tell me about mckinnon
- 2Real

http://m.bleacherreport.c...non-can-offer-an-nhl-team

Drouin and Monahan are interesting.
- 77rams

Barkov to me is just playing really well in the top Finnish league against seasoned pros.

He's a 2 way forward who has 41 points in 45 games with Tappara in SM-liiga

Understood. A big part of puck possession is also being solid on the dot. The Flyers routinely get massacred at the faceoff circle, maybe Murray would fix that too.
- PLindbergh31

Well there are two choices there. Help the players that are here to get better on faceoffs. Or bring in players who already are. Murray is not going to be a miracle cure for everything. But he will shore up some areas that need to be fixed.

I really like Monahan just a shame the 67's are having a terrible year.
- ob18

Good. Maybe his stock will drop.

When they drafted Couturier they had Pronger, Carle, Timonen, Mezaros and Coburn all in pretty good health.

I also think they wouldn't have traded Richards if they could somehow have known that Pronger would only play 13 more games. They did that because demoting Richards and making Pronger captain would have been an impossible situation.
- Feanor

not really. pronger was coming off his "most difficult" off season w/ 3 surgeries; kimmo was clearly fading at the end of the last couple seasons and age 36; coburn and carle both needed new contracts...and there were zero top 4 D prospects in the system. given that set of circumstances and that the puck mover is likely the most coveted position these days, i think my stance at that time was the correct one. add to that, if everything was rosy, it would have given a d prospect more time to develop and that's a good thing.

Anyone expecting a coaching change to immediately solve all the issues is not playing with a full deck.

Barkov to me is just playing really well in the top Finnish league against seasoned pros.

He's a 2 way forward who has 41 points in 45 games with Tappara in SM-liiga


- ob18

Reportedly pretty good on faceoffs too.

In your opinion how many players in this draft are legit difference makers? At what pick in the first round do you start to see a significant drop off in talent?
- PLindbergh31

Well I do think the top 50 to 60 are solid in this draft you could probably say 10 to 15 to make a roster right away but it's early that could grow or shrink.

And none of Briere, Schenn and Giroux are players with the two way potential that Couturier has. And have the potential to not only be a scorer in the League, but also a Selke level Center.
- MJL

i'll take my chances w/ hamilton...laughton would have made couts absence more tolerable.

Or simply buy out Briere and keep them both at center and have marvelous depth there.
- Jsaquella

Problem is its going to take one of them (schenn or coots) to get a puck moving #1 dman to play lavy's style.

Giroux-Schenn-Laughton-Cousins would be fine by me to head into next season if it gets the flyers a dman like subban.

Well I do think the top 50 to 60 are solid in this draft you could probably say 10 to 15 to make a roster right away but it's early that could grow or shrink.
- ob18

If it's that deep a draft, I'm really hoping the second round pick isn't just given away. At this stage, I can't see how the Flyers pick isn't in the top 15, and likely the top 10.

If it's that deep a draft, I'm really hoping the second round pick isn't just given away. At this stage, I can't see how the Flyers pick isn't in the top 15, and likely the top 10.
- PLindbergh31

That's why I've maintained I am not worried that much about this year, that if they missed the playoffs this might be the draft to welcome you with open arms.

Problem is its going to take one of them (schenn or coots) to get a puck moving #1 dman to play lavy's style.

Giroux-Schenn-Laughton-Cousins would be fine by me to head into next season if it gets the flyers a dman like subban.
- moylander

Well so far Holmgren has refused to move them for one. I'd be hesitant to move one unless it was an out and out stud.

If it's that deep a draft, I'm really hoping the second round pick isn't just given away. At this stage, I can't see how the Flyers pick isn't in the top 15, and likely the top 10.
- PLindbergh31

There is a lot to like at all positions so it would give them many way to go

For those interested, just saw a great documentary I highly recommend on the consequences of sports related head injuries, concussions and brain trauma;

HEAD GAMES (2012)

Keith Primeau, Peter Laviolette, Danny Briere and Bob Costas are interviewed in this film.

There is a lot to like at all positions so it would give them many way to go
- ob18

Let's be honest, there is probably no legitimate way to salvage this season, keep the picks. I would have liked to see what Timonen would have been worth to a contending team. If Kubina was a second and fourth, Timonen could have brought the Flyers a first round pick.

Let's be honest, there is probably no legitimate way to salvage this season, keep the picks. I would have liked to see what Timonen would have been worth to a contending team. If Kubina was a second and fourth, Timonen could have brought the Flyers a first round pick.
- PLindbergh31

That was what I had thought until the signed him to the extension. But keep what they have and they should still be rewarded.

Let's be honest, there is probably no legitimate way to salvage this season, keep the picks. I would have liked to see what Timonen would have been worth to a contending team. If Kubina was a second and fourth, Timonen could have brought the Flyers a first round pick.
- PLindbergh31

Timonen also has a NMC, so he could have veto'd any trade.

Let's be honest, there is probably no legitimate way to salvage this season, keep the picks. I would have liked to see what Timonen would have been worth to a contending team. If Kubina was a second and fourth, Timonen could have brought the Flyers a first round pick.
- PLindbergh31

So what do you think, does the contract extension hurt or help his value?

Timonen also has a NMC, so he could have veto'd any trade.
- Jsaquella

Why would he veto a legit chance to win a Cup with a contending team? Maybe he would, but he seems to me like a guy who wants to win.

Timonen also has a NMC, so he could have veto'd any trade.
- Jsaquella

briere's looking like a sure buyout right now, huh? good guy, i'd miss him, but...

so will the "blockbuster trade" go down?

So what do you think, does the contract extension hurt or help his value?
- GoFlyersGoSlovakia

Good question. Probably hurts it somewhat. Not sure there would be a lot of suitors for him at a 38 years old at 6 million dollar cap hit.

I want this team to stay the course but that's impossible when you have Ed Snider as the owner.

Well so far Holmgren has refused to move them for one. I'd be hesitant to move one unless it was an out and out stud.
- Jsaquella

Yeah... Refusing to move them for weber might have been a mistake in hindsight.... And i was in the 'dont do it, call their bluff' camp. I think its compounding that mistake if homer digs in stubbornly and says 'well we wouldn't trade them for weber so why would we trade them for someone else.". Fact is we will not get weber anytime soon .... So who can we get instead? Subban, Yandle, OEL, Pietrangelo...

We are so deep at center it makes one of schenn or coots tradable. Holding onto both will get us in trouble down the road (like staal with Pitt's 3 centers - eventually schenn and coots will both want more minutes and to get that big payday)