To be fair, nothing has changed from day to day because the offseason hasn't started yet. Gotta think some salary is going to be moved off the blueline.
- BulliesPhan87

Meszaros is obviously gone.

Havent you heard, rights to Jonathon Blum will soon be traded to Flyers and this move will complete our 2007 draft class disaster!

Day after day we talk about getting a top defenseman to soon replace Kimmo Timonen. This silly Mark Streit signing I believe doesn't help out cap situation, not to mention we have to extend Giroux. The biggest pressing question is, who is this top defender we are suppose to trade for? There'e nobody out there!!
- dingo8urbaby

How desperately do we need one? I see it all over the place, but I think that maybe, when given a full season and all that follows, our defense isn't THAT bad?

As stated by someone above: the organization got a complete tunnell vision focusing on the goalie position a while back. Is the same thing happening now with the #1D? We might end up paying #1 money for someone who isn't a #1 just like we did with Bryz.

How about getting a fairly cheap back-up goalie this season and dump a defender or two for whatever picks we can get...? Not a win now mentality, but would get us further in the long run. Maybe.

They won game 6 and game 7 the last time. Toews has a concussion so I wonder how much time he gets even if he dresses.
- mayorofangrytown

They won games six and seven with #37 playing a big role.
Not counting the Bs out, just don't see them winning two without Bergeron.

So Toews was concussed?
Why did they let him sit on the bench?
He was begging for one more shift in the third.

Meszaros is obviously gone.

Havent you heard, Jonathon Blum will soon be traded to Flyers and this move will complete our 2007 draft class disaster!
- MrBigglesworth

It's a shame, I really wanted to see a return to (2010-11) form for Mesz.

To be fair, nothing has changed from day to day because the offseason hasn't started yet. Gotta think some salary is going to be moved off the blueline.
- BulliesPhan87

Nothing has changed since offering Weber an offer sheet a year ago. We're not getting Shea Weber, PK Subban, Drew Doughty, Duncan Keith, Ryan Sutter, Zdeno Chara, Brent Seabrooke, Tyler Myers or Kris Letang. Even if we could, what are we giving up to get him? We saw what it took to get Chris Pronger to begin with. You have to expect to pay the price and right now I wouldn't. I believe we have to put plan B into effect...months ago, which Mark Streit is probably that.

But Simmonds and Voracek have really come into their own.
- BulliesPhan87

I agree..But Simmonds and Richards productivity wise is a wash. Carter is still going to score more points then Voracek. The variables were the centerpieces of the deal. Schenn was on pace for 16 goals and Couts was on pace for 8.

How desperately do we need one? I see it all over the place, but I think that maybe, when given a full season and all that follows, our defense isn't THAT bad?

As stated by someone above: the organization got a complete tunnell vision focusing on the goalie position a while back. Is the same thing happening now with the #1D? We might end up paying #1 money for someone who isn't a #1 just like we did with Bryz.

How about getting a fairly cheap back-up goalie this season and dump a defender or two for whatever picks we can get...? Not a win now mentality, but would get us further in the long run. Maybe.
- Bearintheforest

I'm fine with going after Erik Johnson or Ryan Ellis because there is room to develop there.

I agree that it's not fair to judge them based on the new circumstances, what with the recapture. I won't pretend they should've known the league would come down on frontloaded contracts so harshly (and frankly, I think it's ridiculous to punish teams after the fact for contracts the league approved).

But I still think that laser focusing on one player, and giving him what was at least market value before he ever hit the market, is something desperate. If not for desperation they could've waited for free agency, still pursued Bryzgalov, but made all avenues of improving the position available to themselves. Given what they paid him, I think the chances they were outbid for him are negligible. Of course, that's not fact.
- BulliesPhan87

I don't think being outbid would have even come into play. They still would have been negotiating directly with Bryzgalov and his agent. And I don't think the contract would have changed much.

they called a dive on zus the other night, but generally yeah i haven't seen much, and the refs are letting a lot of stuff go which makes for a more entertaining product for me

i expected to see a little more hate from both teams... marchand is being pretty quiet
- Don'tForgetTocchet

Was he hooked or did he dive?
Or did both happen with him diving after the hook to draw attention?
The diving/embellishment penalty never gets called by itself, they always send both players off.

Makes a good argument to video review some of these penalty calls.
I think they are planning on vid review for all the 4 min high sticking penalties.
Why not do all the calls and get it right?

We don't know if the trades will be good in the long run yet. Schenn and Couts haven't produced enough to say that the Flyers got good value IMO.
- Jimmygrazz

Since the trades have been made

Voracek 126 GP, 40 G, 65 A, 105 Pts
Simmonds 127 GP, 43 G, 38 A, 81 Pts

Richards 122 GP, 30 G, 46 A, 76 Pts
Carter 103 GP, 47G, 20 A, 67 Pts

Nothing has changed since offering Weber an offer sheet a year ago. We're not getting Shea Weber, PK Subban, Drew Doughty, Duncan Keith, Ryan Sutter, Zdeno Chara, Brent Seabrooke, Tyler Myers or Kris Letang. Even if we could, what are we giving up to get him? We saw what it took to get Chris Pronger to begin with. You have to expect to pay the price and right now I wouldn't. I believe we have to put plan B into effect...months ago, which Mark Streit is probably that.
- dingo8urbaby

I think Streit is both the 'plan B' and the succession plan for Timonen. But to be fair, we haven't had an offseason yet, so I don't think it's really fair to say, "Nothing's happened since the Weber offer sheet."

Speaking of Letang, he's set to hit UFA next offseason. He's by no means beyond the realm of possibility.

So.. based off of the few games we saw of Mason, who here thinks he turns into a solid, "end our woes" starter? I already know that we haven't seen a lot of him and none of us can actually see into the future, so I would like you to just "guess".

I think he does. I think he might be a bit "fragile" right now, and bringing in Bernier might have worked against Mason.

EDIT: This is also why I want to bring in a veteran goalie to help him along.

Day after day we talk about getting a top defenseman to soon replace Kimmo Timonen. This silly Mark Streit signing I believe doesn't help out cap situation, not to mention we have to extend Giroux. The biggest pressing question is, who is this top defender we are suppose to trade for? There'e nobody out there!!
- dingo8urbaby

That's a large part of why they added Streit as a stop gap. At the very least, he provides a capable puck mover to replace that part of Timonen's game if he retires next summer as expected.

I thought it was fairly desperate. Think about all that happened. They traded for Bryz. Signed him to a huge contract when, by his own agent's admission, no other team expressed much interest. Then, in order to make room for the contract the team had to move money. That money ended up being the contracts of Richards and Carter.

The team was desperate to acquire what they believed was a long term solution in net.
- PhillySportsGuy

And that was a choice of the team. They weren't forced to do any of that. I don't see it as desperation.

They won games six and seven with #37 playing a big role.
Not counting the Bs out, just don't see them winning two without Bergeron.

So Toews was concussed?
Why did they let him sit on the bench?
He was begging for one more shift in the third.
- Marc D

That's what they're saying about Toews... Concussion. Bergeron and Toews are both listed as questionable for tonight. I haven't heard anything definitive on Bergeron. Someone said ruptured spleen but that would be surgery not an over night stay.

I'd bet neither of them see much if any time the rest of the way.

So.. based off of the few games we saw of Mason, who here thinks he turns into a solid, "end our woes" starter? I already know that we haven't seen a lot of him and none of us can actually see into the future, so I would like you to just "guess".

I think he does. I think he might be a bit "fragile" right now, and bringing in Bernier might have worked against Mason.
- mikel33

He showed flashes of the natural talent he has, which is considerable. But he's also got to be willing to put in the work, which was reportedly an issue in the past. He also had some communication issues with Columbus' former goalie coach, but thus far he seems to be working hard and communicating well with Reese.

And that was a choice of the team. They weren't forced to do any of that. I don't see it as desperation.
- MJL

To take things in another direction, I also mentioned the three massive contract offers last season. Do they seem desperate at all?

Bolland's still there, but Shaw has his role from 2010.
- bradleyc4

You see a player like Shaw contributing to the Hawks. That's why I think the Flyers need to give a legitimate look to a player like Tye Mcginn.

To take things in another direction, I also mentioned the three massive contract offers last season. Do they seem desperate at all?
- BulliesPhan87

Not at all in my opinion. The Flyers are a team that uses the financial backing that they are fortunate to have. They are always aiming big to improve the team.

I think Streit is both the 'plan B' and the succession plan for Timonen. But to be fair, we haven't had an offseason yet, so I don't think it's really fair to say, "Nothing's happened since the Weber offer sheet."

Speaking of Letang, he's set to hit UFA next offseason. He's by no means beyond the realm of possibility.
- BulliesPhan87

What do you mean? We had an entire off season since offering Shea Weber an offer sheet. We're going into a second offseason now.

Homer just got off the phone with Ryan Clowe's agent...
(sorry peeps, no Bobby Ryan in this years crystal ball)

If Clowe is a Flyer, thumbs up, or thumbs down ?

I agree..But Simmonds and Richards productivity wise is a wash. Carter is still going to score more points then Voracek. The variables were the centerpieces of the deal. Schenn was on pace for 16 goals and Couts was on pace for 8.
- Jimmygrazz

Pretty sure the numbers (Carter vs. Voracek) do not bear out your conclusion.

What do you mean? We had an entire off season since offering Shea Weber an offer sheet. We're going into a second offseason now.
- dingo8urbaby

Not really, Weber was signed to that sheet at the end of the summer, after most of the other FA's had signed.

They're not going to get a Weber level guy without trading considerable assets. I'm sure they have kicked tires on other guys, and found the price to be too high. I doubt that they had a plan that Streit would be their primary target. I think that they were not willing to pay the asking prices on guys like Yandle or Shattenkirk.

What do you mean? We had an entire off season since offering Shea Weber an offer sheet. We're going into a second offseason now.
- dingo8urbaby

Uh, no we haven't? Shea Weber was inked to an offer sheet on July 19, and matched on the 24th. Most of the offseason had been resolved. So there was no offseason since we took a shot at Weber.

EDIT: Leight

Homer just got off the phone with Ryan Clowe's agent...
(sorry peeps, no Bobby Ryan in this years crystal ball)

If Clowe is a Flyer, thumbs up, or thumbs down ?
- MrBigglesworth

I don't see why we need Ryane Clowe.

What does he bring that Hartnell and Simmonds don't already do?