So I guess everyone is buying the excuse that the only reason Umberger has sucked for 3 straight NHL seasons is that he's had lingering injury issues he only reveals after he sucks for an entire season?

(Full Disclousure: I do find this to be the only poor move Hextall has made as GM and it is one of my major pet peeves)
- CarusiCromwell

Umberger has hands like rocks, but his preseason skating has improved so he may be fit for a 4th line role.

I think the biggest difference in Hackstol and Berube is that Hack doesn't appear to be stubborn. He will play the best players and won't hesitate to make a move if it's obvious a move needs to be made. Umberger gets a crack in the top 9, but I doubt he lasts 20 games if he doesn't prove he belongs there.

So I guess everyone is buying the excuse that the only reason Umberger has sucked for 3 straight NHL seasons is that he's had lingering injury issues he only reveals after he sucks for an entire season?

(Full Disclousure: I do find this to be the only poor move Hextall has made as GM and it is one of my major pet peeves)
- CarusiCromwell

we're all very confident he will drive even strength scoring, actually.

What in God's name is Umberger doing on the powerplay?????????
- CarusiCromwell

Standing in front of the net and being annoying.

we're all very confident he will drive even strength scoring, actually.
- BulliesPhan87

So I guess everyone is buying the excuse that the only reason Umberger has sucked for 3 straight NHL seasons is that he's had lingering injury issues he only reveals after he sucks for an entire season?

(Full Disclousure: I do find this to be the only poor move Hextall has made as GM and it is one of my major pet peeves)
- CarusiCromwell

I am holding judgement on the trade until the end of this year. Hartnell may end up getting less ice time with Saad arrival, if he still ends up producing like he did last year playing on the 3rd line then....

So I guess everyone is buying the excuse that the only reason Umberger has sucked for 3 straight NHL seasons is that he's had lingering injury issues he only reveals after he sucks for an entire season?

(Full Disclousure: I do find this to be the only poor move Hextall has made as GM and it is one of my major pet peeves)
- CarusiCromwell

How did he suck 2 years ago, or the year before that? He may not ever justify his cap hit, but I don't think he's "sucked for 3 straight NHL seasons."

Vinny will be gone, Streit gone, L.Schenn most likely gone, Gagner most likely gone so there's almost 17 mil freed up
- Streit2ThePoint

Vinny has 3 years left.

So I guess everyone is buying the excuse that the only reason Umberger has sucked for 3 straight NHL seasons is that he's had lingering injury issues he only reveals after he sucks for an entire season?

(Full Disclousure: I do find this to be the only poor move Hextall has made as GM and it is one of my major pet peeves)
- CarusiCromwell

I do get what you are saying with him using injuries as an excuse for the past couple of seasons. I think the leash is short now, and as Bill has mentioned in previous blog posts, Umberger will find himself on LTIR if his performance is hindered due to injury. Luckily the Flyers finally have some guys worth giving a shot in his place.

When you have low expectations you don't get upset.

24 Matt Read - 21 Scott Laughton - 20 R.J. Umberger


Man thats a rough line... really not feeling it

24 Matt Read - 21 Scott Laughton - 20 R.J. Umberger


Man thats a rough line... really not feeling it
- locogrande

Well at least its an upgrade from:
Umberger-Vinny-Gagner

24 Matt Read - 21 Scott Laughton - 20 R.J. Umberger


Man thats a rough line... really not feeling it
- locogrande

That 20's line

I am holding judgement on the trade until the end of this year. Hartnell may end up getting less ice time with Saad arrival, if he still ends up producing like he did last year playing on the 3rd line then....
- Glak18

The only thing I really dislike about the trade is that it didnt seem like it had to happen when it did. Was Hartnell just a scapegoat for Berube when it came to everyone focusing on conditioning? I think Hextall knows they haven't seen what they expected out of Umberger though.

This offseason (and possibly this TDL) is where the trade will actually begin to make sense. Umbergers contract will be much easier to get out of if needed, and the 9 million over 2 years saved from the trade starts going to guys who deserve raises

24 Matt Read - 21 Scott Laughton - 20 R.J. Umberger


Man thats a rough line... really not feeling it
- locogrande

If that was the Flyers 4th line then they would look like other teams. The 2nd line scares me more, adding up past stats and dreaming of potential sounds great, but knowing how they all play is freighting.

Vinny will be gone, Streit gone, L.Schenn most likely gone, Gagner most likely gone so there's almost 17 mil freed up
- Streit2ThePoint

L.Schenn and Gagner's money has already been used to extend Couturier and Voracek but it doesn't really matter anyway. The salary cap isn't holding the flyers back. The Flyers problem is a lack of talent. The players they need, multiple top 3 defensemen/top notch scorer, are almost never available in free agency. Occasionally they could be had in trade but the vast majority are only available thru the draft. And drafted players are cheap players.

So the salary cap hell the Flyers are in over the next couple of seasons isn't preventing them from winning the cup. If anything it is preventing them from signing more crappy contracts and making them turn their attention to the only thing that matters: the draft.

The only thing I really dislike about the trade is that it didnt seem like it had to happen when it did. Was Hartnell just a scapegoat for Berube when it came to everyone focusing on conditioning? I think Hextall knows they haven't seen what they expected out of Umberger though.

This offseason (and possibly this TDL) is where the trade will actually begin to make sense. Umbergers contract will be much easier to get out of if needed, and the 9 million over 2 years saved from the trade starts going to guys who deserve raises
- YuenglingJagr

I'm sure there are way more factors to the Hartnell trade then just 2 less years, but i'm also sure when the trade was made they didn't expect so many other players to fall so much from expectations.

Scott Gomez finds some way to be in the NHL, again. Dude needs to realize it's over.

He scored 18 goals in 13-14, 8 on the pp. If he's healthy and can even come close to that, I'd be fine with it.
- BiggE

Yeah, I'd be pleased with that level of sucking.

I'm sure there are way more factors to the Hartnell trade then just 2 less years, but i'm also sure when the trade was made they didn't expect so many other players to fall so much from expectations.
- Glak18

Also, I don't think the Flyers expected Umberger to be as bad as he was. They likely saw a drop in production, but not to the extent that happened. Also, Umberger had been known to be a good 2-way player who could work the corners, and that was gone as well. I'm not excusing the trade, but the Flyers also weren't getting what was advertised.

Scott Gomez finds some way to be in the NHL, again. Dude needs to realize it's over.
- jmatchett383

You must be using Internet Explorer and looking at a site that hasn't been refreshed since 2011. That's the only thing that makes sense.

I'm sure there are way more factors to the Hartnell trade then just 2 less years, but i'm also sure when the trade was made they didn't expect so many other players to fall so much from expectations.
- Glak18

There are more factors...The flyers have said that it was his ability to play 3 positions and his skating that they liked. Clearly they were wrong up to this point, but at the time the best case scenario was that Umberger is as good as Hartnell. The value is in the contract. I am betting Hextall saw the long term picture and traded who he felt he could (Vinny / AMac werent going anywhere)

Has anyone done the Flyers 82-game win/loss like all of the "experts" do before the football season where they pick whether each game will be a win or loss to come up with their final season record? Sounds like a BiggE adventure task.

You must be using Internet Explorer and looking at a site that hasn't been refreshed since 2011. That's the only thing that makes sense.
- wolfhounds

As soon as the article is done loading of my 14.4, I'll let you know.

Maybe Hextall is waiting to see if there will be an expansion draft before retaining any salary or doing any buyouts.
- Feanor

This.

There's still the possibility of trade/waiver claim down the road, too. Retain salary on him (assuming anybody's even interested him at a discount), and that's dead space you can't do anything about for a lot of future seasons.

Umberger has hands like rocks, but his preseason skating has improved so he may be fit for a 4th line role.

I think the biggest difference in Hackstol and Berube is that Hack doesn't appear to be stubborn. He will play the best players and won't hesitate to make a move if it's obvious a move needs to be made. Umberger gets a crack in the top 9, but I doubt he lasts 20 games if he doesn't prove he belongs there.
- PhillySportsGuy

Didn't Vinny looked 'better' last preseason, too?