BobbyClarkeFan16

5 hours ago, OccamsRazor said:

I think this is about 300K to much but what ya gonna do...

 

 

...so about 6.2 mill left to resign Myers and a backup goalie with and then for who else????

Out of 199 defensemen in the NHL, Hagg rated 199th. He is awful and it's too bad because when he played in Sweden, he looked like a legitimate top four defenseman and 2nd PP guy. He had great upside. He then goes to Philadelphia and it's like he forgot everything he was taught. I know that during his first year, there were rumours of home sickness and that he was ready to go back overseas, but he gutted it out. It's too bad that every coach he's ever had in North America coached the skill and usefulness right out of him. The Flyers spent $1.6 million too much on him. Hopefully he's just exposure material for Seattle and they bite on him.

As for Ghost, I'm sad at what's become of him. His knee injuries and how Haktard and company tried to fundamentally change his game pretty much broke him. I had high hopes that Yeo would get him back on track because Yeo has a good track record working with defensemen, but it just became an instance that a change of scenery will do Ghost good. I'm convinced that he ends up in either Detroit or Minnesota, depending on what happens with both Torey Krug and Matt Dumba. 

As for Philadelphia, I'm guessing that means we're going to see our defense look like:
 

Provorov - Niskanen

Sanheim - Myers

Hoggwart - Friedman

UFA

6 hours ago, OccamsRazor said:

If you can move out these assets you have to go all in on AP.

 

I would love this move.

 

Niskenen frees up 5.7 mill.

 

Ghost 4.5 mill.

 

And Hagg around 1 mill.

 

It frees up 11.2 mill to pursue AP. 

 

What will it take per year 8.5? 9?

 

Do it.

The only problem then is the expansion draft. The three defensemen works more than likely be Provorov, Sanheim and Myers. And if people think that because of the contract, the purple in Seattle wouldn't select Pietrangelo, I'm saying think again. The owners have some DEEP pockets, so an $8.5 million and above deal won't frighten them off. 

I say keep on the path, try to rid the team of bloated contracts and continue working younger players into the lineup. 

20 hours ago, OccamsRazor said:

I think it's a no brainer the Flyers have to move some salary out for this to happen but i have said i would entertain this before.

 

Our favorite Flyer rumor guy at it again...

 

On Gaudreau and the Flyers...
I am told this possibility is really only there if the Flames can get Taylor Hall to return home to play, but if that does happen there is a deal that could be made (e4)

 

 

So i'll leave it here to discuss. I think he and Hayes could rekindle their college days magic and worst case it's 1 or 2 year experiment to see if that can take place. But for two years 6.7 mill per why not especially if we are hoping Giroux, Jake and JVR get their heads out of their arses...why not move on of these bums and see if he can help???

 

If you could move out JVR for this roll of the dice i would go for it. Worst case scenario he doesn't workout and you trade him in the offseason with one year left on his deal or by the 2021-22 trade dead line as a playoff rental.

 

Feel free to chime in or rant about something...

One can only hope they can move Van Useless.... 

In terms of moving Ghost, the issue will be whether his knees are 100%. So, 2018 - 2019 offseason he was recuperating from knee surgery only to have another surgery in 2019 - 2020. Clearly there's a problem with his knees that he simply needs time off to heal and heal fully.

A healthy Gostisbehere is a difference maker and I think the coaching staff realizes that. Everyone knows what he's capable of. He's not being handled by Therien either as Yeo looks after the defense. Yeo also has a good track record working with defensemen, so I'm not worried about that. 

Everything with Ghost seems to be health and head. One solid year of health and just letting the play come to him will be all what he needs. Let's not forget that Hakstol and company tried to fundamentally change the type of defensemen he was and they broke him. It's going to take time to fix him.

The problem in Ottawa is that Eugene Melnyk is a cheap ass son of a bitch that wants to keep the budget as low as possible. He'll only deal for players with big cap hits, but low salary pay outs. He's all but directed Pierre Dorion to move out salary as much as possible, with the exception of Thomas Chabot. Just watch what happens when Tkachuk comes up for contract renewal. He'll ask for 8 and Dorion will low ball him at 4 or 5 and then move him for trash pieces.

Hindsight is 20/20, unfortunately. Scouts were raving about Morin going into the draft and the trajectory that he was on. I remember that year and I really wanted Josh Morrisey to be the pick. I thought the Flyers needed a legitimate puck moving power play defenseman and he fit the bill. When they took Sam though, I understood why. How could you not be intrigued by a 6'7, 200+ pound defenseman that can play with snarl and could skate like there's no tomorrow. He was also a decent puck carrier and had a bomb of a shot from the point. I'll agree that the Pronger comparisons much. Sam compared more favourably to Zdeno Chara, especially when it came to their growth in the game. 

I still think Sam can be a player and a good one at that. The knee injuries were flukes. When you see how he was injured, it was bull - **** luck. I think having this year of not worrying about the big club and playing in the AHL to get himself back into game shape will be good for him.

2 hours ago, RonJeremy said:

Drouin has been in a bad situation since he came into the NHL, he failed in Tampa and now he isnt wanted by his hometown team. So when is he going to reach his potential? He has talent but he does not have a winning attitude . We dont need another physically and mentally soft player on this team, we need real leaders and players with a Bobby Clarke or Mike Richards work ethic to inspire the floaters we already have. I would trade JVR for Drouin,  but not Ghost, but I know Montreal would never want JVR.

He didn't fail in Tampa Bay. He produced. Look at hockeydb.com and you'll see that he produced his first full season in Tampa Bay. As for Montreal, it's been a **** show. Claude Julien has tried turning him into something he isn't. Julien thought he could turn him into Brad Marchand. News flash - not everyone is a physical player. Doesn't make them soft in any shape or form. It was like Justin Williams when he was here. Hitchcock GROSSLY misused him. It wasn't until he got to Carolina that they let him grow into the player he could be. That's what it is with Drouin. The talent is there. It's never been an issue of that. Some guys just aren't a good fit in certain environments. 

As for Mike Richards, yeah, no thanks. I want to ensure that my captain or leader isn't an oxycontin junkie or prone to fits when other players would challenge his leadership. 

John LeClair was also called a floater. We all know how he turned out. Drouin is just in a bad situation. 

7 hours ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

They will end up moving Ghost to free up 4 mill unless they take a player back. Which they still could and still pocket some cap space.

 

I trust Chuckles is working the phones and we may even see something go down at the draft.

 

I hate to see Ghost but if he isn't going to be given the chance to work on his game might as well get something of value for him.

 

He will make a nice reclamation project for some team.

And its not just Ghost either that they can move. Both JVR and Voracek don't have NMC clauses in their deal. So, if the Flyers can get out of the two deals with much needed cap space, they'll be ok. 

As for Nolan Patrick, no one is going to sign him to an offer sheet, especially if his future is unknown. It makes zero sense and if someone says 'they'll do it to screw with another team's cap situation', we all know that they'll be crucified for that. 

The Flyers are going to be younger this year. I think that's gong to be the reality we face. There's going to be no big name free agent signings. We'll probably see trades and we'll probably see some prospects head out in deals with players as well. That's going to be the way Chuckles will have to improve the team. 

Of note, I heard a rumour of one deal that would send JVR, Friedman and a draft pick to Montreal for Drouin and a draft pick. Not sure what to make of it, but it's clear that the rumours are starting. 

50 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

Bill Meltzer

 

@billmeltzer

·

1h

 

CF: I like to do everything from a collaborative standpoint. But it was clear to me from the playoffs, that we didn't get enough over the latter 13 games from our bottom 6. A healthy Lindblom and Patrick will help to address that. Other thing is defensive depth.

 

WTF?

 

The lack of production from the top line until facing elimination especially their Captain and he is worried about the bottom 6?

 

Dear Gawd....

Unfortunately, since Bill has become a writer for the Flyers, his journalistic integrity has taken a hit. He used to call things as they were previously, but now he's more prone to placate the organization. 

13 hours ago, RonJeremy said:

Our third and fourth lines are not really a problem, it’s our top two lines that are the problem. 2/3 of our top line are 32 years old and will not be getting better in the upcoming years. This Johnny Appleseed is getting excited about a fourth line, wow maybe I will get season tickets.

Alexander Appleyard is one of the most intelligent and credible posters with regards to everything Flyers related. He also knows the European leagues inside out. He's an invaluable resource. 

1 hour ago, RonJeremy said:

Yes , they could be a thorn in our side for a few years , they have us  beat in the speed, skill, size and toughness.. Back in the day we could use our size and toughness and sheer will and tenacity  to sometimes beat a more skilled team. We would outhit and out work the other teams. These days we don’t really have an identity . We aren’t fast or highly skilled, we aren’t all that big and we certainly aren’t tough. Guys like Martin and Mayfield could have pulverized our guys in a fight, we don’t have anybody to stand up to them. The Isles are built to play a physical game and a speed game and they have big wingers to jam the net and are defensively sound. They also have two high end prospects coming next year Dobson and Wahlstrom., so they are gonna be a problem for us..we have good defense and goaltending, Meyers and Sanheim need to gain some strength , and they are capable of creating good scoring chances and moving the puck, we need a replacement for Braun, our defense is pretty set, the offense is where the problems are. We need some speed/skill and some big wingers who can score in front. We have two big scoring wingers in Ratcliffe and Allison, but I  highly doubt if we can count on them to be ready for next season. Frost and Patrick are question marks, other than that , I don’t see any additional offense coming unless the Swedish kid we signed turns out to be a Ringer.

Frost isn't a question mark. The guy has the talent and the skill. The problem is that he was only playing 8 to 10 minutes a night instead of starting in Lehigh Valley where he could have been dominant and then ready for 2020-2021. That's on Fletcher. 

And please don't talk about 'size' being an issue. Brayden Point is 5'10, 165 pounds (2 inches smaller and 20 pounds lighter than Frost) and he doesn't seem to have a problem adjusting to the pro game. The problem is that the Flyers play a ****** trap system that doesn't utilize the talents of the players they have. Never have I seen an organization try to fit players into a system that doesn't work with the talent they have. It's borderline mental retardation. 

I don't think moving JVR, Giroux and Voracek would be as difficult as some might think. Fact is, all three are 20+ goal scorers who would thrive in a secondary or tertiary role. 

I could see a team like Colorado being interested in Giroux and I think a guy like Tyson Jost with a prospect like Shane Bowers could easily be done. He and Mackinnon on the pp would be lethal. 

Voracek could bring in a good prospect and a 2nd. 

JVR might be the most difficult to move, but then again, he'd be a deadline type acquisition and could be exposed to the expansion draft afterwards. There's some value there for a club. 

The big issue would be selling it to ownership. This is a franchise that is hell bent on icing veterans regardless. Young players are made to sit or play in roles to support veterans. Management would have to sell ownership on the idea of going with a very young core. 

Personally, if Vigneault and Fletcher feel that Frost is ready for the big show and if Ratcliffe is ready to make the jump, that might be an easier sell. 

5 hours ago, Poconono said:

Simple question: Which prospect seriously has a chance to be another Barzal, MacKinnon, Kucherov, or Matthew?  Watching Frost in LV last year it's hard to see the same potential there. He has no concept of defense, is easily pressured into mistakes and doesn't seem to give complete effort every shift.  He wouldn't match up well against the heavier NHL teams.  There are lots of other prospects but I don't see any game changers.  Their best AHLer, Vorobyev, is gone.

Frost is going to be perfectly fine and can easily be another Barzal. Let's be honest about Lehigh Valley - Scott Gordon is a retard who has zero coaching acumen and NO business developing prospects. He's only there out of a misguided sense of loyalty to someone who took over the big club when Hakstol all but poisoned the locker room with horrendous coaching decisions and over usage and misuse of players. The fact that Frost did as well as he did with no viable instruction is nothing more than a minor miracle. It also speaks in volumes that Vigneault wanted him on the club and it was Fletcher that decided elsewise. The 2020-2021 season, Vigneault will have Frost for the full year. 

As for the 'third pairing' defensemen, that's ludicrous. Provorov is a number one in the league. Sanheim and Meyers have number one upside and are currently the second pairing. Zamula has top 4 upside. Same with York. Ronnie Attard might end up the sleeper of the group. And Friedman is ready so when Braun walks, he steps in. 

As for the rest of the forwards, Farabee will be a legit top six guy. He just turned 20 and plays a full 200 foot game. Patrick is a legitimate question mark, but if they can get the migraine issues addressed, he's good to go. O'Brien gets a do over with Boston University. And depending what the Flyers do at the draft, if they draft a guy like Mavrik Bourque or Brendan Brisson, that's another high end piece to add to the pipeline. 

So no, it isn't doom and gloom. There are very legitimate pieces in the system. Prospect development isn't linear either, so some guys might take longer than others. That's just the way it is. 

6 hours ago, tucson83 said:

if they strip the c or trade giroux, you think kevin hayes would be a good candidate for captain since he would listen to av and has good relationship with his players?

It should be someone drafted and developed by the Flyers at this point. I'd go with either Provorov or Konecny, but leaning more towards Ivan. 

It's all mindset in Philadelphia, from management to coaching to players. Management still thinks this team needs to be big and tough, coaching thinks that only veterans get prime playing time and the young players who should be playing are caught in this ancient way of thinking. 

I hope this offseason, they move on. Get rid of Therrien behind the bench. An 0 for power play in the playoffs is unacceptable, especially with the fire power available. 

I hope the Flyers move on from several players and go young. Let the Frosts, Bunnamans, Rubtsovs, etc all play without fear of being bumped by a grizzled veteran just 'because'. If these guys are the future, then let them learn and let them play. 

In terms of veterans, I'm ready to see the club move on from JVR, Giroux, Voracek, Grant, Thompson, Braun, and Niskanen. If rather the club take a 'step back' if it means taking five steps ahead. 

Thera a very good base of talent right now between Philadelphia, Lehigh Valley, and respective junior leagues and the NCAA. Continue to add to that base and ensure that a good development path is in place. The fact that there seems to be such a disparity between what players are learning in Lehigh Valley and what is happening in Philadelphia is concerning. 

1 hour ago, MaineFlyFan said:

Couple things on my mind as I swallow the end of this season....

 

1) Hart was the shining light in all of this. Amazing for a 21 YO.His composure is UNREAL. I'm so excited he is on our team! It's literally a pleasure to watch him play goal!

 

2) Lindblom was a terrific story and if he doesn't win the Masterson I'll eat my shoe. The whole thing...laces and all.

 

3) Speaking of Lindblom. I do not mean to come off as a "jerk" here (probably too late), but Lidblom was diagnosed with cancer, went through HELL which is refereed to by doctors as "treatment", and was back n the ice in approx 9 months!!!....... Patrick has been out for like 2 years with a headache. If I were Patrick, I would not be able to look Linblom in the eyes.....

 

I'm Probably HORRIBLY ignorant on the topic so someone (Pilldoc??) wanna educate me on this?!!?

 

It's ****** 2020! We can cure Ewings Sarcoma but can't figure out "Headaches?!"........

 

(EDIT: just to be clear, I'm not saying Patrick is "faking" or that migraines aren't a real thing....just honestly amazed that we do not have a solution for this "aliment"....)

 

 

As someone who suffers from chronic migraines, it's not as simple as you make it out to be with regards to finding a solution or cure. There is no cure for migraines and if you ever knew the pain of a real migraine, you'd be thinking different. 

I don't know how bad the migraines are that Patrick gets, but I can tell you with mine, the pain is so bad that I vomit, lost my eyesight and then pass out. No amount of medicating fixes it. 

I have had all sorts of different treatments. I've had different diet changes. I've been placed in different environments that have tried to replicate different humidity and barometric pressures. I've had numerous cat scans and MRIs. I've had numerous allergy tests done. I've had numerous acupuncture procedures. I've had different glasses prescriptions complete with different levels of tinting. I've had numerous medications. There's just no cure. 

The only thing that I've been successful with is being able to identify when a migraine is about to happen and being prepared for it. I've found that THC is the best component so far in helping manage the migraines. I smoke and then I go to sleep for a few hours. 

Eventually Patrick will get sorted out and he'll find a regimen that works for him. With every single chronic migraine sufferer, there is no common solution to correct it. You eventually find a way to manage them. That's about it. 

9 minutes ago, RonJeremy said:

I know I may be crucified for saying this but, as much as we want to shop Giroux, Jake and JVR, do we really think anyone wants trade for these past their prime overpaid players?

There will always be takers. There's always someone who's willing to take that chance. I'm certain you put those three on the market and there will be teams lining up for their services. They no longer fill the required need here and it's time to send them elsewhere. If the Flyers want to break with the past, those are the three that represent it. It's time to move on.

18 minutes ago, tucson83 said:

yeah they are always sticking up for the players and blaming the coach, im surprised they didnt eat crow when berube won a cup with st.louis like these fans on that board so closed minded that's it's always the coaches and not the players. berube winning a cup with st.louis proved the fact it is the players.

Agreed. We have some good players, but it's time to cut bait on others. Right now, the core of this team should be: Hart, Provorov, Sanheim, Meyers, Laughton, Farabee, Lindblom, NAK, Koncency, Hayes, Couturier. We need to see if Patrick comes back healthy and cleared of his migraine issues first and Frost needs regular playing time before considering them core. After that, all bets are off. Shop the hell out of Claude, Jake and JVR and see what the results net. It's clear that this club needs a Keith Primeau type to be the leader. No more of the "silent, but strong." A vocal and commandeering leader is needed. 

1 minute ago, pilldoc said:

I have been saying this for years now... except for “the shift” .. Giroux has done squat in post season play....

I'm done. In the most important time and most important game of the year, he doesn't show up. Reading on HFBoards tonight and they were throwing Vigneault under a bus, yet they played THE SAME system during the regular season and they looked like champs. Every one of them should be embarrassed and Giroux needs to be held accountable for his playoff failure, yet again. He's the captain and he's the face of the franchise. It's time to face the heat and it's time to plead your case why you should remain in Philadelphia.

**** Claude Giroux. I've been his biggest defender for years, but I'm done. If you can't get your team focused for a Game 7 as captain, you don't deserve to be captain. I hope they shop the hell out of him. I've never been so disappointed as I am right now. To watch this team come out absolutely flat, and to continue to come out flat two series in a row is inexcusable. I got that it's been popular to bash ex gms and coaches (however, the hate for Haktard was well deserved), this doesn't fall on Vigneault. Everyone got a clean sheet with him and Claude completely **** the bed.  

18 hours ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

My wake up you're dreaming scenario would be after Arizona loses Hall to the Flames the Flyers swoop in and trade them JVR to replace him. Maybe just for Grabner in return and a pick he is only under contract for 20-21 at 3.35 mill.

 

Then trade Canucks Voracek since i don't think they will have the money to sign Toffoli since rumor has it he wants 10 mill per.

 

And then go sign Mike Hoffman.

 

Giroux - Coots - TK

Hoffman - Hayes - Farabee

Lindblom - Frost - NAK

Grabner - Laughton - Raffl 

 

Ok someone slap me i'm done dreaming...

If we could move JVR and get someone like Victor Soderstrom instead, I'd be over the moon.

As for Voracek, I'd be interested in a package around Olli Juolevi or Kole Lind. I'm a huge Olli fan from his days with London and I think he's just a guy that needs a change of scenery.

As for Mike Hoffman, I'm not even sure there's a spot for him in Philadelphia. The left side is already set with Giroux - Lindblom - Farabee - Raffl - Laughton. There's literally no room for Hoffman. 

Now, Dadonov on the other hand, he'd be a great fit on the right side if the Flyers move Voracek. You could bump Konecny to the top line, Dadonov would be your second, NAK your third and Pitlick the 4th. As you can tell, I'm all for blowing **** up...lol

1 hour ago, SCFlyguy said:

Like 5% of this is going to happen.  Zamula is not going to go from the minors to the NHL.  Laczynski isn't going to go from the NCAA to the NHL.

Why not? Laczynski has been mentioned numerous times by the organization as being ready to make the jump. He's an older prospect, put in three years worth of school, has filled out, has played against men and is considered the most pro ready of the forwards. He'd also be playing on the fourth line, where he'd probably get about 10 to 11 minutes a night, nothing mind blowing. As for Zamula, the guy has practiced numerous times with the big club and is one of the 'black aces' as a player. There were other defensemen that could have been there, but they chose him for a reason. They want to see how close he is to being ready. And once again, he'd be a third pairing guy getting about 16 to 17 minutes a night. The days of the Ron Hextall and Dave Hakstol 'making prospects sit until they're beyond ready to join the big club' are gone. Fletcher and Vigneault are pushing these guys and they're basically saying it's sink or swim. There's zero reason to believe that these guys aren't ready to make the jump. Zero reason. 

I love that AV has put the heat on G, JVR and the rest of the veterans tonight. It's time for them to step up and break through the Islanders. This is also the firing shot that if they fail, there's going to be repercussions this offseason. Don't think for one second that he and Chuck don't have a list of players already that they're going to get rid of. 

As for who to get rid of, I've already posted who I think they should get rid of. They need to let Thompson, Grant, and Braun walk and look at moving Voracek, J van Useless, Hagg and Gostibehere. I also had Laughton, but that would require a very good return. It's not like they're gutting the team either, especially when others are capable of stepping up (I'd put NAK on the right side of Giroux - Couturier, Lindblom on the left side of Hayes - Konecny and then have Laughton on the wing on a line of Frost - Patrick and finally a fourth of Raffl - Laczynski - Pitlick; the defense would be Provorov - Niskanen; Sanheim - Meyers; Zamula/Hogberg - Friedman). The Flyers also free up money and can replenish the pipeline in some of those trades.