gudas is faster thats about it. i prefer schenns breakouts, he makes some good plays to keep the puck in the zone, and i think he has an underrated ability to get the puck through to the net. he also has no problem with playing the body, if thats what matters.

i dont think schenn is anything great, but he is underrated due to the fact that he isnt as good as JVR
- YuenglingJagr

I don't care that he was traded for JVR, though it was a really stupid trade...I look at what he does on the ice and it isn't much. He had one decent season here and now the guy can barely crack the lineup...defensemen are supposed to get better as they get NHL experience and he has regressed.

THANK YOU AT LEAST SOMEBODY GETS IT
- Streit2ThePoint

I didn't even mention L. Schenn's seemingly poor hockey IQ.

The 4th one is the most important to me. The benchmark of the Flyers throughout the 70-90s was a team that may not win, but didn't lose due to lack of effort. Since the 2010 run, we haven't seen that. If they lose, but give it their best effort throughout the majority of the season, I'm okay with it.
- jmatchett383

Agree 100%

What in God's name is Umberger doing on the powerplay?????????

Ill be happy if their not pinned in their own end all night. Heck if my eyeballs see even a 40/60 split I'll be happy regardless of score.

Watching the preseason my big concern with this team is defending the neutral zone and being able to get sticks or bodies in the passing lanes to slow the head of steam coming at them

Not sure why you'd take Luke over Gudas...Gudas is a better skater, which isn't saying much, has a decent slapshot from the point and will definitely take the body.
- aantny88

Gudas has looked pretty rusty, which is perfectly understandable. My guess is that they feel that they can give Luke a few games to show what he can do (yeah, I know, insert joke here!) while letting Gudas continue to skate and get his timing down. Either way, I don't think that Gudas stays out of the lineup very long.

This team's gonna have a hell of a time trying to score at ES.
- Tomahawk

And what else is new?

What in God's name is Umberger doing on the powerplay?????????
- CarusiCromwell

Probably parking it in front of the net.

What in God's name is Umberger doing on the powerplay?????????
- CarusiCromwell

He was a regular on the pp in Columbus and pretty successful at it. If he's healthy, it makes sense.

this is very exciting

You just named 3 players that have the least amount of value on the team and to trade them either future has to go the other way or salary must be eaten. The Flyers aren't even in the position to sign a cheap try-out players. Best case scenario the Flyers are out of the playoff hunt and rid themselves of these players for mid-picks. The problem for the Flyers is not just having the right players, but having limited options.

EDIT: The only things that will help the Flyers at this point 1) Time, riding themselves as much dead weight they can and 2) Not making the same mistakes during the same time frame

Agreed they definitely have limited options. I do wish that Hextall would consider retaining salary more than it appears he does. Maybe he is just saying that they won't, but when it comes down to it, they actually will. They aren't in a position where they need to make a trade.

In a position of need, I am hoping they retain salary in order to make a trade more enticing. Even retaining salary is a more attractive option than a buyout due to the length of time the dead space is on the books. I am really hoping a scenario comes up where we can take on a bad contract with fewer years (i.e. umberger/hartnell trade)

Ill be happy if their not pinned in their own end all night. Heck if my eyeballs see even a 40/60 split I'll be happy regardless of score.

Watching the preseason my big concern with this team is defending the neutral zone and being able to get sticks or bodies in the passing lanes to slow the head of steam coming at them
- Just5

Yup. They are undersized on D and, except for a couple of guys, not particularly fast either. That's a fatal combo. They will have a very hard time avoiding penalties when opponents get a good cycle going.

Agreed they definitely have limited options. I do wish that Hextall would consider retaining salary more than it appears he does. Maybe he is just saying that they won't, but when it comes down to it, they actually will. They aren't in a position where they need to make a trade.

In a position of need, I am hoping they retain salary in order to make a trade more enticing. Even retaining salary is a more attractive option than a buyout due to the length of time the dead space is on the books. I am really hoping a scenario comes up where we can take on a bad contract with fewer years (i.e. umberger/hartnell trade)
- YuenglingJagr

Replacing Umberger in a year or two with a kid will save money as will replacing Streit and LSchenn with Ghost and Morin. A Vinny buyout while not ideal will give them some room. The only long term cap issue they really have is AMac.

I don't care that he was traded for JVR, though it was a really stupid trade...I look at what he does on the ice and it isn't much. He had one decent season here and now the guy can barely crack the lineup...defensemen are supposed to get better as they get NHL experience and he has regressed.
- aantny88

I would argue that he has really had one bad season...the rest have been decent-good.

Either way BiggE is right, both guys will have their chance at sticking in the lineup

I would play Vinnie over R J Humberger. The only reason he is playing is so the upper management doesn't look like total fools for the Hartnell trade.
- cousjoe

That's not true. Umberger can skate again, Vinny cannot.

That's not true. Umberger can skate again, Vinny cannot.
- Feanor

Not to mention its pretty much expected that Umberger is a lesser player than Hartnell. Same number less years. Why would Columbus have done it if Hartnell was not the better player? It amazes me that people still fail to see the thought process Hextall had behind that trade.

Replacing Umberger in a year or two with a kid will save money as will replacing Streit and LSchenn with Ghost and Morin. A Vinny buyout while not ideal will give them some room. The only long term cap issue they really have is AMac.
- hereticpride

I dont see any real long term cap issues unless Schenn and Raffl go off this season. The combination of Vinny and AMac are an issue, but like I said, taking on another poor contract and retaining salary is the way to go over a buyout. (Or praying AMac gets taken in expansion draft)

Even trading AMac with 50% retention is better than the 4 million in dead space in the AHL. We should have enough ELCs for the rest of his contract to offset the savings of burying him.

Agreed they definitely have limited options. I do wish that Hextall would consider retaining salary more than it appears he does. Maybe he is just saying that they won't, but when it comes down to it, they actually will. They aren't in a position where they need to make a trade.

In a position of need, I am hoping they retain salary in order to make a trade more enticing. Even retaining salary is a more attractive option than a buyout due to the length of time the dead space is on the books. I am really hoping a scenario comes up where we can take on a bad contract with fewer years (i.e. umberger/hartnell trade)
- YuenglingJagr

Maybe Hextall is waiting to see if there will be an expansion draft before retaining any salary or doing any buyouts.

Replacing Umberger in a year or two with a kid will save money as will replacing Streit and LSchenn with Ghost and Morin. A Vinny buyout while not ideal will give them some room. The only long term cap issue they really have is AMac.
- hereticpride

If we can move Streit, Schenn and Umberger, do we even need to eat Vinny's salary? Those 3 guys is a lot in savings by replacing them with kids. If at that point Vinny and AMac are the only bad contracts on the books, I'd say Hexy did a pretty good job. Maybe next year we can send Vinny to a team that needs to hit the cap floor and send a 3rd with him. Then only AMac to worry about.

Maybe Hextall is waiting to see if there will be an expansion draft before retaining any salary or doing any buyouts.
- Feanor

That is two seasons away at the earliest, which really only makes AMac's contract one that the expansion draft can save us from

If we can move Streit, Schenn and Umberger, do we even need to eat Vinny's salary? Those 3 guys is a lot in savings by replacing them with kids. If at that point Vinny and AMac are the only bad contracts on the books, I'd say Hexy did a pretty good job. Maybe next year we can send Vinny to a team that needs to hit the cap floor and send a 3rd with him. Then only AMac to worry about.
- Tomfan365

So their vet defenseman becomes MacDonald? Sweet.

Replacing Umberger in a year or two with a kid will save money as will replacing Streit and LSchenn with Ghost and Morin. A Vinny buyout while not ideal will give them some room. The only long term cap issue they really have is AMac.
- hereticpride

In 2 years, in theory, should be in a much better situation, but what worries me is how the Flyers handle other players like BSchenn (RFA), MDZ, Raffl, Medvedev. etc. They could end up putting themselves in the same situation they are in now if they start signing these players for 4-5M over 4-5 years. That doesn't even including future players they may get and resign like AMac.

So I guess everyone is buying the excuse that the only reason Umberger has sucked for 3 straight NHL seasons is that he's had lingering injury issues he only reveals after he sucks for an entire season?

(Full Disclousure: I do find this to be the only poor move Hextall has made as GM and it is one of my major pet peeves)

In 2 years, in theory, should be in a much better situation, but what worries me is how the Flyers handle other players like BSchenn (RFA), MDZ, Raffl, Medvedev. etc. They could end up putting themselves in the same situation they are in now if they start signing these players for 4-5M over 4-5 years. That doesn't even including future players they may get and resign like AMac.
- Glak18

Vinny will be gone, Streit gone, L.Schenn most likely gone, Gagner most likely gone so there's almost 17 mil freed up

So I guess everyone is buying the excuse that the only reason Umberger has sucked for 3 straight NHL seasons is that he's had lingering injury issues he only reveals after he sucks for an entire season?

(Full Disclousure: I do find this to be the only poor move Hextall has made as GM and it is one of my major pet peeves)
- CarusiCromwell

He scored 18 goals in 13-14, 8 on the pp. If he's healthy and can even come close to that, I'd be fine with it.