Philadelphia Flyers: First-Half Grades

With 56 points and at fourth place in the Eastern Conference, the Flyers have had a very strong first half of the season. After an off-season full of changes, to be within striking distance of the top seed in the conference cannot be considered anything other than a success.

There have certainly been some ups and downs. The emergence of Claude Giroux as a superstar. The fall from grace of Ilya Bryzgalov. Sean Couturier making the team as an 18 year old. Concussion problems. The Jaromir Jagr show arriving in full force. And of course, everything about the Winter Classic.

So how have all the individuals on this team done so far? Well, let's take a look at them by handing out some grades in descending order.

Incompletes: Erik Gustafsson, Matt Walker, Chris Pronger

But first, let's note some names who I won't be assessing.

At this point in the the season, it seems unfair to assess these players. Erik Gustafsson played five strong games before being sidelined with a wrist injury. Had his play continued at that level, it would have been easy to give him a fairly high grade, but fate intervened.

Matt Walker has been a regular on the scratch sheet and the waiver wire. So while I would love to give the guy an F for his inability to earn a lineup spot, he hasn't exactly had an overabundance of opportunities to.

I could assess Chris Pronger's game, as 13 games is a reasonable sample size. However, since he's unlikely to suit up for the club again this season, it would be unfair to give him anything other than an incomplete. Okay, now onto the real grades.

Scott Hartnell: A+

On merit alone, Scott Hartnell deserves the highest marks of anyone on the team this season. So far, Hartnell ranks first on the team in goals, power play goals, and plus/minus, and second in points and penalty minutes while playing all 43 games. Take away the first seven games of the season, he’s averaging just over a point per game.

Simply put, Hartnell has exceeded everyone’s expectations. With the departure of Ville Leino, he was thought to be a second or third line winger at best. Instead, he has stepped up and played first line minutes and brought first line production to the team. He’s in the midst of a career year and deserves nothing less than a big A+.

Claude Giroux: A+

Claude Giroux gets the 1A spot here. He was the Flyers' best player last year and has topped that this season by being maybe the best player in the entire NHL. Giroux pretty much carried the offense through large stretches in November and early December and returned from a concussion scare with a four point night. What can I say about him that hasn’t already been said? Despite a recent scoring drought, he’s done everything the Flyers could ask of him, and more. Top marks. A+.

Kimmo Timonen: A

After playing injured most of last season and putting up “only” 37 points, a lot of people wondered if the heavy minutes Kimmo Timonen played were wearing on him. After finishing the first half of the season tied for seventh among defensemen in points and earning an All-Star nod, I think he’s answered those critics. In the absence of Chris Pronger, his stellar defensive play has buoyed this deflated corps. And without him, the power play would be an absolute mess. The guy just continues to soldier on no matter what gets thrown at him and has been the rock upon which the Flyers defense rests. His single goal is a bit of a worry, but overall, he gets a strong A.

Sean Couturier: A

The kid has been impressive. Barely 19, Sean Couturier has been the team’s best penalty killer, overshadowing even Max Talbot in that regard. And don’t be fooled by his low offensive totals so far. The kid has talent in that area to spare, witnessed by his superb on ice vision and a developing wrist shot that has netted him goals in three consecutive games. I still can’t believe he dropped to the eighth overall pick. For his blossoming offensive game and rock-solid defense all at 19, Couturier gets a big A.

Jaromir Jagr: B+

This may have been the hardest grade to give out. Jagr is like that kid who’s numbers put him right on the verge of an A, but hasn’t quite earned it. On one hand, he has certainly fostered Giroux’s transition from local talent to NHL superstar and rejuvenated Scott Hartnell in the process. And his total of 32 points in 37 games is pretty good.

But then, if his line has been so great, why is he tied with Sean Couturier for seventh on the team in even strength goals (seven)? Jagr needs to start cashing his chance in and put a few more pucks in the net. He has only one game winning tally (ninth on the team) and as many power play goals as Wayne Simmonds. He’s also had some defensive struggles recently (though he’s been playing through numerous lower body injuries).

All that may sound very gloom and doom-ish. However, truth be told, Jagr’s had a great first half. A few more goals and some better defensive play, and he’ll be worthy of an A by the end of the year. As it is, B+.

Matt Read: B+

Matt Read has had a tale of two quarters. For the first 20 games, he blew everyone away with his speed, hands and finishing ability. In the last 20 games, everyone seemed to catch up with him, as the goals seemed to dry up and he found himself dropped down to the fourth line. But even during his relative dry spell, Read has contributed as an invaluable penalty killer and a strong grinder working with Sean Couturier and Harry Zolnierczyk. He’s also still second among rookies in goals. So, Read gets a solid B+.

Marc-Andre Bourdon: B+

Last season, Bourdon’s stock seemed to hit an all-time low as he struggled to hold down a job in the AHL and was demoted to the ECHL. That he has been able to play more than one game with the big club this year would have been unthinkable last year. Bourdon has solidified a spot as the sixth defenseman and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. He’s shown some cracks in his armor recently in the form of unforced turnovers and questionable decision making—however, anything the Flyers get out of Bourdon this year is a plus. He gets a strong B+.

Harry Zolnierczyk: B+

Harry Z is another guy who the Flyers didn’t really expect to get much out of this year. He’s been a very strong energy player for the team who’s been able to agitate and sometimes even play the penalty kill. He reminds me of a more controlled version of Dan Carcillo and has fit in as a perfect fourth line player. For his tenacity, tireless work ethic, and commitment to bring his best game every night, Zolnierczyk comfortably earns a B+.

Matt Carle: B

Matt Carle is a very hard player to judge. When he’s playing well, he almost seems to be a ghost out there, but when he struggles, he a red dot on a cashmere sweater—everyone notices. Contrary to popular belief, Carle has had a good-to-very-good season so far. He’s been a huge part of Marc-Andre Bourdon’s development into a responsible defenseman and has played a mostly strong defensive game. He still struggles down low at times and tries to be a little too fine with his passes, but his offensive numbers and very solid overall play earn him a B.

Zac Rinaldo: B

The Hamilton Hell-raiser has been exceptional in his duties this season. Despite his 122 penalty minutes, he’s only tied for 45th in the NHL in minor penalties taken (16) and he has almost certainly coerced opponents into at least that many penalties simply by getting under their skin. All that being said, he hasn’t exactly turned into the second coming of Bill Barber. His hands have been suspect in the offensive zone and he has been serviceable defensively, barely earning his keep as a bottom of the roster player. However, his improved discipline and better than expected play earn him a B.

Max Talbot: B

Wait, really? I’ve ranked guys like Wayne Simmonds and Harry Zolnierczyk higher than Max Talbot? Yes, I have. Talbot has been better than expected this season. I, as probably most are, am pleasantly surprised by the 10 goals he has been able to accumulate so far. Talbot has been a definite improvement over guys like Blair Betts, Darroll Powe, and Jim Dowd. However, he has been unable to buoy a sinking penalty kill which currently ranks in the bottom third of the NHL. Additionally, he has been even worse than expected on faceoffs, winning a paltry 42.9 percent. So I really don’t feel like I can give him anything higher than a mid-range B.

Danny Briere: B

A lot of people will probably think that this is too high. The negatives are that he hasn’t really found a home in the lineup, has failed to solidify the second power play unit, and has failed to consistently find himself on the scoresheet. The positives are that Briere still ranks fourth on the Flyers in points and third in goals and he has been a gamechanger when he scores, including winning a game against Ottawa basically on his own. He’s certainly had an up and down season so far, but you can’t discount some of the things the guy has done to win his club hockey games. Briere earns a good B.

Sergei Bobrovsky: B

This is a hard grade to give. Sergei Bobrovsky has overcome a lot this season. He lost his starting job in the off-season, was tossed about in just about every trade rumor there was, and came into the season as an afterthought. So to go through that turmoil and come out putting up BETTER stats than he did last season says a lot about the guy’s character. He’s been better than the Flyers had any right to hope. However, he has yet to pick up a goose egg or prove that he can handle the pressure of the big stage as he faltered in the Winter Classic. He’s been good, but can only earn a B.

Wayne Simmonds: B

If you need evidence for the type of year Wayne Simmonds is having, know that he already has more than doubled his career total for power play goals and has equaled his career high in game-winning goals, yet he is barely on pace to surpass his career high in points. What you should take from that is that his year hasn’t been quite as good as it seems. Looking at Simmonds’ multiple game scoring streaks should only serve to highlight the droughts that always seem to follow. He’s been better recently, but Simmonds needs to improve his consistency and his hands to reach the kind of heights that his rare combination of speed and power could allow. For right now though, he gets a B.

Jakub Voracek: C+

Jakub Voracek is the opposite of Wayne Simmonds in that his statistics do not tell the story of his season. While he’s only on pace to equal his career high of 50 points, Voracek’s strong backchecking and overall commitment to defense don’t show up on the stat sheet. His offensive game has definitely underwhelmed, but that he’s been able to play a strong overall game in all three zones boosts his grade to a decent C+.

Braydon Coburn: C+

Braydon Coburn’s season has been very average. He’s on pace for about 20 points and has a mediocre +1 rating. He’s provided overall strong defense with his usual bouts of inconsistency. However, I will say that he has significantly cut down on his overall amount of unforced turnovers. But Coburn’s been nothing special this season. C+.

Kevin Marshall: C+

Kevin Marshall really gets this grade just for showing up and playing at a half-decent level. He still needs to learn how to move the puck effectively, but his defense seems NHL-caliber and he kept his turnovers to a minimum while he was here. So a solid C+.

Brayden Schenn: C

At times, Brayden Schenn has looked like a younger, better version of Mike Richards. Unfortunately, he has also sometimes looked like a scared young rookie among men. The truth of Schenn’s season lies somewhere between these two extremes. He hasn’t really produced at the level the Flyers (and many pundits) expected of him, but he hasn’t been a disaster zone either. I give him a C.

Andrej Meszaros: C-

As the reigning Barry Ashbee trophy winner (awarded to the Flyers’ top defenseman), a lot was expected of Andrej Meszaros this year. Unfortunately, he has often failed to deliver on the promise of last season with a very up-and-down season this year. His defense has been subpar, particularly in terms of positioning; he sometimes seems to gravitate to the puck like a fly to a bug zapper, leaving players uncovered in the crease area. You can’t discount his six goals (tops among Flyer’s defenders), but he just hasn’t been the player the Flyers saw more consistently last year. Meszaros gets a C-.

James Van Riemsdyk: D

It almost feels like a moot point to grade James van Riemsdyk’s season after learning of his concussion. No one really knows when the concussion occurred or how much it has affected his game. But even so, van Riemsdyk has had a very disappointing season. With only 11 goals and 22 points at the halfway point, he is barely on pace to surpass his career highs of 21 goals and 40 points. After his phenomenal showing in last year’s playoffs and signing a shiny new contract extension, those kinds of numbers absolutely speak of lazy, uninspired play. While his production hasn’t decreased relative to his ice time, it hasn’t increased nearly enough to justify his contract. So, he gets a D.

Jody Shelley: D

Jody Shelley is trying. He really is. But he just doesn’t have a place on this team. And when a player’s role is marginalized, it’s up to that player to adapt and make himself useful again. Shelley has failed to do that. As a result, he gets a D.

Ilya Bryzgalov: D-

The only reason this isn’t worse is because Ilya Bryzgalov has actually won 16 games as compared to his 13 losses (regulation and overtime). However, his 3.07 goals against average and .891 save percentage are absolutely unacceptable. To have numbers that low at this point of the season can no longer be considered a fluke. He’s having a terrible season, no two ways about it. And he's barely passing with a D-.

Andreas Lilja: F

The most popular punching bag among Flyers fans this side of Ilya Bryzgalov, Andreas Lilja has been everything you’d expect him to be based upon his past. He hasn’t been able to hold down a regular NHL job since 2008 and is a combined -1 in that time, despite only playing on teams that have finished with (or are on pace for) 100 points or more in the regular season. Players blow by Lillja as though he were a turnstile at Grand Central Station and he adds nothing offensively, while regularly tuning the puck over due to bad passes or bad hands. The guy shouldn’t be in the lineup. It is that simple.