Top prospect Schenn re-called
Even when he was demoted to the Adirondack Phantoms for a brief vacation, Brayden Schenn never really strayed too far from the Flyers.
Top prospect Schenn re-called
Even when he was demoted to the Adirondack Phantoms for a brief vacation, Brayden Schenn never really strayed too far from the Flyers.
He maintained a stall inside the Flyers’ locker room both at their practice facility and in the Wells Fargo Center, even though there was no equipment in it.
And now he’s back.
The Flyers re-called Schenn from Adirondack on Wednesday, the day after Jody Shelley finally completed his five-game suspension, allowing Zac Rinaldo and Harry Zolnierczyk to be sent back to the Phantoms.
We detailed the possibilities of the move in today’s paper.
With the new roster moves, the Flyers are just about $11,000 under the $64.3 million salary cap, if I am doing the math correctly. That’s with Ian Laperriere and Blair Betts on the long-term injury list.
Credit is absolutely due to Rinaldo, who updated me today that his playing weight is actually 185 pounds instead of the listed 169 pounds that I put in the paper. No matter, he still has the heart of a warrior to try and take down guys like Dustin Penner – who is 6 inches taller and nearly 60 pounds heavier – as he did last Saturday night.
It was simply Schenn’s time.
He forced the Flyers’ hand, posting 8 points in his first 4 games in the AHL, jumping up to second in overall league scoring. Schenn struggled through a shoulder injury in training camp and combined with his high salary cap hit made it impossible to fit him on the roster.
Now, Schenn’s salary cap has been diminished by nearly $1.75 million just by sitting in Adirondack for a week and a half – and it looks as if the Flyers’ top prospect is here to stay.
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And one comment to Rinaldo, props to him for being fearless and desperate to make the team, but he's not NHL Enforcer material. Way to small, big on heart and guts but going to lose 90% of the fights he's in against bigger and more skilled fighters. And he servers no purpose otherwise in spite of the fact that he's more skilled than Shelley. He'll entertain the Phantoms fans up in NY just fine where he belongs.- Rinaldo is an AHL lifer, he had nowhere near the skill to be a regular NHL player and he's way too small to be an enforcer. Sure I like him too because he reminds me of me, but there's a reason I knew I'd never be fast or big enough for the NHL and hung up my skates in college and got a real job that affords me enough time to post on this meaningless web site. At best he'll be an injury fill in when Shelley is suspended or injured.
The "problem", for lack of a better word, with Schenn is Couturier. The draftee has consistently outplayed him. Schenn couldn't crack the lineup in LA and may not be able to here until someone else moves. So he had a hat trick with the Phantoms. Big deal. Leighton had 5 shutouts with them on a much worse team, and what did that prove? Couturier is younger, but appears to have a better mental game than Schenn. Forget all the media predictions. The archives are full of stories about would-be stars.— icarus- WHY IS SHELLEY STILL HERE?— DONDEN31
- I am tired of hearing how Jody Shelley is their heavyweight. He puts fear into no one. I have never seen him win a fight as a Flyer. Waive him, admit the mistake, and move on. Hartnell's contract is also an albatross. Perhaps his playing time is being reduced to entice him to waive his no trade clause? We can only hope. After that, there will not be any more cap problems.
- Good trade.I already forgot about Richie.— bill the pill
- Can someone knowledgeable fill me in on how the cap works with Jody Shelley? I know he has a no-trade clause and is probably not so tradable now anyway, but can't the Flyers just waive/cut him? I know they would still be responsible for his salary o\if they do that but does the salary still count against the cap limit if the player is not on the roster?
BTW, I disagree about Rinaldo not having value beyond being a gutsy fighter. He is a 4th line BANGER who can deliver a big hit (see Drew Doughty about that) and get the team going even when he doesn't fight. And you don't have to win all your fights to be effective. He'll win lot of fights against smaller guys and then even a draw against a true enforcer is looked at as a victory when a guy weighs 185. Rememeber Gary Howatt of the Islanders on those Cups team?
All due respect to Jody Shelley, the game has passed him by. Rinaldo is fast and can skate and hit, and so is a much lesser liability out there on the 4th line.— beachlawyr - Shelley does not have a no trade clause (no idea why the president of his fanclub on page 1 of comments thinks he does). Not like anyone would take him off your hands. They can waive him and send him to the minors. They still have to pay him, but that does not hit their cap. They could have done that even if he had a NTC. — Sidewinder7
- Who's Richie?????
- By the way, for all you kiddies who don't remember that far back, Garry Howatt was like 5'9" and weighed like 175 pounds in all his gear :) He would fight anyone anytime and I remember him standing up to Dave Shultz a couple of times and fighting to a draw. Even when he lost to a heavyweight, the fans loved him. Thats what Rinaldo could be like. And if he learns not to take minor penalties and to be defensively responsible, he could be the prototypical 4th line energy guy.
As for what to do with Schenn, let him play 4th line role that Nodle has had, at least for now. Low pressure and let him kill penalties with Talbot and add a little offense to that line. Mistake to move Coutourier off the third line-- he's just finding his offensive chops and he's not feeling so much pressure right now.— beachlawyr - Gotta remember players are alot bigger these days. Schultz was 6'1 185, not a heavyweight in today's league. Not that I disagree with your point, I think Rinaldo can give them what they need and if not they have other guys that can step in. — Sidewinder7
WAIVE SHELLEY! Rinaldo is a better all around player, and i love watching him cause a ruckus. Shelley is a worthless goon, who's best bet is a time machine that takes him to 1984.- how about danny briere out of town? i'd be a big fan of that. anyone interested in a sometimes good power play specialist who is soft on the puck and has multiple brainfarts per game in the defensive zone?— tockeyhockey
- Disagree with comment about Danny Briere. He's a very good offensive player who just asnt gotten it going yet this year, but he will. Yes, he's soft on the puck, but at least he has a physical excuse (as opposed to Jeff Carter?). He's got great hands around the net and is an excellent playmaker. And he comes up BIG seemingly every post-season. Works hard. I mean, whats not to like other than the big cap hit?— beachlawyr
- Danny Briere's value comes in April and May. He is a terrific playoff player, as his 96 points in 97 playoff games proves.— SweetsErik
