If Schneider were already carrying the load in Vancouver, I'd agree with you. It's a risk for both sides made riskier (in hindsight) by Kovalchuk's departure.

That said, Schneider will probably be Marty 2.0 and limit the Flyers to a -1.25 goals against average.
- johndewar

I have a much worse feeling that Joacim Eriksson wins 5 Vezina's with Vancouver. I'll agree that the Flyers have no idea how to handle young goalies, but I don't think many people would be eager to trade a top-10 pick in a deep draft for a player who just lost his first shot at being a starter, so I can't fault them there.

I have a much worse feeling that Joacim Eriksson wins 5 Vezina's with Vancouver. I'll agree that the Flyers have no idea how to handle young goalies, but I don't think many people would be eager to trade a top-10 pick in a deep draft for a player who just lost his first shot at being a starter, so I can't fault them there.
- jmatchett383

I agree. Maybe it works out for Jersey, but it's really not like that deal is a total slam dunk "gotta do it".

The price might have been low relative to what Vancouver could have gotten at the TDL, but it's not like Lou shipped off a bag of pucks and some old New Jersey Transit tickets for Schneider (a guy who may not capable of playing 65 games a year).

I firmly believe that his play wasn't all that spectacular in the playoffs. He looked terrible. But he stopped a lot of shots. His side to side abilities are the worst I've seen in the NHL, his reflexes are like that of a slug.

If someone had given him Adderall we would have won the cup that year. Dude had no concentration what so ever.

I was mad when they picked him up. Mad when they resigned him. Mad when they let him play. And my madness was reinforced when that Kane goal went in.
- Flyersgod

You can feel anyway you'd like and you do have a right to your opinion but how you feel and fact are two very different things. Michael Leighton isn't an NHL goalie but once he caught fire, he was rarely beatable. He was in the zone. I for one am willing to give credit where it's due. During that run, people rarely point out that Leighton only had four dependable NHL defensemanin front of him. So Leighton had to be good. Also to Boucher's credit, he had to be good too by having this disadvantage.

Yep. And that's for a goalie who was given the starting job and lost it to a guy everyone wanted gone. As for Bernier, he's got less than 60 games of NHL experience, so I'm not sure he's gonna live up to the hype.
- jmatchett383

If you recall, so did Bob in 2011.

Never have so many words ever been written about Michael Leighton.

A new World Record?
- bradleyc4

More of a record than watching paint dry.

i've said it before, and i'll say it again, the flyers don't get to the final without leighton. that he stepped in for an injured boucher literally his first game back on the bench after missing almost 2 months of the end of the year with a high ankle sprain and got them through the boston series is amazing. his play against the habs is undervalued, and he came back to earth against the black hawks. the loss was a team loss there - we've been through this a million times. i'll never solely blame him. again, no leighton, they don't even get there.

in the end, it still (frank)ing sucks.

2014 NHL Entry Draft – Preseason OHL Player Ranking

http://prospects.dobbersp...season-ohl-player-ranking

i've said it before, and i'll say it again, the flyers don't get to the final without leighton. that he stepped in for an injured boucher literally his first game back on the bench after missing almost 2 months of the end of the year with a high ankle sprain and got them through the boston series is amazing. his play against the habs is undervalued, and he came back to earth against the black hawks. the loss was a team loss there - we've been through this a million times. i'll never solely blame him. again, no leighton, they don't even get there.

in the end, it still (frank)ing sucks.
- hammarby31

I agree totally. Sucks the way it ended. But the guy deserves praise, not vilification for his time in a Flyers uniform.

I agree totally. Sucks the way it ended. But the guy deserves praise, not vilification for his time in a Flyers uniform.
- MJL

I'll give credit where it's due: they don't make the playoffs and likely don't beat Boston without him. From there on out...well, SCF aside, I thought it was kinda messed up that he didn't report his injury until after he cashed in. It kinda put the Flyers in a rough spot if not for Bob.

If you recall, so did Bob in 2011.
- missingmike

Bob was the starter until that whole playoff debacle. Schneider lost it 1/3 of the way through a shortened season.

Anyone who says the Flyers would have won the Cup if it wasn't for Leighton is absolutely out of their minds.

Let's not forget Brian Boucher didn't look any better than Leighton in the Finals.

This team was a shootout goal away from missing the playoffs entirely. One overtime goal from being swept by the Bruins. Everything past all of that should be considered icing on the cake.

2014 NHL Entry Draft – Preseason OHL Player Ranking

http://prospects.dobbersp...season-ohl-player-ranking
- ob18

who are we picking first over all

Anyone who says the Flyers would have won the Cup if it wasn't for Leighton is absolutely out of their minds.

Let's not forget Brian Boucher didn't look any better than Leighton in the Finals.

This team was a shootout goal away from missing the playoffs entirely. One overtime goal from being swept by the Bruins. Everything past all of that should be considered icing on the cake.
- KGBflyers10

come on man what nhl goalie loses the SCF on a terrible goal like that?

I'll give credit where it's due: they don't make the playoffs and likely don't beat Boston without him. From there on out...well, SCF aside, I thought it was kinda messed up that he didn't report his injury until after he cashed in. It kinda put the Flyers in a rough spot if not for Bob.
- jmatchett383

I personally don't know enough about the situation. And I don't know that Leighton purposely withheld any injury information from the Flyers, in order to sign a new contract.

Does anyone else have a concern with the addition of Lecavalier means the Flyers have 3 natural playmakers and no true goal scorers? I think they really could use Gagne this year.
- tk71

What does a fading Gagne have to do with addressing the lack of true goal scorers?

Imho, yes, it was a low price to pay. Going by the "bird in the hand" theory, a known quantity - Schneider - is worth much more than a draftee.
- Scoob

Known quantity? Schneider has fewer than 100 NHL games under his belt at age 27. Hardly a known quantity, despite the excellent numbers to date.

Can I just say this has been the WORST off season ever for me?
Sun one of my other dogs died. He'd been sick for months and he went into a full system collapse Sun night. And my uncle died last week. I almost flew back to Texas for the service but last minute didn't. Which is good or the fiancee would have had to deal with our dieing dog without me there and my guilt would have been so much worse.
So in the last 3 weeks I've lost 2 of my dogs, and my uncle. The angel of death can keep on walking please... (like on to Leighton's NHL career) I don't think I can take much more.

Hopefully I'll be back for some witty banter soon. I'm in shock if you want the truth...
- FlyersGrace

Sorry to hear about all the sadness of late. Deepest condolences to you on your losses.

I personally don't know enough about the situation. And I don't know that Leighton purposely withheld any injury information from the Flyers, in order to sign a new contract.
- MJL

Well, Leighton himself said the injury had been nagging him since the playoffs.

"I first felt [the bulging disc] in playoffs last year,” Leighton said. “I gave it time to settle down, and obviously it was injured and it never really went away. So when I was working out in the summer and doing activities it was flaring up."

I just wish he would have had the team look at it before signing the "big" deal.

Well, Leighton himself said the injury had been nagging him since the playoffs.

"I first felt
- jmatchett383[the bulging disc] in playoffs last year,” Leighton said. “I gave it time to settle down, and obviously it was injured and it never really went away. So when I was working out in the summer and doing activities it was flaring up."

I just wish he would have had the team look at it before signing the "big" deal.

I read all that. Like I said, I don't know what the team was told or wasn't told, in order to make a judgement there.