Larry Brooks says on twitter tht Ryan McDonagh's 6 year extension is at $4.7mm a year

Wbere's a great player with an albatross of a contract. No thanks.
- Jsaquella

He also doesn't wear a visor. I'm happy for him to stay in Nashville for the rest of his career.

Combined with the cost to acquire, to me it's a non consideration. A blown out knee or eye injury, and they'd be (frank)ed.
- Jsaquella

In my opinion, you just can't operate on those hypothetical "what if's" If you have a chance to acquire a dominating franchise defenseman, you can't let those contract concerns stop you. By that philosophy, they shouldn't have re-signed Giroux to an 8 year deal.

I would disagree. Not sure how you can proclaim a team that is coming off missing the playoffs is better than a team two games from a Championship. There is nice potential with this team, but there is some real concerns. A lot of them revolve around the health. If Meszaros is moved for a bag of pucks, and Grossmann can't stay on the ice there are some legit concerns on the backend.
- PLindbergh31

That team was out of the playoffs 2 years earlier. Then they added pieces like Kimmo, Hartnell, and Briere, who are all (except Briere, and we just replaced him with Vinny Lecavalier which is an upgrade imo) players that still play for this team, and we were back on the playoffs. Then we added Pronger, and we were in the finals, but remember that that same team was 1 shootout away from being a non-playoff team. I think people forget just how close we were to not being a playoff team at all.

If he retires in 2022 or something, the recapture penalty is pretty bad (4M or so, depending on when aquired). But who knows... that may be written out of the next CBA. If it was put in, it could be taken away. If they were to win the cup in the next 10 years, the Flyers could probably care less about recapture though.
- eayost

Also remember that the next CBA might include a couple more CBOs like it did this time.

In my opinion, you just can't operate on those hypothetical "what if's" If you have a chance to acquire a dominating franchise defenseman, you can't let those contract concerns stop you. But that philosophy, they shouldn't have re-signed Giroux to an 8 year deal.
- MJL

There's no cap recapture on Giroux's deal. They also don't have to gut the roster to acquire Giroux.

The contract alone is not the sole consideration. You have to consider the "what ifs" to avoid the costly mistakes the Flyers have made in the past.

Larry Brooks says on twitter tht Ryan McDonagh's 6 year extension is at $4.7mm a year
- Jsaquella

Great deal for the Rags. McDonagh is a hell of a player.

He also doesn't wear a visor. I'm happy for him to stay in Nashville for the rest of his career.
- Feanor

The Weber ship has sailed. If Nashville didn't want to keep him, they wouldn't have matched the offer sheet. They knew what type of pill they were swallowing.

There's no cap recapture on Giroux's deal. They also don't have to gut the roster to acquire Giroux.

The contract alone is not the sole consideration.
- Jsaquella

Giroux was mentioned in replay to your comment of blowing out a knee, or getting a concussion. cap recapture would have nothing to do with an injury situation. As far as gutting the roster, I stated that the cost of acquiring Weber would be the only thing to give me pause.

Nashville aren't paying Weber $27m in one year just to trade him. Let this season play out and once Kimmo and Mezaros are gone, then look at trading for or signing a #1 defenseman.

He also doesn't wear a visor. I'm happy for him to stay in Nashville for the rest of his career.
- Feanor

Does anyone else actually see this as a major negative on him? We've lost our #1 before due lack of a visor, and if we sold the farm to get a new #1, it would suck to lose him like that.

The Weber ship has sailed. If Nashville didn't want to keep him, they wouldn't have matched the offer sheet. They knew what type of pill they were swallowing.
- PLindbergh31

Yeah, after the massive down payment they made on him, I'd think they want to squeeze all the hockey out of him that they can.

Giroux was mentioned in replay to your comment of blowing out a knee, or getting a concussion. cap recapture would have nothing to do with an injury situation. As far as gutting the roster, I stated that the cost of acquiring Weber would be the only thing to give me pause.
- MJL

If the Giroux suffered a career ending injury, he could retire, come off the cap and not be a LTIR case for a decade. IF Weber had a career ending injury, he's either a 13 year Pronger, or a cap recapture deadspace for 13 years.

Nashville aren't paying Weber $27m in one year just to trade him.
- Feanor

You could also spin that argument and say that that contract is killing them and they'd be more willing to move it since it's costing them such a ridiculous sum of money in such a short amount of time. Remember that they're a smaller market team and have less money then we do.

Nashville aren't paying Weber $27m in one year just to trade him.
- Feanor

Agreed. Although you wouldn't think a franchise would pay 40 million to a goaltender and cut him loose after a year and a half either.

Nashville aren't paying Weber $27m in one year just to trade him. Let this season play out and once Kimmo and Mezaros are gone, then look at trading for or signing a #1 defenseman.
- Feanor

That's the other thing....why would Nashville pay him $27mm over the space of a year and then trade him?

Does anyone else actually see this as a major negative on him? We've lost our #1 before due lack of a visor, and if we sold the farm to get a new #1, it would suck to lose him like that.
- JAKEw1234

I don't know about major negative, but after Marc Staal's eye injury against us this year I see visorless players, especially defensemen and front of the net forwards, to be slightly but significantly more risky.

All of these defensemen coming up is a good sign.

Part of the problem, also, has been the Flyers' unwillingness to give a chance to young defensemen.

They were forced to finally give guys like Gus, Lauridsen, et al, a bigger bite of the apple due to injuries.

I'm pretty sure I've seen Bourdon buried on this web site as an ECHL talent at one point, yet he surprised everyone with his play when he was asked to come in before his concussion problems.

Developing a defenseman is like developing a pitcher. Sometimes, you won't know how they're going to react until you put them into a position and see. You have to live with growing up pains and watch how they react to adversity.

Agreed. Although you wouldn't think a franchise would pay 40 million to a goaltender and cut him loose after a year and a half either.
- PLindbergh31

Weber played at a high level, Bryzgalov didn't.

Nashville aren't paying Weber $27m in one year just to trade him. Let this season play out and once Kimmo and Mezaros are gone, then look at trading for or signing a #1 defenseman.
- Feanor

My fear is none will be available. Pietrangelo is only spinning in trade rumors because he still needs a contract. That won't be the case next year. It does, though, look like P.K Subban is an RFA next year. I'd much rather have Pietrangelo though.

That's the other thing....why would Nashville pay him $27mm over the space of a year and then trade him?
- Jsaquella

To ensure that they get real NHL players in a deal for him instead of 4 1st round picks that could all be in the 20s.

Not saying that's what they've done, or that they're trading him ever, etc... just saying that's also a possibility.

Weber played at a high level, Bryzgalov didn't.
- Jsaquella

Of course. My comparison was apples and oranges. Not to mention the Flyers and Nashville are in different stratospheres when it comes to financial flexibility as well.

You could also spin that argument and say that that contract is killing them and they'd be more willing to move it since it's costing them such a ridiculous sum of money in such a short amount of time. Remember that they're a smaller market team and have less money then we do.
- JAKEw1234

I think they just paid him his second $13m signing bonus on July 1st.

If they were going to trade him, it should have been at the draft.

I am thrilled MAB is symptom free and back on the ice. Regardless of what he does the rest of his career, I appreciate his work to get back to at least playing. Hopefully, his career will take the Bergeron route get derailed by a concussion for a pretty long time, and be able to resume his career at the NHL level.

I do like our depth with guys being ready, but untested at the NHL level. Besides Gus, guys like MAB, Alt, and Lauridson may just need an opportunity and off their career goes. I would not be shocked if MAB is healthy to make the top 6. Lava played him close to 18 minutes/night and he was in the top 6 against the Pens over the veteran Kubina in Game 1 in the playoffs against the Pens. I look forward to seeing his development in training camp and the preseason.

I think they just paid him his second $13m signing bonus on July 1st.
- Feanor

Ya I was just trying to make a counter argument
This place wouldn't be interesting at all if everyone just agreed with each other