BobbyClarkeFan16

The KHL is going before the IIHF to rule on the legitimacy of the contract. I think the IIHF will call the NHL there and they'll strike a deal with the KHL to terminate Fedotov's NHL contract and they'll get a sweetener from the KHL. All parties want resolution on this matter. They'll make it work.

At the end of the day, the Flyers and the KHL will come to an agreement in which Fedotov goes back to CSKA and Michkov will be released from his contract one year early.

...and I'm hoping they continue. Draft at least one goalie every year and see how many of them hit. Great problem to have.

Caufield would have never gotten a chance here. Vigneault and Therrien would have ruined him and he would have been a throw in on another deal. I get that he's a goal scorer (and I think we're going to have one in Foerster who will put up big numbers for goals), but York might be the guy on the defense and that's critical. You know what, I'm going to give Tortorella that. He's really good at developing defensemen. If York does indeed become a number one defenseman, his value immediately surpasses anything Caufield does. I'm waiting for when York gets a full season in to see what he can do.

I'm in the minority, but I hated Lindros. Hated everything about him. Hated how much he cost the franchise in terms of players, picks and cash to get him. Hated how he had done guys removed from the team (Recchi) because they didn't pass the puck to him enough or cost him bonuses. Hated how everything was always sometime else's fault when things didn't go right. Hated how EVERYTHING was about Eric and never the team. Yeah, I'm definitely not an 88 supporter in the slightest. It's too bad that this franchise decided that Brind'Amour was the guy that had to be moved because he was everything that you wanted in a player. Yet, he was the guy who was always stuck with the DiMiaio's, the Klatt's, etc....

Hey the executives and coaches want them to go hard, so if someone gets hurt, that's on coaching and the executives for telling these guys to go hard at all times.

I still can't believe he's gone unclaimed. Worse players have signed for more money and nobody, even our own team, is willing to give him a chance? Something else must be going on because clubs like the Flyers, ducks, Blackhawks, Blue Jackets, etc....should be all over him.

So is it a buy out Yzerman is doing with Zadina then? If so, I think you'll see someone sign him to a veterans minimum deal. Come on Briere, this is one guy that can REALLY help out the left side without having to move any right wing players.

Is he really a bottom pairing guy though? Staal averaged 18 minutes and 12 seconds per game during the regular season and 20 minutes 56 seconds per game in the playoffs. That's not bottom pairing/regular scratch ice time. That's D4 ice time. So, forget about Zamula, Andrae, Grans and Attard getting any playing time in the NHL. They're marked for the AHL and they're going to stay there because a Torts guy has been given a job and you know Torts is going to use him a lot. I hate this. I absolutely hate this. Staal won't be sitting for anyone.

If given the time and proper development, Carter Sotheran could be a real good one, a steal. Watching some of the video of him, he can really move. And he's another guy who is never in a bad defensive position. He also makes the right play every time. Yeah, he's probably going to take around 4 years to make it to the show, but if Portland and Lehigh Valley ever decide that it's worth developing his offensive game, he could really be something special. These are the picks that I love - guys with intangibles and areas that haven't been developed. At the very least, it would be awesome if he became a Brett Pesce type of defenseman.

We all know what's going to happen. Someone is going to claim him, Zadina will end up reaching his potential, and the Flyers will say "but Poehling offers so much more" ********. It's clear that the team being built is being built to Tortorella's specifications. So yeah, guys like Zadina will never be welcome here, but if they can find a younger Hathaway clone, you can bet that they'll be all over that like stink on ****.

Every team values players different. The scouts who I'm friends with all work for the central scouting bureau and there really isn't a consensus per se with regards to how team scouts view players and how CSB views players. With that being said, scouting definitely isn't an exact science. For instance, Elite Prospects and they're scouting services had Bonk ranked as the 68th best player in North America. You know who was rated ahead of him? Flyers 5th round pick Carter Sotheran. I think if anyone hasn't, watch the videos of Bonk that are out there. It's easy to see why he went 22nd. He's going to be really good. The question is whether he survives Flyers development because we all know that's a black hole.

I don't think anyone hates or has knives drawn for Briere. What I think some are upset about is that we have a GM that says that they're going to play young players, yet they make moves to fill spots with veterans, so that the young players don't get a chance. And the veterans they sign? They're players that one would expect Bobby Clarke, Paul Holmgren and Schmuck Felcher would have targeted. Why do they insist to sign crap to fill roles? The management of this team talks a good talk, and then when it comes time to deliver, it's the same disappointing player types they sign. It's as if this franchise just can't help themselves.

Has that been confirmed that's the player heading back? There was a post on Twitter a week ago that the player was Vasily Ponomarev.

"We're going to ensure our young players get a chance to develop and make the team so we can see what we have." Then process to sign guys that will fill roster spots and leave the young guys out looking in. There isn't room for a Foerster, Lycksell or Desnoyers now. This franchise. Even with a new GM, they just can't help themselves but sign these overrated hacks. Just watch. I'm willing to bet Hathaway will be gifted all sorts of ice time because "heaviness". Skill, not size or heaviness, is how you win. ****** dinosaurs.....

I'm looking at the 45% face offs won percentage, the average ice time of 11:46, the 64 shots taken in 53 games and the 7 goals. He stinks. If he was signed only to play on the PK, then I'd like to know why the Flyers refuse to use Farabee and Frost as a pair on the PK? Everywhere they've been prior to the NHL, they've been successful and great penalty killers. It only makes sense that they should continue to use them here.

Yep, the stooge's right hand man, Nature Boy Brent Flahr is still the assistant GM. There will always be a Minnesota flavour if the stench from the previous regime is still around.

I'm looking for the article right now that said Michkov was Belarusian. I know he doesn't owe military time, so they can't hold him for that.

How much money are the Flyers sitting on right now? It's like $13 million or something. Best thing Briere can do is some young unqualified players to fill roles. For instance, I'd take a shot on Yamamoto. The left side is rather weak and there's no one in Lehigh Valley ready to fill a left wing spot. Yamamoto might be a good reclamation project. I'd also look at a guy like Max Comtois from Anaheim. There's another guy who needed a change of scenery in the worst kind of way. He could move a guy like Deslauriers to the 13th forward spot. In terms of the only other free agent I'd consider, I'd look at a right handed defenseman. Ethan Bear would be ideal, but he's missing the first three months of the season with shoulder surgery. Then he'd have to get into game shape and be acclimated with the team, so you're looking at about four to five months to be effective. No trades and no big name signings. These are all guys that if they rebound, can be flipped at the deadline for draft assets.

Michkov isn't Russian - he's Belarusian. He owes no military time to anyone.

Think of a physical and faster Mats Zuccarello and you've got Denver Barkey. And if you didn't see his performance in the playoffs for London, you missed one of the best performances from a player. And here's the thing - he might end up with one more growth spurt and if he adds two inches and 20 pounds, you now have a 5'11, 175 pound center. This is an absolute sleeper of a pick.

This is a game changing home run pick. More important, Michkov wants to be here. It's going to happen and yeah, it will take three years, but it will be worth it.

I won't say I'm disappointed that Briere didn't deal Hart, Laughton, Sanheim or Konecny. When you've got younger players who are going to be joining the team and when you're rebuilding, you need to have some talent there. Getting obliterated every night is no way to develop players. Having some talent ensures that the team will be competitive, won't get slaughtered and will teach the young players about how to play. In Tortorella's system, it's paramount to pay attention to detail and these guys will teach the young players that. Now, I do expect that they'll get moved as more guys are ready to play. That's just the nature of the beast. I can live with moving all the guys if there are capable players in place that can replicate what they do. I do wonder with all this money left over if Briere plans on the team eventually being close to a salary floor team while the rebuild is taking place. It's smart not tie up too many long term big money deals. At the same time, I'd certainly hope that Briere will take on salary dumps if it means getting premier assets in return.

I had a chance to talk with a few of my friends who are scouts and they all said the same thing about Oliver Bonk. He's really, really good and he's just starting to understand how to utilize his talent. He's got the defensive side of the game down and they said that's the hardest part of the game. They mentioned that if you watch him play, he's very efficient. He's never out of position, he never misses assignments, he always makes the right play, he doesn't panic under pressure, and he's just starting to scratch the surface with regards to his offensive game. They also said that the best pro comparison for him would be a bigger Jared Spurgeon. Unassuming, but incredibly effective. They also mentioned that there were more dynamic defensemen in the draft. They also said that those dynamic defensemen had big red flags to their game. They said if you look at Bonk, there's nothing in terms of red flags and that if you're building a blueline, those kinds of players are on your team for 15 years.

I watched the draft last night and the panel was asked about the lack of moves and I think it was Jeff Marek who said that the draft was so deep this year that nobody wanted to move their picks and those who did were looking for ways to trade back into the first. Briere also mentioned that he was looking to move up initially but the cost was so high that he stayed.