Dear lord, help me. Go back to the 15-16 season. Take a look at the roster. See how many of those guys are still with the team. The answer is 10, and, of those 10, at least 3 (Neuvirth, Raffl, Simmonds) probably won't be here next year or even the rest of this season.That should give you an idea of how much NHL rosters change in just a few years. Between now and the start of the 21-22 season, the Flyers roster will look much different than it is now. You are worrying about nothing.
- BiggE

During the last ED we had Raffl, Laughton, and Bellemare as our available forwards. Thats a lot different then JVR, Voracek, Hagg, Morin, Lindblom, and Laughton.

JMatchet with the Tblades, haha that cracks me up. I miss the skate zone having all of the left over Flyers gear, got my skates from there.

Only loss? You can only lose one guy. But yeah, if the guy we lose is Hagg or Morin, I'm likely not losing any sleep over it.
- BiggE

That also comes with a lot of assumptions that Provorov and Ghost don't have this year again putting the Flyers even further behind. Sanheim still has a lot of developing to do and Myers hasn't even started yet. If Morin is taken that might mean he has progressed nicely because I doubt an expansion team wants to select a struggling player.

So the good news is that if Hagg or Morin, both around 25 at the time, get taken that means every other prospect above has worked out.

Laughton was protected by Hextall.

https://www.capfriendly.com/expansion-draft/vegas

Giroux, Voracek, Schenn, Filppula, Couturier, Simmonds, Laughton
Gudas, Manning, Ghost
Stolarz

Laughton was protected by Hextall.

https://www.capfriendly.com/expansion-draft/vegas

Giroux, Voracek, Schenn, Filppula, Couturier, Simmonds, Laughton
Gudas, Manning, Ghost
Stolarz
- Feanor

Flyers really got lucky that year.

From The Athletic.

Season Percent of Flyers 5v5 Attempts by defensemen
2010-11 30.19%
2011-12 30.70%
2012-13 33.95%
2013-14 31.09%
2014-15 30.26%
2015-16 36.25%
2016-17 38.96%
2017-18 41.76%
2018-19 37.59%

by contrast, that the 2018-19 Nashville Predators, who probably possess the most offensively gifted set of defensemen in the league, only have those blueliners take 35.60 percent of their team’s 5-on-5 attempts — a lower share than the Flyers in every Hakstol-coached year.

I was thinking about the expansion draft, what a position Vegas is going to be in. With them being exempt they will be able to poach from the deeper teams in the league. Fear of losing a quality player, teams will be able to trade with them too but Vegas obviously has the leverage. They really could make out like bandits.
- ClaudeFather

Wow, this is a good point. If I'm Vegas I leave my roster open and trade for players that need protection in exchange for picks, to then trade them back to their original team.

For example, we want Seattle to take JVR instead of Morin or Voracek. First I offer Seattle a 4th rounder to take JVR. If they dont I trade Voracek and Morin to Vegas for a 1st rounder, then after the draft I trade The first back to vegas plus an additional 3rd or something for Voracek and Morin. Basically a 3rd to haven Voracek and Morin.. Paper moves.

Wow, this is a good point. If I'm Vegas I leave my roster open and trade for players that need protection in exchange for picks, to then trade them back to their original team.

For example, we want Seattle to take JVR instead of Morin or Voracek. First I offer Seattle a 4th rounder to take JVR. If they dont I trade Voracek and Morin to Vegas for a 1st rounder, then after the draft I trade The first back to vegas plus an additional 3rd or something for Voracek and Morin. Basically a 3rd to haven Voracek and Morin.. Paper moves.
- youarewrong

the league won't allow that.

Wow, this is a good point. If I'm Vegas I leave my roster open and trade for players that need protection in exchange for picks, to then trade them back to their original team.

For example, we want Seattle to take JVR instead of Morin or Voracek. First I offer Seattle a 4th rounder to take JVR. If they dont I trade Voracek and Morin to Vegas for a 1st rounder, then after the draft I trade The first back to vegas plus an additional 3rd or something for Voracek and Morin. Basically a 3rd to haven Voracek and Morin.. Paper moves.
- youarewrong

They can even go both ways, offer their picks and guys on ELC's for a solid roster player under contract. They have options. Not so sure about trading back a guy you traded for lol, is that legal?

They can even go both ways, offer their picks and guys on ELC's for a solid roster player under contract. They have options. Not so sure about trading back a guy you traded for lol, is that legal?
- ClaudeFather

Maybe, show me where its not though...

JMatchet with the Tblades, haha that cracks me up. I miss the skate zone having all of the left over Flyers gear, got my skates from there.
- ClaudeFather

I never played ice until I was in my 20s, so I didn't know anything about grinds and such, so I just figured hey, I just use these until they dull and put a new pair on. But they're expensive, and I don't skate much anymore, so I'd rather just have a traditional blade instead of having a bunch of replacement blades sitting around.

I never played ice until I was in my 20s, so I didn't know anything about grinds and such, so I just figured hey, I just use these until they dull and put a new pair on. But they're expensive, and I don't skate much anymore, so I'd rather just have a traditional blade instead of having a bunch of replacement blades sitting around.
- jmatchett383

No worries, meant no offense by it, just thought it was funny. I've never had them so don't know to much about the T blades. Yea if you don't skate much, sharpens are few and far between.

Wow, this is a good point. If I'm Vegas I leave my roster open and trade for players that need protection in exchange for picks, to then trade them back to their original team.

For example, we want Seattle to take JVR instead of Morin or Voracek. First I offer Seattle a 4th rounder to take JVR. If they dont I trade Voracek and Morin to Vegas for a 1st rounder, then after the draft I trade The first back to vegas plus an additional 3rd or something for Voracek and Morin. Basically a 3rd to haven Voracek and Morin.. Paper moves.
- youarewrong

Firstly, the league won't allow that. I don't think it's violating any written rule, but the NHL has shown that it can arbitrarily invalidate anything that tries to give a team a cap/expansion work-around. No way would they let you do that to their newest money-maker.

Secondly, what would prevent a team from not doing the second deal (Voracek/Morin for 1st and 3rd)? Maybe Vegas figures, "You know what...nah, we'll keep Voracek and Morin for a 1st."

No worries, meant no offense by it, just thought it was funny. I've never had them so don't know to much about the T blades. Yea if you don't skate much, sharpens are few and far between.
- ClaudeFather

They're LOUD also. I think it was Dennis Seidenberg who used them, and you could hear his skates very easily on TV.

Firstly, the league won't allow that. I don't think it's violating any written rule, but the NHL has shown that it can arbitrarily invalidate anything that tries to give a team a cap/expansion work-around. No way would they let you do that to their newest money-maker.

Secondly, what would prevent a team from not doing the second deal (Voracek/Morin for 1st and 3rd)? Maybe Vegas figures, "You know what...nah, we'll keep Voracek and Morin for a 1st."
- jmatchett383

I'm looking at it more as they will have leverage in trades. Obviously teams can always say no but why not trade with Vegas at a discounted value than lose a guy for nothing. You still lose another guy but maybe that player is not nearly as impactful.

Laughton was protected by Hextall.

https://www.capfriendly.com/expansion-draft/vegas

Giroux, Voracek, Schenn, Filppula, Couturier, Simmonds, Laughton
Gudas, Manning, Ghost
Stolarz
- Feanor

MANNING!!! Hexy protected MANNING?? Maybe he did need to go!

I'm looking at it more as they will have leverage in trades. Obviously teams can always say no but why not trade with Vegas at a discounted value than lose a guy for nothing. You still lose another guy but maybe that player is not nearly as impactful.
- ClaudeFather

Yes, you can trade with Vegas. But this loopphole trade-back...no way the NHL lets that happen.

MANNING!!! Hexy protected MANNING?? Maybe he did need to go!
- bsw31usa

Who should he have protected instead? The only options were Manning and AMac, and they were praying that Vegas would relieve them of AMac.

JMatchet with the Tblades, haha that cracks me up. I miss the skate zone having all of the left over Flyers gear, got my skates from there.
- ClaudeFather

are those the ones that make that loud clacking sound when you skate?

They're LOUD also. I think it was Dennis Seidenberg who used them, and you could hear his skates very easily on TV.
- jmatchett383

Seidenberg is one of only 3 blueliners drafted by the Flyers in the 2000's to have what you could call a significant NHL career until they picked Ghost in 2012.

The other 2 are Joni Pitkanen and Luca Sbisa.

Who should he have protected instead? The only options were Manning and AMac, and they were praying that Vegas would relieve them of AMac.
- jmatchett383

Shhhh, don't ruin the narrative

I never played ice until I was in my 20s, so I didn't know anything about grinds and such, so I just figured hey, I just use these until they dull and put a new pair on. But they're expensive, and I don't skate much anymore, so I'd rather just have a traditional blade instead of having a bunch of replacement blades sitting around.
- jmatchett383

You could always just sharpen after 7,8 hours of usage.

I never played ice until I was in my 20s, so I didn't know anything about grinds and such, so I just figured hey, I just use these until they dull and put a new pair on. But they're expensive, and I don't skate much anymore, so I'd rather just have a traditional blade instead of having a bunch of replacement blades sitting around.
- jmatchett383

I'd just hold onto the TBlades as they are. No sense monkeying around with your skates. Just use them as intended. Seems like you're just looking for trouble Frankensteining your skates. If you don't skate much you shouldn't need to replace the blades often. You can buy a few sets of replacement blades for the cost of getting the frames replaced.

Firstly, the league won't allow that. I don't think it's violating any written rule, but the NHL has shown that it can arbitrarily invalidate anything that tries to give a team a cap/expansion work-around. No way would they let you do that to their newest money-maker.

Secondly, what would prevent a team from not doing the second deal (Voracek/Morin for 1st and 3rd)? Maybe Vegas figures, "You know what...nah, we'll keep Voracek and Morin for a 1st."
- jmatchett383

I don't think the league would step in until there was a rule in place. For example, the league had to wait a few years before they were able to put a stop to cap-recapture contracts. And the league doesn't stop teams from trading back assets they lost in RFA bids like the Gratton deal.

As for the if Vegas doesn't trade back the players.... that is a risk, obviously, but I guess it all depends on if the GMs trust each other.

I think they should sign a solid veteran to play with Hart, keep Stolarz and Lyon and hope they get thru waivers to start the season, and also bring Sandstrom over.

Hart
Howard (for example)

Lyon
Stolarz
Sandstrom

5 goalies isn't too many, it's probably too few.
- Feanor

No one wants to hear this, but I feel compelled to say my piece. It is possible that Stolarz is traded in the next few weeks.

I lobby for a Hart - Lyon tandem for next season for several reasons. I think Lyon is a better goalie (stops pucks) than any goalie that can be acquired on the open market for a short term contract. Secondly, I believe he is not only slightly better than Stolarz, he has less risk over time for games lost to injury. Third, it is very unlikely that the rest of the hockey world is a daft as some are about Lyon. He won’t clear waivers.

Bill Meltzer is an exception to what I am about to say; as you’ll notice, he mentioned Lyon in his blog today. (Thank you!) I read a dozen different articles yesterday about Hart going down, Stolarz being recalled, the Phantoms goaltending for this weekend, the Flyers organizational goaltending options for next season...amazingly not one of those even mentioned Lyon. How can you even have an intelligent comment on Phantoms goaltending without him? They must have blackout blinders on.

It’s possible the Flyers trade Lyon also this off season. If so, good for him, he deserves a better opportunity at an NHL job. He doesn’t deserve to be scoffed at and overlooked. He has the potential to be a very good NHL goaltender. I said it before...what is the point of spending years developing your own goaltending prospects? It’s great that we have Hart but we can’t throw caution to the wind now.