It's about the spirit of the rule. The Offer Sheet in the CBA was never intended to be used as a weapon for the richer teams of the League, to target the poorer teams of the League, to in effect try and force them to give up a top player, due to financial reasons. It is bad for the League as a whole when it is used that way. That is where the hard feelings come from. It's akin to the big kid bullying the weak.
- MJL

What was the intention of the rule then? Not being snarky, just curious to your opinion. Was it pressure from PA so that salaries would escalate for players quicker?

It's about the spirit of the rule. The Offer Sheet in the CBA was never intended to be used as a weapon for the richer teams of the League, to target the poorer teams of the League, to in effect try and force them to give up a top player, due to financial reasons. It is bad for the League as a whole when it is used that way. That is where the hard feelings come from. It's akin to the big kid bullying the weak.
- MJL

i go into this with some amount of trepidation, but here it goes anyway: while I agree with what you are saying re: the spirit of the rule, the flipside is that if a team is put into that situation and loses a player to an offer sheet, because they were unable to reach an agreement with him, another team gives him the deal he wants and they don't match, said team is given adequate consideration in return (both in terms of picks and, in some part, due to the fact that those picks will not cost a lot salary-wise). They know the boundaries of the equation. And make decisions accordingly.

#1 Lava completely mismanaged the goalies during those playoffs. He should have just rode BOB as far as he could. To make the kid a healthy scratch after winning 28 games in the regular season, was just dumb.

#2 The Flyers should have signed Vokoun to a 3 year deal instead of signing Bryz. Him and BOB could have split time that year and BOB could have taken over this past year. If they did that they would be spending under 4 Million on Goalies instead of over 7 like they will be next season (If Bryz isn't bought out of course) With doing that you are not tied to a goalie for a long period of time and BOB would have been under their control for a few more years.

Um, no. When Homer is deserving of criticism in my opinion, I spell out where I think he was wrong.

As far as Bobrovsky goes, I don't blame Holmgren apart from making the decision to re-sign Leighton in the 2010 offseason and the initial plan to enter the following season with him as the starter.

Once that happened, everything else talked about the blog happened.

The GM does not set the lineup in the regular season or the playoffs. The coach does that. The three-headed goaltending monstrosity in the 2011 playoffs was 100 percent Peter Laviolette's doing.

The decision to acquire and sign Bryzgalov at all costs was driven by Ed Snider, with the GM (who had tried to go low-cost in goal in 2009-10 and 2010-11) basically being told "I did it your way the last two years, now we'll do it mine."

When Bryzgalov was signed, Bobrovsky's future in Philly was already over, although it lasted one more season as a backup. If anything, Holmgren should have traded Bobrovsky a year earlier than he did (which I did say in the blog).
- bmeltzer

You write as if it's unprecedented that an organization can keep a young up and coming goalie as a backup even with an expensive starting goalie signed to a long term megadeal. LA signed Quick to a deal even bigger than Bryzgalov's but you don't see them trying to unload Bernier for a couple of 2nd rd picks.

As for Snider telling Holmgren to get Bryz at any cost, it was Holmgren's mistake for not knowing the goalie market, ie, the demand for Bryz amongst his GM colleagues. He outbid himself and way overestimated the goalie demand around the league. Poor job on Holmgren there for way overpaying for Bryzgalov.

#1 Lava completely mismanaged the goalies during those playoffs. He should have just rode BOB as far as he could. To make the kid a healthy scratch after winning 28 games in the regular season, was just dumb.

#2 The Flyers should have signed Vokoun to a 3 year deal instead of signing Bryz. Him and BOB could have split time that year and BOB could have taken over this past year. If they did that they would be spending under 4 Million on Goalies instead of over 7 like they will be next season (If Bryz isn't bought out of course) With doing that you are not tied to a goalie for a long period of time and BOB would have been under their control for a few more years.
- Jimmygrazz

Also from what I remember, I don't think there were too many teams lining up to sign Bryz to that amount of time and scratch. It was almost as if the Flyers were bidding against themselves.

It was almost as if the Flyers were bidding against themselves.
- MBFlyerfan

Bingo. See my prev post.

Bingo. See my prev post.
- phillydentist

I did, but will disagree on one major point as a difference between LA and Philly. LA was not right up against the cap like Philly was, so they could afford to keep Bernier for a little while longer while waiting for the right deal.

Lots of Bryz quotes being bandied about on Twitter today.

http://www.philly.com/phi...thenticate=y#signInAnchor

By my count, there are only 11 such No. 1 defensemen in the NHL. My list (in no particular order): Weber, Suter, Duncan Keith, Brian Campbell, Drew Doughty, Zdeno Chara, Erik Karlsson, Keith Yandle, Mike Green, Dustin Byfuglien, Kris Letang. Whether you'd like to include Jay Bouwmeester, Dion Phaneuf or even Jack Johnson is your prerogative.

How does this guy have a job?

What was the intention of the rule then? Not being snarky, just curious to your opinion. Was it pressure from PA so that salaries would escalate for players quicker?
- flyguy12

To make a fair and reasonable offer to another team's restricted Free Agent. It's one of the reasons why the League has had to put in all the rules about contract length, and the structure of contracts, etc.

How does this guy have a job?
- MBFlyerfan

It's not so much the names he tacked on as the ones he omitted: Subban, Pietrangelo, Boyle, Ekman-Larsson, Kronwall, Edler, Enstrom are all in that realm.

i go into this with some amount of trepidation, but here it goes anyway: while I agree with what you are saying re: the spirit of the rule, the flipside is that if a team is put into that situation and loses a player to an offer sheet, because they were unable to reach an agreement with him, another team gives him the deal he wants and they don't match, said team is given adequate consideration in return (both in terms of picks and, in some part, due to the fact that those picks will not cost a lot salary-wise). They know the boundaries of the equation. And make decisions accordingly.
- wilsonecho91

I wouldn't consider it adequate compensation. Those picks aren't a guarantee of anything. It it was adequat compensation, Nashville would have declined ot match.

Agree. I'm not a Bryz hater, but I'm far from a lover. It was a desperate, emotional move driven by the owner. Probably one of the reasons Snider has given Homer and Lavi some slack.
- flyguy12

most def

I wouldn't consider it adequate compensation. Those picks aren't a guarantee of anything. It it was adequat compensation, Nashville would have declined ot match.
- MJL

Well in that case, then nothing is adequate in any trade. You can't guarantee performance, especially with the vast variables in hockey. Obviously there is risk, but 4 1st round picks? For one player? Sure you can't guarantee anything, but that goes both ways. Just look at Pronger. I'd rather have Lupul, Sbisa and who did they draft with those 2 1st's? Fowler and ??

You've obviously never been to a game in Nashville.
- jmatchett383

no, but i heard it can be terrific. i do question the L-T viability of the franchise however, because they are hemorrhaging $$.

What was the intention of the rule then? Not being snarky, just curious to your opinion. Was it pressure from PA so that salaries would escalate for players quicker?
- flyguy12

Liquidity... there has to be a release mechanism for when teams and restricted players reach an impasse in negotiations, otherwise you have artificially depressed salaries, or a lot of players holding out for more money, or both. Arbitration is the other release valve.

However, the NHL market is so clogged up by notions of higher principle and code that the offer-sheet system has been completely undermined and the only ones that stand a chance are the poison pills that drive up salaries.

Isles
Blues.
- flyguy12

yes

You write as if it's unprecedented that an organization can keep a young up and coming goalie as a backup even with an expensive starting goalie signed to a long term megadeal. LA signed Quick to a deal even bigger than Bryzgalov's but you don't see them trying to unload Bernier for a couple of 2nd rd picks.

As for Snider telling Holmgren to get Bryz at any cost, it was Holmgren's mistake for not knowing the goalie market, ie, the demand for Bryz amongst his GM colleagues. He outbid himself and way overestimated the goalie demand around the league. Poor job on Holmgren there for way overpaying for Bryzgalov.
- phillydentist

You forget that the KHL was tossing around money that year and the previous one. He wasn't just bidding against NHL GMs. That's what happened the prior year with Nabokov.

Also from what I remember, I don't think there were too many teams lining up to sign Bryz to that amount of time and scratch. It was almost as if the Flyers were bidding against themselves.
- MBFlyerfan

they were and vokoun's fate that yr is proof, because they were rated very closely. homer could have used the leverage from the buyer's mkt then to make a better deal w/ more favorable cap hit/term.

yes
- Don'tForgetTocchet

No...

Broons
Hawks


And it will be fabulous.

L. Schenn from M. Read w/ Simmonds screening in front. Not bad

No...

Broons
Hawks


And it will be fabulous.
- mayorofangrytown

yuck what is wrong with you

L. Schenn from M. Read w/ Simmonds screening in front. Not bad
- wilsonecho91

was that really schenn? nice

yuck what is wrong with you
- Don'tForgetTocchet

At least he didn't say Pens.

yuck what is wrong with you
- Don'tForgetTocchet

Diabetes and dramatic hair loss?

I'm a little over weight too.