I get that commitment, but not always.

There isn't a commitment to that when you sign LeCavalier who's success was favoured over bSchenn's development for a lot of this year imo.

That's just one example, of how trying to stay competitive, and make the playoffs at all cost hinders their overall growth, and the true growth they need. Again, all just a crazy man's thoughts.
- flyer_nutter

Some could argue that bringing in a veteran like that (who has won a cup/had high expectations as a high pick) could facilitate growth of some young players. Once B Schenn really hits his prime (age 26) VL40 would be gone. I can see both sides though.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=450923
- watsonnostaw

Ha ha. This is from one of the posters. Clueless.

hockey1407
1 hour ago
Fitting end to a disappointing year in Vancouver. Hopefully Gillis isn't far behind.

i missed the third period because i had my own game, but from what i read, it seems like this game was a carbon copy of the 2004 ECF game 7 against tampa. very frustrating.

crucial 2nd period was their undoing, and you're not going to win on the road scoring only 1 goal. pp came up empty - they lost. in 3 of their 4 losses, they only scored 1 goal, and never made the rangers goalie work for a victory.

i wish mason had been healthy the whole series, and i really wish he played game 3 - that was there chance to turn the series on home ice and they blew it.

there are a lot of good pieces for this team moving forward, including prospects like laughton and gostisbehere, but we have to be patient and let them develop.

sigh.
- hammarby31

Mason disclosed that he did have a concussion at the end of the season, and apparently he was still having headaches until game 4. Him not playing was probably justified

This is shaping up to be quite the night for you 2Real
- PT21

assuming the sharks go on to lose this game, they should immediately fold the franchise.

With all due respect, I do think a lot of the following hold some measure. Not GM is perfect, but there have been some glaring issues. I do appreciate your point of view though.

-JVR
-Bryzgalov
-Kubina
-Eminger
-Inability to field an NHL caliber fourth line with all the money and an attractive FA destination
-Overpaying for his players due to an inability to draft and develop your own
-Most expensive one dimensional D in the NHL
-Failure to fire your old coach in the off-season but fire him a handful of games into the year
-Cap management failure with Gagne/Walker
-Constant shift of identity. Switch from defensive with Stevens, to aggressive under Lava, back to D first with Berube
-Constant inability to employ a team with disciplined players
-Managed to escape two albatross contracts with the gift of buy-outs
-LeCavalier
-Streit will haunt them in a few years

-Inability to properly develop a D from within, doing so at the last second possible as we have evidence of.
-Questionable drafting (Ghoulborne). Or however you spell it.

-Apparently the focus is on youth but developing Guss in the press box, and signing aging players to big contracts take away minutes from said youth.

-Chronic team wide inconsistency during his tenure. A team living and dying by its hot streaks. Constant player turnover, but he remains.
- flyer_nutter

Alot of the stuff you mention are akin to mistakes many GMs make, while others are uniquely his own, lol...and some are just beyond a GM's control.

Homer swung for the fences with Pronger and just missed the Home Run...some blame him for it, I applaud him for it. He later switched gears, went younger, and got excellent value for Carts and Richie...unfortunatley, Pronger's career ending prematurely really fooked things up, and is the biggest reason the D has been suspect...if Prongs was still healthy, this D, and this team would have looked a crapton better...he was that big of an impact player. All things considered Homer did an "ok" job of trying to get guys in here to try and patch the huge hole, but really it cannot be patched. To his credit he's drafted some D that should help soon and brought in some help in Mac D.

The bottom line for me with Homer, is, for all his mistakes, he's still managed to keep trying things to build a winner. He almost won it all a few years back and in my view, he has positioned the team well for another Cup run or two in the next several years. That's not a bad job by a GM imo.

Ha ha. This is from one of the posters. Clueless.

hockey1407
1 hour ago
Fitting end to a disappointing year in Vancouver. Hopefully Gillis isn't far behind.
- rockychocbill

leave me alone

assuming the sharks go on to lose this game, they should immediately fold the franchise.
- hammarby31

Richards and Carter. A part of Game 7 hockey history twice over. Unreal.

exactly. if youre not moving forward, youre moving backwards. its so hard to retool while remaining competitive. you need to realize and identify if the core cant get it done, and try to move on it possible
- stayinthefnnet

Exactly.

Is the Flyers current core good enough? I'd say there are chances of that.

You have Giroux. However then you have bSchenn who has been jumbled around year long just to try and get LeCavalier going. You then have Couturier, who I firmly believe should not be always placed in this shutdown role. Going night, after night against the best offensive players to me has him always focused on 'shutting down'.

Its all about whats best for them to win tonight, win now, instead of long term.

While I do believe that this forward core can get it done, I don't think anyone other than Coburn and maybe Streit (which is a stretch itself) can be identified as part of a defensive core going forward.

They waited so long, to try and address that back end from within, when all signs were pointing for them to do so, that we see the patch-work poop we see now. I think wasting more picks, and signing big contracts to the wrong players just to keep that patch-work intact is the wrong move. All to just make the playoffs and remain "competitive".

Mason disclosed that he did have a concussion at the end of the season, and apparently he was still having headaches until game 4. Him not playing was probably justified
- eayost

i haven't read or heard anything other than adam kimmelman's write up of game 7, so i didn't know that.

if that's the case, than i agree, he should not have played. i don't put that game on emery either, but he was average at best that night.

i'm mostly disappointed in our veteran depth.

wow. minnesota wins in OT. good for bryz, being thrown into a very rough situation.

leave me alone
- watsonnostaw

Not likely.

varlamov had no chance on that shot. none.

So Bryzgalov shows up late and wins game 7 in OT

Explain Vinny then
- Just5

You can't have all young guys and any Cup winner has had 30 something vets to help lead the way...so, it's not unreasonable to bring in a guy like that...veteran cup winner...many teams wanted him. While I didn't see the signing as a necessity, I thought the number was good and he would be able to contribute...he had the injuries and struggles in his first campaign as a Flyer, but I'm still holding out some hope that he can return healthy and be a factor. That said, I wouldn't oppose a trade...regardless I'm not convinced it was some huge mistake...Homer has a way of dealing with things when they go sour. I'll give Homer some time and take a wait and see approach with the VLC situation.

wow. minnesota wins in OT. good for bryz, being thrown into a very rough situation.
- hammarby31

Dang. Was watching Kings/Sharks. Really thought the Avs were gonna pull that out. 3rd and 4th goals on Varlamov were lasers to the top corner. Tough luck.

So Bryzgalov shows up late and wins game 7 in OT
- eayost

i don't think he made a single save in mop up duty, but i missed the first 3:30 of OT, soi'm not sure.

i don't think he made a single save in mop up duty, but i missed the first 3:30 of OT, soi'm not sure.
- hammarby31

Someone tweeted he made 1 save

So 3 road teams all gave up the first goal tonight in a game 7.

How many of said teams lost?

Nino Niederreiter

Richards and Carter. A part of Game 7 hockey history twice over. Unreal.
- rockychocbill

quite amazing. absurd, really.

I watched the world junior game where Nino was dominating for the Swiss against Canada I think. Just wanted to win. Now that's an example of a team "giving up" on a young player (Islanders).

Someone tweeted he made 1 save
- eayost

yup

- wilsonecho91

the fargo grovers won, i know.

Alot of the stuff you mention are akin to mistakes many GMs make, while others are uniquely his own, lol...and some are just beyond a GM's control.

Homer swung for the fences with Pronger and just missed the Home Run...some blame him for it, I applaud him for it. He later switched gears, went younger, and got excellent value for Carts and Richie...unfortunatley, Pronger's career ending prematurely really fooked things up, and is the biggest reason the D has been suspect...if Prongs was still healthy, this D, and this team would have looked a crapton better...he was that big of an impact player. All things considered Homer did an "ok" job of trying to get guys in here to try and patch the huge hole, but really it cannot be patched. To his credit he's drafted some D that should help soon and brought in some help in Mac D.

The bottom line for me with Homer, is, for all his mistakes, he's still managed to keep trying things to build a winner. He almost won it all a few years back and in my view, he has positioned the team well for another Cup run or two in the next several years. That's not a bad job by a GM imo.
- exlund

I think that Mac D deal is one that can really define things.

Is he a good player? Yes. Is he a guy who can help a Stanley Cup winner? Definitely.

However you give up a 2nd and 3rd for him, when you see just how dire it is to build a team from within, especially a defense. When you could make a run at him in the summer.

All to just increase your chances of making the playoffs. The other aspect is you make the move to get him now, so you don't overpay him in FA and essentially promise yourself the player. Yet MacDonald is probably still 'overpaid' with salary and years. What I am getting at and my focal point here, is I don't think those picks, and building from within is valued enough. Its shown most recently in MacDonald.

They know what they are getting in MacDonald. They desperately need more elite on that back end, instead of move 'top 4'. That's the problem with this team in general.