Agree 100%
- BiggE

Injuries mostly I think.
- FlyersGrace

Leino...maybe you bring him in on PTO, if Homer was still around. See if a summer of recovery would help, if his injuries are manageable.

A player with his skills, ability to protect the puck...he could be a useful fourth-liner, better than what we've had, and you wouldn't be giving him too many minutes.

Maybe, if it were me, I'd ask the question.

I know Hextall has stated he doesn't " anticipate" any major changes and wants to be patient but would you not be disappointed if there was not an upgrade on defence
( at least a 2 man) going into next year?
- 3flyerkids

No, I wouldn't.

The long-view is this team is still at least 2-3 years away. If he can make some setup moves to get us there, I think that's all Hexy should really be preoccupied with.

The go-for-broke-every-summer approach hasn't worked for 40-years... even Sather and Rangers have finally adapted a bit to account for the hard economic realities of the league. Hopefully Hexy will be more of a structured planner, and less of a knee-jerk/all-in kind of GM.

I'm not into advanced stats. I'm just saying I think their pretty close. Coots is prob the better player... But prob not by much. I would be happy if he turns into a handzus typ of offensive ability
- Just5

Sutter's advanced stats are awful. Like Lecavalier awful.

Leino...maybe you bring him in on PTO, if Homer was still around. See if a summer of recovery would help, if his injuries are manageable.

A player with his skills, ability to protect the puck...he could be a useful fourth-liner, better than what we've had, and you wouldn't be giving him too many minutes.

Maybe, if it were me, I'd ask the question.
- AllInForFlyers

Don't want Leino or Heatley at all. It's a waste of a roster spot. I would rather take a chance on a European player.

No, I wouldn't.

The long-view is this team is still at least 2-3 years away. If he can make some setup moves to get us there, I think that's all Hexy should really be preoccupied with.

The go-for-broke-every-summer approach hasn't worked for 40-years... even Sather and Rangers have finally adapted a bit to account for the hard economic realities of the league. Hopefully Hexy will be more of a structured planner, and less of a knee-jerk/all-in kind of GM.
- Tomahawk

Agreed -- and I have always respected their desire to be in it, to the hilt, every season.

But this league has changed. Asset management has changed. And the Flyers have to understand that, and make adjustments. You have to draft your best players. You have to be patient and let them develop into your best players.

Anything other than that...you're not truly setting yourself up for success. This league is totally different than it was 20 years ago, when guys like Rob Blake got traded, Joe Thornton got moved. It's a totally different league.

Leino...maybe you bring him in on PTO, if Homer was still around. See if a summer of recovery would help, if his injuries are manageable.

A player with his skills, ability to protect the puck...he could be a useful fourth-liner, better than what we've had, and you wouldn't be giving him too many minutes.

Maybe, if it were me, I'd ask the question.
- AllInForFlyers

I wouldn't mind Leino on an expendable contract... I always liked his ability to hang on to the biscuit, and maybe he would be a good complement to Schenn/Simmer, or Coots/Read.

Don't want Leino or Heatley at all. It's a waste of a roster spot. I would rather take a chance on a European player.
- PhillySportsGuy

Hey, I understand that feeling, completely. I don't think there's anything wrong with PTOs, though, letting guys compete for spots.

They really can't -- Heatley still tries, but he just can't skate. Haven't seen Leino enough to get a feel for what the hell happened to him
- AllInForFlyers

Leino was never that good to begin with. He captured lightning in a bottle playing a little more than a full season and a playoff in Philly and parlayed that in to a multi-year deal with the Sabres.

Sutter's advanced stats are awful. Like Lecavalier awful.
- PhillySportsGuy

A wowy analysis doesn't exactly absolve him either, so hard to just pin it on his linemates:

http://www.pensburgh.com/.../sutter-and-his-linemates



If I were Botterill (or whoever becomes the GM), I'd be looking to move Sutter this summer to acquire a young winger or two, and hang on to Goc as my 3rd-line C.

So AV has the Rags two wins from the Cup Finals, while Torts was poopcanned a month ago. I think that Vancouver fanbase is nearly as tortured as Flyer fans are.

Hey, I understand that feeling, completely. I don't think there's anything wrong with PTOs, though, letting guys compete for spots.
- AllInForFlyers

I guess a tryout is fine, but I have very little confidence Leino or Heatley can help the Flyers.

They are the example of players who offer nothing once their offensive game goes.

Leino...maybe you bring him in on PTO, if Homer was still around. See if a summer of recovery would help, if his injuries are manageable.

A player with his skills, ability to protect the puck...he could be a useful fourth-liner, better than what we've had, and you wouldn't be giving him too many minutes.

Maybe, if it were me, I'd ask the question.
- AllInForFlyers

no way in hell do I touch Leino..

There are a lot of 2nd/3rd line caliber forwards available in UFA..

Top 5 I'd look at..

Setoguchi
Jussi Jokinen
Mikhail Grabovski
Nikolai Kulemin
Dave Bolland


On defense:

Tom Gilbert

So AV has the Rags two wins from the Cup Finals, while Torts was poopcanned a month ago. I think that Vancouver fanbase is nearly as tortured as Flyer fans are.
- PLindbergh31

The Tortorella hire was just a bad hire to begin with -- the way Vancouver played wasn't the problem. The problem was Mike Gillis and his drafting -- he was horrific. The Canucks were AWFUL on draft day, for years.

They were set up for years of success, and they pissed it away in four years with awful drafting.

I wouldn't mind Leino on an expendable contract... I always liked his ability to hang on to the biscuit, and maybe he would be a good complement to Schenn/Simmer, or Coots/Read.
- Tomahawk

As long as its 900k or less for one year, I'd be ok with it. That way if he's a bust you can waive and demote him with no cap penalty.

no way in hell do I touch Leino..

There are a lot of 2nd/3rd line caliber forwards available in UFA..

Top 5 I'd look at..

Setoguchi
Jussi Jokinen
Mikhail Grabovski
Nikolai Kulemin
Dave Bolland


On defense:

Tom Gilbert
- jak521

The reason you'd look at Leino, in a limited sense, is because he won't cost much.

All the players you listed -- though I do like Kulemin -- are going to cost more than any of us would likely want to pay that kind of player.

A wowy analysis doesn't exactly absolve him either, so hard to just pin it on his linemates:

http://www.pensburgh.com/.../sutter-and-his-linemates



If I were Botterill (or whoever becomes the GM), I'd be looking to move Sutter this summer to acquire a young winger or two, and hang on to Goc as my 3rd-line C.
- Tomahawk

Sutter, Pouliot, 2014 1st for Kesler

So AV has the Rags two wins from the Cup Finals, while Torts was poopcanned a month ago. I think that Vancouver fanbase is nearly as tortured as Flyer fans are.
- PLindbergh31

might even be worse for them...

no way in hell do I touch Leino..

There are a lot of 2nd/3rd line caliber forwards available in UFA..

Top 5 I'd look at..

Setoguchi
Jussi Jokinen
Mikhail Grabovski
Nikolai Kulemin
Dave Bolland


On defense:

Tom Gilbert
- jak521

I think Giroux can turn Setoguchi back into a 20-30 scorer, easy. Guy can flat-out skate. Probably could be had for a decent value, too.

If this team needed a C, I'd be all over Grabo.

As long as its 900k or less for one year, I'd be ok with it. That way if he's a bust you can waive and demote him with no cap penalty.
- BiggE

Exactly -- I'm certainly not advocating any kind of financial risk with a guy like Leino; if a guy like that makes the team, fine. If not, you haven't lost anything by looking.

I mean, seriously. We need, what...three guys, at least? And we probably shouldn't be sad if we brought in some competition for Rinaldo and Akeson, just to make sure they're focused on making the team better, not just making the team?

As long as its 900k or less for one year, I'd be ok with it. That way if he's a bust you can waive and demote him with no cap penalty.
- BiggE

Yeah, exactly what I had in mind. If he gets bought out, he's probably a whisker away from being flushed out of the league entirely.

Anyone else feel the Flyers are phucked next season? I dont feel changes coming. Which is sad.
- GOA88

I'll let you know come preseason. Too early to tell at this point.

Sutter, Pouliot, 2014 1st for Kesler
- PhillySportsGuy

Lol, I'd love if they did that, but if I were a Pens fan, I'd want to trade Sutter for multiple kids/prospects/picks... depth is their biggest issue (when Flower isn't poopting the bed).

Yeah, exactly what I had in mind. If he gets bought out, he's probably a whisker away from being flushed out of the league entirely.
- Tomahawk

It really sucks that we're even talking about this -- man, we really need to get some young forwards into the system, badly

The reason you'd look at Leino, in a limited sense, is because he won't cost much.

All the players you listed -- though I do like Kulemin -- are going to cost more than any of us would likely want to pay that kind of player.
- AllInForFlyers

The reason I selected all of these guys is because 3/5 are around 30 and havent really had HUGE years over the past few years. They have been good players, are all capable of playing a good two way game, and would likely not get an enormous jump in pay.

We have plenty of players in the system that can do what Leino would do. Also, all of the players I listed have pretty good wheels.

If we are looking to add a fourth liner from UFA... Dominic Moore, Jay McClement, Daniel Winnick