radoran

Never bothers Leaves fans, even to this day.

Team eight points out with 30 games to play have a 2% chance of making the playoffs. Chuck Fletcher:

When two guys make up 25% of your cap, you can't also afford to have another $4M tied up in buyouts and retained salary like they do. Plus the dropoff in talent from the $5+M guys to the rest of the team is huge. That's the kind of thing that gets exploited in the playoffs.

This opens exciting possibilities surrounding what Fletcher will trade the 2nd for...

He wasn't even a backup in Lehigh. He was scratched. 19 games, 4 points. No one will miss him.

2027 3rd becomes a 4th if the Flyers make the playoffs before 2027.

So the shrewd negotiator at work: OK, guys, I'll take the lower of the two firsts, but if you guys make the playoffs I want next year's 4th to be a 3rd - victory! Here's $1.4M. Dallas' first could not unreasonably be bottom five. If that's the market for Tarasenko, we take you now to the booming market for JVR...

When did Chuck Fletcher take over in St. Louis? You gave up two players, retained salary and got that? A bust, a who? and a lower half 1st round pick. Makes me wonder what Chuck's going to give away with JVR...

You might want to look into who "UPL" is. This has been explained in detail many times. It was a paper transaction that lasted for all of a game.

Goaltending is playing a role, but this is a team that also had Ullmark and Lehner and discarded both as unworkable. Lehner blossomed in Vegas and Ullmark is dominant in Boston. So, yeah, an upgrade from Anderson and Comrie is needed, but not so sure about dumping UPL after half a season. He's already 20th on the all time Sabres wins list. Team defense is key, as we've seen that Ullmark isn't quite so dominant when he's not behind a team like Boston. He's not the only reason they're the stingiest team in hockey. That said, if there's a solid starter to be had - by all means go get him.

In case you were wondering how the decade went... https://www.nhl.com/flyers/news/throwback-thursday-top-10-moments-of-the-2010s--philadelphia-flyers/c-340798320 Half of the "Top Ten" moments of the 2010 decade were in the 2010 Cup Final run. Then we have 2011 (Briere Buries Buffalo), 2012 (The Shift), 2016 (Simmonds scoring as Snider's health declined), The Alumni Game (not joking), and Giroux hat trick getting them to the playoffs in 2018. Note that actually winning a playoff series doesn't get on this list, while the Alumni Game is one of the top 10 Flyers events of the decade and from 2012 onward, not one of the events has to do with a playoff game. #winning #legendary

I'll make a shot joke...

It's a good sign!

For the playoff run! Anything can happen!

There is no way Chuck Fletcher buys out Kevin Hayes. No. Way.

As I said on another thread, that's a third more than they have for him now. I was going to ask who they were going to draft that they can deal in the next 3-5 years?

He garnered a 3rd last year. A 4th not unreasonable. Dude is "on pace" for a 20/50 season and can be had for likely (if they are smart ) half price. A 20/50 add at $3.5M for a stretch run rental? Someone should take that.

To that point, they stop paying Bryzgalov the year after Hayes', Laughton's, and Deslauriers' current contracts expire. The same year they'll stop paying Ellis (barring a trade). The guy that signed him to that contract? Is in the Flyers' Hall of Fame.

Yeah, well, that contract doesn't magically disappear. It'll be an LTIR juggle or give up an asset to move it.

A third is reasonable and better than the *checks notes* nothing that they have for him now. They didn't get a first this draft for Giroux.

I really think the highlight is the giant bear slowly rumbling down the far corner. They zoom in around the 2:15 mark. Pretty sure that's @ruxpin

To your point, Claude Giroux was MVP.

Well, pro rated for the end of the season and they can afford to eat half of it. JVR missed time. I'm saying they can get "an asset" - I'm not saying they get Tampa's first rounder. Expiring contract. Retain salary. You can't get "something"?

Found this looking for news on Couturier's recovery ("May be back in late February!"), but you can replace "Sean Couturier" with several other names in similar situations over the years. Start at the bottom... Marvel in wonder as... "Expected to miss extended time" turns into... "Return sooner than expected" in a week with a flat... won't need surgery followed a month later with... surgery, out 3-4 months. I get players wanting to avoid surgery. I get players wanting to play and help their teammates. If he had gotten the surgery he "didn't need" when he "didn't need it" he could - based on current reports - be back around now, a month ahead of the "end of February" we see now and be a real boost to his teammates as they *cough* push for a *cough* playoff *cough* spot *cough*. (I should maybe get that checked) Assuming he actually comes back at the end of February and is something resembling the player we expect. But is the number of times we've seen players back "earlier than expected" and reinjured normal across the league? Ryan Ellis went from day-to-day to week-to-week to back next season to may never play again. Cam Atkinson may be on a similar path... Couturier, Atkinson, and Ellis are 23% of the cap for the next two seasons.

If he can't get something from someone for JVR he's Chuck Fletcher. Would not surprise me to see Provorov moved. Braun in the "everyone needs defense" sense. He returned a third last year. Not a bad $1M investment. I don't think they have much interest in moving anyone else, but anyone's available in the right deal.