Teams don't have that ability yet. The cap figure that every team has to work with is still 64.3M.
- MJL

Teams can't take on players who are under contract for next season?

Solid game last night. Good team effort on D. Coburn, Streit, Mason and Rafflfries get a big

Simmonds is a defensive stalwart now?

Teams can't take on players who are under contract for next season?
- PhillySportsGuy

Sure they can, but they can't spend up to what the projected salary cap increase is for next year. Sorry if that didn't come out right and it was confusing.

Sometimes what a GM adds is based on what player he was able to afford cap wise, what deal 2 teams were able to agree on, and what players are available. Rather then what kind of player a GM prefers.
- MJL

Oh no doubt. I just hope they don't make a move unless that mover really helps the team now without selling off much from the farm. Outside of Downie and/or Mezaros I can't think of any roster players Holmer would consider moving right now. I am not saying they are all untouchable but I would think Holmer would have to be blown away to consider moving most of the other guys.

Solid game last night. Good team effort on D. Coburn, Streit, Mason and Rafflfries get a big

Simmonds is a defensive stalwart now?
- wolfhounds

what a great play at the end.....simmer with the speed to nullify the icing...i wonder, as did the broadcast team, if berube suggested it during the time out.

The reasons why I think Mason is the real deal for the long term are:

1) Best glove hand and lateral movement I've seen on a regular basis from a Flyers goaltender in years. He is also the team's best puckhandling goalie since Ron Hextall, although Robert Esche was pretty good in that respect, too.

2) He has matured on and off the ice, and has developed a tremendous work ethic. The Flyers have an 11:30 practice this morning. As usual, Mason will be out there working with Jeff Reese well before anyone else takes the ice.

3) Most of his saves are technically sound. He's not a guesser.

4) When he does have to scramble and battle for saves, he shows both tremendous competitiveness and a sense of calm.

5) When he does allow a bad goal -- and all goalies give up a few bad ones, no matter who they are -- he has become good at putting it aside immediately. Again, that goes back to maturity.
- bmeltzer

That's the big one for me... before anything else, preparation is the key to success.

Sure they can, but they can't spend up to what the projected salary cap increase is for next year. Sorry if that didn't come out right and it was confusing.
- MJL

How often does that happen? That a team up close to the Cap doesnt have any UFA's that relieve tagging space... I think I can only think of it happening once... with Matt Carle.

Sure they can, but they can't spend up to what the projected salary cap increase is for next year. Sorry if that didn't come out right and it was confusing.
- MJL

I know. Most teams aren't like the Flyers and have some bankable cap space for this season.

My main point is that teams will be more willing to take on a player even if his contract goes through next season.

what a great play at the end.....simmer with the speed to nullify the icing...i wonder, as did the broadcast team, if berube suggested it during the time out.
- hogweed

It looked like a planned play. Credit Giroux for winning the draw back so cleanly. Coburn had a lot of time. He could have sent a pop fly or played it up the boards. The fact that he fired it hard down the ice makes me think it was planned.

Good review of Mason. But IMO Bobrovsky's lateral movement was superior... Bob was just faster post to post, while Mason might over-commit less.
- youarewrong

Bob was quick, but nobody was faster than young Niitty... dude was crazy.

what a great play at the end.....simmer with the speed to nullify the icing...i wonder, as did the broadcast team, if berube suggested it during the time out.
- hogweed

Yup, I'm definitely thinking that was a set play.

How often does that happen? That a team up close to the Cap doesnt have any UFA's that relieve tagging space... I think I can only think of it happening once... with Matt Carle.
- youarewrong

Take the example of the 'Hawks -- a number of UFA contracts are expiring, but Crawford and Hjalmarsson's new deals that kick in next year more than offset the gains.

Take the example of the 'Hawks -- a number of UFA contracts are expiring, but Crawford and Hjalmarsson's new deals that kick in next year more than offset the gains.
- Tomahawk

I wonder what kind of deals Kane and Toews are going to get

The smaller moves end up working well a lot of the time. Getting a third line player to play with Read and Couturier wouldn't cost a lot and would enable them to move Downie.
- PhillySportsGuy

I was trying to figure out the last time that the big-name rental got a team the Cup that year. It wasn't '09, because (somehow) Olli Jokinen was the big name, and Guerin was the consolation prize. Maybe '06 with Recchi? Like you said, it's about filling needs, not getting the big name.

That's the big one for me... before anything else, preparation is the key to success.
- Tomahawk

I tend to be more aggressive than most, but I haven't worried about Mason for months now -- no reason to.

Some guys change, mature. Mason...man, Columbus...that had to be a tough deal, playing there for the years they were bad. He didn't elevate them, true. But sometimes...some franchises need a bunch of different people, not just one or two different guys.

For years, I always wondered what it would be like to have a goalie who just made the saves he was supposed to make, and a few he shouldn't, at a consistent level -- preferably above the league average, but not necessarily.

Having Mason, so far in his tenure...it's what I thought it would be like. It's just...comforting. Knowing that you're not going to see ridiculous goals against on savable shots, maybe a shootout or breakaway save...man.

Just having the saves made that should be made...man. That's refreshing.

I wonder what kind of deals Kane and Toews are going to get
- PhillySportsGuy

They could both probably afford to build one of these after:

I wonder what kind of deals Kane and Toews are going to get
- PhillySportsGuy

Toews deserves 8 year @ $8M as a starting point.

I wonder what kind of deals Kane and Toews are going to get
- PhillySportsGuy

I heard it speculated each would get near 12 million a year.

Oh no doubt. I just hope they don't make a move unless that mover really helps the team now without selling off much from the farm. Outside of Downie and/or Mezaros I can't think of any roster players Holmer would consider moving right now. I am not saying they are all untouchable but I would think Holmer would have to be blown away to consider moving most of the other guys.
- Lexington Flyer

I agree 100%

Toews deserves 8 year @ $8M as a starting point.
- jmatchett383

I think both will get 8 x $9m.

In the short-medium term they benefit a lot from two cap circumventing contracts to Hossa and Keith, so they should be fine.

How often does that happen? That a team up close to the Cap doesnt have any UFA's that relieve tagging space... I think I can only think of it happening once... with Matt Carle.
- youarewrong

Tagging space affects a lot of teams every year in limiting the moves they can make.

I know. Most teams aren't like the Flyers and have some bankable cap space for this season.

My main point is that teams will be more willing to take on a player even if his contract goes through next season.
- PhillySportsGuy

In theory yes, but they still have to have the cap space and tagging space to do it. And that is still based on 64.3M and not the projected cap figure for next season.

Toews deserves 8 year @ $8M as a starting point.
- jmatchett383

Toews and Kane probably both deserve over $10-12M, for all they've done for the team/city/owners, but I suspect they'll take a lot less than that to keep the team together.

Take the example of the 'Hawks -- a number of UFA contracts are expiring, but Crawford and Hjalmarsson's new deals that kick in next year more than offset the gains.
- Tomahawk

True, and when you re-sign players to new deals, the amount of expiring cap space that is used in signing those dreals then becomes "tagged".

Yup, I'm definitely thinking that was a set play.
- wolfhounds

sure seemed that way