yep, no prob. we'll just send a 1st rndr to gain the rights to 1 UFA dman and overpay and send the equiv of 2-3 1st rnders to get another one. done! drafting these guys and waiting for them takes waaaaaaaay to long. places to go, things to do.....

Yeah... and had the Flyers been drafting defensemen in the first round all this time, only to see them pan out after 5 years instead of 2 or 3 like their forwards, the impatient fan base would be complaining about that (especially if later-round defensemen develop faster/better). Also, the impatient owner would be making sure they get traded to keep this team contending year in and year out.
- Flyskippy

That's what I don't get sometimes. No denying there is a weakness of drafting and developing defenseman. But very few teams get every position right, and builds completely through the draft. If you get one player a year from a draft, regardless of position, you're doing great. And the Flyers have done that. Every team uses Free Agency and trades to build a team. It's something they need to improve. But it's way overblown.

yep, no prob. we'll just send a 1st rndr to gain the rights to 1 UFA dman and overpay and send the equiv of 2-3 1st rnders to get another one. done! drafting these guys and waiting for them takes waaaaaaaay to long. places to go, things to do.....
- isaiah520

Amen Brother!

If you fail to plan you plan to fail!

Also heard once again the Flyers pushed hard for Byfuglien (Ek).

Whats the obsession with adding him?
- stveshdy

I take that with a grain of salt. I personally would have little interest in adding Byfuglien to this team. Last thing we need is an undisciplined defenseman that still thinks he's a forward. If this team had it together defensively, maybe. But not the player we need in my opinion. I want a better two way player. Even if he's not as dynamic offensively.

Musings! Musings! Musings!

Thanks, Bill. After that read, I am once again flabbergasted that the Flyers haven't drafted a defenseman since 1871.

/sarcasmfromIphone
- Flyskippy

I love the smell of sarcasm in the morning, smells like victory!

Haha yes! Seriously though is this team miraculously gets on a streak and barely misses out on playoffs I will be peeved
- flyerfan28

Prepare to be happy then, cause that's not gonna happen

Indeed, every time an NHL GM is fired I am stunned no one from this board is hired. Stunned.
- Flyskippy

I turned down a couple of offers. Timing just wasnt right.

That's what I don't get sometimes. No denying there is a weakness of drafting and developing defenseman. But no team get's every position right, and builds completely through the draft. If you gt one player a year from a draft, regardless of position, you're doing great. And the Flyers have done that. Every team uses Free Agency and trades to build a team. It's something they need to improve. But it's way overblown.
- MJL

Disagree that it is overblown. For the last 6 years we have had the same issue - 4 to 5 centers for three positions and none of them want to play wing, a glut of 3rd and 4th line muckers and grinders, trading away a lot of assets to acquire 1/2 dman, a lack of mobility on the backend, and up until last year no goalie.

Now, admittedly this can't all be fixed in the draft. But much of the time their strategy doesn't seem to fix address any of this. There are exceptions...

I take that with a grain of salt. I personally would have little interest in adding Byfuglien to this team. Last thing we need is an undisciplined defenseman that still thinks he's a forward. If this team had it together defensively, maybe. But not the player we need in my opinion. I want a better two way player. Even if he's not as dynamic offensively.
- MJL

Agreed, I would rather have JayBo then Buff, especially if the deal includes Calgary eating at least a small part of his cap hit. JayBo gets a bad rap because he was selected first overall and was supposed to be the next Larry Robinson. All the guy does is show up every night, eat huge minutes, kill penalties, defend well against the other teams best lines, makes very good outlet passes and consistently plays his position properly.

I'M pretty sure the Flyers could use a guy like that badly!

Disagree that it is overblown. For the last 6 years we have had the same issue - 4 to 5 centers for three positions and none of them want to play wing, a glut of 3rd and 4th line muckers and grinders, trading away a lot of assets to acquire 1/2 dman, a lack of mobility on the backend, and up until last year no goalie.

Now, admittedly this can't all be fixed in the draft. But much of the time their strategy doesn't seem to fix address any of this. There are exceptions...
- TheGreat28

Don't question the Flyers b/c that would make you a fan that likes to "complain". It's fine that they can't draft a defenseman (who can play) for decades.

Musings! Musings! Musings!

- BulliesPhan87

some much needed pandering after all of the tocchet bashing yesterday

well played, sir

Disagree that it is overblown. For the last 6 years we have had the same issue - 4 to 5 centers for three positions and none of them want to play wing, a glut of 3rd and 4th line muckers and grinders, trading away a lot of assets to acquire 1/2 dman, a lack of mobility on the backend, and up until last year no goalie.

Now, admittedly this can't all be fixed in the draft. But much of the time their strategy doesn't seem to fix address any of this. There are exceptions...
- TheGreat28

Where are you getting this information from that none of them want to play Wing? And having depth up the middle at the Center position, is a good thing. Not a bad thing. One of the most important positions on a team. And do you know what can be done with that quality depth at a position. You can make trades to improve your team. An example would be how the Flyers trade Richards and Carter, that netted 4 quality players.
Every team has a glut of 3rd and 4th line muckers!
I'll make that Pronger trade every day of the week.
If the Flyers are doing so bad, how did they make it to the Cup Finals in 2010?
Look at the defense that the Flyers have put on the ice, up until this Season. Where has all this lack of mobility been? One Season where things didn't quite work out, and panic sets in. It's being vastly overblown.

Where are you getting this information from that none of them want to play Wing? And having depth up the middle at the Center position, is a good thing. Not a bad thing. One of the most important positions on a team. And do you know what can be done with that quality depth at a position. You can make trades to improve your team. An example would be how the Flyers trade Richards and Carter, that netted 4 quality players.
Every team has a glut of 3rd and 4th line muckers!
I'll make that Pronger trade every day of the week.
If the Flyers are doing so bad, how did they make it to the Cup Finals in 2010?Look at the defense that the Flyers have put on the ice, up until this Season. Where has all this lack of mobility been? One Season where things didn't quite work out, and panic sets in. It's being vastly overblown.
- MJL

Talk about panic. Most want that same coach fired who took them to the Finals. Then again he gets no credit for that but takes credit when losing. Go figure.

Agreed, I would rather have JayBo then Buff, especially if the deal includes Calgary eating at least a small part of his cap hit. JayBo gets a bad rap because he was selected first overall and was supposed to be the next Larry Robinson. All the guy does is show up every night, eat huge minutes, kill penalties, defend well against the other teams best lines, makes very good outlet passes and consistently plays his position properly.

I'M pretty sure the Flyers could use a guy like that badly!
- BiggE

Bouwmeester is a very solid defenseman. He does not excel in any one area. He's just a good all around player. But his level of play, does not match his Cap hit. That would eliminate him in my opinion. Calgary would have to eat about 2.8M for me to be interested. The issue then becomes, if Calgary does that, the asking price for him goes up.

Don't question the Flyers b/c that would make you a fan that likes to "complain". It's fine that they can't draft a defenseman (who can play) for decades.
- stveshdy

Silence! I will not tolerate your insolence!

Where are you getting this information from that none of them want to play Wing? And having depth up the middle at the Center position, is a good thing. Not a bad thing. One of the most important positions on a team. And do you know what can be done with that quality depth at a position. You can make trades to improve your team. An example would be how the Flyers trade Richards and Carter, that netted 4 quality players.
Every team has a glut of 3rd and 4th line muckers!
I'll make that Pronger trade every day of the week.
If the Flyers are doing so bad, how did they make it to the Cup Finals in 2010?
Look at the defense that the Flyers have put on the ice, up until this Season. Where has all this lack of mobility been? One Season where things didn't quite work out, and panic sets in. It's being vastly overblown.
- MJL

i can definitely agree with that

Talk about panic. Most want that same coach fired who took them to the Finals.
- stveshdy

Placing blame on the current Coach for his failures to adjust to the personell he has this Season, is not panic. It's reality. And discussing the job the Coach has done this Season, is a completely different conversation then looking at how the Organization has done as a whole, in drafting and building the team.
I'd personally prefer that Laviolette change and adapt, rather then firing him.

Don't question the Flyers b/c that would make you a fan that likes to "complain". It's fine that they can't draft a defenseman (who can play) for decades.
- stveshdy

I haven't read anyone say it is fine. I've read that it needs to improve and get better. It's a weakness of the Organization.

Placing blame on the current Coach for his failures to adjust to the personell he has this Season, is not panic. It's reality. And discussing the job the Coach has done this Season, is a completely different conversation then looking at how the Organization has done as a whole, in drafting and building the team.
I'd personally prefer that Laviolette change and adapt, rather then firing him.
- MJL

Why would he change when his system has proven to win a cup?

He took the Flyers to the Cup Finals in 2010. Every year except this year the Flyers have made the playoffs under his watch. One bad season and people want to abandon ship on him b/c he can't make adjustments?

To me thats a panic move to fire the coach when his record states otherwise since being here.

I haven't read anyone say it is fine. I've read that it needs to improve and get better. It's a weakness of the Organization.
- MJL

It's been an issue for decades now. They can't draft defenseman. History supports those facts.

Talk about panic. Most want that same coach fired who took them to the Finals. Then again he gets no credit for that but takes credit when losing. Go figure.
- stveshdy

if anyone is saying that laviolette is a bad coach, i'd take issue with that. hockey is a weird sport as it pertains to coaches, though. it seems like they can lose their control over a team very very quickly. and whatever he's preaching clearly hasn't been working. and honestly, i think you can say that's been true since the finals loss (since pronger's injury trouble?)

i won't kill the guy or anything, he's done a pretty good job. but sometimes it's just time for a change, i think

some much needed pandering after all of the tocchet bashing yesterday

well played, sir
- FlyerMike18

ty

Why would he change when his system has proven to win a cup?

He took the Flyers to the Cup Finals in 2010. Every year except this year the Flyers have made the playoffs under his watch. One bad season and people want to abandon ship on him b/c he can't make adjustments?

To me thats a panic move to fire the coach when his record states otherwise since being here.
- stveshdy

Because he obviously doesn't have the personnel to play that way. Why do other Coaches change the way they play, not only during a Season, but during games? Like I said, I'd much prefer that Laviolette grow as a Coach and become more flexible in his philosophies. But he has shown no sign of being willing to do so. And it's not one bad Season. The issues the team has now have been around in previous Seasons also.

It's been an issue for decades now. They can't draft defenseman. History supports those facts.
- stveshdy

I have never once denied that the Flyers haven't done a weak job at drafting or developing defenseman.