I agree; don't really like where Steve Ott is right now.

If he were on the Flyers, I'd support him, but I don't think he's aging well.
- AllInForFlyers

The issue with Ott is two fold for me. First, he's coming off a season where he made $3.2mm with a $2.95mm cap hit. Now, he might be willing to take a bit of a hair cut, but I can't see him doing so unless it's to join a top tier contender. But even if he is, is he willing to take a big enough one for the Flyers to fit him?

Second issue is, absolutely, his age and playing style. Not a good combo.

The issue with Ott is two fold for me. First, he's coming off a season where he made $3.2mm with a $2.95mm cap hit. Now, he might be willing to take a bit of a hair cut, but I can't see him doing so unless it's to join a top tier contender. But even if he is, is he willing to take a big enough one for the Flyers to fit him?

Second issue is, absolutely, his age and playing style. Not a good combo.
- Jsaquella

These are my only two concerns as well as stated.

Ouch -- he made $1.8 last season. He's not taking a paycut off that, that's for damn sure.

I had some interest, but you're right: The number he's coming in at, probably, is going to be someplace I wouldn't want to go.
- AllInForFlyers

Brian Boyle is also on record as saying he wants a bigger role. Can the Flyers promise him a bigger role than he had in NY? Maybe if they traded Schenn or Couturier, but otherwise he's stuck at 4th line center

The Flyers expect to only keep Scott Laughton at center. Nothing more, nothing less. They want him to be a center in the NHL. Ott can play all three forward positions. Laughton isn't nearly as physical as Ott. Laughton won't be as good a faceoff man. Laughton won't bring the same experience as a whole, from a 5 on 5 or PK standpoint.

- SuperSchennBros

I really do not mean to offend, but i can tell you've never really watched Laughton play.

The reality is hell probably be a more well rounded player than Ott in short order. If we're going to add a forward from FA, it should be a more offensive minded winger (preferably a LW), and a defensive 4th line center who can win faceoffs (but someone cheaper then Ott). Both players should add speed to the lineup.

I like Mason Raymond and Dominic Moore on reasonable deals to fill those needs.

Brian Boyle is also on record as saying he wants a bigger role. Can the Flyers promise him a bigger role than he had in NY? Maybe if they traded Schenn or Couturier, but otherwise he's stuck at 4th line center
- Jsaquella

Seriously? That's too bad. See, what makes him valuable is that he's so much better than the vast majority of fourth-line players.

He's far less valuable as a third-liner, where there are plenty of guys who are as good as he is in the league.

Ouch -- he made $1.8 last season. He's not taking a paycut off that, that's for damn sure.

I had some interest, but you're right: The number he's coming in at, probably, is going to be someplace I wouldn't want to go.
- AllInForFlyers

I would kick the tires. I wouldn't have an issue offering him a bit more than that. I dont think the Flyers would be a hard sell for him either. Not a big move. Comes to a team that is getting its core into place for hopefully some good playoff runs.

Again, a team like the Caps or Flames or whoever could come in and throw money at him just as easily.

*insert famous steve ott booger picture here*

Like I said, he reminds me a lot of Talbot and Lappy. I think he'd instantly become a fan favourite.

All last summer was a question of whether or not Simon Gagne would get re-signed because he would look pretty good with Couturier and Read. Then Dan Cleary excited everyone. Then many believed since we already had Talbot, he would be fine there. Then Downie played with Couturier and Read, he turned out to be perfect but due to what I believe was head trauma, he also head his bad games. So we also tried Michael Raffl, who in my opinion never live up to what we saw in Downie on that line. Finding a good fit with Read and Couturier has been rather complicated in my opinion.

Steve Ott is my guy.
- SuperSchennBros

I can see your point defensively, but I think Read and Couturier need to have more offensive opportunities. Perhaps Read on a line with Giroux and Simmonds and Couturier on the second line with Voracek and someone else. I would really like to see an offensive minded yet defensively decent LW with him.

Brian Boyle is also on record as saying he wants a bigger role. Can the Flyers promise him a bigger role than he had in NY? Maybe if they traded Schenn or Couturier, but otherwise he's stuck at 4th line center
- Jsaquella

Trade Vinny, Move Coots up to the 2nd line(keeping Schenn on the wing). Boyle can have the 3rd line while Laughton gets his bearings over the next two years.

Agreed, and that is a differentiator, but at some point, you still gotta expose guys like Bouillon and Weaver.

You can only hide guys for so long, and while I, too, would like that one guy who can cover up for the weaknesses of others, it is fair to say that in the NHL now, your only realistic avenue to obtaining that kind of player is to draft him and develop them, and you don't have to draft them early -- Duncan Keith and Subban being second-rounders, as we all know.
- AllInForFlyers

I agree with you that MTL's d-corps isn't "amazing", at least in terms of the way they measure up with the other final four teams.

But as a group, they are mobile, good with the puck, have strong chemistry from playing together for a long time, physical, and cover all the bases in terms of roles/responsibilities.

Flyers aren't there yet.

The Flyers expect to only keep Scott Laughton at center. Nothing more, nothing less. They want him to be a center in the NHL. Ott can play all three forward positions. Laughton isn't nearly as physical as Ott. Laughton won't be as good a faceoff man. Laughton won't bring the same experience as a whole, from a 5 on 5 or PK standpoint.

I don't know if you were expecting Ott to lead the charge offensively for the Sabers and Blues, but my question now becomes...who could lead the charge offensively for the Sabers and Blues?

I think we could be in luck by having Jokinen, Pouliot and Kulemin being UFAs because Ott isn't as good as them if you compare stats but he does bring his own intangibles. For all the Rinaldo haters, he does make Zac Rinaldo expendable. Not Laughton but Rinaldo.
- SuperSchennBros

I would roll the dice on Laughton as the 4th line center. He was 4th in the entire OHL in face-offs. He won't be as good as Ott, but I don't think he'll be as bad as Schenn last year.

My concern is more about dedicating significant money to a 4th line player. You can say he's capable of playing on the third line, but he doesn't score enough. I would rather find a player with more offensive ability to play with Couts and Read.

Ott seems like one of those buyer beware candidates. He reminds me a lot of Gaustad. Good defensively, great on face-offs and terrific in tangibles. Any team would love to have him until you overpay and realize you've committed significant money to a guy who can't score.

Brian Boyle is also on record as saying he wants a bigger role. Can the Flyers promise him a bigger role than he had in NY? Maybe if they traded Schenn or Couturier, but otherwise he's stuck at 4th line center
- Jsaquella

He got converted to D earlier in his career... tell him he can be our #1 guy. Is that expansive enough for him?

I would roll the dice on Laughton as the 4th line center. He was 4th in the entire OHL in face-offs. He won't be as good as Ott, but I don't think he'll be as bad as Schenn last year.

My concern is more about dedicating significant money to a 4th line player. You can say he's capable of playing on the third line, but he doesn't score enough. I would rather find a player with more offensive ability to play with Couts and Read.

Ott seems like one of those buyer beware candidates. He reminds me a lot of Gaustad. Good defensively, great on face-offs and terrific in tangibles. Any team would love to have him until you overpay and realize you've committed significant money to a guy who can't score.
- PhillySportsGuy

Winner, winner, chicken dinner

Seriously? That's too bad. See, what makes him valuable is that he's so much better than the vast majority of fourth-line players.

He's far less valuable as a third-liner, where there are plenty of guys who are as good as he is in the league.
- AllInForFlyers

Yup. If Schenn was traded for defense help, I'd take a run, but I'd also make it clear that he's not getting handed the 3C job, but he's got to beat Laughton for it. Dominic Moore is a little more attractive to me among UFA depth centers. He lacks the size of Boyle, but man do opposing players (frank)ing hate Dominic Moore.

I agree with you that MTL's d-corps isn't "amazing", at least in terms of the way they measure up with the other final four teams.

But as a group, they are mobile, good with the puck, have strong chemistry from playing together for a long time, physical, and cover all the bases in terms of roles/responsibilities.

Flyers aren't there yet.
- Tomahawk

No! I do not accept this! I demand total agreement with my point of view!

He got converted to D earlier in his career... tell him he can be our #1 guy. Is that expansive enough for him?
- Tomahawk

He could form an awesome second pair with Andrew MacDonald.

No! I do not accept this! I demand total agreement with my point of view!



- AllInForFlyers

Dont' worry, Ekblad will make the world forget that Shea Weber ever existed. He will save us.

Agreed, and that is a differentiator, but at some point, you still gotta expose guys like Bouillon and Weaver.

You can only hide guys for so long, and while I, too, would like that one guy who can cover up for the weaknesses of others, it is fair to say that in the NHL now, your only realistic avenue to obtaining that kind of player is to draft him and develop them, and you don't have to draft them early -- Duncan Keith and Subban being second-rounders, as we all know.
- AllInForFlyers

So there is no misunderstanding, this is not in reply directly to you or about you. It's just in general, to nobody specifically.

You really don't have to expose guys like Bouillion and Weaver. How you do that is with support and the team game. I'm going to lay it on the line here, and give my philosophy on defenseman. It's a hard position to play. Probably the only position on the ice harder to play, is goaltender. It's hard enough to play, when you have puck support, and solid team play in front of you. Even harder when you don't.
I look at the top teams like LA. They play the right way. You don't skate 5 feet with the puck against them, without someone coming at you to cut you off an challenge the puck carrier. I like to look for what call, lot's of white ice. With LA, you see very little of it. Because they keep the gap tight, and support the puck, all over the ice. Not saying they're perfect and don't make mistakes. But every player on that team plays the right way. They have very good defenseman, especially Doughty. But as a group they're made even better, because of the team structure and support that they play with. There's lots of good teams out there that play the same way. And that makes defenseman better.
Now let's take the Flyers defenseman. They don't have that support on a consistent basis. So while they aren't the best group in the League, the Flyers issues with 5 on 5 play, does the opposite. It makes them look worse then they are. And that's what contributes to the whole narrative that the Flyers don't have good defenseman, and that a player like MacDonald is a 3rd pair defenseman. Let me tell you something, and I'm not talking about the Doughty's, Keith's, Pietrangelo's etc. They're obviously elite. I'm talking about the 2nd pair guys. If MacDonald played on a team that played the way LA is. He'd be coveted as a player by the same faction of fans, that has the narrative that the Flyers signed an average defenseman to a 5M deal. If a player like Jake Muzzin played on the Flyers, with the inconsistent support and team play, he'd be a scapegoat, and a target of the fans.
But one thing I'm curious about. Of course teams aren't infallible, but the Flyers have a competent Hockey staff, including the front office, and the pro scouting department. So why would they target, trade for, and sign a 3rd pair defenseman whose play in his own end is suspect, to a 5 year 25M deal? Something's not right there. Why don't they see what some fans see? What's above is what some fans see and they don't know the difference. They blindly look at stats, see how defenseman are exposed due to a lack of support, and come to flawed conclusions.

Yup. If Schenn was traded for defense help, I'd take a run, but I'd also make it clear that he's not getting handed the 3C job, but he's got to beat Laughton for it. Dominic Moore is a little more attractive to me among UFA depth centers. He lacks the size of Boyle, but man do opposing players (frank)ing hate Dominic Moore.
- Jsaquella

Moore's always been a guy who keeps his feet moving -- I respect that about him. He makes plays simply because he doesn't stop skating...and yeah, I bet that does piss guys off, like that one guy at pickup basketball who never stops running.

Yup. If Schenn was traded for defense help, I'd take a run, but I'd also make it clear that he's not getting handed the 3C job, but he's got to beat Laughton for it. Dominic Moore is a little more attractive to me among UFA depth centers. He lacks the size of Boyle, but man do opposing players (frank)ing hate Dominic Moore.
- Jsaquella

Any thoughts if Nash gets bought out? I like his play and I think he could be cheaper than his old deal and would give G his sniper. Rangers have a lot of guys they have to pay.

Moore's always been a guy who keeps his feet moving -- I respect that about him. He makes plays simply because he doesn't stop skating...and yeah, I bet that does piss guys off, like that one guy at pickup basketball who never stops running.

- AllInForFlyers

Exactly...I was looking for a good metaphor and that is perfect. That guy who treats the Saturday pick up game like it's game seven...plus, he's apparently a mouthy little bastard

I really do not mean to offend, but i can tell you've never really watched Laughton play.

The reality is hell probably be a more well rounded player than Ott in short order. If we're going to add a forward from FA, it should be a more offensive minded winger (preferably a LW), and a defensive 4th line center who can win faceoffs (but someone cheaper then Ott). Both players should add speed to the lineup.

I like Mason Raymond and Dominic Moore on reasonable deals to fill those needs.
- mochoson

There is without question Laughton will be a better player then Ott. I never said he wouldn't be. The fact remains, Ott brings other things to the table that Laughton does not. he expectation that Laughton will make an instant impact is too high an expectation for Laughton.

Any thoughts if Nash gets bought out? I like his play and I think he could be cheaper than his old deal and would give G his sniper. Rangers have a lot of guys they have to pay.
- Deasr1

Didn't you already ask this the other day?

Moore's always been a guy who keeps his feet moving -- I respect that about him. He makes plays simply because he doesn't stop skating...and yeah, I bet that does piss guys off, like that one guy at pickup basketball who never stops running.

- AllInForFlyers

Moore's always been a guy who keeps his feet moving -- I respect that about him. He makes plays simply because he doesn't stop skating...and yeah, I bet that does piss guys off, like that one guy at pickup basketball who never stops running.

- AllInForFlyers