BearOnIce

Howie: You are definately the true investigative journalist of this group Nice work. Now, who goes and who stays, and who is blamed for this mess and underachievement, and who crawls under their desk upstairs at Wells Fargo Center sucking their thumb and taking no blame for any of this CF this year? This, I want to see. BOI

Good plan Canoli, but you forget to add Ed Snider and Paul Holmgren to the list of "out-of-towners" needed.

I'm waiting for Briere to demand to get his fat, whale-of-an-ex-wife back.

That is the fundamental question. With an aging owner like Snider that insists all results must be immediate, and places unrealistic expectations on the GM, I have my doubts. Growing internally gets you the right players and team. But it takes time. Why we get to the playoffs most years, and that sells tickets, free agancy and trading is stop gap. That is the lesson that must be learned. I am not sure it ever will with this organization.

"Honestly the Pronger trade/injury combined with letting Carle go has set this team back a couple of years. Injuries happen - tough to swallow but it is part of the game." - That is really it, as simple as it is to say it is the truth. The fundamentals of hockey and success rest with D and it is unfortunately the downfall of this team. I expect a pretty significant re-tool there starting very quickly in the next month or so once playoff potential is finally eliminated.

The problem is not Bryz. This board confuses Bryz "personalty" with his performace. Not. Put a legit NHL D in front of Bryz. That is the only way to know. The D is the fundamental problem with this team. When you reach for the fences Mr. GM, this is what you get. It has got to be hard though for Holmgren with those Snider spurs always getting jabbed into his side as Ed rides him around Wells Fargo..

You are twisted, demented, sick, and completely correct.

"Pretenders", I like that. Could not have said it any better...

Andy: Yes, I would agree. Unfortunately the present Flyers have less thn 3-4 guys with both the skil and toughness, like the Kings. BOI

Andy: What is Flyers hockey? Do we know anymore? It is not or should not be bullies hockey. That train left the station. That will not work in the controlled sport NHL of today. It should be solid, creative offensive and defensive hockey played with toughness. With a legit G. Depth. Great talent recruitment and development. I think this team is completely frustrated by the coaching at this point. They see the talent. They are the talent. They were told and believe they are much more than they are now. But most are young and not being developed. The D and G is suspect. There is no system buy-in because they can't get this uptempo attack all the time system to work with the D they have. Opposing teams do one thing and that is stop the transition by crushing the D in their own zone. End of story. I have been a big Peter Laviolette fan, at the risk of going on this coaching carousel again, I say now that coaching must be looked at, but more so the GM. This organization suffers from ingrained homerism. There is no other sports franchise that I know of that needs a breath of fresh air as much as the Fylers do. Clean house top down. No players are untouchable except Giroux. BOI

Jake is a flash in the pan. Couts will be traded. The Flyers will be sellers in less than 2 weeks. Carter and Richards (and Gagne) have a Cup which is more that I can say for most of the Flyers players. No beef here just saying it is what it is and the organization has and will have serious issues as long as Snider is the owner, Clarke maintains some influence in who knows what he does as senior VP, and they continue to put former Flyers in as GM and behind the bench. There is no plan. There is no system. This is no real organization. As long as they sell tickets and merchandise, Comcast and Ed are happy.

This (Bryz) is on Snider and the GM. Snider more because he panders to the Flyer Fans with his "win at all costs mentality" that continually sets this franchise back.

I would say the same, or maybe a little worst. I'm not ready to throw Bryz under the bus until we see a legit NHL defense in front of him. Which means next year. I think it was a mistake with Bob. It is also interesting to see Carter with 17 goals, right up near the top in the NHL. As long as everything with this organization continues to be a "win-now" mentality, it will be what it is.

King: There is just something about the organization that I cannot put my finger on. The owner Snider wants to win every year. It puts the GM in a no-win situation. It is absurb. It forces him to make all-out, make or break decisions. Not in best interest of team. Last summer was a perfect example. And here we are now, just struggling to make the playoffs. The coach is frustrated because quite frankly, neither the GM nor the Senior VP, nor the President, nor the Owner at the top of this organzation are very good. Pretty positive outlook, eh? BOI

Aziz: Yes, that is correct. You obviously missed it based upon your comments. I wanted to make sure that you had the opportity to look it over, perhaps study it a bit. Perhaps even reflect a bit upon it overnight tonight. Have a good evening, BOI

Aziz: I think if you look at the body of Dave Poile's work, you would have to agree he is a Top GM in this league: The only man to be a finalist for the General Manager of the Year Award for each of its first three years of the award’s existence (2010, 2011 and 2012. Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile has been a top voice in the National Hockey League for 30 years (15 with Washington, 15 with Nashville), tied for the third longest tenure in NHL history, and second in consecutive active seasons as a GM to the New York Rangers’ Glen Sather (32 years). He is the only general manager in NHL history to be at the helm of two different clubs for 1,000 games and 500 victories, attaining both marks in 2011-12. First the 1,000-game mark on Nov. 12, 2011, then the 500-win plateau on March 30, 2012. Poile enters the 2012-13 campaign ranked second all-time in games (2,246) by a general manager – trailing only Sather (2,488) – and third in wins (1,097) behind Sather (1,195) and longtime Boston Bruins executive Harry Sinden (1,170). On March 21, 2010 at St. Louis, he picked up his 1,000th win as a general manager in a 3-2 Predators victory. As the architect of a club built on speed, skill and steadfast work ethic, Poile’s philosophy of building through home-grown talent and effective drafting continued to pay dividends in 2011-12 as the Predators were the only Western Conference team to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second consecutive season, this after becoming one of just five teams to make the postseason in seven of the last eight seasons and one of three to reach the 40-win mark in each of the last seven seasons. In total, a franchise-record 22 draft picks suited up for Nashville during the 2011-12 campaign – three more than in 2010-11 – and 15 of the 24 players to dress for Nashville during the 2012 Playoffs were selected and developed by the franchise. The Predators are built around a pair of homegrown products in back-to-back Vezina Trophy finalist Pekka Rinne in goal – who Poile signed to the largest contract in franchise history in November 2011 – and back-to-back Norris Trophy runner-up Shea Weber. The two longest tenured Predators – David Legwand (1998) and Martin Erat (1999) paced the club’s offense, while Patric Hornqvist – the final pick of the 2005 Entry Draft (230th overall) – became the first Predator draftee to record three consecutive 20-goal seasons for the team in 2011-12. Craig Smith (2009) supplemented the forward corps with one of the top seasons by a rookie in franchise history, while talented young talent Nick Spaling (2007), Colin Wilson (2008) and Gabriel Bourque (2009) also showed the future is bright. Joining Weber on the blue line were fellow 2003 draftee Kevin Klein, in addition to promising rookies Ryan Ellis (2009), Roman Josi (2008) and Jonathon Blum (2007). A year after supplementing the drafted talent with the likes of Mike Fisher and Sergei Kos****yn via trade, Poile was among the busiest GMs in the business in 2011-12, transforming the Predators from a team that was tied for the youngest team in the league in October, to a veteran club picked by many as a favorite to go all the way. Nashville’s 2012 playoff roster included eight players who were not with the club to start the season, including trade deadline acquisitions Andrei Kos****yn, Hal Gill and Paul Gaustad, which addressed the Predators needs of skill, size and playoff experience. One month after the deadline, Poile saw nearly four years of work come to fruition when Alexander Radulov – known as the best player outside the NHL – return to the Predators for the stretch drive and postseason. Poile’s third straight GM of the Year nomination in 2011-12 came after the team finished with a 48-26-8 record (104 points), the third-best record in the Western Conference, fifth-best in the NHL, and good for home-ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 2011-12 edition of the Predators were one of only four teams to finish in the Top 10 in both goals for (eighth) and goals against (eighth), and one of three teams to rank in the League’s Top 10 in both power-play percentage (first) and penalty kill percentage (10th). In 2010-11, Nashville earned the fifth seed in the Western Conference (99 points) and gave up the third-fewest goals in the League (190) despite missing nearly 350 man-games due to injury, and in 2009-10, Poile constructed a team that was one of 11 to hit the 100-point mark, despite having a payroll ranked 28th in the League, to earn a spot as a finalist for the inaugural General Manager of the Year Award. Under Poile’s direction, the Predators have been one of the top teams in the NHL since evolving from an expansion team in the early 2000s, to a bona fide contender. Since the start of 2005-06, Nashville’s 320 wins ranks fifth-best in the league, while 181 home victories puts them third in the NHL. The aggressive team-building plan implemented by Poile from the franchise’s inception has helped the organization earn the reputation as one of the most stable, well-built teams in the NHL. Crucial to the plan’s success is the ability to make the right selections and develop the young prospects. Poile has assembled a bright staff of personnel charged with those responsibilities, including assistant general manager Paul Fenton, chief amateur scout Jeff Kealty, and a coaching staff led by Barry Trotz. Poile has long been a proponent of a strong developmental system as a means to develop blossoming young players into productive NHL players. The Predators’ primary developmental affiliate, the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals, captured the first Calder Cup Championship in franchise history in 2004 and revisited the Calder Cup Finals in 2006. They made their 10th consecutive trip to the Calder Cup Playoffs in 2012, making them one of two franchises (Connecticut/Hartford) to attain the feat. Milwaukee has won four division titles in the past nine seasons and became the first team in AHL history to post 40-or-more wins and 90-or-more points in eight consecutive seasons from 2002-03 to 2010-11, each season with a team predominately made up of Predators prospects. Poile’s wisdom and experience is clearly valued throughout the hockey world. He was associate general manager for the 2010 United States Olympic Team, and helped select the team that would become one of the headline stories of the 2010 Games, capturing the hearts of a nation en route to a silver medal. He was a member of the U.S. National Team Advisory Group for the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships after serving as associate GM for the U.S.’s entries into the 2009 and 2010 editions of the tournament, and as general manager at the 1998 and 1999 Worlds. He was also selected as one of four NHL general managers to sit on the first NHL competition committee in 2005. The steering body formulates and recommends rule changes for approval by the NHL Board of Governors. In this role, he helped usher in the new era of NHL hockey – featuring on-ice innovations such as the regular-season shootout and the elimination of the red line – while at the same time drawing upon the wealth of experience accumulated through his many years in the game. The Competition Committee continues to be one of the most influential bodies in the game today. In 2006-07, when Poile was recognized by The Sporting News as its Executive of the Year, an honor he had received twice previously (1982-83 and 1983-84) and which is determined through a vote of his peers, after the Predators finished the season with the second-most points in the Western Conference and tied for the third-most points in the entire National Hockey League. The Predators established franchise records in points (110), wins (51), road wins (23) and goals (272) during the campaign. Locally, Business TN magazine honored him as the magazine’s “CEO of the Year” for 2006 based on his consistent and successful track record as the team’s architect. In 2001, Poile was a recipient of the Lester Patrick Award in recognition of contributions to hockey in the United States. Poile has devoted his professional career to hockey and the NHL, particularly in non-traditional markets. His late father, Bud Poile, also a recipient of the Lester Patrick Award (1989) and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame (1990), served as general manager of two expansion franchises – first in Philadelphia (1967) and then in Vancouver (1970). David Poile began his professional career as an administrative assistant with the Atlanta Flames expansion franchise in 1972 and spent 10 years with the organization before being named general manager of the Washington Capitals in 1982. The 2012-13 campaign will mark his 40th in NHL. For the 1982-83 season, Poile took the reins of a Washington team that had never made the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In his 15 years there, the Capitals advanced to the postseason 14 times. The 1997-98 Capitals, largely comprised of players Poile acquired, advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals. During his 15-year tenure, the Caps compiled a record of 596-454-124 (.559), ranking among the NHL's top-five teams during that span. Poile was instrumental in the league's adoption of the instant replay rule in 1991. He was awarded Inside Hockey's Man of the Year award for his leadership on the issue. A graduate of Northeastern University in Boston, Poile was hockey team captain, leading scorer and most valuable player for two years, earning a place in the University's Hall of Fame. Poile also serves as an alternate governor for the team and in December 2007, he added President of Hockey Operations to his title for the first time in his career. For the past two seasons, Poile has donated to Operation Homefront (which provides emergency assistance and morale to our U.S. Troops), USA Hockey and the Peterson for Parkinson’s Foundation for every Predators victory. He and his wife, Elizabeth, reside in Nashville. The Poiles have two children – daughter Lauren and son Brian – who was named the Predators Director of Hockey Operations in July 2010 – and two granddaughters – Ellie and Charlotte. Best regards, BOI

Pensuck: Normally I would agree with you. You would think the coach would be the first one to go here. But how many times can this organization oust a coach when it is clear to the fans, the league, that the general manager is at least equally culpable. If Peter Laviolette is let go, this will confirm what I feel about Snider, his homerism, his smallness, that money is not always what is the most important, and Snider's taking advantage of the Philadelphia Flyers Faithful. This is not 1975. The hockey fan today has basically any team at his disposal to follow. Has Laviolette lost the team? If so, start moving the part of the team that is not producing. You get the general manager to come into the locker room and tell the players what is going to happen. This is how it is with a business and a sport should be no different. That takes guts from an organization. Let's see what Snider, Clarke and Holmgren do. Will there be honor? A sport teaches you a lot about people. A lot. BOI

Howie: Yes, David Poile from Nashville would be a breadth of fresh air to the Flyers, but I do not think that is possible unless the cap proves to be his undoing and with Trots. But would it not be a bit ironic if he ended up here. What is really ironic though is that Holmgren has painted himself into a corner now working with most of the GM's in the league with his aggressive, predatory practices. GM101 is that it is give and take with your toys and you may need a GM some time as much as they may need you. It does not bode well if you behave like Attila The Hun. It is still a Boy's Club with rules both written and unwritten. This may be Holmgrens undoing more than anything else. BOI

I believe that we are navigating very close to the bottom now. But, I do understand that Bryz cannot physically play every game and that he is getting a lot of work because the defense is non-existent. Above all else, I am quite amazed that Bryz has held it all together physically and especially mentally. Some people want him run out of town but I chose to say he has become a good teammate and playing decently all things considered.

Howie: I am afraid that it is simply engrained in this organization to the point that it will require some combination of ownership change driven by financial effect on Comcast, or through the death of this iconic owner, or a series of repeated dismal, loosing seasons no matter what was done by general management, to get the change. Or it might be one of life's great Flyer mysteries like why Bob Clarke still works there and what does he really do? I chose to see this as a plus-sum in which the business aspects win out. I believe that another person made the comment that following the 2005 season in which the Flyers finished last in the NHL, attendance was off like 30%. That gets Comcast's attention. You are right. This organization has nothing but two Stanley Cups over 35 years ago. That is a fact that cannot be disputed. Could of's, would of's, should of's mean nothing. Nothing. BOI

Simple, you get a capable GM, unlike Paul Holmgren, from outside the boys club. Fixed it.

It is tolerated because you GD Flyer fans buy season tickers, merchandise and worship this team and organization like a pagan god. You tell a busines today that you are unhappy with them buy not doing this.

I see Bernie. And it makes me wonder. Is this organization going to keep trotting out the heirlooms, relics, memories, and success stories of the past for the next 40 years, just like the last 40 years? This Flyers organization is like a circus gone wild. If Ole Kate was alive she would still be on the microphone propped up next to Lauren Hart. When is Snider and this Flyers organization going to start to live in the present? Not the past? I was a guy growing up in Boston in the early 70's. The Bruins were my team. I saw them win some Cups. The city celebrated then. The Flyers then took their turn moving through the 70's and won a couple of Cups. But do I see the Bruins still using guys like Orr, Cashman, Bucyk, Espo, Cheevers 40 years later actively marketing the Bruins of today? No. Of course not. Sure they won a Cup recently, but even before that they did not. They grew up. They moved on. They did not rest on their laurels of the past. They changed with the NHL. They brought in new blood. They had some up and downs but they developed a solid long-term plan. No kneejerk. The Flyers keep marketing this "Bullies" mantra as neauseum. Enough. This Flyers organization is mirred in homerism, past achievement worship, and self-indulgence from how they market to who owns, runs, manages, and coaches in the organization. Maybe the Bruins are on to something, eh Ed? Given the lackluster team and organization I would suggest the Flyers organization start to first look in the mirror at what they have become, then look from the outside in and perhaps get some fresh air in the organization because it is quite clear to this writer that what they have been doing as an organization for a number of years is just not working.

Lindbergh31: 100% agree. I think the Flyers would be wise to respect Brier. He has been a good soldier and a good organization guy. But the time to move him to a playoff contender looking to improve down the center is now. And the Flyers do need that payroll shed. BOI

RonJeremy: You hit the nail on the head. Essentially a coach works with what he is given. He establishes a system and the players work within. He motivates, leads, disciplines, and makes decisions for the product that he has to work with on the ice. The Flyers gambled this summer and lost. They bet the ranch on getting a Sutter or Weber. Worse in the process they took their eye off the puck, did not pay sufficient time or attention negociating with Matt Carle's agent and he moved on. They felt the devistating D long-range loss of Pronger. He was the D piller that everything has gone south with since. They miscalculated Jagr. Then lost in the sweepstakes for Parise. They overcalculated the readiness of their young core. They threw the die with Bryz but made a mistake trading an able-bodied backup in Bob. They put a C on Giroux that hangs very heavy on his young man's shoulders right now. This is all on the GM. Is the GM a bad one? That can be argued and can only be eventually determined when you look at the overall moves and career of any GM. I say keep the young core. Forget about this year except to make smart, long-range moves to improve this team's overall skill, depth, especially D. Develop rather than trade, other than exception. But make some moves that are necessary. I would move Briere to a contender. I consider Colburn tradeable for the right deal. Start thinking post-Kimmo. Rusty, Talbot, and the like are interchangeable journeymen pieces. I would keep Bryz because he has done amazingly well for literally not having an NHL-level D in front of him. I would get a capable back-up. Boosh and Leightoin bye. The D is the focus because that is where the problems all start now with this team this year. And yes, I would keep Peter Laviolette. I might also bring Murray up as an assistant. I do think the future GM of this franchise could be Ron Hextall. Next year, not this year, but next year I suggest that if the team we were expecting this year does not come together next year, then I think Snider may pull the trigger on Paul Holmgren and make that movement toward someone like a Ron Hextall. He is after all both a competent product in LA, and he is a Flyer and as long as Ed Snider is involved, he leans in that direction. I would love to see Chris Pronger move into an assistance general manager role with this organzation. He would bring Hall of Fame credentials to player selection and development, especially D. He would also give Hextall an even more needed "outside of the organization independent thinking". As we all know, Chris is not afraid to tell it like it is. I have no doubt that Chris Pronger will also some day be a very good GM in the NHL and sought after. BOI