The bottom line is, Carle was the top minute getting player on a team that got 103 points. Perhaps he was better supported. But to say they don't miss him, just doesn't jibe.
- Jsaquella

Well, this season Carle is the top minute getter on a powerful scoring Tampa team that, despite adding a piece like Carle and not really losing much, took a big drop in defensive play and is now underachieving, so obviously he wasn't the difference maker he was thought by some to be. Even being one of the top scoring teams, Carle is 53rd in defenseman points (despite playing more minutes and on a more potent team than many ahead of him) and an abysmal 152nd in pts per 60 (ES) minutes played (so much for Carle being an"elite" even strength player). Now that he's been put into a position of playing top minutes without the supporting cast he had in Philly, the limitations of his game are being exposed and he's faltering pretty badly. That tells me that he was a paper tiger of sorts and had his numbers bolstered and was insulated by the surrounding support and talent he played with here. While the team could have used some depth player(s) to pick up the slack for injuries and such, Carle didn't bring anything special or unique that the players the Flyers have now cannot do. I don't miss him a bit. Listen to what Tampa fans are saying about him:


"How many of you guys can stand to watch this guy play here for 6 more years? He's been down right atrocious with and without the puck this year.

If we could move him for a bag of pucks I'd take the deal and run, since we cant, is there any sort of deal that could take him off our hands? Does he have a NTC/NMC?

Anyway we could get J-bow for Carle without adding to much?"

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Carle is frustrating. He's REALLY frustrating at $5.5m, and even moreso when he's paired with Eric "who put concrete in my skates?" Brewer. The turnovers are constant, and a lot of his issues seem like they are easily fixed by not playing lazy.

As far as NTC/NMC, I don't know of any, and couldn't find it in the articles when he was signed as a FA from philly. Edit: Good find LightningStikes. I'm wrong.

Would a move to Ottawa make sense b/c of the Karlsson injury? Do they have cap space/the ability to shift things around for a guy like him? I'm not sure moving him is the answer, but the guy has to do something different, and soon. Also, he could stand to take shooting lessons from Salo.

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With that contract we are most likely stuck with him for at least 4 more years. The sad thing is even with how bad he's been he's still our third best defenseman, that's how bad our D has been.

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Why hasn't any of the coaches or trainers have him do nothing but wrist workouts? Between the flaccid shot and limp wristed giveaways on trying to receive a pass, someone has to say something.


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Hedman, Salo, Aulie and Gudas (I know it's a small sample size, but I liked what I saw) have all been better than him. I would argue that Brewer and Lee have been slightly better at times too. They at least play the body sometimes and don't have the muscle structure of wet linguine. I would personally say that Carle has been our WORST defenseman this year.

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Carle has been pretty much the player I expected him to be, which is unfortunate given his ridiculous contract.

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I wrote this when we signed him"


Quote:
"I never liked Carle but I hope he will prove me wrong, just every time I've seen him play he makes some stupid mistake! "

Sadly that statement still stands


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This (Jagr's wrist strengthening training) needs to be implemented more. Especially with Carle, most of his turnovers and mistakes come from his noodle wrists. That shot of his looks beer league.



Nope, I don't miss Carle a bit.

I say this being a fan of the defensemen that the Flyers have. I'd love to add a true number one, but they don't grow on trees.
- Jsaq

Agreed.

I just feel that a more mobile group would be beneficial to the style of play that Laviolette prefers. And honestly, when it comes to issues with defensemen, Grossmann and Schenn are at the bottom of the list.
- Jsaq

I don't think there is any particular mobility issue with the Flyers D corps. It is comparable to what Lavy has (successfully) had before here and elsewhere. Who is really immobile or incompetent at moving the puck? All of them can skate and pass the puck, I believe as good or in some cases better than Carle, that's right I said it! With that said, they could use a skilled, offensive-defenseman (and of course the elusive #1). That's among the reaosns I say Byfuglien would be a good fit/complement to the existing corps.

There is no question that to play Laviolette's system, they need better puck moving defenseman. There is no doubt that the Flyers miss Carle's contributions. He was really strong at making tape to tape passes under pressure onto Forwards sticks to start breakouts. And he was really good at executing stretch passes that Laviolette loves to utilize. But this Season to this point. I don't feel that as good as Carle was in certain areas of the game. As good of an ES point producer as he was. I don't think, with as bad as the Flyers team game is right now. And as bad as they are defensively as a team. That he would make a major difference. He's good but not that good. He can't come close to carrying a team like Pronger could. But you know what, Carle isn't here. And no reason to even be discussing Carle other then a poster showed up and wants to open old arguments that have already been settled long ago. I mean should we discuss Steve Eminger? LOL
And you know as well as I do, that the Flyers got smoked against the Devils last Season in the playoffs. So the issues currently facing the team, are not new. They were apparent last year also. This team is just not as good as last year's team. For a lot of reasons. But when things aren't going well, there has to be adjustments. And whether anyone thinks it's the players or the Coach. It is still on the Coach to either correct the chronic and repeated errors. And adapt and adjust to the roster he has.
- MJL

This was not the case with regularity...he favored the short d to d pass over the pass up to a forward (or actually SKATING the puck out when given room)..those tape to tape passes under pressure and stretch passes were few and far between...he'd make a nice one once in a while, and you'd go "oooohhh...that was sweet" and then a while later he'd make another, but in between there was a lot of tentative, unimpressive play where he'd make a shorrt pass to someone else who would do more to key the break. He's just not that great and his current play in Tampa goes to that point. 152nd D man in (ES) pts/60 min on a high scoring team. We can agree to disagree.