Thursday, March 29, 2012

Sean Couturier and Brayden Schenn: Second Line of the Already Bright Future?

Sean Couturier was acquired by the Flyers this offseason when we traded Jeff Carter to the Columbus Bluejackets(We used a draft pick acquired in the trade).  So far this seems like a very favorable move that will help tremendously in the future.

I'm not a hockey scouting expert, but last year I heard about some of the players that were going to be drafted high at the entry draft.  Sean Couturier was near the top of every list I saw.  The fact that we were able to draft him at #8 still astounds me.

Couturier is already a solid two-way forward at the NHL level.  He has great vision and hockey sense and is a stalwart in the defensive zone.  He is a good passer who makes the players around him better and he has an underrated wrist shot.  He is a big kid (6'4") who reminds me of a more rounded version of Jeff Carter.

Brayden Schenn was acquired in the Mike Richards trade on the same day as the Carter trade during the offseason.  Brayden was a top 5 pick in the NHL Entry Draft in 2009 and is very highly coveted.  He projects to be a possible franchise player, possibly to the level of now-King Mike Richards and Blackhawk Jonathon Toews.  He possesses all the qualities of a leader that you want on your team.  Even though he is only 20 years old, he isn't afraid to get in the dirty areas or make a big hit.  He likes scoring goals and he can do that from anywhere on the ice. 

Like Couturier, Schenn is also listed as a center who can play the wing.  For the future of the team, I think it would be better if Schenn played more right wing so he use his shot from a better vantage point which can lead to more goals in his career.

These two players are the new future of the Philadelphia Flyers.  If everything goes according to plan, these two men can anchor the second line of the team for the next 10-15 years.  Claude Giroux, already a superstar, is the top line center and James vanRiemsdyk will likely play his wing.  All of these players play with an edge that you don't see in everyone.  These guys show that they have toughness and are willing to compete with anyone, confidence goes a long way.  With these four players (none of which are 25 years old yet), the Flyers look to take over the NHL in the next couple of years.

These four players are all very marketable to the public.  All four are good kids who simply enjoy playing the game of hockey.  They make the fans want to pay more attention to the team, which will lead to continuing the proud tradition of Flyers hockey.


Follow the Flyers on twitter @NHLFlyers and myself @PhillySteve15

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