I would guess VLC and Ronald MacDonald.
- PLindbergh31

I don't think AMac is hurting their chances to win right now more than about 10 other players are.

Couturier gets Rinaldo and a slumping Read as wingers and will be buried in DZone starts against the West's top lines. That should help get him going offensively on this road trip.
- Feanor

Rinaldo is on the third line now??

Couturier gets Rinaldo and a slumping Read as wingers and will be buried in DZone starts against the West's top lines. That should help get him going offensively on this road trip.
- Feanor

Well, when your options are to give the d zone starts to VLC, Laughton, or the top line against the Getzlaf/Perry line, who are you picking?

Agreed, to me it is a much bigger problem that Couturier, Read and Simmonds are black holes right now.
It's a much bigger issue that Vl and Umby are useless.
It's a much bigger issue that the D has glaring holes.
It's a much bigger issue that this is team has 1 player that plays a phsyical game though Simmonds and B. Schenn can play that way.
- opeth_pa

I understand why that is, but really looking at this team as it is right now. Rinaldo, Umberger, and Lecavalier are not the biggest problems with this team, right now. But they receive the majority of the attention.

Which 2 players have those 11 years/$52.5M given to them by Holmgren that are hurting the team's chances to win right now?
- jmatchett383

MacDonald and VLC probably

But Snider doesn't think the Flyers have a cap problem
- TheGreat28

when you have money and mansions cap problems are nothing

I don't think AMac is hurting their chances to win right now more than about 10 other players are.
- jmatchett383

Point is that he was given money to play like a top 4 d-man and Schultz and MDZ (both castaways from previous teams) have been much better.. Thats pretty bad.

Couturier gets Rinaldo and a slumping Read as wingers and will be buried in DZone starts against the West's top lines. That should help get him going offensively on this road trip.
- Feanor

I agree. The Flyers should play their other defensively reliable lines in D zone starts against the West's top lines.

The back-end of that article about AMac admitting he's having trouble living up to his new contract... chilling.
- Tomahawk

Yea it sure is here's his quote

"you have to try and be the player they signed you to be"

Agreed, to me it is a much bigger problem that Couturier, Read and Simmonds are black holes right now.
It's a much bigger issue that Vl and Umby are useless.
It's a much bigger issue that the D has glaring holes.
It's a much bigger issue that this is team has 1 player that plays a phsyical game though Simmonds and B. Schenn can play that way.
- opeth_pa

The reason that Rinaldo, Vinny & Umberger get mentioned more is because they should be easy to fix from a coaching stand point.

The other issues, right now, probably require the coach to break up the pairs of Gitoux & Voracek and Read & Couturier, which he hasn't done & seems unwilling to do

Well, when your options are to give the d zone starts to VLC, Laughton, or the top line against the Getzlaf/Perry line, who are you picking?
- jmatchett383

I'd spread the load. Give some to Giroux and some to Laughton, who has been a PK guy his whole life.

Point is that he was given money to play like a top 4 d-man and Schultz and MDZ (both castaways from previous teams) have been much better.. Thats pretty bad.
- jak521

That's fine, but it seems luke beating the same old "Homer never made a good move" drum. Yes, they may be bad deals in hindsight. But they're done, and we just have to hope our GM or the coach or players can fix it. True or not, it's not exactly new or Earth shattering news.

Rinaldo is on the third line now??
- PLindbergh31

Cancel the parade.

I understand why that is, but really looking at this team as it is right now. Rinaldo, Umberger, and Lecavalier are not the biggest problems with this team, right now. But they receive the majority of the attention.
- MJL

We traded a very productive 1st wing forward for Umberger because he brought more to the table. He has, what, 3 points? VLC was signed to help offset offensive burdens placed on top guys. He has exacerbated that. But you are right, they are not the biggest problems. They are huge parts of the big problem.

Yea it sure is here's his quote

"you have to try and be the player they signed you to be"


- Just5

I'd feel much better about it if he said he thought he was playing above expectations.

I understand why that is, but really looking at this team as it is right now. Rinaldo, Umberger, and Lecavalier are not the biggest problems with this team, right now. But they receive the majority of the attention.
- MJL

Umberger and vinny are absolutely the biggest problems on this team. 2 guys you expect producing in the top 9 that don't look like NHL players anymore

I agree. The Flyers should play their other defensively reliable lines in D zone starts against the West's top lines.
- MJL

They shouldn't put an offensive black hole on his wing, when the owner just named and shamed Couturier for lack of offensive production.

Rinaldo is a 4th line player at best.

That's fine, but it seems luke beating the same old "Homer never made a good move" drum. Yes, they may be bad deals in hindsight. But they're done, and we just have to hope our GM or the coach or players can fix it. True or not, it's not exactly new or Earth shattering news.
- jmatchett383

The problem is that Homer really has strapped us. We already used both of his do-overs on Bryz and Briere. Now we have 3 others we need to untie (two of his doing, one of Hexy's). We have a ton of money tied up in players who are not even remotely deserving of that pay.

We signed MacDonald after like 10 games. People were pissed then, and rightfully so now.

I'd spread the load. Give some to Giroux and some to Laughton, who has been a PK guy his whole life.
- Jsaquella

They should have been looking for better two way players to put throughout the middle 6 in the lineup. Should have dumped Hartnell for nothing and picked up a top 9 LW.

This teams made some questionable decisions when it comes to developing Schenn and Couturier. They've put them both in difficult positions whether it be linemates, usage or constantly changing positions.

Umberger and vinny are absolutely the biggest problems on this team. 2 guys you expect producing in the top 9 that don't look like NHL players anymore
- Just5

The overall problem is the lack of production past the top line/top PP. They're the 2 biggest culprits, but the Flyers could still be much better if some of Simmonds/Read/Couturier could pick up some of the slack.

The problem is that Homer really has strapped us. We already used both of his do-overs on Bryz and Briere. Now we have 3 others we need to untie (two of his doing, one of Hexy's). We have a ton of money tied up in players who are not even remotely deserving of that pay.

We signed MacDonald after like 10 games. People were pissed then, and rightfully so now.
- jak521

Again, this is news?

They shouldn't put an offensive black hole on his wing, when the owner just named and shamed Couturier for lack of offensive production.

Rinaldo is a 4th line player at best.
- Feanor

Rinaldo H2H against Corey Perry, Patrick Marleau and Jeff Carter... let that one sink in for a bit.

True, but that's the exception at this point, not the rule. Umberger should have been benched/scratched long ago.
- Flyskippy

Hello sir.

Again, this is news?
- jmatchett383

No, but do you really expect to not hear people gripe about it when in the past week we have seen three of his "big moves" scratched from the lineup?
Schenn, VLC, MacDonald.

One we traded a top line forward for.
One we paid like a top 6 forward.
One we signed longterm as a top 4 d-man.

People are gonna gripe.

The reason that Rinaldo, Vinny & Umberger get mentioned more is because they should be easy to fix from a coaching stand point.

The other issues, right now, probably require the coach to break up the pairs of Gitoux & Voracek and Read & Couturier, which he hasn't done & seems unwilling to do
- Jsaquella

Their other issues can really only be solved by cloning a new Mark Howe and Eric Desjardins.

Sadly, the above is much more likely than finding someone willing to trade for VLC or the Corpse.