he is waiver exempt let him go play with the phantoms for a while he would get top line minutes can work out his game and be stronger when he comes back...oh wait that would be developing a player what was i thinking
- flyer186

Playing with Phantoms last year didn't seem to improve his game.

Playing with Phantoms last year didn't seem to improve his game.
- Dkos

Even Terry Murray can't help him. no hope

Homer should be fired for having the highest paid slowest defense. I think Lavy wants to be fired
- vejim

they should have a press conference with snider homer and lavy homer can fire lavy then snider can fire homer so they can leave holding hands and celebrate the mess they have made out of the flyers

Those three were terrible for years and got their elite talent through sucking for many years. Detroit and Boston can win cups without tanking. Every team needs elite talent, but sucking for years is not the only way to get it.
- feelingkettle

You are correct: Once upon a time, that was true. Teams would trade talented players for futures, for prospects and picks.

I think the game has changed in this way since the first lockout: Every year, teams are more and more reluctant to trade ANYTHING. They won't trade picks. They won't trade players. They lock up any free agent under 28 years old who has any value at all -- and then refuse to trade them.

The only impact players who switch teams through free agency anymore are players who literally choose to leave their old teams by refusing to sign extensions because they want to play somewhere else specifically, like Nathan Horton over the summer, or Ryan Suter/Zach Parise last year.

The league has changed. These teams will not trade anymore -- the Flyers are the only ones who do consistently.

You are correct: Once upon a time, that was true. Teams would trade talented players for futures, for prospects and picks.

I think the game has changed in this way since the first lockout: Every year, teams are more and more reluctant to trade ANYTHING. They won't trade picks. They won't trade players. They lock up any free agent under 28 years old who has any value at all -- and then refuse to trade them.

The only impact players who switch teams through free agency anymore are players who literally choose to leave their old teams by refusing to sign extensions because they want to play somewhere else specifically, like Nathan Horton over the summer, or Ryan Suter/Zach Parise last year.

The league has changed. These teams will not trade anymore -- the Flyers are the only ones who do consistently.
- AllInForFlyers

Kessel, Pronger, Gaborik, Schneider, Kovalchuk, Seguin...

You can argue their level of eliteness, but to say that these trades don't happen anymore since the lockout is simply not true.

he is waiver exempt let him go play with the phantoms for a while he would get top line minutes can work out his game and be stronger when he comes back...oh wait that would be developing a player what was i thinking
- flyer186

It would be best for him. Even with JVR it took time for him to become the player he is now. We really need a top line defenceman right. Timonen is not looking good, he is getting worse every year. I would deal Coots if it meant getting a decently aged top line defender. Coots has good potential but with Laughton coming up soon. There is no room for both of them. Once Laughton is ready, he can start off with 3rd line minutes, then insert him into that second line centre position.

Hi Flyers Nation!

After reading a few comments on this, I agree with most of you guys. I would be worried of my team after last night performance for sure. What is up with all the penalties. The refs were horrible but you guys gave two 5on3 PPL last night. I don't think the Habs were that good last night and we can be much better (they better be). But I just didn't see anything standing out from the Flyers plays last night. This is a team that many saw in top 3 in Metro this year when people were making prediction last week.

Who knows, maybe slow start of the season is what you guys are having but this can be playoffs berth costly for sure.

It's pretty much a most "W" tonight in Raleigh.
Good luck!

It would be best for him. Even with JVR it took time for him to become the player he is now. We really need a top line defenceman right. Timonen is not looking good, he is getting worse every year. I would deal Coots if it meant getting a decently aged top line defender. Coots has good potential but with Laughton coming up soon. There is no room for both of them. Once Laughton is ready, he can start off with 3rd line minutes, then insert him into that second line centre position.
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

i agree we need a top d-man but would be happier trading schenn he is never going to be the player everyone thinks he is going to be

Playing with Phantoms last year didn't seem to improve his game.
- Dkos

He only played a couple games. Development takes time, can be years. Look at how long it took JVR to become the top line player he is today

Who is out there that can coach with a proven track record and known to get the offense rolling?? Marc Crawford probably stays retired? Any other suggestions.
- flyerdude17

A prime example of what I'm talking about is Colorado from last year's draft.

They have the first pick and have Nathan MacKinnon rated top of the board. They have a weak defense and questionable wingers. But they are strong down the middle with Matt Duchene, Paul Statsny and Ryan O'Reilly.

That is a situation that screams for a trade. You don't have to trade the No. 1 pick. But you have a weak defense and questionable wingers who could easily be helped by moving Statsny or Duchene, therefore opening a spot for MacKinnon.

You have any number of options.

But what does Colorado do? They keep the pick.

Man, 20 years ago, Cliff Fletcher would've walked into that draft and moved six guys, including that pick, and addressed every single need that team had.

Even if it doesn't work, because there's always risk.

But hardly anyone in this league takes risks anymore.

A prime example of what I'm talking about is Colorado from last year's draft.

They have the first pick and have Nathan MacKinnon rated top of the board. They have a weak defense and questionable wingers. But they are strong down the middle with Matt Duchene, Paul Statsny and Ryan O'Reilly.

That is a situation that screams for a trade. You don't have to trade the No. 1 pick. But you have a weak defense and questionable wingers who could easily be helped by moving Statsny or Duchene, therefore opening a spot for MacKinnon.

You have any number of options.

But what does Colorado do? They keep the pick.

Man, 20 years ago, Cliff Fletcher would've walked into that draft and moved six guys, including that pick, and addressed every single need that team had.

Even if it doesn't work, because there's always risk.

But hardly anyone in this league takes risks anymore.
- AllInForFlyers

Very true!

Hi Flyers Nation!

After reading a few comments on this, I agree with most of you guys. I would be worried of my team after last night performance for sure. What is up with all the penalties. The refs were horrible but you guys gave two 5on3 PPL last night. I don't think the Habs were that good last night and we can be much better (they better be). But I just didn't see anything standing out from the Flyers plays last night. This is a team that many saw in top 3 in Metro this year when people were making prediction last week.

Who knows, maybe slow start of the season is what you guys are having but this can be playoffs berth costly for sure.

It's pretty much a most "W" tonight in Raleigh.
Good luck!
- Tripple_B9

thank you for your kind thoughts, mr. tripple nipple.

Kessel, Pronger, Gaborik, Schneider, Kovalchuk, Seguin...

You can argue their level of eliteness, but to say that these trades don't happen anymore since the lockout is simply not true.
- feelingkettle

Boston blamed Kessel and Seguin for them not winning Cups. Chris Pronger was 34 years old and on a cap-strapped team. Marian Gaborik and Ilya Kovalchuk were headed to unrestricted free agency and were going to sign with other teams that were playoff contenders.

Again: Trades can happen. But teams won't trade guys they more-or-less like in order to improve their team for the future. Nathan Horton got moved by Dale Tallon because Tallon thought he was too used to losing, etc.

A prime example of what I'm talking about is Colorado from last year's draft.

They have the first pick and have Nathan MacKinnon rated top of the board. They have a weak defense and questionable wingers. But they are strong down the middle with Matt Duchene, Paul Statsny and Ryan O'Reilly.

That is a situation that screams for a trade. You don't have to trade the No. 1 pick. But you have a weak defense and questionable wingers who could easily be helped by moving Statsny or Duchene, therefore opening a spot for MacKinnon.

You have any number of options.

But what does Colorado do? They keep the pick.

Man, 20 years ago, Cliff Fletcher would've walked into that draft and moved six guys, including that pick, and addressed every single need that team had.

Even if it doesn't work, because there's always risk.

But hardly anyone in this league takes risks anymore.
- AllInForFlyers

Seems to have worked for the Oilers so far. Not saying that strategy is wrong, but there is no guarantee in any strategy.

He only played a couple games. Development takes time, can be years. Look at how long it took JVR to become the top line player he is today
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

JVR has better size and speed and showed more offensive upside in his first two seasons than I've seen from Coots.

Boston blamed Kessel and Seguin for them not winning Cups. Chris Pronger was 34 years old and on a cap-strapped team. Marian Gaborik and Ilya Kovalchuk were headed to unrestricted free agency and were going to sign with other teams that were playoff contenders.

Again: Trades can happen. But teams won't trade guys they more-or-less like in order to improve their team for the future. Nathan Horton got moved by Dale Tallon because Tallon thought he was too used to losing, etc.
- AllInForFlyers

You are basically arguing my point for me. You said earlier that teams don't trade elite guys away anymore, they build them through the draft. What you said in this comment proves that wrong. There can be different circumstances that lead to an elite player being acquired by another team. Gaborik was traded again to Columbus from the Rangers. Nash to the Rangers, etc. Teams trade away players they like frequently, whether it's for behavior reasons, money reasons, whatever. But if it will help improve their team, anyone can be traded.

JVR has better size and speed and showed more offensive upside in his first two seasons than I've seen from Coots.
- Dkos

JVR doesn't have the defensive game now that Coots does.

Seems to have worked for the Oilers so far. Not saying that strategy is wrong, but there is no guarantee in any strategy.
- feelingkettle

True -- there are no guarantees, and I've enjoyed the debate. I just am presenting that there SHOULD be other options available, but this league now...man. You can't hardly make a move anymore, with the salary cap and teams just unwilling to do anything that makes sense.

JVR doesn't have the defensive game now that Coots does.
- JAKEw1234

Honestly, I haven't been overly impressed with Couturier's defensive game thus far. Seemed to slip a bit last year and hasn't looked very good this year, including pre-season.

True -- there are no guarantees, and I've enjoyed the debate. I just am presenting that there SHOULD be other options available, but this league now...man. You can't hardly make a move anymore, with the salary cap and teams just unwilling to do anything that makes sense.
- AllInForFlyers

Now that you can trade cap space (I believe), we'll see if things change. But sucking for a number of years is not a viable option for the Flyers. JVR is a reminder you might not get elite, real elite talent high up in the draft.

i think bill wrote a piece about fred shero a while back and in it there was a quote about bob kelly scoring more goals after he was traded from the flyers. shero said something like "anybody who gets that many goals from kelly isn't using him the right way...".
i don't think lavy is a terrible coach but i don't think he really knows how to use the players he has correctly. every game i see the other team gaining control of the puck with relative ease while the flyers struggle to clear the puck or maintain any kind of cohesive possession.
i also see them sag frequently when things go wrong; like last night when they should have had the tying goal and it was blown dead. in toronto game it happened as well but i can't recall the "reason". i see really good teams use that kind of adversity to ramp up effort and play harder.

so one year and he's a stud? it's been proven to be a fluke
- 2Real

I'll quote myself because your comment confused me a little...

Coots has shown to be able to score and play well defensively at this level. He should only get better if he's place in a situation that will best allow him to develop.

Where exactly did I imply that Couturier was a stud?

But then maybe my definition and your definition of a stud don't exactly coincide.

You are basically arguing my point for me. You said earlier that teams don't trade elite guys away anymore, they build them through the draft. What you said in this comment proves that wrong. There can be different circumstances that lead to an elite player being acquired by another team. Gaborik was traded again to Columbus from the Rangers. Nash to the Rangers, etc. Teams trade away players they like frequently, whether it's for behavior reasons, money reasons, whatever. But if it will help improve their team, anyone can be traded.
- feelingkettle

Not exactly -- the teams only move guys with "red flags" -- questionable character, long-term losing, heading to free agency after years of carrying a franchise with no real success.

Right now, the Flyers should be able to call the Edmonton Oilers and say, "Edmonton? You are small down the middle, but have skill on the wings. We have Sean Couturier. Let's talk about Jordan Eberle or Nail Yakupov, come up with some type of package that helps us both."

JVR doesn't have the defensive game now that Coots does.
- JAKEw1234

Seems to me that you're really looking for some offensive impact from a top ten draft pick. I'm not discounting his defensive play. I'm not so sure that you pick a guy at 8 because he's projected to be a good penalty killer.