They aren't a team they lacks skill, or speed, or size. They're arguably the most stacked team in the league at this moment. They're problem is maturity, discipline, team play, and a commitment from forwards to play D. They're problems all stem from poor coaching. Imagine how utterly unstoppable the Penguins would be if they had a coach like Joel Queenville, Mike Babcock, Claude Julien, or Darryl Sutter. It wouldn't be fair. The best teams in the league are the best teams in the league because they have both an A class roster and an elite caliber coach. The Penguins are a good example of what you get with the A class roster but without the A class coach.
- JAKEw1234

Honestly, there is one ingredient that you're missing from that formula. The players as a whole, have to buy in to what that class A Coach is telling them to do. Malkin, Crosby, Neal etc. have to buy in and set an example and lead.

Couldn't agree more. The Cap blows. Not to mention it doesn't do what it is intended to do.
- MJL

There isn't more parity in the league? And that's an honest question. I've always thought the idea was to create more parity in the league.

I wonder what Jarome Iginla is thinking right now, since he spurned Boston in favor of Pittsburgh when he was traded.
- johndewar

I laugh at him every time he is on the ice, he thought he could pick a winner and now hes getting is a$$ kicked by the team he snubbed

There isn't more parity in the league? And that's an honest question. I've always thought the idea was to create more parity in the league.
- GirouxForTheShow

I think parity is just the window dressing they hide behind. It's really about the financial side of it. And it worked so well that it put the League into a 4 month long lockout.

Honestly, there is one ingredient that you're missing from that formula. The players as a whole, have to buy in to what that class A Coach is telling them to do. Malkin, Crosby, Neal etc. have to buy in and set an example and lead.
- MJL

I watched their PP. All (mostly left handed) snipers hanging in the periphery.
No Simmonds type giving Rask grief in the crease.
And then the stars stay on the ice nearly the full 2 minutes, and looked gassed the next couple of shifts.

He also missed big time with Esposito and took Jordan Staal over J. Toews.

Also not a fan of his trade deadline moves, especially this year. The Guerin one a few years ago seemed to work, but otherwise, meh.
- bradleyc4

Same draft, Dean Lombardi passed on Giroux.

Twice.

Jake Score-a-cek says hello
- Marc D

Ha! I forgot about him, but tell him I said hello -- that guy absolutely has panned out. He definitely gets to stay!

That's what I mean by that...we just have to see this through. Maybe Sean Couturier does become some kind of....Rod Brind'Amour/Keith Primeau type. Maybe Brayden Schenn does become a 55-65 point center, a consistent 25-goal scorer.

I just would give those guys every opportunity to do that, and then some.

He's landed some promising first rounders, Bennett, Despres, Morrow, Maatta
- Jsaquella

You missed Pouliot. Murray and Bennett... ehn, I guess we'll see. Harrington could be something and maybe I'm just being a Pens hater but Maatta leaves me empty. I have no idea why. Every time I see him he's like nothing out there.

I wonder what Jarome Iginla is thinking right now, since he spurned Boston in favor of Pittsburgh when he was traded.
- johndewar

He's thinking of beating Crosby about the head with his cell phone.

I think parity is just the window dressing they hide behind. It's really about the financial side of it. And it worked so well that it put the League into a 4 month long lockout.
- MJL

I have no idea. But I'd think that in the long run parity helps the financial stability of the league, every team would have a reason to draw a crowd. Although again, I have no idea. I wouldn't mind a Luxury tax put in, with an upper limit on that as well.

I laugh at him every time he is on the ice, he thought he could pick a winner and now hes getting is a$$ kicked by the team he snubbed
- mydoglicks

It couldn't be worse than Hossa... switching sides after a Cup Finals loss only to lose to the team he spurned... I don't think I've ever seen a better example of poetic justice.

But then he finally got his Cup against the Flyers... so...

Ha! I forgot about him, but tell him I said hello -- that guy absolutely has panned out. He definitely gets to stay!

That's what I mean by that...we just have to see this through. Maybe Sean Couturier does become some kind of....Rod Brind'Amour/Keith Primeau type. Maybe Brayden Schenn does become a 55-65 point center, a consistent 25-goal scorer.

I just would give those guys every opportunity to do that, and then some.
- AllInForFlyers

Brad mentioned earlier he could see Couts turing into a Patrice Bergeron with his two way shut down play and scoring touch.

If he ever gets there I will be ecstatic, but even Bergeron lite would be great.

Jake V to me is part of the core going forward.

Giroux, Voracek, Schenn brothers (both!) and Couts.

For those who are high on Brayden Schenn, just curious but why?

After a glorious world junior history, I dont see too much.

Choose 1:

'All the Way' May Mortivito

or

Ellen Sue Gotlander
- aightwebang17

I choose celibacy!

For those who are high on Brayden Schenn, just curious but why?

After a glorious world junior history, I dont see too much.
- flyer_nutter

He's 21.

Watch a few games where he played center with Jake Voracek on his wing to see his potential as a 2nd line center.

They traded their captain for him, which is the least valid reason, but still a good enough one to give him some time to develop.

For those who are high on Brayden Schenn, just curious but why?

After a glorious world junior history, I dont see too much.
- flyer_nutter

I'm not worried about him. Schenn's produced at every level he's played at, including pro, which is always a good sign. Plus, a lot of young centers don't hit their stride until their 3rd seasons in the league.

There isn't more parity in the league? And that's an honest question. I've always thought the idea was to create more parity in the league.
- GirouxForTheShow

Since the Cap kicked in for real in 2007 8 teams from each Conference made it to the Conference finals. 28 chances - 16 teams.

In the West Det, Chi, SJ and LA have gone 10 of the 14 times.

In the East Pit, Phl, and Bos have occupied half the possible championship spots.

6 teams have gone on to make 17 of the possible 28 Conference finals appearances.

5 of those teams have won the CUP in 6 of the 7 years with one of them is destined to win it this season. In 2007 Anaheim won it.

Of course the Flyers are the lone exception.

If you look at the teams in those seasons who missed the playoffs you'll see the same trend with 5 0r 6 teams missing out year after year.

The Cap doesn't look like it's brought parity to me.

For those who are high on Brayden Schenn, just curious but why?

After a glorious world junior history, I dont see too much.
- flyer_nutter

Well he is 21, has good hands, works hard for loose pucks, has pretty good sense in the offensive zone. Pair him with an offensively talented vet like Jagr on the right, and a smart speedy 2 way winger like Read on the left and watch him put up 25-30 goals and 60+ points next season.

And on a related topic, I will also be willing to bet that by the time he is 23, Couturier will be 205-210lbs, and putting up 25+ goals and 60+ points while shutting down the other teams top center night after night.

This is why I have no interest in moving either of these kids unless a Weber or Pietrangelo is coming back and I can't see Nashville or St. Louis moving either of them.

I have no idea. But I'd think that in the long run parity helps the financial stability of the league, every team would have a reason to draw a crowd. Although again, I have no idea. I wouldn't mind a Luxury tax put in, with an upper limit on that as well.
- GirouxForTheShow

A luxury tax where the that money is put into profit sharing would make sense. Why prevent the top teams in the League from putting the best product on the ice, that they can?

For those who are high on Brayden Schenn, just curious but why?

After a glorious world junior history, I dont see too much.
- flyer_nutter

There is the obvious talent and physical ability.

Since the Cap kicked in for real in 2007 8 teams from each Conference made it to the Conference finals. 28 chances - 16 teams.

In the West Det, Chi, SJ and LA have gone 10 of the 14 times.

In the East Pit, Phl, and Bos have occupied half the possible championship spots.

6 teams have gone on to make 17 of the possible 28 Conference finals appearances.

5 of those teams have won the CUP in 6 of the 7 years with one of them is destined to win it this season. In 2007 Anaheim won it.

Of course the Flyers are the lone exception.

If you look at the teams in those seasons who missed the playoffs you'll see the same trend with 5 0r 6 teams missing out year after year.

The Cap doesn't look like it's brought parity to me.
- mayorofangrytown

You're talking the top 8 spots left in the league. There's not more parity in comparison to pre-cap years with regular season numbers and playoff races and such? All I know is salary cap hockey.

I'm not worried about him. Schenn's produced at every level he's played at, including pro, which is always a good sign. Plus, a lot of young centers don't hit their stride until their 3rd seasons in the league.
- Tomahawk

I agree. Expecting a breakout Season from Brayden Schenn. If he's still here.

Trust me, I don't mean that in the way that we're these horrible people who froth at the mouth incessantly...we're fans. We just want to win.

But sometimes, we're not going to. Someone said it yesterday, and it was mentioned again today, that we're into our second rebuild under Paul Holmgren.

I'm honest enough to admit this: I'm not certain the Richards/Carter core was going to beat the Crosby/Malkin core. I don't know that it wouldn't have, because the Flyers had horrific luck with Coburn's eye injury and Timonen's blood clot, so I'm not positive that the Flyers couldn't have beaten them, straight-up, but I'm not certain they could. Know what I mean?

Boston was up on the Flyers 3-0 before they collapsed in 2010. But they flat-out destroyed the Flyers in 2011 -- that was men against boys in every way. I've never seen the Flyers get physically dominated like they were that series. They absolutely KILLED us. So it could easily be argued that the Flyers were behind the Bruins, too.

So when the Flyers traded Richards and Carter, I was as shocked, as stunned, as anyone. I literally stared at the screen for five minutes when it was on TSN.ca.

But then I thought about it, and it was the honest truth: The Flyers had taken four shots, four legitimate shots, at the Cup with that core. They lost twice to the Pens, once to a stacked Blackhawks team, once to the the B's...who were in the same youth cycle we were. They weren't going away.

So, what to do? Should we have stood pat? Or do you shuffle the deck?

I don't know which answer I would have chosen. I'm not certain. I don't know, to this day.

But I can understand why the Flyers did it. I can understand what they're trying to do now. If they blow up this core right now, or even after next year....what was the point?

Peter Laviolette isn't a perfect coach. Far from it. But it's clear that the players are still listening AT THIS POINT. They responded to him down the stretch, didn't fold.

With that in mind, knowing that Laviolette is capable of winning big, I just have to hope that for once, this organization and fanbase recognizes that right now, we are -- or should be -- married to three players: Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier and Brayden Schenn.

We need Claude Giroux to be the player he is: A Top 10 player in the entire league.

And we need both Sean Couturier and Brayden Schenn to develop for us, to maximize their potential. Not so we can keep the forever, but so we don't sell low on them, not get enough return, then watch them excel elsewhere AND not see the reward that came with us rebuilding on the fly.

Trust me -- I know you know this. I know the vast majority of people who post here know this. It's why I started posting here -- the people here are honestly rational. Even if I don't agree with someone, or vice versa, the people here are rational.

But we're married to this rebuild. We have to be. We have to see this through. If we're lucky, and if Paul Holmgren does his job and these players HOPEFULLY develop...we have to be able to give them multiple shots at winning this thing.

I just feel so strongly that we have to see this through. We can't sell low on Couturier or Schenn. We just can't.
- AllInForFlyers

I am largely-almost 100% in agreement-I just differ on the coach.

I hope he proves me wrong and manages to use last year as a learning experience and be more fluid.

For those who are high on Brayden Schenn, just curious but why?

After a glorious world junior history, I dont see too much.
- flyer_nutter

Because he's shown enough flashes to encourage me that he can be a very good player in the NHL

Because he's shown enough flashes to encourage me that he can be a very good player in the NHL
- Jsaquella

I have much more confidence that Schenn and Couturier will hit their potentials than I ever did with JvR.