Interesting how Hextall is confident in a multiyear deal being worked out with MDZ at least according to Timmy P
- Just5

I know there are some who don't trust him, which is fine. Perhaps they will be right, that he will not hold up

But that dude was playing damn near 25 minutes a night after the TDL, and they were quality, all-situations minutes.

If you are him, you do a deal because you know there is opportunity here. Yeah, there are young kids coming, but that doesn't automatically mean you have to go

I know there are some who don't trust him, which is fine. Perhaps they will be right, that he will not hold up

But that dude was playing damn near 25 minutes a night after the TDL, and they were quality, all-situations minutes.

If you are him, you do a deal because you know there is opportunity here. Yeah, there are young kids coming, but that doesn't automatically mean you have to go
- AllInForFlyers

Yeah he definitely showed something last season and let's not forget he was coming off an offseason where he was basically cast out as a leper, Berube's handling of him not withstanding.

He and PEB were a pretty effective PK unit, as well
- Jsaquella

See, I disagree. Our PK wasn't good last season. I'm not going to point the blame directly at Bellemare or Vandevalde for the PK's failures but I would like to upgrade in this area, instead of going back to what we had last season. With the space Hextall is clearing, I'd like to take a little extra to get a PK specialist. Someone made a point earlier that Bellemare and Vandevalde cost as much as one Max Talbot. My only response to this is, so what? I want effective players, not fill-ins because they're cheap. Months ago someone wanted me to give credit to Nick Schultz for playing against the tougher talents of the league this year and that he deserved to be re-signed. I'm not expecting Schultz to have a repeat. In fact, we probably didn't make the playoffs because Schultz was expected to play such a role. Nick Schultz is 32 and as well as he played last season, he's capable and has been capable of bad seasons in the past, which is why he was originally signed as a 7th defenseman to begin with.

OK fine howabout 4 years with an avg cap hit of 3.75?
- Pixote Andolini

I'd give him more money for a lesser term. Something like 1 yr 4m. That gives him the opportunity to show last year wasn't just a fluke.
If he wasn't open to that I would do a 3 or 4 year deal, but for a lesser value. Something around 3.25 per would be okay with me. That way if he overperforms, then its a cheap deal, but if he reverts to his previous ways, it's not a cap killer.

See, I disagree. Our PK wasn't good last season. I'm not going to point the blame directly at Bellemare or Vandevalde for the PK's failures but I would like to upgrade in this area, instead of going back to what we had last season. With the space Hextall is clearing, I'd like to take a little extra to get a PK specialist. Someone made a point earlier that Bellemare and Vandevalde cost as much as one Max Talbot. My only response to this is, so what? I want effective players, not fill-ins because they're cheap. Months ago someone wanted me to give credit to Nick Schultz for playing against the tougher talents of the league this year and that he deserved to be re-signed. I'm not expecting Schultz to have a repeat. In fact, we probably didn't make the playoffs because Schultz was expected to play such a role. Nick Schultz is 32 and as well as he played last season, he's capable and has been capable of bad seasons in the past, which is why he was originally signed as a 7th defenseman to begin with.
- SuperSchennBros

I blame their PK woes much more on the loss of Timonen, not having Coburn for much of the season and Berube's continued use of a badly struggling Matt Read much more than the play of VDV and Bellemare.

For much of the season , I thought they were far and away our best PK duo.

I blame their PK woes much more on the loss of Timonen, not having Coburn for much of the season and Berube's continued use of a badly struggling Matt Read much more than the play of VDV and Bellemare.

For much of the season , I thought they were far and away our best PK duo.
- BiggE

Ryan White probably had the most positive effect on this roster when he was able to play. A real spark plug who looked strong at the faceoff dot, one the more physical players and even saw PK time nearing season's end. I would have made White a priority.

See, I disagree. Our PK wasn't good last season. I'm not going to point the blame directly at Bellemare or Vandevalde for the PK's failures but I would like to upgrade in this area, instead of going back to what we had last season. With the space Hextall is clearing, I'd like to take a little extra to get a PK specialist. Someone made a point earlier that Bellemare and Vandevalde cost as much as one Max Talbot. My only response to this is, so what? I want effective players, not fill-ins because they're cheap. Months ago someone wanted me to give credit to Nick Schultz for playing against the tougher talents of the league this year and that he deserved to be re-signed. I'm not expecting Schultz to have a repeat. In fact, we probably didn't make the playoffs because Schultz was expected to play such a role. Nick Schultz is 32 and as well as he played last season, he's capable and has been capable of bad seasons in the past, which is why he was originally signed as a 7th defenseman to begin with.
- SuperSchennBros

When Berube went with Bellemare and Vandevelde as the top PK forward pair, instead of Read and Couturier, the PK improved.

See, I disagree. Our PK wasn't good last season. I'm not going to point the blame directly at Bellemare or Vandevalde for the PK's failures but I would like to upgrade in this area, instead of going back to what we had last season. With the space Hextall is clearing, I'd like to take a little extra to get a PK specialist. Someone made a point earlier that Bellemare and Vandevalde cost as much as one Max Talbot. My only response to this is, so what? I want effective players, not fill-ins because they're cheap. Months ago someone wanted me to give credit to Nick Schultz for playing against the tougher talents of the league this year and that he deserved to be re-signed. I'm not expecting Schultz to have a repeat. In fact, we probably didn't make the playoffs because Schultz was expected to play such a role. Nick Schultz is 32 and as well as he played last season, he's capable and has been capable of bad seasons in the past, which is why he was originally signed as a 7th defenseman to begin with.
- SuperSchennBros

The PK actually got a bit better when Berube started using VandeVelde & Bellemare as a forward pair. A far bigger issue was the lack of Timonen & Coburn and the injury and ineffectiveness of Read and Umberger. The Flyers traded Talbot for Steve Downie in 2013-14 and still had a top PK unit. VandeVelde & Bellemare were actually very solid on the PK