TRAINING CAMP REPORT: 9/15/2009
If ever there was a time to head over to the Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, it’s now: the heart of training camp. For the price of gas you can watch the Orange and Black skate up close, and get a real sense of how fast NHL caliber hockey truly is.
But the real story at training camp isn’t about rooting on your favorite Flyers (that’s why I go before the playoffs J ). The real story lies with the kids; scratching and clawing their way to fill the final available roster spots, and in the process, fulfilling their dreams of playing professional hockey.
Here are a few highlights of the kids (as well as the superstars) from today’s camp.
Drills for Squad #1: Practice started around 9 AM with breakout plays. Nothing too intense, but it was interesting to see how the players interacted on the fly.
Scrimmage for Squad #1: After drills, the squad took a breather and hit the ice for scrimmage. The game ended in a “welcome home” shutout for Boucher, but results were radically different for 28-year old Johan Backlund, who was lit up for 5 goals.
The stand-out line of the scrimmage was without a doubt Carter – Pyorala – Hartnell. Put it to you this way: I entered the Skate Zone today skeptical of the much ballyhooed Finnish prospect, and left a believer. Mika Pyorala is the real deal. He can take the puck from end to end, and he can set up plays just as well as he can finish them. My unofficial tally had him with 3 Assists, though with Jeff Carter hot-dogging for the crowd (threading the needle past Backlund both forehand AND backhand), it wasn’t that hard. Regardless, I’m on board the Pyorala bandwagon and I fully expect him to make it out of camp.
Another up and comer who caught my eye was Zach Rinaldo, our sixth round pick in 2008. Nothing too special, but his speed was excellent and he could develop into a great defensive forward. Darroll Powe be forewarned.
Patrick Maroon. The kids’ got hands, but does he have the wheels? His stick handling looked effortless, but you could tell he was having trouble keeping up with the squad. A spectator next to me (who said he knows Stevens) told me that he has an abdominal issue, so I’ll give the kid the benefit of the doubt. If Maroon can step up his speed, I have no problem seeing him in a Flyers uniform by the end of the season.
Stinker Watch: Jason Ward. Ineffective throughout the scrimmage and you could tell he was trying to showoff for the coaches.
Breakouts for Squad #2: Not much happened during breakouts, though it was reassuring to see Gagne back in action. Awesome, as well, to see Ray Emery and Chris Pronger (this dudes a monster!)
Scrimmage for Squad #2: The first thing that struck me about Emery was his athleticism. It seemed like every move of his was accentuated. For example, if he had to go from his knees to a standing position he would actually end up jumping off the ice a bit. I’m not sure whether that’s a good thing, but the guy’s energy level is wholly evident in his style of play. Always moving, smooth laterally and poking for the puck at every opportunity. Emery, like Boucher, also received a shutout during the scrimmage.
Kris Kolanos showed many good attributes. He stole the puck a few times, stopping the rush in the process, showed good corner play and even had a nice juke to shake off a defender. Still, probably Phantom’s material.
It looks as if David Laliberte’s year in the A has helped his game. He had a nice goal on Nic Riopel, beating the youngster with a wrist-shot on the short side. I also noted that he had good vision with the puck, completing a backhanded pass into the slot.
Now for the name we’ve all been waiting for: JVR. To be perfectly honest I didn’t get the best look at the kid (his team’s offensive zone was on the other side of the rink). At one point in the drills, the kid looked completely out of breath. Granted, he was battling for a while down low, but none of the other players showed fatigue like he did. His playing time in the scrimmage was limited. Pyorala could beat him out for the last roster spot.
Gagne actually showed some speed in the scrimmage, injury be damned. He even scored on one of his famous wristers from the slot.
Pronger. Just in awe of this guy. He’s appears to be a foot taller than the next tallest player and he plays big too. He let loose a one-timed slapshot from the point that made me proud of Homer for putting it all on the line and grabbing him. Luca Sbisa who?
The Flyers have pieced together a promising young core and I’m excited to see not only who makes it out of camp, but also how the Flyers develop their young talent in the future.
