Will They will be walking around buzzgate asking who MJL is?

Clowns.

Threatening people over a message board. Get over yourselves.
- MBFlyerfan

Are you threatening me to get over myself?

Top 5 dances:
macarena
hustle
monkey
the bird
harlem shuffle
- Konalover

All credibility is gone with the lack of Electric Slide

Interestingly, MacDonald has missed quite a lot of games for the Flyers thru injury. But most people don't think of him as being injury prone because most people aren't sad when he misses games.
- Feanor

Ha! It's funny that you say that. I knew that he missed his share of games from season to season, but I hadn't noticed if I was biased like that in the past

As I said, I'd rather him be healthy now. I want the Flyers to have their full complement of players, and some of them do need experience. MacDonald's mobility is good enough that he can play in today's game, I feel.

I was serious when I said I'm over bashing the guy. I just saw Deryk Engelland play in the Cup final. There are worse guys than MacDonald running around the league, you know?

All credibility is gone with the lack of Electric Slide
- arichardson22

and the floss

Ha! It's funny that you say that. I knew that he missed his share of games from season to season, but I hadn't noticed if I was biased like that in the past

As I said, I'd rather him be healthy now. I want the Flyers to have their full complement of players, and some of them do need experience. MacDonald's mobility is good enough that he can play in today's game, I feel.

I was serious when I said I'm over bashing the guy. I just saw Deryk Engelland play in the Cup final. There are worse guys than MacDonald running around the league, you know?
- AllInForFlyers

A lot of it is fighting past mediocre goaltending. Put a guy like Gibson, Bobrovsky, Helle, Vasilevskiy, etc on this club and it looks much better imo.

I think the goaltending is downplayed at times just because it’s been so long since they’ve had a real top guy.

I like that they haven't given a bad contract to a bottom 6 player just because they let Flip walk. It does no good to always talk about how deep your farm system is if you don't let people battle it out for spots and see what they can do

Sometimes, you gotta let guys play and sort it out. I think a lot of what Vegas did last year was a fluke, but there's also something to be said for letting players who have talent but might not be perfect prospects just play the game and coach them up
- AllInForFlyers

They already took care of the crappy bottom six contract a couple seasons ago.

Yup. I’d also like a guy like Aube Kubel maybe get some games. Can’t always just be the prospects with hype that get playing time. Nothing says the Flyers can’t develop their own fourth liners instead of chasing in FA.

It’s not perfect, and my distaste for Varsity runs strong - but we have come a long way from the last few years under the Holmgren reign. Nice to see.
- flyer_nutter

It has -- and I like signing players to fill holes. I loved the JVR signing. Folin, too, for what he was signed to be.

But free agency as whole is a wasteland, anymore. It's a bad, bad mechanism for a team to really look to get better. I have no doubt that not every player the Flyers draft are going to make it. That's fine. That's how it always works. But you just aren't that much worse off by not having Dale Weise around on a four-year contract where he's scratched 20 percent of the time as opposed to having young players fight it out and try to get better and actually solve the problem

A lot of it is fighting past mediocre goaltending. Put a guy like Gibson, Bobrovsky, Helle, Vasilevskiy, etc on this club and it looks much better imo.

I think the goaltending is downplayed at times just because it’s been so long since they’ve had a real top guy.
- flyer_nutter

I'll say this: Elliott was better than I thought he'd be last season. Credit to him for that.

But yeah. I think we all know we need a guy. Man. I don't mind waiting for Hart. I honestly don't.

What I mind is not knowing if he's gonna get the freaking job done. We gotta get a guy in that freaking net to do .918-.923 for 6-8 years so we can stop effing worrying about it for once in our freaking lives

They already took care of the crappy bottom six contract a couple seasons ago.
- mayorofangrytown

LOL You beat me to it

I would rather everyone be 100% healthy, but of the top 8 dmen (including Myers) MacDonald being absent concerns me the least because he's such a known quantity and coming to the end of his tenure as a Flyer. Is Folin just a one-year stopgap, or could he be someone worth keeping? We can only find that out by seeing him in action.

and the floss
- YuenglingJagr

I’ve been practicing this for my brothers wedding coming up. I think I have it down.

I would rather everyone be 100% healthy, but of the top 8 dmen (including Myers) MacDonald being absent concerns me the least because he's such a known quantity and coming to the end of his tenure as a Flyer. Is Folin just a one-year stopgap, or could he be someone worth keeping? We can only find that out by seeing him in action.
- Feanor

Agree with that -- obviously, I don't track the Kings minute by minute, but I was under the impression that they liked him enough but just didn't want to allocate more dollars to him with the addition of Kovalchuk and the Doughty extension

I know, brother -- for the first couple of pages, it was looking like a good, low-key day

I should know better, but I can't blame anybody because I am the idiot who keeps coming back here when I know it never changes
- AllInForFlyers

Nah, there's been plenty of quality conversation despite the Summer doldrums.

I'll say this: Elliott was better than I thought he'd be last season. Credit to him for that.

But yeah. I think we all know we need a guy. Man. I don't mind waiting for Hart. I honestly don't.

What I mind is not knowing if he's gonna get the freaking job done. We gotta get a guy in that freaking net to do .918-.923 for 6-8 years so we can stop effing worrying about it for once in our freaking lives
- AllInForFlyers

They need the goalie. Otherwise it’s flirting with mediocrity and I firmly believe that. The way the club is looking to be built, it’s more spread out talent than say a team filled with all stars.

I don’t advocate for him being the starter, but I really hope Hart blows their asses off and impresses.

I like that they haven't given a bad contract to a bottom 6 player just because they let Flip walk. It does no good to always talk about how deep your farm system is if you don't let people battle it out for spots and see what they can do

Sometimes, you gotta let guys play and sort it out. I think a lot of what Vegas did last year was a fluke, but there's also something to be said for letting players who have talent but might not be perfect prospects just play the game and coach them up
- AllInForFlyers

Vegas had a team of players that were all pretty much established NHL players that gelled. Teams use veterans when they know they need some stop gap players to buy them time for prospects to develop. It also does no good to rush prospects and place them in situations they aren't ready for.

They need the goalie. Otherwise it’s flirting with mediocrity and I firmly believe that. The way the club is looking to be built, it’s more spread out talent than say a team filled with all stars.

I don’t advocate for him being the starter, but I really hope Hart blows their asses off and impresses.
- flyer_nutter

Sandstrom, Hart...man, I don't care who it is. Just somebody come in and be consistent. Because I agree with you: They don't need the goalie to be great, with how they're building the team. They don't need the guy to be Bob. They just need whoever it is to stop what they should and give them something good on the PK

Vegas had a team of players that were all pretty much established NHL players that gelled. Teams use veterans when they know they need some stop gap players to buy them time for prospects to develop. It also does no good to rush prospects and place them in situations they aren't ready for.
- MJL

Your perception and mine are different. Which is fine

Sandstrom, Hart...man, I don't care who it is. Just somebody come in and be consistent. Because I agree with you: They don't need the goalie to be great, with how they're building the team. They don't need the guy to be Bob. They just need whoever it is to stop what they should and give them something good on the PK
- AllInForFlyers

I dont want average. I want above average and I dont think its too much to ask for a top 10 goaltender in the league. Nothing says the Flyers cannot have that.

I get a lot of the excitement for Hart and Sandstrom, but you also have two guys in Lyon and Stolarz who you put time in developing and by all accounts seem to at least deserve a bit of a look in the NHL. I want them to get some real stretches of play this year. Dont think it happens but the team isn't winning jack poop with Elliot or Neuvirth, and neither one will be in the Flyers future long term.

Sure they are better than a few years ago, but this is still kind of a rebuilding club as far as I am concerned until there is a real goaltender.

Your perception and mine are different. Which is fine
- AllInForFlyers

You're right it is fine but that doesn't change that what I posted is accurate.

I dont want average. I want above average and I dont think its too much to ask for a top 10 goaltender in the league. Nothing says the Flyers cannot have that.

I get a lot of the excitement for Hart and Sandstrom, but you also have two guys in Lyon and Stolarz who you put time in developing and by all accounts seem to at least deserve a bit of a look in the NHL. I want them to get some real stretches of play this year. Dont think it happens but the team isn't winning jack poop with Elliot or Neuvirth, and neither one will be in the Flyers future long term.

Sure they are better than a few years ago, but this is still kind of a rebuilding club as far as I am concerned until there is a real goaltender.
- flyer_nutter

I think it's fair -- average-to-poor goaltending routinely makes teams look worse than they are. Carolina is a prime example of a team that was probably better than its on-ice results the last few years because of what was going down in the net. Argument could be made that Dallas has been hurt as much as anyone by goaltending inconsistency over the last four years as anyone

I dont want average. I want above average and I dont think its too much to ask for a top 10 goaltender in the league. Nothing says the Flyers cannot have that.

I get a lot of the excitement for Hart and Sandstrom, but you also have two guys in Lyon and Stolarz who you put time in developing and by all accounts seem to at least deserve a bit of a look in the NHL. I want them to get some real stretches of play this year. Dont think it happens but the team isn't winning jack poop with Elliot or Neuvirth, and neither one will be in the Flyers future long term.

Sure they are better than a few years ago, but this is still kind of a rebuilding club as far as I am concerned until there is a real goaltender.
- flyer_nutter

I think this is a misconception. No player deserves a look just for putting in their time. If the team feels the player is capable of playing in the NHL then they'll get a chance for the most part. Teams also won't put a player in that they don't feel is capable of playing in the NHL. Players have to earn their opportunities unless a situation forces a team to use a player. You need to compete while attempting to develop young players. Having sub par NHL goaltending certainly wouldn't create a situation conducive to young players having success.

You're right it is fine but that doesn't change that what I posted is accurate.
- MJL

Look, man. The last thing I'm doing today is going around with you. I'm just not gonna do it.

You can @me all day, from here on. But this is the last response you get from me because I'm not splitting hairs with you today, tomorrow, the next day. Over it, with you

I think it's fair -- average-to-poor goaltending routinely makes teams look worse than they are. Carolina is a prime example of a team that was probably better than its on-ice results the last few years because of what was going down in the net. Argument could be made that Dallas has been hurt as much as anyone by goaltending inconsistency over the last four years as anyone
- AllInForFlyers

Its the most important position in the game in my eyes, and imo you generally need to be stacked as hell to overcome it.

lol

I dont want average. I want above average and I dont think its too much to ask for a top 10 goaltender in the league. Nothing says the Flyers cannot have that.

I get a lot of the excitement for Hart and Sandstrom, but you also have two guys in Lyon and Stolarz who you put time in developing and by all accounts seem to at least deserve a bit of a look in the NHL. I want them to get some real stretches of play this year. Dont think it happens but the team isn't winning jack poop with Elliot or Neuvirth, and neither one will be in the Flyers future long term.

Sure they are better than a few years ago, but this is still kind of a rebuilding club as far as I am concerned until there is a real goaltender.
- flyer_nutter

Yes, I’m hoping Lyon gets a long look this year. I’ve heard that line about pairing Hart with a old vet when he come up down the road, but I think Lyon is sufficiently older than Hart and would still be competitive with him. They could be a great pair.