Most painful part of watching the league right now; even average defenders who can skate, especially right-handers, are worth their weight in gold
- AllInForFlyers

yeah, I really miss Eric Desjardins these days

Well, I gotta get up at the crack of dawn, so gnite all!

huh? 20 games over .500?
- puckhead17

absolutely 0 percent of that is due to the bottom 6. other than an empty netter, they havent had a goal from the bottom 6 in literally weeks. its hard to even give out names because guys like taylor pyatt are now playing in the top 6

Even if the Flyers are going nowhere this year, I doubt they are looking to move Read. Unless he's part of a package to land a dman, but that type of deal would most likely happen in the offseason. Be happy to trade Downie to you though!
- BiggE

oh yeah im sure it wouldnt happen, but id love it to. he is the exact kind of player they need. hell, right now hed slot in next to crosby instead of the bottom 6.

Well, I gotta get up at the crack of dawn, so gnite all!
- BiggE

monday morning, gotta luv it

absolutely 0 percent of that is due to the bottom 6. other than an empty netter, they havent had a goal from the bottom 6 in literally weeks. its hard to even give out names because guys like taylor pyatt are now playing in the top 6
- stayinthefnnet

6 players making $40 million by next year, its tough when you have superstars to have a 3rd scoring line

edit & 2 of them underpaid by league standards (Neal & Flurey)

Well then don't be surprised if the Flyers are out of it, that Grossmann or someone like him ends up in San Jose.
- BiggE

if i'm homer i'm on the phone regardless

6 players making $40 million by next year, its tough when you have superstars to have a 3rd scoring line

edit & 2 of them underpaid by league standards (Neal & Flurey)
- puckhead17

oh yeah. definitely not looking for sympathy by any means. you cant have it everywhere. to their credit, the stars are earning their money and winning them games. but in the playoffs, you need depth and help. that dupuis injury is a killer. for all of their defensive depth, they have none of it in the forward ranks.

oh yeah. definitely not looking for sympathy by any means. you cant have it everywhere. to their credit, the stars are earning their money and winning them games. but in the playoffs, you need depth and help. that dupuis injury is a killer. for all of their defensive depth, they have none of it in the forward ranks.
- stayinthefnnet

we would be good trade partners, but it would never happen

oh yeah im sure it wouldnt happen, but id love it to. he is the exact kind of player they need. hell, right now hed slot in next to crosby instead of the bottom 6.
- stayinthefnnet

we're not giving you downie he'd play with crosby and get 30-40 goals and we'd be here cursing day in and day out about it

we would be good trade partners, but it would never happen
- puckhead17

i know. if they were just team X and team Y, it really would make sense. both have a surplus (in a relative sense, i realize you can never have too much talent) in the others respective area of deficiency. i realize you guys have your big core guys, and obviously simmonds would be my pipe dream, but i think read would be perfect.

we're not giving you downie he'd play with crosby and get 30-40 goals and we'd be here cursing day in and day out about it
- 2Real

ugh. simmonds on that power play.

i know. if they were just team X and team Y, it really would make sense. both have a surplus (in a relative sense, i realize you can never have too much talent) in the others respective area of deficiency. i realize you guys have your big core guys, and obviously simmonds would be my pipe dream, but i think read would be perfect.
- stayinthefnnet

its funny u mention Simmonds, he was rumored early in the year missing a ton of open nets, other boards Toronto Edmonton etc love him

other teams message boards i mean

its funny u mention Simmonds, he was rumored early in the year missing a ton of open nets, other boards Toronto Edmonton etc love him

other teams message boards i mean
- puckhead17

yeah. but then again a lot of guys were gripping the stick too hard for you guys in the beginning of the year. i think simmonds has a fairly limited skill set, but he is incredible at it. i would drool for him on the pens. dude is a gamer. tons of heart, determination, and a simple but effective game. although i like read for a ton of reasons too, and ultimately feel he would be easier to acquire in a hypothetical world in which the pen and flyers werent rivals.

yeah. but then again a lot of guys were gripping the stick too hard for you guys in the beginning of the year. i think simmonds has a fairly limited skill set, but he is incredible at it. i would drool for him on the pens. dude is a gamer. tons of heart, determination, and a simple but effective game. although i like read for a ton of reasons too, and ultimately feel he would be easier to acquire in a hypothetical world in which the pen and flyers werent rivals.
- stayinthefnnet

Simmonds seems to becoming a real leader. He could be, at 28 years old or so, definite captain material. With G in town, I'd imagine he'd only be wearing an A for us though.

yeah. but then again a lot of guys were gripping the stick too hard for you guys in the beginning of the year. i think simmonds has a fairly limited skill set, but he is incredible at it. i would drool for him on the pens. dude is a gamer. tons of heart, determination, and a simple but effective game. although i like read for a ton of reasons too, and ultimately feel he would be easier to acquire in a hypothetical world in which the pen and flyers werent rivals.
- stayinthefnnet

I agree, Read is a great 2 way player

Simmonds seems to becoming a real leader. He could be, at 28 years old or so, definite captain material. With G in town, I'd imagine he'd only be wearing an A for us though.
- Giroux_Is_God

no arguments from me there. you can see it in interviews, and just in the way he plays. i love that simple hard game. his goals can be huge, when everyone else is being too fancy or just in a slump, he can get the monkey off the teams back by banging in a rebound or a deflection/screen.

he doesnt strike me as the best skater, which could make him kind of iffy on crosby's line, but im sure between him or malkin he would find a good spot.

I agree, Read is a great 2 way player
- puckhead17

yup. im sure i probably gush about him on here too much, even for flyers fans, but yeah. good shot, good skater, solid two way awareness, hustles with speed, can kill penalties. i really think sans the animosity a good deal could be worked out.

yup. im sure i probably gush about him on here too much, even for flyers fans, but yeah. good shot, good skater, solid two way awareness, hustles with speed, can kill penalties. i really think sans the animosity a good deal could be worked out.
- stayinthefnnet

we don't trust our GM, he will trade him to u for a caveman D man that cant skate

we don't trust our GM, he will trade him to u for a caveman D man that cant skate
- puckhead17

engelland it is! hell, id even have shero go re acquire murray if homer wanted.

engelland it is! hell, id even have shero go re acquire murray if homer wanted.
- stayinthefnnet

thanks please
he needs no help that Homer

thanks please
he needs no help that Homer
- puckhead17

him and shero are polar opposites in their blinder induced drafting. ones no defenders the other is nothing but. really hope pouliot pans out. there were some good forwards there then. laughton and maatta both look like keepers though

Simmonds seems to becoming a real leader. He could be, at 28 years old or so, definite captain material. With G in town, I'd imagine he'd only be wearing an A for us though.
- Giroux_Is_God

Don't know if you were watching the carnival coverage, but Tim Saunders interviewed Simmonds and asked him about how it was to be approached by fans a day after a terrible game and Simmonds had a great answer, pretty much said when you get to sit down and talk with the fans and hear from them, you almost want to strap on the skates right away and prove something to them.

I must admit, I've been weary about these boards in the past week or so. I think when the team isn't doing well, we're losing sight of our love--which is Flyers hockey. Yeah, the team isn't doing anything special right now, but why all the negativity? So what? Shouldn't we be thankful we're able to enjoy our sport of hockey, our team?

Don't know if you were watching the carnival coverage, but Tim Saunders interviewed Simmonds and asked him about how it was to be approached by fans a day after a terrible game and Simmonds had a great answer, pretty much said when you get to sit down and talk with the fans and hear from them, you almost want to strap on the skates right away and prove something to them.

I must admit, I've been weary about these boards in the past week or so. I think when the team isn't doing well, we're losing sight of our love--which is Flyers hockey. Yeah, the team isn't doing anything special right now, but why all the negativity? So what? Shouldn't we be thankful we're able to enjoy our sport of hockey, our team?
- KGBflyers10

I agree. The team isn't doing so well, and hasn't been since Game 2 vs. New Jersey in 2012. There is definitely something lacking. But wanting to trade every single player after a bad stretch (even a lengthy one) isn't the answer. For example, A LOT of people wanted JvR shipped out because he was soft, inconsistent, was lazy, etc, and now he's one of the best young wingers in the game. Granted, that's an extreme case, but people are just hating hating hating and it's really just sad to hear people drone on about it.

I know I'm the other way, maybe a but too optimistic in that I try to look on the bright side. We've seen all of these players do better in the past. Yes, Timonen will never be 07/08 Timonen again, Coburn will never be 07/08 Coburn again, and Hartnell may never have another 30-goal season. Grossmann's knees may be failing, and Schenn has taken about 3 steps back this season. But it's hard for me to believe that every player on the team suddenly stopped caring or is on a horrible path to prolonged regression.

Yes, the D needs changing, and that's been true since opening night of last season. If you think Holmgren isn't trying every possible path to upgrade (short of another JvR for Schenn trade), then I believe hate is blinding you. They went out and, for better or worse, signed the best goalie we've had since Cechmanek to a market-value 3-year deal (for the record, I think the first half of the season has Mason fatigued as hell).

There are brighter days coming. We have a group of young defensemen with sky-high potential. We have, to me, one of the best young forward groups in the NHL. I don't believe this team will fall out of relevance this season, and I refuse to dwell on the shortcomings of any one player day-in/day-out or suggest a full-on tank for better draft picks like some people.

There are brighter days coming. We have a group of young defensemen with sky-high potential. We have, to me, one of the best young forward groups in the NHL. I don't believe this team will fall out of relevance this season, and I refuse to dwell on the shortcomings of any one player day-in/day-out or suggest a full-on tank for better draft picks like some people.
- jmatchett383

I wanted to touch on this point. These young forwards are still learning how to play in the NHL. Not the game itself, but learning that they are not head and shoulders above everyone else in their league, as they have been their entire lives. And that they need to learn how to give maximum effort ALL THE TIME in order for them to be successful. On the forecheck, ON THE BACKCHECK, knowing their assignments. Learning how to provide support. learning how to overcome adversity.

We constantly harp on the defense for being too slow (and they are), but to me, it is the play of the forwards at both end of the ice that makes this team stop or go.

They need to realize that it is HARD to play the way they need to play to be successful as individual players and as a team. They need to learn this or they will always be middle of the pack. ALWAYS.