If only he was a mobile puck moving D-man, he'd fit the Carle role perfectly (and be more useful too).
- Lexington Flyer

Tampa has fallen apart lately defensively.

agreed all around. adding a healthy and still young Gagne for nothing (yeah, i'm calling it nothing) is something this team really could use right now. what's not to like?

top line is looking dangerous all the time.

really looking forward to meszaros coming back. if they can get healthy, this team has a lot of potential, even now.
- hammarby31

Great.. 4th rounder is now gonna turn out to be a hybrid of Zdeno Chara, Shea Weber, and Bobby Orr.

Dead horse beaten. Sweet mother of pearl, let it go now. It, and its derivatives, are tired and not even close to funny.
- Scoob

I keep seeing this Ryab stuff, and I have no idea what the origin is, or the meaning. I'm guessing it was a typo on someone's behalf and it has become an incessant mocking on that.

I just ignore it.

Thank you. I said this repeatedly yesterday.
- phillydentist

For sure, don't really see how anyone could say otherwise. And this is no crack on Shattenkirk, but when it comes down to it, I will ALWAYS take a bigger, taller, and stronger player than a smaller one if their skill-sets are remotely comparable, and in the case of Pietrangelo and Shattenkirk, I would argue Pietrangelo is better in every offensive and defensive category except speed.

That's the problem. He is a role player. He brings a certain skill set, and that's why he was signed. To play a defensive role and to play on the PK. Expectations are a lot of times the issue, not the player. Fedetenko is not a face off specialist. Before this Season with the Rangers and the Pens, he's taken about 30 draws a year. He's already taken 93 this year.
- MJL

The Flyers really need Schenn and Couturier to get better at faceoffs quickly. If this team could win even 50% of its faceoffs it would make a big difference.

agreed all around. adding a healthy and still young Gagne for nothing (yeah, i'm calling it nothing) is something this team really could use right now. what's not to like?

top line is looking dangerous all the time.

really looking forward to meszaros coming back. if they can get healthy, this team has a lot of potential, even now.
- hammarby31

You're skewing the facts way too much the other way. Saying Gagne is healthy and still young is used car salesman talk.

A 3rd or 4th rd pick isn't a back breaker but we did LA a SOLID by taking $2.1M in salary and $3.5M in cap space off their hands for a player that wasn't even playing for them.

The pick should go to the Flyers and not the other way around. Again, it's not a back breaker either way but these things add up over time and I cringe each time Holmgren does that, ie, give up 2nd's like they're toilet paper.

As for Gagne, when he's healthy, he never hurts your team. Put him in any situation and you're good. He's like Couturier-lite. Good to see him back and hope he stays healthy.

Do any reasonable Flyers fans believe that the Blues are going to trade away their 24 year old all star franchise Defenseman straight up for a 35 year old 2nd liner? This is honestly the most ludicrous trade rumor I've ever heard.
- Blueshockey47

No. There's not a reasonable Flyers fan that feels that will happen.

However, there are some Flyers fans who do think it would, and others who think that Shattenkirk isn't enough of a return.

Do any reasonable Flyers fans believe that the Blues are going to trade away their 24 year old all star franchise Defenseman straight up for a 35 year old 2nd liner? This is honestly the most ludicrous trade rumor I've ever heard.
- Blueshockey47

No we pretty much all agree with you.

Good win over a tired and outmatched team. It can be dismissed, as a game they should have won, so it's not a big deal. The trouble with that is, they have lost games like this, to teams that they should have beaten.

The two losses to Florida could have them at a game over .500. Holding onto a 3-1 lead against NJ s more points. Couple of games where 2 minutes of stupid play cost them the game.

Game like last night, it was great to see them just beat a team that they should beat and do it in dominating fashion.
- Jsaquella

yep. there's about 5 or 6 games where they should have had a least a point. i fear this will be the difference. i don't think they're good enough to win it all even if they make it, but to miss the playoffs is just (frank)ing wretched. can't handle that.

Feds is a winger plying C
- isaiah520

Which is f-ing silly to me too. I think the centers on this team should be in the middle.

Giroux,
Briere,
Schenn
Coots

Those should be your guys down the middle. None of this Talbot/Rusty in the middle crap. Giroux needs no explanation. Briere just performs better as a center. The Briere on the wing experiments have been pretty conclusive in that he is a better player as a center. Play him there. Primeau, as a team captain under Hitch, went from scoring line center to shutdown line center very gracefully. He excelled in the role and led the team admirably, AND found ways to get the puck in the net in clutch situations. Couturier in his second year in the league can fill a similar role. They can mix and match the energy guys between Coots and Schenn's lines as needed. Schenn already plays a banger's game so the spotting energy guys with him would seem like a reasonable adjustment. Talbot-Coots-Rusty/Gagne would be a killer shutdown line with some goal scoring potential. Get r done Lavi, fer cissakes.

You're skewing the facts way too much the other way. Saying Gagne is healthy and still young is used car salesman talk.

A 3rd or 4th rd pick isn't a back breaker but we did LA a SOLID by taking $2.1M in salary and $3.5M in cap space off their hands for a player that wasn't even playing for them.

The pick should go to the Flyers and not the other way around. Again, it's not a back breaker either way but these things add up over time and I cringe each time Holmgren does that, ie, give up 2nd's like they're toilet paper.

As for Gagne, when he's healthy, he never hurts your team. Put him in any situation and you're good. He's like Couturier-lite. Good to see him back and hope he stays healthy.
- phillydentist

If Gagne stays healthy it's a trade that helps both teams. LA clears some cap space and gets a pick for a guy who had fallen out of favor. If Gagne gets injured it likely turns into Holmgren chasing his tail again by trading away more picks.

No. There's not a reasonable Flyers fan that feels that will happen.

However, there are some Flyers fans who do think it would, and others who think that Shattenkirk isn't enough of a return.
- Jsaquella

I'm sure there's at least a handful who think something totally ridiculous like, "Why would we make that trade? We already have a poopty goalie in Bryzgalov, don't need another one in Shattnerkirk."

Facebook is like stupid people fly paper

Totally random...

In 1983-1984 in the QMJHL, Mario Lemieux had 282 points in 70 games. How the hell is that possible?
- PLindbergh31

goaltending was horrendous in the early to mid 80s. at the nhl level. can't expect better at the junior level. plus, i'm sure smoking cigarettes gave him a huge advantage.

goaltending was horrendous in the early to mid 80s. at the nhl level. can't expect better at the junior level. plus, i'm sure smoking cigarettes gave him a huge advantage.
- hammarby31[[/b]/quote]



The Scott the Engineer of the Q.

Which is f-ing silly to me too. I think the centers on this team should be in the middle.

Giroux,
Briere,
Schenn
Coots

Those should be your guys down the middle. None of this Talbot/Rusty in the middle crap. Giroux needs no explanation. Briere just performs better as a center. The Briere on the wing experiments have been pretty conclusive in that he is a better player as a center. Play him there. Primeau, as a team captain under Hitch, went from scoring line center to shutdown line center very gracefully. He excelled in the role and led the team admirably, AND found ways to get the puck in the net in clutch situations. Couturier in his second year in the league can fill a similar role. They can mix and match the energy guys between Coots and Schenn's lines as needed. Schenn already plays a banger's game so the spotting energy guys with him would seem like a reasonable adjustment. Talbot-Coots-Rusty/Gagne would be a killer shutdown line with some goal scoring potential. Get r done Lavi, fer cissakes.
- Lexington Flyer

Interesting take, I like it. I was gonna actually bring this up, but fellow Flyers fans, do you not worry even slightly that we're gonna run into the exact same problem when we had Richards and Carter? Too many centers and not enough spots, or right spots? Just a log-jam. I sometimes worry that when Schenn and Couts mature a bit more, they're going to want and need more significant roles, and if Briere is still here, we CANNOT keep him on wing, he's virtually useless there.

That's the problem. He is a role player. He brings a certain skill set, and that's why he was signed. To play a defensive role and to play on the PK. Expectations are a lot of times the issue, not the player. Fedetenko is not a face off specialist. Before this Season with the Rangers and the Pens, he's taken about 30 draws a year. He's already taken 93 this year.
- MJL

I'm not arguing. I'm just saying why he has caught a lot of flack on this board. If he is taking 93 this year it is because he is being forced to play center...which I think is a misuse of his skillset when you have Coots, Schenn, Briere, and Giroux as optins down the middle. See my previous post for thoughts on that.

No, but also don't confuse Shattenkirk with the "franchise" tag. He's far from a franchise D-man yet. He's only had 1 good year, and is MUCH lower on the franchise-tag than a Pietrangelo. He's your true franchise D-man, no question about it. Ideally, we'd love to swap Danny for one of the two, but it won't happen.

Shattenkirk is good, but he's not elite.
- Flyers_V88

If we are to get a young stud dman that we desperately need via trade, it's going to cost and not a vet, but someone off our young forward corps. Cooter, Schenn maybe 1st rounders are all in play. I was of the opinion that if Nashville had agreed not to match for Weber, Schenn and a 1st or Cooter and a second should have been on the table. Not tons more and not both etc, but the discussion has to be had because it's a reasonable return for the most prized asset in today's game. I would hate to lose those guys, but you give to get. Coburn's for Zhitnik's don't come along every day.

If Gagne stays healthy it's a trade that helps both teams. LA clears some cap space and gets a pick for a guy who had fallen out of favor. If Gagne gets injured it likely turns into Holmgren chasing his tail again by trading away more picks.
- PLindbergh31

Meh. You have to try, especially with McGinn and Read both out. And look at the rash of injuries the Flyers have had this season...anybody can get hurt at any given time.

You can't get something for nothing, although it would have been ideal giving up Lilja or Foster for Gagne, but I'm guessing nobody wants either player. Oh, and lucky us, one is going to get to play with Gus getting hurt...

I think in my comment I should have mentioned that Shattenkirk is *ONE of our franchise defensemen. A franchise defensemen meaning a should be top pairing defensemen on almost any other team that should be offered a contract through the rest of his prime age career. Pretty much everyone would agree with you that Petro is the elite defenseman not only on our team but in the NHL.

Which is f-ing silly to me too. I think the centers on this team should be in the middle.

Giroux,
Briere,
Schenn
Coots

Those should be your guys down the middle. None of this Talbot/Rusty in the middle crap. Giroux needs no explanation. Briere just performs better as a center. The Briere on the wing experiments have been pretty conclusive in that he is a better player as a center. Play him there. Primeau, as a team captain under Hitch, went from scoring line center to shutdown line center very gracefully. He excelled in the role and led the team admirably, AND found ways to get the puck in the net in clutch situations. Couturier in his second year in the league can fill a similar role. They can mix and match the energy guys between Coots and Schenn's lines as needed. Schenn already plays a banger's game so the spotting energy guys with him would seem like a reasonable adjustment. Talbot-Coots-Rusty/Gagne would be a killer shutdown line with some goal scoring potential. Get r done Lavi, fer cissakes.
- Lexington Flyer

Agreed.. Briere needs to play at centre, and it's lunacy playing him on the wing.

Meh. You have to try, especially with McGinn and Read both out. And look at the rash of injuries the Flyers have had this season...anybody can get hurt at any given time.

You can't get something for nothing, although it would have been ideal giving up Lilja or Foster for Gagne, but I'm guessing nobody wants either player. Oh, and lucky us, one is going to get to play with Gus getting hurt...
- wolfhounds

Anyone but Lilja. He's the worst.

goaltending was horrendous in the early to mid 80s. at the nhl level. can't expect better at the junior level. plus, i'm sure smoking cigarettes gave him a huge advantage.
- hammarby31

I think in my comment I should have mentioned that Shattenkirk is *ONE of our franchise defensemen. A franchise defensemen meaning a should be top pairing defensemen on almost any other team that should be offered a contract through the rest of his prime age career. Pretty much everyone would agree with you that Petro is the elite defenseman not only on our team but in the NHL.
- Blueshockey47

What would it take to get him? Cooter or Schenn and a first or maybe both and the first? The second is too pricey for me.

Great.. 4th rounder is now gonna turn out to be a hybrid of Zdeno Chara, Shea Weber, and Bobby Orr.
- jak521

of course that's what going to happen. i'm just living in denial. much easier.

What would it take to get him? Cooter or Schenn and a first or maybe both and the first? The second is too pricey for me.
- Hextall271

I guessed Couturier and a first yesterday. Both and first is insanity. Could have had Weber for that package. Shattenkirk is a nice player, but he's the corn in Weber's poop.