It's crazy that the Flyers could offer $7.5 mil for Kucherov and only give up a 1st, 2nd, 3rd (right?). Tampa can't afford that. If they do manage to afford it.....offer sheet the next year for Palat for 6+.

We know why they don't offer sheet. It's because they don't want to sour relationships. We should threaten to make an offer sheet and then try to Trayden+ for Kucherov.
- Mononoke

An offer sheet does not mean the player is obligated to accept it. But if they wanna throw stupid money at him, I'm sure he would.

I think they should just throw the CHL teams some cash and tell them to go cry into a glass of maple syrup
- YuenglingJagr

It's not going to happen, I fine with it, in the long run it will be better for the players since a slim % have a realistic chance of making the jump.

An offer sheet does not mean the player is obligated to accept it. But if they wanna throw stupid money at him, I'm sure he would.
- jmatchett383

No, but if they sign it, their team can match which is what usually happens. It's putting their present team's feet to the fire. Offer sheets just so rarely happen.

Really Yzerman would probably match for Kucherov...the genius is it hamstrings them for players like Johnson or Palat. It's what Wilson on the Sharks did OSing Hjalmarsson. He wanted him or Niemi. They matched; he got Niemi. Whether Niemi was worth it is one thing, but the tactic worked. GMs are just afraid because OSing is not a very "couth" thing to do, and besides souring a relationship, it might make other GMs eager for retaliation. It probably should be used more.

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Age Rules, Alumni and More
- bmeltzer

Maybe someone can explain this to me. Hextall doesn't like the 9 game trial but in a case like Ivan Provorov, he should be grateful the rule exsists. I'm probably one of the few who believes thar not only Travis Konecny won't make the team out of camp the season but I believe Konecny will only benefit from AHL seasoning. Junior's to NHL is a massive leap. In the case of Provorov, most we all expect him to make the team but there are cases where maybe he Provorov doesn't look as good as he could during camp but we're all aware of his ability and might deserve a longer look. I love Hextall's patience but allowing a player in the case of Provorov play 9 games doesn't hurt anything.

Maybe someone can explain this to me. Hextall doesn't like the 9 game trial but in a case like Ivan Provorov, he should be grateful the rule exsists. I'm probably one of the few who believes thar not only Travis Konecny won't make the team out of camp the season but I believe Konecny will only benefit from AHL seasoning. Junior's to NHL is a massive leap. In the case of Provorov, most we all expect him to make the team but there are cases where maybe he Provorov doesn't look as good as he could during camp but we're all aware of his ability and might deserve a longer look. I love Hextall's patience but allowing a player in the case of Provorov play 9 games doesn't hurt anything.
- roenick97

Hexy has stated that, if the player won't make the NHL team out of camp, he'd rather get him to his junior team to start playing with the team he'll be with all year. The 9 game trial is more to make sure he deserves to make the jump, not as an extended tryout.

Maybe someone can explain this to me. Hextall doesn't like the 9 game trial but in a case like Ivan Provorov, he should be grateful the rule exsists. I'm probably one of the few who believes thar not only Travis Konecny won't make the team out of camp the season but I believe Konecny will only benefit from AHL seasoning. Junior's to NHL is a massive leap. In the case of Provorov, most we all expect him to make the team but there are cases where maybe he Provorov doesn't look as good as he could during camp but we're all aware of his ability and might deserve a longer look. I love Hextall's patience but allowing a player in the case of Provorov play 9 games doesn't hurt anything.
- roenick97

Minor detail but Konecny is not yet eligible for the AHL he would have to be sent back to Sarnia.

Personally, I like Hextall's approach even when it comes to blue chip prospects like Ivan and trust that Hexy will allow him to stay if he outperforms one of the vets. That being said I think Ivan growing as a leader with his Junior team for one more year wouldn't be such a bad gig either.

Minor detail but Konecny is not yet eligible for the AHL he would have to be sent back to Sarnia.

Personally, I like Hextall's approach even when it comes to blue chip prospects like Ivan and trust that Hexy will allow him to stay if he outperforms one of the vets. That being said I think Ivan growing as a leader with his Junior team for one more year wouldn't be such a bad gig either.
- Mordecai

Konecny may well need a year in the AHL after another year in junior. It's not out of the question.

Regardless of which prospect it is-Provorov, Konecny, Bardreau, Leier, Straka-they're going to have to earn a slot with the Flyers. That is why Hextall has signed so many guys who can play bottom six roles and didn't deal any of the veteran D. He's not going to force himself to have to keep a kid unless he earns a job.

Konecny should have been on the team 3 years ago

Konecny should have been on the team 3 years ago
- funmaster18

That ELC doe

That ELC doe
- PhillySportsGuy

I'm not a (frank)ing deer

I'm not a (frank)ing deer
- funmaster18

You caught in my headlights doe

He's not going to force himself to have to keep a kid unless he earns a job.
- Jsaquella

We saw last year multiple prospects beat out others for jobs. They were sent back -- and rightly so. But it's a low bar to set beating out Brandon Manning and Nick Schultz and Andrew MacDonald. Are they ready? is the subjective, unsure question Hexy has to ask himself. He just has to take the plunge and trust his gut. Not every prospect needs years of AHL seasoning. There's patience and then there's indecisiveness, and I'm not yet sure which one Hexy is.

You caught in my headlights doe
- PhillySportsGuy

that's the mushrooms talking

We saw last year multiple prospects beat out others for jobs. They were sent back -- and rightly so. But it's a low bar to set beating out Brandon Manning and Nick Schultz and Andrew MacDonald. Are they ready? is the subjective, unsure question Hexy has to ask himself. He just has to take the plunge and trust his gut. Not every prospect needs years of AHL seasoning. There's patience and then there's indecisiveness, and I'm not yet sure which one Hexy is.
- Mononoke

I think part of Hextall's criteria for earning a job isn't just outplaying a Manning or MacDonald, it's weighing what he feels is bets for that particular prospect.

Bill's written here that he thinks if Morin was with another team, he probably would have made the NHL by now. He'd probably be one of the team's 6 best defensemen. But Hextall is not going to mess with his development just because he can beat out Manning.

I think part of Hextall's criteria for earning a job isn't just outplaying a Manning or MacDonald, it's weighing what he feels is bets for that particular prospect.

Bill's written here that he thinks if Morin was with another team, he probably would have made the NHL by now. He'd probably be one of the team's 6 best defensemen. But Hextall is not going to mess with his development just because he can beat out Manning.
- Jsaquella

Morin shouldn't be in the NHL until next season, or mid-way through this year if he makes some strides. I have no issues if he's not. I really wasn't talking about him; we all know he's a project. If he's on the AHL team in 17-18, then maybe there's a problem. But playing on a stacked team that isn't a mess should better bring out where his game is at. But every level jump will be jumping into cold water. You're never going to be fully ready for it and learning on the job is a necessity.

I'm talking more about Provorov or Konecny or whoever. Saying they need to go back to juniors another year (no issue if Konecny does) and then go to the AHL after and so forth. Morin was nowhere close to as ready as them. Everyone is different and some players ARE ready at 18 (very few) or 19 or 20. Having a good coaching staff that allows the player to grow and breed confidence, giving them a sizable but not crushing role, having good veterans to learn from....that's most important and the Flyers have that. I'm more talking about overcooking for the heck of it.

Morin shouldn't be in the NHL until next season, or mid-way through this year if he makes some strides. I have no issues if he's not. I really wasn't talking about him; we all know he's a project. If he's on the AHL team in 17-18, then maybe there's a problem. But playing on a stacked team that isn't a mess should better bring out where his game is at. But every level jump will be jumping into cold water. You're never going to be fully ready for it and learning on the job is a necessity.

I'm talking more about Provorov or Konecny or whoever. Saying they need to go back to juniors another year (no issue if Konecny does) and then go to the AHL after and so forth. Morin was nowhere close to as ready as them. Everyone is different and some players ARE ready at 18 (very few) or 19 or 20. Having a good coaching staff that allows the player to grow and breed confidence, giving them a sizable but not crushing role, having good veterans to learn from....that's most important and the Flyers have that. I'm more talking about overcooking for the heck of it.
- Mononoke

They really haven't had a prospect come in and kick the door down since Hextall has been the GM.

It's hard to say whether they have been overcooking or not. Even Gostisbehere coming off the injury wasn't likely to make it at the start of the season. I'll worry about overcooking when I see a clear case of it. Even Provorov not making it wouldn't necessarily be a case of overcooking.

They really haven't had a prospect come in and kick the door down since Hextall has been the GM.

It's hard to say whether they have been overcooking or not. Even Gostisbehere coming off the injury wasn't likely to make it at the start of the season. I'll worry about overcooking when I see a clear case of it. Even Provorov not making it wouldn't necessarily be a case of overcooking.
- Jsaquella

I don't know if Hextall is patient to a fault yet....he hasn't had a prospect to prove it with. But if Provorov has a camp up to his expectations (and that doesn't include perfection) and is sent back, then it's Hexy being gun shy in my mind. It's odd to use the phrase "overcooking" for a 19 year old, but I think it'd be a wasted developmental year. Of course Hextall has to say there's always more to learn b/c he isn't on the team yet, but, even if that's true, the amount and the rate at which he can learn at the NHL level dwarfs the WHL. There's no point in having the valedictorian repeat 12th grade instead of going to college.

I don't know if Hextall is patient to a fault yet....he hasn't had a prospect to prove it with. But if Provorov has a camp up to his expectations (and that doesn't include perfection) and is sent back, then it's Hexy being gun shy in my mind. It's odd to use the phrase "overcooking" for a 19 year old, but I think it'd be a wasted developmental year. Of course Hextall has to say there's always more to learn b/c he isn't on the team yet, but, even if that's true, the amount and the rate at which he can learn at the NHL level dwarfs the WHL. There's no point in having the valedictorian repeat 12th grade instead of going to college.
- Mononoke

I agree. I will be disappointed if Provorov comes up and kicks ass and takes names and goes back to Brandon. But until that happens, I'm not going to be worried about it.

I agree. I will be disappointed if Provorov comes up and kicks ass and takes names and goes back to Brandon. But until that happens, I'm not going to be worried about it.
- Jsaquella

I'm still quite confident even Hexy's patience bends to Provorov.

Konecny is more up in the air. But I see someone like Fabbri grow up this year in a good environment in St. Louis, as a similarly skilled 19 year old, and if Konecny also has a stellar camp, it deserves serious thought. And if he doesn't make the team and goes back to Sarnia, that doesn't mean he needs AHL time either.

I'm still quite confident even Hexy's patience bends to Provorov.

Konecny is more up in the air. But I see someone like Fabbri grow up this year in a good environment in St. Louis, as a similarly skilled 19 year old, and if Konecny also has a stellar camp, it deserves serious thought. And if he doesn't make the team and goes back to Sarnia, that doesn't mean he needs AHL time either.
- Mononoke

Nope. He could go to Sarnia, tear it up and be ready in a year. Could do the same and struggle in camp and spend a year in the AHL. Can't worry about it until it happens.

P.K. in Smashville is gonna to be a blast.

P.K. in Smashville is gonna to be a blast.
- Mononoke

damn that guy on the tele was smokin'

Due to the lower level of hockey being played in the pre season, and vets not playing at regular season levels and just looking to get ready for the season, a young player is going have to do far more than just outplay a few veterans to make the team. If we remember last season, how good Medvedev looked in the pre season, and he turned out to be a player who wasn't a good NHL defenseman. Wedon't know what Hextall's exact criteria is, because we haven't seen it yet.

I'm not a (frank)ing deer
- funmaster18

Your doephobia disgusts me.

#doelivesmatter