Oh Yeah There Was Another Trade Involving The Flyers Yesterday

As big as the Lecavalier/Schenn/Weal trade was, it wasn't the most preposterous trade involving the Flyers that took place yesterday. I'll admit, shedding the 2+ year/$10+ million contract seems a little insane - but take a look at this doozy:

BLOCKBUSTER TRADE | #67s acquire 2 players + 8 picks from @StingHockey for @traviskonecny & @samstudnicka. pic.twitter.com/pW49gLLtor

— Ottawa 67's (@Ottawa67sHockey) January 7, 2016

We receive: @chasecampbell_, @sashachmelevski, three second-rounders, three third-rounders, and two fifth-rounders ▶ https://t.co/aNQftVu7yW

— Ottawa 67's (@Ottawa67sHockey) January 7, 2016

That's the Ottawa 67s, a Canadian junior team, shipping their captain and best player (and future Flyer) Travis Konecny away for EIGHT draft picks.

The most ridiculous part of all is all of that may end up being a six month rental. If Konecny makes the Flyers next summer, he's not going to play for Sarnia anyway.

With Konecny (at least until he went to Finland for the World Juniors), the 67s had been in the middle of the OHL's East Divison, a significant step below the first place Kingston Frontenacs. They were just 2-8 in their past 10 games, and they didn't seem to be headed anywhere even with Konecny on the team.

So, with all eyes on the future, they dumped him.

Sarnia gave up a truckload of draft picks over the next few years to immediately bolster their lineup with Konecny (38 assists and 45 points in 29 games this season) and Sam Studnicka (16 goals and 26 points in 31 games). Both players also held leadership roles in Ottawa, Konecny the captain and Studnicka his alternate.

The Sting have just six more points than the 67s on the season, but they figure to finish in second place in the OHL's West Division with Konecny and Studnicka on board. Owner and Head Coach Derian Hatcher (Former Flyer Alert) is looking to lead the team to its first OHL championship.

So, naturally, like a completely normal and rational Flyers fan, I looked at who's on the Sting because we're going to be seeing their names a lot if they end up playing with Trav #2. (Trav #1, of course, is Travis Sanheim, who plays his junior hockey in Calgary.) Let's take a look at some of those guys (with quotes from Elite Prospects):

Wise Men Say Only Fools Rush In, But I Can't Help Falling In Love With You

Travis Konecny, Center/Winger, Drafted #24 by the Flyers in 2015

• 7 goals, 38 assists, 45 points, +7 in 29 games with Ottawa
• "Willing to do anything to win a game"
• "Dynamic skating ability, incredible hockey sense, electrifying puckhandling skills, lighning release"
• Swoon. Love you, Trav

Other Guys That Have Already Been Drafted

Pavel Zacha, Center/Winger, Drafted #6 by the Devils in 2015

• 17 goals, 13 assists, 30 points, +6 in 23 games with Sarnia
• "offensively dynamic center with size, speed, and skill"
• "high-end offensive abilities, can be depended on to create and finish dangerous scoring chances"
• Confession time: I wanted the Flyers to take him last summer, but they took Ivan Provorov with pick number 7, so I'd say it worked out for us

Josh Jacobs, Defenseman, Drafted #41 by the Devils in 2014

• 1 goal, 13 assists, 14 points, +7 in 35 games with Sarnia
• "smooth-skating two-way defenseman"
• "has some mental lapses and his game has been hot or cold this season"

Nikita Korostelev, Winger, Drafted #185 by the Maple Leafs in 2015

• 13 goals, 12 assists, 25 points, +2 in 25 games with Sarnia
• "deft skater that plays a skill-based, puck-possession game"
• "a very creative sniper that can set up, score, and play physical"

Matt Mistele, Winger, Drafted #180 by the Kings in 2014

• 17 goals, 15 assists, 32 points, -10 in 19 games with Oshawa and 10 games with Sarnia
• "opportunistic forward with excellent positioning"
• "decent offensive skills and a solid shot"

Prospects For The Upcoming NHL Draft

Jordan Kyrou, Center/Winger, 2016 Draft Prospect

• 7 goals, 20 assists, 27 points, +15 in 33 games with Sarnia
• Figures to be a mid-to-late round selection, though I'm having a hard time finding any information about him so he may end up going undrafted

Jakob Chychrun, Defenseman, 2016 Draft Prospect

• 5 goals, 19 assists, 24 points, +10 in 33 games with Sarnia
• Ranked in the top 5 prospects for next summer's draft by Hockeyprospect, ISS, and McKeen's
• "the best defenseman of the 2016 draft class" according to THN
• He's in the range of guys that could end up being drafted by the Flyers
• His dad (Jeff) was drafted by the Flyers in 1984, and won a Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 1992 after he stabbed the city of Philadelphia in the back

Older Guys (By Junior Hockey Standards) That Were Not Drafted By NHL Teams

Sam Studnicka, Center, Undrafted

• 16 goals, 10 assists, 26 points, +2 in 31 games with Ottawa
• "energy guy"
• Probably the oldest guy on the team, as he turns 21 a week from tomorrow
• His younger brother, Jack, plays in Oshawa and is eligible for the 2017 draft

Jeff King, Defenseman, Undrafted

• 4 goals, 17 assists, 21 points, +22 in 33 games with Sarnia
• Turns 20 next month

Patrick White, Center, Undrafted

• 8 goals, 8 assists, 16 points, +15 in 35 games with Sarnia
• Also turns 20 next month

Hayden Hodgson, Winger, Undrafted

• 5 goals, 9 assists, 14 points, +1 in 35 games with Sarnia
• Turns 20 in March

Troy LaJeunesse, Winger, Undrafted

• 9 goals, 12 assists, 21 points, +18 in 33 games with Sarnia
• Not quite as old as the rest of this group, as he will only be 19 by the time this season ends

Starting Five

I know it probably won't happen, because I'd expect DH to split up Konecny and Zacha, but how's this for a "crunch time/need a goal to tie or win/throw your best players on the ice" lineup?

Forwards: Konecny, Zacha, Korostelev 

Defensemen: Chychrun, Jacobs

J. Ross Robertson Cup, here we come!

Let's Look At Some #FutureFlyers

As we all know, the World Juniors are underway and the Flyers are well-represented on the teams from Canada, Russia, and Sweden. Presently, Sweden and Canada are atop Group A and Russia is atop Group B - and the Flyers' prospects have contributed across the board.

Defensemen Travis Sanheim (Canada) and Ivan Provorov (Russia) have lived up to expectations, showing offensive ability from the blue line. Forward Travis Konecny (Canada) and Goalie Felix Sandstrom (Sweden) have been frustratingly limited. Forwards Oscar Lindblom (Sweden) and Radel Fazleev (Russia) have been productive, though that's far from a surprise for Lindblom's followers.

Couple the guys at the WJC with the prospects in the AHL and the future, as always, is bright for the orange and black.

My #FlyersBoner is raging, and I want to look forward. It might be next year, or maybe the following year or even the year after that, but we will have a new batch of talented players to add to our current core. Let's look ahead at the forwards:

The Giroux Line: Konecny - Giroux - Schenn

I like Giroux and Schenn together, if for no other reason than it elevated Brayden's game. They are solid in the defensive zone and, at times, are explosive in the offensive zone. Konecny will help in both situations, as well as in the neutral zone.

I already have visions of Konecny dancing through the neutral zone, swinging behind the net, and having Giroux and Schenn set up at the faceoff circles wound up for one-timers.

The Coots Line: Read - Couturier - Voracek

I don't have much to add here, other than I like Read with this line more than Simmonds. Obviously, the line has succeeded with Simmer on the wing, but we have to look at the opportunity cost. Sending Read down to a line that stinks is a complete and utter waste of his talent. Simmonds, on the other hand, will fit in nicely with...

The Checking Line: Simmonds - Bellemare - Raffl

Let's throw Pierre Bellemare a bone and give him two forwards that can drive possession in the offensive zone, while also complementing his physical game. This is a big, bruising line that also has quite a bit of offensive ability.

Boom, that's three lines that can all play in both ends, and it leaves us with the following group of guys to fill in for injuries/rest, or to make a fourth line:



Chris Vandevelde - High energy, great penalty killer. There will always be a place for him.
Ryan White - Maybe I was a little overzealous by suggesting he should play on Giroux's line all the time, but I love Ryan White's game.
Scott Laughton - Get ready for five years of "Is this the year for Scott Laughton?" now that Coots is a solid Yes.
RJ Umberger (unless he gets bought out) - But please get him the fuck off the team to make some room.
Oscar Lindblom - He shows flashes of a Raffl-type player, best exemplified by his goal this morning (see below).
Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Radel Fazleev - Philly's other two junior forward prospects
Nick Cousins, Taylor Leier, Petr Straka - Too old for juniors, not quite good enough for the Flyers
Danick Martel, Aaron Palushaj, Tyrell Goulbourne - The next step down in the Phantoms lineup

Dominant OZ shift for Lindblom leads to this deflection goal. Low to high. He's good around the net https://t.co/RBMiE6QvsR

— Bob Roberts (@BobRbrts) December 30, 2015

Ideally, I'd like to ice a fourth line of Laughton centering White and Vandevelde, although I know that would be horrible for Scotty's career development.

But, hear me out. That leaves a top six in Lehigh Valley of Cousins-Straka-Leier (the top three scoring forwards) and Lindblom-Fazleev-Aube-Kubel (their three prospects that are currently not in the USA). Throw in some more seasoning on Martel-Palushaj-Goulbourne and we should be able to create a trio good enough to play 8 minutes per game for the Flyers, while also leaving the Phantoms competitive in the AHL.