A draft loaded with defense and we pick 2 off the bord no names

[RonJeremy]

The best draft ever for defensemen and we draft another center where we are loaded and a goalie when we have a starter tied up for the next 8 years. Makes no sense at all. Pittsburgh and Washington killed us in this draft. I sure hope we can sign a dman and trade JVR for a second dman as well. IF that Happens then Holmgrens draft will make more sense! But I still liked other guys better than the ones he picked. He went off the board twice ,you very rarely hit two picks like that. The 10th rated goalie? With a second round pick? The 40th rated forward with a first rounder?

[RonJeremy]

Guarantee you Coots or Schenn are being traded and that's why we took a center

[The Quigster]

The way the Flyers are picking makes me think Homer believes Pronger will be back in 2012-2013. With Homer after it ain't over till its's over! Were any of the "D" men selected in the first or second round NHL ready ? Its too bad their isn't more publicity all season long about the young players.

[Jmdodgesrt4]

It's a weak draft. There is prolly 4-6 players that are can't miss. After that it's a crap shoot. Same player talent wise is available at 15 and 150.

[RonJeremy]

Pronger is done. You have to assume Holmgren is gonna swing a deal for a dman, A couple of the dman were NHL ready. To me picking a goalie is a dumb move .You waste a second rounder for a goalie who will not be be able to start since were stuck with Bryzjerkoff for the next 9 years. So by the time the kid is 28 he can start. Draft a goalie 5 years from now to replace Bryzjerkoff.

[The Quigster]

Homer is taking the BPA to an extreme. Whats the status of Lavi's contract? I was thinking it expires 12/12.

[jammer2]

The drafting seems a tad extreme....like Homer and the Flyers are being a bit to cute in shooting for long shots. Our first round pick most likely would have been around in the second rd and our 2nd rounder could have been avail in round #4 or 5.

[RonJeremy]

Holmgren is really reaching and picking guys way too soon, remember that goon he wasted a 3

Rd. rounder on a few yrs ago,the guy that got knocked out. Every scouting orginazation has ratings and we went against everyone and picked these guys.thats like going to thet track and picking all the longshots,you can never get that lucky. I'm not impressed at all with this draft. I'd have preferred Gaunce or the american dman or Maata and Thrower in the second round

[Philly29]

Guarantee you Coots or Schenn are being traded and that's why we took a center

We took a center thats a few years out because we are trading Coots or Schenn? Why would we do that?

[aziz]

Guarantee you Coots or Schenn are being traded and that's why we took a center

?? meaning you think this kid is going to replace one of them next fall?

guys, after the top 3 or 4 picks, draftees are years away from stepping into the league. if you aren't a lottery team, you don't draft based on what you need 3 months after draft day. you draft what you think will fit into your plans over the next 5 or more years. drafting a dman at 20 wouldn't have done a thing about the flyers' blueline needs come october. or probably a year from october.

[RonJeremy]

Because we have Giroux Talbot Briere and let's say Schenn. That's four centers, so in 2 or 3 years the kid we drafted replaces Briere. Assume the following scenario... We need defense ,so if we get lucky we can land a couple of free agents like the college kid everyone is high on and lets say the guy from Fla. Then we end up trading Coots or Schenn plus JVR for Ryan. If we can't land any FA dman then we have to trade and if we want Yandle it will also cost us JVR and Coots or Schenn. I really think Holmgren is gonna trade one of them. The Flyers have been after Ryan for years. Wouldn't shock me if it was JVR and Schenn or Coots for Ryan and the rights to that FA college dman.

[jammer2]

@RonJeremy Obviously, I'm not privy to who wants who, but on the surface....it appears they could have got Matta in the first, Laughton in the second and not blink an eyelash. I'm really bumed out with this goalie pick so high in the second with Dalton Thrower still on the board. Same scenario, they could have gotten Thrower and the Goalie. Trying to get to cute here, look like draft Gods...lol.

[RonJeremy]

The goalie pick burns me up we haven't had a second round pick in 10years and we draft a goalie who has no chance at starting for the next 9 years.

[Mad Dog]

?? meaning you think this kid is going to replace one of them next fall?

I think meaning that by not addressing the most obvious and urgent need (defense) through the draft, one conclusion to reach is that the Flyers realized by the time they were picking, there was no d-man they deemed ready to help them immediately (and God knows, they *do* need help on D right away), so they decided to switch gears and drafted a kid they liked with a goal to address defense through the trade. And since Bob is gone, and teams seem to be unwilling to take JVR, the Flyers may have no choice but to trade either Schenn or Couturier - their most attractive trading chips. I know if that happens, people - myself included - will probably be pissed beyond belief, but the Flyers don't have many trading chips right now to substantially upgrade the defense without giving up what teams are asking for... as painful as that may be.

The reality is, you cannot get a player of Shea Weber's caliber by trading someone like Voracek or JVR. It's simply not happening. Again, it will kill me if either Couturier or Schenn is traded, but the Flyers may have no choice, sadly. **** happens. Nobody expected a concussion to end Pronger's career.

The other option, of course, is to just sign some OK, unspectactular free agent d-man (not even sure who is available) and try to pull a trigger on someone legit during the regular season (around trade deadline).

[aziz]

by the time they were picking, there was no d-man they deemed ready to help them immediately (and God knows, they *do* need help on D right away),

on the one hand, you are probably right. on the other hand, did anyone think at any point it was possible talent could be drafted that would help on D right away? that just doesn't happen, i don't understand why it is even a part of anyone's thought process on draft day. i mean, does anyone think even ryan murray is going to step onto NHL ice in october on the bluejacket's first d-pair and be a difference maker?

you can sometimes find a forward who can put up points right after being drafted. it's more of a instinctual skillset. but there was no way the nature of the flyers blueline for 2012-13 was going to be significantly altered yesterday, outside of a trade.

[Mad Dog]

@

Yes, but that's even more to support my point that when you pick at the 20th spot, there is no hope you can pick a defenseman who has a chance to help you even in 2 years. I think that was the Flyers' train of thoughts: we need to address the defense immediately, sure, but there is nobody there we really like.

So they must've decided to just pick a player they thought was the best player available at his position, thinking that they would get a much-needed defenseman through a trade. Especially if they can't come to terms with Carle, aging Timmonen and Coburn is your first defensive pairing. Can you see that happening?

Me neither.

[idahophilly]

?? meaning you think this kid is going to replace one of them next fall?

guys, after the top 3 or 4 picks, draftees are years away from stepping into the league. if you aren't a lottery team, you don't draft based on what you need 3 months after draft day. you draft what you think will fit into your plans over the next 5 or more years. drafting a dman at 20 wouldn't have done a thing about the flyers' blueline needs come october. or probably a year from october.

Thank god you said it Noodle... It sounds like we lost the Stanley Cup next year because of this draft! You go for the best player period. If you don't need another center then you can trade them for an asset you do need.... It's not rocket science...

[RonJeremy]

I really thought they woulld trade up for a dman and still go after another dman via FA. I like the Penguins and Caps picks alot

[idahophilly]

The other option, of course, is to just sign some OK, unspectactular free agent d-man (not even sure who is available) and try to pull a trigger on someone legit during the regular season (around trade deadline).

Yandle for JVR (and a late round pick if needed)

[Mad Dog]

Yandle for JVR (and a late round pick if needed)

I am listening to the radio as we speak.... Yandle's name is being mentioned a lot. The 'Youtes are not necessarily looking to trade him, but are listening to offers, and the Flyers are a frontrunner right now. Problem is, Phoenix, just like most of the other teams, are asking for Schenn and have very little interest in JVR.

[RonJeremy]

Great young dman are hard to find. Yandle will cost JVR and Schenn, I'm sure other teams are in the hunt driving the price up. We could get Luke Schenn and a pick for JVR.

[aziz]

@Mad Dog

no, agreed. then again.....i can't help but look at rosters around the league. rosters for effective teams. i look at the D pairs, and...i don't know. i think the prevalence of impact dcorps is pretty drastically overstated.

i mean, the finals dcorps:

salvador, zidlicky, greene, fayne, tallinder, harrold

versus

doughty, scuderi, mitchell, voynov, greene, martinez

doughty is the only guy of the bunch i'd be really excited to get. that's 11 worker bee guys, there. i don't know if any would take the place of timonen or coburn on the flyers' depth chart. and yet, those were the crews that got their teams to the finals, 6 of them to the cup.

while i'd love to see the flyers upgrade the blueline, i guess i'm not as on board with the "much needed" as other people. every upgrade helps, but imo coburn, meszaros, grossmann, gustafsson and timonen is a competitive group. missing one body, hopefully that's carle. if that happens, i really don't see a problem. compare it to the 6-somes above, and i don't see anything distinctly lacking. truth be told, i'd almost take the flyers' guys over either of those packages, doughty being the one thing that slants the table. i'd be great, maybe, to swap gustafsson for a guy who has proven himself, but then again, the team has to get its prospects into the mix at some point.

we'll see how this goes, i guess. i just don't see the same fatal shortcoming.

[idahophilly]

I am listening to the radio as we speak.... Yandle's name is being mentioned a lot. The 'Youtes are not necessarily looking to trade him, but are listening to offers, and the Flyers are a frontrunner right now. Problem is, Phoenix, just like most of the other teams, are asking for Schenn and have very little interest in JVR.

Dahm... Schenn

That would be tough to swallow. But... Both JVR and Schenn have not proved themselves and both have had lots of injuries... Maybe it's a toss up?

[DaGreatGazoo]

drafting a dman at 20 wouldn't have done a thing about the flyers' blueline needs come october. or probably a year from october.

And drafting a center does nothing to improve them at center in October or a year from October either!!! We have 5 centers NOW, AND for the next several years...meanwhile, their are no Dmen in the pipeline that are considered bluechips. It's exactly this type of drafting that forces the Flyers to go find Dmen EVERY SINGLE SEASON. Walker, Llija, Kubina, GrossmanN, etc...because we don't have any quality blueline depth in the farm system.

And, has everone forgotten about Nick Cousins...he's still around..and oh yea, he plays..CENTER!!!

My anger isn't towards the kid..he sounds like he could be a solid player, but the 20th pick to fill a position that is over stocked is just bad judgement, IMO. No one will convince me otherwise. If we move him/another young center for something we need...say...a DEFENSEMAN...then I will change my opinion.

[aziz]

Problem is, Phoenix, just like most of the other teams, are asking for Schenn and have very little interest in JVR.

anyone remember some people talking about moving JVR before the value he carried purely because he was a 2nd overall pick started to fade? yeah, this is what they were talking about.