Where did the Bruins, Blues, Hawks, Kings, Preds, Yotes, Wild, etc. find them? They all got lucky I guess.
- PLindbergh31

Have the Flyers not tried to acquire Suter and Weber? And that's just the top defenseman we know about. We don't know if they were in on the conversation about other defenseman such as bouwmeester.

Hell be 24 in a month and has played six NHL seasons already. I'm not against trading for him because he's old, I'm against trading for him because (like Luke Schenn who is only 4 months older than Bogo) he may already be close to being fully developed.

And because the Flyers already have a ton of cap money tied up in defenders.

MacDonald - 6 more years at $5m
Streit - 3 more years at $5.25m
Pronger - 3 more years at $4.94m
Coburn - 2 more years at $4.5m
Schenn - 2 more years at $3.6m
Grossmann - 2 more years at $3.5m
- Feanor

There is realistically 4 defenseman listed there, that the Flyers would have no problem trading.

Who wouldn't want that top end monster making in the 7-8 million per year, over MacDonald. So tell me what monster we can acquire? We can always trade MacDonald.
- MJL

Do you think you could do a trade of Schenn, MacDonald and 17 for Bogosian? Just rying to see what would make sense.

I think Bogosian could be a potential impact defenseman. Also He might not have to assume so much responsibility if he was on a d with Kimmo and coburn and Schenn and Striet. Then next year he could take on more once Kimmo is gone. In WPG he has to be the man and was thrust in at 18

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

Too bad that dman is Bobby Orr


- BiggE

p much

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Murphy, Stralman and Defense Roster Building
- bmeltzer

Everytime I read that someone wants Anton Stralman I think to myself, Anton Stralman? Really?? Anton Stralman??? I feel that he's played well for the New York Rangers but the New York Rangers are very system oriented team. I've seen a lot of him in Toronto and Columbus and he was always less than impressive until going to New York. I'm really not that interested at all. Ryan Mcdonough, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal and Stralman is a pretty good collection of defenseman when you put them together but there is a different when you take one and bring him here. I think Ryan McDonagh might even struggle here if we automatically made him our number 1 defense.

A few years ago just before acquiring Chris Pronger, Paul Holmgren said at a press conference that he wanted a hammer on the back end. Since the injury of Chris Pronger we've acquired two hammers. I suppose now two hammers is too many.

Do you think you could do a trade of Schenn, MacDonald and 17 for Bogosian? Just rying to see what would make sense.

I think Bogosian could be a potential impact defenseman. Also He might not have to assume so much responsibility if he was on a d with Kimmo and coburn and Schenn and Striet. Then next year he could take on more once Kimmo is gone. In WPG he has to be the man and was thrust in at 18
- J35Bacher

If you are giving that much why not just add B Schenn and Raffl or Cousins and get Boogs and Kane, that feels more "fair"

We give both Schenn's, Mac, the 17th and Cousins or Rafl....get Boogs and Kane.

There is realistically 4 defenseman listed there, that the Flyers would have no problem trading.
- MJL

My problem with some people is they want to improve but don't want to spend money or complain about deals to FAs. It is easy to say well Macdonld is not worth 5 million. Ok then be ready for Gervais to be playing those minutes last season in the playoffs. Gustafuson had chances but was just as inconsistant as Schenn and people seem to kill Schenn but Gustafson never got a fai shake. Is MacDonald an improvement from players like Kraijeck and Parent and Gervais or should we go back to those types instead?

I understand that we need to develop our own better but drafting kids is not exact as the Oilers have shown. They are littlered with top picks.

If you are giving that much why not just add B Schenn and Raffl or Cousins and get Boogs and Kane, that feels more "fair"
- juiced

I don't think Raffl really brings much value in a trade. Cousins had a quiet season in the AHL so i don't think he really has established value

Everytime I read that someone wants Anton Stralman I think to myself, Anton Stralman? Really?? Anton Stralman??? I feel that he's played well for the New York Rangers but the New York Rangers are very system oriented team. I've seen a lot of him in Toronto and Columbus and he was always less than impressive until going to New York. I'm really not that interested at all. Ryan Mcdonough, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal and Stralman is a pretty good collection of defenseman when you put them together but there is a different when you take one and bring him here. I think Ryan McDonagh might even struggle here if we automatically made him our number 1 defense.

A few years ago just before acquiring Chris Pronger, Paul Holmgren said at a press conference that he wanted a hammer on the back end. Since the injury of Chris Pronger we've acquired two hammers. I suppose now two hammers is too many.
- SuperSchennBros

Yeah - Stralman is a big no for me as well...

I don't think Raffl really brings much value in a trade. Cousins had a quiet season in the AHL so i don't think he really has established value
- J35Bacher

Look up and down the roster for the Jets....they need top 6 bodies big time plus solid prospects period. I think Raffl showed plenty strong 2 way play and is a super favorable $ hit. I get Cousins was quiet last year but he tore it up in juniors so for a team looking to get as many cracks ast the lottery as Peg needs I think it is a fair deal.

Yeah - Stralman is a big no for me as well...
- FlyersGrace

Yup
I have little or no interested in all of the UFA dmen out there due to the fact that most, if not all of them, are going to get deals for far more than they are worth. If they can't make a trade to improve the D, then I'm perfectly fine with going into next year with same 6 that finished last season.

Again, as Hextall said, they may need to take a small step back in order to take a big step forward in the future and I'm fine with that. Missing the playoffs and getting a pick somewhere tween 9-14 (or #1 if they get very lucky in the lottery) in what looks to be an incredibly deep and talented draft would not be the worst thing in the world.

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

When he gets fired -- and he will, because they all do -- he's going to regret how conservative he was. He has the most desirable asset in hockey -- big, mobile, offensive defensemen -- in Byugflien, Bogosian and Trouba, and he won't flip the most obvious one in Buff.

No, they'd rather play him at forward, where he's just another big body.

I'm not saying I want the Flyers to acquire him; I actually don't. I'm just saying that in the Western Conference right now, and with the current playoff structure, waiting and not actively improving is the same as making a bad deal, because the net result is the same: You're getting worse.

Do you think you could do a trade of Schenn, MacDonald and 17 for Bogosian? Just rying to see what would make sense.
- J35Bacher

More like BSchenn + 1st + Morin or Ghost.

My problem with some people is they want to improve but don't want to spend money or complain about deals to FAs. It is easy to say well Macdonld is not worth 5 million. Ok then be ready for Gervais to be playing those minutes last season in the playoffs. Gustafuson had chances but was just as inconsistant as Schenn and people seem to kill Schenn but Gustafson never got a fai shake. Is MacDonald an improvement from players like Kraijeck and Parent and Gervais or should we go back to those types instead?

I understand that we need to develop our own better but drafting kids is not exact as the Oilers have shown. They are littlered with top picks.
- J35Bacher

This is an interesting point. There are some who are intrigued by signing players such as Benoit Pouliot, Jussi Jokinen and Nikolai Kulemin because they can be a cheap short term stop gap. Its not like we haven't done it before, we traded two years ago. Ruslan Fedotenko and Bruno Gervais lead the charge to get us to the playoffs. Does everybody remember Randy Robitaille and Geoff Sanderson? Everytime Flyers management has gotten lazy and picked up leftover scraps teams didn't want anymore via UFA, I feel it's worked against us. It's like the draft, great in first round when we've signed Jeremy Roenick, Peter Forsberg, Danny Briere and Vincent Lecavalier but terrible in the second round of free agency. Where you been pretty good when offering try out contracts. Jimmy Dowd and Blair Betts were pretty good walk ons.

More like BSchenn + 1st + Morin or Ghost.
- Feanor

I wouldn't do that, and I like Bogo. He hasn't been able to stay healthy. That would be a lot to give up for him.

Yup
I have little or no interested in all of the UFA dmen out there due to the fact that most, if not all of them, are going to get deals for far more than they are worth. If they can't make a trade to improve the D, then I'm perfectly fine with going into next year with same 6 that finished last season.

Again, as Hextall said, they made need to take a small step back in order to take a big step forward in the future and I'm fine with that. Missing the playoffs and getting a pick somewhere tween 9-14 (or #1 if they get very lucky in the lottery) in what looks to be an incredibly deep and talented draft would not be the worst thing in the world.
- BiggE

The six guys they had last year got them into the playoffs; better them than an ugly FA deal that you live to regret.

The kids are coming; at some point, you have to have faith that Terry Murray pulls at least one of them, preferably two of them, through.

The Flyers have done what they were supposed to do; now, the onus is also on these kids to get out there and get the job done.

I read an article saying that Oiler scouts are predicting the Flyers to trade for the #1 overall pick at the draft.

I read an article saying that Oiler scouts are predicting the Flyers to trade for the #1 overall pick at the draft.
- arichardson22

An Oilers writer also said the Flyers would look to move Voracek, Simmonds, and Coburn to clear cap space to re-sign Downie (and Schenn)

I read an article saying that Oiler scouts are predicting the Flyers to trade for the #1 overall pick at the draft.
- arichardson22

Here's what it would take from a Toronto perspective:

A brief survey of NHL execs suggests that the Florida Panthers might get off the No. 1 pick in the draft, but they won’t get off it for anything along the lines of a much-floated rumour out there: the Leafs’ No. 8 pick, plus defenceman Jake Gardiner and centre Nazem Kadri. The way the scenario goes (at least in the imagination of Leafs’ brass and ardent fans), Toronto would use the pick on Barrie defenceman Aaron Ekblad and thus have a first-pair right-hand shot at the point for a generation.

Said one senior exec: “I get the sense that [the No. 1 pick] is out there. [Pathers GM] Dale Tallon has all kinds of young players in the organization and wants to make the playoffs sooner rather than later. Still, Kadri in the package won’t get it done. JVR [LW James van Riemsdyk] might if he’s with the pick and Gardiner… or he might not. Tallon will wait it out to see what the best offer is. It’s a big one to sit tight and close on the floor but I wouldn’t rule it out.”

The six guys they had last year got them into the playoffs; better them than an ugly FA deal that you live to regret.

The kids are coming; at some point, you have to have faith that Terry Murray pulls at least one of them, preferably two of them, through.

The Flyers have done what they were supposed to do; now, the onus is also on these kids to get out there and get the job done.
- AllInForFlyers

I wouldn't do that, and I like Bogo. He hasn't been able to stay healthy. That would be a lot to give up for him.
- PLindbergh31

I actually am not sure If Morin or Ghost really apeals to WPG. They seem like a team more interested in getting roster players to push tehm into the playoffs. Thats why I thought Schenn, MacDonald and 17 worked. Maybe you add some conditional pick based on games played. 2nd rounder in 2015 if he plays 70 games turns into a 3rd if it is less. Not sure if it is right or wrong just throwing ideas out

An Oilers writer also said the Flyers would look to move Voracek, Simmonds, and Coburn to clear cap space to re-sign Downie (and Schenn)
- five4fighting10

I know I chuckled at the guy saying we were gonna trade JV AND resign Downie. Pretty sure we told Downie get the frank out of here end of the season lol

Here's what it would take from a Toronto perspective:

A brief survey of NHL execs suggests that the Florida Panthers might get off the No. 1 pick in the draft, but they won’t get off it for anything along the lines of a much-floated rumour out there: the Leafs’ No. 8 pick, plus defenceman Jake Gardiner and centre Nazem Kadri. The way the scenario goes (at least in the imagination of Leafs’ brass and ardent fans), Toronto would use the pick on Barrie defenceman Aaron Ekblad and thus have a first-pair right-hand shot at the point for a generation.

Said one senior exec: “I get the sense that
- aightwebang17[the No. 1 pick] is out there. [Pathers GM] Dale Tallon has all kinds of young players in the organization and wants to make the playoffs sooner rather than later. Still, Kadri in the package won’t get it done. JVR [LW James van Riemsdyk] might if he’s with the pick and Gardiner… or he might not. Tallon will wait it out to see what the best offer is. It’s a big one to sit tight and close on the floor but I wouldn’t rule it out.”

Yup

Any deal for 1st overall is going to start with Couturier, Simmonds or Read and our 1st. Just not worth it IMO

You don't get a legitimate top pair guy for that collection of picks. It also discounts what the Flyers defense would of looked like without adding those players. As well as not considering what legit top pair defenseman was available.
- MJL

Choosing who should be GM of this team between you two was the hardest decision of my life.

Here's what it would take from a Toronto perspective:

A brief survey of NHL execs suggests that the Florida Panthers might get off the No. 1 pick in the draft, but they won’t get off it for anything along the lines of a much-floated rumour out there: the Leafs’ No. 8 pick, plus defenceman Jake Gardiner and centre Nazem Kadri. The way the scenario goes (at least in the imagination of Leafs’ brass and ardent fans), Toronto would use the pick on Barrie defenceman Aaron Ekblad and thus have a first-pair right-hand shot at the point for a generation.

Said one senior exec: “I get the sense that
- aightwebang17[the No. 1 pick] is out there. [Pathers GM] Dale Tallon has all kinds of young players in the organization and wants to make the playoffs sooner rather than later. Still, Kadri in the package won’t get it done. JVR [LW James van Riemsdyk] might if he’s with the pick and Gardiner… or he might not. Tallon will wait it out to see what the best offer is. It’s a big one to sit tight and close on the floor but I wouldn’t rule it out.”

Am I the only one who feels that this is the exactly wrong draft to try to trade for the #1? It's a weak top-end this year compared to most drafts of the past decade.