So, you don't want Matt Walker back?
- Flyersgod

He was not a fringe guy and he was not making $4-$4.5M. Steal!!!

LWL confirms Emery will start tonight.
- PLindbergh31

Battle of the backups tonight

LWL confirms Emery will start tonight.
- PLindbergh31

i'm a bit surprised... does he have good #s against them?

a legit guy playing now?

it would cost Couts and one or two first round picks
- Marc D

If you look at teams that have won Cups in the last 25 years or so, almost every one of them has that top pairing, all purpose stud that plays 25+ minutes a game at a high level. I don't think it's by coincidence. Seems to me it's almost essential to have one if you want to win.

I really hope there is some sort of plan in place to get a legit first pairing stud on board. Paying fringe guys between 4-5.5 range isn't working.
- PLindbergh31

I hope for patience and smart moves. Thats it.

Our luck.. We trade Couts++ and get a "stud top pair guy" who ends up turning into a middle pairing guy... Couts goes on to be a stud.. the 1st+ (Ghost) turns into the second coming of Bobby Orr, the 2nd + (Laughton) turns into freaking Dougie Gilmore.

I agree that the Flyers rely heavily on their PP, but other teams are heavy PP teams as well, and they don't seem to have any issues winning at MSG. The Flyers have to break through and win a game there to get the place out of their heads.
- PLindbergh31

and i think that's doable

i'm a bit surprised... does he have good #s against them?
- -davies-

6-4-2 2.41 .911 not bad.

Battle of the backups tonight
- PhillySportsGuy

Lindback has been pretty awful this year. I think the game he played earlier in the season in Philly was probably one of his best games of the year.

6-4-2 2.41 .911 not bad.
- PLindbergh31

ask and ye shall receive, ty

So what would you do this offseason? Make a trade?
- PhillySportsGuy

Pre-UFA, sniff around WPG and TOR to see if I could shake anything loose (Gardiner, Gunnarsson, Enstrom, Bogosian, Clitsome)... if that doesn't work, trade a higher AAV to Boyle for a 1-year term (hopefully incentive-laden) to guard against 35+ and decline. If he plays well, do it again the following summer. Hopefully some of the kids will be ready by then.

6-4-2 2.41 .911 not bad.
- PLindbergh31

Just meh

If you look at teams that have won Cups in the last 25 years or so, almost every one of them has that top pairing, all purpose stud that plays 25+ minutes a game at a high level. I don't think it's by coincidence. Seems to me it's almost essential to have one if you want to win.
- PLindbergh31

so you would do it, for the right guy?
a pronger sized deal that included couts and two first rounders going for a legit #1D

If you look at teams that have won Cups in the last 25 years or so, almost every one of them has that top pairing, all purpose stud that plays 25+ minutes a game at a high level. I don't think it's by coincidence. Seems to me it's almost essential to have one if you want to win.
- PLindbergh31

No one is available though.

If you look at teams that have won Cups in the last 25 years or so, almost every one of them has that top pairing, all purpose stud that plays 25+ minutes a game at a high level. I don't think it's by coincidence. Seems to me it's almost essential to have one if you want to win.
- PLindbergh31

Well then let's be patient (didn't we all agree on that this offseason, only to throw the mindset away the day the season started) and hope on of our picks becomes that guy.

I hope for patience and smart moves. Thats it.

Our luck.. We trade Couts++ and get a "stud top pair guy" who ends up turning into a middle pairing guy... Couts goes on to be a stud.. the 1st+ (Ghost) turns into the second coming of Bobby Orr, the 2nd + (Laughton) turns into freaking Dougie Gilmore.
- jak521

The best way to get said guy is drafting and developing him. Flyers don't have a good track record doing that with D-men. Hopefully they can buck that trend. With Morin, Ghost, Hagg, Alt in the pipeline there is some promise. I don't think any of these guy will be top pairing guys, (although it's too early to say) but you would hope with patience at least two of them can develop into solid contributors at the NHL level.

It's huge to have a cost controlled young dman at the NHL level, it frees up cap space to address other needs.

Pre-UFA, sniff around WPG and TOR to see if I could shake anything loose (Gardiner, Gunnarsson, Enstrom, Bogosian, Clitsome)... if that doesn't work, trade a higher AAV to Boyle for a 1-year term (hopefully incentive-laden) to guard against 35+ and decline. If he plays well, do it again the following summer. Hopefully some of the kids will be ready by then.
- Tomahawk

I feel like someone will give Boyle a second year.

If you look at teams that have won Cups in the last 25 years or so, almost every one of them has that top pairing, all purpose stud that plays 25+ minutes a game at a high level. I don't think it's by coincidence. Seems to me it's almost essential to have one if you want to win.
- PLindbergh31

I think most Cup winning teams have 3 really good defenseman
1-2 at all star level and another one that is just below that

and a competent 3rd pair

No one is available though.
- PhillySportsGuy

We don't know that for sure. If you pay a steep enough price, most players would be available. The key is to try and pillage a team that has a big time dman, who is close to becoming a UFA. For the right package a team that has a lot of building to do might make that type of defenseman available.

I feel like someone will give Boyle a second year.
- PhillySportsGuy

If so, move on.

Sometimes it's better to end up empty-handed, than get locked into the wrong guy.

Pre-UFA, sniff around WPG and TOR to see if I could shake anything loose (Gardiner, Gunnarsson, Enstrom, Bogosian, Clitsome)... if that doesn't work, trade a higher AAV to Boyle for a 1-year term (hopefully incentive-laden) to guard against 35+ and decline. If he plays well, do it again the following summer. Hopefully some of the kids will be ready by then.
- Tomahawk

Sniff around Winnipeg?

Gross.

/Bryzgalov'd

No one is available though for a reasonable price.
- PhillySportsGuy

if you blow some one away I think anyone would be available, but it would be lopsided as hell

Well then let's be patient (didn't we all agree on that this offseason, only to throw the mindset away the day the season started) and hope on of our picks becomes that guy.
- jmatchett383

Yes. That is the optimal way. Draft and develop.

I think most Cup winning teams have 3 really good defenseman
1-2 at all star level and another one that is just below that

and a competent 3rd pair
- Marc D

Or just a solid 1-6.

Battle of the backups tonight
- PhillySportsGuy

Sure, why not?

It's his turn.

I like Mase going up against the Pens in a tune up game.

Just meh
- jak521

Emery has played well lately. The games the Flyers have lost with him in there wasn't his fault. He was superb in St. Louis.