The All-Star Break, a built in time for all hockey fans everywhere to catch their collective breaths and reflect on the first half of the season. For Flyers fans, there has been a lot to think about. First there was this. And then this. And then there was this mess. And more mess. Which led to this. And then this!
You get it, it’s been a wild few months. All the while, the on ice product has been … well it’s been bad. There’s no sugarcoating it. So we gathered as a collective and put down some thoughts. I asked six questions and this is what your masthead had to say.
What were your expectations coming into this season?
Brad: I expected this team to be the same, or a little better than last year. I felt like the most likely outcome was yet another first round playoff exit, but at the time it felt safe to assume that they’d at least make the playoffs. I expected Nolan Patrick to have a bit of breakout year — nothing too crazy, just similar to what Travis Konecny had done last season with 20+ goals and just shy of 50 points.
Steph: This was supposed to be the season. This was the one! Ron Hextall finally made a splash in free agency and this was the time for The Flyers to take a step towards the future. There was no way this team was going to have under 100 points, have you seen our forward depth?
Heather: Comparing to last season, I figured we would’ve had a slightly better team, but the same outcome of making the playoffs, all things considering most of the lineup was healthy. I was trying to stay positive for the most part considering we have the talent and roster to make it happen.
Paul: To be completely honest, I was torn on this team. I was more optimistic than most and supported Hakstol more than most, but I was nervous about the penalty kill and goaltending, as well as all of the kids taking steps forwards. I figured they would be good enough to make the playoffs more easily than the year prior due to the JVR signing and additions by subtraction in Brandon Manning and Valtteri Filppula, but I never really held the expectation that for this team to take a step forward, they needed to win in the first round of the postseason. I expected them to be better and I expected them to be competitive in the first round of the playoffs with a chance to advance and not be embarrassed. With that said, I always believed that this team – well, mainly Hakstol and his job security – was propped up by loser points in two out of the last three years, which is why I was a bit hesitant to expect them to win a round in the postseason.
Craig: I expected this team to win a playoff series. I figured the players who had amazing seasons in 2017-18 may see a dip in their production, but there was no way the goaltending would be as bad again. I thought with James van Riemsdyk added the forward depth was going to outweigh the team’s weaknesses in net and on the penalty kill.
Jay: I felt the same as most and fully expected them to not only make the playoffs, but win a round or two. JVR was brought in to provide that scoring depth, Giroux was back in MVP-form, Provorov would cement himself as a #1 defenseman and the scotch-tape would hold together the goaltending to make this team fun.
Steve: I expected good, not bad. Or even mediocre. I expected Nolan Patrick and Travis Konecny to take large strides forward. I expected Ivan Provorov to graduate into the upper tier of NHL defensemen. I expected Jorald Lehtera to end up sleeping in a cell. These were all positive, happy feelings.
Kyle: I expected a playoff series win and for the young players to take a significant step up in production. I thought JVR was the almost perfect free agent signing, and that this season would be one of progress and a step away from mediocrity. I expected Dave Hakstol to take a step as a NHL head coach, and Ron Hextall to take a step as general manager.
Bill R: Certainly everyone’s answer was the firing of Ron Hextall and Dave Hakstol right? No? I think I expected some of the younger players to look a little bit better and for the Flyers to be buyers by the deadline. I always thought this was a make or break season for Hextall’s plan and Hakstol’s coaching tenure, but I never thought we’d be in the position we are today. I figured the Flyers would be a lower end playoff team and with some deadline dealing, maybe a team that could at least challenge some of the contenders.
John: I fully expected the Flyers to contend for a division title. Given that there was really no information on Brian Elliott’s health in June I felt the goaltending would be adequate and figured that Hextall’s comments about “taking the next step” would lead to coaching adjustments-in other words I figured we’d see a more aggressive approach and tweaks made to things that were not working. Instead, Hextall signed JvR, Elliott was nowhere near 100%, Hakstol made no adjustments and the ship headed right into the iceberg.
Mike: I thought this was 100% going to be a playoff contending team but the whole seven goalies has thrown that idea into the literal garbage, where I can only assume Cal Pickard lives. While I wasn’t forecasting a playoff series win by any means, I figured a competitive series at the very worst with the young guns getting more valuable experience.
Kelly: I was absolutely certain that the Flyers would, quite comfortably, be one of the top-three teams in the Metro and would make a solid push toward winning at least one round in the playoffs. This optimism was born from the end of last season, where we saw out-of-this-world performances from our top guys as well as the resurgence of Nolan Patrick once he was healed up, as well as comments from the front office about a commitment to turning a corner, this being the time, etc. I saw the signing of JvR as evidence of that commitment, though now we know that Ron wasn’t really on board with that signing at all. In short, I was expecting this season to be fun.
How do you feel now?
Brad: Disappointed. It’s January and now I’m just trying to figure out who I’d like the Flyers to draft at 11th overall after they go on a late season run.
Steph: WELP. Complete apathy. Loss of hope and trust that things will get better. Skeptical of the front office decision making. Disdain towards players. I don’t know how to fix this disaster of a season and I’m sick of talking about the team. I feel so completely and thoroughly let down. And I feel like an asshole. I hate getting my hopes up, I never get my hopes up.
Heather: Yikes. Not impressed with the lack of confidence this team displays. There’s some kind of spark thats missing and it seems the first goal the opposing team scores, the fight in the Flyers seems to just disappear with it. I’m hopeful moves will be made during the trade deadline and offseason to shake things up. I know the guys care and are also frustrated with their play, but this organization needs a change.
Paul: Well, uh, yeah… I feel things. I will say that I never expected the bottom to fall out like it has, but in hindsight I will say that we could have seen this coming. Every year there are teams that exceed expectations *cough Islanders cough*, as well as teams that absolutely crap the bed, so I guess it was the Flyers’ turn.
Craig: I feel like an idiot, because you just read my expectations for this season above. I think there are some positives to take away from this season, but going from hoping this team reaches the second round of the postseason to hoping they can lose enough to win the draft lottery halfway through the campaign sucks. Honestly, a little hopeless too. New general manager, new coach, a lot of other minor pieces moved around and it feels like the team just keeps finding ways to lose. I think 2019-20 is a much better season (maybe just cause of lowered expectations), but at the moment a lot of this sucks.
Jay: Another huge idiot here and my usual late-winter apathy kicked in around November. So here we are, a bottom-five team that certainly shouldn’t with the roster is currently fields. It’s just so disappointing and sad, that I just want them to go full stealth tank to make this season at least mean something.
Steve: Can you just put a gif of Michael Scott saying, “I am dead inside” here? Because I am dead inside. I enjoy certain elements of this team, such as Claude Giroux being the man, Sean Couturier’s toothless grin, and Carter Hart’s everything. However, any expectations I had for this team have been thrown into the trash and compacted into a tiny cube of hate (and trash).
Kyle: Well, it’s quite the turnaround of emotions. The amount of apathy I have felt towards this hockey team is unlike anything I’ve experienced in my 10 seasons as a Flyers fan. This team has disappointed me in almost every conceivable way and make me hope for losing rather than wins. If Carter Hart wasn’t up here doing what he’s doing, I’m not sure I would even think about this team on off-days.
Bill R: If I’m truly being honest I would say I’ve gone through several phases this year ranging from “why is Hakstol still here?!?” to “can it really be THIS bad”. No one can really feel good about what’s happened here this year, but I will say that the one underlying vibe that gives me hope is that I always felt that the Ron Hextall plan had huge blind spots. Now eyes are open, things will change and even though it’s mid-January and we are all frustrated we aren’t watching a better team, I see potential for things to be very, very good next year, especially with the emergence of Carter Hart.
John: Cautiously optimistic. Fletcher didn’t run out and make a desperate trade to save a lost season. I don’t like how the coaching situation was handled, but that’s more on Scott and Holmgren, because they should have pulled the plug on both Hextall and Hakstol at the same time. I hope Fletcher can be the middle ground between the over aggressive Holmgren and the patient to a fault Hextall approaches.
Mike: Confused. So the higher ups canned Ron Hextall for either his lack of moves or his potential stubbornness. The new GM completely botches the seemingly obvious move of canning the incumbent coach (Dave Hakstol), then lets said coach flail in the wind for another 24 hours. Sure this is all off-ice stuff, but that’s not a great start to the new regime and I think everything that went down (among other factors) has led to the team’s on-ice performance to be lackluster at best.
Kelly: As I write this on January 22, I guess you could say I’ve reached the acceptance stage. I’m not really mad anymore. The Carter Hart excitement has put an end to what was a long stretch of apathy for me, which lasted from about early November until mid-December. There was a lot of questioning the decisions of the org overall, the decisions of the coaching staff and the front office before they were all canned… but yeah, we’re past that. At this point I’m coming back around to cautious optimism, because I think that this team is better than its results and I’m hoping that once this tumultuous year is over things will even out and they’ll all return to their true talent levels.
Is there any way they can turn the season around in your mind?
Steph: Honestly, no. I would be more excited to watch if they called up a few kids and let them play, but outside of Phil Myers, who is there? They already called up Carter Hart and that was cool and good, but I still don’t want to watch. Sure, when Samuel Morin plays I will watch, but that’s two players. Who else? The rest of the prospects I’m excited about are either in college or juniors.
Brad: No, but that’s fine. At this point it’s just about getting through the rest of the season and finding any positives you can build on.
Heather: Calling up Carter Hart indeed did help keep us all sane so far this season since Gritty was an off- ice distraction for only so long. I would rather just see some slight roster movements during the trade deadline and play out the rest of the season and see what happens.
Craig: Nah. They could make some of these games down the stretch more interesting by calling up some of the kids and seeing if they bring in any sort of NHL talent at the deadline, but I don’t think they are making the postseason. It’s a lost season, regardless of how many times Carter Hart can bail them out.
Jay: Nothing short of a Vezina-like performance from Carter Hart, the special teams fixing themselves and a whole shit ton of luck from other teams…so not really.
Steve: I mean, they can, because of league-wide parity and the general suckiness of the bottom half of the Eastern Conference, but I’m not expecting this to happen.
Kyle: It would take an absolute miracle, an even bigger miracle than the 2010 run, to make the playoffs let alone win a series like my expectations were. And the sad thing is at this point, I’m not sure if I’d even want them to make a run.
Paul: Carter Hart and Claude Giroux. If Hart stays up the rest of the year and puts up absolutely ridiculous numbers, plus Giroux playing like the MVP that he is, it’s possible. The penalty kill has been better, the powerplay has been better, and this team hasn’t been absolutely crumbling when trailing in games. Anything is possible, but if it’s going to happen, it’s on those two.
Bill R: Am I being punked? Is this a real question? This is short and sweet for me, but can they play better and look like a better team? Yes. Should they be trying to “turn it around”? Absolutely not. Accept your fate, get the kids, find out what you have and come out swinging next year. Mathematically, this year is all, but lost.
John: At this point, I really want to see the fringe guys that Hextall over-valued be moved out and young guys with 2-3 AHL seasons under their belts moved up. Trading Weal and waiving Weise were good starts, but Lehtera, MacDonald and Folin can be dumped for Nic Aube Kubel and Phil Myers right now without missing a beat-and would probably make the team better.
Mike: Turn around? No, but playing young players that should get a shot at the next level is a start. Enough of Dale Weise, Jori Lehtera, and Andrew MacDonald. Let’s see what Phil Myers, NAK, Mark Friedman, and others can do. Finding out some of what these guys can or can’t do will go a long way in how quickly the Flyers can climb out of the basement and back to relevance.
Kelly: No, we’re way past that. And at this point “turning things around” just means missing the playoffs but not getting a top-tier pick. My hope for this season is that they start giving the kids on the Phantoms who’ve earned call-ups a long look, they move on from whatever dead weight they can, roster-wise, and Chaz makes a few surgical moves to improve the NHL roster for the start of next season.
Who do you blame?
Steph: Everyone. Every single person in the organization whose complacency caused this. Everyone who felt so comfortable in their position that they didn’t question processes, results, or outcomes. And I blame myself, because of course I do.
Heather: Just about everyone involved.
Brad: Hextall, mainly. He ignored the three biggest questions going into the season; coaching, goaltending, and the penalty kill. Literally nothing! Not even a small change like signing a penalty kill specialist! Instead we went into the season with the same head coach, same penalty kill system and player rotation since it was “visually better” for a month, and a 33-year old goaltender coming off major surgery backed up by another that is perpetually injured. With that being said, if Brian Elliott doesn’t get injured I don’t think we are where we are right now, but how likely of a scenario really was that?
Craig: Hextall. I will defend a lot of his moves, but this season sucks because the Flyers have used every single goalie who has ever played in the NHL and the penalty kill couldn’t prevent goals. These were problems last year and were pretty easy to solve. Even now, with the penalty kill looking better and Carter Hart looking like he might be the real deal, those were two things that wouldn’t have happened under Hextall. He was never going to fire Hakstol, because of ah reasons, and he wasn’t going to call up Hart anytime soon. When a few more of Hextall’s picks are on the roster, and Sean Couturier and Shayne Gostisbehere are tearing up the league for well under league value in a few seasons, the Hextall hate will die down. Right now though, this falls on him.
Jay: With this collection of forwards/defensemen, it shouldn’t be this bad. Thusly, the blame for me falls on the coaching staff and (former) general manager. They really go hand-in-hand in my opinion. The head coach and most of his coaching staff were clearly not the right fit for this team and the GM chose to largely ignore it to “stick with the plan”. He didn’t make the right moves to get rid of the dead weight that the coaching staff liked and further hindered a largely good roster.
Steve: I blame Dave Hakstol and the entire coaching staff. I blame Ron Hextall, to a degree (even if I still consider myself a process truster). There are certain people on this roster that have no business belonging on an NHL roster. These certain people have names that rhyme with Blori Blethera and Male Leise. I blame Paul Holmgren, for still being anywhere near the Flyers organization. But ultimately, a lot of the fault lies in the players for not executing. Ivan Provorov has struggled far more than anyone expected him too. Shayne Gostisbehere is not producing as expected. Nolan Patrick has sadly been invisible for most of the year.
Kyle: I’d say the majority of the blame should be placed on Ron Hextall. Dave Hakstol was an awful head coach at the NHL level but this was accepted by almost everyone in the fanbase, Hextall simply refused to make a change. Hextall saw a ship sinking and proceeded to do absolutely nothing to address the situation. He didn’t make a trade, he refused to fire the coach, he sat on his hands and let the world burn around him. Hakstol and the coaching staff were and have been awful, but it’s on the GM to make changes when necessary. The “just wait” approach taken by Hextall had run its course. In a season where we were told last year wasn’t good enough, the GM refused to make in season changes to let us know that was still the case.
Paul: I blame Ron Hextall. It pains me to do so, as I think he did some very good things as the GM of this team, but this is on him. I would love to throw Hakstol under the bus for being such a moron, but it was Hextall who allowed Hakstol to continue his ways night after night. Starting Brian Elliott 1,342 games in a row, running every single goalie into the ground, sheltering Sanheim at the expense of Provorov and Gostisbehere’s deployment, Andrew MacDonald as a staple in the lineup, allowing players to play injured, running the same flippin’ special teams units and systems that were absolute garbage, Ian Laperriere, Nolan Patrick never being given the proper wingers. Hakstol may have been behind the bench for all of this, but Hextall is the one who allowed it to go on.
Bill R: This is where I unload (apologies to those of you with Hextall sensitivies). For years, whenever I brought up Hextall’s plan and the things I felt would ultimately turn into problems if he chose to continue on his course of pure patience, people blamed everyone, but him for everything going on. Hextall was lauded for his drafts (deservingly) and the imperfections were all attributed to other people, be them coaches, players, previous GMs, Ed Snider, the Flyers culture, etc. While all of those things certainly had some impact (both good and bad), the architect of this current mess is absolutely Ron Hextall. Holmgren took a lot of heat for his role and I get that, but in the end, Ron Hextall had the keys to the franchise for almost 5 years and what we have here today represents his body of work.
John: Ron Hextall. He gets a ton of credit for doing well at the draft table and for some of his cap savings deals. But outside of van Riemsdyk, he really did nothing to improve the NHL roster. His unwillingness to be more aggressive and allowing problems like inconsistent intensity and awful penalty killing to go from lingering issues to chronic problems was baffling. His attachment to marginal-and even flat out bad-NHL players leaves Fletcher with more clean up work to do than he probably is happy about. He simply was the anti-Homer. They needed more.
Mike: Plenty to go around but has to start with Ron Hextall being given quite a long leash and using it to basically try and buy himself a decade to build the Flyers into a contender. None of his trades really panned out in terms of moving the Flyers forwards and it appears as though his only big move in years on the job in signing JVR in free agency was actually something he was forced to do. Sure the draft picks and prospects are cools, but not doing anything to help the actual NHL team in almost four years is indefensible…especially when there were definite chances to do just that.
Kelly: While I was very on-board with his underlying process, it’s Ron that takes the blame for this mess. His idea for how to fix this team was good, and it bore quite a lot of positive results, but his execution was extremely flawed. There’s patient, and then there’s stubborn, and it is very apparent now that Ron was the latter.
What moves do you expect them to make at the deadline?
Steph: I think our buddy Wayne is gone.
Heather: Shake up the core and get some fresh blood in the locker room. I can see moves being made for Simmonds, Voracek, and a D-man.
Brad: I feel pretty certain that Simmonds won’t end the season wearing a Flyers jersey. A trade just makes too much sense to not happen. Outside of him, guys like Raffl and Gudas feel the most likely to me. As far as what they could potentially add, I do wonder if they look to bring in a second line center for next season. That would allow them to reunite Giroux and Couturier while still sheltering Patrick a bit in a third line role.
Craig: I expect Wayne Simmonds to be traded. I think there’s a chance Michael Raffl and Radko Gudas could be dealt. Maybe ol’ Chucky Two-Trades goes bananas and deals Jake. I don’t think they’ll add anything.
Jay: There is no chance Simmonds makes it past the trade deadline and rightfully so. He isn’t part of the future of this team and this is your last chance to get something for him before he gets a contract that the Flyers have no business signing. I’d also hope they can move veterans like Raffl and Voracek as well.
Kyle: As everyone else has mentioned, I don’t see Wayne Simmonds surviving the trade deadline. While it may not have been the case at the time, JVR was brought in as a better version of Simmonds, and his replacement. I’d like to see what the return could be for Jakub Voracek, especially given how he’s played this season. Radko Gudas could be a relatively unexpected deal, but I think Toronto would be a good fit for him, and they have a lot of assets to give up.
Bill R: God speed Wayne, we will always have a special place in our hearts for you. Go get paid. Beyond Simmonds, I full expect Raffl to go and as others have said, if Andrew MacDonald can’t be jettisoned, I could definitely see Gudas going either in a move that ultimate upgrades the D or to collect more assets to flip down the line. Would anyone be surprised if the Flyers also acquired a player or two that helps them long term? I wouldn’t.
Steve: Wayne Simmonds is getting moved to a contender that needs grit and edge and all those great old school hockey buzzwords. Michael Raffl may get moved to a team that needs “competent hockey player”. Andrew MacDonald will get moved, but only in my dreams. That’s where I’m a viking!
Paul: At this point, I’m not sure. I have a sneaking suspicion that Fletcher wants to re-sign the Wayne-Train, so I’m not exactly sure he’ll be gone. With Carter Hart playing well and the team playing better of late, I have a tough time believing Fletcher will blow this thing up with any major core moves. I would like for Simmonds to be dealt, but I don’t think it’s a guarantee to happen unless ol’ Chucky Two Trades is given a massive offer.
John: I expect Wayne Simmonds to be traded. I think that Michael Raffl and Radko Gudas could be traded as well. Perhaps even one of the veteran goalies, too. What I’d like is every single pending UFA traded for the best possible return,be it prospects, picks or NHL level players, and then use the stockpile to aggressively add this summer. They could also add young players that could be part of the future at the TDL or even be “buyers” on a veteran that they see as a long term solution
Mike: Fletcher should sent Jake Voracek out of the room at a high speed. That’s your shake-up move, do it. Also trade Simmer, Raffl, and whatever is left of Michal Neuvirth’s groin to the highest bidders.
Kelly: Simmonds is the obvious answer, but I’m kind of hoping Chaz is working the phones for a couple of more deals. Call every team in contention and see if they’d like some depth pieces for their run and clean out some space on the Flyers for kids to fill. Toronto needs RHD desperately. See if they’d like a Gudas. This is where I think the Fletcher could succeed in making those surgical moves I mentioned earlier.
Looking forward to next season, what do you think happens?
Brad: They’ll be better than this. I mean, they better be. Add a veteran goalie who has a good history of playing the majority of his team’s games and not falling apart (Cam Talbot?) and have him and Hart as your tandem next season. I still think this is a playoff team, just for whatever reason everything has gone wrong this year.
Craig: Entirely new coaching staff and there will be one major roster addition/subtraction. Something like Voracek, Ghost, or Sanheim is dealt or they bring in a big name piece like Tyler Seguin or Matt Duchene. I don’t know if I’d be a fan of whatever big move they make, but I feel like Fletcher is going to want to do something big to make his mark before next season. More than just a new coach and assistants. As for on the ice, I think it’ll be better. I think a lot of the underwhelming players this season will return to their 2017-18 form and the team could have an actual goaltending tandem with Hart and another goalie. Also, I don’t know about everyone else, but I’m not expecting shit out of this team next year, so they could suffer another first-round exit next season and I don’t think it’ll suck as much as this season. This season sucks because the expectation was a big step forward and they’ve spiraled out of control.
Steph: They’re going to play hockey. If they’re not better, I’m going to jump off the Ben Franklin, maybe get hit by a train, idk let’s get wild.
Jay: I’d be really surprised if they weren’t a better hockey team than what they are now. They’ll have Carter Hart with a half-season of NHL hockey under his belt. Hopefully the lineup is injected with some more youth and they finally find a rocket to blast Andrew MacDonald off into space.
Kyle: They have to be better, right? There’s no way this can continue with the amount of talent that is already on the roster, and the talent on the way. Phil Myers should be on the opening night roster, and possibly Morgan Frost as well. We’ll also have a new head coach, hopefully one with more of an attacking system built for all of the exciting talent on the offensive and defensive side of the puck. They need to be players in free agency, especially if a big salary like Voracek is dealt, along with Simmonds at the deadline. Also, Carter Hart will be the starter barring a catastrophic collapse, so that will be fun!
Bill R: New life, new atmosphere and new expectations to go along with some pretty significant changes. The Flyers will absolutely hire a new coach (sorry Scott Gordon) and make NHL roster adjustments. In short, this team will rebound with better goaltending and a new approach and by mid season they’ll be looking more like contenders. No more sweeping things under the rug. Changes are coming.
Steve: Say goodbye to your future son’s Flyers and hello to your father’s Flyers. Wait, that saying doesn’t work remotely like that… Look, things are going to change. You probably see that coveted “established defenseman” that people love to mention with the Flyers. Carter Hart is getting a backup that isn’t held together with rubber bands and duct tape. I firmly believe the Flyers are going after a big name, as well. Artemi Panarin would be a great grab for a team that would use some more offensive juice. Most importantly, is it time to buy Andrew MacDonald out yet? Please?
John: I think we will see them add a solid veteran goalie to split time with Hart, a veteran top 4 defenseman to lift some of the burden off Provorov and Gostisbehere (I think that part of their struggles came from the added weight of being “veterans”) and a top six forward. Whether that top 6 guy is a winger or center depends on where they see Giroux next season. I could also see them look to add a guy who brings some gruff to the room. I’m not knocking the leadership of the team, but I think they could use a Pronger type personality. Maybe a guy like Couturier steps up there, but they could add it from the outside, too.
Mike: Well if Carter Hart is the read deal…the Flyers’ fortunes are very different a year from now. Among the Flyers’ biggest issues this season none have been bigger than the fact that they’re near dead-last in save percentage in all situations. Special teams have been a mess, too, but they are easier to fix than a plethora of goalie who can’t stop a beach ball. Let’s say Hart is the real deal and the Flyers close out this season strong and can be buyers this offseason and use the wealth of value that Hextall built up to improve the NHL roster and contend.
Kelly: They’re going to be better. Whatever emotional weight this team has been carrying over the course of this season and the drama that came with it should be cleared. We’ve seen now that Carter Hart could be the real deal. One assumes some of the kids will really impress in camp and we’ll get some young blood on the roster. This isn’t a bad hockey team. They’ve just been playing bad hockey. I don’t think it will continue this way past this year.
Paul: I believe a new coach is in place, Scott Gordon is kept on the Flyers’ coaching staff to help as an assistant, and outside of that, who the heck knows!? It all depends on how the rest of the season plays out, but I could foresee a draft-day deal going down once Fletcher has a true feel for this team, where it’s at, and where he wants to take it. Carter Hart will for sure be your starting goaltender and I don’t doubt they will want to sure up the position with a solid backup behind him. Philippe Myers will be with the team. I also believe prospects like Morgan Frost, Wade Allison, and Joel Farabee will be fighting for roster spots, but Frost is the one I’m most sure about actually making the team.
