2009 Flyers Offseason Thread

[Rome]

It came down to Hatcher and the guy the Eagles fired during the Facebook fiasco.

[Rome]

Flyers: Carnival Starts Early This Season
I know I'm still catching up with things after being out of town, and this is old news here, but THE FLYERS SIGNED RAY EMERY??

That is apparently the case. I had to make sure, so I went over to the site of team spokesman Tim Panaccio and, yep, he had it, too. Said the "dust had settled after another sandstorm in Flyerdom," which threw me off a little. I mean, was it dust, or was it sand?

Either way, it was Ray Emery, the new goaltender, by way of Ottawa, by way of Russia, by way of Wackoville. With both Marty Biron and Antero Niittymaki becoming free agents on July 1, I guess the Flyers had to do something -- re-signing Biron would have been my preference -- and, oh yes, they did something.

It's awful to be accused of second-guessing a team, waiting for the outcome to decide if the organization was right or wrong in making a move. So, let's get the first guess out of the way now. This is going to be an utter disaster. Guys don't change at 26. If they miss practices, show up late all the time, get into automobile accidents, become a joke in their own locker rooms in one place, it's going to happen in the next place as well.

This is not Flyers Behavior. Whatever else this team is, the history here is it is as important to be a good teammate as it is to be a good hockey player. For GM Paul Holmgren, a man who tolerates no nonsense, to take this chance is utterly out of character.

And, by the way, it is missing the most vital point about the Flyers. The goaltending wasn't the problem. The problem was that the core of young players on the team who think they can ramp up their intensity and level of play when it is neeeded. Everything's just fine. We're just fine. Don't worry about us. So they blow playoff home-ice advantage on the final day of the season -- at home, to the Rangers -- and then dead-ass through the opening game of the playoffs against the Penguins. Just fine. No problem. The Flyers gave up 18 goals in six games against Pittsburgh. Big deal.

But the goaltending is always the easy answer. Coaches love to make that the answer, because then it's not their fault. It isn't the scheme or the motivation or the execution. It's that lump between the pipes there. Just didn't rise to the occasion. In this case, that's crap. Biron was plenty good enough.

And his replacement is a guy who was late for practice because he was signing autographs at the scene of one of his many fender benders? The dude ate a cockroach off the floor on a bet. Cockroach.

It would be fair to say the players are unconvinced about the signing.

"We all know about Ray. I'm ready to leave that behind and move forward," Kimmo Timonen said.

"We need to give him a chance before we judge him," Danny Briere said.

And then we're going to hate him wicked. At least that's the prediction here. Emery went to Russia to play for a season while he cooled off after his nuclear meltdown in Ottawa. Walked out on the Moscow club in February because he thought they were screwing him on the exchange rate on his salary. Reportedly got into a shoving match with a trainer who was trying to make him wear a hat. Didn't say what kind of hat.

(Since this comes down to Emery and Biron, parenthetically, here's that fight between the two of them, back when Biron was with Buffalo and Emery made it to the game on time.)

OK, I think that's all, at least until the act really gets going and the Wachovia Center fans are booing and throwing things after Emery gives up a soft goal and stomps around, pointing his stick at the defensemen.

This will not end well. And, for God's sake, don't try to make him wear a hat.

Wow.

Bob Ford knows less about hockey than he does about the Eagles and Sixers.

Who knew?

[ice grillin you]

this is out of behavior for a team that acquired such respected salt of the earth guys like billy tibbetts steve downie and daniel carcillo??

is ford for real?

[rjs246]

Everything he said could end up being 100% accurate. He's probably over-estimating Biron a bit, but not a ton. The skaters collapsed at the end of the year.

[Rome]

Ford calling the signing a disaster before he's even laced up the skates is retarded beyond belief.  And if the Flyers use the money they've saved by not signing Biron to sign Boumeester, then it makes the column even dumber, if that's possible.

[ice grillin you]

ford is an idiot during a high volume sports time....its june and the phillies didnt play yesterday...im suprised he was able to even get anything out

[Seabiscuit36]

Elktard is saying Flyers are talking to LA about the 5th overall and Jack Johnson.  Its contingent on a flyer releasing his NMC, either Briere or Gagne

[Geowhizzer]

Chance of that happening is less than .0000000000000000000001%.

[Rome]

Trading for Jack Johnson the musician has a better shot of happening.

[ice grillin you]

FYI to everyone

yesterday i became an official full time flyer season ticket holder...thats the good news...the bad news is im gonna have like 20-25 games to sell.....so if anyone wants any games or more likely you know people who would want some perhaps you could do me a favor and plant some seeds with friends co workers family members ect... who may want to buy a few games...schedule doesnt come out till the middle of july so i cant begin to sell specific games yet but put a bug in the ear of any flyer fans you may know

they are dirt cheap
TWO tickets per game for 50 bucks
wont find a better deal in town

holla

[SunMo]

you know i'll be in

[BigEd76]

Johnson and #5 to Anaheim for Pronger has also been discussed

The schedule wasn't released yet but the interconference games should be a reverse of this past season, which means the Red Wings, Blackhawks, Ducks and Canucks will be coming to town...

[SD_Eagle5]

Elktard is saying Flyers are talking to LA about the 5th overall and Jack Johnson.  Its contingent on a flyer releasing his NMC, either Briere or Gagne

Eklunds a retard but I love offseason speculation so I'll play along. Please let it be Briere. Pretty sure the Flyers would have to give up their first in the deal too. Even if it's Gagne it's a good deal cause he's one hit away from retiring. Lupul or Carle being moved would also work.

[rjs246]

Heatley is requesting a trade.

[SunMo]

He's not on the Flyers.