Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Brind'Amour, Prospect Updates

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Brind'Amour, Prospect Updates
- bmeltzer

Bill - if you were GM: Sanheim or Kapanen?

Bill - if you were GM: Sanheim or Kapanen?
- wilsonecho91

I really liked the Sanheim pick in that spot. Like his upside a lot, and I think he was the second-best all-around draft-eligible D prospect (after Ekblad) by the end of last season.

I'd have been fine if the Flyers picked Kapanen, but I was not surprised that he fell as far in the first round as he did. Prior to the draft, I wrote a blog on why Kapanen might drop significantly.

I really liked the Sanheim pick in that spot. Like his upside a lot, and I think he was the second-best all-around draft-eligible D prospect (after Ekblad) by the end of last season.

I'd have been fine if the Flyers picked Kapanen, but I was not surprised that he fell as far in the first round as he did. Prior to the draft, I wrote a blog on why Kapanen might drop significantly.
- bmeltzer

Great blog! Brindy was always a favorite of mine and I supported the Huricanes in the SCF to see him and Rechi win. It was a glorious sight to see Brindy lift the cup above his head. Very deserving for a player that gave his all, all the time.

As for the game yesterday, I agree with the analysis. Very undisciplined play by the Canadian boys all night, especially after the big hit and resulting injury. Morin had a game to forget and while not the reason they lost was part of it. I also thought Sanheim had the better game of the two and was victumized by 2-1's and playing the PK.

As for the above question, time will obviously tell. However, watching Sanheim play in these current tourney games you can see why he went so high. He is calm, collected and usually makes the smart/safe play or when he adds flash (ie joins the rush or deekes around players at the blue line) it is well calculated. He looked well above Morin in play yesterday if that means anything (only one game). I thought Morin's game against RUS was also sloppy as players got behind him 2 times to generate 2-1's.

Anyways, thanks for the great blog!

Brindy for Primeau.

I always secretly looked up to rod brind'amour as a player when he was a flyer. The guy just didn't quit on anything.

This is interesting: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=459001

I would LOVE to buy all the Flyers games as a package only.

Brindy for Primeau.
- FlyersFirst

I hated the trade at the time, but Primeau came good in 2004 and could have been our second Cup winning captain if not for the team's ridiculous injury toll.

At least one of Morin's penalties yesterday would not be called in the NHL. The refs were calling everything and still lost control of the game.

Brindy was a great player and his workouts were legend. He was another of the many NHL players who came through a small prep school in Wilcox, Saskatchewan, called Notre Dame and played for their team the "Hounds". Wendel Clark, Curtis Joseph, one or both of the Courtnall Brothers came through there. The place is an absolute legend

Read the book about the history of the school and Father Athol Murray, it gives you a better understanding.

At the start, the students used to barnstorm in cars playing sports to raise money. The school is modern and has been for a long while, but it started around the time of the great depression with clapboard shacks where the closest city was Regina Saskatchewan (home of the CHL team now, the Regina Pats)

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Brind'Amour, Prospect Updates
- bmeltzer

Brind'Amour was a great Flyer and some day he will join Lindros, LeClair and Desjardins in the team's HOF, no doubt about it. Fantastic two way forward and team guy, provided scoring and great at the faceoff dot. I was very happy he managed to get a Stanley Cup with Carolina.

Also pretty happy with the Sanheim pick. I think he's going to be a really good defenseman for the Flyers. Like Morin, they'll need to be patient with him, but patience will yield some very good results.

Per Ren Lavoie on twitter, Ryan White's salary is $575K NHL, $250K AHL

Per Ren Lavoie on twitter, Ryan White's salary is $575K NHL, $250K AHL
- Jsaquella

Thank you for posting this. That is the league minimum and to put it into perspective, Rinaldo makes $750K or $175K more.

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Cap savings if Rinaldo is gone in place of White. Not much but it does represent a small (very) amount of cap space savings and it gets rid of a player I have lost faith in.

The real question is, who is going to make the team better? Perhaps we see in training camp/preseason. But if you look at the fact that Rinaldo has wanted to play the PK and not succeeded and White has had success there, you might be inclined to say White. Of course, mix of the team, coaches preference and their play should resolve this debate. I just hope they are not both on the team. As posted yesterday, a line of Rosehill-White-Rinaldo is the most frustrating thought I could have.

I hated the trade at the time, but Primeau came good in 2004 and could have been our second Cup winning captain if not for the team's ridiculous injury toll.

At least one of Morin's penalties yesterday would not be called in the NHL. The refs were calling everything and still lost control of the game.
- Feanor

The reffing in that game was ridiculous. Both of Morin's roughing penalties should have been both him and the other player going to the box. The slashes were undisciplined, but I understand the frustration from the Canadians after the hit on Fabbri.

I thought Morin had a better game than Sanheim if you take the penalties away. He actually played a good defensive game besides that.

I always thought Brind"Amour should have been named captain ahead of Lindros. It was just Lindros was a freak of nature and I think Brind'Amour was easier to relate to. Vinny Prospal said as much, that he looked to Brind'Amour as his role model in his early Flyer days.

Brindy for Primeau.
- FlyersFirst

Brindy was my original favorite Flyer... You just had to love everything about the way he played... And dat face!

That trade was so incredibly unnecessary... Clarke could be a bit of an idealist, with his obsession with finding a matching body to 88... Zubrus, Gratton and Primeau (and lusting after Antropov).

Brind'Amour will always be on my list of favorite Flyers. Great work ethic and always left it all on the ice.

Not that it matters, and maybe I'm remembering it wrong, but wasn't he an add-on to that '92 ASG because the home team had to be represented? I'm fairly certain he wasn't there by popular vote.

Brind'Amour will always be on my list of favorite Flyers. Great work ethic and always left it all on the ice.

Not that it matters, and maybe I'm remembering it wrong, but wasn't he an add-on to that '92 ASG because the home team had to be represented? I'm fairly certain he wasn't there by popular vote.
- tangent_man

I'm pretty sure that was when they were still requiring at least one player from each team be in the game.

I'm pretty sure that was when they were still requiring at least one player from each team be in the game.
- BiggE

I believe you're right.

So, cause once again I have time to kill at work...My 10 favorite Flyers of all time. Please feel free to post yours in response.

This is a lot more fun than discussing advanced stats, Rinaldo vs White, or whether to rush D prospects!!


1. Bernie Parent
I had both the "Only the Lord Saves More than Parent" bumper sticker and 2 Bernie posters on my bedroom wall! He was my first favorite Flyer and he is still #1 in my heart. I cried when he was forced to retire. He will always be the measuring stick for all Flyers goalies.

2. Tim Kerr
The big guy had the quickest release on his shot that I ever saw and I wore his jersey to hundreds of games. There is no doubt in my mind that he would have scored 500+ goals if he could have stayed healthy. He needs to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame too!

3. Mark Howe
Watching Howe play was like watching a living lesson on how to play hockey not only the right way, but the perfect way. I honestly cannot remember watching Howe make a bad play. The Flyers could sure use a guy like him today!

4. Bobby Clarke
Hustle personified! Clarke just worked harder than anyone else on the ice and as a kid I just loved to watch him work! If every player on the current roster worked as hard as Clarke, they'd be a contender.

5. Eric Desjardins
Another guy who always played the game the right way and rarely made a mistake. He was the backbone of the mid to late 90s Flyers.

6. Paul Holmgren
I used to love watching a scrum start on the ice, then Holmgren would skate over and just like that, the other team usually lost any interest in fighting. His stare alone could intimidate most of the league. What some people often forget though, was that Holmgren was also a very good 2 way winger who played through some terrible and painful injuries to have a very nice career.

7. Kimmo Timonen
Just get well soon, Kimmo! The little Finnish warrior plays like he's 6'4 220! He plays well in every situation and is always the guy you want on the ice in the last minute of a period or game. If his career is over, he will be sorely missed!

8. Dave Poulin
Poulin was the perfect choice to follow Clarke as captain of the Flyers. He simply oozed class both on and off the ice and when it came to playing through pain, no one did it any better than Poulin. Mark Howe was the best pure player of the Keenan era and Kerr the most dangerous weapon, but Poulin was truly the heart and soul of that club. Trading him for a washed up Ken Linseman was one of the worst deals Clarke ever made as GM.

9. Andre "Moose" Dupont
As a kid, I thought the "Moose shuffle" was just hilarious. Dupont seemed to always score big goals and was nasty customer on D. He was also a very solid, top 4 guy on a team that won back to back Stanley Cups. Moose, perhaps more than anyone, personified the colorfulness of the Broad Street Bullies.

10. Rod Brind'amour
Another guy who gave 110% each and every shift, Brind'amour was a treat to watch. I'm still ticked off that they traded him, he should have finished his career in Philly!!

Just missed the cut:
Bill Barber
Pelle Lindbergh
Brad Marsh
Ron Hextall
Sean Couturier

Your turn!

So, cause once again I have time to kill at work...My 10 favorite Flyers of all time. Please feel free to post yours in response.

This is a lot more fun than discussing advanced stats, Rinaldo vs White, or whether to rush D prospects!!


1. Bernie Parent
I had both the "Only the Lord Saves More than Parent" bumper sticker and 2 Bernie posters on my bedroom wall! He was my first favorite Flyer and he is still #1 in my heart. I cried when he was forced to retire. He will always be the measuring stick for all Flyers goalies.

2. Tim Kerr
The big guy had the quickest release on his shot that I ever saw and I wore his jersey to hundreds of games. There is no doubt in my mind that he would have scored 500+ goals if he could have stayed healthy. He needs to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame too!

3. Mark Howe
Watching Howe play was like watching a living lesson on how to play hockey not only the right way, but the perfect way. I honestly cannot remember watching Howe make a bad play. The Flyers could sure use a guy like him today!

4. Bobby Clarke
Hustle personified! Clarke just worked harder than anyone else on the ice and as a kid I just loved to watch him work! If every player on the current roster worked as hard as Clarke, they'd be a contender.

5. Eric Desjardins
Another guy who always played the game the right way and rarely made a mistake. He was the backbone of the mid to late 90s Flyers.

6. Paul Holmgren
I used to love watching a scrum start on the ice, then Holmgren would skate over and just like that, the other team usually lost any interest in fighting. His stare alone could intimidate most of the league. What some people often forget though, was that Holmgren was also a very good 2 way winger who played through some terrible and painful injuries to have a very nice career.

7. Kimmo Timonen
Just get well soon, Kimmo! The little Finnish warrior plays like he's 6'4 220! He plays well in every situation and is always the guy you want on the ice in the last minute of a period or game. If his career is over, he will be sorely missed!

8. Dave Poulin
Poulin was the perfect choice to follow Clarke as captain of the Flyers. He simply oozed class both on and off the ice and when it came to playing through pain, no one did it any better than Poulin. Mark Howe was the best pure player of the Keenan era and Kerr the most dangerous weapon, but Poulin was truly the heart and soul of that club. Trading him for a washed up Ken Linseman was one of the worst deals Clarke ever made as GM.

9. Andre "Moose" Dupont
As a kid, I thought the "Moose shuffle" was just hilarious. Dupont seemed to always score big goals and was nasty customer on D. He was also a very solid, top 4 guy on a team that won back to back Stanley Cups. Moose, perhaps more than anyone, personified the colorfulness of the Broad Street Bullies.

10. Rod Brind'amour
Another guy who gave 110% each and every shift, Brind'amour was a treat to watch. I'm still ticked off that they traded him, he should have finished his career in Philly!!

Just missed the cut:
Bill Barber
Pelle Lindbergh
Brad Marsh
Ron Hextall
Sean Couturier

Your turn!
- BiggE

Totally agree about Kerr. One of the most underrated players of all time. You never here his name mentioned outside of Flyer fans, but he should be in the Hall of Fame without a doubt.

So, cause once again I have time to kill at work...My 10 favorite Flyers of all time. Please feel free to post yours in response.

This is a lot more fun than discussing advanced stats, Rinaldo vs White, or whether to rush D prospects!!


1. Bernie Parent
I had both the "Only the Lord Saves More than Parent" bumper sticker and 2 Bernie posters on my bedroom wall! He was my first favorite Flyer and he is still #1 in my heart. I cried when he was forced to retire. He will always be the measuring stick for all Flyers goalies.

2. Tim Kerr
The big guy had the quickest release on his shot that I ever saw and I wore his jersey to hundreds of games. There is no doubt in my mind that he would have scored 500+ goals if he could have stayed healthy. He needs to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame too!

3. Mark Howe
Watching Howe play was like watching a living lesson on how to play hockey not only the right way, but the perfect way. I honestly cannot remember watching Howe make a bad play. The Flyers could sure use a guy like him today!

4. Bobby Clarke
Hustle personified! Clarke just worked harder than anyone else on the ice and as a kid I just loved to watch him work! If every player on the current roster worked as hard as Clarke, they'd be a contender.

5. Eric Desjardins
Another guy who always played the game the right way and rarely made a mistake. He was the backbone of the mid to late 90s Flyers.

6. Paul Holmgren
I used to love watching a scrum start on the ice, then Holmgren would skate over and just like that, the other team usually lost any interest in fighting. His stare alone could intimidate most of the league. What some people often forget though, was that Holmgren was also a very good 2 way winger who played through some terrible and painful injuries to have a very nice career.

7. Kimmo Timonen
Just get well soon, Kimmo! The little Finnish warrior plays like he's 6'4 220! He plays well in every situation and is always the guy you want on the ice in the last minute of a period or game. If his career is over, he will be sorely missed!

8. Dave Poulin
Poulin was the perfect choice to follow Clarke as captain of the Flyers. He simply oozed class both on and off the ice and when it came to playing through pain, no one did it any better than Poulin. Mark Howe was the best pure player of the Keenan era and Kerr the most dangerous weapon, but Poulin was truly the heart and soul of that club. Trading him for a washed up Ken Linseman was one of the worst deals Clarke ever made as GM.

9. Andre "Moose" Dupont
As a kid, I thought the "Moose shuffle" was just hilarious. Dupont seemed to always score big goals and was nasty customer on D. He was also a very solid, top 4 guy on a team that won back to back Stanley Cups. Moose, perhaps more than anyone, personified the colorfulness of the Broad Street Bullies.

10. Rod Brind'amour
Another guy who gave 110% each and every shift, Brind'amour was a treat to watch. I'm still ticked off that they traded him, he should have finished his career in Philly!!

Just missed the cut:
Bill Barber
Pelle Lindbergh
Brad Marsh
Ron Hextall
Sean Couturier

Your turn!
- BiggE

Big E, where is Big E?

Big E, where is Big E?
- PLindbergh31

I think if you look at why he named reach player a top 10 to him then you see it is not about freakish skills to him but about 'playing the right way' and other intangibles. Don't mean to speak for him but just my observation.

I thought the same thing BTW and Lindros would be in my top 10 (mostly due to my age).

And of course his name really makes it confusing

Big E, where is Big E?
- PLindbergh31

While he was great as a player and I loved to watch him play, he wasn't one of my all time personal favorites. I guess the whole superstar/drama/mama's boy thing just kind of rubbed me the wrong way. However would be neck and neck with Clarke on my list of best Flyers players of all time!

I think if you look at why he named reach player a top 10 to him then you see it is not about freakish skills to him but about 'playing the right way' and other intangibles. Don't mean to speak for him but just my observation.

I thought the same thing BTW and Lindros would be in my top 10 (mostly due to my age).

And of course his name really makes it confusing
- coffee junkie

LOL
The BiggE name actually has nothing to do with Lindros, it's a nickname given to me by a co-worker many, many years ago!

Your turn!
- BiggE

1. Simon Gagne
2. Mikael Renberg
3. Rod Brind'amour
4. Claude Giroux
5. Mike Richards
6. Shjon Podein
7. Eric Desjardins
8. Wayne Simmonds
9. Justin Williams
10. Antero Nittymaki