If I was gm

[Jmdodgesrt4]

I would rid myself of five players/contracts this off season. Each one because of different reasons. I'm sure 90 percent of the board will scream at me and say I'm just dumb, but , here we go...

1# Jody shelley....great team guy. A team first mentality. But he must be moved to clear cap space and get younger. Sestito can due his job at a cheaper rate and can skate and actually play third line minutes and not look completely lost. Bury in ahl or move him for a pick or ahl player.

2# kimmo timm...yah I'm saying it. Move him now. Yes he has a ntc but he would most likely be willing to move to another team like Detroit if he is no longer wanted by Philly. It clears cap space and allows a young player playing time. Should be able to get a mid round pick for him. He is a shadow of himself and cannot stay healthy anymore. Another team might pick him up on his leadership ability and playoff experience.

3# Daniel briere...yes mister playoff. He is a huge cap hit but has some left in the tank. Easily get a 2nd or 3rd round pick from somebody. We have giroux,Schenn, and coots at center. All young and I believe the latter two will benefit playing in their normal position and increased playing time. Let's get younger and shed salary on this move.

4# Chris pronger.. Prolly the hardest to move this contract anywhere. He is most likely done and should retire. However he cannot do this without screwing the flyers with the cap hit for years to come. There has been talk of allowing 35+ players in that wonderful contract retire without any cap penalty if it is due to career ending injury and not performance in the new cba. If that's the case and flyers believe its going to be in the new cba no need to due anything at this point.

5#. Breezy. Not really much to say here. New cba with another ammnesty buy him out. Pay him his lump some of whatever it is and get rid of this head case. There are plenty of players capable of stopping the pucks that should be stopped. Josh Harding comes to mind. If Philly signs a caliber goalie like that then I think he will be bought out.

Well there yah go. This is what I would do if I was gm. The moves made above are in no means to free space to sign suter or parise. Just to rid ourselves of contracts we no longer need. Time to get younger and take our 10-20, or if lucky a lottery pick for a year or two and build on what we have.

[Bertmega]

I think we were contenders this year and will be next year. Timonen is good and I think we need to strengthen our D, not weaken it. Therefore, we should keep Timonen, but find a Dman out there that is a 1-2 guy, so Timonen can get reduced minutes and still remain effective.

Shelley- Agreed- gone

Briere- if we can move him and he agrees to be moved, then yes I would move him. I don't see that happening though. We're stuck with him

Pronger- Agreed

Bryzgalov- I am probably in the minority here, but I say keep him. I will go on record to say he will have at least 44 wins next year and be a Vezina finalist. I am that serious and typing this with a straight face.

[Irishjim]

1 & 2 Yes, 3 moving danny i'm not against but equal value must come back. pronger can't be moved we is stuck with that contract there is no getting out of it unless the new cba lets you get rid of one contract. Bryz. who is gonna take that contract. only one comes to mind is straight up for luongo but don't see that happening either

[bleedingorange]

Agree with all of those moves except Kimmo. Briere is a huge part of salary cap and for as much as we're paying them he needs to come up big all year round.

[Clarke2Leach]

I'm pretty sure we'd still have Richards if Briere didn't have an NTC. We wouldn't have gotten Simmonds and Schenn back for Danny, but that contract would be gone. Briere should at the very least be moved to right wing, because he isn't responsible enough at centre.

No argument with dumping Shelley, but the rest are almost impossible to get rid of without changes to the CBA. I think Detroit is making room for Suter, so I doubt Timmonen is in their plans, especially at his age and cap hit.

[AndyS]

I'd like to keep Danny here. He deserves to be a part of the Flyers winning a Cup.

And he's money in the playoffs.

[Jmdodgesrt4]

I no doubt believe we are competitive now and are a threat in the playoffs. However I just want to get younger and free up space to sign the players coming into their last years shortly like g and harts. Jvr is a player I would move as well but only if it's for a top tier damn and not Nash unless it's a three way trade like bob and jvr and our 1st to the jackets for Nash and then Nash to Nashville for weber. Good basis of a trade but I doubt you get weber for Nash. Bob is another moveable piece. However his value is probably low at this point. So I'm not sure what he alone would get considering not many teams are in need of goaltending. Maybe Boston Tampa and oilers as options.

[flyerrod]

I will go on record to say he will have at least 44 wins next year and be a Vezina finalist. I am that serious and typing this with a straight face.

I thought that they could not send Bryz to the ECHL...........

[Bertmega]

@flyerrod

Lol Rod.

I may be having the lingering effects of an acid flashback, but I honestly think he'll get 44 wins this year.

[radoran]

You probably should have started with "if I was GM I wouldn't have given the rock solid No Movement Clauses to four of the five players I now want to get rid of."

I've been driving the Get Rid of Jody Shelley bandwagon since it left the station when his pen lifted off the contract, so I'm on board with that. That can be done now and should have been done two years ago.

The others, unless you can get players to agree to be traded and other teams that they agree to be traded to graciously agree to give you something of vaule in return (see the return on Gagne, Simon), you're looking at buyouts (and in Pronger's case an unecessary and counterproductive one).

Timonen is off after next season. You "save" all of $2M on the cap if you buy him out and take a $1M cap hit next season. The only reason to do this is to free up space for a signing this year.

Pronger's contract they get back on LTIR (aside from the offseason). A buyout is a solid $5M cap hit for the duration of the contract.

Briere's buyout situation "saves" just $500K in 14-15 when you need to re-sign Giroux and then is a three-year $1.33M hit after that. Given that he has been more than a "mentor" but has in fact lived with both Giroux and Couturier, I'm not sure this is the best move for "the room."

A Bryz buyout is at least a $1.7M cap hit throgh 2027-28 - no, really - with two big years in 18-19 and 19-20.

Here are the buyouts for the players in question:

Danny Briere buyout from CapGeek.com

• 2012-13: $833,333
  
• 2013-14: $4,833,333
  
• 2014-15: $5,833,333
  
• 2015-16: $1,333,333
  
• 2016-17: $1,333,333
  
• 2017-18: $1,333,333
  

Ilya Bryzgalov buyout from CapGeek.com

• 2012-13: $875,000
  
• 2013-14: -$625,000
  
• 2014-15: $1,375,000
  
• 2015-16: $1,375,000
  
• 2016-17: $1,875,000
  
• 2017-18: $1,875,000
  
• 2018-19: $5,125,000
  
• 2019-20: $6,125,000
  
• 2020-21: $1,708,333
  
• 2021-22: $1,708,333
  
• 2022-23: $1,708,333
  
• 2023-24: $1,708,333
  
• 2024-25: $1,708,333
  
• 2025-26: $1,708,333
  
• 2026-27: $1,708,333
  
• 2027-28: $1,708,333
  

Kimmo Timonen buyout from CapGeek.com

• 2012-13: $4,333,333
  
• 2013-14: $1,000,000
  

They also get Hartnell's $4.2M off after next season, throw in Lilja as well and they've got $11.2M in space opening up after next season doing nothing whatsoever. With the buyouts they actually lose $1.6M of that space.

Simmonds will be an RFA and Schenn/Giroux/Couturier will be entering the last years of their deals.

[flyerrod]

@flyerrod

Lol Rod.

I may be having the lingering effects of an acid flashback, but I honestly think he'll get 44 wins this year.

I hope to god you are right Bert....it is gonna be mighty painful if you are not..... :wacko:

[Jmdodgesrt4]

A lot hinges on the cba. They may allow players to retire from career ending injuries without cap penalty and allow a one time buy out with no penalty this off season after sept 15th if the cba is in place. Why would you not rid yourself of pronger and breezy if you could without penalty? Briere and kimmo fall under the category of just move to allow younger players to play and take our lumps for a few years and add more youth and talent maybe through a lottery pick or top 15 picks for two or three years

[Bertmega]

@flyerrod

I have a money bet right now with somebody, so that space cadet better find his inner peace and muster up 44, so I can get paid....

Oh and a cup would be nice too.

[aziz]

I have a money bet right now with somebody, so that space cadet better find his inner peace and muster up 44, so I can get paid....

i gotta know: how much?

no one at all has won 44 in one season in the last two seasons, and a total of 7 have over the last 7 years. putting money on bryzgalov not only not sucking but becoming one of the best of the best of the best in the league....i want in. $50?

[radoran]

A lot hinges on the cba. They may allow players to retire from career ending injuries without cap penalty and allow a one time buy out with no penalty this off season after sept 15th if the cba is in place. Why would you not rid yourself of pronger and breezy if you could without penalty? Briere and kimmo fall under the category of just move to allow younger players to play and take our lumps for a few years and add more youth and talent maybe through a lottery pick or top 15 picks for two or three years

Again, the Pronger situation doesn't really affect the Flyers adversely at this point. If you're Pronger, why "retire" when you have $19M on your contract?

There is no way that management will "rebuild" for 2-3 years. That is not how this organization works. They intend to "compete for the Stanley Cup" every season - there is no projection in which they play for a lottery pick.

My point on Briere is that he's a good influence on the younger players and the point about Timonen is that a buyout actually COSTS money on the cap next season when it doesn't have to.

How much "younger" fo they need to get? They played SIX ROOKIES significant time this season. They're apparently about to lock up the Top Four D for after Timonen by re-signing Carle.

They made their "youth" move with Simmonds/Schenn/Voracek/Cotuurier/Read, giving JVR an extension, giving the reins to Giroux and supplementing with vets like Talbot and Jagr.

This team is built to seriously compete for the Stanley Cup with a solid young core that just got to the second round of the playoffs. Blowing it up isn't the answer.

[Bertmega]

@

Man, now I am re-thinking this bet now that you put it this way.

It was for a dinner at a nice restaurant. No real monetary value discussed, just if he finishes the regular season with 44+ wins, I get to order off the big kid menu with drinks. What costs more Porterhouse or Prime? ??? I better start saving now :/

The only stipulation is if he gets hurt, as in misses more that 15 games hurt.

[terp]

My point on Briere is that he's a good influence on the younger players and the point about Timonen is that a buyout actually COSTS money on the cap next season when it doesn't have to.

I would like to move Briere because I believe his production is going to decline rapidly and because we have three very good young centers in the line up. But I don't think he can be moved. His cap hit is way in excess of his production and his salary is still $7MM. You will get your wish. Timmo could be moved easily but I don't think we can manage without him.

[Spinorama]

but I honestly think he'll get 44 wins this year.

getting 44 wins is nice, as long as they are the right wins. Kinda like the Jagr discussion. He played great and was a big help this season... but where was he when it mattered most? I value season success as much as the next guy, but bottom line numbers aren't the whole story.

[aziz]

The only stipulation is if he gets hurt, as in misses more that 15 games hurt.

what if it is confirmed he plays some number of games hurt?

followup question: does "crazy" count as hurt?

if so, you have an out.

[radoran]

I would like to move Briere because I believe his production is going to decline rapidly and because we have three very good young centers in the line up. But I don't think he can be moved. His cap hit is way in excess of his production and his salary is still $7MM. You will get your wish. Timmo could be moved easily but I don't think we can manage without him.

It's not a quesiton of a "wish" - but, like so many things, dealing with the reality as it exists. I do think Briere is overpaid and that his production is likely to drop over the next three years.

Briere cannot be moved unless Briere wants to be moved. There is no indication that Briere wants to be moved. The whole "team tells player they don't want him" works in very limited situations and rarely results in any benefit to the team moving the player. Moreover, as I noted, he has been a close, daily influence on both Giroux and Couturier. Having a very public rift with the player could have a detrimental effect on two important parts of your future.

Also, as I noted, the big cap hit problems from a Briere buyout come exactly when you need the money to re-sign Giroux (saving just $500K that season).

Timonen is in the same situation. Timonen cannot be moved unless Timonen wants to be moved. There is no indication that Timonen wants to be moved. And in any event, his salary is off the cap after next season anyway and a buyout gives you $2M in space rightnow and takes away one of the $6.3M you'd get next year by not doing anything.

And I don't believe that we realize any value from the transaction by trading Timonen for a fourth round draft pick with, as the poster noted, no intention of actually using that money to sign a replacement but, rather, with an eye towards trying to lowball the salary cap and compete for a lottery pick for 2-3 years.

There is also no indication that the team wants either of the players moved.

[Bertmega]

@

Unfortunately, crazy does not count, nor does playing through an injury. Lucky for me, the person I bet is not a Scotch and Steak kind of person, so I may get off with TGIF Fridays. However, if I win, Flanagan's Steak House here I come. Porterhouse Med Rare with a nice glass of Glenfiddich 18 Year sounds about right......

Bryz don't fail me now!!!!

Edited June 12, 2012 by Bertmega

[Bertmega]

@Spinorama

This is true Spin. I would like a cup even if it means 30-35 wins.

I think the team defensive strategy will be a greater threat than he (bryz) will, but I am confident that he will work on the "brain farts" that killed us most of the season.

[doom88]

Bryzgalov- I am probably in the minority here, but I say keep him. I will go on record to say he will have at least 44 wins next year and be a Vezina finalist. I am that serious and typing this with a straight face.

@aziz @

Redemption is one year away.

[Bertmega]

@doom88

Man this may be rough for me come April.

Well it is in the books.

[Spinorama]

but I am confident that he will work on the "brain farts" that killed us most of the season.

having one season under his belt here will certainly help. Not having 24/7 here will absolutely help. Fortunately this wasn't the worst first season for this team to have. to me, they overachieved, despite falling hard at the end.

I just hope that Bryz doesn't continue his act from the end of the season as far as his attitude is concerned. I don't like the way our media handles things for sure, typically trying to stir the pot for a sound bite (do you guys want the Flyers to fail?) but at the same time it begs the question of if that's the approach he's going to take, then why bother with the media at all. Just keeping up that act to me is just as distracting as the braindead, pot stirring questions the media asks.