Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Flyers Consume Sharks
- bmeltzer

You can always tell when the night will be good when they're making short, snappy passes and quick decisions with the puck. When they're doing that, their poor team speed hardly matters at all.

Downie (UFA) - Trade him at the deadline for a pick
B. Schenn (RFA) - 2 years at $3m
Raffl (RFA) - 2 years at $1.1m
Hall (UFA) - 1 year $750K
Kimmo (UFA) - I think he's ready to retire, if not I'd consider 1 year $4m
Mez (UFA) - Trade for a pick at the deadline (Maybe Boston so he can play with Chara some more)
Gus (RFA) - 2 years at $1.2m
Gill (UFA) - See ya
Emery (UFA) - Thanks for the memories Ray, but there are a dozen better backup goalies who make half your salary
- Feanor

If they're in a playoff spot come the TDL, would you still want to move both Downie and Mez, or keep them as 13F/7D?

What are people's thought on extending:
- jmatchett383

Downie (UFA) - maybe (2yrs @ same)
B. Schenn (RFA) - yes (3yrs, $9-10M)
Raffl (RFA) - yes (1yr, QO)
Hall (UFA) - no
Kimmo (UFA) - yes (1yr, $4M)
Mez (UFA) - no
Gus (RFA) - yes (1yr, QO)
Gill (UFA) - no
Emery (UFA) - no

You can always tell when the night will be good when they're making short, snappy passes and quick decisions with the puck. When they're doing that, their poor team speed hardly matters at all.
- Tomahawk

Undercover burn?

No excuses like they were facing an AHL roster this time, flyers have strung some good performances together. Let's see if they can keep it up

If they're in a playoff spot come the TDL, would you still want to move both Downie and Mez, or keep them as 13F/7D?
- jmatchett383

That's the one caveat. I think Raffl can move up into that 3rd line spot and replace Downie. But keeping Downie, and playing raffl on the 4th line gives the team more depth down the stretch.

That's the one caveat. I think Raffl can move up into that 3rd line spot and replace Downie. But keeping Downie, and playing raffl on the 4th line gives the team more depth down the stretch.
- MJL

Agreed. If they're in a spot, I'm okay with moving Mez if they have an AHL player they feel confident with potentially giving 15+ games to who can contribute full-time and in the playoffs. Downie, I'd rather them keep (unless it's a lateral move).

Off-topic, but this person is a TV star/celebrity

If they're in a playoff spot come the TDL, would you still want to move both Downie and Mez, or keep them as 13F/7D?
- jmatchett383

That is a good point. I would still trade them if the return was high enough e.g. a first rounder for Downie or a second rounder for Meszaros. That's probably unrealistic, but who knows how desperate some of the top teams will get if they suffer injuries. Like if Boston lost another dman to go with Seidenberg.

Agreed. If they're in a spot, I'm okay with moving Mez if they have an AHL player they feel confident with potentially giving 15+ games to who can contribute full-time and in the playoffs. Downie, I'd rather them keep (unless it's a lateral move).
- jmatchett383

I think they'll only move Mezaros if they either get a deal they can't refuse, which I doubt. Or they need to move him and get whatever they can, to create cap space to make another move. But I don't think there will be a big market for Meszaros.

Off-topic, but this person is a TV star/celebrity


- jmatchett383

/calls cable company
//cancels everything

They last beat them in 2000, last in SJ was 1999...I believe.

What are people's thought on extending:

Downie (UFA)
B. Schenn (RFA)
Raffl (RFA)
Hall (UFA)
Kimmo (UFA)
Mez (UFA)
Gus (RFA)
Gill (UFA)
Emery (UFA)

Which would you keep, and what would your offer be?
- jmatchett383

I keep Schenn, Raffl, Hall, Gus and Emery.

I'm on the fence about Downie, Either he isn't being used properly, or he just doesn't fit/click with this team.

Kimmo and Mesz eat up a nice chunk of cash, so unless they take severe pay cuts, I say adios. And even if they do take the pay cut, I still wonder about their roster spots and the part of the cap they are getting that might be better going to a free agent or one of the kids in the minors.

It's probably time for Gill to consider what he's going to do after his career is finished.

/calls cable company
//cancels everything
- johndewar

I think they'll only move Mezaros if they either get a deal they can't refuse, which I doubt. Or they need to move him and get whatever they can, to create cap space to make another move. But I don't think there will be a big market for Meszaros.
- MJL

If there was demand for Mez, he'd be gone already.

They need a desperate buyer at this point and even that isn't a slam dunk if a team feels it can fill an injury from within their own organization.

Mez will likely finish the year as a Flyer, for better or worse.

Downie (UFA) - maybe (2yrs @ same)
B. Schenn (RFA) - yes (3yrs, $9-10M)
Raffl (RFA) - yes (1yr, QO)
Hall (UFA) - no
Kimmo (UFA) - yes (1yr, $4M)
Mez (UFA) - no
Gus (RFA) - yes (1yr, QO)
Gill (UFA) - no
Emery (UFA) - no
- Tomahawk

QOs for Raffl and Gus make more sense than my idea to offer them 2 year deals. The players probably want 1 year deals anyway so they can hopefully cash in as UFAs the year after.

I keep Schenn, Raffl, Hall, Gus and Emery.
- wolfhounds

You sure about keeping Emery? I'm sure he's a good team guy, but his limited mobility has been exposed by the Flyers defense this year. We could have had someone like Khudobin for half of his cap hit.

I would consider giving Heeter a shot at being the backup.

You can always tell when the night will be good when they're making short, snappy passes and quick decisions with the puck. When they're doing that, their poor team speed hardly matters at all.
- Tomahawk

This. When they were going through their little losing streak, they would, almost to a man, hesitate with the puck on their sticks. And then it would be over, someone would be on them and they would (usually) make a bad decision/pass. The speed with which they processed the game, their mental reaction time/decision making process, seemed slow and unsure.

You sure about keeping Emery? I'm sure he's a good team guy, but his limited mobility has been exposed by the Flyers defense this year. We could have had someone like Khudobin for half of his cap hit.
- Feanor

You could even have a dark horse like Cal Heeter in the mix.

Heeter is having a decent year with the Phantoms. (2.29 GA, 0.922 SVP)

QOs for Raffl and Gus make more sense than my idea to offer them 2 year deals. The players probably want 1 year deals anyway so they can hopefully cash in as UFAs the year after.
- Feanor

Then again, it could be like MA Bourdon, taking a bit of a smaller cap hit for an extra year of job security, and a one-way 2nd-year.

So when Kimmo is fit I think it makes sense for him to replace Meszaros and leave those two pairings together. I'm in no rush to see the Grossmann-Streit pairing out there again.

I'd also leave Streit on the top PP unit. He's now on pace for his usual 40 points.
- Feanor

Agreed. Anyone can look good with Kimmo. I think Streit and Kimmo may work. No big body, but Kimmo is so savvy and he makes every one of his partners like good.

You sure about keeping Emery? I'm sure he's a good team guy, but his limited mobility has been exposed by the Flyers defense this year. We could have had someone like Khudobin for half of his cap hit.

I would consider giving Heeter a shot at being the backup.
- Feanor

Emery and Mason seem to get along pretty well, so there's that to consider. But if we brought someone else in or Heeter up, it wouldn't bother me much at all.

Did you mean half of Khudobin's current cap hit? Cause half of Emery's current hit is fringe NHL money.

That is a good point. I would still trade them if the return was high enough e.g. a first rounder for Downie or a second rounder for Meszaros. That's probably unrealistic, but who knows how desperate some of the top teams will get if they suffer injuries. Like if Boston lost another dman to go with Seidenberg.
- Feanor

A first rounder for Downie, and a second for Mezz? You must have recently spent some time partaking in the recently legal cannabis in Colorado! J/K
I'd do those deals as GM if I was in first place!! Getting another team to swallow Mezz's full salary will be a gift, although at deaine time, everyone must overpay, especially D men

You could even have a dark horse like Cal Heeter in the mix.

Heeter is having a decent year with the Phantoms. (2.29 GA, 0.922 SVP)
- johndewar

I would much rather get a more experienced backup. Heeter is having a good year, but most only see him as a backup. If Mason went down, would you feel confident with Heeter? I wouldn't.

You could even have a dark horse like Cal Heeter in the mix.

Heeter is having a decent year with the Phantoms. (2.29 GA, 0.922 SVP)
- johndewar

Goalie performances fluctuate wildly year to year, though... I'd like to see them keep him down on the farm for another couple of years before they even think about having that conversation.

Too many decent/good backup options available via trade/ufa... I'd go that route.

A first rounder for Downie, and a second for Mezz? You must have recently spent some time partaking in the recently legal cannabis in Colorado! J/K
I'd do those deals as GM if I was in first place!! Getting another team to swallow Mezz's full salary will be a gift, although at deaine time, everyone must overpay, especially D men
- Hokeeguy9

If you expect to make a run at the playoffs, its more important to keep a 7th defenseman. Mez will bring back next to nothing. The team is better off just keeping him unless someone significantly overpays (a 2nd round pick) or the Flyers fall out of contention.