Everytime I see someone wanting Yakupov here I think of these quotes from him:


“I love more playing with the puck. I don’t really like playing without the puck, skate all the time and do forecheck and hit somebody every shift — I don’t think it’s my game. I try to do it some time, but I’m not here to crush everything. I just want to play hockey.”

“I’m not going to change,” adding, “I really don’t like skating all the time, and forechecking, and hitting somebody every shift.”

- Yakupov, in Oct. 2013

Also, there's this:

"From what I see, his team game is really, really poor. He tries to do a lot of things by himself, he has absolutely no defense."

“That’s what really concerns us as scouts.” Igor Kravchuk - Russian Olympic Scout


Not sure if that's the type of player you give up so much to obtain.
- exlund

He will fit right in with the new nhl with no hitting or fighting. Khl hockey is so exciting without hitting snd fighting. Its amazing to watch....... said no one ever.

They should be reserved for franchise type players.
I'm sure there will be disagreement about this.
Just how I feel.
- Marc D

If you're in the league in your 30's you're a pretty special hockey player and have earned the right. At that point, most of the guys have young families.

FWIW: Cousins has 9 pts in 20 AHL games this year. I wonder if he continues to progress at the AHL level (i.e.--stays out of Terry Murray's dog house), if he could contend for a spot in the bottom 6 next year possibly.

3 years for Downie is reasonable, IMO.
- johndewar

The alarming thing there is that I think he had all 9 of those points early in the season.

if anything just call a penalty on both guys

Couts got his stick across the body which is usually called, but also call the guy for holding it
- Crimsoninja

I'm all in with this because it's actually what happened.

But he's sort of a kind of pretty good yet unproven goal scorer. Why aren't we blowing Edmonton away with offers for him?
- jmatchett383

Zherdev 2.0.

As a former republican, my hatred for all things russian has remained within me. Clarke had it right.

B Schenn will be a career 3rd liner whose career is damaged because of the massive expectations of him and the gigantic contract the flyers will offer him based on promise. 10 years 100 million. Hyperbole yes, I know 8 is the max.
- Flyersgod

I don't know what to say to this.
I think he is going to be a top 6 player, hopefully for the Flyers.

I don't think they are going to go batpoop crazy on his next deal.
They made a very good 2nd contract for Couts and I hope they do something similar with B Schenn.

Zherdev 2.0.

As a former republican, my hatred for all things russian has remained within me. Clarke had it right.
- Flyersgod

That's...actually how I see him. I think he was taken first overall in a draft class which was weak with "superstar" players yet strong in good players. Were he taken in the 2013 draft, he would have had a hard time cracking the top 5, let alone top 3.

I don't know what to say to this.
I think he is going to be a top 6 player, hopefully for the Flyers.

I don't think they are going to go batpoop crazy on his next deal.
They made a very good 2nd contract for Couts and I hope they do something similar with B Schenn.
- Marc D

If the cap rises to $67M next year, he can expect an 8-year, $13.4M/year salary, putting him at $107M. Compared to Robinson Cano, that's pennies on the dollar.

The alarming thing there is that I think he had all 9 of those points early in the season.
- jmatchett383

I think I saw where Cousins was a healthy scratch at some point this season. Maybe I'm misremembering.

If the cap rises to $67M next year, he can expect an 8-year, $13.4M/year salary, putting him at $107M. Compared to Robinson Cano, that's pennies on the dollar.
- jmatchett383

I don't know what to say to this.
I think he is going to be a top 6 player, hopefully for the Flyers.

I don't think they are going to go batpoop crazy on his next deal.
They made a very good 2nd contract for Couts and I hope they do something similar with B Schenn.
- Marc D

Just my opinion. Schenn to me is an average at best player. Doesnt have the skills or speed to be a briere or Giroux. . Doesnt have the talent and composure to be a richards.. I think he'll wind up being a 3rd liner who occasionaly gets to play on other lines with injuries etc.

I was fired up when we got him. He has been nothing close to what I expected, so I'm bitter and biased now.

Just my opinion. Schenn to me is an average at best player. Doesnt have the skills or speed to be a briere or Giroux. . Doesnt have the talent and composure to be a richards.. I think he'll wind up being a 3rd liner who occasionaly gets to play on other lines with injuries etc.

I was fired up when we got him. He has been nothing close to what I expected, so I'm bitter and biased now.
- Flyersgod

I don't think he'll be an annual all star, but I think he can develop into a consistent 20 goal scorer at least.

Just my opinion. Schenn to me is an average at best player. Doesnt have the skills or speed to be a briere or Giroux. . Doesnt have the talent and composure to be a richards.. I think he'll wind up being a 3rd liner who occasionaly gets to play on other lines with injuries etc.

I was fired up when we got him. He has been nothing close to what I expected, so I'm bitter and biased now.
- Flyersgod

Well, his base salary is only $870K, so they only need to offer him $960K to qualify him. I think they've set a baseline with the Couturier deal, much like the used Richards to set a baseline for Carter.

Nhl.com needs to work on their mobile sites. Flyers.nhl.com is a complete joke of a site. The app iseven worse. Downright embarassing.

Nhl.com needs to work on their mobile sites. Flyers.nhl.com is a complete joke of a site. The app iseven worse. Downright embarassing.
- Flyersgod

Are you talking about the nhl app or the flyers app? I actually like the flyers app

Well, his base salary is only $870K, so they only need to offer him $960K to qualify him. I think they've set a baseline with the Couturier deal, much like the used Richards to set a baseline for Carter.
- jmatchett383

That contract he had from LAK was terrible.

If he scores 50 pts in a single year I will be shocked.

Are you talking about the nhl app or the flyers app? I actually like the flyers app
- aightwebang17

Flyers app.. no frigging highlights!

Well, his base salary is only $870K, so they only need to offer him $960K to qualify him. I think they've set a baseline with the Couturier deal, much like the used Richards to set a baseline for Carter.
- jmatchett383

The market for a player like BSchenn was just set by Kadri (2 years at $2.9m) and Stepan (2 years at 3.075 million).

And both of those guys scored at a 75 point pace last season, BSchenn will be lucky to score 60 this season.

Matt Read or Darren Helm?
I know they play different positions, but I see some similarities in their skills
Who do you like better?

Amorosa update:

7A, 4 PIM, +8 for the Sioux City Musketeers

That is all.

Flyers app.. no frigging highlights!
- Flyersgod

oh, just go to youtube

Matt Read or Darren Helm?
I know they play different positions, but I see some similarities in their skills
Who do you like better?
- Marc D

Read - better offensive upside and more natural scoring ability. Helm has speed and that's it really...

Matt Read or Darren Helm?
I know they play different positions, but I see some similarities in their skills
Who do you like better?
- Marc D

Read, although I'm usually more inclined to like WHL players.

Matt Read or Darren Helm?
I know they play different positions, but I see some similarities in their skills
Who do you like better?
- Marc D

I would say Read is the better offensive player, no?

Just my opinion. Schenn to me is an average at best player. Doesnt have the skills or speed to be a briere or Giroux. . Doesnt have the talent and composure to be a richards.. I think he'll wind up being a 3rd liner who occasionaly gets to play on other lines with injuries etc.

I was fired up when we got him. He has been nothing close to what I expected, so I'm bitter and biased now.
- Flyersgod

BSchenn is still only 22.

He's too young to write off.

After the Flyers cast off Patrick Sharp, I'm pretty sure he didn't really explode until he was 26 or so.

I'm cool with waiting on BSchenn; I just want more consistency from him. Sometimes, you see him and you see the player he can be. Other times, he looks lost.