+1
- BulliesPhan87

maybe we can find a group rate

this team sucks (reality check) everyone on team is over valued, nobody wants the dam puck, g used to want the puck and do things with it, not no mo, hes even lazy on the pp, sits on the wall waiting for thepuck so 2 pkillers can swoop on him, hartnell and g had there best years when jagr was on there line and was does homer do lets him walk.

cooty and schenn are years waay from being anything if they ever do, im serious this team needs gutted, nmc need to be waived

as much as i got sick of watching richards and carter do the same stupid stuff over and over its nothing compared to what we watch now

g has not done a dam thing since lavvy called him the best player in the world and people want to speculate that hes hurt or something, what for 2 years now, the guy needs a real threat on the wing like jagr was to open the ice up
- mydoglicks

but see, your post is the exact problem in my opinion. "Schenn and couturier are years away". well to build this, there will need to be patience. gutting the team in the middle of a rebuild will just set things back yet again. people complain about the lack of patience and sense of meddling from Snider but yet people call for the gutting of the team and talk trade constantly. there is no willingness to build thru the draft. it was all good and dandy to build thru free agency before the cap because we could. The Flyers had the money to waste. But with the cap, you have to build. You know who I like to watch play? Chicago, St. Louis and even Colorado now. Good young talent the organizations were patient with.

Just one note for everyone who may be on the "TRADE EVERY VET WE HAVE NOW" train. If you think the team is bad, and you want to place a bunch of young guys with little full-time NHL experience into the fray, all they're going to do is be overburdened and get burnt out. There's a reason why Edmonton, despite having all of the young talent in the world, hasn't done what Pittsburgh has. Actually, there are several reasons, and defense/goaltending have something to do with it. Part of it is that all of the responsibility of the team was put squarely on the young players, and there wasn't enough veteran leadership to help shoulder it.

But if you strip away all veteran responsibility and lay it all on young players, and they are buried by it, you are effectively stunting their development and inviting a culture of losing (right now, it's actually better to have these guys playing elsewhere while the team struggles).

I'll agree that, yes, trades may need to be made in the future. But I don't believe that icing a lineup of 10 NHL players and 10 AHL players is the way to go, as all it's gonna do is make the AHL players feel like they can't hack it. So make a trade or two if it helps the team now and in the future, but don't go stripping away the team for nothing just to let young guys play.

He isn't regressing. He hasn't put up a lot of points, but he's been among their best forwards game in and game out. He has improved in so many areas. His size, and he noticeably quicker.
- MJL

I've seen improvement from this year to last. I think he's like a bolland. He's a player you keep he was great last night defensively.

Not trying to be petulant here, but I haven't seen many pumping his tires. There are some who would like to see him get his game on track (coincidentally they also find him rather dashing), though. He did bring a nice bit of offensive punch to the blueline a couple years ago.
- BulliesPhan87

hey leave me and flyermike18 out of this

Of all the problems with this team right now, the lack of emotion bugs me the most. Not one player even looks like he cares, or gets upset.
- FlyerGuy

i dunno about that...it seems more deer in headlights. simmonds looked like he was going to cry after he scored.

but see, your post is the exact problem in my opinion. "Schenn and couturier are years away". well to build this, there will need to be patience. gutting the team in the middle of a rebuild will just set things back yet again. people complain about the lack of patience and sense of meddling from Snider but yet people call for the gutting of the team and talk trade constantly. there is no willingness to build thru the draft. it was all good and dandy to build thru free agency before the cap because we could. The Flyers had the money to waste. But with the cap, you have to build. You know who I like to watch play? Chicago, St. Louis and even Colorado now. Good young talent the organizations were patient with.
- nastyflyergirl

Each of the teams you mentioned play with an identity or system that is visible and effective. The Flyers don't have one. There is no consistency or game plan, imo. They play such a bad zone in their own end. It makes me sick to watch.

hey leave me and flyermike18 out of this
- -davies-

I'd actually consider you more of a flamboyantly daring person.

Each of the teams you mentioned play with an identity or system that is visible and effective. The Flyers don't have one. There is no consistency or game plan, imo. They play such a bad zone in their own end. It makes me sick to watch.
- flyers2001

You mean "Try to stickhandle through the team and hope" isn't a system?

hey leave me and flyermike18 out of this
- -davies-

No mercy for flyermike18 until he brings back the exploding Carcillo head avatar

If the flyers want to do this the right way. It will be 4-5 years before they make any noise again. As a fan I can get behind the process. Like the eagles this year. I can get behind it if the culture and the process seems right

I'd actually consider you more of a flamboyantly daring person.
- jmatchett383

not sure what to think about this

No mercy for flyermike18 until he brings back the exploding Carcillo head avatar
- BulliesPhan87

wow good memory

I get the sense that is because of Snider. I could be totally off mark here but when Homer came in, he was going to get the patience of Snider/Luukko because he was inheriting a hot mess left by Clarke and there was going to be patience to rebuild. he made good moves moving out veterans for kids and picks, went out and got Hartnell and Timonen hitting their primes. Briere was a nice free agent. but after coming close and not winning, the patience is no longer there from above so now you see the attempts at the home runs, the attempts at grabbing all the free agents, the piecing together of a roster. I like Homer and want to see him fix this but I have to wonder if the pressure to win won't allow patience and maybe it will take the next GM coming in (Hexy) to do things the right way because a new GM will be given time.
- nastyflyergirl

Ed Snider absolutely has a lot to do with it. Snider wants to win. He is mortal and knows this. The biggest problem is that Snider was a winner almost immediately. And since then, he has had that hunger... The problem with that though, is that he hasnt been able to realize that its his undoing.

He isn't regressing. He hasn't put up a lot of points, but he's been among their best forwards game in and game out. He has improved in so many areas. His size, and he noticeably quicker.
- MJL

Couturier's best year to date is his first season. If something over time doesn't get better, what is your definition of that?

Just one note for everyone who may be on the "TRADE EVERY VET WE HAVE NOW" train. If you think the team is bad, and you want to place a bunch of young guys with little full-time NHL experience into the fray, all they're going to do is be overburdened and get burnt out. There's a reason why Edmonton, despite having all of the young talent in the world, hasn't done what Pittsburgh has. Actually, there are several reasons, and defense/goaltending have something to do with it. Part of it is that all of the responsibility of the team was put squarely on the young players, and there wasn't enough veteran leadership to help shoulder it.

But if you strip away all veteran responsibility and lay it all on young players, and they are buried by it, you are effectively stunting their development and inviting a culture of losing (right now, it's actually better to have these guys playing elsewhere while the team struggles).

I'll agree that, yes, trades may need to be made in the future. But I don't believe that icing a lineup of 10 NHL players and 10 AHL players is the way to go, as all it's gonna do is make the AHL players feel like they can't hack it. So make a trade or two if it helps the team now and in the future, but don't go stripping away the team for nothing just to let young guys play.
- jmatchett383

I disagree; sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. Like everything else, it depends on the players you have.

Chicago made Toews their captain at 22 years old, cleared out a ton of veterans to make that happen, took their lumps. They only added veterans like Marian Hossa after they improved started making the playoffs.

But they let those young kids play -- Keith, Seabrook, Kane, Byfuglien when he was there. Nick Leddy, David Bolland. They let those kids play, take their lumps.

So, game 5 of my 10-game Berube window was a definite step backwards.
- Scoob

Hard to coach yourself out of a poorly assembled roster...

The D is mostly built to go up against the 2011 Bruins. The forward group is mostly made up of a bunch of kids learning on the job with a few of guys that probably have no business being in the NHL as a nice bonus. Goaltending, while Mason has been good, is comprised of one guy with a ticking time bomb for hips, and another who's has a ticking time bomb for a brain -- either or both could go off at any time.

Way too much money tied up in declining players, players not even playing on the roster, and guys like Coburn and Hartnell that have seemingly forgotten how to play the game at all.

It's sad, but yet another band-aid or quick fix or splash isn't going to do this team any good. They need to trim the fat, then suffer a couple of lean years while they thrust the kids into prominent roles. There's no substitute for patience, and no shortcuts to success.

Ed Snider absolutely has a lot to do with it. Snider wants to win. He is mortal and knows this. The biggest problem is that Snider was a winner almost immediately. And since then, he has had that hunger... The problem with that though, is that he hasnt been able to realize that its his undoing.
- jak521

I think when he hits 90 he will have an epiphany and will realize this.

Couturier's best year to date is his first season. If something over time doesn't get better, what is your definition of that?
- PLindbergh31

lots of rookies regress after a great first year, how long is "over time"? i just think he's the type of player that won't reach his full potential for even a couple more years. why can't we be patient?

I think when he hits 90 he will have a stroke and will release this.
- PLindbergh31

sorry.

Regarding Couturier, yes I know he's only 20, but this is now his third season in the NHL. He seems to be regressing. He hasn't been handled correctly, and has often played with sub-par linemates, but I'm not liking what I'm seeing. His skating isn't improving at all.
- PLindbergh31

he's only 20 is right. he's stronger this yr and his first stride has improved along w/ his faceoffs. he looks more like hanzal than j staal at this point but, he's too young to draw conclusions.

Couturier's best year to date is his first season. If something over time doesn't get better, what is your definition of that?
- PLindbergh31

That's only if you go by points. He is much better now defensively and on faceoffs. Basing his progress on production when the whole team has been terrible at ES offense in 2013 and when he doesn't get much PP time is foolish.

It was what, 3 years ago? That's a long time in Hockey. And he didn't give up on JVR, he traded him for other youth and got a good defenseman in return,
- MJL

He absolutely gave up on JvR. If JvR was scoring 30= goals as a Flyer, he wouldnt have been moved. Despite what anyone wants to say.. we lost that trade on day one. I was one of the biggest JvR supporters/apologists on this site.. but even I wanted to believe it would be an even trade. I still have tons of hope for Schenn, but he will never be dynamic enough. We gave up a top line forward for a 3/4 d-man.

3 years really isnt all that long. In Flyers hockey it may be, but thats the problem we have in the first place

Just one note for everyone who may be on the "TRADE EVERY VET WE HAVE NOW" train. If you think the team is bad, and you want to place a bunch of young guys with little full-time NHL experience into the fray, all they're going to do is be overburdened and get burnt out. There's a reason why Edmonton, despite having all of the young talent in the world, hasn't done what Pittsburgh has. Actually, there are several reasons, and defense/goaltending have something to do with it. Part of it is that all of the responsibility of the team was put squarely on the young players, and there wasn't enough veteran leadership to help shoulder it.

But if you strip away all veteran responsibility and lay it all on young players, and they are buried by it, you are effectively stunting their development and inviting a culture of losing (right now, it's actually better to have these guys playing elsewhere while the team struggles).

I'll agree that, yes, trades may need to be made in the future. But I don't believe that icing a lineup of 10 NHL players and 10 AHL players is the way to go, as all it's gonna do is make the AHL players feel like they can't hack it. So make a trade or two if it helps the team now and in the future, but don't go stripping away the team for nothing just to let young guys play.
- jmatchett383

you definitely need to have veterans on the team to help the younger players which is why I didn;t mind the Streit and Vinny signings (granted 3-4 yrs down the road will probably be like last year with Briere) but I would move any and all expiring contracts including Mez and Timonen if he is willing to waive his NMC.

lots of rookies regress after a great first year, how long is "over time"? i just think he's the type of player that won't reach his full potential for even a couple more years. why can't we be patient?
- -davies-

Jordan Staal had a HUGE regression his second season, and has never been as good as his rookie year goal-scoring wise. Total bust.