I'd trade Vinny just to be rid of Vinny.

He was a very good player. He's not that anymore. He's a limited guy who doesn't fit well with the team and system the Flyers say they want to use. If he stays, he's forcing a good, young developing player(Brayden Schenn) out of position and being a roadblock to more offensive opportunity for another(Sean Couturier).

Benoit Pouliot might not have the cache in terms of being a name, and honestly, I'm not to keen on him either, but he'd be a better fit for this team than the fading Lecavalier.

I'm ignoring the names and looking at the style of of play and how a guy fits into the scheme and line up. Jussi Jokinen would be a better fit, as he's capable of being a scoring line winger, is a solid two way player and a good skater, plus he's very good in the shootout. Daniel Winnick wouldn't be a bad addition, place him as the 3rd line LW and it allows the Flyers to slide Matt Read up to a top six role. Hell, Nikolai Kulemin is out there as well and he's a very solid two way player.
- Jsaquella

I think Winnick at 3rd line left wing could be a good fit, depending on how many years and at how much. He is 29 and his last deal was 1.8M/yr so he might want his next deal to be bigger.

Jussi would be great. He can finish and would help with the skills competition points.

We can't win because flyers management continues to live in the 70's with these exact type of players making up a our 4th line eating up valuable minutes just skating around earning stats for penalty minutes!!!! Who trades Max Talbot for Steve Downie?? Oh yea the Flyers do trade a class act world class Stanley cup winning penalty killer with a cap hit of 1.5 million for Steve Downie cap hit 3.75million....lord Stanley will have to wait another 37 years if this team doesn't wake up real soon and look around the league!
- DiCicco1

Look at the New York Rangers, who are one win from the Final with two Rinaldo type players (Dan Carcillo & Derek Dorsett) on the roster? Or the Chicago Blackhawks, who won the Stanley Cup last year with Carcillo?

As for the Downie trade, prior to him getting hurt, Downie was a very productive player and his presence solidified the line of Couturier & Read-in fact for awhile, it was the Flyers best line.

The Flyers had several penalty killers and needed a guy who could bring physicality to the third line and possibly provide offense. Downie did that pretty well until he got hurt. Losing Talbot didn't hurt the PK, as the Flyers had the 7th best PK in the NHL during the regular season(while Colorado finished 24th) and have the best PK% in all the playoffs.

The Flyers do need to be more disciplined and it would be better if they could ice a fourth line that could play 8-10 minutes a game on a regular basis, but this culture change stuff is old. The two teams currently leading the conference finals are both fairly big, physical teams, and every Stanley Cup winner since 2010 has had a physical element to it.

thats fine. canseco can go do whatever crap he wants to appease himself. he is of little relevance to me.

RAJ on the other hand. the guy has the power to crush summers for years to come.
- stayinthefnnet

I agree. Hopefully Montgomery realizes this and fires him before he can do more harm

I think Winnick at 3rd line left wing could be a good fit, depending on how many years and at how much. He is 29 and his last deal was 1.8M/yr so he might want his next deal to be bigger.

Jussi would be great. He can finish and would help with the skills competition points.
- Marc D

That's the concern with both Winnik or a guy like Pouliot. But I'm just going off the UFA list on cap geek.

I still have no idea how Jokinen failed to get claimed on waivers a couple years ago

On the current roster, which I'm sure will change, I wonder what Simmonds and Schenn can do with Giroux. Simmonds can be a hero some nights on the PP or when the game is dying with a minute left. So I wonder why Raffl, Hartnell and Voracek get so many second chances or third chances but why not Simmonds? Why not Brayden Schenn who in my opinion still has a high ceiling. Schenn could still look very much like Justin Williams, Mike Richards or Jeff Carter playing for the Kings now. Just give them a boost in confidence he deserves but most importantly find a place for him.

Schenn-Giroux-Simmonds
Hartnell-Lecavalier-Voracek
Raffl-Couturier-Read
Rinaldo-Laughton-Akenson
- SuperSchennBros

Not bad.

Ah I have CBC
These guys are great
Except Healy he blows
- Marc D

Haha Healy is such a homer.

Look at the New York Rangers, who are one win from the Final with two Rinaldo type players (Dan Carcillo & Derek Dorsett) on the roster? Or the Chicago Blackhawks, who won the Stanley Cup last year with Carcillo?

As for the Downie trade, prior to him getting hurt, Downie was a very productive player and his presence solidified the line of Couturier & Read-in fact for awhile, it was the Flyers best line.

The Flyers had several penalty killers and needed a guy who could bring physicality to the third line and possibly provide offense. Downie did that pretty well until he got hurt. Losing Talbot didn't hurt the PK, as the Flyers had the 7th best PK in the NHL during the regular season(while Colorado finished 24th) and have the best PK% in all the playoffs.

The Flyers do need to be more disciplined and it would be better if they could ice a fourth line that could play 8-10 minutes a game on a regular basis, but this culture change stuff is old. The two teams currently leading the conference finals are both fairly big, physical teams, and every Stanley Cup winner since 2010 has had a physical element to it.
- Jsaquella

Great post. I think not having Downie in the lineup hurt them in the post season. Was really looking forward to him in the playoffs.

That's the concern with both Winnik or a guy like Pouliot. But I'm just going off the UFA list on cap geek.

I still have no idea how Jokinen failed to get claimed on waivers a couple years ago
- Jsaquella

Some of these moves could be possible but they absolutely have to move some salary first. I think they will be handcuffed by VL's deal and some of the more prominent UFAs likely will be gone before they can move him.

It may not be a terrible thing.

I really think Hextall is looking at things with a game plan towards the future.
I heard him on XM radio interview saying he thinks by the time the older guys on D are done they will have the three D prospects ready to step in. A 2-3 year timeline I'm guessing.

They'd like to improve next year but without someone taking VL and maybe Grossmann there is only so much they can do.

Great post. I think not having Downie in the lineup hurt them in the post season. Was really looking forward to him in the playoffs.
- Pixote Andolini

He played really well until the injuries piled up. He was a good fit for that line. Unfortunately, after the injuries, he was really not effective. If he could have played, they could have had a really solid fourth line with Raffl & Hall

Haha Healy is such a homer.
- Pixote Andolini

he comes off as the angry man type
always complaining

Hughson and Simpson are world class announcers though, I love listening to their call.

Some of these moves could be possible but they absolutely have to move some salary first. I think they will be handcuffed by VL's deal and some of the more prominent UFAs likely will be gone before they can move him.

It may not be a terrible thing.

I really think Hextall is looking at things with a game plan towards the future.
I heard him on XM radio interview saying he thinks by the time the older guys on D are done they will have the three D prospects ready to step in. A 2-3 year timeline I'm guessing.

They'd like to improve next year but without someone taking VL and maybe Grossmann there is only so much they can do.
- Marc D

I think they can move him. For all the negatives, he did score twenty goals. there are teams that need that. I'm more concerned with how he fits in with the roster & with what the Flyers are trying to do.

But I feel he is movable, and maybe they can even get some value. The contract is an issue, but the Rangers moved Scott Gomez with a deal with an even worse cap hit-and it landed them Ryan McDonagh.

Not saying the Flyers can move Vinny for a future McDonagh, but maybe they can get a decent third line LW or defenseman that can replace Grossmann.

I'd also try to move Grossmann. Not just my personal dislike of his limited skillset-I actually think he was solid down the stretch and in playoffs-but because of the redundancy. In this case, it's because I think if Luke Schenn reaches his potential, he'll be better than Grossmann

Careful....they buried 3 in 4 minutes during the second
- Giroux_Is_God

pffft.

7-4.

(frank). them.

22-27

pffft.

7-4.

(frank). them.
- hammarby31

Great post. I think not having Downie in the lineup hurt them in the post season. Was really looking forward to him in the playoffs.
- Pixote Andolini

pffft.

7-4.

(frank). them.
- hammarby31

I'd trade Vinny just to be rid of Vinny.

He was a very good player. He's not that anymore. He's a limited guy who doesn't fit well with the team and system the Flyers say they want to use. If he stays, he's forcing a good, young developing player(Brayden Schenn) out of position and being a roadblock to more offensive opportunity for another(Sean Couturier).

Benoit Pouliot might not have the cache in terms of being a name, and honestly, I'm not to keen on him either, but he'd be a better fit for this team than the fading Lecavalier.

I'm ignoring the names and looking at the style of of play and how a guy fits into the scheme and line up. Jussi Jokinen would be a better fit, as he's capable of being a scoring line winger, is a solid two way player and a good skater, plus he's very good in the shootout. Daniel Winnick wouldn't be a bad addition, place him as the 3rd line LW and it allows the Flyers to slide Matt Read up to a top six role. Hell, Nikolai Kulemin is out there as well and he's a very solid two way player.
- Jsaquella

Giroux, Schenn, Couturier, Laughton (If he makes the team out of camp). Regardless if Vinny is here or not, a young center will be forced to Wing. We can continue to harp on Vinny being limited and forcing a young player out of position but Lecavalier forces nothing. Schenn can play center, Schenn can play wing. Unless you want Laughton to play out of position on wing, which I'm finding to be unlikely.

It's amazing, absolutely amazing how in mid November when we played a perfect game in Ottawa that saw us win 5-0, the team could do no wrong. All the forwards were placed exactly where they were projected to be during the offseason. Magically now Vinny isn't a good player. Magically he doesn't fit. Magically he'll be moved. Now, if he's moved, I'm fine with it. I can live with it. At the same time, I disagree that Lecavalier is an impossible fit because I've seen him be a good fit when used properly. If you scroll further up on this page, you'll seen an example of line combinations we haven't used yet fitting in Vinny and I can continue to think of more.

If everyone is putting their hopes into Jussi Jokinen, Benoit Pouliot and Nikolai Kulemin, this deeply depresses me. I've seen a lot of Kulemin and if you want him, then please give me Pouliot. Even a team as bad as the Leafs, their fan base will happy to see him go, I promise you.

I'll go on record right now in saying that I do not believe Vincent Lecavalier is a bad player. I just feel he had a rough season, which could happen to any player in the league. Like anyone else I wish he were more versatile and more balanced but it doesn't mean he can't play the game. The object to the game and the hardest thing to do is score more goals then the other team. Lecavalier can help in that area. A healthy Lecavalier would have scored far more. If he wasn't a good player, how can we expect anyone else to want him a his price tag? At his cost.

Speaking only for myself, I'm willing to give him one more season to adjust.

Haven't been here in a few days, but all I've seen so far is a blog labeled "Rinaldo's Role" and 741 comments. During the offseason. What goodies are inside this comments section I wonder?


Edit: Ahh Vincent Lecavalier.

Haven't been here in a few days, but all I've seen so far is a blog labeled "Rinaldo's Role" and 741 comments. During the offseason. What goodies are inside this comments section I wonder?


Edit: Ahh Vincent Lecavalier.
- eayost

Pretty much the usual fare:

Rinaldo sucks
Vinnie needs to go
D needs to be better
We need to rush the prospects
We need to be patient with the prospects
It's all Snider's fault
It's all Holmgren's fault
It will soon be all Hextall's fault
It's always Rosehill's fault
Hartnell sucks

Just another day in the Flyers thread, brought to you by the good folks at Hockeybuzz!!

Pretty much the usual fare:

Rinaldo sucks
Vinnie needs to go
D needs to be better
We need to rush the prospects
We need to be patient with the prospects
It's all Snider's fault
It's all Holmgren's fault
It will soon be all Hextall's fault
It's always Rosehill's fault
Hartnell sucks

Just another day in the Flyers thread, brought to you by the good folks at Hockeybuzz!!
- BiggE

Please add the Phillies suck
The Eagles own Philly just not a super bowl ring
They still haven't found flight MH370
And I think Russia still doesn't like us

he comes off as the angry man type
always complaining

Hughson and Simpson are world class announcers though, I love listening to their call.
- Marc D

Yeah that's because he's a diehard Leafs fan.

Nobody else in the business comes close to Simpson's level IMO.
Hughson best call for sure. Close second is Cuthbert from TSN, his only problem is he's usually paired with Ray Ferraro - who isn't terrible but not great either.

The NBC folks. I just can't do it anymore.

Please add the Phillies suck
The Eagles own Philly just not a super bowl ring
They still haven't found flight MH370
And I think Russia still doesn't like us
- J35Bacher

- BiggE

Regis Loves Crosby
Engblom Loves the Rangers

Pretty much the usual fare:

Rinaldo sucks
Vinnie needs to go
D needs to be better
We need to rush the prospects
We need to be patient with the prospects
It's all Snider's fault
It's all Holmgren's fault
It will soon be all Hextall's fault
It's always Rosehill's fault
Hartnell sucks

Just another day in the Flyers thread, brought to you by the good folks at Hockeybuzz!!
- BiggE

Was some good discussion in there. Wasn't as bad as I was thinking it would be.

Yeah that's because he's a diehard Leafs fan.

Nobody else in the business comes close to Simpson's level IMO.
Hughson best call for sure. Close second is Cuthbert from TSN, his only problem is he's usually paired with Ray Ferraro - who isn't terrible but not great either.

The NBC folks. I just can't do it anymore.
- Pixote Andolini

Gord Miller from TSN is also good.
Bob Cole... Was great. But now he should be put out to pasture