Wayne Simmonds has not gotten nearly the attention he deserves since arriving in Philadelphia two summers ago, but his ceiling as a winger could end up determining a lot for the Flyers' future.
Simmonds has a reputation as being a gritty power forward, but he brings a lot more than that to the table.
He can play in all situations, and has the skill and speed to fill in on the top line but also the tenacity and defensive capability to drop back into a checking-line role.
This season he should find himself firmly planted on the team's second line alongside Vincent Lecavalier and Brayden Schenn.
He has not gotten a consistent chance to play with two guys as talented as Lecavalier and Schenn, and his upside really increases because of that.
In 2011-12, he scored 28 goals while averaging just under 16 minutes of ice time per game, which is pretty remarkable efficiency considering he played limited power play minutes as well.
I expect a bump in playing time both in even-strength and power play time this year for Simmonds, as he has become a core member of their young forward group.
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Article written by Garrett Baker
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October 1st, 2013 by Garrett Baker Leave a reply »
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