Philadelphia Flyers: O Brother, Where Art Thou
By Marc Naples
For me, the biggest story of the Philadelphia Flyers training camp thus far has been the status of the Schenn brothers. In some ways, the fall from grace for the Schenn brothers in Philadelphia has been a collapse in slow motion, but the rate of their fall may have just been dramatically accelerated.
Right from the start of training camp, Hakstol has apparently placed both of the brothers on the fringe of the lineup. Luke Schenn was placed on the fourth pair with Brandon Manning, a player likely to be in the AHL this season. Brayden Schenn was placed on a 5th line with two more likely AHLers, Chris Porter and Scott Laughton.
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These lineup decisions immediately caught the eye of many Flyers observers. At first, it was easy to write-off. It was just the first day of training camp, and a new coach seems likely to tinker and experiment. Hakstol himself told reporters not to read too much into it, as nothing was written in stone. When the lineup was unchanged in the next few days however, Hakstol engaged in some classic coach double-speak, then stating there was no point in changing the lineup every day.
Now here we are, with a few preseason games down and the lines in practice remain the same. As I read around the web, nobody seems to know what to conclude. I wouldn’t blame the Schenns if they are feeling a bit unsettled by this turn of events. They share the same last name, and both are in contract seasons, but their styles of play are quite different and the status of each needs to be evaluated separately.
The Case of Luke
Luke will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. His style of play is a physical stay-at-home defenseman. Still only 25, he has been in the league several years and his NHL reputation has been on a pretty steady downward trajectory.
Under coach Craig Berube last season, Luke hovered around the bottom of the Philadelphia Flyers seven man defense corps. His slow feet appeared to condemn him under Berube’s system. Luke clearly had nothing to lose with Hakstol coming in and providing every player with a clean slate, but the same shortcomings were likely to haunt him under Hakstol’s system.
Nov 4, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Luke Schenn (22) shoots from the point against the Edmonton Oilers during the third period at the Wells Fargo Center. The Flyers defeated the Oilers 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The preseason thus far has confirmed those fears for Luke. Stuck on a depth pair in practice and in preseason games, Luke does not appear to be a great fit in a system that asks defenseman to skate and move the puck.
The outlook for Luke with the Philadelphia Flyers does not look particularly bright. Rumors that the team is trying to trade him have swirled around him for quite some time, and they will only continue. I think the Flyers are likely to make another push to find a trade fit for him in the immediate future, possibly to a team seeking blue line reinforcements like Boston or LA.
The Case of Brayden
Brayden’s future as a Philadelphia Flyer isn’t as ominous, but is more mysterious. He has not blossomed the way many had hoped, and I’ve previously written that there’s not much evidence to suggest an imminent offensive breakout. He’s only 24, however, and he could still claim a long term top-6 role with some more growth. He will be a restricted free agent after this season.
Apr 7, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Flyers center Brayden Schenn (10) celebrates his game-winning goal with center Zac Rinaldo (36) and center Vincent Lecavalier (40) with three seconds left in the game against the New York Islanders during the third period at Wells Fargo Center. The Flyers defeated the Islanders, 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
While Brayden has been buried in the depth chart in practice, he has two goals in two preseason games while shuttling around the lineup. That’s both good and bad, but is a step down from the previous two seasons where Brayden started out the season on the top line. It doesn’t feel like Brayden got a clean slate under Hakstol, as he remains anchored to the fifth line in practice that was set before he even a stepped on the ice.
Brayden still has a higher ceiling for growth than many players above him on the depth chart. RJ Umberger, Vinny Lecavalier, Chris VandeVelde, Ryan White and even guys like Pierre-Edouard Bellemare are not the future of the Flyers. It would surprise most Flyers fans if Dave Hakstol and Ron Hextall already decided that Brayden Schenn isn’t a key part of the future either. Right now there’s no way to be sure if this is much ado about nothing, or the beginning of the end for Brayden in Philadelphia.