meh, LA taught us that once you get into the playoffs anything can happen. If they compete for the playoffs they compete for the cup. They won't be favorites like Chicago, LA, Boston, Pitt, but compete they will.
- JAKEw1234

No offense but that's sooo tired. La was in 3rd spot until last weekend and wound up in 8th. It's nor like la fought and struggled to get in playoffs. The had 90 something points that season. And look at their goaltending and defense. We have nothing lose to that at this point.

Good team defense is important. If they can roll 4 lines, it means they have very good two-way depth.

You can't tell me that the 2013-14 Flyers are less talented than the 2011-12 Devils.
- PhillySportsGuy

The 2011-2012 devils won the cup? Wasn't aware of this. Now we might have the goaltending in mason, but we don't have the talent on d to win a cup. It's just that simple. The d will eventually get exposed it always does. Yes they can play well for stretches but as you move on in playoffs it always gets exposed. Pit last year is good example

Kasper Kapanen @ 2012 Youth Olympic Winter Games

It would. Laughton won't be able to play to the level of Couturier, but he can certainly ease the pain enough to make it worth it to move him for our much, MUCH bigger need. And where do you see him fitting in in the next couple seasons if not on the 3rd line?
- JAKEw1234

I see that thinking as extremely flawed. Laughton doesn't have the upside that Couturier has. And it would take a very good young established player, for me to agree with trading Couturier. And I don't care what number you assign to his line. Call his line #16 for all I care. It's how a player is used, and what he brings to the ice, that matters. Not what line he is on.

I can't use 7 games for Mason but you can cherry pick one month out of two years for Bryz. Ok.I'm not falsely accusing him, I believe he stated repeatedly that he didn't think he was that bad but it seems that every other club thinks he was. Again, either way he had to be bought because of the recapture penalties and by his own admission he stated he was noncommittal about his portrayal of the situation and because of the penalty there should have been no question he needed to be bought and it should have been stated that way.
- lar6767

Apparently you missed the point. The point of using the one month for Bryzgalov was to illustrate to you how a small sample of games doesn't paint a full picture of a player.
Secondly, this statement that every other club thinks he was bad. Let's apply some logic here. Regardless of how good they think Bryzgalov is. Why would teams such as LA, Chicago, Boston, Rangers, have an interest in Bryzgalov? So this idea that every club thinks he is bad, is non sensical. How many teams are actually in the market for a starting goaltender? And exclude the Flyers from that list.
Thirdly, who has argued against the buyout of Bryzgalov?
And last but not least, to get to the meat and potatoes. You are falsely accusing Bill Meltzer. But you're certainly entitled to your opinion. But if you're going to accuse someone of something, back it up. It's easy to access the archives here. And read every statement Bill blogged on Bryzgalov. Provide some direct quotes with links to statements that Bill has made, that shows what you accuse him of. And back it up!

Im not sure of that core can entirely stay intact. If Read plays on the 3rd line this year he'll almost definitely leave for the UFA market next year. Hartnell, as a power forward, is looking at 2 or 3 more years if he's lucky before he begins his decline. Lecavalier obviously will be facing his decline within the next few years. Hopefully the rise in play of Simmonds, Voracek, Schenn, and Coots can make those other negatives seem less so.
- JAKEw1234

Again, it's icetime and how a player is going to be used. If Read plays on the so called 3rd line, that does not ensure that he will almost definitely leave for the UFA market. If he's happy here, and the Flyers approach him with a good offer, why wouldn't he sign an extension. In today's NHL, you need 3 good lines that can score. Plenty of icetime to go around.

The Flyers are 3 lines deep on offense if they don't break out. We were 9th in GF last season with little offense from Couturier, a down season from Hartnell and Briere, and horrible ES stats. Now we've added Lecavalier, and Streit (who imo will, when you also consider Gus, drastically change our ES numbers next year). If they both have breakout years, then we'll be an offensively stacked team. One that competes with the top offenses in the league.
- JAKEw1234

You saw what happened to that offensively stacked Pens team against Boston?

No offense but that's sooo tired. La was in 3rd spot until last weekend and wound up in 8th. It's nor like la fought and struggled to get in playoffs. The had 90 something points that season. And look at their goaltending and defense. We have nothing lose to that at this point.
- SMS4016

In 2010, the Flyers had to win a shootout the last game of the Season to get in the playoffs. They went to the Cup Finals.

This Tiger Squirrel is brought to u by FLYERSROCK!

Couturier would one of the pluses in the first two trades, not the main component, so those aren't even really proposals. They're like saying Toronto would trade Gardiner +++ for Giroux.

And the other proposals are all bad for the Flyers because they have no one to take Couturier's role as the 3C.
- Feanor

1. Giroux
2. Lecavalier
3. Schenn

Kasper Kapanen @ 2012 Youth Olympic Winter Games


- ob18

Samis kid?!

Future flyer!!!

Samis kid?!

Future flyer!!!
- Just5

Not likely unless they land a top 15 pick at the moment he very well could be a top 10 pick at least by next draft.

1. Giroux
2. Lecavalier
3. Schenn
- Richieattack18

Harts-G-Jake
Schenn-Vinny-Simmonds
Talbot-Couts-Read
Rinaldo-Laughton-Hall
Rosehill

Schenn better off as a W. Better W than a C

The 2011-2012 devils won the cup? Wasn't aware of this. Now we might have the goaltending in mason, but we don't have the talent on d to win a cup. It's just that simple. The d will eventually get exposed it always does. Yes they can play well for stretches but as you move on in playoffs it always gets exposed. Pit last year is good example
- SMS4016

Especially in lavas system. It's just not good enough.

Not likely unless they land a top 15 pick at the moment he very well could be a top 10 pick at least by next draft.
- ob18

Hes def entering next years draft? I don't care what we have to do we need to trade up for this kid

Hes def entering next years draft? I don't care what we have to do we need to trade up for this kid
- Just5

He is but I'd probably prefer William Nylander but he'd likely be pushing for #1 overall and yes he is the son of Michael Nylander

He is but I'd probably prefer William Nylander but he'd likely be pushing for #1 overall and yes he is the son of Michael Nylander
- ob18

Id prefer kaspar to be honest

Id prefer kaspar
- Just5

I'd prefer at the moment Sam Reinhardt, Michael dal Colle, Aaron Ekblad, or Roland McKeown

I think jagrs a good fit in nj. Him and Elias are going to be a pain in the ass

You saw what happened to that offensively stacked Pens team against Boston?
- MJL

I saw them get frustrated and turn into little girls when Boston played rough, yes. I didn't see them lose because they're offensively stacked. I like to believe our team has more composure than they do, plus we play a very physical "in your face style" like Boston does. It's how we almost swept them the year before.

I think jagrs a good fit in nj. Him and Elias are going to be a pain in the ass
- Just5

Patrik Elias: 42 G-47 A for 89 points at age 64, with 36 of those goals and 40 of the assists coming against the Flyers. The rest will be against the Rags.

That guy is going to get out of his deathbed to score one more GWG against the Flyers before he passes from this life.

I saw them get frustrated and turn into little girls when Boston played rough, yes. I didn't see them lose because they're offensively stacked. I like to believe our team has more composure than they do, plus we play a very physical "in your face style" like Boston does. It's how we almost swept them the year before.
- JAKEw1234

The Flyers, at least last year's Flyers team. Doesn't play any where near similar to how Boston plays. Not even close. The Flyers would have gotten steamrolled by Boston just as the Pens did. But my point is that, it really doesn't matter how "stacked" you are offensively. If you don't play a hard game in all 3 zones, and compete for the puck all over the ice. It doesn't matter how many offensive stars you supposedly have. If a team like Boston can shut down Crosby and Malkin, then they can do the same to the Flyers. That's the point.

@MJL

In 2 years (in my theoretical fantasy world):
Hartnell - Giroux - Voracek
Schenn - Vinny - Simmonds
Gagne/Talbot - Laughton - Read
Rinaldo - Hall - Talbot/McGinn

In 2 years I think that 3rd line would still be great. Laughton has the potential to fill in Coots's spot on the PK and on the 3rd line. Of course it's not a perfect swap, but would you rather have a 3rd line of Gagne/Talbot - Laughton - Read in 2 years, and also have a suitable replacement for Kimmo? Or would you rather have a 3rd line in 2 years of Gagne/Talbot - Couturier - Read, and still have a gaping hole on defense that Kimmo leaves behind? I think we need to weigh our priorities. We get all these guys (Coots, BSchenn, Laughton) on the basis of best available player/prospect through drafting and trading, so that we'll be able to trade them for what we actually need because they'll hopefully have more value than that Dman we passed up on to get them. Now nobody wants to move those guys for needs, because why? Sentimental connection to the player? I love Coots but if the right deal came along for a #1 Dman I'd trade him in a heartbeat. We have no problems at all with centers. We have a solid 1a and 1b centers for the next few years, even if Coots emerges as an elite talent. We do have a big upcoming problem with defense next offseason, though. My hope is that Coots has an outstanding season, emerges as an elite talent, becomes the bargain player of the whole league for the next 2 years, and he becomes the main part of a trade for a Weber, Pietrangelo, or OEL, instead of just a bargaining chip.

The Flyers, at least last year's Flyers team. Doesn't play any where near similar to how Boston plays. Not even close. The Flyers would have gotten steamrolled by Boston just as the Pens did. But my point is that, it really doesn't matter how "stacked" you are offensively. If you don't play a hard game in all 3 zones, and compete for the puck all over the ice. It doesn't matter how many offensive stars you supposedly have. If a team like Boston can shut down Crosby and Malkin, then they can do the same to the Flyers. That's the point.
- MJL

I wasn't even talking their two-way game there. The topic was purely on their offense. You're talking about a totally different subject than the one I was referring to.

I wasn't even talking their two-way game there. The topic was purely on their offense. You're talking about a totally different subject than the one I was referring to.
- JAKEw1234

Really? I was talking about Hockey. Unless of course Hockey is all about offense. Tampa Bay was 3rd in the League in goals per game. They missed the playoffs.