I'm glad you tried to give some positives.
- mayorofangrytown

I try to do what I can

so who else is hoping the flyers pull off a trade to draft valeri nichuskin?
- flyerscup2011

I'd love to see them get into the 4-5 spot. Absolutely love it. I'd be completely jacked for the coming season.

That said, the price to move might be cringe worthy, especially this draft.

I try to do what I can
- flyer_nutter

You crack me up.

How does trading our best defensive forward for a puck-moving defenseman help us on defense? If a young forward is traded for a defenseman I should hope it's B Schenn. As much as I don't want to see BSchenn go (1. He's a great young player 2. We just united him with his brother 3. I just bought a custom jersey with "Schenns" on the back, with 10 on one arm and 22 on the other ) It's still more logical to trade B Schenn for a defenseman over Coots.
- JAKEw1234

What number did you get for your jersey foul? 102?

It's not a Coaches job to police player's off ice behavior. It is a Coaches job to handle on ice issues such as players coming late to practice, or not practicing hard. Or not playing hard. But that was not an issue under Stevens tenure here in Philly. Other then the normal ups and downs that any team and it's player experience over an 82 game Season. Stevens took a team that finished last overall, and Coached it to a Conference Final. He is a very good young Coach that should eventually get a second shot as an NHL Head Coach. Just like players, young head coaches go through a development phase. And Stevens has been in a great place to learn in LA.

Honestly, I don't see a huge discrepancy in foot-speed and puck-moving ability between that group and, say, the Rangers' group or Boston's group or the Devils' group.

With improvements in goaltending and team-wide defensive consistency, I don't see that blueline being an impediment as-is. Could it be better? Sure. But it's not the anchor that it's been made out to be.
- Tomahawk

Ding Ding ding

Ding Ding ding


- Jsaquella

Thanks, I love jerky!

Thanks, I love jerky!
- Tomahawk

I do agree with the defense not being that big an issue. I'd love another mobile guy, but they're hardly awful. The key is going to be health and how they are used.


Of course, when they trade for Yandle at the draft

I'd love to see them get into the 4-5 spot. Absolutely love it. I'd be completely jacked for the coming season.

That said, the price to move might be cringe worthy, especially this draft.
- mayorofangrytown

i think they'd have to get to 3 or 4 to get nichuskin. he's a player i'd covet and worthy of a price of say B Schenn plus the 11th pick

so who else is hoping the flyers pull off a trade to draft valeri nichuskin?
- flyerscup2011

I definately am. Carolina wants a top 4 dman and high 1st for the 5th overall. Coburn and 11th gets him IMO. I would do that in a second and then trade Couts for Yandle or Shattenkirk.

I do agree with the defense not being that big an issue. I'd love another mobile guy, but they're hardly awful. The key is going to be health and how they are used.


Of course, when they trade for Yandle at the draft
- Jsaquella

Meh, let's just dip Pronger into a vat full of stem cells -- that would solve every last one of our problems.

Meh, let's just dip Pronger into a vat full of stem cells -- that would solve every last one of our problems.
- Tomahawk

The ol vat o'stem cells...I like the cut of your jib, sir.

I do agree with the defense not being that big an issue. I'd love another mobile guy, but they're hardly awful. The key is going to be health and how they are used.


Of course, when they trade for Yandle at the draft
- Jsaquella

So you dont believe as a mix they are a turd that is being polished into a diamond?

I definately am. Carolina wants a top 4 dman and high 1st for the 5th overall. Coburn and 11th gets him IMO. I would do that in a second and then trade Couts for Yandle or Shattenkirk.
- youarewrong

that would work for me

I definately am. Carolina wants a top 4 dman and high 1st for the 5th overall. Coburn and 11th gets him IMO. I would do that in a second and then trade Couts for Yandle or Shattenkirk.
- youarewrong

Honestly if thats all it took to get Barkov or rolling the dice on the Russian sign my ass up.

any good, recent mock draft(s) out?

I definately am. Carolina wants a top 4 dman and high 1st for the 5th overall. Coburn and 11th gets him IMO. I would do that in a second and then trade Couts for Yandle or Shattenkirk.
- youarewrong

It would be a better move to trade Schenn instead of Couturier. You've added some offense there, but made your team far worse off defensively then it already was.

Meh, let's just dip Pronger into a vat full of stem cells -- that would solve every last one of our problems.
- Tomahawk

Let me try something... (waves fingers) you are no longer concussed.

(Pronger) I am no longer concussed....

You will be nice to the media

(Pronger) F U.

i think they'd have to get to 3 or 4 to get nichuskin. he's a player i'd covet and worthy of a price of say B Schenn plus the 11th pick
- flyerscup2011

Barkov is the other player I'd love to see next season.

So you dont believe as a mix they are a turd that is being polished into a diamond?
- flyer_nutter

Not if they are utilized right.

The Flyers went 11-5 down the stretch, with a defense that was AHL caliber, beating 9 playoff teams in the process.

It would be a better move to trade Schenn instead of Couturier. You've added some offense there, but made your team far worse off defensively then it already was.
- MJL

Sorry, I like Schenn better. Give me Keith Primeau over Rod Brind'Amour. Sorry.

Barkov is the other player I'd love to see next season.
- mayorofangrytown

another good player, i just developed tunnel vision for nichuskin and ristolainen

i think they'd have to get to 3 or 4 to get nichuskin. he's a player i'd covet and worthy of a price of say B Schenn plus the 11th pick
- flyerscup2011

Best case scenario... you just traded a top-six forward on the cusp of breaking out for an 18-year-old who's going to need a season or two to adjust, minimum.

Worst case scenario... you just traded Brayden Schenn for the second coming of Nikita Filatov... he takes his ball and goes home, leaving you with... nothing.

Not if they are utilized right.

The Flyers went 11-5 down the stretch, with a defense that was AHL caliber, beating 9 playoff teams in the process.
- Jsaquella

What are we talking about here? Making the playoffs, or trying to win a Cup? Even if the system is tweaked, this defense isn't good enough to be a contender. Making the playoffs, sure! They should've made it this past Season. But going forward, they can't stay with this mix. Even if Timonen was not going to retire. They can get by for a Season, if Gustafsson plays well, and Meszaros can stay healthy. But down the road, changes are needed. And the defense was a big reason why they were so poor of a team at ES.

CAPGEEK.COM USER GENERATED ROSTER
My Custom Lineup
FORWARDS
Scott Hartnell ($4.750m) / Claude Giroux ($3.750m) / Jakub Voracek ($4.250m)
Ryane Clowe ($4.000m) / Brayden Schenn ($3.110m) / Wayne Simmonds ($3.975m)
Maxime Talbot ($1.750m) / Sean Couturier ($1.375m) / Matt Read ($0.900m)
Tye McGinn ($0.775m) / Scott Laughton ($1.107m) / Zac Rinaldo ($0.750m)
Jay Rosehill ($0.675m) /
DEFENSEMEN
Braydon Coburn ($4.500m) / Kimmo Timonen ($6.000m)
Erik Gustafsson ($1.000m) / Luke Schenn ($3.600m)
Nicklas Grossmann ($3.500m) / Andrej Meszaros ($4.000m)
Kent Huskins ($0.800m) / Bruno Gervais ($0.825m)
Chris Pronger ($4.941m) / Marc-Andre Bourdon ($0.613m)
GOALTENDERS
Steve Mason ($1.500m)
Ray Emery ($1.500m)
OTHER
Buyout: Oskars Bartulis ($0.100m)
Buyout: Ilya Bryzgalov ($0.000m)
Buyout: Danny Briere ($0.000m)
------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)

(these totals are compiled with the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $64,300,000; CAP PAYROLL: $64,045,595; BONUSES: $2,800,000
CAP SPACE (25-man roster): $3,054,405

Compiled by TSN's Scott Cullen...actually works for me