this says it all

[Polaris922]

According to Capgeek... Pronger's salary doesn't count against the cap for purposes of day one of the season. So... they can actually spend ABOVE the cap up to Pronger's annual cap hit prior to that day, knowing his salary comes off it on day one. They use an example of exactly that situation... where a team goes into the season at $71.5 million on a $70 million cap knowing a $2 million player is off injured.

[caluso]

Wah wah wah... Dude, seriously take some happy pills... Not trying to be a jerk but when do you ever provide anything other than the "same old bs" and the sky is falling mentality?

This article does not even address the Streit deal and the logic on the Ray Emery signing is stupid at best:

"but his signing illustrates a commitment to bargain basement goaltending"

I think we can all agree that when you spend the amount of money the Flyers did for Bryz they are not/ were not trying to be "bargain basement" shoppers. Emery is a very good pickup at the money he is making. Couple that with Mason challenging for a #1 spot I think it is a good situation. You also have a few Goalies hitting the UFA market next year and there is no long term committment to either player.

Is the Vinny deal too long? Yes, but he would have gotten more per year somewhere else and when you look at the other deals that were gievn out in FA this signing is not terrible. Look no further than Clarkson...

i appreciate your reply and i dont think you are being a jerk. we just see things differently, that's all. i have been a flyers fan for many, many years and find the manner in which they go about their business to be head-scratching and frustrating. you don't.

i ask you one question: what's their plan? other than mimicking last year's Cup winner.

imo, the Vinny signing makes no sense, none. C is our deepest position, we are loaded with promising young prospects at that position. why tie up valuable cap space AND block the development of a prospect....

and, with the exception of the bryz signing, muir is dead on - we cant develop Goalies so we are always making due with second tier players. (and in the rare instance we do - bob - we trade him. by the way, this is not 20/20 hindsight; i was one of bob's biggest fans and posted so many times)

i don't see what there is to be excited about in the future. we have a very slim chance at making the playoffs, let alone winning the cup. decades and counting....

Edited July 13, 2013 by caluso

[aziz]

i don't see what there is to be excited about in the future. we have a very slim chance at making the playoffs

this is, i think, where the difference is. i think it likely the flyers make the playoffs. what they do once there maybe is a different story, but the playoffs will happen. honestly, i think they make the playoffs last season had it been an 82 game schedule. it isn't uncommon for a team to struggle into december, pull it together, start making a run in january, and be playoff participants by season's end. the season effectively ended at the start of january this time, though.

as for lecavalier, i've said it before: i think there was a pretty good point to bringing him in. an issue last season was an inconsistent offense that at times looked listless and lost. a veteran leader adds stability and direction, to my mind assisting the developement of the younger players on the team.

as you said, it's a matter of opinion and how we each see things. i do know that most every summer, there are many cries of "won't make the playoffs" and most every spring they do. we'll just have to see how this one plays out.

[brelic]

as you said, it's a matter of opinion and how we each see things. i do know that most every summer, there are many cries of "won't make the playoffs" and most every spring they do. we'll just have to see how this one plays out.

Homer was put on "high alert" to "make sure we make the playoffs" which means that the moves he made and will make are focused on that goal if he's interested in keeping his job.

That also means it may or may not align with our 'vision' for the Flyers. So, I share @caluso's frustration, and I also completely get your position, @aziz.

At the end of the day, the signings make us better for this year. But do they help us build a strong team from within or do they hinder that development? Time will tell, but one move in particular - Streit - to me seems like it really devalues Gus and drops him down in the depth chart.

Whatever happens, Streit will take away minutes from the young guys, and Lecavalier will take away a position from a young center. It may turn out just fine with Schenn on wing, but we can't deny that all the moves were done for "rightnow" as rad would say.

I have to admit that the prospect of Schenn/Lecavalier/Simmonds has me pretty stoked. That could be a really strong line. Or even with VL on the top line (40/28/93) and Read/Schenn/Simmonds on the 2nd.

[doom88]

The Flyers will make the playoffs. Stunningly ridiculous pessimism in some of these posts.

They only missed because half of their roster was hurt. That'll sink every team in the NHL.

[brelic]

The Flyers will make the playoffs. Stunningly ridiculous pessimism in some of these posts.

They only missed because half of their roster was hurt. That'll sink every team in the NHL.

The season-to-season swings can be pretty dramatic. In 3 seasons, the Devils went from missing the playoffs, to the SCF, to missing the playoffs.

I'm pretty sure the team will make the playoffs. They got better in all areas, and got some 'addition by subtraction' in the case of Bryz.

As Homer loves to say, once you're in the playoffs, anything can happen.

[canoli]

and got some 'addition by subtraction' in the case of Bryz.

This is by far the most important move the Flyers made. Last 2 seasons the Flyers' starting goalie was not good enough. Time and again his glaring weaknesses cost them goals and games. Sometimes he'd add insult to injury by blaming the team or the defense, making excuses for his own lousy play. That begins to wear on even the best players...resentments build, etc. and before you know it nobody is playing for the TEAM anymore, for each other, they're playing because that's their job. Some maintain a high standard - of readiness, execution etc. - some don't. But one bad apple in a pivotal position like starting goaltender can easily spoil the bunch. I am sure that's what happened to the Flyers the past 2 seasons.

The Flyers are so much better without Bryzgalov. I have no doubt we'll make the POs now. Once there...who knows?

[King Knut]

MLB doesn't have a cap, but they do have a luxury tax for when a team's total salary goes over a certain mark.

Of course with profit sharing, the NHL essentially does both, which still blows my mind.

you can keep paying players after you cut them and not really worry about it..

[radoran]

MLB doesn't have a cap, but they do have a luxury tax for when a team's total salary goes over a certain mark.

Of course with profit sharing, the NHL essentially does both, which still blows my mind.

Well, arguably the most successful league on the face of the planet does both, too.

[jammer2]

I'm starting to wonder if Homer knew that Ron was getting hired, will be there looming large should homers plan (for lack of a better word, maybe muddled mess is a better fit) falter. The Striet and Vinny moves are a win now types of moves, so maybe Homer knew about Ron coming on board and made sure the team was as strong as possible going into training camp.

Agree with doom here, the Flyers would have made the playoffs last year, had we not been hit with so many injures, esp on defense. No team, and I do mean no team survives with more than half the defense injured. We had the depth in place, the contingency plan was there, but when *that* many injuries happen, it's imposible to overcome.

If the roster stays as is, at least we will be deep enough on d to potentially overcome 3 defensive injuries. Don't think many teams can claim that.