He was a great guy. Really friendly. If he had cared about being a pro hockey player a little more he probably would have been a better goalie.
- mayorofangrytown

I think after he had the heart condition and subsequent surgery he wasn't the same.

I wish that getting Jones was a possibility. Considering who they traded to acquire him I can't see them not matching.
- mayorofangrytown

Idk... I could see it. Crazy that they would take Dubois over puljujarvi, so I could see them doing something stupid yet again. That franchise is a MESS.

He was a great guy. Really friendly. If he had cared about being a pro hockey player a little more he probably would have been a better goalie.
- mayorofangrytown

Friendliest pro athlete I've ever met.

I think after he had the heart condition and subsequent surgery he wasn't the same.
- twotoekenn

I met him several times.

Check it out... we had lunch together at a mall food court. No one recognized him.


I wanted to talk hockey but all he wanted to talk about was how he was going to become a professional gambler. He'd been reading all these books about how to work the black jack tables and he was looking forward to doing it full time.

This was his second season as a Flyers regular.

Idk... I could see it. Crazy that they would take Dubois over puljujarvi, so I could see them doing something stupid yet again. That franchise is a MESS.
- benjichronic

Problem is I don't see many teams that could handle the Dubinsky, Clarkson, Hartnell contracts. Especially since Arizona took the Datsyuk contract. NJ maybe.

Columbus would have to offer something pretty enticing with those players. I still believe thats why they chose PLD over Puljujarvi because PLD will be back in juniors next year. I guess he could make the roster, but thats at least 3+ million to the cap.

Please do. I'm sure there is a metric to compare deals signed then with deals signed today.

2005 cap was 39 million
2016 cap said to be 73 million

Almost double.

Having problems finding cap hits for players during those years. Is there a new site for cap hits?
- MikesPillBottle

Contract negotiations for individual players is not based on what the upper limit is. Teams may certainly choose not pay a player, and trade him, or let him go to free agency based on their cap space situation, but Brayden Schenn and his agent are not considering the upper limit as a variable in their negotiations for a new contract. When it comes to that, it's every man for himself, for the most part.

Problem is I don't see many teams that could handle the Dubinsky, Clarkson, Hartnell contracts. Especially since Arizona took the Datsyuk contract. NJ maybe.

Columbus would have to offer something pretty enticing with those players. I still believe thats why they chose PLD over Puljujarvi because PLD will be back in juniors next year. I guess he could make the roster, but thats at least 3+ million to the cap.
- Glak18

I would add Bobrovsky to that list too.

I think he is at 7.5.

They have some big deals

You prefer that, but you also prefer to not trade an asset before you determine his true value, either

The league's changed, has a salary cap. If a player doesn't think they can be taken to arbitration and gets their feelings hurt, or a team is afraid of using it, they all need to go find some big-boy pants
- AllInForFlyers

Can you tell me when was the last time, the Flyers elected to take a player to arbitration? How many RFA's by percentage in a given year, league wide, actually make it to arbitration?

I would add Bobrovsky to that list too.

I think he is at 7.5.

They have some big deals
- J35Bacher

I see them sticking with Bob until the expansion draft, I could see him being exposed.

That really is the biggest problem with Dubinsky, Clarkson and Hartnell, they are forced to protect them. Would another team trade for them knowing they would have to protect them? Does the NMC go away after a trade? Would a team buy them out?

So many questions.

Friendliest pro athlete I've ever met.
- jmatchett383

Those teams were in my wheel house. I was in my 20s and was desperately trying to find a job in the organization but began getting really friendly with player agents. One of my best friends lived next to Rich Winter on the Main Line. I wanted to be a player handler which I thought would be a great job at the time. They let me tag along a lot to get a sense of what I was getting myself into. It only takes one bad experience to turn you off of that. Just one player having one bad day and a promoter with a bad attitude.

Tommy Soderstrom was the most open player I ever met.

I see them sticking with Bob until the expansion draft, I could see him being exposed.

That really is the biggest problem with Dubinsky, Clarkson and Hartnell, they are forced to protect them. Would another team trade for them knowing they would have to protect them? Does the NMC go away after a trade? Would a team buy them out?

So many questions.
- Glak18

Hartnell already waived his so he's good to go.

I met him several times.

Check it out... we had lunch together at a mall food court. No one recognized him.


I wanted to talk hockey but all he wanted to talk about was how he was going to become a professional gambler. He'd been reading all these books about how to work the black jack tables and he was looking forward to doing it full time.

This was his second season as a Flyers regular.

- mayorofangrytown

Out of curiosity...when you had lunch together, did you guys do it after practice from the Coliseum parking lot?

Can you tell me when was the last time, the Flyers elected to take a player to arbitration? How many RFA's by percentage in a given year, league wide, actually make it to arbitration?
- MJL

There is a HUGE difference between RFAs, the every year ones and the big of the big who will get a substantial raise like Seth Jones, McKinnon, Gaudreau. The ones teams consider core players and will pay to keep them.

If Schenn is really core, he belongs in the category with those names.

Out of curiosity...when you had lunch together, did you guys do it after practice from the Coliseum parking lot?
- jmatchett383

No. It was before a signing event at one of the Jersey malls. I can't remember which one though.

Hartnell already waived his so he's good to go.
- mayorofangrytown

Now all they need to do is find a team.

Does his NMC transfer with a trade or does it disappear?

No. It was before a signing event at one of the Jersey malls. I can't remember which one though.
- mayorofangrytown

Oh, okay. I was at the Coliseum watching them practice, and some guys struck up a conversation with Soderstrom in the parking lot afterwards and they ended up heading over to the Echelon Mall for lunch. Thought it might have been you.

There is a HUGE difference between RFAs, the every year ones and the big of the big who will get a substantial raise like Seth Jones, McKinnon, Gaudreau. The ones teams consider core players and will pay to keep them.

If Schenn is really core, he belongs in the category with those names.
- Glak18

That's true, there are different levels of players. I'll just reiterate that Schenn being given a Q offer doesn't mean anything. It's just a procedural formality to meet the deadline to retain his rights. If they didn't qualify him, he becomes a UFA free to sign with any team on July 1.

Can you tell me when was the last time, the Flyers elected to take a player to arbitration? How many RFA's by percentage in a given year, league wide, actually make it to arbitration?
- MJL

Are you familiar with these two phrases: "Correlation does not equal causation" and "false equivalency"?

All the players in the league who aren't Brayden Schenn who have and have not gone to arbitration have nothing to do with Brayden Schenn going to arbitration or not.

Every single contract is an individual event. It doesn't matter one iota if there were no arbitration cases ever if the Flyers chose to take Brayden Schenn, just as it would be equally irrelevant if there had been millions of arbitration cases and Schenn opted to sign.

Don't you work in law? Does every contract and case you review and litigate turn out exactly the same as the cases you did the day before? The week before? The month before?

Brayden Schenn could wind up in arbitration, or not, because he is eligible. There is no other quantifiable metric that is applicable. He could sign, he could be traded, he could go to arbitration.

One of those three things will happen, because those options are what is available.

Are you familiar with these two phrases: "Correlation does not equal causation" and "false equivalency"?

All the players in the league who aren't Brayden Schenn who have and have not gone to arbitration have nothing to do with Brayden Schenn going to arbitration or not.

Every single contract is an individual event. It doesn't matter one iota if there were no arbitration cases ever if the Flyers chose to take Brayden Schenn, just as it would be equally irrelevant if there had been millions of arbitration cases and Schenn opted to sign.

Don't you work in law? Does every contract and case you review and litigate turn out exactly the same as the cases you did the day before? The week before? The month before?

Brayden Schenn could wind up in arbitration, or not, because he is eligible. There is no other quantifiable metric that is applicable. He could sign, he could be traded, he could go to arbitration.

One of those three things will happen, because those options are what is available.
- AllInForFlyers

He could also retire.

Wow. Canucks fined $50K

He could also retire.
- jmatchett383

Ha! True

You know, those sons of female doges!

So here today, we have the last legitimate superstar for the Flyers, Eric Lindros, having been voted into the Hall of Fame. Today Philly sports should have been a celebration of his career as a Flyer.

But NOOOOOOOOOOO. No, the Eagles can't have that. They can't let another Philly team be the lead story. So what do they do? They go and have Buddy Ryan offed. God forbid people in Philly talk about one of the other 3 teams for a day.

Edit: I hope Buddy Ryan is punching the archangel Gabriel for his lack of defensive schemes.

Are you familiar with these two phrases: "Correlation does not equal causation" and "false equivalency"?

All the players in the league who aren't Brayden Schenn who have and have not gone to arbitration have nothing to do with Brayden Schenn going to arbitration or not.

Every single contract is an individual event. It doesn't matter one iota if there were no arbitration cases ever if the Flyers chose to take Brayden Schenn, just as it would be equally irrelevant if there had been millions of arbitration cases and Schenn opted to sign.

Don't you work in law? Does every contract and case you review and litigate turn out exactly the same as the cases you did the day before? The week before? The month before?

Brayden Schenn could wind up in arbitration, or not, because he is eligible. There is no other quantifiable metric that is applicable. He could sign, he could be traded, he could go to arbitration.

One of those three things will happen, because those options are what is available.
- AllInForFlyers

I'll spell it out for you. The goal in any contract negotiation in pro sports for a team, including the NHL, is to get the cheapest, fair deal they can with a player. A team does not want a player, who they need to succeed to be unhappy and pissed off with his contract situation. In an arbitration case, a team has to present the negative side to the player, as to why they think he is worth a certain amount. A team does not want to do that, and only wants to use arbitration as a last resort. They'd much rather make a fair and amicable deal that both sides can live with and are happy with. That's why teams avoid going to arbitration with players. Hence the questions I asked, which you dodged.

This is not law. In a legal case, as a lawyer, your opposition is not part of your team, and you don't give a poop, if the outcome makes them happy or not.

That's true, there are different levels of players. I'll just reiterate that Schenn being given a Q offer doesn't mean anything. It's just a procedural formality to meet the deadline to retain his rights. If they didn't qualify him, he becomes a UFA free to sign with any team on July 1.
- MJL

I know, but my questioning is why are they at this point?

Why didn't they do the same with Giroux, Voracek, Simmonds, Couturier? Did they go to arbitration with Mike Richards or Jeff Carter? This is not the Flyers way, when they want someone, they get it done.

Even Raffl was extended during the season, even though he was going to be a UFA, but he would make sense to go this route if he was a RFA.

All the justification in the world wouldn't matter. When Schenn is signed for 4 or 5 years then the Flyers are telling everyone they want him for the core. If he plays next year with an arbitration ruling then that's telling me they want to have him for another year, but not long term with his asking price.

I'll spell it out for you. The goal in any contract negotiation in pro sports for a team, including the NHL, is to get the cheapest, fair deal they can with a player. A team does not want a player, who they need to succeed to be unhappy and pissed off with his contract situation. In an arbitration case, a team has to present the negative side to the player, as to why they think he is worth a certain amount. A team does not want to do that, and only wants to use arbitration as a last resort. They'd much rather make a fair and amicable deal that both sides can live with and are happy with. That's why teams avoid going to arbitration with players. Hence the questions I asked, which you dodged.

This is not law. In a legal case, as a lawyer, your opposition is not part of your team, and you don't give a poop, if the outcome makes them happy or not.
- MJL

I'll spell this out for you: all that BS you just typed is based on opinion and feelings. You don't have the first damn clue whether Ron Hextall gives a damn about whether Schenn is pissed off or not. You have no idea what Ron Hextall FEELS about arbitration.

You have no idea how Brayden Schenn feels about arbitration -- he might say "I want my money. Period. I don't care how I get it."

You have no idea how these individuals feel about this process. None