Philadelphia Flyers Have to Fix Roster Issues
By Regina Ham
With a little more than ten weeks left, the Philadelphia Flyers need to fix their lineup.
The NHL season will be winding down soon. Playoff spots will be solidified and there will be a race to finish for many potential teams that are on the cusp of clinching. The Philadelphia Flyers are one team still in the hunt but their path is more of an uphill battle. The Flyers have been battling with losses and have struggled maintaining leads in their games. They’re seven points behind the Wild Card leading Boston Bruins and it’ll be difficult for them to make up the difference. They’ll need to focus on the rest of their February games and if they can start a winning streak, it might be possible for them tor recover and be in fighting condition. There is a lot of news swirling around the Flyers so grab your lunch and catch up on Thursday’s edition of Buzz on the Street.
Flyers Are Shaking Up Roster Against Sabres
Sam Carchidi for Philadelphia Inquirer
"The Flyers will try to improve their attack Thursday night by adding struggling R.J. Umberger and unproven rookie Jordan Weal to their lineup against visiting Buffalo. The two forwards have not scored a goal this season. Coach Dave Hakstol hopes Umberger, a one-time proven scorer, is rejuvenated after sitting for the last five games. He is goal-less in his last 50 games. Weal, acquired from Los Angeles on Jan. 6, has only played one game with the Flyers and 10 with the Kings this season."
Philadelphia Flyers Need to Deal With No Couturier
Sam Carchidi for Philadelphia Inquirer
"If the Flyers can’t quickly figure out how to win without Sean Couturier, they will slip out of the Eastern Conference playoff race. When Couturier was sidelined by an injured right foot/ankle last week, the Flyers’ mantra was this: Everybody has to step up to replace the second-line center’s minutes. That hasn’t happened. The Flyers have lost their last three games without Couturier, falling farther behind in the wild-card race, and wasting some valuable games in hand on teams they are chasing."
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NHL Trade Deadline Approaches For Flyers
Dave Issac for Courier Post
"The NHL’s trade deadline is less than three weeks away, leaving plenty of time for Flyers general manager Ron Hextall to change his mind back and forth as his team’s playoff outlook ebbs and flows. “I have some ideas in my mind,” Hextall said Wednesday. “We’ll look at everything as we go along here. We’ll monitor where our team’s at, what we think our needs are, what people want from us. We’ll monitor everything and make decisions closer to the deadline.”"
Evgeny Medvedev Should Be On Roster
Wes Herrmann for The Hockey Writers
"If there’s one thing Philadelphia Flyers’ head coach Dave Hakstol has shown in his first season in the NHL it’s that he’s not afraid to sit his players, rightly or wrongly, in fans’ eyes. Matt Read, RJ Umberger, Ryan White, Brandon Manning, Sam Gagner and Luke Schenn and Vincent Lecavalier when they were on the team have all been healthy scratches. One of the more perplexing healthy scratches this season has been Evgeny Medvedev."