5 Thoughts Going Into the Offseason

[RJ8812]

6 hours ago, AJgoal said:

He hasn't filed the paperwork yet, but it appears the Flyers will indeed get an extra 2.25 million in cap space this offseason: http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2016/04/24/vincent-lecavalier-says-hes-going-to-retire/

Kind of funny how the Flyers lasted longer than the Kings

[brelic]

9 hours ago, AJgoal said:

^^ I think that's expecting a lot more movement this offseason than is feasible, but I'd be ok with most of those moves. I'd rather demote Vandevelde and keep White, though. I could see Colin McDonald displacing VDV on the 4th line.

 

Completely agree on McDonald. He was noticeable from the moment he joined the team. VandeVelde is just too vanilla. Guys like McDonald and White are great bottom six players to have. 

 

I'd love to try something like this:

 

Schenn/Giroux/Simmonds

Konecny or Lucic/Couturier/Voracek

Raffl/Backes/Laughton or Cousins

Leier or McDonald/PEB/White

 

On D:

 

Del Zotto / Ghost

Provorov / Gudas

Manning / Schultz

MacDonald

 

I think any of the bolded additions would give us Konecny and Leier bring speed, the other guys bring size and strength (i.e. toughness!) as well.

 

This roster won't be remade overnight - and that's a good thing. Too much disruption is not great for team chemistry. I like Hextall's approach so far.

 

The other wildcard is Lyon. No one really has any idea what he will look like in the NHL. He and Stolarz will battle it out in camp for first-call-up honours, and maybe he impresses so much that they consider trading Neuvirth or Mason later in the season (rather than letting them walk for nothing).

[OccamsRazor]

"Everybody was [banged up]. It was a physical series. Of all the series I've played in, I think that was one of the most physical ones. It was a lot of big boys throwing the body around." -Giroux

 

So i'm sure Hexy is doing his homework and has taken note the Flyers lack and need some size out there to compete....oh and it's ok if they can skate too...it's why i suggest removing Read (5-10 185) and Gagner (5-11 202) from the lineup not just because they didn't play so well but more so someone has to go so you can plug some bigger guys into the lineup.

 

A glance at the size of the lineup.....

 

10 Brayden Schenn(6-1 195)- 28 Claude Giroux(5-11 185) - XXXXXXXX
93 Jakub Voracek(6-2 214)- 14 Sean Couturier(6-3 211)  -17 Wayne Simmonds(6-2 185)
12 Michael Raffl(6-0 200) - 52 Nick Cousins(5-10 188) - 21 Laughton(6-1 190)
XXXXXXXXXXX - 78 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare(6-0 198) - 25 Ryan White(6-0 200) 
 

15 Michael DelZotto(6-0 195) - 53 Shayne Gostisbehere(5-11 180)
9 Ivan Provorov (6-1 205) - 3 Radko Gudas(6-0 205)

32 Mark Streit(5-11 192) - 39 Mark Alt (6-4 210)

55- Nick Schultz (6-1 203) - 23 Brandon Manning (6-1 205)??????? resigned????
 

30 Michal Neuvirth
35 Steve Mason

 

My new additions are bolded adds some more youth and size to the lineup plus another righthand shot on the blueline plus Alt is a banger with a nice outlet pass. I'd be open to trading Schultz and going with maybe Manning as the 7th.

[OccamsRazor]

 A nice chance to add a LW with some size (6-3 209) who is a free agent Ahti Oksanen he only has two years of experience at forward after being switched from defense...i think he is worth a look plus he'd give the Flyers a Finn.....since they have been Finnless since Kimmo retired!!!

 

I think due to his age he can only sign a one year entry level deal but at 925K he would be a cheap option.

 

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=56595

 

The only highlight i could find of him is at the :12 second mark with a goal.

 

 

[OccamsRazor]

some good news.......

 

 

Hey's thoughts......

 

https://www.nhl.com/flyers/video/hextall-on-roster-changes/t-277437426/c-43754103

[OccamsRazor]

Hextall on the prospects.......

 

https://www.nhl.com/flyers/video/hextall-on-prospects--future/t-277437426/c-43754403

[OccamsRazor]

 

 

Yes this two have earned their contracts. The next step is to add some size and skill to the forward ranks.

[RJ8812]

I don't think Alt has a future here

[brelic]

3 hours ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

 

Yes this two have earned their contracts. The next step is to add some size and skill to the forward ranks.

 

I wonder what his beef is with Schenn. I have never heard a ringing endorsement from Hextall. It's always lukewarm, cautious. 

 

Long-term deal for Gudas before Schenn? Am I missing something?

 

Does he think he can easily find another 60 (ok 59) point winger with a career on the rise for $4.5-5M? Maybe, maybe not. But this one is already part of the system, the culture. 

 

It's a head scratcher for me.

[OccamsRazor]

33 minutes ago, brelic said:

 

I wonder what his beef is with Schenn. I have never heard a ringing endorsement from Hextall. It's always lukewarm, cautious. 

 

Long-term deal for Gudas before Schenn? Am I missing something?

 

Does he think he can easily find another 60 (ok 59) point winger with a career on the rise for $4.5-5M? Maybe, maybe not. But this one is already part of the system, the culture. 

 

It's a head scratcher for me.

 

 

I agree sure Brayden did not score in the playoffs but he wasn't alone....and man i did enjoy watching him ratchet up his physical play i was impressed....so not sure what the Flyers have against the Schenns....

[FD19372]

On 4/25/2016 at 8:11 AM, brelic said:

 

Completely agree on McDonald. He was noticeable from the moment he joined the team. VandeVelde is just too vanilla. Guys like McDonald and White are great bottom six players to have. 

 

I'd love to try something like this:

 

Schenn/Giroux/Simmonds

Konecny or Lucic/Couturier/Voracek

Raffl/Backes/Laughton or Cousins

Leier or McDonald/PEB/White

 

On D:

 

Del Zotto / Ghost

Provorov / Gudas

Manning / Schultz

MacDonald

 

I think any of the bolded additions would give us Konecny and Leier bring speed, the other guys bring size and strength (i.e. toughness!) as well.

 

This roster won't be remade overnight - and that's a good thing. Too much disruption is not great for team chemistry. I like Hextall's approach so far.

 

The other wildcard is Lyon. No one really has any idea what he will look like in the NHL. He and Stolarz will battle it out in camp for first-call-up honours, and maybe he impresses so much that they consider trading Neuvirth or Mason later in the season (rather than letting them walk for nothing).

Backes would be a GREAT signing, if somehow St. Louis lets him go. I want no part of Lucic, however. I look at him the same way as I do Hartnell, a bad, dumb penalty waiting to happen. I don't care that he had 20 goals this season. I would rather go after a player like Andrew Ladd at left wing. 

[mojo1917]

@brelic

Is it just me or has Hextall already addressed the resigning Schenn ?  I thought I read Hextall as saying he'd like to get a deal done with Schenn but doesn't feel the need to rush it because he's a RFA, I think Gudas and White are both UFA's and so that would make the urgency to get them into the  fold a little greater.

[FD19372]

On 4/25/2016 at 5:36 AM, RJ8812 said:

Kind of funny how the Flyers lasted longer than the Kings

The Lucic and Lecavalier Effect.

[AJgoal]

50 minutes ago, mojo1917 said:

@brelic

Is it just me or has Hextall already addressed the resigning Schenn ?  I thought I read Hextall as saying he'd like to get a deal done with Schenn but doesn't feel the need to rush it because he's a RFA, I think Gudas and White are both UFA's and so that would make the urgency to get them into the  fold a little greater.

 White is UFA, Gudas is RFA.

[brelic]

53 minutes ago, mojo1917 said:

@brelic

Is it just me or has Hextall already addressed the resigning Schenn ?  I thought I read Hextall as saying he'd like to get a deal done with Schenn but doesn't feel the need to rush it because he's a RFA, I think Gudas and White are both UFA's and so that would make the urgency to get them into the  fold a little greater.

 

As @AJgoal said, Gudas is an RFA as well. 

 

You're right, Hextall did mention there's no rush to get a deal, but why specifically mention he'd like a long deal with Gudas but be lukewarm about Schenn? There's gotta be something we're missing, right? Schenn has improved in each year he's been here, finally looking like a top-end 1st round pick. 

I see Schenn as a more important core piece than Gudas.

 

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

6 minutes ago, brelic said:

 

As @AJgoal said, Gudas is an RFA as well. 

 

You're right, Hextall did mention there's no rush to get a deal, but why specifically mention he'd like a long deal with Gudas but be lukewarm about Schenn? There's gotta be something we're missing, right? Schenn has improved in each year he's been here, finally looking like a top-end 1st round pick. 

I see Schenn as a more important core piece than Gudas.

 

 

My guess is that he is using it as a bargaining tactic. Not acting anxious so Schenn might not come in asking for the moon.

[OccamsRazor]

7 minutes ago, AlaskaFlyerFan said:

 

My guess is that he is using it as a bargaining tactic. Not acting anxious so Schenn might not come in asking for the moon.

 

[Lindbergh31]

19 hours ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

 

I agree sure Brayden did not score in the playoffs but he wasn't alone....and man i did enjoy watching him ratchet up his physical play i was impressed....so not sure what the Flyers have against the Schenns....

They probably have nothing against the Schenns, maybe Brayden is asking for more than what Hexie wants to pay. So Hexie will work on signing White and Gudas first before getting back to Schenn

[flyercanuck]

20 hours ago, FD19372 said:

Backes would be a GREAT signing, if somehow St. Louis lets him go. I want no part of Lucic, however. I look at him the same way as I do Hartnell, a bad, dumb penalty waiting to happen. I don't care that he had 20 goals this season. I would rather go after a player like Andrew Ladd at left wing. 

 

Backes is 31 and turned down 3 years at $5.5. The Flyers are building for the future. Do we really want 34-35 year old Backes (who plays physical and likely breaks down) when our team is hopefully nearer to contention? 

 

I'd prefer Schenn, all day everyday. Unless I'm going for it next year. We're not.

[peter puck]

Hextall is going to take care of the little things first.  It's seems odd to some of us because we all know Holmgren would have already thrown five for six and then would have got nervous and bid against himself giving him 7 for 7 NTC,NMC

[FD19372]

1 hour ago, flyercanuck said:

 

Backes is 31 and turned down 3 years at $5.5. The Flyers are building for the future. Do we really want 34-35 year old Backes (who plays physical and likely breaks down) when our team is hopefully nearer to contention? 

 

I'd prefer Schenn, all day everyday. Unless I'm going for it next year. We're not.

I would bet that Hextall and the Flyers are, in fact, going for it all next year. They will be in contention for the division, if not the conference title. Backes is 31, not 34-35.

[OccamsRazor]

3 minutes ago, FD19372 said:

I would bet that Hextall and the Flyers are, in fact, going for it all next year. They will be in contention for the division, if not the conference title. Backes is 31, not 34-35.

 

 

Blues will resign him.

 

If Barbashyov was ready maybe they would but he needs more time in the AHL.

[FD19372]

1 hour ago, flyercanuck said:

 

Backes is 31 and turned down 3 years at $5.5. The Flyers are building for the future. Do we really want 34-35 year old Backes (who plays physical and likely breaks down) when our team is hopefully nearer to contention? 

 

I'd prefer Schenn, all day everyday. Unless I'm going for it next year. We're not.

Nevermind. I misread what you meant.  He is 31 as you did say.  However,I still want him because he is still very productive, does a LOT of things very well that this team needs, and has been the captain of a very successful team for a while.

[flyercanuck]

47 minutes ago, FD19372 said:

Nevermind. I misread what you meant.  He is 31 as you did say.  However,I still want him because he is still very productive, does a LOT of things very well that this team needs, and has been the captain of a very successful team for a while.

 

He's productive now. But time isn't on the side of a 31 year old physical forward who's also going to be looking for his last big payday.

 

Successful team? One of the most underachieving teams in NHL history.

[FD19372]

1 minute ago, flyercanuck said:

 

He's productive now. But time isn't on the side of a 31 year old physical forward who's also going to be looking for his last big payday.

 

Successful team? One of the most underachieving teams in NHL history.

A successful team  regular season team. Fixed.