He does make good moves and has pulled a few rabbits out of his hat... which makes it all the more frustrating to watch him constantly having to scramble to dig himself out of self-made holes both big and small.

I'm just not feeling a strong forward momentum from his stewardship... it sometimes feels like the franchise has gone through a 20-year cycle of ups and downs in a 5-year period.
- Tomahawk

I have that concern myself. I don't think he's a bad GM, just not sold that he can be the builder of a Cup winner.

In my opinion it doesn't. No GM is perfect and mistakes are made in signing players. I think any calls for Holmgren to be fired were, and still are, ridiculous. He's a solid GM, who's done a solid job.
- MJL

why haven't the Philadelphia Flyers drafted and developed a defenseman who has played significant games for multiple years for them since Chris Therien?

Doubt it.

The Snider/Homer RFA offersheet is a real possibility though, if they try to be stingy w/ him.
- Tomahawk

Subban offer sheet is going to cost 8mil+. The flyers don't have that kind of cap space.

why haven't the Philadelphia Flyers drafted and developed a defenseman who has played significant games for multiple years for them since Chris Therien?
- watsonnostaw

Because they haven't done a good job in drafting and developing defenseman. Hopefully that is changing, in that they have drafted a lot of defenseman lately. And they have a number of promising defense prospects.

Subban offer sheet is going to cost 8mil+. The flyers don't have that kind of cap space.
- FlyersSteve118

They do if they let Timonen retire/walk

He does make good moves and has pulled a few rabbits out of his hat... which makes it all the more frustrating to watch him constantly having to scramble to dig himself out of self-made holes both big and small.

I'm just not feeling a strong forward momentum from his stewardship... it sometimes feels like the franchise has gone through a 20-year cycle of ups and downs in a 5-year period.
- Tomahawk

That's my thing with any GM, though -- if you make enough moves, not all of them are going to work. That's just the nature of the beast.

There are only two things I wouldn't have done with the Flyers that I think Holmgren should be faulted for: I don't mind trading JVR, but I would've gotten a different kind of defenseman, and if I was flipping Richards and Carter, I would've gotten a defenseman from one of those teams

But I don't fault him for Bryz -- Snider's fingerprints are all over that, and TBH, while it nearly blew up in his face, I do think Laviolette had done enough with the Flyers that you didn't have to fire him last summer

Loyalty...I don't think you have to give a guy the shiv just as soon as it goes wrong. I was surprised at how much Laviolette had just lost the team, but I do think it was fair to give him a chance

why haven't the Philadelphia Flyers drafted and developed a defenseman who has played significant games for multiple years for them since Chris Therien?
- watsonnostaw

Chris set the bar too high. All the defensemen drafted thereafter couldn't help but pale in comparison.

They do if they let Timonen retire/walk
- Jsaquella

13.4m to sign 3rd line LW and two fourth liners.
gustafsson and macd
back up goalie

macd and gust = 5.4mil (4.5 for mac and 900k for gus)
that leaves 8mil to sign
3rd line LW 2 fourth liners a dman and a back up goalie.

Edit: and brayden schenn.

They do if they let Timonen retire/walk
- Jsaquella

If they go that route, they'll put everything/everybody on hold to try to make it happen... like they did w/ Weber/Suter/Parise.

I don't see the issue with anything Rosehill did. It's just part of the game.
- MJL

I don't find an elbow to the back of the head to be a normal part of the game.

Agree to disagree.

If they go that route, they'll put everything/everybody on hold to try to make it happen... like they did w/ Weber/Suter/Parise.
- Tomahawk

And if Montreal matches, they watch the parade go by with no fall back options.

That's my thing with any GM, though -- if you make enough moves, not all of them are going to work. That's just the nature of the beast.

There are only two things I wouldn't have done with the Flyers that I think Holmgren should be faulted for: I don't mind trading JVR, but I would've gotten a different kind of defenseman, and if I was flipping Richards and Carter, I would've gotten a defenseman from one of those teams

But I don't fault him for Bryz -- Snider's fingerprints are all over that, and TBH, while it nearly blew up in his face, I do think Laviolette had done enough with the Flyers that you didn't have to fire him last summer

Loyalty...I don't think you have to give a guy the shiv just as soon as it goes wrong. I was surprised at how much Laviolette had just lost the team, but I do think it was fair to give him a chance
- AllInForFlyers

There is no way around not labeling the Bryzgalov move a mistake. They got lucky in that they had a CBO to get out of it. But I do place some blame on the player. He just didn't play well enough. And I definitely think that Snider gave a mandate on fixing the goaltending. But I don't believe that Snider had anything to do with picking what player. He did however have to okay the financials.

I think that the one mistake that Holmgren definitely made was not firing Laviolette in the off season. I think that was a mistake that cost this team with a slow start.

There's a number of things that some fans are going to label as mistakes, that aren't. Simply because it goes against how they view a team should be built, and how they want the team to conduct it's business. But those aren't mistakes. Just differences of opinion.

If they go that route, they'll put everything/everybody on hold to try to make it happen... like they did w/ Weber/Suter/Parise.
- Tomahawk

Yeah, but they gotta, IMO -- this team isn't that far away. But Timonen can't play forever, and you can't go into next season after being held hostage by Andy MacDonald

I don't know how they do it. I don't. But they gotta find a way to use Timonen's money, and MacDonald's money, to get "that guy" in here

They have to find a way

I don't find an elbow to the back of the head to be a normal part of the game.

Agree to disagree.
- Scoob

Maybe I need to see a replay then, because I didn't notice an elbow to the back of the head.

13.4m to sign 3rd line LW and two fourth liners.
gustafsson and macd
back up goalie

macd and gust = 5.4mil (4.5 for mac and 900k for gus)
that leaves 8mil to sign
3rd line LW 2 fourth liners a dman and a back up goalie.

Edit: and brayden schenn.
- FlyersSteve118

They also have almost $5mm in LTIR in Pronger that can be utilized, and can be over the cap by 10% in off season.

It will be tight, but doable.

EDIT: In no way, shape or form am I suggesting an Offer Sheet for Subban. I want them to keep their picks and if anything go after stop gap guys to bridge the way to the kids

They also have almost $5mm in LTIR in Pronger that can be utilized, and can be over the cap by 10% in off season.

It will be tight, but doable.
- Jsaquella

No that is calculated in already.

In audio released by the Flyers, Rinaldo said the hit “slipped away from me” and laid some blame on Ruhwedel, who was bent over a bit.

“Just some bad timing and a little vulnerability on his side of the puck, too,” he said. “So my bad and his bad at the same time.”

http://www.buffalohockeyb...es-chad-ruhwedel-in-head/

Wait...What?

Ruhwedel was shooting the puck, Rinaldo launched into his head...how is it Ruhwedel's "bad"?
- Jsaquella

Proof that the guy is completely out of touch with what he should be doing out there.

13.4m to sign 3rd line LW and two fourth liners.
gustafsson and macd
back up goalie

macd and gust = 5.4mil (4.5 for mac and 900k for gus)
that leaves 8mil to sign
3rd line LW 2 fourth liners a dman and a back up goalie.

Edit: and brayden schenn.
- FlyersSteve118

They'd have to do some maneuvering. Q offers are going to take some Cap space up also. But they could get the room if they really wanted to. Especially when July 1 rolls around and they get the off season exemption.

Rinaldo suspended 4 games or am I late and mesmerized by the Wrestlemania GIFs PL posted?

There is no way around not labeling the Bryzgalov move a mistake. They got lucky in that they had a CBO to get out of it. But I do place some blame on the player. He just didn't play well enough. And I definitely think that Snider gave a mandate on fixing the goaltending. But I don't believe that Snider had anything to do with picking what player. He did however have to okay the financials.

I think that the one mistake that Holmgren definitely made was not firing Laviolette in the off season. I think that was a mistake that cost this team with a slow start.

There's a number of things that some fans are going to label as mistakes, that aren't. Simply because it goes against how the view a team should be built, and how they want the team to conduct it's business. But those aren't mistakes.
- MJL

There is no way Ed Snider wrote a goodbye check for Bryz to the tune of $30 million just because Paul Holmgren said so.

I'm sorry, but there isn't a person in the history of mankind who is ever going to convince me that Ilya Bryzgalov is on Paul Holmgren.

Not gonna happen

And if Montreal matches, they watch the parade go by with no fall back options.
- PLindbergh31

Yeah, pretty much.

Edit: Montreal WILL match, too.

They'd have to do some maneuvering. Q offers are going to take some Cap space up also. But they could get the room if they really wanted to. Especially when July 1 rolls around and they get the off season exemption.
- MJL

Yes, but Pronger's cap space has to be under the cap before we can use it to start the year. That can create serious problems if we need to make moves in free agency. Unless Timonen is willing to wait until the season starts to sign a contract.

IMO people are getting carried away with Rinaldo. At least one of the 3 penalties called against him was borderline. The hit was dumb because of the timing, but was it really that bad. Sure suspend him make an example see, bad hit hit the head suspension. Fine what ever. The guy was leaning over and there was no way at that speed he could have stopped himself. The Sabre's players head was at shoulder height. For me the worst part was his leaving his feet. There have been much worse hits that have gone unpunished.

Also to say Rinaldo is a fourth line players, so he really shouldn't have a huge impact on this team. Well don't blame him, blame the top guys for not showing up every game. The few games he has been the guy playing the hardest shift after shift. Give me a team full of guys that play like that every shift. He needs to learn to control himself better. Come playoff time, he will really need to watch himself.

Yes it was stupid, but the Flyers need him out there. They are a better and harder team to play against.

There is no way Ed Snider wrote a goodbye check for Bryz to the tune of $30 million just because Paul Holmgren said so.

I'm sorry, but there isn't a person in the history of mankind who is ever going to convince me that Ilya Bryzgalov is on Paul Holmgren.

Not gonna happen
- AllInForFlyers

There's no doubt that Holmgren chose to sign Bryzgalov. Snider had to okay the financials, and okay the CBO. But I don't think Snider involves himself to the level of which specific players to sign, trade, etc. He leaves that to the Hockey people.

No that is calculated in already.
- FlyersSteve118

CapGeek has them projected with $11,558,571, including Pronger. If the cap is indeed $71mm, they can go up to $78.1mm in the summer under the 10% overage.

Plus, if they bring in Subban, there's no need to re-sign Gustafsson.

It's doable, but not advisable,