I was never really a huge NBA fan, I enjoyed watching the Bulls beat the Knicks like a drum constantly though.
- PLindbergh31

Yeah. Watching Jordan was like watching Montana or Gretzky. You knew you were seeing something special. He was just a bad ass. I was a Sixers fan growing up. I remember listening to the Sixers championship run on the radio via headphones after my folks made me turn out the lights for bed...but the sixers were descending into irrelevance when Jordan was ascending...so I followed him and the bulls. It was hard not to. I was a basketball player and he had his own awesome shoe line

Yeah I'm not much of a fan of that big blue team. Tebow is a sore subject when talking to Steeler fans for obvious reasons.
- kgrpitt

I was hoping the Giants would open the Season against the Steelers on Wednesday night Sept. 5, but they will have to destroy the Cowboys instead.

Thats fair. Then I let him walk at the end of the year.
- stveshdy

It still depends on cost. They can't let Carle walk away with out getting a replacement who is close to his level. Erik Gustafsson isn't. MAB isn't. Signing one as a free agent will cost a lot of money. Trading for one will cost a lot of assets and likely have a sizeable cap hit to boot.

Yeah. Watching Jordan was like watching Montana or Gretzky. You knew you were seeing something special. He was just a bad ass. I was a Sixers fan growing up. I remember listening to the Sixers championship run on the radio via headphones after my folks made me turn out the lights for bed...but the sixers were descending into irrelevance when Jordan was ascending...so I followed him and the bulls. It was hard not to. I was a basketball player and he had his own awesome shoe line



- Lexington Flyer

He was incredible. Best athlete I have seen. I doubt I will see anything close anytime soon.

As good as Crosby is, I think Stamkos is more of a pure sniper. I think Stamkos will have a 70 goal season in the not so distant future.
- PLindbergh31

Stamkos is the better pure goal scorer. I doubt there's another one as good in the league right now.

But a healthy Crosby is an elite level scorer, playmaker and all around offensive force, which Stamkos is not...yet.

Stamkos is the better pure goal scorer. I doubt there's another one as good in the league right now.

But a healthy Crosby is an elite level scorer, playmaker and all around offensive force, which Stamkos is not...yet.
- Jsaquella

No question. Crosby is the overall better player. Not even debatable.

It still depends on cost. They can't let Carle walk away with out getting a replacement who is close to his level. Erik Gustafsson isn't. MAB isn't. Signing one as a free agent will cost a lot of money. Trading for one will cost a lot of assets and likely have a sizeable cap hit to boot.
- Jsaquella

You basically eliminated all options.

It's hilarious. It's all about selling PSL's and jerseys. Once Sanchez plays a few bad games in a row, everyone will be calling for Tebow to become the starting QB. It will be a cluste(frank). The same saying that applies to goaltenders applies to Quarterbacks, if you have two, you have none.
- PLindbergh31

I have this dirty hope that Tebow gets settled into a NYC rythm and gets busted with a mountain of cocaine in a room full of (god fearing, of course) escorts. I think I stole that from jsaq, who may have originally posted such a thought here.


I know it is awful, petty even, to root for someone's failure, but I just can't stand Tebow. He and NYC will mix like oil and water.

No question. Crosby is the overall better player. Not even debatable.
- PLindbergh31

I'll still take Crosby when healthy for scoring goals over Stamkos. Crosby can snipe with the best of them. As stated before he was on pace for 64 goals before getting the concussion last year.

By the way I'm a Stamkos guy. Dude is unreal with the puck on his stick.

You basically eliminated all options.
- stveshdy

I think he just points out that just letting him walk isn't as simple as it sounds.

I have this dirty hope that Tebow gets settled into a NYC rythm and gets busted with a mountain of cocaine in a room full of (god fearing, of course) escorts. I think I stole that from jsaq, who may have originally posted such a thought here.


I know it is awful, petty even, to root for someone's failure, but I just can't stand Tebow. He and NYC will mix like oil and water.
- Lexington Flyer

will elliot spitzer be watching from the closet?

I think he just points out that just letting him walk isn't as simple as it sounds.
- funmaster18

Anyone can be replaced. Not the end of the world. Thats my opinion however. One player doesnt win you a cup its a team effort.

I have this dirty hope that Tebow gets settled into a NYC rythm and gets busted with a mountain of cocaine in a room full of (god fearing, of course) escorts. I think I stole that from jsaq, who may have originally posted such a thought here.


I know it is awful, petty even, to root for someone's failure, but I just can't stand Tebow. He and NYC will mix like oil and water.
- Lexington Flyer

Only a matter of time before someone digs up the skeletons in Tebow's closet.

You basically eliminated all options.
- stveshdy

Not at all. Just pointing out that there's no easy option. There's not a simple approach to take to replace Carle or even to keep him.

I'll still take Crosby when healthy for scoring goals over Stamkos. Crosby can snipe with the best of them. As stated before he was on pace for 64 goals before getting the concussion last year.

By the way I'm a Stamkos guy. Dude is unreal with the puck on his stick.
- stveshdy

Kinda like debating who's hotter Jessica Alba or Megan Fox. There is no wrong answer.

I think Suter being Gary Suter's nephew helps him get talked about too. Family ties and all that.

He was incredible. Best athlete I have seen. I doubt I will see anything close anytime soon.
- PLindbergh31

He played better when he had the flu. Wasn't it the Jazz they were playing? There were questions as to whether he'd even suit up. Next thing you know MJ is dropping 50 some points on Karl Malone and his cow pokes.

Guess the Flu shouldn't have pissed him off like that.

Anyone can be replaced. Not the end of the world. Thats my opinion however. One player doesnt win you a cup its a team effort.
- stveshdy

No, it's not the end of the world. But letting Carle walk creates a hole. Sure, you can fill in your top six without getting a guy that does what he does, but it means that you're not going to have a defense that moves the puck as well. It's a trade off like anything else.

In trading Richards and Carter, the Flyers are not as good as they were in terms of defensive centers. Couturier has been solid, but Giroux and Briere are not as good as Carter and Richards were in their own end...so it's a trade off, not the end of the world.

The question is, how important is having a good puck mover like Carle to Laviolette's system?

Not at all. Just pointing out that there's no easy option. There's not a simple approach to take to replace Carle or even to keep him.
- Jsaquella

True. But as we have said before anyone can be replaced if you find the player that fits what your trying to do. One player has ever won a cup by himself. The Flyers will survive with or without Carle IMO.

He played better when he had the flu. Wasn't it the Jazz they were playing? There were questions as to whether he'd even suit up. Next thing you know MJ is dropping 50 some points on Karl Malone and his cow pokes.
- Lexington Flyer

yeah. 1998 NBA Finals. Jordan had something like a 104 degree temperature and went off. I think the guys compete level was just off the charts. Not only was he the best player, but he had a work ethic second to none. Couple all world talent, with incredible work ethic, and compete level... and you have Michael Jordan.

No, it's not the end of the world. But letting Carle walk creates a hole. Sure, you can fill in your top six without getting a guy that does what he does, but it means that you're not going to have a defense that moves the puck as well. It's a trade off like anything else.

In trading Richards and Carter, the Flyers are not as good as they were in terms of defensive centers. Couturier has been solid, but Giroux and Briere are not as good as Carter and Richards were in their own end...so it's a trade off, not the end of the world.

The question is, how important is having a good puck mover like Carle to Laviolette's system?
- Jsaquella

Not enough to warrant 5.5M-6M per year (for a player that isnt a top tier defenseman). Once again I'm not "knocking" Carle bc I dont want people taking it the wrong way. He is good but not on the level of some of the other players we have talked about today.

I think Suter being Gary Suter's nephew helps him get talked about too. Family ties and all that.
- eayost

don't forget his pops was an olympic gold medalist in, oh, 1980.

yeah. 1998 NBA Finals. Jordan had something like a 104 degree temperature and went off. I think the guys compete level was just off the charts. Not only was he the best player, but he had a work ethic second to none. Couple all world talent, with incredible work ethic, and compete level... and you have Michael Jordan.
- PLindbergh31

Plus he had both these guys on his team (ever see Jordan called for walking? Didn't think so).

Not enough to warrant 5.5M-6M per year (for a player that isnt a top tier defenseman). Once again I'm not "knocking" Carle bc I dont want people taking it the wrong way. He is good but not on the level of some of the other players we have talked about today.
- stveshdy

I think it was Jak who illustrated before, there isn't any aspect of Carle's game that stands out. He's a good puck mover, that cannot be understated, but his lack of physicality, popgun shot, and glaring mistakes stand out as weaknesses in my eyes.

I don't like having Carle play on the PP, but without Pronger, and Meszaros, Laviolette's options are somewhat limited. I'm not a fan of having any of the Flyers forwards play the point. Carle doesn't have a shot that can get through traffic, it gets blocked time and again. I wouldn't mind seeing more of Kubina on the power play.

Not enough to warrant 5.5M-6M per year (for a player that isnt a top tier defenseman). Once again I'm not "knocking" Carle bc I dont want people taking it the wrong way. He is good but not on the level of some of the other players we have talked about today.
- stveshdy

The thing is, most of the player we've talked about today will be getting more than $5.5mm when they hit the open market, unless there's a big drop in the cap. Carle's comparable to James Wisniewski, who makes $5.25mm. Carle's also comparable to a guy like Jack Johnson, who is making less, but is on a long term deal and isn't as good an all around defenseman as Carle.

IMO, Carle or a similar replacement is very important to the system the Flyers play. More important than Grossmann, Coburn and Meszaros, and certainly more important than Kubina.