Actually, Nolan Baumgartner was the other pick, not Belak.

The Flyers probably make the playoffs sooner without the trade. Huffman was coming off a very solid season, and Ricci would have been a great 3rd C behind Brind'Amour and Forsberg.

Also, I think that the Flyers would have picked differently than Thibault. Russ Farwell was a big WHL guy, and Adam Deadmarsh and Brendan Witt were on the board when Thibault was picked.

Baumgartner was a WHL guy and a good prospect at the time, so it's reasonable to expect he would have been Farwell's choice.
- Jsaquella

so many what ifs come out of that.
I think it's best to just be happy we got to watch lindros dominate while he did On a nightly basis and he didn't play for the rags.

So....Flyers gonna get Matt O'Connor to be our goalie of the future?
- jmatchett383

I think Matt O'Connor is going to be headed to Europe. Whatever stock he had dropped like it was October 1929.

He went chalk in the east and upset city in the west Except he had the blues in the west conference final.
his choices are by noears unrealistic.
- nails

While I'd love to see it, I think Calgary getting to the finals is at least kind of unrealistic.

Other than giving up Forsberg, the deal was a steal for the Flyers.
- BiggE

I'm not sure you'd find any Nords/Avs fans would not repeat that trade again, even if 88 became the paragon of good health and was in the HOF now:

While I'd love to see it, I think Calgary getting to the finals is at least kind of unrealistic.
- BiggE

Well, what you don't know is he picked the Jets over the ducks. If that happens, flames can make the conference finals.
One upset in the bottom half of the west bracket can really mess with people's picks.
and could the ducks have an easier road to their conference finals?

Well, what you don't know is he picked the Jets over the ducks. If that happens, flames can make the conference finals.
One upset in the bottom half of the west bracket can really mess with people's picks.
and could the ducks have an easier road to their conference finals?
- nails

Heck, it's the playoffs. We all know anything can happen!

Al Morganti made a good point. You'd have to have a brass pair in order to keep berube. Hextall certainly does have a brass pair

You can say what you want about the goalie issues with berube this year. Mason seems to be fine with berube at least publicly.

Berube got this team to play a more structured style. One that was mostly responsible in its own end. Many other teams have problems getting their lineup to buy into that (leafs).

Nothing would surprise me. Maybe it will come down to exit interviews with the players regarding Berubes fate. If that's the case, I'd bet on him returning because he never lost that room

I'm not sure you'd find any Nords/Avs fans would not repeat that trade again, even if 88 became the paragon of good health and was in the HOF now:


- Tomahawk

So what you are getting at is lindros for stastny?

Yeah, they probably make the playoffs sooner, I'd agree with that. My point was just that, other than Forsberg, they didn't give up any assets that were remotely irreplaceable to acquire a franchise center.
- BiggE

Yeah, but they gave up some very solid depth pieces and other assets, including a guy who was comparable in terms of ability, for one dude.

Part of the reason they fell short in 1997 was a lack of depth. Trades like the Lindros one cause that.

so many what ifs come out of that.
I think it's best to just be happy we got to watch lindros dominate while he did On a nightly basis and he didn't play for the rags.
- nails

If he went to the Rangers, Isles fans might still be able to chant 1940. A lot of the assets the Rangers offered were key pieces of or traded to build the 1994 Cup winner

Is chief a less experienced Ted nolan?

I think that the buy out eliminates the recapture penalties.

No. I wouldn't consider bringing Richards back. He got embarrassed, sent to the AHL. Came back and not only played poorly, seemed to lack intensity. If the best he can do is skate circles after being publicly shamed, well, there's no spot for him here.

Maybe the conditioning issues played a role, or maybe the wear and tear of being a little guy playing a big guy's game have taken their toll. Either way, he was a highly ineffective player for LA after rejoining the team, and the Flyers have plenty of young centers.
- Jsaquella

I remember when some people were saying that contract was a steal for the Flyers. That Carter and Richards shouldn't have signed those long term deals because they would be severely underpaid after a few years due to the cap increasing.

Flyers were one of the leaders in lifetime contracts under Holmgren including the Ilya Bryzgalov 9 year contract disaster.

If he went to the Rangers, Isles fans might still be able to chant 1940. A lot of the assets the Rangers offered were key pieces of or traded to build the 1994 Cup winner
- Jsaquella

Yup.
but who the hell knows what the Rangers would have done after.
I wold love to see more flow charts of the blockbuster trades.
I have to think that the team acquiring more assets makes out better Overall

Yeah, but they gave up some very solid depth pieces and other assets, including a guy who was comparable in terms of ability, for one dude.

Part of the reason they fell short in 1997 was a lack of depth. Trades like the Lindros one cause that.
- Jsaquella

There's some truth to that for sure. However, I think goaltending really killed them in 97 as much as anything. In both games 1 and 2 in the finals there were a couple of horrible, soft goals allowed that were just momentum crushers. And, at that point, being down 2-0 and going back to Detroit, it was over.

Yup.
but who the hell knows what the Rangers would have done after.
I wold love to see more flow charts of the blockbuster trades.
I have to think that the team acquiring more assets makes out better Overall
- nails

Quebec/Colorado certainly did.

The flow charts are incredible, when you see a trade made 20 years ago still yielding fruit.

So what you are getting at is lindros for stastny?
- nails

In a nutshell.

There's some truth to that for sure. However, I think goaltending really killed them in 97 as much as anything. In both games 1 and 2 in the finals there were a couple of horrible, soft goals allowed that were just momentum crushers. And, at that point, being down 2-0 and going back to Detroit, it was over.
- BiggE

It did, but at the same time, if they're in the playoffs earlier, Farwell doesn't get poopcanned, and has other assets to trade for a goalie.

I remember when some people were saying that contract was a steal for the Flyers. That Carter and Richards shouldn't have signed those long term deals because they would be severely underpaid after a few years due to the cap increasing.

Flyers were one of the leaders in lifetime contracts under Holmgren including the Ilya Bryzgalov 9 year contract disaster.
- Flyers_01

Richards an albatross. Carter market value still 6 years later

I'm not sure you'd find any Nords/Avs fans would not repeat that trade again, even if 88 became the paragon of good health and was in the HOF now:


- Tomahawk

I've seen this graphic before, and it loses me every time.

Doesn't help that I don't know who 75% of those players are.

I see Osi Vaananen though. That alone tips the scales to the Nords/Avs favor.

Is chief a less experienced Ted nolan?
- nails

He's a really poor fascimile of Claude Julien, especially the constant obsession with team fitness.

It did, but at the same time, if they're in the playoffs earlier, Farwell doesn't get poopcanned, and has other assets to trade for a goalie.
- Jsaquella

Honestly, Farwell has no one to blame but himself. The Flyers were playing hard and starting to come together down the stretch under Bill Dineen in 92-93. Firing Dineen and replacing him with Terry Simpson was a horrible move and that, as much as anything, cost Farwell his job.

So... who's everybody rooting for in the east and west in the playoffs?

He's a really poor fascimile of Claude Julien, especially the constant obsession with team fitness.
- Tomahawk

As I've said before, Berube is, IMO, a perfectly fine, average NHL coach.

I want better than average!

Potential Leafs GM candidates.

http://www.cbc.ca/m/sport...ager-candidates-1.3029944

Look at number two

So... who's everybody rooting for in the east and west in the playoffs?
- benjichronic

Chicago.

Everyone else can (frank) themselves.