Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Luongo, Cap Space

Bobby Lu please.


If only just to deal with the media. Yesterday proved the Flyers have the most embarassing media coverage of any sports team in the country. I wish you had a bigger following than all these goons Bill. Keep up the great work.

if 4 years 4 mil per is the possible result of a bidding war for his services, then luongo looks like a pretty attractive option should he be bought out. those numbers don't seem unreasonable at all

If Luongo does get bought out (I assume he will), what are the odds that he goes back to Florida?

Do you feel Thomas Greiss could be a solid backup goalie choice for a good price for us?

Do you feel Thomas Greiss could be a good backup goalie for a good price?
- MrBigglesworth

Like him, or maybe Dan Ellis they would be cheaper & maybe better suited in the role to either backup or Mason -1 and other - 1A. In regards to how they are used.
Luongo again, would be too much money, even as a free agent.

Can they just put Lu on waivers?

Bill,
Do you think Monahan or Lindholm are worth trading up for? Also, what's you opinion of Wennberg? He seems like a good player who is really not getting much hype.

Yesterday was the first time Ek really pissed me off with his e(4) "not a trade" nonsense about Luongo. Of course if Luongo is amnestied the Flyers would be in on him. He could have reported that as an e(100).

Bobby Lu please.


If only just to deal with the media. Yesterday proved the Flyers have the most embarassing media coverage of any sports team in the county. I wish you had a bigger following than all these goons Bill. Keep up the great work.
- hereticpride

I would like it if Bobby Lou was here as well. My biggest fear though is that we go all in with Mason and a 1 yr backup like Dan Ellis and Mason fails. This essentially means the goalie carousel continues for yet another year. I would say this should also cost Homer his job.

There are reports floating around suggesting that Luongo has lost foot speed and his post to post coverage down low has become problematic. He has a history of giving up soft goals at key moments of the game. The soft goal label is likely the result of his not being able to get from post to post quickly enough.

I know it is an unpopular point of view, but I think that Bryzgalov has been the better goalie over the last couple of years. I think the Flyers would be better to go with another young goalie rather than tie themselves to another bad deal.

They do not need the stress of a Luongo side show.

Yesterday was the first time Ek really pissed me off with his e(4) "not a trade" nonsense about Luongo. Of course if Luongo is amnestied the Flyers would be in on him. He could have reported that as an e(100).
- MBFlyerfan

Would certainly be more news worthy if the Flyers weren't interested in a possible big time free agent. Even then, I wouldn't believe it.

Bobby Lu please.


If only just to deal with the media. Yesterday proved the Flyers have the most embarassing media coverage of any sports team in the country. I wish you had a bigger following than all these goons Bill. Keep up the great work.
- hereticpride

it was great to see people in the national media ripping into the likes of randy miller. classless moves by him all around, and watching him try to rile up the fans (and failing) made it even more amusing.

if i was an athlete, i would rag on these guys every time they asked me a question, then give them a short answer and walk away.

There are reports floating around suggesting that Luongo has lost foot speed and his post to post coverage down low has become problematic. He has a history of giving up soft goals at key moments of the game. The soft goal label is likely the result of his not being able to get from post to post quickly enough.

I know it is an unpopular point of view, but I think that Bryzgalov has been the better goalie over the last couple of years. I think the Flyers would be better to go with another young goalie rather than tie themselves to another bad deal.

They do not need the stress of a Luongo side show.
- spatso

Reports? Isn't that just something people (ie. team brass) can determine on their own by watching games?

Can they just put Lu on waivers?
- aosplayo

My understanding is that they can, and if you're the Canucks and that decision was made in a vacuum, you'd do that and continue to hope for a miracle trade rather than give him away for free, because no one is claiming that contract.

But in reality, here's what you've got: A player who you negotiated with in good faith, who you decided is no longer the starter, whose contract is untradable.

The Flyers, for all their faults, showed how you handle that: You bite the bullet, pay the buyout, and move on.

That's unfortunate for all involved. But that's how this CBA worked out. Vancouver...I mean, seriously. Nobody, including the Flyers, wants to pay a player for a decade-plus to not play for them.

But when you put the player on waivers, that's...exactly what you're doing. You're just paying the player to not play for you.

I don't read coverage of Vancouver every day, so I don't know where they are on it. I was under the impression that their GM feels there is a deal to be made for Roberto Luongo.

My personal opinion: If there was a deal to be made, it would've happened by now. Waivers is an option, but, again, at some point Vancouver needs to accept these realities:

1. Roberto Luongo's cap recapture makes his contract horrific.
2. You are not going to "win" a trade for Roberto Luongo, if you are able to trade him in some sort of package, because there isn't a team in the league that can handle that recapture. There is no "hockey trade" for Roberto Luongo.
3. The contract is now, in business terms, "sunk cost." It's guaranteed. You have to pay it in either its entirety if you keep the player, even if you put him on waivers if he goes unclaimed, which he would -- which is absolutely their right, since he's under contract -- or pay less through a buyout.

Those are the options they have. There are not other options. They can talk about it and pretend there are, but reality dictates there are not other options.

Can they just put Lu on waivers?
- aosplayo

Not sure, but even if they did.. if someone claimed him they'd be on the hook for the contract right? I know you can trade cap space though, so if the Flyers did trade for him, I guess Van could pick up some of his cap. Still the contract is too long IMO. Wait for the buy out. If it doesn't work out , oh well see if Mason can get it done, and if not clean out the front office at the end of the season.

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Luongo, Cap Space
- bmeltzer

The best thing is, they have options and do not need to lock onto one guy and overpay in contract or assets for him.

Goalies are such a crap shoot. I'd rather save the money and cap space and get more of a sure thing with a Dman or two and hope we can build a Masonry Wall between the pipes.

Not sure, but even if they did.. if someone claimed him they'd be on the hook for the contract right? I know you can trade cap space though, so if the Flyers did trade for him, I guess Van could pick up some of his cap. Still the contract is too long IMO. Wait for the buy out. If it doesn't work out , oh well see if Mason can get it done, and if not clean out the front office at the end of the season.
- Hextall271

The problem with a Luongo trade is, that the cap recapture ramifications remain in place. The same goes for a waivers claim.

What about a guy like Khabibulin, who if they are trying to give Mason the "starting" job could be a good go to guy or even pick up the slack if Mason falters.

Local product Colby Cohen headed to Europe

Bill,
Do you think Monahan or Lindholm are worth trading up for with? Also, what's you opinion of Wennberg? He seems like a good player who is really not getting much hype.
- psuhockey

Wennberg is the youngest top prospect on the first round board. He was only a few days away from sliding into the 2014 draft. He would be a great pick at 11. He is going to be a big boy when fully grown and is apparently one of the best skaters in the draft. There are some really good players in the 11 to 20 range and the Flyers are going to get a very good talent. The kid I like the most around the 10th pick is Nurse. Has all the Pronger attributes. Big, mean, really good skater, team leader wherever he has played.

Nurse and Wennberg are my two favorites once you get beyond the top 5 elites.

What about a guy like Khabibulin, who if they are trying to give Mason the "starting" job could be a good go to guy or even pick up the slack if Mason falters.
- Pyzik

I don't know how much he's got left in the tank, although he worked well with Reese in Tampa Bay

The problem with a Luongo trade is, that the cap recapture ramifications remain in place. The same goes for a waivers claim.
- Jsaquella

That's why I'm surprised that they haven't simply...accepted this and cut ties with him.

It's that simple -- no one can take that contract. Even if they take money back in a deal, the cap recapture still exists in that contract.

Trading that contract...it can't be done. I know you should never say never, but that contract can't be traded. I can't believe an ownership group would authorize it, even if a GM from another team requested it.

Wennberg is the youngest top prospect on the first round board. He was only a few days away from sliding into the 2014 draft. He would be a great pick at 11. He is going to be a big boy when fully grown and is apparently one of the best skaters in the draft. There are some really good players in the 11 to 20 range and the Flyers are going to get a very good talent. The kid I like the most around the 10th pick is Nurse. Has all the Pronger attributes. Big, mean, really good skater, team leader wherever he has played.

Nurse and Wennberg are my two favorites once you get beyond the top 5 elites.
- spatso

Not as high or Nurse. Wennberg is intriguing, but I have other names in mind. Depending on what is available, I'd love to trade down and try to get a second 1st rounder.

I wonder if the Blue Jackets would be willing to trade the two later first rounders they hold for the 11th pick.