Earle'sGaffe Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 Hey, first-time poster here with a question I'd be interested in hearing everyone's thoughts on.A few years ago, two highly ranked prospects brought great expectations to the Flyers. Richards and Carter never lived up to their potential in the eyes of most fans, and were ultimately moved. The perception among many was that they lacked the dedication and fire necessary to put the team over the top.Since then, two more highly rated prospects at the center position have joined the team in Giroux and Couturier. Possibly as a response the the Richards and Carter experience, both Giroux and Coots spent their rookie seasons under Briere's roof. While it's early on in both their careers, both seem to have the fire that their predecessors lacked.Is it just coincidence, or do you think this arrangement is really paying off? How much credit does Briere deserve for their success so far?And if billeting with a vet really does produce results like this, who would you want the Flyers to designate as a mentor to rookie d-men? Pronger, I'd guess. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyerrod Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 I would go with Hatcher...He had a bigger mean streak than Pronger did ...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHI Flyers10 Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 I think it's helped a hell of a lot. I mean Crosby lived in Lemieux's closet/under his bed and you'd have to imagine that helped develop his skill and whining abilities. Briere is a really smart guy who has been through a lot in his personal life but he brings it when it's needed in the games. He probably comes off as a father/uncle figure to the young guys. I guess we can't judge just how much it has to do with Briere because you can't tell how they would have been if they didn't live with him. I think it's definitely paying off.Pronger would probably be a great figure to mento the young defensemen. He'd be pretty upfront about things but I think that's the best in hockey. You can be their friend but you have to be stern with the players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earle'sGaffe Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 Yeah, because of the Crosby/Lemieux precedent I kinda rolled my eyes when I first heard about Briere taking in Giroux, but based on what I've seen so far, I've been won over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHI Flyers10 Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 Yeah, because of the Crosby/Lemieux precedent I kinda rolled my eyes when I first heard about Briere taking in Giroux, but based on what I've seen so far, I've been won over.I think that since Giroux and Couturier are closer in age with Briere than Crosby and Lemieux are with each other, it's more of a roommate type of situation instead of a full-on I'm 20 years older than you and could be your father type of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlaskaFlyerFan Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 I think that since Giroux and Couturier are closer in age with Briere than Crosby and Lemieux are with each other, it's more of a roommate type of situation instead of a full-on I'm 20 years older than you and could be your father type of thing.I seem to remember it's more of a french canadian thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJgoal Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 Well, there's also the fact that Briere and Giroux/Couturier are teammates, while Lemieux was the owner of the Pens and therefore Crosby's boss. If Giroux or Couturier moved in with Snider, it would have been concerning to me. Not so with another player, especially a team leader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doom88 Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Richards more often than not played his *** off, including through several injuries. Let's not write off his contributions. An easy example of his effort is "the shift", and for another, his ridiculous knack for SHG. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earle'sGaffe Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I hear ya, doom, and I don't really disagree. I had fewer issues with both Richards and Carter than most. At the same time, there was a lot of criticism on this board over the years about their off-ice preparation and alleged love for the high life. I gotta wonder to what extent current team policies are a reaction to previous disappointments. At least, I don't recall billeting rookies with vets being a customary policy four or five years ago, whereas now it seems to be routine. At any rate, my thoughts were meant more as a compliment to the current Flyers rather than a dig at past ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terp Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Pronger would probably be a great figure to mento the young defensemen. He'd be pretty upfront about things but I think that's the best in hockey. You can be their friend but you have to be stern with the players.Do you think Pronger has the right type of personality to help the young guys? He certainly has a lot of knowledge and wisdom but I wonder if he'd be effective in that role. I wonder wonder he would accept the role in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackStraw Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Do you think Pronger has the right type of personality to help the young guys? He certainly has a lot of knowledge and wisdom but I wonder if he'd be effective in that role. I wonder wonder he would accept the role in the first place.I think Hatcher has been working with the Flyers defensemen for the last few seasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earle'sGaffe Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I think Hatcher has been working with the Flyers defensemen for the last few seasons.Hatcher is Player Development Coach. I'm not sure exactly what all that entails--whether it's strictly about working on game skills or if he also counsels players on dealing with the media and the fans and all the off-ice stuff that goes along with being a professional athlete. I imagine Briere is doing more of that sort of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindbergh31 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I hear ya, doom, and I don't really disagree. I had fewer issues with both Richards and Carter than most. At the same time, there was a lot of criticism on this board over the years about their off-ice preparation and alleged love for the high life. I gotta wonder to what extent current team policies are a reaction to previous disappointments. At least, I don't recall billeting rookies with vets being a customary policy four or five years ago, whereas now it seems to be routine. At any rate, my thoughts were meant more as a compliment to the current Flyers rather than a dig at past ones.Didn't Eric Lindros live with Kevin Dineen when he first came to Philly. Ownership wanted to make sure Lindros kept on the right path away from the rink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHI Flyers10 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Do you think Pronger has the right type of personality to help the young guys? He certainly has a lot of knowledge and wisdom but I wonder if he'd be effective in that role. I wonder wonder he would accept the role in the first place.I mean I think he would but I don't get to see him in his everyday life and see how he acts and what his personality is in that role. I feel like he'd be a great person to do that though but I guess maybe that's just me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyS Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Richards more often than not played his *** off, including through several injuries. Let's not write off his contributions. An easy example of his effort is "the shift", and for another, his ridiculous knack for SHG.And I will add the fact that some of the same exact problems are hounding this team that existed in years past (you know, all the stuff everyone blamed on Richards & Carter), so . . . .Maybe Richards wasn't the problem after all. Just saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHI Flyers10 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 And I will add the fact that some of the same exact problems are hounding this team that existed in years past (you know, all the stuff everyone blamed on Richards & Carter), so . . . .Maybe Richards wasn't the problem after all. Just saying.Reported. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyS Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Reported.Ha! I'm so busted.Carter, on the other hand . . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earle'sGaffe Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Well, there's also the fact that Briere and Giroux/Couturier are teammates, while Lemieux was the owner of the Pens and therefore Crosby's boss. If Giroux or Couturier moved in with Snider, it would have been concerning to me. Not so with another player, especially a team leader.I can't help wondering how often Sid got ticked off at Mario for leaving the seat up.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I laugh when people say Richards didn't live up to his potential. The guy was picked 24th, not 1st or 2nd or 3rd. He was an outright steal. He was one of our best players his entire duration. Carter was picked 11th. He scored more goals than anyone else while he was here. 2010 NHL draft 11th overall Jack Campbell-he's up, he's down, he's great, he sucks. I can't tell if he's any good or just lucky once in awhile. 2009 Ryan Ellis talented small offensive defenceman just starting his career. 2008 Kyle Beach yet to play 2007 Brandon Sutter good player who's production has gone downhill since rookie season. 2006 Jonathan Bernier has played about 40 games 2005 Anze Kopitar put up some nice numbers, great pick. 2004 Lauri Tukanen...ya, exactly. 2002 keith Ballard decent enough player...no carter though. 2001 Fredrik Sjostrom ditto. 2000 Pavel Vorobiev uh, ya 1999 Oleg Saprykin played a few years before hitailing it back to the Motherland. 1998 Jeff Heerema who? 1997 Jason Ward 1996 Dan Focht Not really blowing carter out of the water, are they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHI Flyers10 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I laugh when people say Richards didn't live up to his potential. The guy was picked 24th, not 1st or 2nd or 3rd. He was an outright steal. He was one of our best players his entire duration.Carter was picked 11th. He scored more goals than anyone else while he was here.2010 NHL draft 11th overall Jack Campbell-he's up, he's down, he's great, he sucks. I can't tell if he's any good or just lucky once in awhile.2009 Ryan Ellis talented small offensive defenceman just starting his career.2008 Kyle Beach yet to play2007 Brandon Sutter good player who's production has gone downhill since rookie season.2006 Jonathan Bernier has played about 40 games2005 Anze Kopitar put up some nice numbers, great pick.2004 Lauri Tukanen...ya, exactly.2002 keith Ballard decent enough player...no carter though.2001 Fredrik Sjostrom ditto.2000 Pavel Vorobiev uh, ya1999 Oleg Saprykin played a few years before hitailing it back to the Motherland.1998 Jeff Heerema who?1997 Jason Ward1996 Dan FochtNot really blowing carter out of the water, are they?Carter's numbers are nice but he didn't do nearly enough of the intagibles to make him a valuable player besides scoring useless goals against the weaker teams. I loved Richards but there just wasn't something right about him being in Philadelphia. I think people seeing him put up 82 points in a season figured that 66 points was underperforming for him. I think Richards was pushed into too much too early and couldn't handle that pressure, despite what he did before Philadelphia. I know you love Richards and will defend him to the death but he just didn't look like himself in his last season here. It was like he didn't care what happened or not. It's sad that we all grew to love him so much before ostracizing him, but I don't really miss him being on this team. There hasn't been a moment this season where I've thought to myself "if only Richards were here..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terp Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 I think Hatcher has been working with the Flyers defensemen for the last few seasons.And he's probably better suited to it than Pronger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackStraw Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 And he's probably better suited to it than Pronger.I think so. Pronger doesn't really seem like the "nurturing" type. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terp Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 I think so. Pronger doesn't really seem like the "nurturing" type.Hardly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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