Dynamo 47

Exactly. I really like Couts but given our needs I would have taken Hamilton. Hopefully missing out on Hamilton will make them take Nurse is he is available rather than Monahan, another center

Jones sure would be nice...

This is the guy I want. Big, excellent skater, physical. He still is a little raw but has the upside to be a physical franchise defenseman this team needs. Not to make the comparison but my fear is finishing ahead of the Devils and having the Devils take him before us and being a thorn in our side the next 10 years.

This is precisely why I want him gone. I was a fan of the signing originally (not of the length of the contract) but I simply think he doesn't have the mental toughness required to be "the man" in a major hockey market. Amnesty him. Go with Mason the rest of the way and if he looks capable of shouldering the load make him the starter and shore up the defense and strengthen the team with the money freed up. Not to mention there will be other players who are capable and productive who will be amnestied and free to negotiate with any team.

I've defended Bryz in the past but I cannot do it any longer. I tried to justify some of his performance (or lack there of) based on injuries, rookies, etc. I was a fan of Bobrovsky and thought the team gave up on him too early. Mason should be a capable starter and if we amnesty Bryz and Briere we free up a significant amount of cap space going forward. I just think Bryz does not have the mental makeup or mindset to be successful in Philly. Sure he could go to Florida and deliver stats but in the limelight he wilts under the pressure. He just hasn't shown me the mental toughness and consistency to be the long term solution in goal.

I always have plenty of my favorite beverage on hand and try to watch for positive signs from the younger guys and openly root for a win but secretly hope for a loss. Last night against the Isles I watched how Mason player, watched the Big O to see if I saw improvement, looked for players who might have openly just quit, etc.

I think it has been on the decline. Ever since NBA reject Bettman starting getting involved in the actual game itself and not just the marketing it has gone downhill. I hate and have always hated the two referee system. Back when hockey was hockey there was one referee and the players were familiar with their style and adjusted their game accordingly. Some guys let them play and the guys adjusted. Now there are younger guys many trying to establish themselves and you get one being competitive with another. You have two refs with different styles. Finally I hate it because with players bigger, stronger and faster than ever you add yet another body on the ice.

I don't want them to make the playoffs because with this defense, the Bruins or Pens would chew us up and spit us out in the first round. I would rather be competitive, play some rookies and Mason and get a long look at them and improve our draft position. Amnesty Briere and Bryz and sign a key free agent or two and go from there.

Absolutely Philly is a desirable market. Arguably one of the top 3 franchises in the states with a rabid fan base, an organization known for treating the players well and a storied history.

That is awesome. Honestly, I publicly stated before that I don't want to make the playoffs for an opportunity to draft someone like Darnell Nurse who is a defenseman we can build around. I was hoping that the team would give Mason a LONG look the remainder of the season to see if he has regained some of his stuff from his rookie season. I was a Bryz supporter but now I am kind of on the fence. If Mason can start 5 games the rest of the season and shows enough to the Flyers brass he could shoulder the load, I would seriously consider giving Bryz the heave ho in the offseason. Getting rid of Bryz and Briere's contracts this offseason would allow the Flyers to use some cap space to strengthen the team in other areas.

I think we are in universal agreement with drafting and developing players. I think the key to the "win now" philosophy is Ed Snider and his advancing age. I think that he is thinking he may have 3/4 years left and wants to experience the joy of a Stanley Cup victory one more time. It would help to explain his urgency in telling Homer to sign Bryz to that contract. So unless God forbid something were to happen to Snider, I think we will see this urgency to win now until he steps down.

Honestly I had hoped Bryz would end the Flyers goaltending carousel but not sold. I am leaning more towards "Amnesty" on his contract along with Briere in the offseason. Mason is not a superstar but I think a change of scenery and knowing he is the man might turn him around. I think he can be a steady, reliable number one goalie. Plus Anthony Stolarz is looking really good and my hope is that he becomes our goalie of the future. He has Hextall-like size (6'5), was a high draft pick (2nd round 45th overall) and left college hockey to play in the O where he has been lighting it up. He was 11-2-0-1 with a 2.14 goals against average and a .931 save percentage with one shutout as of March 6th. Maybe get rid of Bryz in the offseason and go into next year with Mason as your starter. Bryz's cap money could be spent in other areas of need and hope Stolarz is ready in a season or two

I agree. I do not want to make the playoffs only to be smoked in the first round. I would rather draft in the top 5 and get a damn franchise potential defenseman that we can build around so we continually aren't overpaying via trade or free agency for one.

I think in retrospect definitely not worthy of the 3rd overall pick but he is definitely someone who I think could help the Flyers. He has a ring, size, can score (with Giroux I could see him easily averaging 25 - 30 goals) and is young enough to blend in with the team when our youth hits its prime.

I agree and glad nothing major was done. We need more than one player to seriously contend with Boston and Pittsburgh. I honestly tank the rest of the season to increase our chances of moving up in the draft and possibly get a stud defenseman. Buy out Danny B in the offseason and possibly sign a free agent winger like Nathan Horton and see where or how we can acquire Yanlde or someone of that caliber

I agree. While watching the draft unfold I thought to myself "this is perfect as Hamilton is falling right into our lap". That is part of the reason why I hope we miss the playoffs this year for the opportunity to draft Darnell Nurse or the Zadorov, two big, physical ndefensemen who are mean and tough to play against. If we fail to acquire either of the top dmen in the draft I think we will end up trading Couts to acquire that defenseman.

I agree. To me Harry Z brought nothing to the table. This team has played flat on so many night why not add a guy who can drop the mitts and energize the crowd and the players?

Totally agree Jammer. I am actually hoping we miss the playoffs and get higher in the draft to draft a potential big time defenseman. We sure as hell can't develop them or trade for them so we might as well draft one. I like Nurse or the Russian Tank and we should be able to get them around 6/7 I would rather play it out this season, buyout/amnesty some contracts (Briere) and try to sign Horton, Clarkson or Bozak who add some size and grit to the wings.

I neglected to add my free agents I would target. As I mentioned in my earlier post I think we need to get bigger at the forward position and bring in someone to compliment Giroux, Jake, Couts, Schenn, and Simmonds. There are 3 free agents who are RW who have size and play with some grit that I would be interested in signing Nathan Horton - 27, would likely see top line minutes with Giroux and capable of being a 30 goal guy. David Clarkson - 28 addition by subtraction. The Devils losing him makes them weaker and he can score, drop the mitts but most of all is a PITA to play against. Tyler Bozak - 27 decent size and I think he is capable of 20 - 25 goals a year at a reasonable price.

Isn't he Phil Mycraken's cousin?

It would but I would prefer to follow the Pens lead in a different area. The only reason the Pens got where they are today is by being terrible and getting top 5 draft picks like Fluery, Malkin, Crosby, Staal, etc. I dont want the Flyers to get into the Sixers rut of barely making the playoffs, lose in the 1st round and draft in the middle of the pack. We have a good core to build around with Giroux, Simmonds, Schenns, Couterier but need to get that monster high pick for a difference maker.

First thing is buyouts. I like Danny Briere, but his contract is too much for someone not producing consistently. Gone. As much as I can't blame Bryz this season, if I can buyout or amnesty two contracts, he is gone. Draft I honestly do not want to make the playoffs this season and finish as high as possible in the draft. There are two big, physical defenseman that I would select in Darnell Nurse or Nikita Zadorov. Both are big. Both are mean and play a physical game. Neither will be confused with Bobby Orr but would add a defensive responsible, physical and difficult to play against aspect the team needs. Free Agency/Trades I think we need some size on the wings and some more grit. I also agree we need a serious badass on the team as this team is too flat too often and lacks an identity. I was hoping Mathers would make the Phantoms this year and develop his game but not happening.

Mathers is arguably the toughest guy in the "O". He is a legitimate heavyweight who with experience could evolve into an NHL top 5. Fight style kind of reminds me of Tony Twist and more recently, Colton Orr. The problem is that Bettman has all but made the strictly enforcer extinct in the NHL nowadays. He had some time in the AHL and I would work with him in the A to work on his skating, hands and defense. If it was strictly for fighting he would be a Flyer someday but with him lacking a lot of basic skill sets I see career AHL with the occasional callup to the Flyers. That being said, as far as fighting goes, he is a much better fighter than wasted 3rd round draft pick Garrett Klotz.

And how good would Weber have looked on this team? He would have changed the entire complexion of the defense and provided a stabilizing force,

Unreal. I so want pre-Bettman hockey back when there was hitting in the game and if a player delivered a questionable hit, the players took care of it on the ice and it was not done in the league office.