Link?

Only Ek can avoid using sources. He is the CNN of Hockey Rumors. Unnamed sources
- MikesPillBottle

It's in a few places and was mentioned here yesterday by someone. It makes sense so I didn't dismiss it

On Mason for what?
- YuenglingJagr

Not being able to handle a 1A/1B situation. Basically said as much on his way out the door.

Not being able to handle a 1A/1B situation. Basically said as much on his way out the door.
- hereticpride

Isn't it the coaches job to put your players in the best position to succeed? I disagree that it is MASons fault for not knowing who the starter is.

we will see what happens

Ill say it do not get the love fest on mason here...Your GM was a goalie here, you don't think he has a beat on him. Mason was a good goalie yes but not good enough to female dog and moan about playing time. Imo he comes off as a very arrogant yet insecure person.i'm comfortable with whatever Hextall has in mind.

You just have to accept the fact that you will be cold. Doing winter activities otherwise you are basically a hermit. Skating, few smaller places to ski. Snowmobile, things like that.

Me and the girl are moving in, in August. Big step for nutter. Maybe moving provinces next year or after. She's wanting to. I'm down with that.
- flyer_nutter

Good luck with all of it -- I have no idea what Toronto is like in dead winter, but I will not pretend that I don't love that freaking city, if you look that direction

Isn't it the coaches job to put your players in the best position to succeed? I disagree that it is MASons fault for not knowing who the starter is.

we will see what happens
- YuenglingJagr

It's definitely a strained situation. I think there is some level of blame all around. I just don't see Hextall and Hakstol catering to Mason and naming him the starter when he's been so consistently inconsistent in recent years.

Funny thing is my name is actually Alex
- arichardson22

Ha! You should've FedEx'd BiggE some 40-grain sandpaper, then

It's definitely a strained situation. I think there is some level of blame all around. I just don't see Hextall and Hakstol catering to Mason and naming him the starter when he's been so consistently inconsistent in recent years.
- hereticpride

See ya Steve.

I'd like Hextall to kick Anders Nilsson's tires. He could get him on the cheap, he's only 27, comfortable as a backup, had a pretty darn good year in front of a not so good Buffalo team, and he's one huge body.

Isn't it the coaches job to put your players in the best position to succeed? I disagree that it is MASons fault for not knowing who the starter is.

we will see what happens
- YuenglingJagr

I knew who the starter was when Hakstol started Neuvirth in Game 1

Mason may not be the most mentally tough guy in the crease we've ever seen, and he just might be a pain in the arse, but he's not stupid -- he'd have to have been blind and dumb to not see that Hakstol spent all of last season trying to get Neuvirth to look like he could get the job done

I knew who the starter was when Hakstol started Neuvirth in Game 1

Mason may not be the most mentally tough guy in the crease we've ever seen, and he just might be a pain in the arse, but he's not stupid -- he'd have to have been blind and dumb to not see that Hakstol spent all of last season trying to get Neuvirth to look like he could get the job done
- AllInForFlyers

I may be mistaken but I believe at the time Mason was going through some difficult family issues which led to Hakstol starting Neuvirth in game 1. I was puzzled by the decision also.

I have an MLB Road to the Show player named Tainter Jainter, #69. He gets 45+ SVs every year.

Coach: "Nice work out there tonight, Tainter."

The announcers call him Professor Big Dog. Every time my brother or I save a game we say CLASS DISMISSED
- Giroux_Is_God

lmao my closer a few years ago was number 69 and I named him "Dixon Cox". (Say it out loud.) Thanks for making me remember that.

Not being able to handle a 1A/1B situation. Basically said as much on his way out the door.
- hereticpride

What goalie wants to play less games and be yanked around with no sense of when he's starting and when he's not? All goalies prefer to get into rhythms and play more. And there's been a lot of yanking around recently and odd decisions.

And it's not a 1A/1B situation. Neuvirth is worse. If it's viewed as a 1A/1B situation, that's just poor evaluation. We don't entirely know how the starts would be divvied up ideally for Hakstol because Neuvirth contracts bubonic plague every couple months. Neuvirth is a good backup, maybe he can get on a run himself now and again, maybe be the lesser half of a platoon. But that's pretty much it. Mason is a true starter and has flirted with being a top 10 one throughout most of his career here. Mason has not been inconsistent just because of 1 down year......it's just a narrative, like many others (he lets in the weak goal, can't be a winning goalie, mentally soft) that have stuck to him.

What I see us heading for without Mason isn't a 1A/1B. It's a 2A/2B, with two actually inconsistent goalies. Mason takes all this poop for saying it's an awkward rotation, and Neuvirth comes out and says the same....exact....thing. But no ones says boo about him being a poor sport. Mason has been effusive that he would enjoy mentoring one of our young goalies in the near future. He's not some sour puss. There's a lot of grass is always greener going on with Mason and a position this team has had endless struggles with. And we still have no idea when or if any of our goalie prospects can be full starters. It's very possible we need a starter for more than a couple years.....more like 3-4 at best. It's playing with fire.

Good article on an idea of what the Flyers Lineup may look like come October:

http://thehockeywriters.c...flyers-roster-prediction/

There's a lot of grass is always greener going on with Mason and a position this team has had endless struggles with. And we still have no idea when or if any of our goalie prospects can be full starters. It's very possible we need a starter for more than 1 year, 2 years.....more like 3-4.
- Mononoke

These are the main parts that are so damn frustrating to me. Mason's the best goalie they've had since Cechmanek -- that's 15 years ago, now.

He had a bad season last year. No one disputes that. But his body of work prior to that was that of a Top 10 goalie, and as you noted, he was consistent -- he and Schenn basically dragged this team into the playoffs in 15-16, and he was simply tremendous in 14-15 when this team couldn't buy a goal.

If you can upgrade, fine. Great. No one is immune to being replaced by someone better in professional sports.

But this isn't that. That's what's frustrating. It isn't like this franchise has had Hall-of-Fame goaltending so many times that they should feel comfortable just rolling the dice for next season -- yeah, last year's team was flawed and it could be argued that it wasn't good enough to make the playoffs, but make no mistake: the goaltending last year made sure they weren't gonna make it

What goalie wants to play less games and be yanked around with no sense of when he's starting and when he's not? All goalies prefer to get into rhythms and play more. And there's been a lot of yanking around recently and odd decisions.

And it's not a 1A/1B situation. Neuvirth is worse. If it's viewed as a 1A/1B situation, that's just poor evaluation. We don't entirely know how the starts would be divvied up ideally for Hakstol because Neuvirth contracts bubonic plague every couple months. Neuvirth is a good backup, maybe he can get on a run himself now and again, maybe be the lesser half of a platoon. But that's pretty much it. Mason is a true starter and has flirted with being a top 10 one throughout most of his career here. Mason has not been inconsistent just because of 1 down year......it's just a narrative, like many others (he lets in the weak goal, can't be a winning goalie, mentally soft) that have stuck to him.

What I see us heading for without Mason isn't a 1A/1B. It's a 2A/2B, with two actually inconsistent goalies. Mason takes all this poop for saying it's an awkward rotation, and Neuvirth comes out and says the same....exact....thing. But no ones says boo about him being a poor sport. Mason has been effusive that he would enjoy mentoring one of our young goalies in the near future. He's not some sour puss. There's a lot of grass is always greener going on with Mason and a position this team has had endless struggles with. And we still have no idea when or if any of our goalie prospects can be full starters. It's very possible we need a starter for more than a couple years.....more like 3-4 at best. It's playing with fire.
- Mononoke

Agreed.

I like Mason and think he is a #1 guy and can be a top 10 - 15 goalie in this league.

I also think the kids who are coming up on defense could benefit from a goalie who can bail them out when they have a turnover or a brain cramp on a play.

Why not sign the best guy available??? Mason is that guy. There is next to no competition, at this time, to sign Mason so there is no reason why the Flyers shouldn't be able to sign him at a good number.

article on sports hernia and some info about how Patrick dealt with it.

http://www.montrealgazett...+ages/13452908/story.html

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/30-thoughts-trade-value-first-round-pick/sn-amp/

Elliot Friedman, just really interesting how it has been so quiet about Steve Mason.
- ravishingone

i love how he's so good and yet no one is lining up to sign him

i love how he's so good and yet no one is lining up to sign him
- 2Real

Exactly man ridiculous on the man crushes, good goalie yes worth catering too no.

i love how he's so good and yet no one is lining up to sign him
- 2Real

You know what? I don't like what you are saying, but I can't dispute that the majority of the open slots are being filled by others

Can't dispute that

Ill say it do not get the love fest on mason here...Your GM was a goalie here, you don't think he has a beat on him. Mason was a good goalie yes but not good enough to female dog and moan about playing time. Imo he comes off as a very arrogant yet insecure person.i'm comfortable with whatever Hextall has in mind.
- flyerfan28

This may all very well be true, but right now, I think he's the best goalie available to them. If the money could be worked out, I would sign him to a 3 year deal and hope Hart of Sandstrom are ready in 3 years.

This may all very well be true, but right now, I think he's the best goalie available to them. If the money could be worked out, I would sign him to a 3 year deal and hope Hart of Sandstrom are ready in 3 years.
- FlyerFan16

I don't disagree with that, just think he needs to come down off his high horse.

Too bad I'm not an islanders prospect. They went go karting tonight

Too bad I'm not an islanders prospect. They went go karting tonight
- YuenglingJagr

Mat Barzal doesn't "do" go-karting.

Too bad I'm not an islanders prospect. They went go karting tonight
- YuenglingJagr

- Mordecai

wtf