You're Holmgren... Your defense is...?

[Bertmega]

I also have a sneaky suspicion that Lavy will adjust his system a little to allow for more defensive coverage. I can see the coverage focusing more on the neutral zone to mask some deficiencies on the back end.... I refuse to use the dirty "T" word here, but it may be an option until the defense stabilizes.

I predict a lot less scoring coming from the Flyers this season as a result.

Edited August 22, 2012 by Bertmega

[orange_crush]

Recent conversations have me curious... If you're Holmgren, who do you put where in your defense and why? Short term plan? Long term? Does it matter? Actively seeking FA's or trades? What would YOU do?

Carlson and Subban are still both RFA's I think you have to go after one of these guys...

Coby/Kimmo

Grossman/ Carlson or Subban

Schenn/ Gus or MAB

I still think our goal tending is still too weak to be competitive anyway..

[The_Kaptan]

Carlson and Subban are still both RFA's I think you have to go after one of these guys...

Coby/Kimmo

Grossman/ Carlson or Subban

Schenn/ Gus or MAB

I still think our goal tending is still too weak to be competitive anyway..

What made Weber a realistic shot was the questionable financial situation the Preds were in combined with the fact that you could realistically afford to sign him at the maximum level contract. In order to poach Carlson or Subban you'd have to offer a contract way outside of their realistic value on the market, otherwise you have to expect that both of their teams, who aren't suffering money issues like the Preds were, will match. It's not realistic to expect that offering a sheet on either of those guys will lead to actually getting them unless Howson is suddenly hired by their clubs or one of the GMs suffers an aneurism in the middle of signing the matching offer sheet alone in a cold war bunker with a door that has a week long time release that can only be interrupted from the inside, or unless the Flyers make a salary offer so brain dead that it makes the Scott Gomez deal look like pure genius, and even that's not a guarantee.

[jammer2]

@The_Kaptan Agreed, the Caps or Habs will match anything that is close to realsitic. They simply can't afford to lose those guys. It would take something close to a Weber offer to secure their services, ok for the best d-man in the league, not cool for ego manic Subban and Carlson, who is a fine young d-man, but not worth that kind of investment.

[Dynamo 47]

I also have a sneaky suspicion that Lavy will adjust his system a little to allow for more defensive coverage. I can see the coverage focusing more on the neutral zone to mask some deficiencies on the back end.... I refuse to use the dirty "T" word here, but it may be an option until the defense stabilizes.

I predict a lot less scoring coming from the Flyers this season as a result.

I agree Bert and I think Lavy would be smart to do that. He knows we can score with any team in the league but given our defensive shortcomings he is going to need to make some adjustments to his system to account for it.

I can see some neutral zone traps at times but I think his biggest changes will be more defensive coverage from the forwards. I think the forwards will go deeper into the defensive zone and think coverage first versus risky chances.

[Bertmega]

@Dynamo 47

I am too lazy to look this up, but who is the assistant coach now that the Big Chief is gone?

I would hope it is a very defensively minded coach.

PLEASE LORD LET THERE BE A SEASON! I AM JONESING BAD FOR HOCKEY!

[flyercanuck]

@Dynamo 47

I am too lazy to look this up, but who is the assistant coach now that the Big Chief is gone?

I would hope it is a very defensively minded coach.

PLEASE LORD LET THERE BE A SEASON! I AM JONESING BAD FOR HOCKEY!

Tony Amonte? Reggie Leach? Ron Flockhart?

[orange_crush]

What made Weber a realistic shot was the questionable financial situation the Preds were in combined with the fact that you could realistically afford to sign him at the maximum level contract. In order to poach Carlson or Subban you'd have to offer a contract way outside of their realistic value on the market, otherwise you have to expect that both of their teams, who aren't suffering money issues like the Preds were, will match. It's not realistic to expect that offering a sheet on either of those guys will lead to actually getting them unless Howson is suddenly hired by their clubs or one of the GMs suffers an aneurism in the middle of signing the matching offer sheet alone in a cold war bunker with a door that has a week long time release that can only be interrupted from the inside, or unless the Flyers make a salary offer so brain dead that it makes the Scott Gomez deal look like pure genius, and even that's not a guarantee.

you bring up a good point..the Flyers would probably have to overpay for Carlson or Subban...which leads us back to why didn't Homer just outbid Tampa for Carle?

I never was a huge fan of Carle but with the limited available talent in the market this is turning into a huge mistake by Homer

[RonJeremy]

Carlson and Subban both are good offensvie dmen with potential to be all around good dmen, both are rightys, both are real good on PP. We used to have 4 dmen who were pretty good on the PP, Prongs, Timmo, Mez and Carle, now we are down to one.. Timmo, who has one year left. A big part of our offense last year was the PP, so dont be surprised if we score alot less goals this year. Maybe we make an offer to either of these guys

[JackStraw]

I never was a huge fan of Carle but with the limited available talent in the market this is turning into a huge mistake by Homer

I was admittedly more of a Carle fan than most around here, but I still think it's fair to say that you're exactly right on this. Other than Weber, Carle at $5.5 million was the Flyers' best option this off-season.