Hutton got 2 years for $1.45 million. This is a nice benchmark to set for the back-up goalie market. It certainly looks to be a buyer's market. Plenty of good value out there probably under a million/yr.

He'll be a Phantom next season
- PhillySportsGuy

sure is gonna miss having pouliot behind him

sure is gonna miss having pouliot behind him
- stayinthefnnet

Ghost will help him forget

Pens' series was 26 PP for the Rags and 20 for the Pens...must be because the Penguins are such a dirty team and the league gives them all the benefit of the doubt.
- jmatchett383

honestly, the pens powerplay was so beyond pathetic, they didnt deserve to even be put on the ice.

getting to do things without being mauled beyond reproach during even strength would have been nice though.

Ghost will help him forget
- Tomahawk

true. pouliot missing so much time now really sucks for his development. hopefully for his sake ghost can stay healthy and learn properly.

i wonder if pouliot right now can do more pullups than sam bennett.

true. pouliot missing so much time now really sucks for his development. hopefully for his sake ghost can stay healthy and learn properly.

i wonder if pouliot right now can do more pullups than sam bennett.
- stayinthefnnet

Hmmmm......... Pierre!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hey, it's only June, no rush to name a GM.

true. pouliot missing so much time now really sucks for his development. hopefully for his sake ghost can stay healthy and learn properly.

i wonder if pouliot right now can do more pullups than sam bennett.
- stayinthefnnet

Hmmmm......... Pierre!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hey, it's only June, no rush to name a GM. In all seriousness, I just don't understand what Mario is trying to accomplish. I know Bylsma is dead man walking, but to go this long without a GM for a top tier franchise is just crazy.

the kings win their 3rd game 7 series, in OT, on the road, after coming back 3 times, are headed to their 2nd final in 3 seasons and they have 74 posts in today's blog.

(frank)ing. joke.

I'd like to see Couturier, Read, and Voracek. Get a decent LW with some speed to play with Giroux, and put Simmonds on the RW. Play Hartnell with Schenn, and maybe Raffl.
- MJL

I like this. I'm wondering who that top line LW with speed would be. But Couts, Read, and Voracek is definitely a good second line.

Hmmmm......... Pierre!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hey, it's only June, no rush to name a GM.
- ravishingone

ugh. isnt it beyond laughable thats actually a potential reality?

Hmmmm......... Pierre!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hey, it's only June, no rush to name a GM. In all seriousness, I just don't understand what Mario is trying to accomplish. I know Bylsma is dead man walking, but to go this long without a GM for a top tier franchise is just crazy.
- ravishingone

i can just only imagine it...

repeatedly calls chris kunitz into his office to ask him if he knew he went undrafted out of tiny fehris state

ugh. isnt it beyond laughable thats actually a potential reality?
- stayinthefnnet

I just don't understand the timeline. It's almost like let's fire Shero and now what should we do? I would have thought they would have had some plan ready to implement if they decided to drop the hammer on Shero when the season fell apart. There are some real important roster decisions to be made. Luckily, the Flyers will be happy to put Jokinen in the top 6 to alleviate any concern the new GM may have in trying to resign him.

the kings win their 3rd game 7 series, in OT, on the road, after coming back 3 times, are headed to their 2nd final in 3 seasons and they have 74 posts in today's blog.

(frank)ing. joke.
- hammarby31

........and over half of those are from fans of other teams.

I'd like to see Couturier, Read, and Voracek. Get a decent LW with some speed to play with Giroux, and put Simmonds on the RW. Play Hartnell with Schenn, and maybe Raffl.
- MJL

I wouldn't mess with the lines too much. I'd personally play:

Raffl-G-Voracek
(Possibly Mason Raymond)-Schenn-Simmonds
Hartnell-Coots-Read
Rinaldo-Vinny-Hall

You could swap Raymond and Raffl if needed. I just have a feeling Raffl fits better. If he can find the back of the net he could be our top line winger, he does everything else really well

I just don't understand the timeline. It's almost like let's fire Shero and now what should we do? I would have thought they would have had some plan ready to implement if they decided to drop the hammer on Shero when the season fell apart. There are some real important roster decisions to be made. Luckily, the Flyers will be happy to put Jokinen in the top 6 to alleviate any concern the new GM may have in trying to resign him.
- ravishingone

haha hey how neighborly of them.

but seriously. i realize im not exactly in the inner circle, but there really doesnt seem to be much of a plan.

like DB is just hanging out doing what? i mean i guess he is still technically employed? to see if the new GM wants him? if anything, he was just as at fault as shero was. probably more. i understand the whole change for the sake of change thing. but to just promptly fire your GM and then just say eh i guess thats it for now. the silence is deafening

This brings up a thought I hadn't considered which is moving Couturier up to the second line and putting Simmonds with him. I like this idea although I would put Read with him alongside Simmonds.
- ManCity

Couturier and Simmonds have chemistry....I think it was 2 years ago they were together for a bit and they looked good.

I wouldn't mess with the lines too much. I'd personally play:

Raffl-G-Voracek
(Possibly Mason Raymond)-Schenn-Simmonds
Hartnell-Coots-Read
Rinaldo-Vinny-Hall

You could swap Raymond and Raffl if needed. I just have a feeling Raffl fits better. If he can find the back of the net he could be our top line winger, he does everything else really well
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

I think it's a lot to ask for from Raffl. And it's really committing the cardinal sin. Putting a player in a position he's not suited for. Raffl is not likely ever to be a top line Winger in this League. He's probably more suited as a 3rd line checking Winger. I would vote for putting him in the right spot, and in the right role. You never know with players, and Raffl could exceed expectations. But I doubt it.

haha hey how neighborly of them.

but seriously. i realize im not exactly in the inner circle, but there really doesnt seem to be much of a plan.

like DB is just hanging out doing what? i mean i guess he is still technically employed? to see if the new GM wants him? if anything, he was just as at fault as shero was. probably more. i understand the whole change for the sake of change thing. but to just promptly fire your GM and then just say eh i guess thats it for now. the silence is deafening
- stayinthefnnet

Very bizarre. Besides the personnel questions, what is the defensive structure going to look like on the ice? It almost makes me wonder if they wanted a GM who got named by another team and are now in serious scramble mode. If they just hire the assistant GM, it is going to look very amateurish.

Very bizarre. Besides the personnel questions, what is the defensive structure going to look like on the ice? It almost makes me wonder if they wanted a GM who got named by another team and are now in serious scramble mode. If they just hire the assistant GM, it is going to look very amateurish.
- ravishingone

i'm okay with hiring the assistant GM if they truly think no one better is out there, provided DB goes.

if you bring in the assistant, and he keeps DB. seriously, what changed? at that rate, you might as well have just kept shero, who himself did a lot of good

i'm okay with hiring the assistant GM if they truly think no one better is out there, provided DB goes.

if you bring in the assistant, and he keeps DB. seriously, what changed? at that rate, you might as well have just kept shero, who himself did a lot of good
- stayinthefnnet

Do they ride with Flower another year?

Couturier and Simmonds have chemistry....I think it was 2 years ago they were together for a bit and they looked good.
- Just5

Either Simmonds or Voracek with Couts is something I definitely would like to see. I still think Read is a natural fit with him too.

The advanced stats according to the TSN article favor Couts over Schenn. I think it would be good for Couts to get some more offensive opportunities with an offensively skilled winger like Simmonds or Voracek.

I think it's a lot to ask for from Raffl. And it's really committing the cardinal sin. Putting a player in a position he's not suited for. Raffl is not likely ever to be a top line Winger in this League. He's probably more suited as a 3rd line checking Winger. I would vote for putting him in the right spot, and in the right role. You never know with players, and Raffl could exceed expectations. But I doubt it.
- MJL

It is interesting that once Berube took Raffl off the G line, he pretty much played center exclusively. Berube even moved B. Schenn to wing when Raffl was on the 2nd line. I'm not sure how the line combos shake out, but Berube also stated that Raffl could turn into a "big time scorer" in the league. Was he blowing smoke? Possibly, but he seemed to really like him at center.

40 year anniversary

Flyers west against the Rangers in the Cup Finals

Its great to be a Flyers fan, I wake up and thank my lucky stars each day
- Just5

Some just love to torture themselves

Some just love to torture themselves
- ob18

31 years and counting. Some might call me a spring chicken around these parts
Again, lucky stars

It is interesting that once Berube took Raffl off the G line, he pretty much played center exclusively. Berube even moved B. Schenn to wing when Raffl was on the 2nd line. I'm not sure how the line combos shake out, but Berube also stated that Raffl could turn into a "big time scorer" in the league. Was he blowing smoke? Possibly, but he seemed to really like him at center.
- ravishingone

I like Raffl, but I don't want to play him on the top line with Giroux. Claude is a very creative playmaker and at this point Raffl doesn't have enough finish to his game to play a top 6 role.

I think the player that makes the most sense to play with Giroux, and Voracek is Read. He's a proven 20 goal scorer, and he's adds a defensive presence to the top line.