Anyone who questioned the hire of Hakstool looks like an utter fool.
- PLindbergh31

Yeah, because your choice, Coach Magical Unicorn would wave his rainbow tail and pull a top defensive pairing and turn the dead bodies of aged forwards into machines.

And that said, it's still easier to watch this than the Berube show.

I like what buffalo did. They made a play for Bogosian and Kane. Yes I know they are injured but they are two guys that can be corner stone guys with the young talent. Bogosian has the skill and intangibles to be a top pair guy. I guess that is the type of deal I would try to find.

No. I actually have my own people. I have some friends I worked with when I worked in Hershey.
- J35Bacher

Thank you, Simone.

So are you all in on trading Streit then? How else are you fitting everyone under the cap? I think buying out Lecavalier is a last resort, but disagree it makes zero sense.
- YuenglingJagr

Striet I am almost positive will be moved. Maybe a package like Coburn brought in.
I wonder if in off season hextall just tells vinny there will be no buyout and he is last option for a sub. Tell him if he wants he can sit and get paid but don't expect to play and will use conditioning assignments to force him to play some ahl games.

The only problem is, as you well know, nobody is trading a "Desjardins".
- MJL

Doesn't happen often, but occasionally it does (Hamilton).

I like what buffalo did. They made a play for Bogosian and Kane. Yes I know they are injured but they are two guys that can be corner stone guys with the young talent. Bogosian has the skill and intangibles to be a top pair guy. I guess that is the type of deal I would try to find.
- J35Bacher

Buffalo is not the same situation as Philly. They had tons of assets, and also had cap space.

Thank you, Simone.
- Scoob

I don't get huge things but I get morsels every so often.

If Vinny is unwilling to retire after this season a buyout is absolutely the way to go. First off, no one is taking half of Vinny's salary/cap hit to a trade isn't happening. Secondly, Vinny is and would still be next year, the 14th forward. If you replace Vinny's spot on the roster with the typical NHL 14th forward, you are talking about a guy making 600-700K. Even with Vinny's cap penalty, you are still saving roughly 900K in 16-17 and 1.4 million in 17-18. Finally, the 900K or so that they would need to carry in 18-19 and 19-20 is not a big deal.

Umberger is a different story. With only one year left, and, assuming some vets are both moved at the deadline or not re-signed, carrying him for one last season to be the 13th forward is not the end of the world.

Yeah, because your choice, Coach Magical Unicorn would wave his rainbow tail and pull a top defensive pairing and turn the dead bodies of aged forwards into machines.

And that said, it's still easier to watch this than the Berube show.
- bodiva88

This disaster is not DH's fault. In fact, I don't think there's a coach out there who could do any better. The roster is a mess. Until that is rectified, we're going to get what we're getting.

The coach is fine. Patience and time is what is needed.

2018-2019 things start looking up.

I'd be surprised if that was true. I'd be very interested also.
- MJL

Most of the Anaheim fans I have talked to love Fowler. Vatanen is more likely to go if they even decide to make a move. He is RFA but with Shea Theodore waiting in the wings Vatanen is expendable.

Doesn't happen often, but occasionally it does (Hamilton).
- Tomahawk

Speaking of Hamilton, I'm wondering why he plays so little. He only got 16 minutes of ice time last night. Seems weird for a guy they just handed a pretty hefty pay check.

Striet I am almost positive will be moved. Maybe a package like Coburn brought in.
I wonder if in off season hextall just tells vinny there will be no buyout and he is last option for a sub. Tell him if he wants he can sit and get paid but don't expect to play and will use conditioning assignments to force him to play some ahl games.
- J35Bacher

Without the team pushing for playoff position, I agree, there is no reason not to move Streit now. I want to trade him regardless of their position in the standings, and hopefully Hextall does as well

Yeah, because your choice, Coach Magical Unicorn would wave his rainbow tail and pull a top defensive pairing and turn the dead bodies of aged forwards into machines.

And that said, it's still easier to watch this than the Berube show.
- bodiva88

The way I look at it is that Hack was hired knowing that he has a reputation of helping develop guys like Toews but also that it's going to take him time to adjust and learn how to coach at this level. He's going to learn and develop along with our great prospects once they start arriving. The rhetoric we hear from management that we're looking to make the playoffs and compete this year is just that. What else are you supposed to say? We know we'll suck.. please by season tix anyways etc etc..

I am as angry as anyone when I see performances like we've seen lately. I have to keep going back to the fact that there's no quick fix and that it'll be about competing in 2 or 3 years. I've waited this long, but at least we're doing it the right way now.. my biggest concern is that the core guys we have now will be past their prime when we are ready to compete..

Speaking of Hamilton, I'm wondering why he plays so little. He only got 16 minutes of ice time last night. Seems weird for a guy they just handed a pretty hefty pay check.
- TobyFlenderson

iirc he began the season playing more minutes and was pretty ineffective.

If Vinny is unwilling to retire after this season a buyout is absolutely the way to go. First off, no one is taking half of Vinny's salary/cap hit to a trade isn't happening. Secondly, Vinny is and would still be next year, the 14th forward. If you replace Vinny's spot on the roster with the typical NHL 14th forward, you are talking about a guy making 600-700K. Even with Vinny's cap penalty, you are still saving roughly 900K in 16-17 and 1.4 million in 17-18. Finally, the 900K or so that they would need to carry in 18-19 and 19-20 is not a big deal.

Umberger is a different story. With only one year left, and, assuming some vets are both moved at the deadline or not re-signed, carrying him for one last season to be the 13th forward is not the end of the world.
- BiggE

x2. I am all in on retaining salary and him retiring. I just see the buyout as the most likely scenario by a wide margin. Rising cap and the savings from his 4.5 million hit are well worth the buyout penalties when it comes to Vinny

Also this off-season I go hard after veasley? Do what it takes to get him signed.

iirc he began the season playing more minutes and was pretty ineffective.
- Mordecai

Yeah, I guess that's it. I did drop him from my fantasy team pretty quick. Not to mention Brodie came back recently and he's been getting big minutes so it could be a case of spreading it around.

Arizona has some elite offensive defensman named Grossmann who netted 2 tallies last night..

Arizona has some elite offensive defensman named Grossmann who netted 2 tallies last night..
- Trainfellow

Oh God.. please tell me that didn't actually happen... Next we'll hear that Pronger isn't going into the HHOF because he's all better and ready to contribute as a number one dman..

Other then the fact I felt Manning suddenly drifted away from the boards on the first Vinny pass and Read not coving the boards at all, I have no excuse for Vinny. I thought both players on each play were at fault but Vinny was a guilty party both times, so I have no excuse for him. Slashing Schenn accidently says how unfocused he was last night. I don't think he's played horribly up until last night but last night should be a telling tail for the declining player himself.

If Vinny is unwilling to retire after this season a buyout is absolutely the way to go. First off, no one is taking half of Vinny's salary/cap hit to a trade isn't happening. Secondly, Vinny is and would still be next year, the 14th forward. If you replace Vinny's spot on the roster with the typical NHL 14th forward, you are talking about a guy making 600-700K. Even with Vinny's cap penalty, you are still saving roughly 900K in 16-17 and 1.4 million in 17-18. Finally, the 900K or so that they would need to carry in 18-19 and 19-20 is not a big deal.

Umberger is a different story. With only one year left, and, assuming some vets are both moved at the deadline or not re-signed, carrying him for one last season to be the 13th forward is not the end of the world.
- BiggE

This. If you buy him our and replace him with a guy making $1.5M or less (UFA or current AHLer), you're actually saving money. Yes, you'd have the $900K hits for the next 2 years, which isn't the best scenario, but the should have some guys on ELC's which will make that manageable.

Umberger is, this year, a competent NHL player. If he can continue to be that, carrying him for one more year isn't the end of the world.

I am as angry as anyone when I see performances like we've seen lately. I have to keep going back to the fact that there's no quick fix and that it'll be about competing in 2 or 3 years. I've waited this long, but at least we're doing it the right way now.. my biggest concern is that the core guys we have now will be past their prime when we are ready to compete..
- Hextall271

I'm not angry at all. We're seeing exactly what I expected we'd see, and what we'll continue to see for a (relatively) short while.

Set your expectations low and this period won't seem so awful.

I asked this yesterday but figure I'd ask again:

Does anyone have any interest in Tyson Baillie? He's put together a number of strong seasons for Kelowna but went undrafted the past 2 years. Calgary invited him to Prospects Camp but let him go. I don't know if he's draft eligible again or can be signed as a UFA, but I think he's worth considering.

I'm not angry at all. We're seeing exactly what I expected we'd see, and what we'll continue to see for a (relatively) short while.

Set your expectations low and this period won't seem so awful.
- Scoob

I've tried that. The Flyers are my favorite sports team by a large margin and they're the only team I follow that I haven't actually seen win a championship. I'll never cheer for them to lose for a higher draft pick, and it always pains me to see them lose. I really don't want to see them break their 10 game losing streak record of futility but we're on our way here..

Buying out Lecavalier makes zero sense. That's a move that a team that thinks it can contend makes. I don't buyout Umberger either. I ride it out next year, and they they're free and clear.
- MJL

I'd love to see your 16-17 opening night roster that includes Umberger and Vinny.

Buy outs are also for teams who need the cap space to keep good players, not just contenders.