Holmgren failed to have a franchise defenseman waiting in the AHL in case Pronger got hurt.

Also, he only offered $200mm in contracts to land a new one this summer. Idiot. He should be a peanut vendor
- Jsaquella

K, thanks now I have to clean the coffee I just spit all over my keyboard. At least I can use that image to keep me cheerful at work today!

I like how pessimism colored with hindsight criticism are considered 'being realistic', as if to imply anybody who isn't retroactively distributing criticism and I-told-you-so's is suffering some kind of delusion.

You know what I think it means to be realistic? Understanding that having a need doesn't necessarily make that solution available, let alone at a reasonable cost. It's knowing that a franchise is always taking risks, and is operating in real-time, not via hindsight. It's knowing that long term solutions can't be scheduled within short term plans. And it means knowing that just because they need to add an element does not mean that option is available to them.

I won't say those who tend toward more critical outlooks are not being realistic, but to imply anybody who doesn't share this hindsight angst and criticism is being unrealistic is laughably egotistical.

/rant
- BulliesPhan87

The hindsight angst is there for the optimistic, too. But me crying over the Eminger trade isn't going to make it go away. It also ignores that Holmgren realized his error and made good on it, by landing Carle.

I can't blame Holmgren for Pronger's injury, because it was a freak thing. Even Meszaros' string of injuries is odd, because outside of one year, prior to joining the Flyers, Meszaros was pretty much an ironman.

K, thanks now I have to clean the coffee I just spit all over my keyboard. At least I can use that image to keep me cheerful at work today!
- FlyersGrace

Homer would totally fight other vendors who went into his terf

K, thanks now I have to clean the coffee I just spit all over my keyboard. At least I can use that image to keep me cheerful at work today!
- FlyersGrace

Spill-proof (including projectile coffee) glow in the dark keyboards are one sale today, and should be considered standard issue when reading Jsaq's posts (typically a messy affair)

http://www.13deals.com/product_detail.php?id=23950


(Disclaimer: may not actually be a good deal)

Does anyone else find remotely awkward that we haven't complained about our goalie woes so far

Spill-proof (including projectile coffee) glow in the dark keyboards are one sale today, and should be considered standard issue when reading Jsaq's posts (typically a messy affair)

- BulliesPhan87

Pfft, no over sized buttons. Nor a joystick. Pass.
Thanks though!

Does anyone else find remotely awkward that we haven't complained about our goalie woes so far
- Deasr1

We complained about Leighton. I distinctly rememeber that. But let's hope Bryz continues to play well...

The hindsight angst is there for the optimistic, too. But me crying over the Eminger trade isn't going to make it go away. It also ignores that Holmgren realized his error and made good on it, by landing Carle.

I can't blame Holmgren for Pronger's injury, because it was a freak thing. Even Meszaros' string of injuries is odd, because outside of one year, prior to joining the Flyers, Meszaros was pretty much an ironman.
- Jsaquella

I hear you, I think that's another mischaracterization, that those who aren't 'realistic' don't feel upset about miscues by the franchise, or that we aren't critical of moves. I, for one, am not looking back on this past off-season with fond memories.

I like how pessimism colored with hindsight criticism are considered 'being realistic', as if to imply anybody who isn't retroactively distributing criticism and I-told-you-so's is suffering some kind of delusion.

You know what I think it means to be realistic? Understanding that having a need doesn't necessarily make that solution available, let alone at a reasonable cost. It's knowing that a franchise is always taking risks, and is operating in real-time, not via hindsight. It's knowing that long term solutions can't be scheduled within short term plans. (And it means editing the last sentence out of your rant when you re-read it and find one statement totally redundant)

I won't say those who tend toward more critical outlooks are not being realistic, but to imply anybody who doesn't share this hindsight angst and criticism is being unrealistic is laughably egotistical.

/rant
- BulliesPhan87

Food for thought...
People are angry that we dont draft d-men in the first round. We need to, that way we can get a top end, franchise d-man!! Right?

Well:
8 of the top 25 D-men in scoring (right now) were 1st round picks. Out of the other 2/3 of the top 25... there were 3 8th round picks, a ninth round pick, 3 undrafted players..

Drafting d-men is a crap shoot.

We complained about Leighton. I distinctly rememeber that. But let's hope Bryz continues to play well...
- FlyersGrace

I think Bryz is finally comfy now. Knows what to expect and handle himself better.

We complained about Leighton. I distinctly rememeber that. But let's hope Bryz continues to play well...
- FlyersGrace

Of course our goalie is lights out when the rest of the team is playing meh

Pfft, no over sized buttons. Nor a joystick. Pass.
Thanks though!
- FlyersGrace

But it glows in the dark!

Food for thought...
People are angry that we dont draft d-men in the first round. We need to, that way we can get a top end, franchise d-man!! Right?

Well:
8 of the top 25 D-men in scoring (right now) were 1st round picks. Out of the other 2/3 of the top 25... there were 3 8th round picks, a ninth round pick, 3 undrafted players..

Drafting d-men is a crap shoot.
- jak521

so is picking a wife, but in the end it's how they are raised(d-men too) not where you get them

I know he still puts up the numbers. But he's lost that "dynamic" where he was an unstoppable goal scoring machine. There were times in Atlanta where he'd get the puck in the neutral zone with a full head of steam, and you just knew there was no way the defense could stop him from scoring a goal, very much like Ovechkin. That's the missing element, that level of excitement. Now he's more of a PP one-time scorer and work your way into the slot scorer.
- jmatchett

That's true. I don't think we'll ever see Kovy score 50 goals again. Maybe 40 but he seemed like more of a 35 G, 45 A or 30 G, 40 A guy at this point in his career. He's much better defensively also.

Drafting d-men is a crap shoot.
- jak521

/blog

let's get a new one going, Bill

Food for thought...
People are angry that we dont draft d-men in the first round. We need to, that way we can get a top end, franchise d-man!! Right?

Well:
8 of the top 25 D-men in scoring (right now) were 1st round picks. Out of the other 2/3 of the top 25... there were 3 8th round picks, a ninth round pick, 3 undrafted players..

Drafting d-men is a crap shoot.
- jak521

Plus we are really really good at drafting fowards with our first round picks when we have them lol

Food for thought...
People are angry that we dont draft d-men in the first round. We need to, that way we can get a top end, franchise d-man!! Right?

Well:
8 of the top 25 D-men in scoring (right now) were 1st round picks. Out of the other 2/3 of the top 25... there were 3 8th round picks, a ninth round pick, 3 undrafted players..

Drafting d-men is a crap shoot.
- jak521

I'd still pick Dougie Hamilton.

Food for thought...
People are angry that we dont draft d-men in the first round. We need to, that way we can get a top end, franchise d-man!! Right?

Well:
8 of the top 25 D-men in scoring (right now) were 1st round picks. Out of the other 2/3 of the top 25... there were 3 8th round picks, a ninth round pick, 3 undrafted players..

Drafting d-men is a crap shoot.
- jak521

At least for the Flyers, it's not been easy developing defensemen. Maybe it's simply not an organizational strength. Personally, I'd love to see them start to stock up the defensive pipeline and improve on this, but in my mind it's an ENTIRELY separate desire from current NHL blueline needs.

Anyways, it's not like the organization has entirely ignored this need. Little moves like the one for Alt show that.

I'd still pick Dougie Hamilton.
- mayorofangrytown

Its hard for me to say that when our defense was pretty jam packed at the time... I was hoping we would get Dougie Hamilton, but when Couts was still on the board.. I was stoked. Im happy with that decision.

That's true. I don't think we'll ever see Kovy score 50 goals again. Maybe 40 but he seemed like more of a 35 G, 45 A or 30 G, 40 A guy at this point in his career. He's much better defensively also.
- NickTheKid87

I think a significant factor in his offensive slowdown (for lack of a better term) is his defensive improvement. He's been a fairly well rounded player for NJD.

At least for the Flyers, it's not been easy developing defensemen. Maybe it's simply not an organizational strength. Personally, I'd love to see them start to stock up the defensive pipeline and improve on this, but in my mind it's an ENTIRELY separate desire from current NHL blueline needs.

Anyways, it's not like the organization has entirely ignored this need. Little moves like the one for Alt show that.
- BulliesPhan87

I think the Flyers just address that area differently than some teams. We are an impatient franchise.. so it would make sense that the two positions that require the most patience (d and goalie) would be an org, weakness.

Food for thought...
People are angry that we dont draft d-men in the first round. We need to, that way we can get a top end, franchise d-man!! Right?

Well:
8 of the top 25 D-men in scoring (right now) were 1st round picks. Out of the other 2/3 of the top 25... there were 3 8th round picks, a ninth round pick, 3 undrafted players..

Drafting d-men is a crap shoot.
- jak521

The way I see it, if we are getting good players in the first round, then there's really no issue. It would be cool to have a home grown d man but it's far from essential. Philly is a destination. Weber reportedly wanted to play here and Carle loved this place more than it loved him, that's for sure. We can attract big name guys more so than the smaller markets. Therefore, drafting has less of an impact. By no means am I saying that we should not bother with the drafting process but if you can keep picking players like Giroux, Couturier, Richards, Carter, Gagne and now Laughton, it's hard to complain about their strategy.

I'd still pick Dougie Hamilton.
- mayorofangrytown

i feel like this is really the ONLY "questionable" move that the FLYERS NEEDED TO DRAFT DEFENSE LIKE THE PAST 4 YEARS (FNTDDLTP4) Club can have a qualm about...but in the end, the Flyers instead got a player that EVERYONE was so stoked on last year and during the off-season.

I think a significant factor in his offensive slowdown (for lack of a better term) is his defensive improvement. He's been a fairly well rounded player for NJD.
- BulliesPhan87

I think Kovalchuk now is more valuable than Kovalchuk in Atlanta. I think you're right about his D effecting his O.

Its hard for me to say that when our defense was pretty jam packed at the time... I was hoping we would get Dougie Hamilton, but when Couts was still on the board.. I was stoked. Im happy with that decision.
- jak521

Jam packed more than Boston?