#csnphilly

[jragmusic]

2018 MLB 'Little League Classic" will be the Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Mets In Williamsport, PA. August 19th, 2018 #MLB #MLBNetWork #LittleLeague #LittleLeagueClassic #PlayersWeekend #Baseball #BaseballAmerica #ESPN #CSN #CSNPhilly #SportsCenter #SportsIllustrated #Mets #NYMets #NewYorkMets #Phillies #PhiladelphiaPhillies @foxsports @phillies @mets

[yankee1155]

#NBA #20092010 #BucksSixers #CSNPhilly #SportsFan 🏀 (at Wells Fargo Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/BuP_Ac3nEA1/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1df7sg5txha53

[the5-9]

via Twitter https://twitter.com/27inchZenith

[mikeschoolblog-blog]

Documentary Post

In the documentary “Almost Answered” by the CSNSpecialProject CSNPhilly youtube page which asserts the season and hopes the 2001 Philadelphia 76ers brought to the city. You can see obviously early on in the video, and throughout the video the focal point of the team is the only noteworthy player on the roster, Allen Iverson, his success was the teams success. Thus in order to win the championship the idea was Allen Iverson had to take us all the way there, on his shoulders. This video was definitely for any Philly sports fans or anyone who took a keen interest in the 2001 NBA Finals. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8goyWHaahQ

Throughout the documentary many facts and people talk and i think it creates a very credible source. It shows pieces of the actual games and inputs from many players and that helps make everything that you see believable. However, the reason I chose this documentary, a documentary talking about the last appearance the sixers made in the NBA finals, to highlight what it was that made that team so special, but what makes our team now even better. The whole video talks about how the team worked to get Iverson looks, and how to make Iverson success. Whereas, on this team, the team works, for the entirety of the teams success. Everyone gets touches on the ball, everyone on the floor stays active offensively and defensively, and everyone understands they are playing for something bigger then just themselves. This documentary highlights how the lack of talent of players on the floor allowed the defenses to mob Iverson the whole game and minimize his chances. Now though, there is a plethora of talent and I think the diversity in players and the diversity in styles of play among the team will lead us just that one individual step our 2001 team couldn't obtain. 

[junker-town]

What the heck is going on with Markelle Fultz's shoulder?

Given the 76ers’ history of mismanaging injuries, there’s reason to be concerned about the No. 1 pick’s health.

Something is wrong with the shoulder of Markelle Fultz, the No. 1 pick the Philadelphia 76ers traded up to get.

Fultz was a scoring machine in one season at Washington. Now, his free throw form is beyond broken, he won’t even shoot a jump shot, and he looks like a far cry from the electrifying inside-outside talent scouts drooled over in college.

It’s become clear that Fultz is playing through some sort of shoulder ailment that is hindering his production.

But the 76ers and Fultz himself haven’t had a consistent message regarding his status since his shooting troubles started to begin this season. After Tuesday’s mixed signals, no one knows what’s really going on with the rookie point guard. Maybe not even Fultz himself.

First, Fultz’s agent said he had his shoulder drained

Reputable ESPN news breaker Adrian Wojnarowski — arguably the best in the business — quoted agent Raymond Brothers saying Fultz has his shoulder drained of fluid in early October.

��Markelle had a shoulder injury and fluid drained out of the back of his shoulder,” Brothers originally told ESPN. “He literally cannot raise up his arms to shoot the basketball. He decided to try and fight through the pain to help the team. He has a great attitude. We are committed to finding a solution to get Markelle back to 100 percent.”

Fultz had the shoulder drained prior to start of the regular season, which caused him to miss the end of the Sixers’ preseason schedule, Brothers said.

This explanation would have made sense. You need your shoulders in order to bring your arms above your head, which is a fundamental part of shooting a basketball. Fultz hasn’t attempted a single three-pointer in four regular season games and the majority of his shot attempts have come in or around the paint.

This is the same kid who made 52 of 126 three-point attempts in college.

Then, Brothers changed his story

Just a few hours after Wojnarowski reported the fluid drainage, Brothers made an amendment to his story. Fultz never had fluid drained from his shoulder. Instead, he had fluid injected into it.

"He had a cortisone shot on Oct. 5, which means fluid was put into his shoulder -- not taken out," agent Raymond Brothers told ESPN on Tuesday night. "My intention earlier was to let people know that he's been experiencing discomfort. We will continue to work with (Sixers general manager) Bryan Colangelo and the medical staff."

There’s a big difference between draining fluid and a cortisone shot -- the former is far more serious than the latter. The 76ers confirmed to SB Nation 76ers site Liberty Ballers that Fultz would continue to play while receiving treatment.

Why did Brothers amend his earlier statement?

This lack of injury clarity is common with 76ers players

Ben Simmons sat out his entire rookie season with a foot injury, but Philadelphia didn’t concede his condition was season-ending until after the All-Star break.

As a matter of fact, there was optimism in the building.

Bryan Colangelo tells @CSNPhilly that Ben Simmons should be getting a final scan on Monday. No specific timetable, but return "soon enough."

— Brian Seltzer (@brianseltzer) January 22, 2017

Later, ESPN’s Chris Haynes reported that Simmons’s foot was completely healed in January. A month later, general manager Bryan Colangelo announced Simmons would not play all season.

The same confusion happened with Joel Embiid last season, too.

The 76ers’ star suffered a minor tear in his meniscus in January, but while the 76ers told him he would be out for extended time, they reported him as day-to-day to the public. Embiid was then allowed to play in a critical national television game against the Rockets before being shut down for good thereafter.

“I wasn't happy with how it was kind of handled before," Embiid said, according to Matt Lombardo of NJ Advanced Media. “As far as the day-to-day. I was told that I was going to miss like three or four weeks. So, I wasn't happy with the way it was handled.”

The 76ers’ history of injury confusion goes back even further

Last March, then-Liberty Ballers editor in chief Kyle Neubeck explained in great detail how the 76ers have handled injuries poorly for more than a decade. This dates back to acquisitions of injury-prone players like Chris Webber, Elton Brand, and Andrew Bynum, but also includes several more recent examples of ailments that kept players out longer than expected.

Neubeck acknowledged that it’s impossible to dole out specific blame for any one party because personnel has changed and injuries happen. But he did note that trainer Kevin Johnson has been the one common link throughout, having been with the team since the 2003-04 season.

Neubeck concluded with the following statement:

Luck is a much bigger factor than people realize in staying healthy, but organizations like the Sixers pay people a lot of money to extract and protect every ounce of luck they can. You can only chalk it up to the difficulty of reading MRI results so many times before people are tired of excuses.

Is this happening again with Fultz?

Maybe. We may never know the true severity of Fultz’s shoulder injury. But as long as Philadelphia keeps putting him on the floor with visible discomfort, he won’t play to his full potential.

At this point, a healthy Markelle Fultz is all 76ers fans want.

[flauntpage]

Your Monday Morning Roundup

The Birds flew across the country and took home the win yesterday against the Los Angeles Chargers. It certainly was not the prettiest of wins.

Re-live the nail-biter with Chris’s Game Thread.

As you look at some of that content in the thread and videos online today, you’ll think it was an Eagles home game, but apparently the Chargers have given up on trying to sell seats.

The crowd that did show up, predominantly Eagles fans, loved seeing LeGarette Blount’s career-long 68-yard run that allowed the Eagles to score a much-needed touchdown to aid the winning effort. It was a Herculean effort– hearing Merrill Reese calling it, is just as good as seeing.

Eagles fans came out early and supported the team and Jason Peters stopped by to sign a special autograph:

WATCH: Eagles LT Jason Peters signs wounded Warrior's leg!!

Marine tells @6abc he lost leg in Afghanistan http://pic.twitter.com/OxonU5LQdc

— Jeff Skversky 6abc (@JeffSkversky) October 1, 2017

The amount of Eagles fans in attendance, thousands of miles from Philly, resonated with Malcom Jenkins:

Malcolm Jenkins says in his 9 years in the NFL he really hasnt seen anything quite like #Eagles🦅 fans taking over today http://pic.twitter.com/xawQSJx6L3

— John Clark CSN/NBC (@JClarkCSN) October 2, 2017

The Monday after an Eagles win is always good, but it is even better when the Cowboys and Giants lose. The Redskins play tonight against the lone undefeated team left in the league, the Chiefs. The Eagles winning and rest of the division losing? I LOVE it.

Now, let’s recap what went down on a jam-packed weekend.

But first, a word from our sponsors:

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The Roundup:

The Phillies wrapped up their season on Sunday, with a lopsided win over the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park. The team’s performance in the final few weeks, mainly fueled by the talent of the young prospects, kept the Phillies from losing 100 games and also having the worst record in baseball, a title they held for a majority of the 2017 season. That belongs to the Detroit Tigers. The Phillies finished third worst.

Also, Sunday was Freddy Galvis’s 162nd game of the season, making him just the sixth Phillie to play in every game of a season.

Sunday’s season finale was also the final game for manager Pete Mackanin. The team announced on Friday afternoon that he will no longer manage the team, but will stay with the organization. Personally, I am surprised, but regardless there will be a new manager in 2018, so now what? That’s the question BWanksCB posed.

Whoever does manage the Phillies next year will coach the ballclub in the 2018 edition of the Little League Classic.

—

The excitement for the Sixers is starting to build even more after this weekend when the team held its Blue-White scrimmage at The Palestra, which featured Markelle Fultz, Ben Simmons, and Joel Embiid, with the former two actually playing in the contest. You can watch the whole thing here.

Heading into the scrimmage, at the conclusion of training camp, our Kevin Kinkead compiled some copious notes on the team.

Although Embiid did not play, he did dance:

We are live!

| https://t.co/f1zzH4KFmQ http://pic.twitter.com/tLEWOJozL1

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 1, 2017

While Joel dabbed, Ben dunked:

.@BenSimmons25 jammin' and the people love it. http://pic.twitter.com/7uXvpP6FQO

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 1, 2017

The Sixers open the regular season in 17 days and this video of Brett Brown mic’d up should get you ready:

Coach Brett Brown prepares the @Sixers for the 2017-18 season! #SixersAllAccess http://pic.twitter.com/cyKj6ujILr

— NBA (@NBA) September 29, 2017

While the team preps for the season, its CEO Scott O’Neil appeared on Bloomberg’s Business of Sports podcast.

—

The Flyers battled the New York Islanders on Sunday afternoon in the team’s preseason match-up before opening up the regular season on Wednesday. Now they need to trim the roster before battling the San Jose Sharks in Game 1.

Our Flyers reporter, Anthony SanFilippo, predicted who he thinks is making the roster on the defense side. The team has yet to announce the official, final roster, but did make an announcement about three players. The team tweeted that Oskar Lindblom is heading to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to start the season and that both Nolan Patrick and Robert Hagg are sticking around as they have made the team going into opening night.

The puck drops at 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday with the Flyers starting the 2017-18 campaign on the west coast.

—

No. 4 Penn State football battled with Indiana on Saturday in Happy Valley early before pulling away with the 45-14 win. The latest AP Top 25 was released, on Sunday, and the Nittany Lions held steady at that fourth position.

Saquon Barkley, who has the be the clear frontrunner for the Heisman this season, was the subject of a great feature about what he did at a high school track meet. I covered that track meet for a local paper and it was a special moment:

Here's a story about @@PennStateFball's Saquon Barkley that you may not know. And it says plenty about the Heisman candidate. http://pic.twitter.com/9DuzvZyK9a

— Penn State On BTN (@PennStateOnBTN) October 1, 2017

The 5-0 PSU squad battles Northwestern on Saturday at noon.

—

Unlike Penn State, Tennessee football is struggling mightily and many are saying that head coach Butch Jones’s days in Rocky Top are numbered. Who will replace him? The odds on favorite is Chip Kelly.

—

LSU’s homecoming was this weekend and they paid Troy $985,000 to come play them in hopes of an easy win to keep up with the festivities of the weekend. The Tigers lost both on the field and on Twitter:

Hey @LSU, thanks for having us down for homecoming! We really enjoyed it!

— Troy University (@TROYUnews) October 1, 2017

—

Back to the professional ranks, the NFL was in London again and the Jay Cutler of old made the trip across the pond:

Jay Cutler didn't move or give a single f*** during this wildcat formation. http://pic.twitter.com/zkOZlCgEvQ

— The Comeback (@thecomeback) October 1, 2017

The Dolphins lost the game.

—

The Ravens lost to the Steelers and were booed throughout the game for their poor play. Its home crowd booed them pre-game as well, for kneeling:

—

On a somewhat related note, FiveThirtyEight broke down the political affiliation of every NFL team’s fanbase. The Eagles fanbase leans heavily democratic, compared to the rest of the league.

—

The MLB playoffs starts Tuesday night. Here is your guide for when the games are and where to watch them:

Postseason start times announced through Saturday, October 7th. #Postseason http://pic.twitter.com/PmIYErqLvl

— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) October 2, 2017

—

Sunday was CSN Philly’s 20th anniversary:

It's our 20th birthday today, and while our name will change, our mission remains the same.

Thanks to EVERYONE who has made CSN special. http://pic.twitter.com/1dXQskuad3

— CSN Philly (@CSNPhilly) October 2, 2017

It was also the last day of CSN Philly. Today it is now known as NBC Sports Philadelphia:

🤔 http://pic.twitter.com/6oCdpHSu6B

— Kyle Scott (@CrossingBroad) October 1, 2017

—

In non-sports news…

There was a knife attack in France on Sunday that killed two people.

Nokia is bringing back its old classic cell phone…alert your parents!

Horrible events in Las Vegas.

—

Happy Monday, make it a good week!

Your Monday Morning Roundup published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

[bitwsports]

Latest show is Playing Now on PhillyGoFlow.com. This week we recap the Birds last second win vs. The Giants. Derrick Gunn of CSNPhilly calls in to preview Gang Greens Sunday tilt with the Chargers. Plus we discuss the rise on NFL Pregame  Injustice protests. And we'll give the SICHAZZDOWN award to a local Hockey writer who just doesn't "get it". #phillyeagles #philadelphiaeagles #Eagles #EaglesTalk #eaglesfans #eaglesnation #eaglescountry #eagleseverything #eaglespride #eagleszone #flyEaglesfly #birdgang #ganggreen #webleedgreen #bleedgreen #bleedinggreen #53angrymen #NoPhlyZone #LegionOfZoom #dougpederson #howieroseman #fletchercox #malcolmjenkins #CarsonWentz #WentzWagon #wentzylvania #nfl

[cornerstonewayne-blog]

Monday Funday...trying to get closer to home plate but not sure it is possible...Tom Dean is trying...Look for us behind home plate on @csnphilly !! Go #fightingphils

A post shared by Cornerstone Wayne (@cornerstonewayne) on Aug 28, 2017 at 5:33pm PDT

[echoisthename]

@theofficialai3's personality is a major reason, out of many, that he's the 🐐 to me #Repost @houseofhighlights (@get_repost) ・・・ It's over for Allen Iverson. 😂 (via @csnphilly) [2016]

[jragmusic]

Hoops season is back... And the @Sixers look good. J.J. Reddick fits right in already showing off his game #SixersTalk #SixersLive #Sixers #76ers #SixersNation #Philadelphia76ers #Basketball #Hoops #NBA #NBATV #ESPN #CSN #CSNPhilly @NBA @nbatv @CSNPhilly @ESPN (at Wells Fargo Center)

[yankee1155]

#MLB #MLBFathersDay #DiamondbacksPhillies #FoxSportsArizona #CSNPhilly #SportsFan ⚾ (at Citizens Bank Park)

[yahoo-big-league-stew-blog]

Rhys Hoskins is homering his way into baseball history

It’s no secret that the Phillies have had a rough season. They’re currently 46-80, and they’ve gone through ten losing streaks of four games or more this season. It’s been dire, but there’s been reason to hope: their minor league system, especially the Triple-A team, is stocked with difference-making prospects.

Until August 10, one of those prospects was first baseman Rhys Hoskins. The Phillies called him up to be their left fielder, despite only playing a handful of games in left field before he went to the majors. That’s how much the Phillies wanted Hoskins’ bat in the lineup, and their gamble is paying off.

[Now’s the time to sign up for Fantasy Football! Join for free]

Since his call-up, Hoskins has absolutely smashed the baseball. He’s played in 15 games for the Phillies and has a .283/.406/.785 triple slash with six singles, a double, and eight home runs. Hoskins currently has more home runs than any other kind of hit, and it’s earned him a spot in the record books. He’s just the third player in MLB history to hit 8 homers in their first 15 games, tied with Carlos Delgado and Trevor Story. And he’s the only player in MLB history to do this.

Complete list of players in MLB history with 8 HR and 19 RBI in their first 15 games.

-Rhys Hoskins

That's it. That's the whole list.

— Joe Giglio (@JoeGiglioSports) August 25, 2017

What makes this even more amazing is that Hoskins didn’t get a single hit until his fourth game. He played three hitless games, lashed a single on August 13, and then hit his first homer on August 14. (He also hit his second homer on August 14, just a few innings after the first one.) In his last 11 games, he’s hit .350/.458/.975. His eight homers are just 11 off the team lead of 19.

His homers aren’t cheap shots, either. He drilled one pitch in Wednesday’s game into the second deck at Citizens Bank Park.

"There's no way anyone can hit it this far." – Person in the second deck, probably.

Wow, Rhys. ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/VgczAGzqWZ

— CSN Philly (@CSNPhilly) August 24, 2017

Have mercy.

Smashing dingers is nothing new for Hoskins. He spent most of 2017 doing just that for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. He hit 29 homers for the IronPigs, which is a club record. He was the leader in homers for the International League until August 23, 13 days after he stopped playing in the minors.

Hoskins has played first base essentially his entire career, but he’s taking some time in left field for a few reasons. First, the Phillies need outfielders. Daniel Nava and Odubel Herrera are on the disabled list, and the front office has seen more than enough of bench guy Brock Stassi. And second, the Phillies have a first baseman named Tommy Joseph who isn’t going anywhere until the offseason, despite efforts to trade him before the deadline.

Philadelphia Phillies’ Rhys Hoskins hits a two-run single against the Miami Marlins during the third inning of a baseball game Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017, in Philadelphia, Pa. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

Keeping Rhys Hoskins in left field doesn’t seem to be a long term plan. Joseph has been less-than-impressive since inheriting the starting duties at first base (.243/.296/.440 with 19 homers in 2017), and even if Hoskins hadn’t gotten off to this historic start, he’s got a much higher ceiling than Joseph. Putting Hoskins in left was partially to fill a hole in the major league club, but also to reward him. He hit all those homers and also slashed .284/.385/.581 with 24 doubles in Triple-A, so he more than earned his call-up.

A hot start is fun, but 15 games can’t predict the future. It’ll be awhile before anyone truly knows what kind of player Hoskins will be in the majors. But for a team like the Phillies, on their way to losing 100+ games, Hoskins is a breath of fresh air — and maybe even a sign of a promising future filled with a lot less losing.

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:

Liz Roscher is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at lizroscher@yahoo.com or follow her on twitter! Follow @lizroscher

[philsadelphia]

Let’s get the Phillies in the 2018 Little League Classic

Photo By Ruhrfisch, Wikimedia Commons

If you were paying attention to the rest of baseball this weekend, you might have noticed something pretty cool.

The Pirates played a home game against the Cardinals at Bowman Field in Williamsport, about 200 miles from PNC Park in Pittsburgh. The “Little League Classic” was the brainchild of Major League Baseball, which matched up the major leaguers with the annual Little League World Series, currently being played across the Susquehanna River at the Little League World Series Complex in South Williamsport.

It was the first time there was a major league game in Williamsport to go along with the LLWS, and from all accounts – players, fans, Little Leaguers, media – it was a wild success. With that kind of success, you’d have to think baseball will try to duplicate it next year and in future years. Commissioner Rob Manfred said as much.

So let’s start the bandwagon now and get the Phillies in this game in 2018.

It makes complete sense logistically:

Philadelphia is closer to Williamsport than Pittsburgh (although not as close as Baltimore, by about 10 miles). Because it’s not a whole series, just one game, you have to have a team that is close to Williamsport since the teams will travel there after a normal Saturday game at the actual home park. West on the Turnpike, through Harrisburg to Route 15 North, and boom, 177 miles later, you’re in Williamsport from Philly.

Bowman Field is the home of the Williamsport Crosscutters, the short-season New York-Penn League affiliate of the Phils. The Phillies don’t own the team, but they have to be able to throw some muscle into the situation if needed, right? If the Phillies lobby for this game and get spurned, can’t they just coerce the Crosscutters to lock the gates?

Williamsport has been a long-standing – but unnoticed – Phillies outpost. The region is covered by the northeast Pennsylvania media market, and before the days of widespread cable, the region received over-the-air broadcasts of Phillies games from the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre TV stations. As a member of the media, I once talked to Mike Mussina, who grew up in nearby Montoursville, about pitching his first game in Veterans Stadium when interleague play began in the late 1990s. He didn’t say he was a Phillies fan, but he did tell me he grew up watching the Phillies in the ’80s because it was all his family’s TV signal could receive. Williamsport also happens to be the furthest west that the Phillies Radio Network reaches, as Scott Franzke and Larry Andersen come to the Williamsport airwaves for every game (the Pirates also are on Williamsport radio). Nearby Bloomsburg and Sunbury also have radio stations that are Phillies affiliates. CSNPhilly also is available in Williamsport.

Who cares if they lose a home game? In terms of competitive balance, the Phillies probably won’t care the way some teams might about losing a game at Citizens Bank Park. It doesn’t look like 2018 will bring playoff excitement to South Philadelphia, so MLB shouldn’t have to worry about about that potential stumbling block.

Maybe we’re being selfish, and it’s been pretty obvious this version of the Phillies hasn’t earned the right to be spotlighted on national TV. But the Phillies can make a compelling logistical case for being the next team to host what looks like it could be an annual game in Williamsport. And if owner John Middleton is smart, he watched on Sunday and already has texted Rob Manfred “WE’RE IN FOR 2018 IN WILLIAMSPORT!!!” complete with smiley face, thumbs up and hands-clapping emojis.

from Phillies Nation http://www.philliesnation.com/2017/08/lets-get-the-phillies-in-the-2018-little-league-classic/ from Phil's Blog http://philrobertson023.blogspot.com/2017/08/lets-get-phillies-in-2018-little-league.html

[junker-town]

Chase Utley admits the Dodgers clinching the division in the Phillies’ clubhouse would be ‘awkward at first’

The Dodgers will probably clinch this week.

The Dodgers got to Philadelphia on Monday without having yet clinched the division (which they can thank their losing streak for) but all signs are pointing to that happening before they leave town.

Their magic number for wins is down to four, and losses by the Diamondbacks will only expedite the clinching process this week. So a sweep of the Phillies during this four-game series would wrap things up for them regardless of Arizona’s success or failure in the same span.

They got the hoped-for win streak started with an inside-the-park home run, so things look to be right on track.

THAT’s how you hit the ground running. A leadoff, inside-the-park HR for Chris Taylor! http://pic.twitter.com/3WFnPyuNtk

— MLB (@MLB) September 18, 2017

For one Dodgers player, that clinching game could be a bit uncomfortable. Chase Utley, who was traded from the Phillies to the Dodgers in 2015 after winning a World Series in Philadelphia in 2008, admitted to Philly.com that there could be some awkwardness celebrating in his old team’s clubhouse.

His full statement was,

“It would be different. We’ve clinched a few over in that clubhouse, so to do it over here would be a bit awkward at first, but it is what it is.”

“It’s a little bit different from last year, but it’s still a little awkward. For the amount of years that I played here, to suit up in this locker room is just different.”

Utley was welcomed back last season with multiple vivacious reactions from the crowd during his at-bats, and this year Philadelphia fans gave him a standing ovation during his first appearance at the plate.

Now batting ... ... No. 26 ... ... CHASE UTLEY. http://pic.twitter.com/2YmwzgAtpS

— CSN Philly (@CSNPhilly) September 18, 2017

Utley is 39 now, so while it’s not out of the question for him to continue his career for another year, this could also be it — whether the Dodgers win the Series or not — as he’s currently on a one-year, $2 million deal.

While it could be surreal for him at first, there may not be a more appropriate way for the longtime Philly stalwart to say goodbye than celebrating with his new team in his old team’s clubhouse.

Everything comes full circle.

[flauntpage]

Flyers Roster Predictions: Defense

There are two general questions that remain for the Flyers as they prepare to have their opening roster set by the time their charter plane leaves for San Jose Monday afternoon.

Which two rookie defensemen make the team, if not all three?

Which two forwards earn the final two roster spots up front?

There is one preseason game remaining, but I’m betting the decisions have already been made and only an injury can get in the way now of changing that decision for Ron Hextall and Dave Hakstol.

What that decision is, though, is something the Flyers are keeping close to their vest.

I learned a long time ago to stay out of the prognostication business – it was a lesson I should have heeded when I shrugged off the moving of Claude Giroux to left wing a couple of weeks ago.

Shame on me.

But more on that later. For now, I’m going to ignore my past failed predictive efforts and go back to that well and make a couple more guesses about how this roster will shake out. Defense now. Forwards later.

  Defense

There appear to be two spots available and three rookies pushing for them. The conventional wisdom since the beginning of camp has been that Sam Morin and Robert Hagg were ahead of Travis Sanheim. A little over a week ago, Sanheim had a couple tough days in a row and was sent to the afternoon practice group, which was where the Phantoms players were practicing.

That lasted one day, and since then Sanheim has looked good. His offense, which was never in question, has been excellent. He’s had some shaky moments on defense – namely a turnover that led to the first goal by the New York Rangers Tuesday, but there has been improvement there as camp has gone along.

“Training camp is coming to a close and its coming down to the end,” Saneim said. “Guys are fighting for spots. The battles have been pretty competitive. I’ve had some bumps along the way and I’ve made some mistakes as well as had some good games and made some great plays. I feel like I’m ready and I feel comfortable out there and playing against guys at this level. We’ll see what happens.”

However, watching Sanheim away from the puck, you can see the difference between him and Morin and Hagg – something that an extra season in the AHL has proven beneficial to those two that could still benefit Sanheim.

It’s about positioning – closing gaps when you’re on the ice. It’s about making decisions even faster since the speed of the game is that much quicker.

Photo credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Morin has shown vast improvement over the past few seasons. There has been an undercurrent of questions from fans about his slow development and if his game will ever translate to the NHL, but the Flyers knew he was going to be a project when they drafted him. I had the luxury of being privy to draft room conversations when he was drafted in 2013, and while all the scouts weren’t completely on the same page, there was a real belief that if the team was patient with him, he could develop into something special.

At the time, also sitting in that draft room was Chris Pronger, who was advising the team while still under contract but for all intents and purposes was retired from the sport. Pronger had been out to see Morin play – and liked what he saw. Morin, who has Pronger’s size and a similar skating style, always wanted to model his game after Pronger’s. The talent was raw. It needed to be molded, but it was there.

I remember asking Pronger his honest opinion of the kid, and I remember his response – “You may not see him in the NHL for three, four years – maybe five. But if he’s developed right, when you do, you will see the kind of impact he will have on a game.”

The Flyers basically turned former Phantoms assistant coach and current development coach Kjell Samuelsson into Morin’s mentor. Kjell worked with him incessantly – and it’s funny, because when you see Morin play now, you see little parts of the things Kjell did well during his lengthy NHL career.

But Morin is more than just a big body. He skates well for his size. He’s fearless when it comes to physical play and he has silky smooth mitts for such a big man.

Don’t believe me, watch this play on a goal by Wayne Simmonds in the Flyers 5-1 exhibition victory over Boston Thursday night:

Morin finds Simmonds, who has a wide open net to shoot at.

Short-handed, the Flyers go up by four. http://pic.twitter.com/aMdhOPfP0W

— CSN Philly (@CSNPhilly) September 29, 2017

“I think his game has improved,” Hakstol said. “It’s grown. It’s matured. Year in and year out. That’s a credit to Sam.”

Hagg, on the other hand, hasn’t jumped off the page this preseason – and that’s a good thing. Watch his play and it’s a model of consistency from one end to the other. He’s mature beyond his years. He doesn’t panic with the puck. He is smart positionally. He has great defensive vision – a skill that is often not talked about, but one that matters a lot.

In the summer of 2015 I was at a photoshoot with former Phantoms assistant coach Riley Cote. His wife was doing shots for a firefighter’s charity, and I was writing a story about the charity. Riles and I found ourselves with a lot of time sitting off to the side with nothing to do. So, we started talking about the Phantoms and some of the Flyers prospects.

At the time he said to me that Hagg was, in his mind, the closest to being NHL ready and that Hagg’s approach to the game would allow him to have a long, successful career in the league.

That has been evident much of the preseason. Hagg didn’t play last night, but that shouldn’t be an indicator of anything. He should make this team – and easily so.

There has been some sentiment that all three should make it in lieu of either Brandon Manning or Andrew MacDonald.

I can certainly understand that desire and don’t completely disagree with it. If you feel all three players are NHL ready, why keep one down in the minors longer? Let them grow even more by playing together at the top level.

After all, Manning is just a guy. He scored a goal last night and drew some praise from Hakstol for doing little things that go unnoticed, but he’s one of those dime-a-dozen players.

He’s not a bad player by any stretch, but he’s no more than a bottom pair/seventh defenseman at this level.

As for MacDonald, he is overly-criticized because of his terrible contract. That said, he isn’t worth that contract and as such is a bit of an albatross. He’s not as bad as this fan base wants to make him out to be, but he’s nothing more than a bottom pair guy himself. And that’s OK.

The Flyers should content for a playoff spot. But if that’s the case, you just can’t start a season with three rookie defensemen, one second-year guy (Ivan Provorov), and a third-year guy (Shayne Gostisbehere) who at times still looks like a first-year guy defensively.

It would be too much of a gamble and could set the team back and hurt more than it helps.

That’s not to say all three rookies shouldn’t be in the lineup together at some point this season– it just means that it’s probably an unnecessary risk to start the season.

Shayne Gostisbehere, Ivan Provorov, Radko Gudas, Andrew MacDonald, Sam Morin, Robert Hagg, Brandon Manning

My Prediction: Morin and Hagg are in the lineup Wednesday for the opener in San Jose. Sanheim starts the season with the Phantoms, but if he responds well and makes the minor adjustments necessary, he’s on this team by mid-season and not looking back.

Flyers Roster Predictions: Defense published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

[bitwsports]

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