Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Meszaros, Looking Back at Oates Trade

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Meszaros, Looking Back at Oates Trade
- bmeltzer

I'm staying cautiously optimistic on Meszaros. Even if he can return early, it's likely he will only be at 80-90%, at best. Still, 80% of Meszaros is still a damned good defenseman.

He definitely should take his time, because he will be needed in the playoffs and that has to be his goal, not getting back quicker and facing reinjury or ineffectiveness while playing through pain.

One note about the Oates trade, Primeau and Roenick got hurt the night before the trade deadline-approximately 18 hours before the deadline, to be exact-on the road in Tampa.

The Flyers didn't have much of a realistic view of the extent of either injury, and obviously made a panic move. Had both Primeau and Roenick been lost for the year, or even for an extended period, the Flyers remaining centers were Jiri Dopita, Marty Murray and Jarrold Skalde.

Still, all in all, a bad trade

Two goals in five games, playoffs no less--what a deplorable end to the season.

Two goals in five games, playoffs no less--what a deplorable end to the season.
- KGBflyers10

As long as I know, it was Cechmanek's fault...

I hope Mez does NOT rush back. My Boss ruptured her Achilles and it was an extremely difficult rehab. And there is a big difference depending on the severity of the tear. (She had 10% left, though she did say that they don't do surgury if there is over 20% left) The surgury includes retwining the fibers of the leg tendons back around the effected area. It is not a simple procedure. And it's never 100%, you can get 99% but to walk without a limp is considered pretty good. She was just trying to walk again, getting back to Hockey playing shape is going to be tough. Keep up on the rehab but don't push too much.

You trade all that for 6 weeks of a 39 year old and get off scott free. We trade a few picks for a young up coming sniper and get ass (frank)ed dry and hard.

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Meszaros, Looking Back at Oates Trade
- bmeltzer

When are they raising Oates' 77 this year? Snider retires HOFers' numbers right?

Not one of Clarke's better trades, in a string of not very good trades and signings. Thank God for Homer. He seems to have a much better grasp on how to use assets to improve the team. He may not bat a 1000, Homer hasn't killed the team yet with a trade like Clarke seemed to do as a matter of course. The Leclair, Desjardins, Dionne for Recchi trade being a rare exception. (and a damn good one)

Not one of Clarke's better trades, in a string of not very good trades and signings. Thank God for Homer. He seems to have a much better grasp on how to use assets to improve the team. He may not bat a 1000, Homer hasn't killed the team yet with a trade like Clarke seemed to do as a matter of course. The Leclair, Desjardins, Dionne for Recchi trade being a rare exception. (and a damn good one)
- MBFlyerfan

I think the salary cap plays a large part in the different styles of Clarke and Homer, as well...

I think the salary cap plays a large part in the different styles of Clarke and Homer, as well...
- steelydan

It definitely does, but you would almost think that Clarke, being unencumbered by salary cap limitations, might have made some better signings at least.

It definitely does, but you would almost think that Clarke, being unencumbered by salary cap limitations, might have made some better signings at least.
- MBFlyerfan

yea there wasn't a cap when he signed Vanbiesbrouck over Joseph either.

yea there wasn't a cap when he signed Vanbiesbrouck over Joseph either.
- JoeRussomanno

They don't win with Cujo, either. The Leaf teams of that era were similar to the Flyers, in fact there were a few really hard fought playoff battles that showed this.

Not one of Clarke's better trades, in a string of not very good trades and signings. Thank God for Homer. He seems to have a much better grasp on how to use assets to improve the team. He may not bat a 1000, Homer hasn't killed the team yet with a trade like Clarke seemed to do as a matter of course. The Leclair, Desjardins, Dionne for Recchi trade being a rare exception. (and a damn good one)
- MBFlyerfan

I think the Zubrus for Recchi deal was a good one under clarke as well.

They don't win with Cujo, either. The Leaf teams of that era were similar to the Flyers, in fact there were a few really hard fought playoff battles that showed this.
- Jsaquella

Not so sure about that. Cujo might have been able to shut the door on a 3-1 series collapse a couple years later in the ECF's. I thought Boosh was good for sure, but let's face it he wasn't supposed to be in that position to begin with.

I think the Zubrus for Recchi deal was a good one under clarke as well.
- Pyzik

Yes that was a good deal.

I think the Zubrus for Recchi deal was a good one under clarke as well.
- Pyzik

It was, because they got Recchi re-signed to a new deal after the season. If not, it would have been a rental in exchange for Zubrus.

Yes that was a good deal.
- MBFlyerfan

Lets not also forget Beranek for Antoski

Hopefully there's good news coming on the cba front, i don't know how much rehashing old trades and clarke bashing i can take.

Hopefully there's good news coming on the cba front, i don't know how much rehashing old trades and clarke bashing i can take.
- twotoekenn

Ahhh, late summer at the buzz

I say don't rush back. There's a chance that he'll never return to the player he was prior to his achilles heel injury. Baby steps. Combinations of Gustafsson/Bourdon/Gervais/Lilja will suffice for the bottom 3 dmen slots.

I say don't rush back. There's a chance that he'll never return to the player he was prior to his achilles heel injury. Baby steps. Combinations of Gustafsson/Bourdon/Gervais/Lilja will suffice for the bottom 3 dmen slots.
- Pixote Andolini

yea i'd rather lose the season than lose a player like Mezaros forever. Was really counting on him taking another step this year.

I say don't rush back. There's a chance that he'll never return to the player he was prior to his achilles heel injury. Baby steps. Combinations of Gustafsson/Bourdon/Gervais/Lilja will suffice for the bottom 3 dmen slots.
- Pixote Andolini

I think so too. But I do expect another move for a D-man. Who, what, How? Don't know. But I do trust Homer will get the best deal available without trading a major piece.

I'm not so sure that any of the Oates picks didn't come back to haunt the Flyers. Didn't the Caps take the Flyers 1st round pick and parlay that into Alex Semin? Maybe I'm wrong.

Plus, if the Flyers had kept those 3 picks they could have certainly drafted better players than the Caps/Stars did at the time.

That has to be a top 5 worst Flyers trades of all time.

I'm not so sure that any of the Oates picks didn't come back to haunt the Flyers. Didn't the Caps take the Flyers 1st round pick and parlay that into Alex Semin? Maybe I'm wrong.
- FlyerGuy

No, you're right. Caps used the Flyers' pick (and a 2nd and a 6th) to move up to take Semin. Funny thing is, they could have just taken Semin with their own pick at 12 but they had Eminger ranked above him...

Luckily for Clarke, 2002 was a pretty spotty draft -- Bouwmeester was ranked #1 pre-draft of all people. The smartest thing that Columbus ever did as a franchise was swindle Florida out of that top pick for nothing more than the option to swap their 1st-rounders in 2003... hello Rick Nash.

No, you're right. Caps used the Flyers' pick (and a 2nd and a 6th) to move up to take Semin. Funny thing is, they could have just taken Semin with their own pick at 12 but they had Eminger ranked above him...

Luckily for Clarke, 2002 was a pretty spotty draft -- Bouwmeester was ranked #1 pre-draft of all people. The smartest thing that Columbus ever did as a franchise was swindle Florida out of that top pick for nothing more than the option to swap their 1st-rounders in 2003... hello Rick Nash.
- Tomahawk

If by spotty, you mean weak, I'd agree. It wasn't a stellar draft class. Yet the Flyers seemed to be able to acquire over time four of the top 12 players chosen that year.

Now it would have been nice if the Flyers were able to acquire 4, instead of two players in the first round of the following years draft which was one of the strongest ever.