While I respect your opinion I'm not sure how you can speak in absolutes on this..

Unless you are Sith lord.
- opeth_pa

All the evidence point to that..Its in plain sight.

Imagine a competent d core in front of hart. Players that have the abilitty to do more than wrap the puck around the boards and hope it clears. I love it
- Richieattack18

thats exactly what we needed, defensively responsible guys. guys to help out Hart. guys to help out Sanheim, Provy, and Myers. Guys that don't get rattled in their own zone. Guys with loads of not only playoff experience but Stanley Cup Final experience. Guys who will be off the books by the expansion draft so we can protect our younger players.

Honestly, do people expect a Trouba/Panarin/Pavelski move every single time a move is made? How many players can we name from eventual Cup winners went under the radar but were instrumental in helping a team make a run? Michal Kempny comes to mind right away, and now look at him.

Horrible trade
- Just5

the 2nd rounder was going to turn into a kris letang and the 3rd round pick was going to turn into a nik lidstrom. We only had to wait for 8 years for them to reach their potential and giroux would be 38.

Buffalo has been building for how long now?

Same with Edmonton. Same with AZ and Florida.

How about we spend and draft well and try to win?

thats exactly what we needed, defensively responsible guys. guys to help out Hart. guys to help out Sanheim, Provy, and Myers. Guys that don't get rattled in their own zone. Guys with loads of not only playoff experience but Stanley Cup Final experience. Guys who will be off the books by the expansion draft so we can protect our younger players.

Honestly, do people expect a Trouba/Panarin/Pavelski move every single time a move is made? How many players can we name from eventual Cup winners went under the radar but were instrumental in helping a team make a run? Michal Kempny comes to mind right away, and now look at him.
- sjk540

cry babies gonna cry. it will never change

Flyers are a team that is realistically 2-3 years away.
- MJL

If they fail to make the playoffs next year, are then again 2-3 years away?


*edit - should say THIS YEAR

Ok-

Gudas was not going to resign with the Flyers, there is a good chance he doesn't sign with the Caps.

Niskanen for Gudas is about fit and Niskanen fits better. Two years, good player, cup winner and perfect for the young D.

Trade today, I don't like giving up a 2nd in this years draft but they acquired a shut down D and from what I read he is a good defender, plus he has playoff and cup experience.

Two guys who can stabilize the kids and teach them how to become better professionals.

If I have to live with losing the second I can, dont like it but I like the way he is trying to stabilize the D.

I do see the issue with getting Hagg, Myers and Morin playing time.

Hayes does become more scary after todays moves but big rewards, require big risks.

I have to believe they can get picks if they want to replace what they traded, that they know how to work the cap. Hell, Pitt has been doing it for years. Boston did a rebuild on the fly and worked the cap.

next 2 moves will tell the future.

Fletcher is secretly on the Pens payroll.

Fletcher is secretly on the Pens payroll.
- RustyPipes

The pens should be concerned about their own GM trading for JJ and Gudbranson

Fletcher is secretly on the Pens payroll.
- RustyPipes

you're welcome at any time to support another team if you want to be irrational

The pens should be concerned about their own GM trading for JJ and Gudbranson
- bulet13

The arms race for mediocre/has-been dmen has begun!

you're welcome at any time to support another team if you want to be irrational
- Richieattack18

It was in jest, come off of the ledge please.

It was in jest, come off of the ledge please.
- RustyPipes

Seems like little Richie is bunched up that not everyone agrees with him.

If they fail to make the playoffs next year, are then again 2-3 years away?


*edit - should say THIS YEAR
- shekkie

The Blues in January looked like a team that was 2-3 years away and even then, they could have easily returned to being the franchise that perpetually went out in the 1st round. That’s until they decided to go ahead and win the whole thing.

While I respect your opinion I'm not sure how you can speak in absolutes on this..

Unless you are Sith lord.
- opeth_pa

That’s gold.

That’s Ruth perfectly fine with the 2 dman moves. But hey improving the team should. One secondary after all the success the flyers have had the last decade

I see low risk high reward ....
- daryl stanley

OK maybe my definition of low risk, high reward is different from everyone else. I can’t even remember who I was arguing with but I used that term for Brian Boyle. Veteran, helps improve the bottom six, PK and faceoffs. It does not cost you assets or much cap to sign Brian Boyle. This to me is low risk, high reward.

Trading away multiple draft picks unsigned players, or players over 32 and eating up cap space to me is high risk, unlikely reward.

Seems like little Richie is bunched up that not everyone agrees with him.
- mickel25

Just pointing out lunatics of the famous team negative. do you not like that

I think guys like Niskanen and Braun could be dealt at next year’s trade deadline if they want to, easily getting back the draft picks. Solid vet RH D seem to be a pretty hot commodity going into the playoffs.

If they sign Hayes for longer then 5 years they will be stuck with some less productive years at the end but he fills a big need for them now.

I’m ok with this, my first reaction today was wtf, but I think they will be a better team.

Just hopeful Ghost is a casualty in this.

Also need the back up goalie to be good one.

OK maybe my definition of low risk, high reward is different from everyone else. I can’t even remember who I was arguing with but I used that term for Brian Boyle. Veteran, helps improve the bottom six, PK and faceoffs. It does not cost you assets or much cap to sign Brian Boyle. This to me is low risk, high reward.

Trading away multiple draft picks unsigned players, or players over 32 and eating up cap space to me is high risk, unlikely reward.
- SuperSchennBros

such a high risk for a guy on a 1 year deal. LOL

Seems like little Richie is bunched up that not everyone agrees with him.
- mickel25

Well, I can sort of understand why people are getting a little nervous with all of these strange moves - at least strange in our eyes anyway.

Something tells me that a GM of a professional sports team who's been there before has at his disposal a lot more information on the players than we do. He probably can rely scouts, coaches, and other personal interactions to decide who would be a good fit and to accent the current team's roster. But then again, he may just be using a dart board too.

Just pointing out lunatics of the famous team negative. do you not like that
- Richieattack18

Point away.

What an overpayment for a guy who can be best described as meh. He is not better than Hagg. Really a 2nd rounder for a guy who at best is a 5/6th d-men? (I know he played in the top 4 for the Sharks but that was mostly due to “necessity”). This looks even worse if that means Ghost is out the window.

San Jose was desperate to clear cap space and you give them a 2nd and 3rd rounder pick?. I’m sure he’s a great locker room guy and brings experience but he’s not worth that much.

I just don’t get it.

Yeah...and?

The cost to the cap is mostly gone after one season and completely after two. That is what stop gaps are.

If you want veteran help and balanced pairings, it comes at a cost, right? I thought the idea was not to block the young players with long term aging player deals. These two are both 32, but are only here long enough for the young d to transition to bigger roles or become more confident and consistent.
- NC Flyers Fan

1) Almost all of the Flyers youngsters are going RFA in the next two seasons, so cap-space isn't immaterial,

2) Veteran help and balanced pairings were already achieved after the Niskanen deal. Why bring in Braun now?

3) You don't want to block the kids long-term, but the kids also need minutes/opportunities to grow right now. The more vets you bring in, the less there is of that to go around.

4) Like MJL said, it's a mid-season move done during the summer to address a problem they don't even know they have yet. Myers could be ready to shoulder a heavier load right out of the gate. Then you just traded two top-90 picks for a 3rd-pair rental for a team that has a miniscule chance of making it out of the Eastern Conference.

5) There was already a numbers problem on the blueline after Niskanen. It just got worse w/ Braun. Morin might not get a fair shot at all now. Hagg may get dumped as an afterthought. Ghost could get moved for whatever the (frank). The effects cascade down the lineup.

6) Both the Niskanen and Braun trades somehow saw the Flyers help out desperately cap-strapped teams off the hook, while the Flyers seemingly still paid full price for the assets coming back the other way. Smells of wasted leverage.

OK maybe my definition of low risk, high reward is different from everyone else. I can’t even remember who I was arguing with but I used that term for Brian Boyle. Veteran, helps improve the bottom six, PK and faceoffs. It does not cost you assets or much cap to sign Brian Boyle. This to me is low risk, high reward.

Trading away multiple draft picks unsigned players, or players over 32 and eating up cap space to me is high risk, unlikely reward.
- SuperSchennBros

They can flip Braun next February and get the picks back.

I agree with you about Boyle but he’s not really a 2nd or 3rd line C anymore and that is what their need is. I think Laughton/Raffl is penciled in the 4th line C for now. Hayes will be costly but that’s who they identified to get.

1) Almost all of the Flyers youngsters on the books in the next two seasons, so cap-space isn't immaterial,

2) Veteran help and balanced pairings were already achieved after the Niskanen deal. Why bring in Braun now?

3) You don't want to block the kids long-term, but the kids also need minutes/opportunities to grow right now. The more vets you bring in, the less there is of that to go around.

4) Like MJL said, it's a mid-season move done during the summer to address a problem they don't even know they have yet. Myers could be ready to shoulder a heavier load right out of the gate. Then you just traded two top-90 picks for a 3rd-pair rental for a team that has a miniscule chance of making it out of the Eastern Conference.

5) There was already a numbers problem on the blueline after Niskanen. It just got worse w/ Braun. Morin might not get a fair shot at all now. Hagg may get dumped as an afterthought. Ghost could get moved for whatever the (frank). The effects cascade down the lineup.

6) Both the Niskanen and Braun trades somehow saw the Flyers help out desperately cap-strapped teams off the hook, while the Flyers seemingly still paid full price for the assets coming back the other way. Smells of wasted leverage.
- Tomahawk

Can the mods please sticky this?