Not sure where he is on "the chief", but I don't see him hanging on if the slide continues, this is an organization that hasn't won the cup, (lately), but prides itself in being competitive year in & year out.
I understand his patience virtue, but I don't think he intends to watch this team be a doormat in the process.
Holmgren made careless trades, (throwing assets around like potato chips), I don't see Hextall doing things in the same manner, but watching them get slapped every night? I don't see that as an option either.
- puckhead17

its just very hard to swim in two separate directions at the same time, especially when hexy was saddled with some lead in his pockets left there by the previous regime.

im not saying its all up to hexy though. i understand poor construction and lack of talent in certain spots, but at some point, certain players do need to play better than they have shown, starting with the two guys in orange i covet most. simmonds and read.

I wouldn't fire Berube without sending Umberger down and scratching VLC first

I'm dead serious -- no way I give the coach the prison-yard shank without moving guys off the roster and/or scratching them

Seriously. Think about it. That'd be the second coach they've quit on in a year

(frank) that, giving them another one without them paying a price
- AllInForFlyers

yes but the coach himself has to do that

its just very hard to swim in two separate directions at the same time, especially when hexy was saddled with some lead in his pockets left there by the previous regime.

im not saying its all up to hexy though. i understand poor construction and lack of talent in certain spots, but at some point, certain players do need to play better than they have shown, starting with the two guys in orange i covet most. simmonds and read.
- stayinthefnnet

Simmonds didn't really gel on any of the lines, (they had him with Vinny), then tried him on the LW, that didn't work, now he's playing with a very talented, but "raw" rookie center.
Read & Couts needed, & still need to be broken up for a bit. Here's the thing, 2 guys are providing all of the offense, but dealing with the other teams top D, while many others are struggling.
Pair Giroux with Simmonds & Read, & pair Voracek with Couts & Schenn.
You've then eliminated the opposition from stopping one line, & maybe Voracek, & G, can jump start other players somewhat.
Can't be any worse than what we've seen.

Simmonds didn't really gel on any of the lines, (they had him with Vinny), then tried him on the LW, that didn't work, now he's playing with a very talented, but "raw" rookie center.
Read & Couts needed, & still need to be broken up for a bit. Here's the thing, 2 guys are providing all of the offense, but dealing with the other teams top D, while many others are struggling.
Pair Giroux with Simmonds & Read, & pair Voracek with Couts & Schenn.
You've then eliminated the the opposition from stopping one line, & maybe Voracek, & G, can jump start other players somewhat.
Can't be any worse than what we've seen.
- puckhead17

yeah i agree. i love simmonds. i understand he really cannot create for himself. but, he is too talented to be a total no show outside of the powerplay. he really just needs to be able to every handful of games or so just find his way into the crease and bang one home, be it off his ass if he needs to. he has the ability to do that. i understand it is difficult when he cant really rely on any of his linemates to get it on net in the first place. but he needs to elevate his game right now.

that being said, i cant criticize him too harshly. id gladly start a package of pouliot + for him.

yeah i agree. i love simmonds. i understand he really cannot create for himself. but, he is too talented to be a total no show outside of the powerplay. he really just needs to be able to every handful of games or so just find his way into the crease and bang one home, be it off his ass if he needs to. he has the ability to do that. i understand it is difficult when he cant really rely on any of his linemates to get it on net in the first place. but he needs to elevate his game right now.

that being said, i cant criticize him too harshly. id gladly start a package of pouliot + for him.
- stayinthefnnet

I love you but we are not trading with the (frank)ing penguins so forget read and simmonds and the rest

you can have umby though he is a pensburgh native

I love you but we are not trading with the (frank)ing penguins so forget read and simmonds and the rest

you can have umby though he is a pensburgh native
- Marc D

haha i know. all of my hypotheticals are strictly that! makes for discussion while im stuck in on a (frank)ing friday night prepping for my Evidence final.

hey i wouldnt want to see pouliot come in and light it up for you guys from the back end either!

and umby is allllll yours my friend. even with the pens forward depth resembling a graveyard, he still would look out of place.

haha i know. all of my hypotheticals are strictly that! makes for discussion while im stuck in on a (frank)ing friday night prepping for my Evidence final.

hey i wouldnt want to see pouliot come in and light it up for you guys from the back end either!

and umby is allllll yours my friend. even with the pens forward depth resembling a graveyard, he still would look out of place.
- stayinthefnnet

good luck on your finals

are you at temple?

I am not a crazy akeson backer

But with the way coots and read are playing, there is no excuse not to try akeson with them for a couple games again. It is inexcusable on berubes part. You desperately need to score goals and this line was your best line last spring in the playoffs.

It's just crazy to me.

I am not a crazy akeson backer

But with the way coots and read are playing, there is no excuse not to try akeson with them for a couple games again. It is inexcusable on berubes part. You desperately need to score goals and this line was your best line lady spring in the playoffs.

It's just crazy to me.
- Just5

that ship has sailed

or maybe it hasn't

can he be called up without passing through waivers again?

Vanek only has two goals.

Maybe Umby for Vanek straight up!

(I know -- the salaries don't match)

that ship has sailed

or maybe it hasn't

can he be called up without passing through waivers again?
- Marc D

Yeah. No recall waivers anymore.

good luck on your finals

are you at temple?
- Marc D

thanks, and yeah.

only 1.5 years left. light at the end of the tunnel for sure.

then that whole minor detail of passing the bar

thanks, and yeah.

only 1.5 years left. light at the end of the tunnel for sure.

then that whole minor detail of passing the bar
- stayinthefnnet

I am a temple grad as well
and my brother too

I am not a crazy akeson backer

But with the way coots and read are playing, there is no excuse not to try akeson with them for a couple games again. It is inexcusable on berubes part. You desperately need to score goals and this line was your best line last spring in the playoffs.

It's just crazy to me.
- Just5

yeah. i think that would have been smart. he can bring playmaking and puck skills, and the other 2 can probably compensate for his less than stellar two way play.

either way, i think it would have been worth a shot.

Yeah. No recall waivers anymore.
- Jsaquella

Laughton/Raffl/Akeson can be the 2nd PP unit

maybe Read and MDZ on the point

can't do any worse then the current group

Yeah. No recall waivers anymore.
- Jsaquella

Yeah, they've got 30-days where they can even send him down again w/o having to send him thru waivers. But let's be honest... Chief ain't gonna play him, so might as well bring up Gordon, or somebody else, instead.

I am a temple grad as well
and my brother too
- Marc D

very nice! i dont know if its just grad school envy or whatever, but from what ive seen of the undergrads i really wish i would have went there for my bachelors. some of their buildings are very impressive, and the kids seem to have an absolutely amazing time. coming from my college, walking around that campus feels similarly to how colleges seem to be portrayed in movies.

Laughton/Raffl/Akeson can be the 2nd PP unit

maybe Read and MDZ on the point

can't do any worse then the current group
- Marc D

i know coots is highly regarded as an untouchable, and by no means do i think he should be moved as part of the problem, but with how good i think laughton will end up being, it makes me wonder if you guys wouldnt be better off including couturier in a package for that young defender.

i know coots is highly regarded as an untouchable, and by no means do i think he should be moved as part of the problem, but with how good i think laughton will end up being, it makes me wonder if you guys wouldnt be better off including couturier in a package for that young defender.
- stayinthefnnet

no trading coots it would be a mistake

they aren't getting oel or piet or subban for him so a 2nd tier guy is not worth it really

very nice! i dont know if its just grad school envy or whatever, but from what ive seen of the undergrads i really wish i would have went there for my bachelors. some of their buildings are very impressive, and the kids seem to have an absolutely amazing time. coming from my college, walking around that campus feels similarly to how colleges seem to be portrayed in movies.
- stayinthefnnet

really?

I though N Philly was pretty rough and tumble

but it was a generation ago I was there so maybe it's better now

really?

I though N Philly was pretty rough and tumble

but it was a generation ago I was there so maybe it's better now
- Marc D

i mean yeah. North Philly pretty much is what it is. i dont exactly go exploring the back alleys of diamond street haha

but the kids there seem to be doing just fine and having a lot of fun in the process.

Yeah, they've got 30-days where they can even send him down again w/o having to send him thru waivers. But let's be honest... Chief ain't gonna play him, so might as well bring up Gordon, or somebody else, instead.
- Tomahawk

Gordon & Blair Jones looked good tonight. So did Cousins and Straka-at least until near the end of the game when Cousins got himself a ten minute misconduct for taking a shot a good seconds after the play was blown off sides.

Oliver Lauridsen looked atrocious. Consistently was letting guys get behind him.

Gordon & Blair Jones looked good tonight. So did Cousins and Straka-at least until near the end of the game when Cousins got himself a ten minute misconduct for taking a shot a good seconds after the play was blown off sides.

Oliver Lauridsen looked atrocious. Consistently was letting guys get behind him.
- Jsaquella

probably pining for the fiords

no trading coots it would be a mistake

they aren't getting oel or piet or subban for him so a 2nd tier guy is not worth it really
- Marc D

i dont think holding onto him is necessarily a wrong decision. i just dont think this team can really go anywhere without that one guy back there. no, it might not be one of the three you mentioned. but if he is the roadblock between getting a guy like josi, or faulk, or a TJ brodie (provided he keeps it up and demonstrates that he isnt a flash in the pan), then i would really have to consider it. realistically its at least plausible to acquire someone like that and hope you get them a year or two before they take that next big leap, because once they do, like you said, its not realistic to think they can be acquired.

certainly he shouldnt go out in order to just bring in more veteran bandaids, via a phaenuf or big buff type.

really?

I though N Philly was pretty rough and tumble

but it was a generation ago I was there so maybe it's better now
- Marc D

I went for undergrad. I loved it. People there are very low key and easy to get along with.