Le Journal

Crystal Palace s’est imposé dans les derniers instants de la rencontre contre Fulham et pointe à la 4e place de Premier League.

It’s December now which means one massive thing in the hockey calendar: It’s the season for the World Juniors and we get to ignore a whole lot of our families and watch teenagers play hockey instead of singing carols, or something. The Philadelphia Flyers should be fairly well-represented and could even have the more prospects than any other NHL team up there in Minnesota, but that would take us looking at 31 other prospect pools and that’s annoying. It’s a mix of depth players on very good teams and players who could easily finish as tournament MVP and win a gold medal. But who are these potential players? Who are the Flyers prospects that will head up to Minneapolis and St. Paul to represent their country and try their hardest to either push into the medal round or try to not embarrass themselves as tournament favorites? Let’s take a look. Jett Luchanko, Canada After basically being shunted to the fourth line and only the penalty kill in terms of any special teams opportunity, Flyers 2024 first-round pick Jett Luchanko should get an elevated role in what will be his final year of eligibility, but it might depend on who gets returned from the NHL. If players like Berkly Catton, Michael Misa, Ben Kindel, and even Becket Sennecke (who plays a different position, but still) get sent to the world juniors it could mean Luchanko tumbling down the lineup and possibly playing in the same role as he did just last year. Basically, the three top available centers for Canada are all on NHL rosters so the situation is very fluid — but, Luchanko at the very least will be used to be that speedy and aggressive forechecking force to cause some havoc and be as responsible defensively as anyone on the ice. Porter Martone, Canada Porter Martone could absolutely be not only the best player on Team Canada but the best player in this entire tournament. He has just about everything going for him: The offensive tools to make use of the talent around him, the defensive work to possibly play in all situations, and the physical advantage to just dominate against fellow teenagers. He’s throwing the body around and getting mixed up in scrums against college players a few years into their 20s — some 150-pound player from Germany might experience Hell against Martone. Out of every single player on this list, Martone is the biggest lock (besides players who have already been confirmed as part of the roster). There’s not even anything more to say other than we hope he’s on the first line and the first power-play unit — which, if those current NHLers don’t get sent back, will be even more of a guarantee that Martone will get those opportunities. Shane Vansaghi, USA Shane Vansaghi was officially named to Team USA’s preliminary roster so we know for certain that he will be at the very least getting a look, but he’s on a tier of potential depth players rather than really fighting to make his presence as one of the team’s top players. He does certainly have the toolkit, as a physical menace that will hunt down just about every single puck in his sight, to be an impactful depth winger at this level and to just be absolutely annoying to play against for more skill-focused teams in Minnesota. But, there could be a scenario where Team USA prefers the high-end skill of a LJ Mooney to Vansaghi’s spot in the lineup due to it being such a short tournament and the Flyers prospect is either just an extra forward or is not on the roster at all. Jack Berglund, Sweden Jack Berglund has already been listed to Sweden’s roster, so we know for certain that he will be there. But, it’s just a question now as to what kind of role will he play? We have to assume that Anton Frondell and Eric Nilson are most likely going to be the two top-six centers for this team, but right after that, the 19-year-old Berglund has all the possible claim to be a solid scoring threat playing just…

Philadelphia Flyers winger Owen Tippett has become something of a regular in trade rumors, and his recent run of strong play certainly hasn’t quelled the buzz. On the contrary, he’s become hot enough a name in the rumor mill that the Flyers are apparently attempting to throw cold water on any possibility of an imminent move. On the latest episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman revealed that Tippett’s name has been floating in trade chatter and inferred that the noise has had an impact on the 26-year-old forward. “Owen Tippett has been a name around a lot, and I kind of looked into this one a little bit,” said Friedman. “I think the Flyers are trying to do everything they can to calm the noise around him. I think it’s bothered him a little bit. I think he’s definitely heard it. I think the Flyers are trying to say, ‘Look, like, this is not our doing.’ And I do think the Canucks asked about him. I don’t think that’s gonna be happening. “I’ve heard that the Flyers believe that there’s another level they can get Tippett to. And also, too, his contract — you take a look at where contracts are going, you’re gonna be okay with that contract, and I think the Flyers see that too. “I think they’re trying to calm down the noise simply because this is not created by them. Sometimes names are out there because teams are looking to move guys. This is not the case with Tippett. So we’ll see where that goes.” Makes sense teams are interested in Flyers’ Tippett Teams inquiring about Tippett shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. As Friedman noted, his contract is very attractive — he’s signed through the 2029-30 season with a modest average annual value of just $6.2 million. And given his occasional ability to look like the best hockey player on the ice on a given night, it would be hard to blame the Flyers for opting to stick with him. However, that occasional strong play is perhaps the biggest knock on Tippett’s game. Like any goal scorer, Tippett’s inconsistency has drawn the ire of the Flyers fan base. But when he’s on his game, he’s as fun to watch as any Flyer in the last half-decade. Tippett’s play has been particularly strong as of late. Over his last 10 games, Tippett has led the Flyers with eight assists (six of which were primary) and 12 points. If the trade noise has impacted Tippett, it certainly hasn’t had a negative effect on his on-ice results. A particularly interesting note from Friedman’s report is the Vancouver Canucks’ apparent interest in Tippett. The Canucks are very much open to trading some of their veteran players after an inauspicious start to the season, and Friedman previously urged fans to “keep an eye on Philly” in regard to trades with the Canucks. This makes sense since former Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet is now behind the Flyers bench. Of the Canucks players rumored to potentially be on the trade block, defenseman Quinn Hughes clearly stands out among the pack. Hughes is one of the top players in the NHL and has a very strong relationship with Tocchet. Considering Tocchet’s ties to Vancouver, the Flyers make for a logical destination for Hughes should the Canucks ultimately decide to move their Norris Trophy-winning blueliner. Of course, prying Hughes out of Vancouver would likely require a massive trade package including draft picks, prospects, and active NHLers. But if the Flyers truly wanted to make a deal for Hughes, it certainly appears the Canucks wouldn’t be opposed to Tippett being part of the return. It’s important to note that just about all of the contents within this article are speculative. A trade involving Tippett or Hughes is not imminent, and fans should not take this report as a definitive sign that the Flyers are going to pull off a…

*The Flyers’ win over the Sabres on Wednesday was a big one, and we’re not quite done reliving it just yet. Charlie dives deep on the game herein. [PHLY] *It was, if nothing else, another resilient effort, and a good indication that *The one big negative of the game, though, was the loss of Cam York with an injury. Immediately we went a bit panic mode around here and fell down the rabbit hole of who might replace him if he’s set to miss time. [BSH] *It looks like the Flyers averted a crisis on that one, and York is officially just day-to-day with that upper body injury. [BSH] *It’s a major bullet dodged indeed, because York has made himself all but indispensable to the team’s long term success at this point, but he’s not the only piece in this lineup who could be costly to lose [insert furious knocking on wood here]. [BSH] *But it’s a long season, and there are going to be key absences at some point, like the one of Tyson Foerster. For his part, though, Nikita Grebenkin made a positive impression in his first opportunity to jump into the top-9 in Foerster’s absence. [BSH] *Matvei Michkov, despite his slow start to the season, is not just getting himself back on track but showing a real understanding of what it’s going to take to keep himself on track down the stretch. [Inquirer] *Rick Tocchet also has some ideas about how to keep things moving in the right direction for him. [BSH] *NHLers are heading back to the Olympics this year, and waiting for them in Milan is… an arena that might not be done in time? An ice surface that might be too small? [ESPN] *We remain locked in on the Quinn Hughes saga out in Vancouver, and things are still. It great out there. [Sportsnet] *And finally, did anyone else forget the Winter Classic’s in Miami this year? Anyway, they’re getting rolling towards that. [NHL]