I hope Streit is on the first PP unit, and not the second.
- MJL

The second PP line still improves with whoever moves off the 1st line. 1st line was phenominal the second line was poor. Should have a good PK too with the Hall, Talbot...

This is so confusing. I have no idea how the player inspires little faith that he is an elite player. I can't even fathom what that could possibly be based on. And when they trade Giroux, they then have a gaping hole at first line Center and top player on the team.

What goaltender or defenseman would you trade Giroux for. And please let's be realistic.
- MJL

I think that Pens troll has hacked Joe's account. This is nonsensical.

Not quite, there are merits to the moves but you have to give the team the benefit of the doubt and you can't tell me there are no doubts whatsoever... I mean we missed the playoffs and we give the captain Crosby-Malkin money... Gives me a bad vibe, hunch whatever you wanna call it but sometimes the team needs better intuition and I seriously question theirs right now.
- JoeRussomanno

Except they didn't give Giroux an extension for missing the playoffs..

1. 55 points in 50 playoffs games
2. 5 games missed in the past 4 seasons
3. Point history since rookie season of 27 points: 20 point increase, 29 point increase, 17 point increase, 10 point decrease (pro-ratever over full season) he still would have finished up with 82 points.
4. 25 years old and entering his prime.
5. 291 points in 333 games.

Their are 6 players I would take over Giroux right now when you look at age, skill, effort, complete package: Stamkos, Malkin, Crosby, Ovechkin, Kane and Towes. Since you aren't getting any of them please tell me what number 1 goalie their is that you could trade for which would give you equal value of Giroux? Weber seems like the obvious choice for a dman to trade for him straight up..

Great, you don't like what the Flyers did this summer. They addressed the goalie issues in the way they thought best. They added to their d without subtracting one of their young players. They improved their second line center position without subtracting.

Please give me a realistic and not NHL2014 version of how you would have improved the team.

Richards and Carter are not and won't have as good of careers as Giroux. You don't draft top centers every draft. Again, Giroux is the most talented player since Lindros, and they didn't even draft him.

I guess we're just watching different players here or something. If I saw Giroux as the player you do, I wouldn't like the deal either. I just see him better than that I suppose.
- eayost

They already accomplished more at this point in their careers than Giroux will, although being voted onto a video game cover is so important even if most of the voting is done by those who aren't even old enough to buy cigarettes

Except they didn't give Giroux an extension for missing the playoffs..

1. 55 points in 50 playoffs games
2. 4 games missed in the past 4 seasons
3. Point history since rookie season of 27 points: 20 point increase, 29 point increase, 17 point increase, 10 point decrease (pro-ratever over full season) he still would have finished up with 82 points.
4. 25 years old and entering his prime.
5. 291 points in 333 games.

Their are 6 players I would take over Giroux right now when you look at age, skill, effort, complete package: Stamkos, Malkin, Crosby, Ovechkin, Kane and Towes. Since you aren't getting any of them please tell me what number 1 goalie their is that you could trade for which would give you equal value of Giroux? Weber seems like the obvious choice for a dman to trade for him straight up..

Great, you don't like what the Flyers did this summer. They addressed the goalie issues in the way they thought best. They added to their d without subtracting one of their young players. They improved their second line center position without subtracting.

Please give me a realistic and not NHL2014 version of how you would have improved the team.
- opeth_pa

The NHL 2014 version is what the flyers did... It's funny we can't get anyone to fix the real problems of this team by trading Giroux but we can by trading coburn... At least that's what is proposed in here constantly.

And honestly, if a point a game average is a down season. You have one hell of a player.
- MJL

I would make the argument that as the cap increases by 5% per season, salaries increase by 5% per season, and therefore salaries signed before that become 5% more reasonable as salaries around them increase. I would make the argument that in 5 years, when the cap is around 85 million, this deal will be a steal. Giroux's contract takes up almost 12 percent of a $70 million dollar cap, so in 5 years when the cap should be around 85 million, I'd argue that a contract then that's equivalent to a $8 million dollar today would be around $10 million, as a $10 million contract then will make up almost 12 percent of a cap roll as an $8 million dollar contract does now. On that logic, I'd argue that by then an $8 million dollar contract then will be equivalent to a $6.5 million contract now. I don't think there's a 31 year old equivalent to Giroux in the league now, but if he holds up I think a $6.5 million contract will be very reasonable for a 31 year old Giroux. Sorry if that was a tad confusing.

They already accomplished more at this point in their careers than Giroux will, although being voted onto a video game cover is so important even if most of the voting is done by those who aren't even old enough to buy cigarettes
- JoeRussomanno

How do you know what Giroux will do in the future? You're pretty cynical.

They already accomplished more at this point in their careers than Giroux will, although being voted onto a video game cover is so important even if most of the voting is done by those who aren't even old enough to buy cigarettes
- JoeRussomanno

Mike Richards: 28 years old and 425 points in 575 games
Jeff Carter: 28 years old and 420 points in 564 games
Claude Giroux: 25 years old 290 points in 333 games.

Best season for Giroux: 93 points in 77 games, Richards 80 points in 79 games and Carter 84 points in 82 games.

Since a cup is won by a full team and not two players you can't really use that in a direct comparison

How do you know what Giroux will do in the future? You're pretty cynical.
- JAKEw1234

I've followed the team since the early 80's

Spector's Hockey ‏@SpectorsHockey 10m

Rumor flying around has #Habs shipping Plekanec, Beaulieu & Moen to #Flyers for Coburn, Simmonds & Talbot. Sounds like wishful thinking.

i will personally fly to Philly with Shaq as my bodyguard who i "bought" with my grad money, punch homer right in the face, get Shaq to knock him and then cheer for the Oilers for the rest of my life if this trade happens

Mike Richards: 28 years old and 425 points in 575 games
Jeff Carter: 28 years old and 420 points in 564 games
Claude Giroux: 25 years old 290 points in 333 games.

Best season for Giroux: 93 points in 77 games, Richards 80 points in 79 games and Carter 84 points in 82 games.

Since a cup is won by a full team and not two players you can't really use that in a direct comparison
- opeth_pa

They've done more than win a cup.

They already accomplished more at this point in their careers than Giroux will, although being voted onto a video game cover is so important even if most of the voting is done by those who aren't even old enough to buy cigarettes
- JoeRussomanno

All the Giroux hate, did he not sign an autograph for you in the men's room or something?

He is one of the top 10 players in the NHL.

There is nothing that has happened in the last few days that sets the market for Pietrangelo. And age has a lot to do with it. The players that are signing as Unrestricted Free Agents have earned that right due to either being 27 years of age, or having played 7 Accrued Seasons in the NHL. Pietrangelo has not done so. He is coming off of his EL contract. What sets the market for Pietrangelo, is the deals signed by players similar in age and ability to him. Such as P.K Subban. There is a huge difference between an RFA and a UFA. Look at a player such as Giroux. He signed a reasonable bridge contract between his EL deal and what he signed for recently. It's just rumors, but if Pietrangelo is indeed asking for 7M, I don't blame St. Louis for balking at that. 5M I can see, but not 7.
- MJL

I agree with you regarding coming off an ELC and where you should be slotted signing your second.

However, the point I was making is that there are no bright line rules or even fuzzy guidelines regarding contract negotiations anymore. The market has become whatever a GM feels is best for their team. And if there is a GM who feels Pietrangelo is good enough to skip his bridge contract and is worth 6/7 mil per for x amount of years, then they'll go for it.

Just when a new CBA is agreed upon and you think some sort of sanity will begin to filter down, the contract craziness begins all over again.

I've followed the team since the early 80's
- JoeRussomanno

What exactly does that have to do with Claude Giroux's future prospects?

So you think they took the NHL2014 approach..Please give a realistic explanation of what you would have done to improve the team since you clearly have a better plan then the people paid to do this.

They've done more than win a cup.
- JoeRussomanno

Yup...Not scored as many points as Giroux in a single season but they have played more games than him by more then 200 games..Oh and they are older than him also.

Richards had the Shift.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs_3PeQQUxc
Giroux had the Shift.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tit_fbYnmLc

Mike Richards: 28 years old and 425 points in 575 games
Jeff Carter: 28 years old and 420 points in 564 games
Claude Giroux: 25 years old 290 points in 333 games.

Best season for Giroux: 93 points in 77 games, Richards 80 points in 79 games and Carter 84 points in 82 games.

Since a cup is won by a full team and not two players you can't really use that in a direct comparison
- opeth_pa

If Giroux follows his career pts per game percentage, he'll have 496 points in 570 games.That's nearly 80 more than Richards and Carter at the same points in their careers.

All the Giroux hate, did he not sign an autograph for you in the men's room or something?

He is one of the top 10 players in the NHL.
- wtfd103074

Where did I say I hate him? Maybe that's the problem, some of you guys have to have it black and white with no in between ?

I've followed the team since the early 80's
- JoeRussomanno

And G was on the team then? Or is it just all Flyers become underperforming losers? How does anything that has ever happened prior to a players being born have anything to do with him personally?

I've followed the team since the early 80's
- JoeRussomanno

That doesn't mean anything besides for you can look into the past. You'd have to look into the future to know what Giroux will do.

This goalie situation is different than any other one I've seen in Philly.

This is a goaltending relationship. These guys are going to work with each other, but at the same time, compete for starts. Razor already said this, and has showed it with Crawford in Chitown. I think that'll be great for Mason. We have a couple yoemen between the pipes. I like that.

I like how it's NOT a controversy or has even any possibility of a controversy. There's no #1. There's no "that guy" or "savior". No pressure for anyone to succeed, and no "that guy" to be crucified for not playing to his contract or being a bust. And because of this, a circus looks less and less likely compared to years' past.

I'm interested to see how it plays out.

Hey- maybe we'll have a St. Louis Blues situation circa 2012 with Halak and Elliot both playing out of their minds!!

All kidding aside, it's refreshing to (hopefully) take a break from drama. Hopefully the poopheads that write the articles cooperate too, which is unlikely....

I agree with you regarding coming off an ELC and where you should be slotted signing your second.

However, the point I was making is that there are no bright line rules or even fuzzy guidelines regarding contract negotiations anymore. The market has become whatever a GM feels is best for their team. And if there is a GM who feels Pietrangelo is good enough to skip his bridge contract and is worth 6/7 mil per for x amount of years, then they'll go for it.

Just when a new CBA is agreed upon and you think some sort of sanity will begin to filter down, the contract craziness begins all over again.
- 77rams

I can't agree with your point. I still think there is a huge difference between a player entering into his 2nd contract coming off of an EL contract. Then there is for a player coming off his bridge contract. And even bigger difference for a player who is a UFA.

That doesn't mean anything besides for you can look into the past. You'd have to look into the future to know what Giroux will do.
- JAKEw1234

It's the same old song and dance over and over...

What exactly does that have to do with Claude Giroux's future prospects?

So you think they took the NHL2014 approach..Please give a realistic explanation of what you would have done to improve the team since you clearly have a better plan then the people paid to do this.
- opeth_pa

He would tank for 5 years and get 5 top 5 picks.

This goalie situation is different than any other one I've seen in Philly.

This is a goaltending relationship. These guys are going to work with each other, but at the same time, compete for starts. Razor already said this, and has showed it with Crawford in Chitown. I think that'll be great for Mason. We have a couple yoemen between the pipes. I like that.

I like how it's NOT a controversy or has even any possibility of a controversy. There's no #1. There's no "that guy" or "savior". No pressure for anyone to succeed, and no "that guy" to be crucified for not playing to his contract or being a bust. And because of this, a circus looks less and less likely compared to years' past.

I'm interested to see how it plays out.

.

Hey- maybe we'll have a St. Louis Blues situation circa 2012 with Halak and Elliot both playing out of their minds!!

All kidding aside, it's refreshing to (hopefully) take a break from drama. Hopefully the poopheads that write the articles cooperate too, which is unlikely....
- Giroux_Is_God

Obviously you missed the hextall snow days

Yup...Not scored as many points as Giroux in a single season but they have played more games than him by more then 200 games..Oh and they are older than him also.

Richards had the Shift.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs_3PeQQUxc
Giroux had the Shift.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tit_fbYnmLc
- opeth_pa

Giroux scores more wow... They have way more jewelry to show for it... Wake up