Not sure?! Lol what? You were conductor of the Ingram train...
- Mononoke

He's a complete mess at this stage of things

Kassian moves up and down the lineup for them, as well -- sometimes he was on the fourth, but he saw plenty of time in other slots as well

Could you slide White up some? Sure. He provides some value on PP2, can take some faceoffs. He's capable of getting some shifts higher in the lineup

But I wouldn't let Kassian be a comparable, if it was me. Edmonton needs Kassian more than the Flyers need White, and paying bottom 6 forwards too much based on need is why they are Edmonton, you know?
- AllInForFlyers

I'm uncertain about this.

Don't want to ever see him with G and Jake, for example. He'd be left far behind.

For me I would like a player like Maroon. Can play up and down the lineup but also can be a 4th liner and still produce.
- J35Bacher

If you can find someone who can put the puck in the net and slot him as a second or third line player then you've improved your 4th line without signing a fourth liner.

is it weird that the blues have not resigned backes yet?

For me I would like a player like Maroon. Can play up and down the lineup but also can be a 4th liner and still produce.
- J35Bacher

wasn't he property of the Flyers once, got himself booted from the Phantoms?

I vaguely remember this story

Absolutely -- gotta try to push these guys out of the lineup. Again: I like them. I don't love them. You gotta try to bring in players who can push them out
- AllInForFlyers

And if you can't push them out you just hope the coach doesn't look at a line that got outshot and outscored by a huge margin all season long and think, boy, they were great together.

is it weird that the blues have not resigned backes yet?
- Crimsoninja

Not really. If they fail this season there's going to be big changes in St. Louis and losing his salary is a good first step.

If you can find someone who can put the puck in the net and slot him as a second or third line player then you've improved your 4th line without signing a fourth liner.
- mayorofangrytown

That's where I am. Mono's been on the Nielsen train, as have others, and that's where I am

I'd throw a reasonable amount of money at that dude if he hits July 1, for that reason

More Russians pleeze
http://www.sportsnet.ca/h...-raising-eyebrows-worlds/

Absolutely -- gotta try to push these guys out of the lineup. Again: I like them. I don't love them. You gotta try to bring in players who can push them out
- AllInForFlyers

They're average for a 4th...but they can cycle but don't do anything with it. They are a complete tire fire defensively at ES and can't get it out of their zone. I think there are other guys already on the team who can PK better than most of that line. They see way way too many minutes given all this.

I'm very much in favor of a middle 6 piece being added, bump someone down to the 4th, demote VDV, and call up someone like Leier who the Phantoms beat says is ready. Cousins, Read, Laughton, PEB, Leier...a better 4th can be assembled out of that alone with a minor acquisition.

And if you can't push them out you just hope the coach doesn't look at a line that got outshot and outscored by a huge margin all season long and think, boy, they were great together.
- Feanor

Absolutely; cardinal sin of coaches. Fall in love with fourth liners who are consistent, even when that consistency is getting pumped at ES, because they play hard

More Russians pleeze
http://www.sportsnet.ca/h...-raising-eyebrows-worlds/
- Marc D

That line has been on fire. I hope Hexy isn't gun shy from those Commies.

Not really. If they fail this season there's going to be big changes in St. Louis and losing his salary is a good first step.
- mayorofangrytown

hexy needs to GID

2 years, 2.001 per

I'm uncertain about this.

Don't want to ever see him with G and Jake, for example. He'd be left far behind.
- Marc D

That's VDV's spot, thank you very much

That's where I am. Mono's been on the Nielsen train, as have others, and that's where I am

I'd throw a reasonable amount of money at that dude if he hits July 1, for that reason
- AllInForFlyers

give me parameters here
dollars and term

He's a complete mess at this stage of things
- Crimsoninja

I'm at a complete loss! All season he pumps up Ingram and says he doesn't want Simmons...and now he needs to think? I trusted him and based my opinion off his and now I feel like he left me out to dry!

is it weird that the blues have not resigned backes yet?
- Crimsoninja

no

They're average for a 4th...but they can cycle but don't do anything with it. They are a complete tire fire defensively at ES and can't get it out of their zone. I think there are other guys already on the team who can PK better than most of that line. They see way way too many minutes given all this.

I'm very much in favor of a middle 6 piece being added, bump someone down to the 4th, demote VDV, and call up someone like Leier who the Phantoms beat says is ready. Cousins, Read, Laughton, PEB, Leier...a better 4th can be assembled out of that alone with a minor acquisition.
- Mononoke

All of this -- they got too many minutes last year. It didn't kill the Flyers, but that's not the goal, right?

We need a few more players who are helping the team, not being barely neutral

They're average for a 4th...but they can cycle but don't do anything with it. They are a complete tire fire defensively at ES and can't get it out of their zone. I think there are other guys already on the team who can PK better than most of that line. They see way way too many minutes given all this.

I'm very much in favor of a middle 6 piece being added, bump someone down to the 4th, demote VDV, and call up someone like Leier who the Phantoms beat says is ready. Cousins, Read, Laughton, PEB, Leier...a better 4th can be assembled out of that alone with a minor acquisition.
- Mononoke

this might improve if they had D to play with who could get pucks through, other then ghost and the rarely used Medvedev, they had no one that could help there. Streit could at one point... not so much this year

give me parameters here
dollars and term
- Marc D

3 years/$18 mil maybe. Nielsen is essentially having two Couturiers in every sense. Dollar isn't the problem, but years are. I still think he stays an Isle though. Hell, they may even offer him more. But he is damn good.

give me parameters here
dollars and term
- Marc D

Mon said 6x3, because at 32 years of age, you want to keep the term down so you go higher on AAV

6 is a little much for me to swallow, but I do think Nielsen has three years left with the way he skates and thinks the game, so yeah, I'd probably swallow hard and see what he'd say about 5x3, see what other pieces I could snag to play with him and maximize the dollars

this might improve if they had D to play with who could get pucks through, other then ghost and the rarely used Medvedev, they had no one that could help there. Streit could at one point... not so much this year
- Marc D

I mean...yeah. But every line had to deal with that issue. That line simply couldn't buy scoring chances let alone goals. White can finish reasonably well, but none of them are good at creating.

the minutes that the VDV/White/Belle line got was because the other bottom six line was even more of a mess for much of the year

get a top 6 winger this summer, move raffl down a spot, and maybe replace vdv with someone with some wheels/scoring/size and they'd be much better

still... until they have more D guys that can handle the puck at the blueline and create scoring chances they are going nowhere

3 years/$18 mil maybe. Nielsen is essentially having two Couturiers in every sense. Dollar isn't the problem, but years are. I still think he stays an Isle though. Hell, they may even offer him more. But he is damn good.
- Mononoke

6 per for a shootout specialist?!?!

Mon said 6x3, because at 32 years of age, you want to keep the term down so you go higher on AAV

6 is a little much for me to swallow, but I do think Nielsen has three years left with the way he skates and thinks the game, so yeah, I'd probably swallow hard and see what he'd say about 5x3, see what other pieces I could snag to play with him and maximize the dollars
- AllInForFlyers

TNWSS