Emergency Flyers Lineup Prediction (Volume 3)

Guys, we did it!

Hear from GM Ron Hextall on the decision to place Andrew MacDonald on waivers→ http://t.co/OAgZiZsKnC

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 5, 2015

As such, it's time to throw together the final pre-season Flyers lineup card.

Like I've been saying all summer and preseason, I am not touching the first and fourth lines. Those are rock solid for me, and I hope those six guys stay in those six spots all season. 

I've swapped Matt Read up to Coots' wing, because you can't keep them apart. 

Gagner - Schenn - Umberger is a real interesting third line for me, and it gets more interesting when you factor in Scott Laughton (I don't know how to add him to the roster on that site). In Hextall's press conference, you can tell he's really excited to have Laughton at the big club this season. Perhaps Laughton steals Umberger's place in that third line? 

If you're worried about possibly having NINE MILLION DOLLARS of salary in suits a hundred yards above the ice, I can't say I blame you. But in sending MacDonald to the minors, Hextall has shown that he doesn't care about short-term money. If anything, it will make the salary cap seem that much more friendly when everything's cleared off in a year or two. 

On offense, the best case scenario is we lock down 4 solid line combinations that we can build on next year. If we can avoid having the "Who should make up the middle six and where should they all play?" conversation next summer, that will be a win. 

On defense, I don't even know if there is a best case scenario? I guess, if we're dreaming, I'd like to see Streit and Schultz moved at the deadline and replaced with Gostisbehere and either Hagg or Morin. I'd also like to see Medvedev and Del Zotto reinforce that they can both be top-four defensemen. I'd like Luke Schenn and Radko Gudas to bash people all over the ice and each get two dozen fighting penalties over the course of the season. And I'd like Brandon Manning to force us all to expand The Big Five to The Big Six or even (deep breath) The Big Seven with Mark Alt. 

Well fuck me, guys. I am so goddamn positive when it comes to the Flyers. No way that can come back to bite me, right?