Need some opinions. I've heard alot of names tossed around for who the Flyers should pick in the 1st round. Who realistically will be there that we should definitely get, and are any players that we want still probably going to be available by the 49th pick or whatever our 2nd rounder is? Would it be smarter to trade up with a 2nd or 3rd to get a late 1st rounder and get another defender we've been eyeing?
- JAKEw1234

In order, my (current) preference for players that could be there:

Nurse (not likely, but)
Pulock
Lindholm
Monahan
Zadorov
Ristolainen

not 1 single Bob save in the the top 10 saves of the year.
- hammarby31

FWIW, NHL Network had a top ten of just Bob saves last night.

Suck as?
- coffee junkie

being able to use the amnesty on other candidates, whomever they maybe.

IMO, if not for the wrist injury this season, Pulock would have been the consensus top D after Jones. Still had a good year on a bad team. Tied for team scoring lead despite missing 11 games. He's not bad defensively. Skates well. Not especially physical, but that's OK.
- bmeltzer

I did find a few plays where he layed some dudes out (watch the whole vid from the beginning if you want to see the offensive skills):

http://youtu.be/SpCGb35m46g?t=1m14s
http://youtu.be/SpCGb35m46g?t=1m47s

Also, this recent (amateur but in depth) scouting report says "Pulock does play physically willing to throw hits in open ice or if an opponent tries to get by him along the boards."

http://lastwordonsports.c...l-draft-player-profile-7/

So, I think he does have some edge to his game. I really want this kid.

FWIW, NHL Network had a top ten of just Bob saves last night.
- exlund

i know, which was exactly my point. how could not a single one of those end up in the top 10 saves of the year?

i know, which was exactly my point. how could not a single one of those end up in the top 10 saves of the year?
- hammarby31

I don't have to explain it to you in fancy terms

hmm... do you think the wild would consider coburn OR mez, laughton + a 1st rounder for jonas brodin?

Oh btw we didn't win the stupid draft lottery.
*demonic laughter


suck it tankers!
- JoeRussomanno

And we didn't make the playoffs and lavy with his mediocre system will be back

Golly gosh I wish the Flyers didn't suck so bad...

Under Homer as Director of Player Personnel/GM, the players taken by the Flyers in the 20-30 range have far exceeded their expectations whereas the players they've taken in lottery range (JvR and Pitkanen), outside of Jeff Carter, haven't come close to meeting expectations.

Their Am. Scouts have a stronger track-record with later picks... it's no secret. I was just trying to explain a possible reason.
- Tomahawk

Not sure I agree with you. It's all relative. In the JVR draft, it just wasn't a deep draft. There wasn't any real star quality players. In a good draft year, JVR wouldn't have been the 2nd overall pick. You have to take what's there. JVR scored at a 30 goal pace this year. Pitkanen has been a solid player his whole career. Truth is the Flyers gave up on him. My point remains the same. The Flyers have drafted strongly with first round picks.

given that a buyout is likely- i think inevitable - a careful look at alternatives would be the main determinant as to whether i would make the move now or after nxt season.

if re-examine some of the qualifying remarks/conditions that you had to throw into your post to make the prospects of him returning sound palatable...i don't think his performance is any better than biron's was to be frank. he's more talented, but the results, given the rest of the whole picture just don't cut it for me.

if backstrom, emory, lu et al, are FAs, i'd pair one w/ mason and move on if the contract was favorable for us.
- isaiah520

Every time you mention that a buyout is inevitable, it rings less with what is inevitable, and more with what you want to happen. As if you say it enough times, you'll get your wish. You didn't give him a chance from the very beginning. And you completely ignored the post you replied to. Most Goalies, need the conditions that the poster you replied to mentioned, to be effective. And you're comparing one player on one team to another. Put Biron on this team the past Season, and see what the results would've been. Then you have a valid comparison. Otherwise, you're just guessing.

everyone wants to spend less and get more performance. i'm with you. but i don't apologize for liking bryz and being a fan. i don't think he's in the top tier of goalies in this league, but, again, if given the proper support, he's more than capable of doing what the team needs. i'm fine with giving him another year. again, i think he's earned it. i don't see his cap hit as outrageous or insane. hell, timmo and briere's cap hits are higher!!!! after next year, the cap will continue to go up and the hit would take up less and less of the space. i just don't have a huge problem with his contract.

if they buy him out now, i'm ok with that, too, provided they replace him with another proven player, not another project and put their eggs in the mason basket. that said, i want to see him get another year at least.
- hammarby31

Agree 100%

Colorado will win the lottery
- ob18

Whatta wizard

hmm... do you think the wild would consider coburn OR mez, laughton + a 1st rounder for jonas brodin?
- JAKEw1234

This IS sarcasm, right?

Coburn or Mesz, Laughton and a first for Brodin is an extreme over payment.

This IS sarcasm, right?

Coburn or Mesz, Laughton and a first for Brodin is an extreme over payment.
- jak521

Meszaros, Laughton, and a 2nd MAYBE. He's a good player, but not a game changer.

I did find a few plays where he layed some dudes out (watch the whole vid from the beginning if you want to see the offensive skills):

http://youtu.be/SpCGb35m46g?t=1m14s
http://youtu.be/SpCGb35m46g?t=1m47s

Also, this recent (amateur but in depth) scouting report says "Pulock does play physically willing to throw hits in open ice or if an opponent tries to get by him along the boards."

http://lastwordonsports.c...l-draft-player-profile-7/

So, I think he does have some edge to his game. I really want this kid.
- exlund

gotta love the offensive upside

I don't have to explain it to you in fancy terms
- wilsonecho91

allison....i love you.

I don't think there was some big deficiency in "puck moving", specifically due to the loss of Matt Carle, to the point where Lavy's system became ineffective. Carle rarely skated the puck out of the zone to carry the mail, instead favoring short passes from deep in his own zone. Yes, there were the occasional, flashy stretch passes (which didn't come without risk) but it's not like the transition game depended Carle's once a game stretch pass to operate effectively. Most of the current guys have shown they can make a decent first pass and even carry the puck out of the zone effectively...and I don't think it is "too much for them to handle" as some have said. I would argue that Timo, Schenn, Grossman, Gusty and at times, Mez, displayed ability that was, in ways, equal to or superior to Carle's in terms of carrying, skating the puck and/or battling to get it out of the zone.

I think the issue has a lot more to do with what what I have been saying, for years really, and that others have also noted, that the forwards are not (consistently) supporting enough on the backcheck and the breakout so the team can defend, transition and attack more as a five man unit like the best teams tend to do. I just don't think the personnel argument, vis-a-vis Matt Carle's absence, is valid, evidenced by the team's improved play down the stretch, with a bunch of AHL callups and "scrubs" (no offense) on D. They didn't need Matt Carle (or Grossmann, or Coburn or Mez, or Timonen) on the team for the forwards to come back and help out more. Now, imagine if they keep that up with healthy, starting top 6 defensemen in there.

Now, if you want to tell me the team still misses a player like Pronger's ability to carry the puck and transition the puck into the offensive zone, QB the pp and create offense with the big shot from the point, I'm in agreement...but Carle wasn't that guy (despite what Stevie Y may have thought last off season). Further, I think his puck-moving is overrated by many. Carle rarely carried the puck out of the zone himself, let alone carry it over the red line, where he could shoot it in...and I can count on one hand how many times I've seen him actually carry the puck from the defensive zone over the red line, like a top puck mover should be able to do with regularity. To me, Carle was not a true puck moving d, he was a guy who could make a good first pass...I believe the Flyers have that without Carle.

Would I have liked to have had Carle around this season given how things unfolded? Sure. He's durable and can give you minutes. He's a good, versatile supporting player. I've always said he can do lot of things out there, but doesn't really excel at any of them. Are you really saying that what Matt Carle provided was the key missing ingredient in Lavy's system? Well, unless making short passes from deep in his own zone and some other simple plays with a stretcher thrown in once a game was that missing element, I would say not.

The improved play of the team down the stretch, even as better D men fell out of the lineup, was an indication that the team's woes were more tied to the team's approach than to missing personnel. With that said, an offensively skilled, puck carrying d man or two would complement the existing corps nicely.

/blahg
- exlund

Meszaros, Laughton, and a 2nd MAYBE. He's a good player, but not a game changer.
- jmatchett383

Thats still a stark overpayment.. The kid played well this year, but didnt really show anything nearly dynamic enough to warrant a top 4 d-man, a young promising center and a pick... let alone a 1st or 2nd rounder.

Thats still a stark overpayment.. The kid played well this year, but didnt really show anything nearly dynamic enough to warrant a top 4 d-man, a young promising center and a pick... let alone a 1st or 2nd rounder.
- jak521

Well, last year I wouldn't do it. However, Meszaros is a big ? right now due to his high number of injuries sustained recently. And once a shoulder goes, you're one hit away from it happening again (see: Betts, Blair). So if they can get a nice return for him in a promising young defenseman with NHL experience for a fraction of his cap hit, but they have to ship a projected 3rd line center and an unknown in a second round pick, it has to at least be considered.

I'm not saying any of the 3 pieces are insignificant or throws aways, but it's probably what Brodin will cost you.

Well, last year I wouldn't do it. However, Meszaros is a big ? right now due to his high number of injuries sustained recently. And once a shoulder goes, you're one hit away from it happening again (see: Betts, Blair). So if they can get a nice return for him in a promising young defenseman with NHL experience for a fraction of his cap hit, but they have to ship a projected 3rd line center and an unknown in a second round pick, it has to at least be considered.

I'm not saying any of the 3 pieces are insignificant or throws aways, but it's probably what Brodin will cost you.
- jmatchett383

Meszaros will likely undergo surgery to repair his RCT and should be back to 100% around October. It is when it is left untreated (surgically) that you are at a severe risk for recurrent injuries. He had two separate shoulder injuries.. He had a separation (AC or CC ligament tear) and a dislocation (where the head of the humorous is dislocated from the socket portion of the joint called the glenoid). These two injuries, which are VASTLY different, normally have no relation to each other.

Meszy's bigger issue is his rotator cuff tear... which could have been caused by either injury... but more likely the dislocation. Fixing that should be relatively routine.


Either way, you are trading away a top 4 (when healthy) d-man and up and coming offensive prospect and a top pick for a guy who really hasnt shown a lot at the NHL level. If I am moving all that, its for a better and more proven d-man.

The Briere family deal is a bit played imo publicly, the guy was playing in Germany at start of season and had there been a lockout would have all season. And listening to a bite from a interview earlier he was asked if he would waive his NTC and his response was "they havent approached me to". So that would tell me he isnt necessarily against being traded.
- flyerfan28

You may not be familiar with the rules with alimony and child support.

The dude probably needed the cash to play and made arrangements to play overseas temporarily to pay for that.

That's a far cry to sending the dude to the Western Conference, permanently.

Well, last year I wouldn't do it. However, Meszaros is a big ? right now due to his high number of injuries sustained recently. And once a shoulder goes, you're one hit away from it happening again (see: Betts, Blair). So if they can get a nice return for him in a promising young defenseman with NHL experience for a fraction of his cap hit, but they have to ship a projected 3rd line center and an unknown in a second round pick, it has to at least be considered.

I'm not saying any of the 3 pieces are insignificant or throws aways, but it's probably what Brodin will cost you.
- jmatchett383

Agree with Jak. That's a drastic overpayment.


And why would Minnesota want to trade him any way? He's 19 years old.

and if we had a more complete sample based on a real chance to see him succeed, i agree. he needs to be better, regardless of his contract, if he wants to remain a #1 goalie in this league. i feel confident that given a reasonably healthy team, in a full 82 game season, with a competent back up, and team committed to defense, without most of its core players taking steps backwards at the same time, he will rise to the occasion and play the way the needs him to play. iow, he's not going to stand on his head for 65-70 games without proper support in front of him.

he's a very good goalie who's demonstrated the ability to help put a low-scoring team on this back and get them to the playoffs. imo, he's earned the right to have another season to continue to stay here.
- hammarby31

Well said, and I agree.

if he under-performs next year, regardless of circumstances, he'll be out.

I somewhat disagree with the "regardless of circumstances" part. If the team as a whole improves and he is still a .900 goalie, then yes. But if the team is just as sucky as it was this year, but he throws up a .910 percentage, I'm not sure I'd let him go, especially since it's nearly a guarantee that the 2014-15 cap will go up.

And we didn't make the playoffs and lavy with his mediocre system will be back
- Philly1980

Suck it up buttercup