Flyers took the eventual Eastern Conference Champs to 7 without Mason to start the series.

I think one more year of a similar roster does not automatically spell disaster for us.

I like MacDonald, but the same 6 didn't get it done last year. Need more offensive output especially if Kimmo's numbers are down.

It would be nice to have that shot from the point that can hit the net on the PP. Maybe Streit can do it if he gets the chance ( which he should have last tear)
I am just saying if this team is going to improve 10 and 14 MUST produce more offense and the team also must have better numbers from the Defense.
- 3flyerkids

The best way to get Couturier to produce more is to give him more opportunities. The guy is facing top lines night in and night out, gets a load of D-Zone starts, is demanded to think defense first, second and third and he managed to score 39 points, which is just two fewer than the heavily sheltered Schenn.

The Flyers need to get Schenn in a position and leave him there. Too much jerking him around. He's either a wing or a center. Get him some more dynamic wingers, who can help him create, rather than a banger in Simmonds and an Albatross in Vinny.

Flyers took the eventual Eastern Conference Champs to 7 without Mason to start the series.

I think one more year of a similar roster does not automatically spell disaster for us.
- hereticpride

Nah, there is no way playing better will make them a better team.
- aflyerpower8

The only way is to add more players, and Holmgren screwed that up!

Flyers took the eventual Eastern Conference Champs to 7 without Mason to start the series.

I think one more year of a similar roster does not automatically spell disaster for us.
- hereticpride

I look back at that Ranger team from last year and am singularly unimpressed by them, on paper. In my idiot opinion, they simply played harder than everyone else in a weak conference.

I don't think the Flyers have lost appreciable ground against anyone in the east.

Do the Flyers have a good shot at winning the Cup next year? No, I don't think so.

But then again, at the start of last season I didnt think they were going to make the playoffs and several teams in the east ended up much worse than I expected.

This is why I'm not in the predictions business.

I look back at that Ranger team from last year and am singularly unimpressed by them, on paper. In my idiot opinion, they simply played harder than everyone else in a weak conference.

I don't think the Flyers have lost appreciable ground against anyone in the east.

Do the Flyers have a good shot at winning the Cup next year? No, I don't think so.

But then again, at the start of last season I didnt think they were going to make the playoffs and several teams in the east ended up much worse than I expected.

This is why I'm not in the predictions business.
- Doc_Sarcasm

The Flyers haven't lost ground, but other teams should be better.

New Jersey will benefit from not having Brodeur. He was really mediocre last season and they consistently ran him out there while they have a better option in Schneider.

The Isles will have a healthy Tavares, added some solid veterans for depth and made their goaltending very solid by adding Halak.

Columbus only made one significant move, but their younger guys will have more experience and Johansen is going to be a beast.

Pittsburgh raised eyebrows with the Neal trade, but they'll still be a good team in the regular season.

That's not to say the Flyers won't be in the fight for the playoffs, but they're going to have to battle for it.

The Flyers haven't lost ground, but other teams should be better.

New Jersey will benefit from not having Brodeur. He was really mediocre last season and they consistently ran him out there while they have a better option in Schneider.

The Isles will have a healthy Tavares, added some solid veterans for depth and made their goaltending very solid by adding Halak.

Columbus only made one significant move, but their younger guys will have more experience and Johansen is going to be a beast.

Pittsburgh raised eyebrows with the Neal trade, but they'll still be a good team in the regular season.

That's not to say the Flyers won't be in the fight for the playoffs, but they're going to have to battle for it.
- Jsaquella

Not only haven't the Flyers lost ground, but they are also potentially in that group that should be better.

The best way to get Couturier to produce more is to give him more opportunities. The guy is facing top lines night in and night out, gets a load of D-Zone starts, is demanded to think defense first, second and third and he managed to score 39 points, which is just two fewer than the heavily sheltered Schenn.

The Flyers need to get Schenn in a position and leave him there. Too much jerking him around. He's either a wing or a center. Get him some more dynamic wingers, who can help him create, rather than a banger in Simmonds and an Albatross in Vinny.
- Jsaquella

Maybe B Schenn gets a solid chance to play wing with the first line ( if they can't deal VL). I think Vinny could be solid on the 3rd line. Move Couturier to that 2nd line and see if he can indeed be our next Mike Richards ( playing in key D situations and putting up some points)
B Schenn will have more than enough chances to produce on the first line IF he can adapt to wing

Maybe B Schenn gets a solid chance to play wing with the first line ( if they can't deal VL). I think Vinny could be solid on the 3rd line. Move Couturier to that 2nd line and see if he can indeed be our next Mike Richards ( playing in key D situations and putting up some points)
B Schenn will have more than enough chances to produce on the first line IF he can adapt to wing
- 3flyerkids

That's what I'd like to see happen. Use Vinny on a third or fourth line with guys like Raffl, Akeson or Bellemare who are decent skaters and have shown they can be good two way guys (at least in the cases of Raffl & Bellemare)

I'd like to see a "second" line of Couturier, Read and Voracek

Best and Worst UFA signings for every year since 2005:
http://grantland.com/the-...cy-a-decade-of-decisions/
- Tomahawk

Interesting

That's what I'd like to see happen. Use Vinny on a third or fourth line with guys like Raffl, Akeson or Bellemare who are decent skaters and have shown they can be good two way guys (at least in the cases of Raffl & Bellemare)

I'd like to see a "second" line of Couturier, Read and Voracek
- Jsaquella

It Lecavalier is on the team, playing him with players of that caliber is a waste. He needs to be paired with quality offensive players to best take advantage of his skill set. He's not a checking line center. He is a scoring line center. Use him as a scoring line center or trade him.

For those hoping for E. Kane:

http://sports.yahoo.com/b...soc_src=mediacontentstory

Disregarding the exchange of draft picks, as the net result of those moves is that all the draft picks that are traded, essentially are returned in another, similar, form, the most disconcerting part of Cheveldayoff’s tenure as GM of the Winnipeg Jets is that he has not made one NHL player for NHL player trade.

That seems quite astounding does it not? Repeating: In more than three years on the job, the GM has yet to trade an NHL player for an NHL player in return.

Not surprisingly, no other NHL teams can claim that title.

It Lecavalier is on the team, playing him with players of that caliber is a waste. He needs to be paired with quality offensive players to best take advantage of his skill set. He's not a checking line center. He is a scoring line center. Use him as a scoring line center or trade him.
- MJL

OK, Terrific.

It Lecavalier is on the team, playing him with players of that caliber is a waste. He needs to be paired with quality offensive players to best take advantage of his skill set. He's not a checking line center. He is a scoring line center. Use him as a scoring line center or trade him.
- MJL

That doesn't appear to be an option

For those hoping for E. Kane:

http://sports.yahoo.com/b...soc_src=mediacontentstory

Disregarding the exchange of draft picks, as the net result of those moves is that all the draft picks that are traded, essentially are returned in another, similar, form, the most disconcerting part of Cheveldayoff’s tenure as GM of the Winnipeg Jets is that he has not made one NHL player for NHL player trade.

That seems quite astounding does it not? Repeating: In more than three years on the job, the GM has yet to trade an NHL player for an NHL player in return.

Not surprisingly, no other NHL teams can claim that title.
- PhillySportsGuy

It's amazing that he has a job. It's not as if they're a finely tuned machine that is coasting along winning titles and kicking ass.

They've still got 11 Thrashers.

It's amazing that he has a job. It's not as if they're a finely tuned machine that is coasting along winning titles and kicking ass.

They've still got 11 Thrashers.

- Jsaquella

I know. I don't see how keeping E Kane helps that franchise. He's clearly not happy and does not want to be there. He could bring back a nice package of talent from some team.

They need to hire Homer. He'd turnover the roster faster than you can say blueberry pie

That doesn't appear to be an option
- PhillySportsGuy

It's not. I'm open to trying Lecavalier as a scoring line center, but with who? He didn't play well with Schenn & Simmonds last season, so that means you either have to break up Giroux & Voracek or Read & Couturier, or hope that Lecavalier can magically find chemistry with the guys he struggled so badly with last season.

*insert obligatory "he was hurt" comment.

That doesn't appear to be an option
- PhillySportsGuy

Yet. And if not this year, then maybe if he has a bounce back year, with how his contract is structured, he'll be a good trade chip at a later time. I agree with all the comments about putting B Schenn in the best spot, and with giving Couturier better situations and linemates to play with. And this is where the issue is. How do they set the lineup so that every player is in the right spot? Very hard to do. But I do know that Lecavalier is not a checking line center. And playing him with checking line wingers isn't going to max out his abilities.

I know. I don't see how keeping E Kane helps that franchise. He's clearly not happy and does not want to be there. He could bring back a nice package of talent from some team.

They need to hire Homer. He'd turnover the roster faster than you can say blueberry pie
- PhillySportsGuy

As Mooney wrote in that blog, Cheveldayoff needs to do what Benning did in Vancouver. The guy doesn't want to be there, make the best possible deal and move on. You let that stuff fester and it's just going to breed discontent.

It's not. I'm open to trying Lecavalier as a scoring line center, but with who? He didn't play well with Schenn & Simmonds last season, so that means you either have to break up Giroux & Voracek or Read & Couturier, or hope that Lecavalier can magically find chemistry with the guys he struggled so badly with last season.

*insert obligatory "he was hurt" comment.
- Jsaquella

I would try him on G's right wing. If that doesn't work, he's going to the 4th line and being used as a PP specialist.

I would be open to eating significant money (up to $1M per year) in order to move him. I want bringing him back to be the last resort. He just does not fit with this team or system. I don't want him hurting the development of our young centers.

It's not. I'm open to trying Lecavalier as a scoring line center, but with who? He didn't play well with Schenn & Simmonds last season, so that means you either have to break up Giroux & Voracek or Read & Couturier, or hope that Lecavalier can magically find chemistry with the guys he struggled so badly with last season.

*insert obligatory "he was hurt" comment.
- Jsaquella

You make the last statement as if the injury had zero to do with his season, and it should just be disregarded! It was a huge factor, as was the position change. And any commentary on how Lecavalier played last season that omits those factors is incompetent and incomplete. Not many players would find chemistry with anybody in that situation.

As Mooney wrote in that blog, Cheveldayoff needs to do what Benning did in Vancouver. The guy doesn't want to be there, make the best possible deal and move on. You let that stuff fester and it's just going to breed discontent.
- Jsaquella

Exactly. At this point, they're going to likely lose the trade in terms of tangible value. They just desperately need some roster turnover.

The longer he holds Kane, the less valuable he gets.

I would try him on G's right wing. If that doesn't work, he's going to the 4th line and being used as a PP specialist.

I would be open to eating significant money (up to $1M per year) in order to move him. I want bringing him back to be the last resort. He just does not fit with this team or system. I don't want him hurting the development of our young centers.
- PhillySportsGuy

If Lecavalier is still here, my centers would be Giroux, Lecavalier, Couturier, and whoever is going to center the 4th line.

If Lecavalier is still here, my centers would be Giroux, Lecavalier, Couturier, and whoever is going to center the 4th line.
- MJL

Who would his wingers be? Raffl and Read? Or Umberger?

Exactly. At this point, they're going to likely lose the trade in terms of tangible value. They just desperately need some roster turnover.

The longer he holds Kane, the less valuable he gets.
- PhillySportsGuy

And what if he holds onto Kane and he explodes offensively this upcoming season?