According to 4th period website LA offered Jack Johnson for JVR

[brelic]

Yeah yeah we all know you want Weber - and you're prepared to move heaven and earth to get him (slight exaggeration on my part).

I just don't think we need a "difference-maker" on the blue line. We want one, of course, who wouldn't? But the way I see it 90% of our defensive liabilities are in net, courtesy of the Big FA Goalie we got this summer.

Can we be tougher around the crease? Sure. We're missing Pronger and it shows; it shows on the PP too. But when Bob is in net things look a whole lot better on both sides of the ice.

Last night, take any of our D-men and change sweaters with him and Weber - do we win? Does Weber make a difference? Not so much because it still comes down to "Can the goaltender stop the puck?"

*******************************************

Once again Bryzgalov is whining to the media about bad bounces, deflections: "What can I do? What can I do? Nothing," Bryzgalov said of the odd goal.

This whole "Victim" b.s. is really beginning to bother me now. Check this out:

"Good things happen when you throw things at the net," Predators coach Barry Trotz said after the Flyers' first-ever regulation loss in Nashville. "You can't fault the goaltender."

Really Barry? You're going to chime in and support Bryzgalov too? This is getting downright silly.

I don't think Barry cares one iota about Bryzgalov. He was probably asked about the winning goal, and he spewed out a hockey cliche. I think you're reading too much into the comments from the coach of another team!

[Vincent05]

Really Barry? You're going to chime in and support Bryzgalov too? This is getting downright silly.

He has to say that to support the Flyers if we are gonna trade with them. It's not so good to bash the other team if you want players from them.

[flyercanuck]

Yeah yeah we all know you want Weber - and you're prepared to move heaven and earth to get him (slight exaggeration on my part).

I just don't think we need a "difference-maker" on the blue line. We want one, of course, who wouldn't? But the way I see it 90% of our defensive liabilities are in net, courtesy of the Big FA Goalie we got this summer.

Can we be tougher around the crease? Sure. We're missing Pronger and it shows; it shows on the PP too. But when Bob is in net things look a whole lot better on both sides of the ice.

Last night, take any of our D-men and change sweaters with him and Weber - do we win? Does Weber make a difference? Not so much because it still comes down to "Can the goaltender stop the puck?"

*******************************************

Once again Bryzgalov is whining to the media about bad bounces, deflections: "What can I do? What can I do? Nothing," Bryzgalov said of the odd goal.

This whole "Victim" b.s. is really beginning to bother me now. Check this out:

"Good things happen when you throw things at the net," Predators coach Barry Trotz said after the Flyers' first-ever regulation loss in Nashville. "You can't fault the goaltender."

Really Barry? You're going to chime in and support Bryzgalov too? This is getting downright silly.

While I don't totally disagree with what you're saying, Weber could have been a difference maker last night. He's a crease clearer who's also better than anything we have on the pp. In a 3-2 game (+EN) he may have helped add a goal and may have stopped one. I agree having the human sieve in net isn't going to get us far, and we're screwed unless we can dump his sorry ass somehow, someway. My point is I don't want to trade a JVR or Schenn type player unless its for a difference maker. And Jack MFing Johnson, big name and all, ISN'T one.

[doom88]

Barry likes easy goals on the Flyers, so of course he's pro Bryz. Hah!

[OccamsRazor]

am i the only one who's not FOR acquiring johnson? he's a serious minus player of late. i don't think he'll just up and become a norris contender because he's on OUR team. i do not want him. there's a reason LA has been dangling him. he's expendable and their looking for suckers to bite.

Well you can't count on his solid defensive play cause he don't have any, so i say no thanks. They said Gleason can be had for a 2nd round pick and since the Flyers can't find any talent with those picks i would be ok to trade that pick for Gleason....make it happen Homer.

[canoli]

Weber could have been a difference maker last night. He's a crease clearer who's also better than anything we have on the pp. In a 3-2 game (+EN) he may have helped add a goal and may have stopped one.

well that's a good point re: last night's game - Weber might've made a difference (if he'd been on when the Preds scored, if he'd been clearing the sight lines for Bryz at the time...).

To your larger point - I wouldn't deal Schenn lightly either. But JVR? I'm not saying "bag of pucks" but I'd be okay getting a Gleason-type of player in return - or Johnson or Harmonic. He'll never fetch a Duncan Keith or anyone of that caliber - only way that happens is if we sweeten the deal and I'm against trading more than 1 roster player right now.

The Flyers can absorb the impact of moving one guy, especially JVR who is either perpetually 1) injured, 2) clueless, 3) disinterested or 4) all 3.

a 1-act play

Coach: What's wrong J, are you ignorant or just apathetic?

JVR: I don't know and I don't care.

In my opinion moving more than 1 roster player, to get Weber or anybody who'd be an immediate "difference-maker" is the wrong way to go because I love the balance we've got this year, up and down the lineup; we shouldn't take that for granted or expect it'll happen again this summer. Achieving that balance took a combination of events we can't count on - scouting Matt Read (Bemidji State?!), luck of the draw (Couturier gets sick and falls from 1st/2nd to 8th in the draft) - Harry Z, Zac, Bourdon, hopefully Gus - these guys are all surprises. Not to mention Carter is out with a separated shoulder and Richards is in LA where not much is going right. Anyway...Who knows whether moving 2 of our young guys + JVR will hurt the team in the long run? The point is (as I see it) why mess with a good thing?

The D need to be better. Maybe the coaches have to address the D-men more, and more directly, demand more. It's been a weakness all year, opposition players getting the inside position in front of our net, and it hasn't changed much. Bob has won a few games by stealing them; the rest of our wins are by racking up 4, 5, 6 goals.

It won't happen overnight but there's room for improvement from all of our D-men if the coaches (and teammates) demand it. It doesn't have to be about yelling and screaming - sometimes potential is better tapped by unspoken expectations, by embarrassment when shots go wide, when coverage is blown...etc. Team chemistry anyone?

"The fix" doesn't have to be about bringing in new blood; sometimes it's about demanding more from the blood you already have. Maybe it doesn't require keeping the group intact, growing the loyalties and strengthening the bonds ... but it sure makes the process a helluva lot easier...

[edit: damn, another essay. What can I say? I'm excited to see what this young team can do (esp when Bob starts). I hate to see it fractured for the sake of 1 guy, no matter who he is].

Edited January 16, 2012 by canoli