Flyers baby


also i dont know fleet foxes but will check out this new album

James, we often don't agree - but I did want to say I think you're dead on about this:

People have really strong opinions about players they couldn't have possibly ever seen play on draft day. OK, I get it if you've read about all the players and have a favorite - in the first round.

Agree totally. First round ok. Second round, maybe. After that - it's insanity.

James,
Last year you defended the signing of Murphy, so you obviously saw potential. Do you think with a better quality of teammates and coaches he can improve to a legit top 4? I don't ever see him as a true replacement for Hammer, but I would have been fine with this trade next year, since they would likely lose him the following off season anyway.
- tvetter

On the day the Coyotes signed Murphy, people said it was an over payment. I defended it because he is a RHD with upside who they could move whenever it became convenient due to the rarity of puck moving right shot defense man and the NHL's insistence of giving anyone with pedigree the benefit of the doubt.

My reasoning was that it was a good risk/reward move for the Coyotes.

I used to think Murphy could be really good, he has some potential, but at this point it's looking unilikely.

This is highly debatable. The scouts were divided right down the middle at the end of the year between Nico and Nolan - about as razor thin a difference as you can get.

While entirely speculative, I think had Nolan played the entire season it may have made a significant enough difference that some scouts may not have been as skittish.

TL;DR: the injury almost certainly played a factor. IMHO anyway.
- mjones242

I was more a fan of Nolan Patrick but even if Nico turns out better what an absolute score for Philly. And no pressure on them to make the 'right' pick. Despite the rivalry I'm excited to see both teams turn around and improve. If the Flyers nail down a strong goalie it'll be a real dangerous club. My Devils have further to go before they get there but I'm personally worried that Nico is the next Yakupov.

Flyers baby


also i dont know fleet foxes but will check out this new album
- Crimsoninja

Awesome!!

They're like a really ambitious folk rock band with harmonies and synthesizers even. One of my favs but maybe not for everybody.

Yes, everyone changed their number one pick.........because Patrick got injured. That's how these things work, that's how they always work. Only exception is if the player in question is "generational."
- james_tanner1

Or maybe they changed it because one player had a later emergence (See Taylor vs. Tyler) and still might have been picked him #1 even if the other guy had played a full season. I don't see how you can say: "Huge score getting the #1 at #2." A lot of it is up in the air at this point between these two (or even Makar)

Haha I made this account just to raz you bud. Been reading your stuff for a long time. Lots of gut cramps off your crap
- Leichs

Cool. You know this is a free site right?

You're obviously some one that got banned and had to reactivate an old account and pay.

Keep on spewing. I'm done paying any attention to you.

Yes, everyone changed their number one pick.........because Patrick got injured. That's how these things work, that's how they always work. Only exception is if the player in question is "generational."
- james_tanner1

Big picture, Devils jumped from 5 to 1, Flyers from 13 all the way to #2 and they both got the #1 or #2 available players. The argument of who got the better player is one to have five years from now. I leaned slightly towards Patrick, but it's very difficult to be disappointed with Hischier. Any way anyone can slice it, The Devils and Flyers were the two big winners this weekend.

Thats what you do when you are about to be in cap hell. See Chicago and Boston a few years back. Sometimes you gotta take a loss to move an expensive contract out, especially one that puts up 2 points in over 10 playoff games. But you are right, maybe we should have kept Ebs and risk Drai and Mcd contracts. Makes sense.
- Leichs

We're not in cap hell.
And he didn't actually save money. That's the real crux. He unloaded ebs for a lesser player for savings. Then turned around and used those savings to overpay dollars and term for Russel

Difference between chi and Boston and us is they had already actually won something when they started selling off assets

Did anyone actually read all this?
- systemtool

yes. a few grammatical mistakes, but overall on point.

I'm not running strome out of town. There's potential there. And there was even some rationale to moving for him.
But using that savings on the Russell deal was fuking terrible. Just terrible. He handcuffed us to upgrading the backend as well.

Strome is 24 in 2 weeks. He's not that young. Time to turn it around no doubt.
But he's not just a rook with only upside left.


Maroon had a career year for one reason. I love the guy, but yeah he jumped on Connors back.
Can't just assume every trade is good because hey we can play them with Connor
- Ihateallofu

Not sure why everyone thinks the money we saved on Eberlazy went to sign Russell...We had to find another dman no matter what.The money Russell made last yr was sitting there to sign someone..

*Risk averse

Chiarelli is terrible. The oft put narrative that "he had the balls to make big changes" is patently ridiculous - it doesn't take balls to make big moves - any idiot can do that (see: Snow, Garth).

Chiarelli seems to me to be the worst kind of GM -- the one that plays loose and fast with assets and puts his ego and "feelings" above intelligent, informed asset management. It's this type of style that was the prevailing GM wisdom for decades that some have not been able to shed (see also: Burke, Brian).

I've mentioned it before and it bears repeating: if you haven't watched the stupefying video where PC and fellow Boston upper management team discuss and then pull the trigger on ridding themselves of Tyler Seguin, you need to do yourself a favour and watch it. It should be required viewing for any Chiarelli-apologists.

The Oilers should thank their lucky stars that they landed McDavid. Can you imagine what kind of (poop)show Edmonton would be in without landing that miracle pick? Yeesh.
- mjones242

Yeah. That video was sickening. Just a bunch of idiot yes men agreeing blindly with Chiapet while they talked about Seguin not having the heart to be a winner. It was just mindless drivel and they were recording it like they thought people would be so impressed with their brilliant decision making skills.
Lost any respect I had (not much) for Chiarelli after seeing that.

Trading Eberle for Strome might have made some sense...but then resigning Russel with the cap space was just dumb. Obviously there were better options...Hjalmarsson or Hamonic would've been a massive upgrade.

Tanner, I'm with you.
A year ago I was wishing there was a way the Leafs could somehow get the 1st or 2nd OA pick and get Liljegren, but knew it was a pipedream unless we really sucked again or got lucky in the lottery or something.

Totally shocked, but very, very happy Liljegren fell all the way to 17th.
He was being tentatively placed at 2nd OA at the start of last season.

HE HAD (frank)ING MONO! DID ALL THE OTHER GM'S THINK HE JUST FORGOT HOW TO PLAY HOCKEY?
When a guy wows you that much one year, then suffers a sickness that takes him out of the game for several months and leaves him weakened and not 100% when he finally gets back...it is mindboggling to me that so many teams decided to pass on him.

Seems to me the only team that might have been as lucky as the Leafs is the Kings when they snagged Vilardi.

I'm extremely pleased with how things worked out for the Leafs and am looking forward to seeing Liljegren's progression as a player. Just awesome.

only tanner can look at a team with gaudreau and monahan and think that giordano is their best player .

you could make an argument that he's not their best dman, he's certainly not their best player

Im not saying they are on the same level. You are running a guy down before he has even played a game in Oil silks. Hes 23 years old dude. I mentioned Patty Maroon having a career year his first year here, why cant Strome do that? We needed to clear cap space and got a much younger player in return who still has tons of room to develope. He also has a personal relationship with our captain and he is super motivated. Just lets see what the kids got before we run him out of town.
- Leichs

Personal relationship? Really I didn't that about McJesus!

Tanner, I'm with you.
A year ago I was wishing there was a way the Leafs could somehow get the 1st or 2nd OA pick and get Liljegren, but knew it was a pipedream unless we really sucked again or got lucky in the lottery or something.

Totally shocked, but very, very happy Liljegren fell all the way to 17th.
He was being tentatively placed at 2nd OA at the start of last season.

HE HAD (frank)ING MONO! DID ALL THE OTHER GM'S THINK HE JUST FORGOT HOW TO PLAY HOCKEY?
When a guy wows you that much one year, then suffers a sickness that takes him out of the game for several months and leaves him weakened and not 100% when he finally gets back...it is mindboggling to me that so many teams decided to pass on him.

Seems to me the only team that might have been as lucky as the Leafs is the Kings when they snagged Vilardi.

I'm extremely pleased with how things worked out for the Leafs and am looking forward to seeing Liljegren's progression as a player. Just awesome.
- Thecakeisalie

it was a good pick at 17, but liljegren is not a "can't miss" prospect. yes, he had mono, but even weeks or months after he got back he hadn't gotten much better. he was cut from the world jr team and was demoted in the swedish league. there were a lot of teams who watched him play A TON and passed on him, i guarantee it wasn't only because he had mono.

i'd say there's a much better chance you drafted a rundblad then a karlsson

While I agree recency bias is a factor, I think you're forgetting how quickly things can change, especially at that age. 6 months and 1 season is a long time in terms of development and in the case of Liljegren, it could have been more about the other D men elevating their games in that time while Liljegren sat out. It's not that he regressed, but the other players were able to stand out, develop, and show that they're at his level.

I really hope that the Leafs got a steal here and from what Hunter was saying, the Leafs like their chances, but one thing to keep in mind is that while Patrick and Liljegren both had freak injuries, Patrick was able to come back in a small sample size and prove he was still that player. It could have hurt him a little but he was never a #1 lock like a Matthews or McDavid so dropping from 1 to 2 isn't that big a deal. Not as much as dropping from top 3 to 17. Liljegren, for whatever reason, wasn't able to come back and prove he was the player he was before. So while recency bias could be a factor, I think Liljegren as a player was also responsible for his stock to drop. Hopefully it was an anomaly.

Colin miller isn't a good player.

I think it is laughable that untalented hacks like tanner have a place to demonstrate how stupid they are you actually called a first over all and 2 seconds 1% of Taylor halls worth......it just clearly shows how irrational you are.....then the fact that you defend your writing by insulting those that comment on it is just brutal and I cannot believe this site allows it....

you know absolutely nothing about the game of hockey ...why you are allowed to write here makes me question whether ek is your father....uncle....brother....lover?

I think is laughable that untalented hacks like tanner have a place to demonstrate how stupid they are you actually called a first over all and 2 seconds 1% of Taylor halls worth......it just clearly shows how irrational you are.....then the fact that you defend your writing by insulting those that comment on it is just brutal and I cannot believe this site allows it....

you know absolutely nothing about the game of hocker. ...why you ar allowed to write here makes me question whether ek is your father....uncle....brother....lover?
- OGoilerfan

You could really say none of us know anything about hocker

it was a good pick at 17, but liljegren is not a "can't miss" prospect. yes, he had mono, but even weeks or months after he got back he hadn't gotten much better. he was cut from the world jr team and was demoted in the swedish league. there were a lot of teams who watched him play A TON and passed on him, i guarantee it wasn't only because he had mono.

i'd say there's a much better chance you drafted a rundblad then a karlsson
- sensarmy_11

My son had Mono at age 14 and was a multi sport athlete at the time. Spent a week in hospital and if you weren't told differently it looked like he was dying. Doctors insisted on no more sports for at least six months. His energy levels were so depleted he would have landed back in the hospital.

Lilgegren admitted he came back too soon. There's no way he was going to impress anyone because of that.

You could really say none of us know anything about hocker
- PhillySportsGuy

great post meat head....

it was a good pick at 17, but liljegren is not a "can't miss" prospect. yes, he had mono, but even weeks or months after he got back he hadn't gotten much better. he was cut from the world jr team and was demoted in the swedish league. there were a lot of teams who watched him play A TON and passed on him, i guarantee it wasn't only because he had mono.

i'd say there's a much better chance you drafted a rundblad then a karlsson
- sensarmy_11

Some of the symptoms such as chronic fatigue can last for several months. By the time he was over mono, he would no longer have been in game shape. Thus performing poorly the rest of the season. How many players that suffer an injury where they can't even maintain physical fitness immediately return to play at 100%?

The fact that a ton of teams passed on him doesn't mean they were right to do so. GM's make stupid decisions all the time and GM's and scouts pass on players they shouldn't every draft. This year it was Liljegren (and maybe Vilardi). Probably a lot of GM's just had a particular guy they were expecting to get and he was there when they picked, so they ignored Liljegren falling and picked "their guy".

I guess we'll see in the next few years whether they lucked out or not.

My son had Mono at age 14 and was a multi sport athlete at the time. Spent a week in hospital and if you weren't told differently it looked like he was dying. Doctors insisted on no more sports for at least six months. His energy levels were so depleted he would have landed back in the hospital.

Lilgegren admitted he came back too soon. There's no way he was going to impress anyone because of that.
- shack67

This!


P.S. Sorry your son had to go through that. Sounds rough.