Weise
Bellemare
Read
Cousins
Leier
Laughton
Raffl

Manning
Brennan
AMac

Neuvirth
- jmatchett383

well played

Protect Mason

Giroux
Filpula
Coots
Schenn
Voracek
Simmonds
Weal or Laughton

Gudas
Ghost
Manning

Stolarz




Good Bye Raffl or Cousins

I still think rather then losing Laughton in ED potentially,
that he is moved in a package with several of our abundance of picks for something just not sure what.

As do I. I doubt they take Neuvirth. And to be honest there is a bigger chance they take Stolarz than Neuvirth.

Raffl or Laughton will be the one who goes. I am pretty sure of that.

AMac is going nowhere.

Protect Giroux, Voracek, Filppula, Schenn, Couturier, Simmonds, Weal, Ghost, Gudas, Manning, Stolarz
- MBFlyerfan

I would be more "disappointed" in losing Laughton more so than Raffl simply because Laughton is still young and was a former first rounder. I would like to see him get another shot with the Flyers.

Protect Mason
- YuenglingJagr

Could LV sign him during the exclusive FA period. Wouldn't shock me.

Here is the flaw with the "if MacDonald is taken in the draft, get a comparable vet as a UFA" line of thinking as I think the Flyers may view it: Sign another vet and you are looking at a similar, possibly a bit lower but not dramatically so, cap hit but for more years in term than the three MacD has remaining. Doing that in order to protect Manning doesn't make much sense.

Here is the flaw with the "if MacDonald is taken in the draft, get a comparable vet as a UFA" line of thinking as I think the Flyers may view it: Sign another vet and you are looking at a similar, possibly a bit lower but not dramatically so, cap hit but for more years in term than the three MacD has remaining. Doing that in order to protect Manning doesn't make much sense.
- bmeltzer

Vegas won't take MacDonald because there will be better and cheaper veteran dmen available. So it doesn't matter if he's protected or not.

Methot, Martin, Coburn, etc.

I would be more "disappointed" in losing Laughton more so than Raffl simply because Laughton is still young and was a former first rounder. I would like to see him get another shot with the Flyers.
- nastyflyergirl

How about losing Weal over Laughton?
I liked what Weal showed when getting a shot although a small sample.
He had energy, vision, some finishing ability and ok +5 in 23 games.

Here is the flaw with the "if MacDonald is taken in the draft, get a comparable vet as a UFA" line of thinking as I think the Flyers may view it: Sign another vet and you are looking at a similar, possibly a bit lower but not dramatically so, cap hit but for more years in term than the three MacD has remaining. Doing that in order to protect Manning doesn't make much sense.
- bmeltzer

Just a question. Not sure how you see it, but I like Del Zotto more than AMac. Do you think anyone offers MDZ more than 3 years, 12 million? I don't. If they were to lose AMac, which I think highly unlikely, I'd just offer a 3 year deal to MDZ.

How about losing Weal over Laughton?
I liked what Weal showed when getting a shot although a small sample.
He had energy, vision, some finishing ability and ok +5 in 23 games.
- Konalover

I prefer not to lose Weal as well

How about losing Weal over Laughton?
I liked what Weal showed when getting a shot although a small sample.
He had energy, vision, some finishing ability and ok +5 in 23 games.
- Konalover

Weal looked good, no doubt about. But he is a good, not great skater, and he is undersized. I would like to see him play at that pace for 82 games before offering him a long term deal or a cap hit higher than 1 million. I think he may have been the benefit or a guy playing on adrenaline and for a team playing for pretty much nothing down the final stretch. He still has to prove, IMO, that he can be a successful every day NHL player.

Here is the flaw with the "if MacDonald is taken in the draft, get a comparable vet as a UFA" line of thinking as I think the Flyers may view it: Sign another vet and you are looking at a similar, possibly a bit lower but not dramatically so, cap hit but for more years in term than the three MacD has remaining. Doing that in order to protect Manning doesn't make much sense.
- bmeltzer

Do you think Mac's cap hit and backloaded salary would make it difficult to move him if at the end of this season all of the D prospects are banging on the door?

I would hope that if they gave someone an equal cap hit to Macs they would probably be a better defenseman or at the very least not have a backloaded salary and as a result an easier contract to move if the time came that they were looking to move the player. Or if they got a vet signed for 3+ years but at cap hit more like 3.5 that that would also be easy to move when the time came. But maybe that is too optimistic?

With all the draft picks available to Hextall this year, I just wonder if he would acquire a younger, back-up goalie via trade. I know I've gotten caught up thinking a bridge goal tender will be a vet. Why? Trading for a guy like Raanta or Grubauer and sign them to a two year deal accomplishes the same thing as getting a vet like Miller or Elliot. There are certainly no guarantees Sandstrom or Hart will pan out in the NHL. Kind of like Steve Mason acquired from Columbus.

Going to be a very interesting summer for Hexy.

Weal looked good, no doubt about. But he is a good, not great skater, and he is undersized. I would like to see him play at that pace for 82 games before offering him a long term deal or a cap hit higher than 1 million. I think he may have been the benefit or a guy playing on adrenaline and for a team playing for pretty much nothing down the final stretch. He still has to prove, IMO, that he can be a successful every day NHL player.
- BiggE

True, but I do hope his decent play was a result of doing his time, working hard, staying focused and waiting for his shot and running with it.

Weal looked good, no doubt about. But he is a good, not great skater, and he is undersized. I would like to see him play at that pace for 82 games before offering him a long term deal or a cap hit higher than 1 million. I think he may have been the benefit or a guy playing on adrenaline and for a team playing for pretty much nothing down the final stretch. He still has to prove, IMO, that he can be a successful every day NHL player.
- BiggE

I agree. I would love to keep Weal but at a team friendly cap hit AND term. If he doesn't like the offer let him see what he can do in FA. If #2 sticks one of TK, Weal or Lindblom could see a lot of 4th line time.

G, Jake, TK
Val, #2, Simmer,
Lindblom, Coots, Schenn
Pebs, Veccs, Weal
If Weal doesn't sign, one of Rafl, Cousins, Laughton, Weise, Read that doesn't go to Vegas slides into a rotation for the last spot.
If #2 is in JR'S, then Val is at center and Weal is the wing and Rafl is 4th line wing. No Weal or #2? Weiss is back with Coots and Schenn.
The next year Patrick replaces Val and we get bigger, younger and BETTER.

I agree. I would love to keep Weal but at a team friendly cap hit AND term. If he doesn't like the offer let him see what he can do in FA. If #2 sticks one of TK, Weal or Lindblom could see a lot of 4th line time.

G, Jake, TK
Val, #2, Simmer,
Lindblom, Coots, Schenn
Pebs, Veccs, Weal
If Weal doesn't sign, one of Rafl, Cousins, Laughton, Weise, Read that doesn't go to Vegas slides into a rotation for the last spot.
- jaws1955

Pretty much, but I think the lines shake out more like:
Lindblom-G-Jake
Val-#2-Simmonds
TK-Coots-Schenn
some combo of Weal, PEB, Vecc and Weise on the 4th line with Weise stepping up to the Coots line in place of TK when they want to play more of a shut down game.

I think Read or Cousins end up the 14th forward and Laughton ends up getting traded and Raffl goes to Vegas. This all, of course, assumes that Weal is re-signed. I don't think that is a given as I don't believe Hextall will pay him any more than he thinks the kid is worth.

With all the draft picks available to Hextall this year, I just wonder if he would acquire a younger, back-up goalie via trade. I know I've gotten caught up thinking a bridge goal tender will be a vet. Why? Trading for a guy like Raanta or Grubauer and sign them to a two year deal accomplishes the same thing as getting a vet like Miller or Elliot. There are certainly no guarantees Sandstrom or Hart will pan out in the NHL. Kind of like Steve Mason acquired from Columbus.

Going to be a very interesting summer for Hexy.
- ravishingone

10 picks and a pretty full cupboard he has plenty of assets to wheel and deal to make modest upgrades in specific areas could be part of his plan this summer, without altering roster in a drastic way.

Vegas won't take MacDonald because there will be better and cheaper veteran dmen available. So it doesn't matter if he's protected or not.

Methot, Martin, Coburn, etc.
- Feanor

I agree. Flyers will most likely lose a forward anyway. But from a CYA planning perspective, it makes more sense to protect MacD than Manning.

I'm still shocked that we've went from a team with huge holes in the top 6 to a team that could have 4 solid lines heading into next year. Even in the face of expansion.

Just a question. Not sure how you see it, but I like Del Zotto more than AMac. Do you think anyone offers MDZ more than 3 years, 12 million? I don't. If they were to lose AMac, which I think highly unlikely, I'd just offer a 3 year deal to MDZ.
- BiggE

No, because I don't think MDZ will be penciled in as a 20-min per game player wherever he signs. Not saying MacD should be that, either, but that is where he gets slotted. To upgrade who plays tbat role will be multi-year and big ticket. And if you aren't upgrading , why even do it?

Just a question. Not sure how you see it, but I like Del Zotto more than AMac. Do you think anyone offers MDZ more than 3 years, 12 million? I don't. If they were to lose AMac, which I think highly unlikely, I'd just offer a 3 year deal to MDZ.
- BiggE

Also, Hexy flat out told MDZ he isn't getting an offer. Could it change? Maybe but unlikely.

Pretty much, but I think the lines shake out more like:
Lindblom-G-Jake
Val-#2-Simmonds
TK-Coots-Schenn
some combo of Weal, PEB, Vecc and Weise on the 4th line with Weise stepping up to the Coots line in place of TK when they want to play more of a shut down game.

I think Read or Cousins end up the 14th forward and Laughton ends up getting traded and Raffl goes to Vegas. This all, of course, assumes that Weal is re-signed. I don't think that is a given as I don't believe Hextall will pay him any more than he thinks the kid is worth.
- BiggE

Wow, throw in some above average goaltending from whomever drop the puck!!!
Not even June yet UGH

Also, Hexy flat out told MDZ he isn't getting an offer. Could it change? Maybe but unlikely.
- bmeltzer

Hextall flat out telling MDZ and Schultz that they would not get an offer was pretty shocking to me. That indicates that one of Hagg, Morin or Sanheim is already deemed ready most likely. Since most teams would go with the player they know over plugging in someone that isn't a known upgrade over who they have.

So the question is who is the lucky prospect or two?

Also, Hexy flat out told MDZ he isn't getting an offer. Could it change? Maybe but unlikely.
- bmeltzer

Gotcha