BobbyClarkeFan16

This is the perfect year to be 'handcuffed' in terms of free agency. After seeing some of the contracts handed out today, it's clear that some of the GMs were high. So, once all the big name players have been signed, I think you'll see teams like Nashville come back and want to make a deal for Lecavalier. I expect the same with Grossmann. If guys like Stralman and Orpik can get 4.5 and 5.5 million on the open market, I certainly believe that a guy like Grossmann can be had for his 3.5 million he's getting paid. Still leaves Coburn, Streit and MacDonald as guys on the defense making more than 4.5, but it's possible one of them could also be getting shopped. Overall, I love what Hextall is doing. In previous years, it's been big change after big change after big change. Now, it's a more methodical approach, similar to what Hextall's former boss, Dean Lombardi, used to do. Notice that Lombardi never got into ridiculous bidding wars in free agency, locked up all his key players before free agency and drafted well. Hextall is following that blue print and it's a good blue print to follow.

I was hoping Carter Hutton from Nashville was going to make it to free agency. Now that he's re-signed in Nashville, my hope is that Hextall looks at Montoya. Personally, I'd love to see the club acquire Martin Jones from Los Angeles because he could really challenge and push Mason for the better. As well, Jones would be good for at least 25 to 35 starts a year if need be.

Young Braydon Coburn I didn't have a problem with. The moment he took that puck to the face in the Pittsburgh series in 2007 - 2008, he became a completely different player afterwards. That really messed him up because he's never been the same since. He shows glimpses of greatness, but nothing ever consistent.

Hmmmm......interesting. I always liked Paul Martin when he was in New Jersey. However, he seems to have taken a beating since going to Pittsburgh and watching him, he's really digressed over the past couple of years. Alex Edler had one of the league's worst plus/minus last year, but I think the Canucks will see how he responds to a new coach before they consider moving him. Sergei Gonchar is old and shouldn't even be a consideration. Zach Bogosian has the highest upside of the bunch, but he really struggles with injuries and hasn't played a full season in four years. Plus, there's consistency issues with Bogosian. Kronwall is a good defensemen, but his physical style is going to start catching up with him soon. You can't play the way he does without it taking a toll on you later on. Dennis Wideman is still in the NHL? Lubomir Visnovsky - see Sergei Gonchar. Keith Yandle would definitely add some offensive punch to the back end, but he really needs a very strong defensive defenseman to play along side him because his defense is attrocious. As for Bouwmeester, he's got the luxury of playing alongside one of the best young defensemen in the game in Alex Pietrangelo and he also plays in a very defensively rigid and oriented system that Ken Hitchcock employs. Honestly, the best thing Hextall can do is look around the league and look for a guy who's ready to break through at the next level. A guy like Brandon Gormley would be ideal. I'd also like to see them explore the possibility of a guy like Jake Gardiner, who for some reason or another has fallen into Randy Carlyle's dog house.

Patrick Thoresen, the man who did indeed suffer from a busted nut.......

I wouldn't say those three have surged past Schenn. I think Schenn has performed admirably when you consider that the Flyers have bounced him all over the lineup and in different forward spots. He still put up good numbers in his third year and while O'Reilly posted better numbers in his third year, I don't think it's been anything to write home about. I say once Schenn gets more than 16 minutes of ice time per game, we'll really see what he can do. I don't think a 30 goal - 60 point season wouldn't be a stretch at all.

I'm talking about a consistent player. There's nothing consistent to Coburn other than his pattern of playing extremely crappy for a period of time, then playing somewhat mediocre followed up by playing really well mixed in with numerous and crucial brain farts. That's Coburn in a nutshell.

Yakupov is a very interesting character. He looked real good his rookie year. He back checked, he played hard and he looked like a legitimate top line winger. The moment Dallas Eakins gets into town, he seems to have it out for Yakupov, even though he says otherwise. I know Eakins was trying to make an imprint on the club, but I honestly beilieve Eakins had no clue how to use Yakupov and frustration set in on both sides. I think Yakupov's comments about not playing about the puck might have been lost in the Russian to English translation and I get it - he goes from being used in an offensive role to being used on a checking line. It's not what his skill set or forte matches. It'd be like telling Giroux he's going to center the fourth line. I don't think that would go over well. Yakupov might be a one dimensional player, but what I like about him is that he's one of those guys who's first to arrive to the rink and the last to leave. He's also a workout enthusiast and always reports in top shape. Work ethic is something that can't be taught and he has that in spades. Put him on a team with veterans who can lead him and he'll turn it around. I look at the mess of a situation in Edmonton and I'm surprised Yakupov has performed as well as he has. As for Coburn, I think Hextall and the Flyers really need to take a look and see if they are a legitimate Stanley Cup contender or not. To me, they might qualify for the playoffs, but that doesn't necessarily make them a legitimate Cup contender. Besides the fact Coburn seems to lack the actual hockey IQ to really elevate and carry a defense pairing, to me, this club simply isn't a Cup contender and that now is the time to really focus on correcting all the band aid solutions that Holmgren has applied over the years and really put together a strong defensive unit. So, if Coburn is the most valuable chip the Flyers have, why not see if you can get a blue chipper for him who's ready to contribute 20+ minutes a night on the blue line? If they aren't in contention for the Stanley Cup and if they're just going to qualify for the playoffs, I'd rather load up on good young players who are ready to break through and have them gain some much valuable experience rather than stick with someone who has a pattern and history of erratic and inconsistent play, no matter the physical tools he might have.

Klefbom is a very nice defensive prospect. Think Brodin in Minnesota and you've got Klefbom. Yes, he's had some real freaky injuries, but his injuries seem to be a thing of the past. What I like about him is just how smart he is on the ice. He doesn't panic, doesn't try to do things he can't do. He just makes the smart play. There's also some untapped offensive ability there. I'd love Klefbom to come to Philadelphia. I could see Hatcher really working some magic with him.

Evander Kane is a problem child. On top of it, he's being paid five million bucks and has only put up one 30 goal season - before he got that big contract. On top of it, his locker room antics and his complete disrespect of his coach doesn't bode well. I see a young man with a sense of entitlement when he really hasn't earned anything yet. On top of it, the guy is a selfish hockey player who doesn't use his linemates well. For all the flak that the Schenns receive, both guys are well liked in the locker room and in this day and age, that means something. Notice that when Kane was benched, not one Winnipeg player came to his defense. To me, that speaks in volumes. I'd rather keep Brayden and watch him break out here. He's put up very similar numbers to JVR while playing less hockey. He's ready to break out soon and to move him now would be a great detriment.

Well, I'm in the minority here, but I'd make the trade and wouldn't think twice about it. Coburn is a million dollar talent with a 10 cent brain. From the neck down, he's an all world defender with size, skill and skating ability. The problem is everything neck up. Every year, Coburn has a stretch of 15 to 20 games where he stinks up the joint, 10 to 15 games of mediocre play and then 30 to 45 games where he's an all world defender. I've read every excuse ever made about the guy ("he needs an offensive defenseman to pair with him to make him effective", "he's not a lead pairing defender - he's a better complimentary player", "he always starts out slow but is in beast mode come playoff time") and yet, every time two of the three are tried with Coburn (pairing him with an offensive defenseman or pairing him with someone where Coburn can be the complimentary player, he's come up short every time and people have blamed the other players who were partnered with Coburn. I've tried to like the guy, but honestly, I'm all for shipping him out and letting him be someone else's problem. As for those who are convinced that this team will tank without Coburn, I think the young guys would probably exceed most people's expectations. What I don't understand is that a team can have a very good and talented group of defensive prospects, but the moment that those prospects need to step in to replace a veteran, everyone then backpedals and doesn't think the younger guys can do the job. At some point, you can't shield the young guys and you have to run with them. As a franchise, the Flyers have been so reluctant to do it with young defensemen that it really baffles me as to why. If you've got a 19, 20, 21, 22 year old that's ready, they're ready. No amount of shielding is going to protect them and in fact, it's probably doing more harm because they aren't seeing the quality of competition they need to see in order to grow and prosper. Instead, they face inferior competition and they end up developing bad habits. If you're going to put young guys into the lineup, sometimes you've got to throw them into the fire, especially if it's young defensemen.

I like Spezza, but the Senators broke him. They've broken his spirit and they broke his back. His hands and vision are golden, but the back trouble is just too much to overcome. Reminds of John LeClair and his back after he had it operated on. He was never the same player after that.

Ho-Sang wouldn't be a bad selection at all. These kids with great hockey sense have a tendency to go on and have long careers because they're smart about where they need to be on the ice. Give me someone with good wheels, great hands and good mind any time. Yeah, it would be nice to grab a physical left winger, but I'm not opposed to the Flyers selecting an offensive standout who might not be the most physical player.

I'm indifferent to the younger Kapanen being a Flyer. His dad was an alright player, but by the time the senior Kapanen got to Philadelphia, he was relegated to nothing more than a 30 to 35 point player. I know that the scouts say the younger Kapanen has a chance to be a good offensive player with a great two-way game, but this club desperately needs a pure offensive sniper. I could care less that this club had 7 20 goal scorers. They had no forward score 30. Stanley Cup caliber clubs have at least one or two 30 goal scorers in the lineup and we need a prospect with that kind of upside. There's more than enough "two-way" players already in the pipeline.

Robby Fabri is who I hope they draft. However, Josh Ho Sang has really started to impress numerous scouts, especially with his showing at the combine. He could be a possibility as well. Would love to see how he and Stolarz act as teammates.......

Of note, reading back on what I posted, yep, dropped the ball big time by not reporting that the Bruins had permission to talk to AMac's agent. What I wrote initially definitely looks wonky.

I'll have to search and find the article again, but yes, the Bruins were in on MacDonald and the Islanders let Chiarelli talk to his agent. When the contract offer was put out there and AMac and his agent rejected it, that's when the Bruins pulled out.

Correct. The Bruins talked with Islanders and had a conversation with AMac and his agent before hand and the deal was contingent on getting AMac signed to an extension. When he and his agent rejected the Bruins offer, that's when they backed out.

Before MacDonald was traded to the Flyers, the word was that the Bruins wanted him and they offered a 5 year deal at 4.5 per year and that was turned down by MacDonald's camp. So, I don't think the 5 million he's getting paid is too much of a stretch. The problem is that defense is such a premium position and teams are willing to spend crazy amounts on it. I know Suter, Weber, Chara, etc...are the elite of the elite, but even then, they're making in excess of $7 million per year. A second pairing defender making 5 million isn't too much out of the realm at all. Would I pay it if I were GM? Not a chance, but that's what the market shows right now. Just watch what a guy like Matt Niskanen is going to make when he hits the open market.

Pull ups aren't about upper body strength though. it's about bicep strength, which isn't a true indication of upper body strength. I know several guys at work who are in the military reserves and they work out like there's no tomorrow and their strength is off the chart (I saw one of the guys bench 350 pounds 22 times) and they all had significant difficulties doing pull ups. I'm not worried about a young guy not being able to do a pull up. I'm worried about whether or not he's competitive and what kind of skills he can bring to the table. Strength is something that can always be worked on and addressed. Skill and compete level can't. You either have it or you don't.

In fairness, Couturier and Mason are also on that list. Hextall has a legitimate nice base to work with in terms of prospects and younger players. I don't think guys who are younger than 27 are going to be moved if Hextall decides to retool. I think you're going to see guys like Hartnell, Lecavalier, Read, Grossmann, maybe Coburn, be guys that Hextall will look at moving. I know Hextall has also said he wasn't going to blow things up on the big club because he said he liked the roster that Holmgren put together, but there needs to be some tweaking of the roster and that the farm system needs to be vastly improved. Hextall played a huge role in the LA Kings farm system when he was the assistant GM there, so you can bet he's going to seek to improve the farm immediately. I don't think Hextall is going to go free agent shopping either. The Flyers have about 7 million in cap room and with big contracts like Vinny and Grossmann on the roster, it limits his flexibility in terms of what he can do. That's part of the reason I honestly believe that he'll deal both them. Hextall will want some cap flexibility as well as get some half decent prospects for them. Part of me hopes that if Hextall can move Vinny to Nashville, that the rights to Del Zotto come the other way. I think he'd be a guy who would benefit from John Paddock's coaching (the guy has been an excellent coach when it comes to developing defensemen). As well, if Hextall can deal Grossmann for picks or B level prospects, that would be something that would help add to the farm. It also frees up a spot for a guy like Alt, who's upside is that of a legitimate second pairing defenseman. I know there was talk that with the draft being in Philadelphia that the Flyers were probably going to make a big splash. I honestly don't see them doing that with Hextall on board. He seems to be really committed to building through the draft and I think that's going to be the m.o. going forward. By the way, i still hope it's Robby Fabri from Guelph who they end up drafting. I'll say this right now. For all the talk that Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett get, I think Fabri is right up there with them in terms of skill and compete level. This guy is a legit talent that if teams are patient with him, they'll be rewarded greatly. He's a little light right now, but the weight will come.

I'll bite. I wanted to like JVR. I really did. However, I saw that he was never going to fully buy into what's required to take his game to the next level and be amongst the elite at his position. Now, part of that blame goes to UNH, where he played his NCAA hockey. They allowed him to develop lazy habits that should have been corrected immediately. JVR was allowed to cherry pick and not back check hard. He didn't really have to play any sort of defense there. As well, he only played a 40 game schedule. If he would have went to junior hockey, those bad habits would have been corrected and he would have gotten used to playing a long schedule. For me, JVR was all about the easy way to get things done. Million dollar talent, ten cent work ethic. He was given a prime job on the left wing of Giroux and he blew it. That's something we can all say pretty fairly. He had the chance to become a 35 to 40 goal scorer in Philadelphia on Giroux's wing and he blew it. Yes, I get that he broke his foot and he suffered a concussion, but during the time he did play, he was no hell. As for JVR's time in Toronto, he started out hot, no doubt about it. He looked like he was going to be that 85 to 90 point elite winger. However, once the rest of the league caught on to him, he practically disappeared. He stopped fighting for pucks. He stopped going to the net. He stopped doing all the things he did to start the season. He rested on laurels and pretty much coasted down the stretch when his team needed him to really step up. And once again, I blame that on his development at UNH. I wish JVR all the luck in the world because there's obviously talent there (legitimate talent that should make him one of the elite game breakers). However, I wouldn't rest hopes on him because he simply doesn't have the drive to sustain that for long periods of time.

I hated the JVR pick. I wanted them to select Sam Gagner. I still think to this day that if Gagner never went to Edmonton and went to Philadelphia instead, he would be a much better player.

Oh he's certainly not innocent by any stretch. However he wasn't the problem child some made him out to be. If he was guilty of anything, he was guilty of making a poor decision and being in the wrong place.

He likes to drink beer, but the reports of him showing up to practice late or hung over are completely false. The guy is a gym rat and work out fanatic. You can't be in the shape he's in and drink till there's no tomorrow and it not having an affect. He's a really nice, well behaved and well spoken dude. When he brought the Stanley Cup to a work function, I was wearing my Flyers hat at the time and he said that if he could go back in time, he would have done a few things differently and would have associated himself with other guys on the club. I think Jeff got lumped into the party crowd because he was guilty by association more than anything.