Vanflyer

Most over-rated player I have ever seen. I guess we could still have briere (at least we know he shows up in the playoffs!!).

I know. And it was a bad play and should not be tolerated. 8 games seems very excessive to me. Also, he did look like he was shot, while the swing look like someone trying to swat a mosquito. I agree with the suspension. Particularly because it was at the Junior level and you don't want to develop players into thinking that kind of play is "ok".

I could not agree more with all points. Schenn or no Schenn, I still like MacD at 4-4.5 (because of Jammers points and the others in this topic. While I agree with the deal Schenn part, it would make me sick. JVR is going to put up 30 goals this year. Additionally, he has 4 short handed points. All at the age of 24. I just wonder if JVR would not have flourished under a Berube type of coach, or we just should have waited. I guess the question is, should we wait for Schenn??

I agree with this. But there is a caveat for me. If and only if (playoffs will tell the true story for me), he continues to be the "right" partner to solidify / elevate Schenn, I have ZERO problem spending and extra 500k to sign him.

I get that and the whole "networking" and glad handing thing. But the whole stigma about "that Mfer gm tried to steal one of my players" is bunk to me. If a team (GM) is not managing their finances correctly and unable to sign a player / or another team is able to make a deal attractive to a player, then why not? There is compensation for that! Had the Flyers signed Weber, Nashville would have received a boatload of draft picks in return. So it is not like you are poaching.

Yeah, but still. You are getting lit up. Fine. Quit the game. Ok. Quit the team???? No.

I don't condone the play, but 8 games is a bit ridiculous. To me it looked innocuous, but I also get why the league has to nip it in the bud (zero tolerance for head shots). But 8 games???? How many games were the refs suspended for only giving a 2 minute minor?

I have never ever seen anything like that either. If I am his mom / dad, I am pissed. All those early morning car rides to the rink, sacrifices to buy equipment, league fees etc. What the hell was he thinking??

I agree with this poster on the article: Brendan Fyfe • 7 hours agoA two minute penalty is fine. Although he shouldn't have done it, Stolarz didn't exactly wind up and give Ho-Sang a two hander. Ho-Sang went down like he was shot which made it look worse. The bigger story to me is the goalie QUITTING. WTF?????

Fixed it for you. I don't think the offer sheet to Weber was as bad as the Kessler one. Holmgren and Poile have been long time friends. That was just business. Also, the whole taboo of not being able to do an offer sheet is BS in my mind. Why have it in the rules if you aren't supposed to do it? I get it in a non-cap world. But in a cap world, I call BS. As a GM, your job is to put your team in the best position to win. If you can not use all the tools in the tool kit to accomplish that, than WTF?

I guess. But fourteen unsigned players with 5 players taking up nearly 35M of your cap. How many will want to re-sign after being eliminated again? Also, how many will want to re-sign after seeing Danny boys inadequacies as a coach?

I think Jack Johnson is a GREAT example. MacD's numbers nearly on par to his. The difference, Jack had a good agent and was a high first round pick. His current contract was signed on the promise he would be a stud (by LA). Not on anything he accomplished (outside of his Collegiate days at Michigan). I don't than Mac is a 5m dman. But if Couburn is making 4.5m a year, why not MacD. Especially if he elevates Luke.

Is that an underhanded back slap? The way I read that quote it, don't forget you started stepping up to the plate again. In all seriousness, the best I have seen Malkin play is without Crosby (ie. crosby injured). I have riddled myself to death that one or the other should be moved. Its not liken to a Richards / Carter trade situation, but sort of in a way. The return would be great, but the team has to have the cap room to accept. Frankenstein jokes aside, Malkin is not a poster boy that you can market. The last part is that aside of the two stud centers, Pitts is weak up the middle. So if Malkin was to go, you need to get a 2nd tier center, plus picks /prospects back. At the end of the day, is anyone worth nearly 25% of your teams salary? Even sid? What kind of hockey is that? This is the last chance pitts has at the cup again. 14 unsigned contracts and Malkin / Crosby / Fleury absorbing nearly 1/3 of the cap hit. I am going to enjoy a stogie watching Boston smoke them and then a few more in the following seasons watching how they tank.

I will have to go look for that thread. Here is the list of players currently making 4.5 M: http://www.capgeek.com/comparables/?player_id=747 The thing is that MacDaddy has only made 550K a year his ENTIRE career (7 years). The last couple of years in NY, he has been asked to play all situations and 24 minutes a night. He is playing 20 minutes a night for the flyers and his production is better than Couburn this year (who makes 4.5). He is going to get paid this year and it will be for 4.5M or more. Maybe he will give a discount to Philly, but not much.

I like Richards compete. He has been a winner everywhere he has played. Richards is a 5.8m cap hit. Simmonds new contract at 4M. Schenn is still on his entry level deal, but I think you will see him get around 3M for 3 years (leaving him as an RFA at the end). So, for 1.2 M more, I get a Simmonds AND a Schenn. Richards role has changed in LA. With that, his production has been on the decline. His and Schenns point totals are nearly identical, while schenn is much more balanced g-a. Then you add in that Ritchie is not getting any younger (29). Schenn is only 22. Lastly, You have to add in the G factor. No way does G get to elevate his game if ritchie is still here. Oh, and I didn't even say much about the production of Simmonds, or the 2nd round pick that got us grossman. I do this trade everyday of the week and twice on sunday.

Not to derail (too much), I read a comment re: todays LA game we should have started Mason. I don't agree. I would rather have Mason against the Rangers. I didn't see the game, but it looks like the Flyers were not at their best. 44 shots by the kings. .928 sv % by Emery. You can not allow that many shots and expect to. It your goalie is giving you .920 or better, you will win most nights.

Where does that leave signing macdaddy?

I agree. A few points to add on: 1) This year, Bob and Mason are almost identical in stats. 2) I am a huge Bob supporter, but I love what I hear out of Masons mouth post games. He demonstrates an acumen for the game (not to say bob does not have that). What I hear out of Mason is leadership & responsibility. 3) Next year, Mason will be the 9th highest paid goalie in the league. Bobsky is 5th (1.5 m differential). The other 7 goalies paid more are 30 or older or nearing 30 years in age (with exception to Varlamov, who is the highest paid goalie next year). I will take Mason. I think he is maturing and the change has done him wonders.

I agree. But lightning can always be caught in a bottle come playoff time. Generally the best team wins. This year, there are a couple of monsters. I like the david / goliath factor. This team is reminding me more and more of a couple of 80's teams. On coots and schenn, yeah, why eff with it if its not broken. I don't give a rats a s s if Lecavielier is unhappy playing wing. FWIW, Schenn is playing / producing equally, if not better than richards at all 200 feet, while playing a couple less minutes a night. I thought Simmonds was a throw in on that deal. Not to mention the 2nd rounder we got was Grossman (for what its worth). As an aside, I found this a particularly funny quote from Coburn regarding richards in todays philly.com pregame column: ""They're great players and it's a good challenge," said defenseman Braydon Coburn, the longest-tenured Flyer. ". . ..We had a lot of great memories, obviously, with these guys, and they're good friends. They know the city well, they know the fans really well." I will leave the innuendo up to you and others, but it made me laugh.

To far away. :-)

I always forget about the Lappy part of the equation. Both players were heart and soul, lunch pail kind of players. That fact has nothing to do with coaching, but it does have to do with compete level. If I am a player in the room and either one of those guys speaks / puts on a video of them playing and calls me out for slacking, I am going to listen. I also love how Berube / staff always supports the players while being honest. The is no bus lurking in the corner bye either the players or the staff. Lastly, after the merry-go-round of goaltenders, I think we have a leader in that position. Many are known to be flaky (Bryz-bear-off and check-head-nek, etc.), but Mason seems very smart and with a level head. (that is not to dis bobs- whom I really liked).

Not for nothing, but I don't see Coots going anywhere- not even for a d-man. I know you have to give to get, but center-iceman of his skill do not come around that often. The O numbers are not there (yet), but they will come. He is 21 years old (not to be 22 until mid season next year). Wait until he is 25. On the Schenn thing, maybe. Its kind of weird to think he is riding shot-gun to what Simmonds brings regarding the trade. But Simmonds is 26 years old. Schenn is only 22. For me, I would prefer to give up a Laughton + 1st rounder to get a 2-4 d-man, or just wait the UFA. I like how this team has jelled and for whatever reason, the Macdaddy / Mesz trade seems to be a lynch-pin. For once, Homers limited moves seem to be paying dividends. I just hope we can get macdaddy signed as it will silence the lambs up there in Toronto re: JVR / L Schenn. While I would not believe I would be saying this, people have to start acknowledging Berube regarding his ability to evaluate, motivate and use players correctly to their skill set. Hitch never played a game of ice hockey in his life- but he knows hockey. While Berube as a player did not have allot of skill, he has demonstrated that he is smart at the aforementioned.

I thought its what European kids do. Go to most western European countries, and you will hear that (Italy / Spain come easily to mind).

No worries. I might have to go see where our picks came from. Certainly we did not have our own 2nd and 3rd rounders!!

Not for nothing, but equally to your point, Ghost was a third round pick. Our 2nd was Stolarz (goalie) and 1st Laughton.