals. Brandon Davidson signed a new one-year deal worth $750,000. Forward Rasmus Asplund got a new two-year deal worth $825,000 per season. He had seven goals, four assists, and 11 points in 28 games last season. Casey Fitzgerald, the 24-year-old defenseman, signed a new two-year contract with a $750,000 cap hit per season. Fitzgerald has yet to make his NHL Debut, but has a good shot to do that this season. Adams re-signed Henri Jokiharju and forward Casey Mittelstadt to new three-year deals with a $2.5 million cap hit per season.

The Sabres did manage to get something for forward Sam Reinhart, who was a restricted free agent due to a big payday. It is just like the Sabres to trade a guy who has scored 20-plus goals in five of his last six seasons played because he was due a pay raise. In Adams' defense, he was able to get a goalie prospect and a first-round 2022 Draft pick for Reinhart. I think that the Sabres will miss the goal-scoring and his ability to play top-six minutes. Reinhart wasn't the best 200-foot player, but his ability to find the back of the net will be missed.

The Sabres still do not have defenseman Rasmus Dahlin under contract for the 2021-22 season. He is a restricted free agent and could opt to sit out until he has a new contract. The 21-year-old had a good rookie season under Phil Housley including 44 points in 82 games. His second season, first with Ralph Krueger, his numbers dipped a bit, but he was a bit better defensively. Last season was a strange one, but Dahlin's game was a complete disaster. Adams needs to get a deal done before camp starts because the last thing you want is another potential distraction off the ice for this team.

There are two reasons why the Sabres received a D-, and not a F for their final offseason grade. The first reason was the big haul that Adams managed to bring in for Ristolainen. The other reason was signing Don Granato to a new contract, and removing the interim head coach tag from last season. Once he took over behind the bench, the team played looser and were actually making some games competitive. 

The Flyers Acquire Ryan Ellis from Predators

The Philadelphia Flyers and General Manager Chuck Fletcher knew the team was looking for a top pair, right-handed defenseman to fill the void left by Matt Niskanen. Alain Vigneault tried multiple partners for Ivan Provorov last season, but no matter his partner, it just didn't seem to work.

The team was linked to Seth Jones early in the offseason, but those talks fizzled out when the two sides couldn't agree on a new contract. Jones has one season left on his contract, and Fletcher wasn't trading the farm without a longer-term commitment from the defenseman. With the roster freeze going into effect at 3 p.m. on July 17, 2021, it was looking like Fletcher would stand pat, but that didn't happen.

The Flyers acquired defenseman Ryan Ellis from the Nashville Predators for center Nolan Patrick and defenseman Philippe Myers. Patrick was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights for Cody Glass. It may have taken a three-team trade, but Fletcher finally got his man, whom the Flyers were linked to last season. Ellis will play with Provorov on the team's top pair and be the perfect replacement for the loss of Niskanen.

In getting the 30-year-old defenseman, the Flyers get a legitimate top guy and a ton of leadership for the blue line, which lacked last season. Ellis is good at making the first pass out of the defensive zone, which should help the Flyers to spend less time defending. If they defend less in their zone, it could lead to less scoring chances again and less goals against. Ellis can play on the power play since he has a decent shot from the point.

Ellis is a solid all-around defenseman and should help the Flyers improve on the defensive side of the puck. He played on the penalty kill for the Predators and should help improve the team in an area that was a weakness last season. The 30-year-old had his struggles the past two seasons, but if Fletcher didn't believe he could bounce back, he wouldn't have made the trade. It isn't all sunshine with Ellis, as there are some unknowns with him.

The first is how he will react to the trade since he has been with the Predators since day one. He will have to get to know a whole new set of teammates, a new system, and a new fan base. The 30-year-old is in the third year of an eight-year contract that started before the 2019-2020 season. His contract has a cap hit of $6.25 million per season for the next six seasons. During the 2020-21 season, he only played 35 games because of shoulder surgery. Ellis isn't someone who will throw this weight around, and there are the injury concerns.

The Predators traded Patrick to the Golden Knights shortly after acquiring him for Cody Glass. Patrick was rumored to be on the trade block last season, but nothing came about. He missed the entire 2019-2020 season due to migraines and wasn't the same player when he came back. Patrick was a little hesitant to go into corners after the puck, but he wasn't afraid to go to the front of the net. The 22-year-old can become a restricted free agent on July 28, 2021. The change of scenery and a fresh start can only be a good thing for this kid, who has been through a lot in the last two years.

The other piece of the three-team trade was a 24-year-old defenseman, Philippe Myers. Myers was an undrafted find by former Flyers General Manager Ron Hextall. He is 6'5" and is a smooth skater who isn't afraid to throw his weight around. When he keeps his game simple, he is a good player, but if he tries to do too much, he'll get himself into trouble. In his time with the Flyers, he was inconsistent and benched for poor play, but the benchings didn't always seem to work. He would return to the lineup and make the same mistakes. Myers has a ton of upside, so maybe a change of scenery will be a good thing. He is in his second year of a three-year contract that has a $2.55 million cap hit per season.

Overall, I like the trade even though Ellis is under for the next six seasons and his injury concerns. The cap hit for the contract is a manageable one, and the Flyers still have its first-round draft pick and top prospects in play to make another trade to fill other needs on the team.

The Impact of Matt Niskanen's Retirement on the Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers offseason went from what should have been a dull one to a being a potentially intriguing one in the drop of a hat. 

A veteran defenseman retiring wouldn’t be a big deal in the NHL, but this is 2020. Matt Niskanen decided to retire even though he still has one year left on his current contract at a $5.75 million cap hit. Sure, with Niskanen retiring,  it frees up that cap space, which almost every team will be looking for with a flat cap for the next few years. The Flyers have also re-signed veteran defenseman, Justin Braun. Braun was an unrestricted free agent, the Flyers would have let go, but with Niskanen retiring, the team didn’t want to lose another piece of the penalty kill. Braun signed a new two-year contract worth $3.6 million to go with a $1.8 million cap hit.  The team will miss the leadership and experience that Niskanen brought to the team. 

Niskanen’s retirement will have an impact in the long run that fans may think. The team was in a much better position for the expansion draft, but now that could change. If the team goes and acquires or signs a free agent to a longer-term deal, it may force them to have to make a tough decision as to which blueliners to protect come the expansion draft. The biggest question in all of this is who is Ivan Provorov’s partner this season? Can Provorov has the same success he did this season without Niskanen as his partner? 

Who is Ivan Provorov’s Defense Partner Next Season?

It is one of the longer-term questions that Niskanen’s retirement brings to the table. Do Chuck Fletcher and the Flyers go out and sign someone like Alex Pietrangelo, or maybe try to acquire someone like Matt Dumba? This blue line will be young next season, but there is experience there. I feel like if the Flyers do anything at all, it will be to acquire a top pairing, veteran defenseman. The team could do this via trade or free agency. The team should go after someone who is a decent defender, so Provorov doesn’t have to worry about defending all the time and can maybe pick up some points in the offensive zone.

Sure, the Flyers very well could stand pat and go with who they have on the current roster. The defensemen on the current roster are Provorov, Braun, Shayne Gostisbehere, Robert Hagg, Travis Sanheim, and Phil Myers. They could bring up a guy like Mark Friedman, who could rotate in and out as the seventh defenseman, but I’d rather have Friedman getting some ice time with the AHL club than being the seventh for the Flyers. If everything stands pat, who moves up to play with Provorov? Sanheim played with him for a bit during the 2018-19 season, but that breaks up the Sanheim-Myers pairing. I don’t think Gostisbehere would even be an option to play top-pairing minutes at this point since he’s been so inconsistent and injury-prone the past few seasons. 

Can the Flyers still package Shayne Gostisbehere in a Deal?

Another impact of Niskanen’s retirement: can the Flyers afford to trade Gostisbehere or is he too valuable to the team? The Flyers have some defensive prospects in the system like Egor Zamula and Cam York, but those guys likely won’t see the NHL for another few years. With this being the case and Niskanen no longer a place holder, should the Flyers still see if there are any takers out there for Gostisbehere? My answer to this is yes because they still need a scorer, and it wouldn’t hurt to see what a package with Gostisbehere could bring the team in return.

Gostisbehere has had one good NHL season and that was his rookie one. Granted, the injuries have started to pile up in the last few years. It seems like even when he is healthy, he is a risk on the ice. And yes, I get that those fakes and moves he makes at the offensive blue line are something that most defensemen can’t do, but he is unreliable in the defensive zone. He takes chances with the puck, when he should just clear it or get it to a teammate to clear.  

WHAT IMPACT COULD THIS HAVE ON THE EXPANSION DRAFT?

If Niskanen decided to play out the season and not retire, the Flyers would have been in good shape going into the NHL Expansion Draft for the Seattle Kraken. The decision on which defensemen to protect would have been an easy one with Provorov, Sanheim, and Myers. If the Flyers have to sign or acquire a defenseman with some term to his contract, this will make it more difficult for the team. Yes, they could protect four defensemen, but then that would only leave four forwards to protect. 

Two of those forwards, Claude Giroux and Kevin Hayes, have no-movement clauses, which means the Flyers would have to protect them. That would leave two players to protect, and they would likely be Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny. If the Flyers had to go this way, then they risk losing Oskar Lindblom. Another option would be for the Flyers to make a deal with the Kraken to take James van Riemsdyk off its hands, but at what cost? It still may cost them either some draft picks or a young player that is NHL ready.

Niskanen’s retirement doesn’t just have short-term effects, but also provides some longer-term ones, but I’m sure Fletcher and the Flyers will figure it out, and if they don’t, the fans will have some younger players to look forward to seeing in the future.

3 Keys: Avalanche @ Sharks

The Colorado Avalanche visit the San Jose Sharks tonight with puck drop being at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The Avalanche are looking to break a two game losing streak, while the Sharks are just looking to play better down the stretch. If the Avalanche win tonight then they would be in first place in the Central Division. The Sharks only have pride left to play for this season, but I wouldn't expect this team to just lay down.

The Avalanche should look to get out to a fast start and maybe even get the first goal of the game. The Sharks need the first goal of the game and will likely rely have to rely on its goaltender to make saves. The Avalanche are dealing with injuries to major players, but Nathan MacKinnon is healthy and putting up some points, while Joonas Donskoi returns to San Jose for the first time since signing a free agent deal with the Avalanche in the offseason. Despite the Sharks not play well, Evander Kane has managed to score 25 goals so far this season.

Here are three keys to tonight's Western Conference match up:

1.) Avalanche Get Off to Fast Start

The Avalanche are a better team when they get off to a fast start and get the first goal of the game. If the Avs score the first goal of the game then they are 30-6-7, but if the opposition scores first then they are only 10-13-1 in those games. The team could get off to a fast start by getting some pressure on the Sharks' goalie early in the game by getting pucks to the net. The Avalanche should try to establish the forecheck and cycle game early so they can spend some time the offensive zone since they have 71 first period goals on the season. The Avs should come out using their speed and being involved in the game early.

2.)  Sharks' Martin Jones

Jones has not been the most reliable goalie in the past few years. He tends to let up at least one soft goal per game, but this season the defense in front of him has not been good at all. The goalie has a 2.97 goals against average and an .898 save percentage. Those numbers are not particularly good, and he faces a high power offense tonight in the Avalanche. Jones is going to have to be great in this game and make saves for the Sharks to even have a shot at grabbing two points in this one. The guys in front of him will turn the puck over so Jones needs to be ready and read the play to make the saves that will need to be made tonight.

3.) Get the First Goal

These two teams just play better when they manage to get that elusive first goal of the game. The Avalanche almost need to get the first goal of the game to win. If they can manage to get the first goal then they can build off of that momentum. The Sharks are 20-7-3 when scoring first, while just 9-27-2 when the opposition scores first. The Sharks are not a good team when trailing and having to come from behind especially since they've had issues putting the puck in the net all season. The game may come down to whichever team scores the first goal of the game and can build off of it.

Players to Watch

1.) Avalanche's Joonas Donskoi

This will be Donskoi's first game back to San Jose after signing a free agent contract with the Avalanche in the offseason. Donskoi spent his first four NHL seasons with the Sharks. The forward has been a depth addition to the Avalanche and has 32 points on the season despite missing some time with injury. I'd look for Donskoi to be into the game and have a multipoint night tonight since he's facing his old team and this game could mean a little more to him.

2.) Sharks' Evander Kane

Despite the Sharks having issues putting the puck in the net, Kane has 25 goals on the season. He isn't afraid to go to greasy areas to get goals. The forward can also use his speed to get to loose pucks. Kane isn't afraid to get to the front of the net for deflections or rebound chances. The Avalanche will need to be aware of where Kane is on the ice at al times, but that shouldn't be difficult since he likes to be involved in the play while he is out on the ice. 

3 Keys: Lightning @ Red Wings

The Tampa Bay Lightning visit Little Cesars Arena to take on the Detroit Red Wings tonight. The Lightning are looking to inch two points closer to the Boston Bruins for the top spot in the Atlantic. The Detroit Red Wings will be playing for their pride and a chance at getting even better odds at winning the NHL Draft Lottery.

The Bolts beat the Red Wings 2-1 on Dec. 29, 2019, which was the only other time they faced each other this season. The two teams are trending in the opposite directions with the Lightning looking to have a good stretch run for better playoff positioning, and the Red Wings have already been eliminated from playoff contention.

Here are three keys for tonight's match up between the two teams:

1.) Don't Play Down to Opponent- Lightning

The Lightning need to be ready to play this game from puck drop, which could be hard after coming off of a high octane game against the Bruins last night. The Bolts can't expect to win, but they're going to need to make sure to put the effort in for a full 60 minutes tonight. The Red Wings will won't be in the postseason, but that doesn't mean they still aren't playing for their pride, and could look to play spoiler for some other teams still in the race. The Lightning need to approach this game like it is against one of the better teams in the NHL and not the worst. If the Bolts don't put in the effort and are sloppy with the puck then the Red Wings could steal a very important two points from them.

2.) Avoid Slow, Sloppy Start- Red Wings

The Red Wings have only scored 42 first period goals this season, while giving up 60. If the Red Wings come out slow and aren't ready to play this game then it'll be over before it even started. The Lightning are too good of a team to not take advantage of its opposition's mistakes and slow starts, so the Red Wings need to avoid  both. A good way to do this would be to establish a forecheck and cycle game early so they can get some offensive zone time and not have to defend as much. The biggest key to the game for the Red Wings will be avoiding turning over the puck in their own zone to avoid unnecessary scoring chances for the Lightning.

3.) Leading after Second Period- Lightning and Red Wings

The Red Wings haven't been good at too many things this season, but when leading after the second period, the team actually has a winning record. The Red Wings are 9-4-2 when leading after the middle frame, so they may want to have the lead heading into the third period. A way to do that is to get an early goal so the momentum and confidence is on its side going forward. The Lightning are 31-1-4 when leading after the second period, so if the Red Wings don't have the lead going into the third, it will be virtually impossible for them to get any points out of the game.

Players to Watch

1.) Dylan Larkin- Detroit Red Wings

Larkin is one of the Red Wings that is actually having a pretty decent season. He has 18 goals, 32 assists and 50 points. He leads the team in both assists and points. The first line center can play with speed, which can be dangerous at times. Larkin not only has good vision, but he can put the puck in the net too. The 23-year-old is in his fifth season and has been one of the few bright spots for the rebuilding Red Wings. He hasn't had much help this season, but watch out when him and Tyler Bertuzzi are on the ice because they can produce. 

2.) Nikita Kucherov- Lightning

Kucherov got off to a slow start, but has managed to turn it on. He has 32 goals, 50 assists and 82 points. He leads the Lightning in goals, assists and points. Kucherov will be leaned on even more down the stretch since Steven Stamkos will miss the rest of the regular season with an injury. Kucherov can do it all and the Red Wings will need to be aware of where he is on the ice at all times. The Red Wings have to make sure that they have a man on Kucherov and not leave him wide open for a shot because he likely won't miss the net with his shot. 

Flyers Add Veteran Depth for Postseason Push

The Philadelphia Flyersare right in the thick of things in the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference Playoff race. The Flyers didn’t make the splashy moves like their Metropolitan Division foes did, but the moves they made at the NHLTrade Deadline will help this team in the long run. The team acquired veteran forwards Nate Thompsonand Derek Grantin two separate trades.

Every trade has its pros and cons, but let’s focus on the positives these two players will bring to the Flyers. There were cheap options since the team was already up against the salary cap. The forwards bring even more versatility to the Flyers’ lineup. The trade will help an already decent penalty kill be even better, and they won’t block the young kids from being a part of the Flyers in the future.

SALARY CAP LIMITATIONS & YOUNG KIDS

The Flyers didn’t have much cap space going into NHL Trade Deadline Day, so these two trades made perfect sense for the team. Thompson only has a cap hit of $1 million this season, while Grant’s cap hit is only $700,000 for the year. It won’t make too much of dent in the already dwindling cap space.

These two forwards are also unrestricted free agents at the end of the season. If the Flyers decide not to re-sign either one of these players, then it won’t block a youngster likeJoel Farabee from making the team out of training camp. The Flyers rookies have contributed when called upon, and with Grant and Thompson possibly being gone after the season, the young kids could still make the roster next season.

VERSATILITY

The Flyers were one of the deeper teams to start the season, but then the news of Nolan Patrick having a migraine disorder was announced by the team. This news hit the center depth of the team hard, as it was figured that Patrick would be the third line center behind Sean Couturier and Kevin Hayes with Scott Laughtonbeing the fourth line center. The trades will be able to keep Claude Girouxon the wing, where he has excelled in the past few seasons.

Thompson will be the Flyers’ new fourth line center replacing Michael Raffl, who did an admiral job filling in, even though he is not a natural center. Grant’s arrival means that depending on matchups the Flyers can slide Laughton to the wing and Grant to center if needed. Morgan Frost can work on his game without the puck while with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the rest of the season, which will benefit him in the long run, instead of being up with the Flyers and not playing. The addition of the two forwards means more options at the center position, and throughout the lineup.

IMPROVED PENALTY KILL

The Flyers penalty kill has improved this season. The team was ranked in the bottom third last season, but are now the 12th best team at killing penalties in the NHL. In 62 games, the Flyers are killing off 81.7% of the penalties they take. They have allowed 34 power-play goals against in 186 times shorthanded while adding seven shorthanded goals. The addition of Kevin Hayes has made this penalty killing squad better this season, and Thompson and Grant have the potential to make it even better.

The addition of these two forwards will mean that Giroux will only need to take defensive zone draws on the penalty kill only when needed. Grant and Thompson will be solid options on the penalty kill if one of the Flyers better forward penalty killers is in the penalty box. Grant already has three shorthanded goals on the season, and could potentially add more if he’s used by Alain Vigneault while shorthanded. Thompson can eat up some valuable minutes and take face-offs while a man down.