Trade Talk Boruk Article-Trade Meszaros-?

[DaGreatGazoo]

This is an interesting angle...first time, I've read anyone discuss moving Mez.

This is the year to be a seller, and for the teams lingering around the cellar, it’s time to assess the situation, evaluate the roster and start shaping it for next season.

It’s a harsh reality for Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren, who hasn’t been in this position since taking over the GM job in October 2006.

However, with one of the deepest crop of 18-year-olds in this year’s amateur draft, it may not be a bad idea to add another first-round pick. Couple that with the Flyers' own pick, which is looking more like a top-15 selection, and Holmgren could set himself up for another interesting and productive offseason.

While many wonder if 35-year-old Danny Briere would graciously waive his no-trade clause, give the team some salary cap relief and provide a pick or two in return, I see the Flyers moving in a different direction.

Try Andrej Meszaros.

The Flyers' defenseman returned in March after separating his shoulder in the team’s fourth game of the season, which consequently forced him to miss the next six weeks. In the offseason he underwent surgery to repair a torn Achilles'.

Hard to believe he’s only 27 years old, but his body is already entering its mid-30s. Since his return, Meszaros hasn’t exactly solidified his place on the Flyers' blue line. He has been mixed and matched as head coach Peter Laviolette has stuck with Kimmo Timonen/Luke Schenn andBraydon Coburn/Nicklas Grossman as his top-two pairings.

Meszaros has been fifth on the depth chart, logging an average of 18:33 very average minutes. He has yet to record a plus game with an overall minus-6 rating, and it’s tough to gauge where he might fit in for next season.

However, if you’re one of those teams on the other side of the playoff fence, there are benefits to what Mez can bring. He has a very reasonable cap hit at $4 million, plus he’s under contract for next season. Under those terms, he would be a much more affordable and desirable option than Calgary’s Jay Bouwmeester, who has a hefty $6.5 million number and has never played in the postseason.

Meszaros, on the other hand, would bring a ton of playoff experience: 46 career games, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final (Senators ’07). He’s also capable of stepping up in all situations, and if healthy (raised eyebrows), Meszaros is good for 30-35 points next season.

NHL defensemen are like big-league starting pitchers and teams will overpay to get their hands on one. When you look across the league, a number of teams have taken significant hits to their blue lines. The Ottawa Senators took a major hit after losing Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson for the remainder of the season. The Senators are certainly familiar with Meszaros. However, if I were Holmgren, I wouldn’t even rule out the rival Rangers and Penguins, who will also be desperate to add defense. The price tag would just be a little steeper.

Start the bidding soon and by the time the April 3 trade deadline rolls around, Holmgren should be able to squeeze a first-round pick out of some team, and quite possibly a little bit more. And you don’t have to request Meszaros to waive a no-trade clause because he doesn’t have one.

From the Flyers' standpoint, Meszaros simply needs to stay healthy and play a little bit better. It could definitely help the orange and black next season, and perhaps, many seasons after that

[flyerrod]

The poor bastard is saddled with Bruno"the Turnover Machine" Gervais for christ's sake...how can you justify his negative numbers when he gets NO support from his defensive pairing? The least they could do is pair him with Gus for a few games...even with his brain farts he is a better option than Bruno....

[Bakanekimiwa]

Yeah.. I tried to come along with this article and go with it's thinking. But, NO... it's a bad idea. He's still a young defenseman and is coming off some pretty major injuries. To say that his body is already in it's 30's is really just him trying to come up with *something*.

In other words... this is a TERRIBLE IDEA. Yeah.. give up one of our only young good defensemen. Brilliant.

[DaGreatGazoo]

I posted this in the shoutbox..but will put it here. I think it's from an organ-I-zation standpoint. If they are truly keeping all the "kids" and letting them grow, Mez could be a piece to build around. Conversely, he could also be a piece that is moved to get younger and cheaper.

I like him, I think he's an above average D-man when healthy. But if someone throws a treasure chest of players/picks do they consider it??

Obviously, they aren't moving Timonen or Coburn to help build the team. He's one player that could be moved...not necessarily should be moved.

[PhilsFanDrew]

I can't imagine his trade value is really all that high right now. He has a decent cap hit and recent injury issues so I question how much we would get back that could help us 1-2 years from now. Then again I was surprised to find out Paul Gaustad was traded for a 1st round pick so if you get an offer that you can't refuse he's certainly not untradeable.

[jammer2]

@DaGreatGazoo The perfect scenario for building the Flyers into eventually having a Stanley Cup worthy roster is just pure patience. This means a 3-4 year target date where our kids like B.Schenn/Couts/McGinn/Simmonds among others start to enter their primes. The older guys like Harts/Talbot even Read (lol) would still be useful pieces. This is when our window starts to open IMHO. Therefore, a guy like Mez should be moved. There is no way a injury prone guy like him will still be as effective when our window starts to open. Move him for a pick (who could potentially be playing in 3-4 years) and or prospect since he should not be counted on as a keeper. All current players on the roster should be thought of like this, will they be playing and useful in 3-4 years? If not, move them to achieve this goal.

I'm not saying suck on purpose or anything like that. I just think Homer should have a long term thought process and aim/direct all his efforts for the team to be at it's best in 3-4 years from now. We *should* have a goalie in place by then also....LOL! Even if we are drafting a tender this coming draft, he would be playing by the time the window starts to open.

[toughfighter83]

@DaGreatGazoo The perfect scenario for building the Flyers into eventually having a Stanley Cup worthy roster is just pure patience. This means a 3-4 year target date where our kids like B.Schenn/Couts/McGinn/Simmonds among others start to enter their primes. The older guys like Harts/Talbot even Read (lol) would still be useful pieces. This is when our window starts to open IMHO. Therefore, a guy like Mez should be moved. There is no way a injury prone guy like him will still be as effective when our window starts to open. Move him for a pick (who could potentially be playing in 3-4 years) and or prospect since he should not be counted on as a keeper. All current players on the roster should be thought of like this, will they be playing and useful in 3-4 years? If not, move them to achieve this goal.

I'm not saying suck on purpose or anything like that. I just think Homer should have a long term thought process and aim/direct all his efforts for the team to be at it's best in 3-4 years from now. We *should* have a goalie in place by then also....LOL! Even if we are drafting a tender this coming draft, he would be playing by the time the window starts to open.

no offense, how can you trust that homer can rebuild this whole team?

[jammer2]

@toughfighter83 I really don't think he can...lol. I just think the 3-4 year goal should be the context our GM should be working under. Don't think Homer has that in him either, he's more a fly by the seat of his pants kinda guy, that's the one of the main reasons I don't want him as GM. No future planning, just reacting, instead of haivng a smart long term plan.

[radoran]

@toughfighter83 I really don't think he can...lol. I just think the 3-4 year goal should be the context our GM should be working under. Don't think Homer has that in him either, he's more a fly by the seat of his pants kinda guy, that's the one of the main reasons I don't want him as GM. No future planning, just reacting, instead of haivng a smart long term plan.

Homer, to me, is the GM that looks at his team every year and says "what is this team missing from competing for the Stanley Cup this season?" There is no long term plan, there is no long term direction beyond short term results. If assets immediately in front of you need to be dealt to acquire something you think this team needs rightnow, you make the move. To me, that's a terribly incompetent way to run a franchise. It's what puts you in a position where you "must have" a #1 center next year, so you give him an eight-year contract with a no movement clause. Or a "need" for a clear #1 goalie, so you give him a six year contract with a no movement clause. Or a "need" to establish a clear future captain as captainforlife rightnow, so you give him a 15-year contract... and a no trade clause*. You "need" defensive help "to make a run" so you deal a young "disappointing" winger (who then goes on to win two Cups) for a rental. Most teams that have won in recent years have really, truly built themselves by putting significant pieces in place (generally including a drafted core) and then adding around them over time. The Flyers, for the most part, have been mercenaries who, when asked to play for the crest on the front, simply don't have the appreciation - built up over time and experience - for it.

[off_the_post]

Sorry I started to read the article then stopped. You only trade him if you are in a full rebuild. Other than that the D is a point of weekness and they simply can't make the team any weeker by taking away a decent dman - injury prone or not. Just my opinion.

Thanks for bring the article to the form to discuss!

[terp]

Homer, to me, is the GM that looks at his team every year and says "what is this team missing from competing for the Stanley Cup this season?" There is no long term plan, there is no long term direction beyond short term results. If assets immediately in front of you need to be dealt to acquire something you think this team needs rightnow, you make the move. To me, that's a terribly incompetent way to run a franchise. It's what puts you in a position where you "must have" a #1 center next year, so you give him an eight-year contract with a no movement clause. Or a "need" for a clear #1 goalie, so you give him a six year contract with a no movement clause. Or a "need" to establish a clear future captain as captainforlife rightnow, so you give him a 15-year contract... and a no trade clause*. You "need" defensive help "to make a run" so you deal a young "disappointing" winger (who then goes on to win two Cups) for a rental. Most teams that have won in recent years have really, truly built themselves by putting significant pieces in place (generally including a drafted core) and then adding around them over time. The Flyers, for the most part, have been mercenaries who, when asked to play for the crest on the front, simply don't have the appreciation - built up over time and experience - for it.

Very difficult to say for sure where it comes from but my money is on Snider, with Homer imerely the one who makes the philosophy reality. No GM blows up the team every year unless the owner tells him to.

[jammer2]

Very difficult to say for sure where it comes from but my money is on Snider, with Homer imerely the one who makes the philosophy reality. No GM blows up the team every year unless the owner tells him to.

That's getting to the real heart of the problem, how much of this is Homer being forced into, and how much is just pure incomtence? We will probably never know. Even if he gets fired, that kinda stuff is never taked about.

[BearOnIce]

Very difficult to say for sure where it comes from but my money is on Snider, with Homer imerely the one who makes the philosophy reality. No GM blows up the team every year unless the owner tells him to.

It is Snider. No doubt about it. He is the Flyers in his mind. He has the financial means every year to try and get the right pieces. Great for the fans. Not for the organization. Homer has to have the patience of Jobe.

[CoachX]

@DaGreatGazoo The perfect scenario for building the Flyers into eventually having a Stanley Cup worthy roster is just pure patience. This means a 3-4 year target date where our kids like B.Schenn/Couts/McGinn/Simmonds among others start to enter their primes. The older guys like Harts/Talbot even Read (lol) would still be useful pieces. This is when our window starts to open IMHO. Therefore, a guy like Mez should be moved. There is no way a injury prone guy like him will still be as effective when our window starts to open. Move him for a pick (who could potentially be playing in 3-4 years) and or prospect since he should not be counted on as a keeper. All current players on the roster should be thought of like this, will they be playing and useful in 3-4 years? If not, move them to achieve this goal.

I'm not saying suck on purpose or anything like that. I just think Homer should have a long term thought process and aim/direct all his efforts for the team to be at it's best in 3-4 years from now. We *should* have a goalie in place by then also....LOL! Even if we are drafting a tender this coming draft, he would be playing by the time the window starts to open.

How useful will Snider be in 3-4 years? Does that play a part in this decision?

[jammer2]

@CoachX ha ha, never know...never know.

[mojo1917]

How useful will Snider be in 3-4 years? Does that play a part in this decision?

Remember Al Davis' corpse...

Lukko needs to get POA from Snider before he hits that level of meddling & incompetence.

[TimKerrFan12]

Two words..Paul Gaustad...he was traded for a 1st rounder. We should be looking at something real good for Briere or Meszaros

[radoran]

Two words..Paul Gaustad...he was traded for a 1st rounder. We should be looking at something real good for Briere or Meszaros

1) Gaustad was traded for a low first rounder from a team that expected to make a serious run to something with "Finals" in it.

2) The Preds were trying to make an effort to assure Weber/Suter to stay (possible to find a similar situation - happy to look at whatever one exists)

3) Gaustad was a UFA at the end of the deal - he didn't have two more years at $6.5M each or a $3.4M buyout (Briere) or $4M next season (Meszaros) - Meszaros clearly has more value than Briere in this situation.

It's apples and oranges to compare Gaustad's return and whatever the Flyers get for Briere and/or Meszaros.

Which, quite frankly, I expect to be diddly and/or squat.

Happy to be pleasantly surprised.