Dynamo 47

I noted similar reasons for loving the trade. When JVR was hurt the offense didn't miss him. When he played, he was hardly noticeable. He was expendable and we acquired a steady, young physical defensemen the team needed. I would much rather have preferred Schenn for JVR then gutting the team for Weber. A lot of posters have complained about the trade thinking we could get more for JVR. Honestly I think Flyers fans are overevaluating JVR's trade value. Schenn was a 5th overall pick so it's not like we are getting a bum.

That's why I think we won the trade. We have puck carrying defensemen and what we needed was a thumper. Someone to make some big hits and make opposing forwards pay the price going to the net. Schenn will give that to the team. He will also clear the porch as we had no one until Grossman who would even make opposing forwards think twice about camping out in front of Bryz. I think Bryz was a disappointment but I also feel he suffered from all the injuries, rookies and defensive carousel in front of him. I think with a health defensive corp of Kimo, Coburn, Mez, Grossman, Schenn and a few others, he will be much better. Another big plus that no one has really pointed out is that Schenn can eat some major minutes which will hopefully cut into some of Kimo's time and preserve him for the playoffs.

I agree about his potential but part of the reason he was in the doghouse was Ron Wilson trying to make him something he was not. As a rookie, he hit, cleared the porch and concentrated on defense. Wilson came in and tried to make him into a puck carrying defenseman which he is not. I think that messed with his game more than anything. I think JVR will be a lot like Pat Falloon in that he never lives up to his potential and there will always be a team willing to trade for JVR in the hopes they can.

I sure hope so.

I won't miss him at all. Despite showing some potential he has been injury prone and inconsistent. In the 2011 playoffs he looks like the second coming of John Leclair with driving the net, power moves, etc to being invisible on many nights. Unfortunately I think that is going to be the story of his career. With Schenn we get needed physical presence on D and a right handed shot. As far as replacing the goals, a ton of posters were concerned about replaving Carter and Richards production and other people stepped up. I expect the same this season but still think we find another top two line forward.

I love the deal. Schenn is a physical defensive defenseman that the team desperately needed. Ever since Pronger went down we had no physical presence on D until we acquired Grossmann. JVR was a lot like Carter without the productivity. JVR had the workout and heart issues that followed him when he was drafted and it seemed like he would never live up to expectations. I know power forwards take longer to develop but offense wasn't the issue with this team; defense was and in my opnion the defense got a lot better.

Actually he kind of reminds me of a former Flyer, Mike Richards. He plays a similar style game but I don't think he will ever be a 30 goal scorer in the NHL. But style wise, definitely Richards. He is a very intelligent player much like Couterier who knows the game and anticipates the play. He definitely plays physical and will hit and drop the mitts (not that impressive but willing) and will be a good faceoff guy and defender. From other reports I read he has 2nd/3rd line potential. I was originally not happy with the pick as Olli was there for the taking but this is the type of guy who never takes a shift off and does whatever it takes to win. Plus it's hard to argue with Homer's first round draft history and people complained when the Flyers drafted a little center from the Q, Claude Giroux and he turned out OK.

Does anyone else think that IF the Flyers were to acquire Nash that he would then be swapped to Nashville for Weber? Nash is an incredible player but we need to upgrade the defense before we hope to win a Cup.

I think that all teams trade young talent at one time or another. Richards and Carter were not going to win a Cup in Philly. We came close and 2010 and if we had a goalie actually play like one in the first game we might have won. Since 2010 it became pretty obvious that the chances were looking more and more slim we would win with them. There was cap space issues, no bonafide number one goaltender and locked in long term deals. For the Flyers to get Couterier, Jake, Simmonds and Schenn was a risky but excellent trade at the time. It allowed the team to get younger, it allowed Giroux to develop and it allowed the team to get what it lacked for ages and that is a "stud" goalie (at least at the time). It's easy to second guess the trades now as Richards and Carter won the cup but Quick won the Cup for the Kings more then any individual player on the Kings (in my opinion)

First I wanted to congratulate the LA Kings on their first championship. Here were my bulleted thoughts: Special wishes for Ron Hextall receiving his first Stanley Cup ring. While I know he would have preferred to win as a player, it is a ring just the same Happy for Ex-Flyers Richards and Gags winning their first championship. Especially happy for Gags whose career almost ended due to head injuries. I hope winning the Cup will make Gags happy and he retires while still relatively healthy. Kings are truly Flyers West both in ex-Flyers and their style of play The Kings showed (much like the Flyers did in 2010) that the regular season is not nearly as important as getting on a roll in the playoffs Goaltending and winning on the road are keys to a championship. Size and strength do matter. The Kings were physical up front and won a lot of close battles which turned into 1 goal making the difference Quick put on one of the best playoff performances ever (dare I say since Bernie led the Flyers to a victory) Much like the Cup win did for the Flyers who joined the league in 1967, I hope that last night's win does the same for hockey in LA. Kings Defense - The Devils only averaged 22 shots on goal in the series. If you eliminate the 33 shots in game 2, they averaged 20 shots on goal which is not going to beat a goalie playing as hot as Quick. Sobering Thoughts: Kings joined the league the same year as the Flyers and with last nights Cup now are only one Cup behind the Flyers Am I the only one who could not watch Jeff Carter hoist Lord Stanley? I never liked him as a player but seeing him win a Cup was the only real downer last night. Oh, and actually performing in the clutch with two goals. Carter - traded, pouted in his Jersey shore house. Columbus officials actually flew out to talk to him. He joins Columbus, is injured but when healthy a total pouting bust and is traded and reunited with his boyfriend, Richards and instantly is happy again. To me the fact he acted like a petulant child and got his way was very hard to swallow.

Hey van. That was copied from an article in a publication and unfortunately I cannot recall the source. I can only base my comment withing my circle of friends, family, co workers who are fans and the majority were watching the games . I would argue that the article states large market where they may have implied hockey market. The Rangers, Flyers, Bruins, Hawks, Wings all have large followings not only in their respective cities but nationally and in Canada. I think it's fair to say that is this was a Rangers - Kings or Flyers - Kings, Rangers - Bruins, etc that the ratings would be much better. I think that part of the appeal of the Pens- Flyers series is another thing that Bettman hockey killed and that was some of the intense rivalries. I think the ratings for the Pens and Flyers were high not only because of the teams but mainly due to the casual fan tuning in for the nasty element of the series. Bettman and his cronies can ignore it all they want but a fight filled, nasty series sells.

I think the defense when healthy is sound. That being said the defense definitely needs some upgrades. My first thought was Suter but the more I think about it the less likely it appears as he will likely sign with the Wings for about $7 million or more. With him gone there aren't many top pair guys available in free agency so I think a trade is in order to acquire defensive help. Here is what I see happening: * Pronger goes on LTIR or Retires * Kubina and Carle both walk * Lilja - waived or sent down if possible That leaves us with Kimo, Grossman, Coburn, Mezaros with either Bourdon or Gus I figure we need to fill two spots and here is what I would like to see: Trade JVR for a top 4 defenseman - My top target might be Brent Seabrook of Chicago. He is a top pair guy who can provide points (34 last season), is solid defensively (+21) and can play physical. His salary is $7 million but actually goes down to a much friendlier $5 million in 2013. He will take up a ton of minutes but would likely require more then JVR to acquire Option 2 - Cam Barker The former 3rd overall pick has struggled at times but is capable of playing top pair minutes. He is another big body who can lay the body and be steady on the defensive end. Option 3 - Bryan Allen Finally I would also try to sign Matt Carkner to be the 7th defenseman and play some 4th line forward. Unlike Shelley, he is one of the most feared enforcers in the league and should prevent some of the crap that happened in Pittsburgh from happening again (or at least represent the Flyers well if it does)

Good post. I think that with Couterier the Flyers will want to thank Jeff Carter every time they see him. He is going to be an excellent pro and it was a joy to see him play this season. His composure and hockey sense is that of a 10 year veteran and the experience he gained this season will only make him a better player long term. I do hope that he gets some more ice time and moves up to the third line where some of his offensive skills might be showcased.

I might have a different take on the Carter and Richards trades but here are my thoughts. 1) The Flyers would NOT have won a cup if Richards and Carter were still here - the defense was injured and sub-par and the goaltending inconsistent 2) Giroux would not have developed into one of (if not the best) player in the league with Richards and Carter taking his minutes 3) While the King should win their first Stanley Cup, Quick is the main reason behind their success. When you are saving 95% of the shots you face and allowing under 1.36 goals a game you should win almost every game 4) I don't think there is a GM in the league who wouldn't have traded Richards and Carter for Simmonds, Schenn, Jake, and Couterier I hope the Kings win tonight and I will feel happy to see Gags and Richards lift the Cup and to know that Ron Hextall finally gets a Stanley Cup ring. I will admit that when it comes time for Carter to life Lord Stanley I will look away as that will make me sick.

Definitely have to give credit where credit is due as it has been as dominating a playoff run that I can ever remember but dynasty? I doubt it. With the Bettman Hockey League and salary caps and revenue sharing the days of the dynasties are likely gone. Lets go Kings and Get Hextall his Ring!

I have to disagree because almost every hockey fan I know is watching and has been watching. I think that as a fan, I watch any hockey be it Jr, college, kids playing, etc. I also think there are a lot of Flyers fans checking out the finals strictly due to Richards, Carter, Gags, Hextall, etc. As a fan of not just the Flyers but of hockey, I hope the Kings get Hextall his Stanley Cup ring tonight and winning the Cup does for hockey in LA what it did for hockey in Philly when the Flyers won the Cup.

I thought this was interesting. It kind of reinforces a theory that I have long had for the NHL and that is the league does better when the higher market teams are successful and in the hunt. This year, the finals have been equally electrifying (both Games 1 and 2 were decided in overtime), but the series between the Devils and the Los Angeles Kings does not involve big-name clubs from places with deep hockey traditions. Not surprisingly, television ratings in the United States are down, as is interest among hockey fans in general. Unless the Devils can mount a comeback, these finals may be the least watched in the past five years. While Games 1 and 2 drew good ratings in New York and Los Angeles, according to figures provided by NBC, across the rest of the United States, overnight ratings for Game 1 were off 25 percent from last year’s Boston-Vancouver opener, and Game 2 was down 12 percent from last year.

To me this basically means the NHL salary cap sucks. Before Bettman hockey, a player retired the team usually settled for an amount and since he was no longer part of the team, the team could sign a replacement. Done. The player was taken care of and the team was able to replace an asset. Now with this stupid ass cap, you have to find loopholes and managing the damn cap is as much a part of managing the team.

Great to see Gags out there and bearded up.

Me too. I have NO PROBLEM with Richards , Gagne, Williams, and Hexy and Dean in the Front Office getting rings but I do with Carter. He should have been so clutch with the wide open net against Chicago in the finals with the game on the line

Honestly I don't think it matters who is at the helm. An area is either going to support the team or not and that fan base has never supported the team. Watch any game during the season and there are a ton of empty seats on the lower levels. My hope is that the team will be sold and preferably to a Quebec group who will move the team to Quebec and restore the rivalry with the Habs. At least there the team will be rabidly supported.

I am honestly shocked they have lasted as long as they have. Their fan base support has been historically low and if you watch any of their regular season games on TV it looks like the stands are only about 40% full. This in a new state of the art area in scenic Newark that was supposed to bring them out in droves. I cannot stand the team although I do have to respect their success as an organization but I still laugh that their "Stanley Cup Parade" was around a stadium in a swamp. I just hope they are sold and moved to a place where the fans will appreciate the team and support them during the regular season and not just the playoffs.

But I would pay Weber 8 - 8.5

Ed Snider is one of the best owners in sports period. He consistently strives to put a winner on the ice, is heavily involved in the community and we are lucky to have him.

I was shocked when so many people looked past the Devils. They were on a huge winning streak at the end of the season and finished one point behind us in the standings. I still can't believe Florida was up 3 games to 2 on them.