Since it seems everyone else wants to be negative, I will go ahead an be positive.

I enjoyed last nights game. I was able to actually watch it without throwing something... I didnt hit my wife. I didnt kick my dog. I didnt drink myself to sleep.

Team aspects that I liked:
The break out. They are using quicker passes, and speed down the middle to break out. That is beautiful to me.

Shots (mainly early on) were coming from all over the place.. You never know what will happen when the puck is thrown towards the net.

The forecheck cause some turnovers and was the best Ive seen in sometime.

Players were actually skating.

Defense as a whole looked pretty solid, still would like the forwards to be more responsible (Giroux a few times was in la la land).

Couts and Schenn both looked very good to me again last night.. I like what we have seen, and I expect both to be very good as the year goes on. Couts is primed for a big game. He was all over the place last night...

Could've had a top 5 draft pick from last year's draft on the roster today but the Flyers decided they didn't need one.
- Flyers_01

dont want the flyers to finish with the worst record because they will lose the lottery anyway

can't shoot Streit
- puckhead17

Zero shots on goal last night. His shots have no problem finding the shin pads of the opposition.

8 games in? Not at all, team's obviously destined for a bottom-t pick. At this point, why even bother putting the team on the ice? They're just gonna lose every game. We'll get Aaron Ekblad, and all of our problems will be solved.
- jmatchett383

Sarcasm aside, they've earned 2 out of possible 14 points in the standings. This is an epic hole they've dug themselves into -- it's going to take a turnaround of historical proportions for this team to even get a sniff at the PO's.

is it too early to see the top 5 projected draft picks?
- vejim

Don't even think about that... the Flyers have way too much pride to allow themselves a top 5 draft pick.

is it too early to see the top 5 projected draft picks?
- vejim

wouldnt it be something if the NHL removed the Flyers draft pick due to LTIR /Retirement / Over 35 rule circumvention with Pronger?

See, I don't see it that way -- if you put Simmonds up for auction, or Voracek, you're getting at least a first-round pick both. Voracek probably gets you a first and a good roster player. Because as awful as they look right now, after 82 games, they're going to produce numbers that other teams will want.

Read gets you a roster player. If Couturier does anything at all this season, he'll have plenty of takers, for a fair price, because he's still 6-4 and 205 pounds, and growing. Brayden Schenn's going to come in between 35-50 points, most likely, and if he does that at his age, someone will be glad to take him, too.

There's enough value in those five players alone that you'd net plenty of picks and different players and change the look of the team -- which is what Ed Snider would likely want to have happen.
- AllInForFlyers

No, that would be a rebuild, somewhat, & Ed can't wait 3-4 more years, plus the fans seriously don't want a plan to suck on purpose, that happens in Pittsburgh when they almost moved twice, not here though.
And if they were to move Voracek & Simmonds for high end picks why move Couts & Schenn as well? They are only 3 years removed from that situation.

Zero shots on goal last night. His shots have no problem finding the shin pads of the opposition.
- PLindbergh31

And the glass,

he told Homer he could hit the net, he meant the safety net

Any positives on the dead end Streit last night?
- PLindbergh31

It seemed that Streit was better than terrible... is that a moral victory? Yes!

Sarcasm aside, they've earned 2 out of possible 14 points in the standings. This is an epic hole they've dug themselves into -- it's going to take a turnaround of historical proportions for this team to even get a sniff at the PO's.
- Tomahawk

Not really... Its a lonnnngggg season.. they are not even 1/10th of the way into it.. They are gonna need to be good.. no doubt, but a turnaround of historical proportions is greatly exaggerated IMO.

Say they win their next 3 games...

They go from 2 points to 8 points... and could potentially be right back near the middle of the pack... and only 10 games into the season.

Since it seems everyone else wants to be negative, I will go ahead an be positive.

I enjoyed last nights game. I was able to actually watch it without throwing something... I didnt hit my wife. I didnt kick my dog. I didnt drink myself to sleep.

Team aspects that I liked:
The break out. They are using quicker passes, and speed down the middle to break out. That is beautiful to me.

Shots (mainly early on) were coming from all over the place.. You never know what will happen when the puck is thrown towards the net.

The forecheck cause some turnovers and was the best Ive seen in sometime.

Players were actually skating.

Defense as a whole looked pretty solid, still would like the forwards to be more responsible (Giroux a few times was in la la land).

Couts and Schenn both looked very good to me again last night.. I like what we have seen, and I expect both to be very good as the year goes on. Couts is primed for a big game. He was all over the place last night...
- jak521

Well their pitcher threw a no-hitter against us, but we did manage to get two runners to second base, and we hit 17 foul balls.

Sarcasm aside, they've earned 2 out of possible 14 points in the standings. This is an epic hole they've dug themselves into -- it's going to take a turnaround of historical proportions for this team to even get a sniff at the PO's.
- Tomahawk

They had losing streaks of 10 straight games in both 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 and made the playoffs. Not the way you want to start, but it can be overcome.

Sarcasm aside, they've earned 2 out of possible 14 points in the standings. This is an epic hole they've dug themselves into -- it's going to take a turnaround of historical proportions for this team to even get a sniff at the PO's.
- Tomahawk

The new alignment makes it even harder...this start is going to be the gift that keeps on giving, even if/when they do start playing well.

Mason's playing well enough where I could see it...but yeah. Damn it. Dropping games in regulation...at least steal a point.

wouldnt it be something if the NHL removed the Flyers draft pick due to LTIR /Retirement / Over 35 rule circumvention with Pronger?
- watsonnostaw

How exactly are they circumventing it?

They had losing streaks of 10 straight games in both 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 and made the playoffs. Not the way you want to start, but it can be overcome.
- jmatchett383

completely different team.

They had losing streaks of 10 straight games in both 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 and made the playoffs. Not the way you want to start, but it can be overcome.
- jmatchett383

we shall overcome

wouldnt it be something if the NHL removed the Flyers draft pick due to LTIR /Retirement / Over 35 rule circumvention with Pronger?
- watsonnostaw

The league investigated it 2 years ago and i think the only reason the Flyers didn't get punished is because it was an over 35 contract (ie .. no advantage to the Flyers if he retires).

It seemed that Streit was better than terrible... is that a moral victory? Yes!
- Tomahawk

The Streit-O-meter

completely different team.
- Buzzo

Yes, the roster was different. That happens to most team over a 5-year span. I'm just pointing out that teams can be God awful for large stretches and can make the playoffs.

I don't need to look at anything with you, MJL. Why would you think I would?

They only have two guys with full no-trades: Hartnell and Lecavalier. Kimmo Timonen's in the last year of his contract, as is Andrej Meszaros. Neither goalie is under contract past this season. Everybody else has either no protection or modified no-trades, which means they only get to submit a list of teams they either will or won't consent to be traded to.

They could overhaul the entire freaking roster, if they chose to do so. The entire thing. The only two guys who would be likely to stay are Lecavalier and Streit, if they really wanted to do something and were motivated to do so. They'd even find a taker for Claude Giroux's contract, if they wanted to.

They could change 18 guys, if they wanted to.
- AllInForFlyers

I think it would be neccessary because the suggestion you made or retaining "boatloads" money in both retained salary transactions and buyouts, simply isn't feasible. For a variety of reasons including the CBA and the salary cap.

No, that would be a rebuild, somewhat, & Ed can't wait 3-4 more years, plus the fans seriously don't want a plan to suck on purpose, that happens in Pittsburgh when they almost moved twice, not here though.
And if they were to move Voracek & Simmonds for high end picks why move Couts & Schenn as well? They are only 3 years removed from that situation.
- puckhead17

True -- but what I really see them doing is making one or two "impact trades."

Where's Thomas Vanek heading next year? Ryan Miller? Henrik Lundqvist? So on and so forth.

Everything will be on the table -- they'll throw money at it, they'll throw players at it, they'll throw everything they've got at it. It won't be a rebuild because Giroux and Lecavalier and Streit will probably be here, and they'll have some requisite free agent signings.

But what I'm really saying is that if they miss, there will be multiple "big moves."

They won't talk about it. They'll just do it.

wouldnt it be something if the NHL removed the Flyers draft pick due to LTIR /Retirement / Over 35 rule circumvention with Pronger?
- watsonnostaw

And then they can take picks away from Boston and Tampa for using LTIR to exceed the salary cap while still paying Savard and Ohlund the balance of their contracts.

Except there's no chance of this ever happening.

The Streit-O-meter


- PLindbergh31

Wait...if that's a meter that measures suck, and he's in the red (usually bad), does that mean he's bad at sucking? I'm confused.

The Streit-O-meter


- PLindbergh31

I just dont get how Snider can let Homer dish out these contracts to mediocre players?

I think it would be neccessary because the suggestion you made or retaining "boatloads" money in both retained salary transactions and buyouts, simply isn't feasible. For a variety of reasons including the CBA and the salary cap.
- MJL

Keep thinking, MJL! I'll be getting back to you any day now.