And Tim Murray said over and over again to the press that buffalo wasn't tanking to get McDavid.

Hockey is a gate driven business and the other tenant in the building is openly trying to be the worst team in their league for 3 years now. In case you were wondering, the company that owns the Flyers owns the arena. So how many suites do you think are going to sell if he says the Flyers will be bottom 10 again this year?
- psuhockey

Attendance has been dropping. They've upped the incentives to become a STH this past year. Hell they were apparently giving people free jackets for signing up. I got absolutely bombarded over the summer to come back.

The suck is real.

People knew he was a pretty good, but not sure many predicted he'd be able to be a #1 guy for a powerhouse team.

Hell, even in his Flyers days, there were no shortage of people who insisted that he wasn't a true #1.

That trade was crazy risky -- it could have easily blown up in the Flyers' face.
- Tomahawk

Not that he was a bonafide #1, but that team was like now, (on the back line)
They knew acquiring him would give them the stability they needed, not so much as his rep as a proven #1, and he did just that.
Maybe sometimes there's too much emphasis on grading a defenseman, (#1 2 3), but what they can provide to your teams stability.
Ghost is just cutting his teeth, but look at the boost he provided in 3 games, last week we couldnt even establish a forecheck.
I can't remember the last time we hemmed the opposition in their end more.

Is this an actual comment or a synopsis of every "angry fan" call to talk radio? As the latter, it's pretty good. However, you forgot to threaten to stop watching, say how indifferent the players and then to propose some completely unrealistic trade the team would pull off it was only run by competent people.
- bmeltzer

Join date is today...ignore

Interesting analysis of, in general, forward scoring rates by age.

http://www.sbnation.com/n...-stats-rates-age-analysis

Danny Briere was done long before fans and the GM would admit it. One problem was that everyone liked him, the other was his contract. Without the compliance buyout Briere would've hamstrung the flyers cap even longer. The Flyers GMs have routinely handed out contracts like the players are Peter Pan and will never grow old.

Holding on to the 12 year contract of Richards would've been disastrous for the Flyers. Hartnell's 33 and would not be surprising to see him in steep decline next year.

I think in the long-term Hextall did the correct thing with Hartnell's contract, despite the short term pain.

That said, I am only in favor of trading Giroux if there is a huge return and no salary retained. He is still young enough that his trade value shouldn't be seriously changed due to his age for another few years.

the flyers will sell either way....what will hurt them is people not going and buying stuff....the tickets are sold but no additional $ is coming in if people stay home, and they ae.
- rinaldo

And this is what has annoyed me about this whole process. They haven't embraced their terribleness fully because they think the fans are stupid. It like the Phillies who thought the fans would still come out to see Howard, Rollins, and Utley even though the team wasn't a contender anymore but by postponing the rebuild, they make it worst and a much bigger project. The Flyers have been at best a playoff bubble team for 4 years now. They actually did more harm to the fan base by letting it bleed away slowly than taking their medicine and rebuilding (aka tanking) for a year or two.

I just switched to sanka. Have a heart.
- hereticpride

To even know about that you have to be old.

HACKSTALL SHUD GO BACK TO CALLIDGE!

/Jim from the Northeast
//First time caller, long time listener
- johndewar

OMG!!!!!

Those (frank)ing amateurs.
- hereticpride

I'm staying. I'm finishing my dollar dogs.

Not that he was a bonafide #1, but that team was like now, (on the back line)
They knew acquiring him would give them the stability they needed, not so much as his rep as a proven #1, and he did just that.
Maybe sometimes there's too much emphasis on grading a defenseman, (#1 2 3), but what they can provide to your teams stability.
Ghost is just cutting his teeth, but look at the boost he provided in 3 games, last week we couldnt even establish a forecheck.
I can't remember the last time we hemmed the opposition in their end more.
- puckhead17

Desjardins in his prime with the Flyers was one of the top defenseman in all of hockey, and was a bona fide #1.
Gostisbehere has certainly added some qualities to the lineup, as well as some excitement. The future looks great with him. In the LA game, he and his linemates got pretty handedly outplayed at ES. That's certainly not all on Gostisbehere

Attendance has been dropping. They've upped the incentives to become a STH this past year. Hell they were apparently giving people free jackets for signing up. I got absolutely bombarded over the summer to come back.

The suck is real.
- hereticpride

This must be the lowest scoring Flyers team in their history

Interesting analysis of, in general, forward scoring rates by age.

http://www.sbnation.com/n...-stats-rates-age-analysis

Danny Briere was done long before fans and the GM would admit it. One problem was that everyone liked him, the other was his contract. Without the compliance buyout Briere would've hamstrung the flyers cap even longer. The Flyers GMs have routinely handed out contracts like the players are Peter Pan and will never grow old.

Holding on to the 12 year contract of Richards would've been disastrous for the Flyers. Hartnell's 33 and would not be surprising to see him in steep decline next year.

I think in the long-term Hextall did the correct thing with Hartnell's contract, despite the short term pain.

That said, I am only in favor of trading Giroux if there is a huge return and no salary retained. He is still young enough that his trade value shouldn't be seriously changed due to his age for another few years.
- Flyers_01

Articles like that ignore so many factors in hockey, such as health, quality of the team a player plays on, and many other factors. Not a good way to look at it. Have to look at each player individually. Stating that Briere was done long before the GM would admit it is a biased and baseless assumption.

And Tim Murray said over and over again to the press that buffalo wasn't tanking to get McDavid.
- psuhockey

And this is what has annoyed me about this whole process. They haven't embraced their terribleness fully because they think the fans are stupid. It like the Phillies who thought the fans would still come out to see Howard, Rollins, and Utley even though the team wasn't a contender anymore but by postponing the rebuild, they make it worst and a much bigger project. The Flyers have been at best a playoff bubble team for 4 years now. They actually did more harm to the fan base by letting it bleed away slowly than taking their medicine and rebuilding (aka tanking) for a year or two.
- psuhockey

If the Flyers decided to tank, they're the ones I would label as stupid, not the fans. If the Flyers think the fans are stupid, why are they offering all kinds of good ticket deals to try and get fans to buy tickets?

In comparison, Del Zotto isn't half the player that Desjardins was, in any era.
- MJL

Del Zotto would give up collection of Porn Star Phone #s if he could be half the Dman Desjardins was

Desjardins in his prime with the Flyers was one of the top defenseman in all of hockey, and was a bona fide #1.
Gostisbehere has certainly added some qualities to the lineup, as well as some excitement. The future looks great with him. In the LA game, he and his linemates got pretty handedly outplayed at ES. That's certainly not all on Gostisbehere
- MJL

I agree on Desjardins, but for even the fan that grades him a 1 or a 2, or whatever, he was acquired to stabilize a weak back line, and became the 2nd best D man we've ever had.
LA can outplay many with size, & strength, that's there MO. But last night they hemmed the Sharks in often, when's the last time they were able to that?
Granted San Jose played soccer on ice, collapsing everyone around Jones, but they did establish a forecheck.

Desjardins in his prime with the Flyers was one of the top defenseman in all of hockey, and was a bona fide #1.
- MJL

Yep, and it was a joy to watch him.

Gostisbehere has certainly added some qualities to the lineup, as well as some excitement. The future looks great with him. In the LA game, he and his linemates got pretty handedly outplayed at ES. That's certainly not all on Gostisbehere

I think we're going to like this kid.

Del Zotto would give up collection of Porn Star Phone #s if he could be half the Dman Desjardins was
- KINGKENZO

Or keep 1/2 the numbers & ask to be Garry Galley instead.

I agree on Desjardins, but for even the fan that grades him a 1 or a 2, or whatever, he was acquired to stabilize a weak back line, and became the 2nd best D man we've ever had.
LA can outplay many with size, & strength, that's there MO. But last night they hemmed the Sharks in often, when's the last time they were able to that?
Granted San Jose played soccer on ice, collapsing everyone around Jones, but they did establish a forecheck.
- puckhead17

Flyers are playing better as a team lately. Hopefully it begins to translate into more goals and some wins. I think Gostisbehere adds a playmaking element to the Flyers, and he seems to be able to hold his own defensively, and limit mistakes. Flyers lack playmakers and finishers. He is that, and he's a real strong skater and he upgrades the Flyers speed. I'd like to see the Flyers change matchups and play him more with the Giroux line.

Is this an actual comment or a synopsis of every "angry fan" call to talk radio? As the latter, it's pretty good. However, you forgot to threaten to stop watching, say how indifferent the players and then to propose some completely unrealistic trade the team would pull off it was only run by competent people.
- bmeltzer

Sharks fan here. I thought the refs were terrible in this game.
I counted the real bad calls against the Flyers at 2 and the Sharks 1. The 2nd one against the Flyers came at a crucial time of the game.
For some reason the refs thought they should impact the game.

Attendance has been dropping. They've upped the incentives to become a STH this past year. Hell they were apparently giving people free jackets for signing up. I got absolutely bombarded over the summer to come back.

The suck is real.
- hereticpride

And yet selling discounted packages and devaluing the tickets doesn't incent STHs to stay. If you are using the tix sometimes and selling them sometimes, you're losing money big time this year. And you're competing with the team, which offered 1/2 price tix for November (except Black Friday). It's not pretty for people who are there every game, but at least we aren't taking the bath people who use some and sell some are.

Flyers are playing better as a team lately. Hopefully it begins to translate into more goals and some wins. I think Gostisbehere adds a playmaking element to the Flyers, and he seems to be able to hold his own defensively, and limit mistakes. Flyers lack playmakers and finishers. He is that, and he's a real strong skater and he upgrades the Flyers speed. I'd like to see the Flyers change matchups and play him more with the Giroux line.
- MJL

And the opposition knows this, last night Manning had to take the shot as they closed the lane back to him a few times.
He's underrated defensively, I thought he played very well in the defensive zone.
I know it's only been 3 games, but I'd like to see his minutes increase slowly, and Gudas's decrease.
Unrelated topic, Luke is playing very well, very smart.

Sharks fan here. I thought the refs were terrible in this game.
I counted the real bad calls against the Flyers at 2 and the Sharks 1. The 2nd one against the Flyers came at a crucial time of the game.
For some reason the refs thought they should impact the game.
- flipneil

The Schultz call was terrible.

The Schultz call was terrible.
- puckhead17

The Schultz call, the Thornton trip, and the Simmonds trip were all terrible calls.