Lindbergh31

The Panthers should be easy picking for the Pens, if the Pens don't win the game then there is something wrong.

Rad, all you have to look to is the guy writing the cheques, Ed Snider. Although he's been a good owner over the years, his competitiveness and unwilling to build a team through the draft and development is the reason Holmgren and the Flyers are as you put it "Chasing the Dragon" year after year. The stupid signings of players because he has the money to do it covered up a lot of mistakes made by management over the years. Eventhough we as Flyers fans would love to see them win the cup this year it isn't going to happen with this team so this is a perfect year to evaluate who are the Flyers core players going forward and to build around and then get rid of the rest for picks or prospects. As for goalies, eventhough Bryzgalov has played relentively good this year, they have to decide whether to keep him or buy him out and get a younger goalie to grow with this team (Bernier out of LA is one possibility) and maybe using the other buyout to get rid of Briere because of his cap hit or trade him to a contender.

Seeing how the Eastern conference isn't that great, there is only a couple teams (New Jersey and Boston) trying to get in front of the rest of the pack, the remaining spots will be up for grabs right to the end of the season. Ideally, if the Flyers are going to miss the playoffs then hopefully they finish near the bottom to get a better draft pick and they trade some of their vets (Briere) for prospects and draft picks not to mention valuable cap space. Holmgren has to figure out what is core group of players are and then build from there. Giroux will be better once Hartnell is back, they work well together like LeClair and Lindros did in years past. But I have a feeling Holmgren won't change the way he does things like years past.

Remember some of the decisions came from Snider not Holmgren since he wants to win a championship so bad before he kicks the bucket. The Bryzgalov signing comes to mind. But who would you get to replace him, the only person I could see Snider going after would be former Flyer, Ron Hextall.

Getting Bernier would be good for the Flyers, it would be nice to get him this year so he could play and then they could buyout Bryzgalov this coming summer. That way they'd have a young goalie to go with the young group of players going forward. Question is what would LA want for him, if it was Timonen and draft pick Holmgren would have to consider it.

We have a winner, it seems everytime Snider blows up something ends up happening and it's usually not a good thing. He wants to win in the worst way before he kicks the bucket, so thinking realistic and what's good for the team goes out the window [the goalie situation before they went out and signed Bryzgalov to that stupid contract].

If Flyers are going to miss the playoffs I'd rather see them finish at the bottom of the standings instead of middle of the pack. They could trade Timonen and Briere for draft picks. Right now their powerplay unit sucks and unless they get that straighten around then there is a good chance they will miss the playoffs. Bryzgalov is playing decently but another 7 years when you can buy him out this coming summer, that's something the Flyers brass has to seriously consider. The next 15 to 20 games will go a long way of determining what Holmgren has to do before the deadline.

Well hopefully Holmgren doesn't do something stupid and he keeps Couts. I see Couts as the second line centre behind Giroux once Briere is gone. If Subban doesn't resign with Montreal then the Habs won't be in a position of power regarding trading him so Holmgren should just wait and see.

Since Holmgren has a history of making panic moves, how long do you think before he makes a panic move if the Flyers keep losing. Bob McKenzie of TSN stated last night that PK Subban and the Canadiens are 2 years and 2 million dollars apart on a new contract and said there is a possibility of Subban being traded. With that being said would Holmgren trade for Subban?

If there was ever a player who was born to be a Flyer it was Lindros. He was a beast and was awesome in his prime. If there was no clutch and grab back then he would have dominated more than he did. The Legion of Doom line was great [it was the 94/95 shortened season when Clarke made the trade with Montreal to get LeClair and Desjardins after the Flyers started the season I think 1-6]. He had lots of battles with Scott Stevens but unfortunately Stevens got the last hit in that pretty much finished Lindros. If Clarke Gilles can get elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame then Lindros should have no problem getting elected.

What about Tim Thomas for a couple of years, I'm sure with taking this year off he'd be chopping at the bit to get back to playing hockey. Isn't he a free agent this coming summer?

It maybe unfair but Bryzgalov is being paid to be an elite goalie which he isn't. As Aziz pointed out earlier, Holmgren has to seriously think that unless Bryzgalov is going to be the difference maker in net then he has to buy him out this coming summer and look for other options. Despite what Snider said about this team is going to win the cup this year, I think it's wishful thinking on his part. If they're out of the playoff hunt at the deadline then Holmgren has a chance to unload some vets and reload. Now I'm not saying this season is over after 2 games but Bryzgalov has a 48 game audition to prove that he is a difference maker or elite goalie otherwise cut him loose.

Jammer, I agree if the Flyers don't have to give up much then they should consider it and get rid of headcase Bryzgalov. The contract length is scary but that's never stop Snider or Holmgren before. If anything it's signalled to Bryzgalov that he better have a better season this year otherwise he'll be kicked to the curb. On a side note, how did your Spitfires make out at the trade deadline, looks like Flyercanuck's Colts are doing well and the great Sudbury Wolves got rid of their top stars for another rebuild!

Well remember Bryzgalov wanted to be paid like a top-tier goalie and he did. Now he has a half season to prove himself otherwise he'll be gone. Snider will buyout Pronger so he gets his money and he can retire the proper way on his terms. It's going to be interesting to see how many players get bought out.

If there is a season then Bryzgalov has a 48 game tryout to keep the contract he has. So after all of the crap he's been thru this year it will be interesting to see how he plays. I'm sure he realizes that he could be a buyout candidate and a stronger possibility that he won't find another job in the NHL that pays him the money that the Flyers are paying him. As for the Bulin Wall, he can't be any worse than Bryzgalov but on an one year deal. But there is Backstrom out of Minnesota or other possible options.

Merry xmas to everyone and a happy new year. Let's hope both sides get this **** figured out so we as fans never have to see another lockout/strike in the next 40 years.

We can only hope it's a one way flight for Bryzgalov. If there is no season I wonder if his wife will convince him to stay in Russia for good.

I'm at the point now that I hope Bettman announces the cancellation of this season. Then an announcement comes out a couple of days after where big time sponsors of the NHL decided not to put any advertising dollars in the future. The revenue pie that the players and owners talks about shrinks and teams fold. Maybe then both the owners and players look back on this lockout and realize how much they both were idiots not to get a deal done.

Well I think it has to do with the fact that without the owners putting up the money for the franchises and in some cases keep putting money into teams that continue to lose money each year that they should get 50% of the revenue. Without the owners, the players wouldn't have a place to play. Take away the 30 owners and where do all 700 players play? Yes, I know the fans come to watch the players no the owners but you need both in order to have a league, not to mention the players keep saying they want a partnership with the owners [then most partnerships are 50/50]. Personally I'm not on either side because they're both greedy pricks that are ruining the game.

Enjoy your thanksgiving and the football games this afternoon since there isn't any hockey.

The players' path to 50/50 split doesn't take effect in the first year of the agreement? Also, I was under the assumption that the owners would honour the contracts but would prorate this year's wages based on the number of games remaining once the deal is signed.

Jammer, look at Jerome Iginla - he lost $7 million on the last lockout and stands to lose another $7 million on this lockout if it goes the whole year. Besides losing 2 years in his hockey career, he also loses $14 million in pay that he'll never get back. Both sides, mainly Bettman and Fehr have to get their collective heads out of their asses, put their egos aside and make a deal that will be good for the league and its players in general. I'm sorry but there is nobody from the NHLPA that convince me why they can't accept a 50/50 split on revenue, just the same no one on the owners side can convince me that they need the players to make a whole lot of concessions in order for them to survive from themselves. They have to move some franchises to cities that will support NHL hockey and fold other ones who can't survive on their own. Stop granting expansion teams in order to split the franchise fees amongest the 30 owners, maybe any new franchises that are granted, the money should be split 50/50 with the players union. All both sides accomplished was to piss off the die-hard fans of the league, the hockey that benefitted from their stupidity was the minor and junior leagues.

Can we have a moment of silence for Mr. Shelley!

I can see Holmgren bringing Timonen back on a 1 or 2 year deal but with a cap hit of $2.5 or $3 million instead of the $6.3 million now. There's going to be lots of players in the same boat as Timonen.

I think Bettman and the owners are going to tell Fehr and the players if there is no agreement in the next six weeks that they'll shutdown the season. The owners and players can't piss the fans anymore than they already have, a lot of fans have long prepared themselves for no hockey this year so it wouldn't come as a big shock if it does happen. The owners save on salaries and the players lose a year's wage that they'll never get back not to mention a year off their careers. Besides when it is all said and done, Fehr really doesn't give a **** if the season is lost otherwise he would have started negotiating a lot earlier.