I think they'd lose Laughton or Cousins. In Draft, I still think Devils take Nolan Patrick and Flyers then take Hischier.
- bmeltzer

TimmyP was worried they'd lose Ghost until he signed the extension.

He must not have realized RFAs can be protected.

TimmyP was worried they'd lose Ghost until he signed the extension.

He must not have realized RFAs can be protected.
- Feanor

Can you believe someone still pays him cover a sport he is clearly widely out of touch with.

Hope summer flies by!
Think it will with so many potential great things happening for us.
I want to blink and have camp start.
At least I can blink and rookie camp will be here.
- Konalover

100% with you...
Dont know if I have ever looked forward to a season aa much as I am this one and the next.

Bill Meltzer: Quick Hits: Hischier, Phantoms Calder Anniv, Bryz, Flyers Alumni
- bmeltzer

that a boy Nico

That bit with Bryz and the woman buying cowboy hats was a laugh. I miss that dude. Too bad it just didn't work out too well here, or anywhere else after for that matter.

It's funny how until Nico's coach started talking a few weeks ago people really didn't think of him as a 200ft player. Not just fans either. Scouting reports seem to have said the same thing. I don't have an issue with taking the coach at his word but it's just odd that few scouts seemed to acknowledge his supposed strong defensive play.

Scouts being too picky? Coach being too much of a cheerleader?
- hereticpride

That's not true at all though. I'd like to see what scouting reports said otherwise. His commitment to his 200 ft game has always been there. Won't say he is quite as natural at it as Patrick, but he is smart and he is willing. It has nothing to do with taking the coach at his word. The coach didn't say it and then there was a seismic opinion shift across the entire hockey prospect world. I think there's a contingent that just assumed Nico was 1-way and not a real center because of his skill, average size, and numbers.

It literally only takes watching him to see his 200 ft commitment. These games are not played at Area 51, they're readily viewable.

Still think we are getting Patrick

Still think we are getting Patrick
- Mononoke

Happy either way............I'm leaning Nico at the moment

Still think we are getting Patrick
- Mononoke

For whatever reason, I just don't think Ray Shero is...I don't think Shero is a bad GM, per se. I just think he's cautious.

To my mind -- and I'm not saying this is right or wrong -- but to me, when I think back to his time in Pittsburgh, I think he is more of a "safe GM."

He doesn't strike me as the guy who will take a player who had a really strong draft year over one he thinks has shown himself to be the player he thought he was over a period of time.

Patrick just seems like the kind of safe play that Shero prefers, from how I perceive him. Not right or wrong

For whatever reason, I just don't think Ray Shero is...I don't think Shero is a bad GM, per se. I just think he's cautious.

To my mind -- and I'm not saying this is right or wrong -- but to me, when I think back to his time in Pittsburgh, I think he is more of a "safe GM."

He doesn't strike me as the guy who will take a player who had a really strong draft year over one he thinks has shown himself to be the player he thought he was over a period of time.

Patrick just seems like the kind of safe play that Shero prefers, from how I perceive him. Not right or wrong
- AllInForFlyers

i agree with this.

although nothing screams safe like two seconds for doug murray

Again, the narrative that Nico has had just 1 strong draft year is not true. He's gotten better in every level he's played in every single year.

I'll admit that I didn't expect him to be a top 2 pick at the beginning of the year but he has earned it just as much as Patrick in my opinion.

i agree with this.

although nothing screams safe like two seconds for doug murray
- stayinthefnnet

Is that when he lost it, you think?

Nearly every GM has that moment when they just lose something off the fastball

Man this site really doesn't want me on here today. I've been here 5 minutes and have been redirected over a dozen times. ENjoy guys, I'm out

Man this site really doesn't want me on here today. I've been here 5 minutes and have been redirected over a dozen times. ENjoy guys, I'm out
- mayorofangrytown

I can't even use it on the iPad anymore, for that reason

Happy either way............I'm leaning Nico at the moment
- ob18

HP ranking sway ya?

Is that when he lost it, you think?

Nearly every GM has that moment when they just lose something off the fastball
- AllInForFlyers

i dont know exactly.

he obviously had run his course. but he had some wonderful moves. and his drafting was largely panned but a lot of those guys are coming around big time now.

pouliot was the clunker. man, i wanted that to be a forward so bad. to think it could have been forsberg.

For whatever reason, I just don't think Ray Shero is...I don't think Shero is a bad GM, per se. I just think he's cautious.

To my mind -- and I'm not saying this is right or wrong -- but to me, when I think back to his time in Pittsburgh, I think he is more of a "safe GM."

He doesn't strike me as the guy who will take a player who had a really strong draft year over one he thinks has shown himself to be the player he thought he was over a period of time.

Patrick just seems like the kind of safe play that Shero prefers, from how I perceive him. Not right or wrong
- AllInForFlyers

I agree. Shero's past says Patrick......but we're not in the past and he can buck that trend. It's a real 50-50, but there has been a lot of chatter about Nico at #1 from some sources. Maybe Patrick's combine and health status changes that. It's also possible some scouts want Nico, but he (and his Scouting Director Castron, who has been more open to Nico types with CBJ) want Patrick.

At this point, I waffle between either, likely due to some pragmatism. I know we win either way. But I have the mentality right now that we are getting Patrick and would be more surprised if we don't. And I preferred Nico before and immediately after we got the pick.

HP ranking sway ya?
- Mononoke

No, been leaning towards Nico for a bit

i dont know exactly.

he obviously had run his course. but he had some wonderful moves. and his drafting was largely panned but a lot of those guys are coming around big time now.

pouliot was the clunker. man, i wanted that to be a forward so bad. to think it could have been forsberg.
- stayinthefnnet

That was such a funky deal -- Staal was only going one place, so you're under the gun from the jump. I remember when he made the deal and got the pick, and I was thinking, "If that bastard hits on this pick, the Flyers are freaking screwed"

That's why it's so difficult. You trade the best player in a deal and don't have all the options available, it's so damn hard

I agree. Shero's past says Patrick......but we're not in the past and he can buck that trend. It's a real 50-50, but there has been a lot of chatter about Nico at #1 from some sources. Maybe Patrick's combine and health status changes that. It's also possible some scouts want Nico, but he (and his Scouting Director Castron, who has been more open to Nico types with CBJ) want Patrick.

At this point, I waffle between either, likely due to some pragmatism. I know we win either way. But I have the mentality right now that we are getting Patrick and would be more surprised if we don't. And I preferred Nico before and immediately after we got the pick.
- Mononoke

I just hope that whoever they get is legit -- I don't mind if, for example, the player is a 60-65 point guy for 8-10 years, as long as it's a rock-solid 60-65 points

Generational players don't come by very often. I'm trying not to be scared, but I'd be lying if I said I don't know that you're damn near as likely to wind up with the production of a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as you are Tyler Seguin, and I've never been afraid to take the bird in the hand when it's a pick that is this important to the franchise's future

They need Top 6 production out of this pick -- legit Top 6 production. I am so hoping it's what they get

That's not true at all though. I'd like to see what scouting reports said otherwise. His commitment to his 200 ft game has always been there. Won't say he is quite as natural at it as Patrick, but he is smart and he is willing. It has nothing to do with taking the coach at his word. The coach didn't say it and then there was a seismic opinion shift across the entire hockey prospect world. I think there's a contingent that just assumed Nico was 1-way and not a real center because of his skill, average size, and numbers.

It literally only takes watching him to see his 200 ft commitment. These games are not played at Area 51, they're readily viewable.
- Mononoke

I'm just going off the reports and the Nico/Nolan breakdowns I've read. They'd lead you to believe there was something lacking from his defensive game. More recently it seems he's getting the recognition he probably deserves. But a month ago he was definitely being labeled as more of an offensive specialist. Better for us that both guys seem to be "complete" players.

For whatever reason, I just don't think Ray Shero is...I don't think Shero is a bad GM, per se. I just think he's cautious.

To my mind -- and I'm not saying this is right or wrong -- but to me, when I think back to his time in Pittsburgh, I think he is more of a "safe GM."

He doesn't strike me as the guy who will take a player who had a really strong draft year over one he thinks has shown himself to be the player he thought he was over a period of time.

Patrick just seems like the kind of safe play that Shero prefers, from how I perceive him. Not right or wrong
- AllInForFlyers

To me this is an ironic Statement. Is Nico the safe pick because of Patricks injuries or is Patrick the safe pick because he has been atop the pool for longer?

That was such a funky deal -- Staal was only going one place, so you're under the gun from the jump. I remember when he made the deal and got the pick, and I was thinking, "If that bastard hits on this pick, the Flyers are freaking screwed"

That's why it's so difficult. You trade the best player in a deal and don't have all the options available, it's so damn hard
- AllInForFlyers

thats just it though.

given how his hands should have been really tied, i thought the deal itself was a phenomenal return.

but by that point he was so hell bent on young puck moving defense there was no way he was passing him up.

thankfully dumo as turned into a decent guy.

To me this is an ironic Statement. Is Nico the safe pick because of Patricks injuries or is Patrick the safe pick because he has been atop the pool for longer?
- johm12

i tend to believe that shero will skew towards the latter of those two rationales.

I would love to hear from some of the more knowledgeable guys what player you would be excited about if the flyers got them for the first 3-4 rounds.