Jeffrey has no value.
- Ryan_Wilson

Letestu and Lovejoy got a 4th each... IMO jeffrey is better than Letestu

Letestu and Lovejoy got a 4th each... IMO jeffrey is better than Letestu
- nh4442

Exactly, packaging him up with Niskanen in your hypothetical trade does nothing to increase the value of what you are offering.

If I was trading for Niskanen my offer would not change at all whether Jeffrey was in or out of the deal.

Exactly, packaging him up with Niskanen in your hypothetical trade does nothing to increase the value of what you are offering.
- Ryan_Wilson

gotcha

Speed is useful if you are willing to throw your body around as well.
- Deadstar

He's a nice guy to stash in WB/S for extreme injury situations.

With all that said they had every chance to tie that game in the first 10 minutes of the 3rd. They just aren't confident with the puck on their stick right now.

Based on the number of chances they got (Schenn and Voracek both missed gimmies) I think there is light at the end of the tunnel. I didn't think you were a slam dunk playoff team coming into the season and obviously my thought hasn't changed, but it will get better than it has been and based on the rest of the conference playoffs are still going to be a possibility if they get it turned around.
- canadianpenfan

i agree with this. are they a powerhouse? hell no. but guys have been missing wide open chances, whether it be missing the net, the puck rolling off the stick, you name the excuse. that will all change eventually, and i certainly dont expect mason to be as great all year as he has been. we've seen flyers teams do this before, it just usually happens later in the year. when it happens in the beginning of the year, people overreact.

I'm pleasantly surprised by Harry Z. It seems like they managed to scrape all the "scumbag" out of him that came as baggage when he got out of Philly but managed to keep the "hard to play against" and "banger" portions of his repertoire. He's not going to be scoring highlight reel goals, but he's going to bang and bang and bang and disrupt the other team's offense. Exactly what you want out of a 4th liner.

The team does have holes. The teams needs some pieces. However, this team on paper is MORE than capable of at least competing for a Playoff spot. I think the majority of the issue here is confidence in the system, confidence in the self, and the inability to play consistently. Like why did it take until the 3rd period to start playing competitive and worthy of a win? By that time it's too late in the NHL.

Our D, albeit over-priced, is serviceable and good enough to win. I'd even say we've played better team D relatively. It's our complete lack of offensive generation that's killing us. If you can't score, you're not going to win in this league.

Lines at #Penguins practice: Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis Jokinen-Malkin- Kobasew Glass-Sutter-Adams Zolnierczyk-Vitale-Engelland

Jeffrey and D'Agostini were the extra forwards

wtf!?!

Bennett needs to get back!

This is bs the way DB is treating Jeffrey
- nh4442

Agreed I'm not sure what he needs to do to get a chance he hasn't been spectacular but he hasn't been bad either and I still think he can contribute.

The team does have holes. The teams needs some pieces. However, this team on paper is MORE than capable of at least competing for a Playoff spot. I think the majority of the issue here is confidence in the system, confidence in the self, and the inability to play consistently. Like why did it take until the 3rd period to start playing competitive and worthy of a win? By that time it's too late in the NHL.

Our D, albeit over-priced, is serviceable and good enough to win. I'd even say we've played better team D relatively. It's our complete lack of offensive generation that's killing us. If you can't score, you're not going to win in this league.
- Flyers_V88

I think they are tanking on purpose to get McDavid

Edit: My bad he's not eligible til next year..

I don't think "luck" as anything to do with it. Is it possible that every player had a career year all at the same time in 11/12? Yes (we saw it with the 1993 Phillies). But even on a horrible team last year, Giroux was a PPG player, Voracek continued trending upwards, and guys like Simmonds and Read kept up their pace (slightly down, but close). Luke Schenn came out as a top-pair shutdown candidate playing up to 32 minutes as a very good shutdown player. Kimmo Timonen was 4th in defenseman scoring when he got hurt.

Again, is it possible that the entire team is regressing within a year and 7 months? Yes. Not probably, though. I'm not saying that they're on the same level as the Pens talent-wise, but at the same time, I think it's more mentality, confidence, and lack of effort that's hurting them right now.
- jmatchett383

Please don't use the term shutdown defenseman and Luke Schenn in the same sentence. He isn't now, never has been and won't ever be this.

The team does have holes. The teams needs some pieces. However, this team on paper is MORE than capable of at least competing for a Playoff spot. I think the majority of the issue here is confidence in the system, confidence in the self, and the inability to play consistently. Like why did it take until the 3rd period to start playing competitive and worthy of a win? By that time it's too late in the NHL.

Our D, albeit over-priced, is serviceable and good enough to win. I'd even say we've played better team D relatively. It's our complete lack of offensive generation that's killing us. If you can't score, you're not going to win in this league.
- Flyers_V88

While I agree with much of this, I think the main problem you posted is this ... your D is overpriced, but you call it serviceable. It shouldn't be that way. It's not the reason you are losing and neither s goaltending.

That was the worst first two periods I've seen the Flyers play against the Pens. They didn't give a poop.

Letestu and Lovejoy got a 4th each... IMO jeffrey is better than Letestu
- nh4442

I'm not sure if anyone will agree with you. Jeffrey was scratched and they put a third pairing Dman at forward in his place.

I think they are tanking on purpose to get McDavid

Edit: My bad he's not eligible til next year..
- Genev21

lol, not another center!?!?! AHHHHH. I really, really don't like how the Flyers draft an abundance of centers.

I know it's hypothetical of course, but man if they draft another center, I'll go nuts.

Please don't use the term shutdown defenseman and Luke Schenn in the same sentence. He isn't now, never has been and won't ever be this.
- Oneonta Penguin

He may not be an elite defenseman, but he is used as a shut-down guy. People hate on him so much because he went 5th overall... He is a decent defenseman who can eat minutes and is arguably one of the most physical defenseman in the league. He fights, he hits, he blocks shots, his passing isn't terrible. He hasn't been a problem AT ALL since he got to Philadelphia.

lol, not another center!?!?! AHHHHH. I really, really don't like how the Flyers draft an abundance of centers.

I know it's hypothetical of course, but man if they draft another center, I'll go nuts.
- Flyers_V88

By that time, the "next Ron Francis" will have been sent packing because he won't reach the potential the Flyers organization has envisioned he would - obviously that being a future hall of famer.

He may not be an elite defenseman, but he is used as a shut-down guy. People hate on him so much because he went 5th overall... He is a decent defenseman who can eat minutes and is arguably one of the most physical defenseman in the league. He fights, he hits, he blocks shots, his passing isn't terrible. He hasn't been a problem AT ALL since he got to Philadelphia.
- Flyers_V88

I don't term decent as you call him, blueliners as a shutdown defenseman. People don't think he is good because he is often out of position. Not doubting his physical play, or block shots, or toughness, but everything else.

I don't term decent as you call him, blueliners as a shutdown defenseman. People don't think he is good because he is often out of position. Not doubting his physical play, or block shots, or toughness, but everything else.
- Oneonta Penguin

That's fair, and I do see where people draw the criticism from. I think it was partially induced by the Leafs and the expectations and proclamations that were put on him from the onset of his draft year.


However, in his slight fairness, the teams he's played on in his career have been atrocious defensively, and mediocre at best. The Leafs from 2008-2012 and the 2013 Flyers obviously. But I will tell you, that as a die-hard Flyers fan living in the Toronto area, I did watch Luke a lot and did notice his issues on the ice, and did notice a considerable difference in his play last year on a marginally better Flyers team. I think the potential is there, but right now, he is not a true elite shut-down man.

Its probably a smaller sample size than I would like to draw from to make the following statement but I think the flyers are exactly who they are right now.

They aren't the victim of bad luck, and they aren't the beneficiaries of good luck.

I see their scoring problems improving but Mason slightly regressing, so in the end it will all even out.
- Ryan_Wilson

I don't see Mason regressing at all. He has kept us in every game since we traded for him towards the end of last season. It's a bout time the Flyers have a good young goalie that will be here for awhile.

He may not be an elite defenseman, but he is used as a shut-down guy. People hate on him so much because he went 5th overall... He is a decent defenseman who can eat minutes and is arguably one of the most physical defenseman in the league. He fights, he hits, he blocks shots, his passing isn't terrible. He hasn't been a problem AT ALL since he got to Philadelphia.
- Flyers_V88

He's not being used as a shutdown guy right now. Last year, sure.

He's not being used as a shutdown guy right now. Last year, sure.
- BulliesPhan87

Yeah, sorry, that's what I meant.

Our D, albeit over-priced, is serviceable and good enough to win. I'd even say we've played better team D relatively. It's our complete lack of offensive generation that's killing us. If you can't score, you're not going to win in this league.
- Flyers_V88

The problem with your D is that it's made up of a bunch of #3-6 guys getting paid mostly #2/3 salaries. You have Kimmo getting paid like a #1 and is, at best, a #3 guy anymore. And Streit & everyone else getting paid like #2/3 guys and none of them are a true #1 or even #2. Gustafssen is the lone exception but that's because he's on a rookie deal (I believe) and that's just not a recipe for success. They're all the same guy trying to fit into roles that they can't play. Sticking 6 guys that are solid but nobody that is really great isn't going to win. It's a straight line of mediocre on the blue line.

Yeah, sorry, that's what I meant.
- Flyers_V88

No probalo, I mostly agree with what you're getting at. I mean, I won't deny Luke's had his share of weak play (both with the Leafs and this season). But at the same time, having watched most of his play since arriving in Philadelphia, I think some of the criticism here is unfair.

Of course, I don't expect opinions to tend toward rosy when it comes to Flyers players, no on a Penguins thread (not an insult, ladies).

I don't see Mason regressing at all. He has kept us in every game since we traded for him towards the end of last season. It's a bout time the Flyers have a good young goalie that will be here for awhile.
- idiotsallofu

It could have been a product of the system in Columbus, but he had a steady decline while he was there. The change of scenery and everything probably helped, but wait until next year or the year after before making that call. The sample size is still too small to make that determination.

It's no coincidence that Maatta's worst two games were with Engelland.

Harry Z is fast, there really isn't much else there. Reminds me of a faster Chris Bourque that will stir things up.
- Ryan_Wilson

I love his game. He will chip in a few

It could have been a product of the system in Columbus, but he had a steady decline while he was there. The change of scenery and everything probably helped, but wait until next year or the year after before making that call. The sample size is still too small to make that determination.
- ScienceJesus

I'd say that's a fair assessment.