Mark Alt is right handed. Any chance he will make it this year?
- DTalley

Possibly but I think he starts the season in the AHL, and is the first guy called up when someone is injured.

Eh, I understand Bill's point, but if I can replace either or Luke Schenn or Nick Grossmann with someone who has similar skills to Anton Stralman, I'll take my chances with the physicality aspect.

What Luke Schenn and Grossmann bring in physicality, I'm not quite so sure it outweighs what they are not good at. Especially with respect to Luke Schenn and his skating.

Please note that I'm not necessarily interested in paying Anton Stralman for his past performance. But if someone with his skillset came along at a reasonable price.....

I think if you could get Bogosian from WPG he could be that top pair guy with Coburn and log major minutes. You also then allow Kimmo to play less as a 2nd or third pair guy this year. Next year you might have a prospect or two step in and I think your starting to see a better shaping d group.
- J35Bacher

Agreed, if I can get Bogo for say, B. Schenn and the 17th pick, I'd do it. It's a lot to give up, but you are getting a 24 year old, 6'3, 215lbs dman who skates well, shoots right and can play on your top pair. You could then move Grossmann for picks and go with

Coburn-Bogo
Timonen-Schenn
AMac-Streit

Even if you have to add in a prospect other than Morin, Ghost or Laughton, I'd still do it.

The flyers themselves never seem to talk about him. I doubt it unless he has a great camp.

I want to see a much improved phantoms team next year. It's more important than anything the flyers do if they keep the laughtons and ghosts down
- Just5

He actually may not be that good.

I wouldn't trade for Bogo. Too inconsistent and injury prone.
- Feanor

so was Jeff Carter....two stanley cups ago.....

Eh, I understand Bill's point, but if I can replace either or Luke Schenn or Nick Grossmann with someone who has similar skills to Anton Stralman, I'll take my chances with the physicality aspect.

What Luke Schenn and Grossmann bring in physicality, I'm not quite so sure it outweighs what they are not good at. Especially with respect to Luke Schenn and his skating.

Please note that I'm not necessarily interested in paying Anton Stralman for his past performance. But if someone with his skillset came along at a reasonable price.....
- johndewar

When Schenn plays within himself he is a solid player. He is an underrated passer as he made really nice breakout passes last season. If we move Grossmann and SChenn then you might not have someone clear sight lines for Mason or someone who can stand up at the blue line. There have been times guys pull up when schenn is on the ice because he has caught guys trying to carry puck into the zone.

so was Jeff Carter....two stanley cups ago.....
- landros 2

Agree. Maybe Bogosian just needs a change. Look at the steal the Kings got in Gaborik. I know he is more proven but he looked totally different in LA

Agreed, if I can get Bogo for say, B. Schenn and the 17th pick, I'd do it. It's a lot to give up, but you are getting a 24 year old, 6'3, 215lbs dman who skates well, shoots right and can play on your top pair. You could then move Grossmann for picks and go with

Coburn-Bogo
Timonen-Schenn
AMac-Streit

Even if you have to add in a prospect other than Morin, Ghost or Laughton, I'd still do it.
- BiggE

All this Bogosian talk makes me think of Barry Champlain.



Also, I don't have that much faith in Bogo. You give up BSchenn and #17 and he's a bust, PLind will never let it go.

so was Jeff Carter....two stanley cups ago.....
- landros 2

Carter never missed as many games as Bogosian has - 25% of the last four seasons.

I wouldn't trade for Bogo. Too inconsistent and injury prone.
- Feanor

Let's be honest though... without those concerns, he wouldn't be a reasonable trade target. The "perfect" defenseman probably isn't out there. Even Pronger wasn't completely question-mark free when we got him.

Yeah Alt really seems to have been glossed over in this whole thing. I made a comment last week how i thought the next year or so would be put up or shut up time for him. Maybe that wasn't the best choice of words. I do believe though that if he doesn't progress any further this year he risks being surpassed by Hagg and Ghost in the system in 2015, at which point it will be very hard for him to get a shot cracking the Flyers lineup. If anyone here got to see a good amount of Phantoms games last year i'd be interested to hear what they've seen and think of Alt.

When Schenn plays within himself he is a solid player. He is an underrated passer as he made really nice breakout passes last season. If we move Grossmann and SChenn then you might not have someone clear sight lines for Mason or someone who can stand up at the blue line. There have been times guys pull up when schenn is on the ice because he has caught guys trying to carry puck into the zone.
- J35Bacher

I'm not saying I want both of Grossmann and Luke Schenn gone.

Just one of them. Preferably, Luke Schenn.

All this Bogosian talk makes me think of Barry Champlain.



Also, I don't have that much faith in Bogo. You give up BSchenn and #17 and he's a bust, PLind will never let it go.
- tangent_man

LOL
That assumes I actually care what PLind thinks! (just kidding)

I don't think there is any chance that Bogosian is a bust, he's already an established player, his injury history though is worrisome. But acquiring a mobile 24 year old dman who can play on the top pair is gonna cost a bundle no matter what

Yeah Alt really seems to have been glossed over in this whole thing. I made a comment last week how i thought the next year or so would be put up or shut up time for him. Maybe that wasn't the best choice of words. I do believe though that if he doesn't progress any further this year he risks being surpassed by Hagg and Ghost in the system in 2015, at which point it will be very hard for him to get a shot cracking the Flyers lineup. If anyone here got to see a good amount of Phantoms games last year i'd be interested to hear what they've seen and think of Alt.
- hereticpride

The fact that the blueline was pretty healthy last year didn't exactly help any d-man down on the farm get time with the big club.

I think Alt is going to have to kill it in camp to be in the conversation.

Let's be honest though... without those concerns, he wouldn't be a reasonable trade target. The "perfect" defenseman probably isn't out there. Even Pronger wasn't completely question-mark free when we got him.
- Tomahawk

I like Bogo but he definitely scares me with his history of injuries. A 23 year old who already has as many seasons of < 70 games played as Kimmo does in his career (and that's not counting Bogo's rookie season) is never a good sign. Despite this, I definitely have interest but as always, depends on the price tag which will certainly be high.

Let's be honest though... without those concerns, he wouldn't be a reasonable trade target. The "perfect" defenseman probably isn't out there. Even Pronger wasn't completely question-mark free when we got him.
- Tomahawk

I'm just not in favor of trading BSchenn +(+?) so we can have another less than perfect defenseman on the roster signed for the rest of the decade at $5m.

Let's be honest though... without those concerns, he wouldn't be a reasonable trade target. The "perfect" defenseman probably isn't out there. Even Pronger wasn't completely question-mark free when we got him.
- Tomahawk

Correct.

I think I would be ok with the risk. He is only 23.

I'm just not in favor of trading BSchenn +(+?) so we can have another less than perfect defenseman on the roster signed for the rest of the decade at $5m.
- Feanor

I don't need or expect perfection. If we can get a dman under 30 as good or better than Coburn for a deal based around B. Schenn, I'm all for it.

I'm just not in favor of trading BSchenn +(+?) so we can have another less than perfect defenseman on the roster signed for the rest of the decade at $5m.
- Feanor

But he is a 23 yeard old singed until 2020 when he'll be 29. Not like it is a 29 year old singed that long.

It is about fit, absolutely. The Flyers defense isn't awful as individuals, but how they slot & what they have been and will be asked to do is an issue.

I do think they're spending too much money on the group as a whole, too. Even if the going rate for a guys like Schenn, Grossmann or MacDonald is what they are paying, it's far from ideal to be paying that much for three 4/5 defensemen, when the rest of the defense lacks a real number one guy
- Jsaquella

I think you hit the nail on the head JSAQ. I think the Flyers try to overcompensate by not having that top pairing stud by basically paying everyone on their blueline 4+ million per year. I would much rather have that top end monster making in the 7-8 range, then overpaying guys like MacDonald. Like you said, if the market for Andrew MacDonald is 5+, let someone else give it to him.

I'm just not in favor of trading BSchenn +(+?) so we can have another less than perfect defenseman on the roster signed for the rest of the decade at $5m.
- Feanor

I'm not sure I am either.

I don't buy into all this BS out of WPG about everybody being up for grabs... Chevy is notoriously conservative... I suspect he's less out to shuffle the deck for hockey reasons and more looking to fleece somebody to jump-start his franchise.

I'm not sure I am either.

I don't buy into all this BS out of WPG about everybody being up for grabs... Chevy is notoriously conservative... I suspect he's less out to shuffle the deck for hockey reasons and more looking to fleece somebody to jump-start his franchise.
- Tomahawk

I think that everybody might be on the table 'now', but once that first deal gets done, the list of availables will shrink considerably.

I think you hit the nail on the head JSAQ. I think the Flyers try to overcompensate by not having that top pairing stud by basically paying everyone on their blueline 4+ million per year. I would much rather have that top end monster making in the 7-8 range, then overpaying guys like MacDonald. Like you said, if the market for Andrew MacDonald is 5+, let someone else give it to him.
- PLindbergh31

Everyone wants the monster but where do you want to find him? You can draft and hope. You can try to get Weber, which was tried. You still need to build a d. Can't just throw dreck out there because you don't want to pay market for a dmen that isn't perfect. Only a couple teams have that guy and it doesn't mean your better just because you have him. It definately helps but did NSH make the playoffs with their monster on d this year?

I think that everybody might be on the table 'now', but once that first deal gets done, the list of availables will shrink considerably.
- tangent_man

I think you need to be first in the case of WPG. I agree that once the first deal is done then it might be tougher. I really think they do want some changes as it seems they are just treading water right now. Need to show your fan base that you are trying to take the next step.

The Flyers are really only one dman away from being a top contender.

Too bad that dman is Bobby Orr