OH1FlyersFan

I'm curious how the Blue Jackets let themselves get hosed so badly.

I put that all on Howson. Their management sucks.

the downside could be if he really is lazy now that he's got the big contract there is no incentive to play hard...

That's true. We've seen that happen before. Carter????

I like him. I like him with the young core of players he's developing. They know him, his system, they'll grow up in it, know it, and respond well to it - they won't fight it. This could pay big dividends. I like the consistency and predicatbility. That breeds comfort and confidence among those players. He's not won the Flyers a Cup yet, but there's time. The regular season wins are there. Now if only they'd given him a sane goalie....ha.

I think $4250000 for playing a game is far too much for any person. Think about what Hockey salaries were 10 years ago. Or that of any sport. Now contrast that with the average fan. Sports figures are making 5 to 10 times what they were in the '90s. Tickets have gone from $20 for a seat to $100 or more. Despite the down economy, I've gotten a few decent raises, but not 5 times what I was making 10 years ago. Most of us joes haven't.

Cole Hamels will make about $750,000 per game started. And chances are he won't have to even finish most of them. Jake will "only" make about $52,000, assuming he plays 82 games. But he'll only actually play 20 minutes, maybe.

I know it is "what the market will bear" but it increasingly is a way overpriced market. It's not just sports either. The cost of ALL entertainment, movies, Disney World, liquor, cigarettes, etc. has skyrocketed way beyond the average increase in wages. I'm not really sure how I got off tangent like this, and now I'm going to pay $12 for an excellent three course lunch, which is reasonable, but also pay $4.50 a beer, which is not.

Well, geez. Thanks for putting things into perspective and ruining my morning. I'll just keep my Flyers hat covered head buried in the sand, thank you very much.

I think everyone is really overvaluing this guy..but we'll see..

Could be, OC. But I think there's a pretty good upside. In Columbus the book on him was he was a little lazy, wasn't working hard enough, wasn't staying in shape. I think from what we've already seen, that's changed 180 degrees since he's come to Philly. And he'll only get better. His teammates will challenge him, the coaching staff will challenge him, the fans will. He's in a much more competitive environment with a team that has great potential and skill. A far cry from the Blue Jackets. That will boost his confidence in himself and his playing ability. He could explode (in a good way) into this new contract. And these are the right conditions to make that happen.

Briere had an off year last year..you can't honestly tell me you think Jake is a better goal scorer than Danny boy...

The difference-maker to me is Danny is winding down and Jake is winding up. That's what makes this contract appropriate at this time.

Well, Holmgren really needs to step back and breath easy at this point. Nash on the Rangers can be nuetralized. It just won't be easy. He should go after Doan and stay away from Ryan.

I agree. Malkin was neutralized during the playoffs. It's not impossible for us. Nash can be neutralized. But with Nash on the Rangers and Crosby on the Penguins, what it really means is that GIROUX is going to have to step up and play the awesome game he has been playing. He's going to have to play just as hard and harder, to be even more impactful offensively. He has earned the right to be put on that list with Crosby and Nash. The Rangers and Penguins have their "stars", sure. Well, we'll see their star in Giroux and raise them a Couturier. We don't need to panic.

@FLYERS67

He has to be with NSH for this season...he cannot be traded anywhere. After next year..yes he can be move....would NSH consider a trade with philly..yeah but it would be a steep price. The time to have gotten him was now....... And no I don't think they would entertain any offers from Homer...

With our luck, the Rangers will somehow figure a way to land him next season......

@orange_crush I was just looking at available RFA's to offer sheet....Carlson would be my pick. A mid level offer that does not cost 4 first rounders....or, P.K Subban. If offense is needed, try Kane in Winnipeg. They just offered him under 5 mill a year for 7 years....

I hate Subban. Regardless of how good he might be, the guy is a punk.

Flyers took a step or two back, the Pens took a step back, the Devils took a step back, the Islanders..., the Rangers took a big step forward.... godamitsomuch.

And the Rangers, with Lundquist in goal, were already a step or two ahead of everyone else.

Nashville will get "less" than they wanted but more than they likely deserve.

For me, turning Weber into a Jake/Meszaros/MAB/1st package isn't bad at all. Sort of like Richards for Schenn/Simmonds and Crater for Jake/Couturier.

Would rather keep Jake than Read as well, but "you have to give to get" can come into play, no matter how much we may object.

But if it's gong to be that sweet, I'd like to have the option to swap 1sts with Nashville and/or get one of theirs back.

Don't really disagree, but there's something in the back of my mind saying that to let MAB go just might be a mistake. That's the one component that gives me a little heartburn. I'd really love to keep him and see how he develops here in Philly.

I hope you don't mean bake a cake.

Well, that would depend on the kind of cake he's baking.......haha.

Fair enough, but it requires, dare I say it, a different "system" from Lavy's much ballyhooed run and gun. Carle was/is one of the best puck moving D-men in all of hockey. So something's gotta give. I've seen Luke Schenn "move" a puck before, and there ain't nothin' elegant about it.

That's true. It will be interesting to see if Lavy changes his approach. Theoretically, he knows the pieces he now has to play with, their strengths and weaknesses, and should make adjustments accordingly to fit them.

Call me crazy, but I really think Luke Schenn is going to be a big addition to our defense. I think he will be a better defensive player than Carle. (He won't put up nearly the same point totals, but I'm not that worried about his offense.)

I agree. As long as he plays tough and physical and uses his body to keep the crease clear from Bryz, to give the goalie some time and space and vision, then I'll be happy. Play defense. Help your goalie. If it gives Bryz the chance, a better chance, to make the saves he should have been making last season, then it's an improvement. In my opinion, Carle was lacking in that capacity. I think Schenn will be an improvement. Let the offense take care of the offense.

To look on the half full side, at this stage it appears that all Atlantic Division teams got a bit weaker. Us loosing JVR, Jagr and Carle, Pens loosing Staal, Rangers loosing Prust and Rusty the Devs losing Parise, the Islander whatever.

Looking at the East as a whole it looks like only the Western teams got better.

The Canucks now have more competition from the Wild and Oilers for the Northwest, St Louis should take out the Central and LA the Pacific.

I agree with this. And it's interesting to me because, it IS kinda even right now....we all lost a little. But what if one of those teams makes a run at Nash or Ryan? That'll upset this balance of power. It also seems like there is an opportunity here. Maybe we launch a pre-emptive strike and go after Ryan. I think Nash may cost too much, but if it doesn't involve given up Couturier or gutting the young core we have developing, then may be it's worth the gamble. One team picking up one guy, like a Ryan or a Nash, could gain a significant advantage all of a sudden. And if we pick up, say, Ryan, does that force the Penguins, Devils, or Rangers to go after Nash for whom they would likely overpay? Could be interesting.

Isn't he something like 40 years old now?

they way it stands now... it would seem the flyers are done, barring any trades. we have one roster spot open to complete the 23 man roster and we still need to resign vorachuk. is it weird that he's not been signed as of yet? they need to get on that.

Unless Voracek is going to be part of a trade??? Just speculation......

dude can hit!!!

......and then unfortunately immediately gets penalized for it.....all season long! But I agree, he can hit.

An inter-galactic space ship?

And I'm pretty sure Luongo isn't afraid of bears.......

I agree with Mad Dog's last post. Don't give Couts back to CBJ and I'd prefer to keep Schenn. Here's what the Columbus newspaper is saying about Nash - as of this afternoon. Take it with a grain of salt. These guys are like blind squirrels -- occassionally they'll find a nut.

Jul 2, 2012

Lay Of The Land

Day 2 of NHL free agency dawns, with Rick Nash still a member of the Blue Jackets. No shocker there, really, as the Blue Jackets anticipated the market for Nash remaining stagnant until free agent Zach Parise picks his destination. At that time, GM Scott Howson hopes, the clubs who don't get Parise will up the ante to land Nash.

Some bullet-point news/observations on where the process stands at this hour:

-- To this moment, Nash's camp has not been presented with any trade offers to accept or decline.

-- Philadelphia is most definitely on Nash's list of approved destinations. The Flyers have been in on talks with the Blue Jackets regarding Nash for months now. Last week's trade of James van Riemsdyk to Toronto does not create a roadblock to a deal, we're told, only a hurdle. The Jackets liked van Riemsdyk and would have gladly taken him in the deal. But the Flyers have plenty of pieces still that could get it done.

-- The New York Rangers still appear to make the most sense, based on their organizational configuration. Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports Howson is insistent on getting Chris Kreider, Ryan McDonagh or Derek Stepan -- one of those three, if not two of them -- in any deal for Nash. We've not been able to confirm those names on this end, but it's been suggested that most of the clubs still interested in Nash have presented a couple/few possible packages.

-- Media in New York has reported that the Rangers are not in on Parise, who has said he wouldn't leave the Devils for the rival Rangers. Still, if the Flyers land Parise, you'd better believe the Rangers become more interested in Nash. Same is true if Pittsburgh gets Parise.

While we're throwing names around, nobody's mentioned Wellwood as part of a possible trade, unless I've missed it on this thread. And I think that's a good thing, in my opinion. He's one I'd like to keep around. But I also think he has really good value that might get him a serious look if we're in a trade situation - or at least "should" get him a look..

I just don't see how, unless Homer pulls something major (like he did last summer). As I just posted to Rad, $8-$10 mill *can* get you some decent role-players-kind people, but we might as well forget about Parise... not that he showed much enthusiasm coming to Philly thus far.

Can we get a Bobby Ryan inside of those numbers?

HockeyCentral was just saying they think Ryan to Philly is almost a sure thing. And Coburn AND Voracek may be the players going back the other way. How does this make us better? It doesn't.

I guess this assumes we resign Carle and don't have a hole to fill there too. That's an interesting combination.

My head tells me our most pressing area of need, other than goaltending, is on defense. I would be very slow to give up Coburn. He seems to be coming into his own, and getting better every year. About three seasons ago, I would have said dump Coburn as fast as you can. My opinion of him is a little higher now.

My heart tells me we can't ever have enough scorers and I like Jake. He's got great potential too. But, I'd rather see him go before Couts or Schenn or Read. If we have to give up a forward, does it make sense to trade Vorack for Ryan? On that level I kind of like the deal.

But with Coburn thrown in, it gives me a little heartburn. Just depends on what d-man we can sign during free agency to replace him. Justin Schultz? I'd be willing to take a flyer, no pun intended, in that.

Does it have to cost us both Schenn and Couturier? If it does, then I say no thanks. If it's Couts, I say no thanks. If Schenn, then I think we can make a deal. I like Schenn, I like his potential. I like him on the Flyers, but I think letting him go for Ryan probably leaves us in a better position. But I agree with what others have posted - I like our young core and would love to watch it develop over the next 2-3 seasons. If we take our current group into the next season, I won't be terribly disappointed. But, at the same time, I think we should do something to replace Jagr (assuming he doesn't resign) and JVR. You could argue that's the immediate need. On the other hand, you could fill that hole with someone we already have in the system. That would probably work out ok, but that's a longer term solution.

Do you mean in terms of cap space, Digity? I thought we were sitting on something like $11 million based on what I thought I read in another post. I thought trading JVR cleared up some salary. We don't resign Jagr, Bob's gone, and if Carle is let go, then I think we could offer something that Ryan finds attractive. Having said all that, I'll fully admit, I don't know exactly where we stand relative to the cap after all these moves.