Bill Meltzer: Flyers Gameday: 12/9/14 @ CLB

I kinda feel bad for the Blue Jackets with all those injuries. Oh well. LGF

Edit: FIST

Flyers are 3 points out of the lead position in the MCDavid sweeps.

Everything in Hextall's management development with the Kings suggests he will be all in for the sweeps. This is a huge draft. Maybe the best ever when viewed from the pre draft perspective.

How would we know that Hextall decides to go all in? I thought he made a huge mistake when he traded Hartnel. I thought he was the guy that pushed the compete level for all the young guys. Now, I am not sure it was a mistake of unintended consequences. Perhaps Hextall understood exactly what was going to happen.

Bill who do you see the flyers actually trading in your opinion?
who do you think they should look to move?

excluding umberger and vinny,.

Back in C-Bus!

Mason and Umberger shall triumph magnificently! RJ goes for a goal and 2 assists tonight!

Back in C-Bus!

Mason and Umberger shall triumph magnificently! RJ goes for a goal and 2 assists tonight!
- PLindbergh31

Meaning he misplays the puck and it goes into Mason's net. And the 2 assists are the puck deflecting off his body into Mason's net.

Back in C-Bus!

Mason and Umberger shall triumph magnificently! RJ goes for a goal and 2 assists tonight!
- PLindbergh31

Way too upbeat coming from you

Flyers are 3 points out of the lead position in the MCDavid sweeps.

Everything in Hextall's management development with the Kings suggests he will be all in for the sweeps. This is a huge draft. Maybe the best ever when viewed from the pre draft perspective.

How would we know that Hextall decides to go all in? I thought he made a huge mistake when he traded Hartnel. I thought he was the guy that pushed the compete level for all the young guys. Now, I am not sure it was a mistake of unintended consequences. Perhaps Hextall understood exactly what was going to happen.
- spatso

Trading Hartnell was not about tanking for the top pick.

Trading Hartnell was not about tanking for the top pick.
- MJL

Never been able to figure out motivation behind the trade. Why do you think Hextall moved Hartnell for Umberger.

Little frivolity for ya'll: 28 players were bought out via the CBO. The Flyers have ties to 5 of them: Briere, Bryzgalov, Colaiacovo, Lecavalier and Leino. Not re-signing Leino ended up being a great move by Holmgren and it wasn't all luck on his part, IMO. Giving a guy a large deal after a season and a half of good hockey is never a sound decision.

Way too upbeat coming from you
- PhillySportsGuy

RJ played pretty well on the West Coast trip. I was kidding about him getting 3 points, but he's showing some signs of life.

Mason has been pretty damned good all year, I have a lot of confidence in him.

Never been able to figure out motivation behind the trade. Why do you think Hextall moved Hartnell for Umberger.
- spatso

Culture and less years on the contract.

Back in C-Bus!

Mason and Umberger shall triumph magnificently! RJ goes for a goal and 2 assists tonight!
- PLindbergh31

I was thinking a -2 for RJ , but Mason out duels Bob 3-2 Flyers!
They have to win at least 2 of the next 3 games..

Never been able to figure out motivation behind the trade. Why do you think Hextall moved Hartnell for Umberger.
- spatso

Umberger is a better skater and takes less penalties than Hartnell. Obviously, Hartnell is better offensively...

Never been able to figure out motivation behind the trade. Why do you think Hextall moved Hartnell for Umberger.
- spatso

Length of contracts ... But IMO he could have got a better deal. Will never know...but Umberger has been a big disappointment

I was thinking a -2 for RJ , but Mason out duels Bob 3-2 Flyers!
They have to win at least 2 of the next 3 games..
- 3flyerkids

One thing you can guarantee, it will be the same lineup as in LA. Ba-Ba Roobey never changes the lineup after a win.

I predict a flyers loss, firing of Berube, hiring of McLean all within 24hrs.

Will probably turn out for the best in the end for you guys.

I predict a flyers loss, firing of Berube, hiring of McLean all within 24hrs.

Will probably turn out for the best in the end for you guys.
- Cloud

Plus Stamkos and Hedman for The Schenns and a 2nd.

Never been able to figure out motivation behind the trade. Why do you think Hextall moved Hartnell for Umberger.
- spatso

Length on the contracts mostly but possibly Berube didn't like Hartnell. We have to remember too that Hartnell had just an ok year last year and was awful the year before but he still had 5 years left on his deal with a $4.75m cap hit. He was an albatross like Umberger is now although Umberger has been worse. Still, my point is that a lot of fans seem to think Hartnell could have fetched a top prospect and/or first round pick which is not the case. Not many teams would be lining up to take on that deal without giving a bad one of their own i.e. Umberger.

RJ played pretty well on the West Coast trip. I was kidding about him getting 3 points, but he's showing some signs of life.

Mason has been pretty damned good all year, I have a lot of confidence in him.
- PLindbergh31

As do the zombies in walking dead, but you don't see them being contributing members of society. Sorry, i'm just so turned off by RJ. I was a big fan of him during his first stint here, and now hearing his name will only be a harbinger of depression for me.

One thing you can guarantee, it will be the same lineup as in LA. Ba-Ba Roobey never changes the lineup after a win.
- PLindbergh31

Any relation to Fa Fa Flooey?

Length on the contracts mostly but possibly Berube didn't like Hartnell. We have to remember too that Hartnell had just an ok year last year and was awful the year before but he still had 5 years left on his deal with a $4.75m cap hit. He was an albatross like Umberger is now although Umberger has been worse. Still, my point is that a lot of fans seem to think Hartnell could have fetched a top prospect and/or first round pick which is not the case. Not many teams would be lining up to take on that deal without giving a bad one of their own i.e. Umberger.
- NickTheKid87

Also, any guy with his looks who can bag a chic like Sheena Parveen is OK in my book!!!!

Never been able to figure out motivation behind the trade. Why do you think Hextall moved Hartnell for Umberger.
- spatso

I think it had more to do with how power forwards decline as they get older and wanting to get out from under Hartnell's contract.

I don't think Hextall was thinking "I've GOT to have RJ Umberger". RJ is a known quantity, but I doubt he was the target of the acquisition as much as he was the penalty for CBJ assuming Hartnell's contract.

Length on the contracts mostly but possibly Berube didn't like Hartnell. We have to remember too that Hartnell had just an ok year last year and was awful the year before but he still had 5 years left on his deal with a $4.75m cap hit. He was an albatross like Umberger is now although Umberger has been worse. Still, my point is that a lot of fans seem to think Hartnell could have fetched a top prospect and/or first round pick which is not the case. Not many teams would be lining up to take on that deal without giving a bad one of their own i.e. Umberger.
- NickTheKid87

I don't think anyone believes that. I feel the Flyers could have dumped him for a mid round pick without taking back an awful player like Umberger

I don't think anyone believes that. I feel the Flyers could have dumped him for a mid round pick without taking back an awful player like Umberger
- PhillySportsGuy

I'm not sure. I think they had to get a somewhat bad contract in return or else eat some of Hartnell's. I also think Hextall wanted a roster player which would make sense. I don't think anyone could have predicted Umberger would be the train wreck we've seen most of the season though. Either way, Hartnell did not have a very friendly deal and I think that fact gets lost often.