Why can't the blues keep both young defensmen? Why can't the afford both? If Pittsburgh can have Crosby and Malkin why can't they both defensmen?
- bigwhite

Because Flyers want to have one of the defensemen and need us to not being able to. (And by that I mean, we can.)

Because Flyers want to have one of the defensemen and need us to not being able to. (And by that I mean, we can.)
- Antilles

Pretty much from the perspective of some Flyers fans.

biron literally stole the MTL series a few yrs ago...bryz has mostly melted in the playoffs. very similar players at the end of the day.

if given workable alternatives- and there's reason to believe there will be- i would buy out bryz and let mason compete w/ someone else.

amnesty BOTH briere and bryz. The team played its best at the end of the year WITH all the call ups. as much as briere is a class act, his contract outweighs his benefits and bryz seems to be kryptonite for this flyers team. Amnesty them both and trade assets(draft picks/read/laughton) to acquire #1pick(seth jones) and then do anything to get one of the up and coming restricted dmen available. and then pray Meszaros, bourdon, and grossmann heal up during the offseason.

well i think that interview changes things

oh Bryz

Why can't the blues keep both young defensmen? Why can't the afford both? If Pittsburgh can have Crosby and Malkin why can't they both defensmen?
- bigwhite

flyers are getting letang

flyers are getting letang

- Marc D

He'll call an unexplained press conference during free agency, and have a big heel turn. He rips his Penguins jersey in half, revealing an orange and black nWo shirt.

Book it.

Amnesty Claude, he's Overrated
- Meeqsb

Ya....says the Dbag that keeps pumping EJ and how Colorado didn't get fleeced by St Louis....

Homer's done it before with Weber, I think he should try it again here on a larger scale. So hear me out. We know St.Louis will PROBABLY not be keeping all 3 of J-bo, Peter, and Shats. We know that Shats and Peter are both RFAs this offseason, and 1 of them is probably leaving due to the large cap amount they already have planted in their defense. Why not make BOTH of them offer sheets. This way, St.Louis will might decide to let 1 of them go, and we've got a great Dman at no cost to the teams roster. If St. Louis matches, than we go a different direction, no harm done.
- JAKEw1234

Cant do that....simultaneously offer sheeting 2 guys against rules.

Edit: I see someone already mentioned it.

I think the Blues will rather get rid of one of their forwards than one of their RFA's. Stewart, Berg, Shatty and Piet will all likely get deals but then someone else will get shipped out for picks and prospects.

We have a lot of cap space too. Realistically, we'll get Petro for 6m, Shatty for 4m, Stewie for 4m, and Berglund for 3.5m. But even if they all cost more than that we will be fine. For instance:

Petro 7m
Shatty 5m
Stewie 5m
Bergie 4.5m

Plus our current contracts, and the minor raises Cole, Cracknell, and Russell are due, and we are still a million under the cap. Rumors of St. Louis needing to give up a player because of the cap have been greatly exaggerated. Just lots of wishful thinking from teams who would love to have some of our players without giving up anything of value.
- Antilles

Do the Blues ever spend to the cap? This is a real question, not a sarcastic one. Is it realistic to think they would spend all that money?

It also seems silly for the Flyers to sully their reputation ever further via offer sheet. If they want to Shattenkirk (they're not getting Petro) they should offer a pick they have and see what else StL wants. Cut to the chase. I'd love Shatty and Cole and if the Flyers are picking outside the top 10 (they are) I'd move our first and more this year to get it done. No question.

The above deals put them about $3M below the cap. They haven't been under $9M below the cap in the last three years.

Year Cap Space
2011-2012 $9,417,006
2010-2011 $14,876,126
2009-2010 $9,738,630

They CAN sign all of those guys, I just don't know that they will. If they do, Flyers should target lesser pieces. Cole and Russell in particular.

They CAN sign all of those guys, I just don't know that they will. If they do, Flyers should target lesser pieces. Cole and Russell in particular.
- y2trey2003

What would be interesting would be targeting Jake Allen

The above deals put them about $3M below the cap. They haven't been under $9M below the cap in the last three years.

Year Cap Space
2011-2012 $9,417,006
2010-2011 $14,876,126
2009-2010 $9,738,630

They CAN sign all of those guys, I just don't know that they will. If they do, Flyers should target lesser pieces. Cole and Russell in particular.
- y2trey2003

Don't see how Cole and Russel helps the Flyers. They already have Gustafsson and Lauridsen. Don't see any reason to waste assets to trade for either player.

Don't see how Cole and Russel helps the Flyers. They already have Gustafsson and Lauridsen. Don't see any reason to waste assets to trade for either player.
- MJL

Cole is better than both.
Russel also very good.
Lauridsen a very unproven commodity.

Cole is better than both.
Russel also very good.
Lauridsen a very unproven commodity.
- y2trey2003

Neither player is anything special. Nor is either player so much better then Gustafsson, that they need to trade for Russell. And Lauridsen shows he can atleast hold his own in a 3rd pair role and has the size to match Cole. And Cole for his size, in a small sample size has not shown to be very physical. So I don't really don't see the need to give up assets to trade for either player. I'd rather roll with Gustafsson, and see what Lauridsen can do.

Neither player is anything special. Nor is either player so much better then Gustafsson, that they need to trade for Russell. And Lauridsen shows he can atleast hold his own in a 3rd pair role and has the size to match Cole. And Cole for his size, in a small sample size has not shown to be very physical. So I don't really don't see the need to give up assets to trade for either player. I'd rather roll with Gustafsson, and see what Lauridsen can do.
- MJL

Fair analysis. I guess it would depend on the trade bc both are RFAs in what will likely be a D hungry market. I just refuse get on the Lauridsen bus.

Fair analysis. I guess it would depend on the trade bc both are RFAs in what will likely be a D hungry market. I just refuse get on the Lauridsen bus.
- y2trey2003

I don't think there is a Lauridsen bus. You're correct in stating that he's unproven. But he has certainly played himself into the mix. And showed that he has potential in the future to be atleast a depth defenseman in the League. He likely needs a little more seasoning in the AHL.

Fair analysis. I guess it would depend on the trade bc both are RFAs in what will likely be a D hungry market. I just refuse get on the Lauridsen bus.
- y2trey2003

Lauridsen played very solidly, but there's no way he should be written in pen as a 3rd pair guy yet.

Amnesty to Holmgren!!