Absolutely. Let the kids play. Ghost, Morin, Hagg, Laughton. Would be better in the long run instead of playing Grossmann and others for no reason. Why? so we can be eliminated in the playoffs early again?
- GOA88

I do not want Ghost, Morin or Hagg touching Flyer ice for a while.

I'd prefer to give some of the kids however a full shot now (Akeson, Laughton, Alt). Especially with 1 year left of Timonen I'd enjoy having him mentor a kid like Alt.

Although if missing the playoffs for one year, or being eliminated early by a better team in the playoffs makes you weep. Then by all means, lets win now baby. Anything can happen once we make it in. The Hawks and Kings wont stand a chance.

Not even the slighest bit. Ditto Kesler. Give Couturier the 2nd line center spot and actually give the kid PP time.

If I'm trading Brayden Schenn anywhere, it's with Luke or Coburn for a legit, top pairing, mobile defender. Think Roman Josi or Oliver Ekman Larsson.
- mochoson

Well what if it was Jumbo Joe for that package...that may be nice, but I agree love Roman Josi....and pretty soon Preds have to realize they cant afford Shea, Seth Jones on his "next contract" and Jossi the way he is performing. Well they could, but they will be stuck with the same putrid offense they have always had.

what about Hiller as the backup?

I do not want Ghost, Morin or Hagg touching Flyer ice for a while.

I'd prefer to give some of the kids however a full shot now (Akeson, Laughton, Alt). Especially with 1 year left of Timonen I'd enjoy having him mentor a kid like Alt.

Although if missing the playoffs for one year, or being eliminated early by a better team in the playoffs makes you weep. Then by all means, lets win now baby.
- flyer_nutter

No, what Im saying is... its time to look towards the future. This team as is simply is not good enough. Period. So why not playthe kids. Let them grow and hopefully in a few years we'll be able to make a serious run at the cup again.

what about Hiller as the backup?
- wilsonecho91

Too expensive

No, what Im saying is... its time to look towards the future. This team as is simply is not good enough. Period. So why not playthe kids. Let them grow and hopefully in a few years we'll be able to make a serious run at the cup again.
- GOA88

See Larsson, Adam

Too expensive
- Streit2ThePoint

do we know that yet?

Well what if it was Jumbo Joe for that package...that may be nice, but I agree love Roman Josi....and pretty soon Preds have to realize they cant afford Shea, Seth Jones on his "next contract" and Jossi the way he is performing. Well they could, but they will be stuck with the same putrid offense they have always had.
- juiced

Josi seems to be kind of the next Suter for them but I am really hoping with a new coach who will bring a shift to aggressive hockey they might be willing to deal.

I would have loved Brodin as well but I think he has moved to untouchable. Hopefully Josi is not there yet. He is the kind of young d-man, that I would agree giving up assets for. I see a lot of talk in giving up bSchenn, but I would try to sweeten any deal with Hartnell first instead of giving up the youth. Not to say Scott would be enough, but I'd be dangling him out there this summer.

I read Bill's blog and my one fear with Bogosian would be the injury history. He plays a bit of a physically reckless style as is, and for the premium price he would come at... I cringe a little.

No, what Im saying is... its time to look towards the future. This team as is simply is not good enough. Period. So why not playthe kids. Let them grow and hopefully in a few years we'll be able to make a serious run at the cup again.
- GOA88

Fail on my part then. Thought I noted sarcasm.

do we know that yet?
- wilsonecho91

I have foreseen it

http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/showthread.php?t=250150

Kind of fun to look into the past. The Giroux draft
- eayost

at center we have carter, richards, potulny, downie. we need socring wingers or mobile defensmen. not another center

Oh how things have changed.

Anyone got a idea about trying to pick up Nikita Nikitin? After Ek mentioned him in Columbus, I did a little research. Big puck mover that can skate. 28, took a bad turn last year. Could fly under the radar enough to get picked up. Sounds like a more offensive version of Coburn.

do we know that yet?
- wilsonecho91

No, but he'd have to take a significant pay cut for me to like him as a backup for the Flyers.

Don't get me wrong I think he's a great goalie. I don't think he's at the stage in his life where he would be a backup though

edit: ....he's older than I thought.

Josi seems to be kind of the next Suter for them but I am really hoping with a new coach who will bring a shift to aggressive hockey they might be willing to deal.

I would have loved Brodin as well but I think he has moved to untouchable. Hopefully Josi is not there yet. He is the kind of young d-man, that I would agree giving up assets for. I see a lot of talk in giving up bSchenn, but I would try to sweeten any deal with Hartnell first instead of giving up the youth. Not to say Scott would be enough, but I'd be dangling him out there this summer.
- flyer_nutter

Harts would definitely fit as well. I mentioned a deal I thought was doable given Lavy coming in but I got sh8t on like no tomorrow.

Harts, Vinny, our first ( Milano, Tuch etc), and Grossman Akeson as a jumping off point for Seth Jones. I get he is one of those "cant miss talents" but they still ahve to burden SHea's hit...how the hell can they have 2 guys sucking up 1/2 the payroll on D. Given their pick could get them Hayden Flurey and our pick could also get them a good offensive prospect I dont think it is sooooo far fetched especially with the defensive depth they have. It may take a little more like a Read but that is still something we could shoulder.

Little piece on Hagg. Have seen very little of him, and heard mixed reviews mainly on his compete level but nice to have a promising guy back there.

After being one of the top Swedish prospects available in the 2013 NHL Draft, Hagg went about having a season that might have disappointed a number of fans or pundits, but which was exactly the kind of season that should have been expected of him.

A good-sized defenseman expected to bring a two-way game throughout his career, he earned a job with MODO of the SHL right from the start and took a fairly regular shift, collecting one goal, six points and 47 penalty minutes over the course of a 50-game season. He also suited up for the club’s U20 team when time allowed, putting up two goals, eight points and a +4 rating in 10 games. As much as the SHL season proved to be a learning experience, often challenging Hagg to learn a lot about consistency on a game-in, game-out basis, he was able to continue to round out his defensive game and proved quite effective on the PK. Playing against men seemed to allow him to play a more solid, simple, heads-up game, something that didn’t allow the Flyers to hesitate bringing him over to the AHL right after his season in Sweden was over. With the Adirondack Phantoms of the AHL, he gathered a goal, four points and a +1 in 10 games in making a very impressive debut.

Not to be forgotten was Hagg's emotional WJC experience in Malmo, where Sweden missed out on a gold medal in an overtime loss to Finland. There he took a regular shift, contributing a goal and a +4 rating is assuming much of the heavy duty physical play for his country. This proved to be a confidence booster for him as the season proceeded into the second half. Hagg is expected to continue maturing in the AHL next season.

Absolutely. Let the kids play. Ghost, Morin, Hagg, Laughton. Would be better in the long run instead of playing Grossmann and others for no reason. Why? so we can be eliminated in the playoffs early again?
- GOA88

So the kids can learn how to handle pressure in the AHL. Y'know before they come in and get wiped out by the Penguins or Rangers, get called crap by the fans and end up winning cups on other teams when we trade them for peanuts.

We need to Let them develop. That doesn't happen overnight, it could be up to 3 years before we see these guys. That's what Hexy did in LA with Lombardi and now they have a uninterrupted pipeline of talent.

do we know that yet?
- wilsonecho91

He's more of a 1b.

Columbus got nothing out of Gaborik or Carter, but when they traded them to LA they instantly won Cups.
- Feanor

The franchise that hasn't won a playoff series in their 14 year existence. The measuring stick which all franchises should compare themselves to.

Harts would definitely fit as well. I mentioned a deal I thought was doable given Lavy coming in but I got sh8t on like no tomorrow.

Harts, Vinny, our first ( Milano, Tuch etc), and Grossman Akeson as a jumping off point for Seth Jones. I get he is one of those "cant miss talents" but they still ahve to burden SHea's hit...how the hell can they have 2 guys sucking up 1/2 the payroll on D. Given their pick could get them Hayden Flurey and our pick could also get them a good offensive prospect I dont think it is sooooo far fetched especially with the defensive depth they have. It may take a little more like a Read but that is still something we could shoulder.
- juiced

Would be nice, but one of the reasons I only see Hartnell as a sweetener is the age/contract and decline that will come associated with those two.

Vinny I think has poop value to most clubs. If you want young talent back, you will have to probably give up some real young talent yourself. Hartnell and Vinny are not that imo.

The franchise that hasn't won a playoff series in their 14 year existence. The measuring stick which all franchises should compare themselves to.
- PLindbergh31

Isn't that a big college party town?

Not sure why Carter was so unhappy there. Get the money, party and no pressure. I'd sign up for that any day.

No, what Im saying is... its time to look towards the future. This team as is simply is not good enough. Period. So why not playthe kids. Let them grow and hopefully in a few years we'll be able to make a serious run at the cup again.
- GOA88

Disagree, this team is as good as Any in the East. They proved that by the end of last season. They need a full season with Berube, where they are practicing systems they already know in training camp, not on the job training durning the season. The fact we came back is impressive. We took the Eastern conference Champs to 7 games and lost the last one 2-1. Couple of better bounces and a healthy Mason for the whole series and it's a whole new hockey game.

Isn't that a big college party town?

Not sure why Carter was so unhappy there. Get the money, party and no pressure. I'd sign up for that any day.
- flyer_nutter

Huge college town. Ohio St. is in Columbus I was there about 15 years ago and my head was on a swivel the entire time.

the thing about the Flyers and ex-players is the great # of them AND the context in which they were moved. the context is usually a Flyers-esque type context that few other teams find themselves in.

Disagree, this team is as good as Any in the East. They proved that by the end of last season. They need a full season with Berube, where they are practicing systems they already know in training camp, not on the job training durning the season. The fact we came back is impressive. We took the Eastern conference Champs to 7 games and lost the last one 2-1. Couple of better bounces and a healthy Mason for the whole series and it's a whole new hockey game.
- flyler

The thing is though, the East is a poopty measuring stick. At least to me anyway. They may have made it past the ECF but would have been female dog slapped in the final.

Build to be the best in the league, not in the East. West is a powerhouse right now. Will only get stronger if Spezza indeed goes to Anaheim or St. Louis.

Disagree, this team is as good as Any in the East. They proved that by the end of last season. They need a full season with Berube, where they are practicing systems they already know in training camp, not on the job training durning the season. The fact we came back is impressive. We took the Eastern conference Champs to 7 games and lost the last one 2-1. Couple of better bounces and a healthy Mason for the whole series and it's a whole new hockey game.
- flyler

I dont see it that way at all. Exclude Mason (Who had to stand on his head) and you see a flyers team that was outplayed so badly by the Rangers that is was excruciating to watch. Made you wish for Flyers of old like Lindros and LeClair.