Erik Johnson worries me. He is 24 and has yet to have a season that ppl expected to be the norm for him..
- jak521

To be fair, he's been very good thus far, just not world-class as expected. However, put Johnson on a team with some depth and he could really hit his stride. He's got all the size, right-shot, game, demeanor and youth that you'd want -- would cost a hell of a lot less to re-sign him then to chase Suter or Weber, that's for sure.

Erik Johnson, Dmitry Kulikov, Nik Hjalmarsson, Jared Cowan, & Luke Schenn are the kind of guys that I would target if JvR's what you've got as your principle trading chip.
- Tomahawk

Hjalmarsson and Schenn aren't the type of players I would trade JVR for. If I'm trading JVR, that defenseman needs to be a puck mover with offensive upside, that can play the point on the PP. With the addition of Grossmann, it's about the mix of defenseman needed.

Highly doubt any of them are available, and most of them would likely require Couturier or Schenn, more so than JVR.
- bradleyc4

Im fully aware.. just playing fantasy land.

At the end of the day.. I am completely happy with keeping this core together and adding a few pieces through FA. Mike Weaver and Gregory Campbell or Jim Slater and I would be ecstatic!

To be fair, he's been very good thus far, just not world-class as expected. However, put Johnson on a team with some depth and he could really hit his stride. He's got all the size, right-shot, game, demeanor and youth that you'd want -- would cost a hell of a lot less to re-sign him then to chase Suter or Weber, that's for sure.
- Tomahawk

He was struggling pretty mightily with the Blues.. and they have a ton of depth.

He was picked #1 overall.. and he has been anything but a good #1 pick.

Hjalmarsson and Schenn aren't the type of players I would trade JVR for. If I'm trading JVR, that defenseman needs to be a puck mover with offensive upside, that can play the point on the PP. With the addition of Grossmann, it's about the mix of defenseman needed.
- MJL

Keith Yandle?

I know you may not be a fan of this suggestion. JvR for Yandle?
- stveshdy

Yeah, I personally would not.

Keith Yandle?
- stveshdy

He just re-upped w/ the Coyotes.

Keith Yandle?
- stveshdy

Ehh.. I understand the allure.. the guy is a freak skater/ puck handler for a d-man.. but I would rather have a more stable guy, and not so much of a "roamer"

He just re-upped w/ the Coyotes.
- Tomahawk

Coyotes have a a lot of depth on defense. Just a suggestion. They could move a player like Yandle to get a goal scorer like JvR. The yotes need offense badly imo.

He has three years at 5.2M per year left on his deal

Being fair, I have 0% knowledge of players entering the draft.

What are the credentials of the people on this board?

Fans?
Writers (i.e. Bill)
Former Players (at college level or above?)
Coaches?

I do think he stays in Jersey, though. If they win the Cup, I think it jumps to 99.999999999999999%
- Jsaquella

I don't see how they can afford him.

I wanted them to take Hamilton because there's no way Couturier should have fallen past the Isles. I was certain the Jets would take Couts. When they didn't, Couturier was a no brainer.
- Jsaquella

That forced their hand, couldn't pass him up.

He was struggling pretty mightily with the Blues.. and they have a ton of depth.
- jak521

None of the teams he's played on have ever made the post-season...

He was picked #1 overall.. and he has been anything but a good #1 pick
- jak521

JvR hasn't exactly been the best example of a #2 overall, either. Potential for potential.

My question is why do you have a printout of the seat belt laws on you?
- aightwebang17

my question is does that mean his 5 year old is 80 pounds? i'm scared she could kick my butt.

I wanted them to take Hamilton because there's no way Couturier should have fallen past the Isles. I was certain the Jets would take Couts. When they didn't, Couturier was a no brainer.
- Jsaquella

I'd like a defenseman in this draft but there are forwards that i certainly would take over a few of them. Would even seriously consider Malcolm Subban goalie for the Belleville Bulls in the OHL.

Ehh.. I understand the allure.. the guy is a freak skater/ puck handler for a d-man.. but I would rather have a more stable guy, and not so much of a "roamer"
- jak521

Understandable. Hes a young 25 year old defenseman with great potential offensively and on the PP. Two areas that need to be improved on this blueline imo because the Flyers have no threat from the dot when there in the offensive zone. He can skate and pass the puck well. He may not be the greatest in his own end but hes serviceable imo.

god bless this post.

(bill's, not mine.)
- OrangeBlack27

i made a voodoo doll of yours.

despite having lots of work to do, I'm a tad bored so I've been poking around the past NHL draft.

Found a draft review from Bill from 2000. Imagine had they taken him in the first round.

Alex Drozdetsky is the son of longtime Red Army player Nikolai Drozdetsky His stats from this past season may not look like much but the Flyers were more excited about this pick than any other they made in the draft. Flyers chief European scout, Inge Hammarström is rarely given to hyperbole when assessing a player. He pushed hard for Drozdetsky’s selection. Clarke listened and was prepared to take the Russian winger with the Flyers first round pick. Hammarström told him that he thought Drozdetsky had not been scouted properly by the CSB (not the first time that ex-CSB scout Hammarström has taken issue with their rankings) and may still be available when the Flyers turn came up in the third round. He was right.

After the selection of Drozdetsky became official, Hammarström was unusually excited, telling Clarke that the Flyers had just “hit a home run,” comparing Drozdetsky to a young Igor Larionov and predicting that Drozdetsky would be a Flyers regular within two years. While no one is infallible, Hammarström has a track record of being proven right when he feels strongly enough about a prospect to lobby hard for their selection- the most famous examples being Peter Forsberg, Mikael Renberg, Dmitri Yushkevich, and Janne Niinimaa. Even a couple of his “misses” (Patrik Juhlin, Viacheslav Butsayev) at least played in the NHL and were regulars for a time.

and this:

At the end of the season, Forsberg was drafted sixth overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft; he was the first European player taken that year. The draft pick was surprising because Forsberg was expected to be selected later in the draft. The Hockey News had ranked Forsberg as the 25th best draft prospect in its 1991 draft preview, saying he was a "a solid second rounder who could move into the first".[9] The pick was criticized by the Philadelphia media, prompting Flyers' General Manager Russ Farwell and the team's chief European scout to reply that time would prove them right.[9]

I'd like a defenseman in this draft but there are forwards that i certainly would take over a few of them. Would even seriously consider Malcolm Subban goalie for the Belleville Bulls in the OHL.
- ob18

noooooooooooooo

noooooooooooooo
- OrangeBlack27

lol

noooooooooooooo
- OrangeBlack27

Okay?

I'd like a defenseman in this draft but there are forwards that i certainly would take over a few of them. Would even seriously consider Malcolm Subban goalie for the Belleville Bulls in the OHL.
- ob18

I would not have a problem with selecting a goalie because you never know what can happen. It usually takes time for goalies to make the jump anyways so by then Bryz may only have three years left on his current deal.

Okay?
- ob18

drafting a goaltender in the first round is about the least effective use of that asset.

I would not have a problem with selecting a goalie because you never know what can happen. It usually takes time for goalies to make the jump anyways so by then Bryz may only have three years left on his current deal.
- stveshdy

mid-rounds or later, fine. why would you use a first rounder on a "you never know what can happen"?

dear bill,

do you think the flyers should keep ranford or let him walk?

also, was there any reason the flyers didn't talk to couturier at the combine? did they think they had no chance of drafting him??