2007 Flyers Offseason Thread

[Geowhizzer]

Who cares what he does in Edmonton?  He had ample opportunity in Philly and proved he couldn't cut it.

C'est la vie.  Time to move on.

"Ample opportunity?"  The kid doesn't turn 24 until the beginning of next season, and two years ago he was considered a future NORRIS winner by many experts.

Now he's traded for yet another 30+ year old defensemen and another 2nd/3rd winger, both of which the Flyers seem fond of collecting.

The Flyers' defensive corps now includes:

Kimmo Timonen - 32 years old
Derian Hatcher - 35 years old
Mike Rathje  - 33 years old
Denis Gauthier  - 31 yeas old in Oct.
Jason Smith - 33 years old

Forgive me for saying that this reminds me of the "rebuilding" practices of the Washington taterskins that we enjoy laughing at so much.

This TEAM was in LAST PLACE in the whole freaking NHL last year, and the Flyers sacrifice youth to gain more help.  In the short term, the Flyers will probably be better this year (could they be any worse?).  However, do the moves make it more likely that the Flyers will win a Cup in the next 5-10 years.  Not in my opinion.

[Rome]

For some reason I thought Shanahan had re-signed.  I guess not.

He still wants to come back to the Rangers although now I don't see any way they can re-sign him even with the cap exception they'll get.

PS: Goalies win the Vezina Trophy, Geo, not defensemen.   

[Geowhizzer]

For some reason I thought Shanahan had re-signed.  I guess not.

He still wants to come back to the Rangers although now I don't see any way they can re-sign him even with the cap exception they'll get.

PS: Goalies win the Vezina Trophy, Geo, not defensemen.   

DOH!  Norris - that trophy.

Damn this trying to type with a screaming (in play) 3 year old and a screaming (in hunger) 7-week old.

[ice grillin you]

"Ample opportunity?"  The kid doesn't turn 24 until the beginning of next season, and two years ago he was considered a future NORRIS winner by many experts.

Now he's traded for yet another 30+ year old defensemen and another 2nd/3rd winger, both of which the Flyers seem fond of collecting.

The Flyers' defensive corps now includes:

Kimmo Timonen - 32 years old
Derian Hatcher - 35 years old
Mike Rathje  - 33 years old
Denis Gauthier  - 31 yeas old in Oct.
Jason Smith - 33 years old

Forgive me for saying that this reminds me of the "rebuilding" practices of the Washington taterskins that we enjoy laughing at so much.

This TEAM was in LAST PLACE in the whole freaking NHL last year, and the Flyers sacrifice youth to gain more help.  In the short term, the Flyers will probably be better this year (could they be any worse?).  However, do the moves make it more likely that the Flyers will win a Cup in the next 5-10 years.  Not in my opinion.

on point

this is what i was saying yesterday when i wished they would layed off one of the centers and go for a couple defenseman...it seems like the flyers are trying to make an attendance statement not a make the team better statement...they needed some more defenseman way more than they needed a soft batch center...look at buffalo and why they lost the last few years and they had briere AND drury

[Rome]

The Flyers also have Picard & Coburn plus a host of talented defensemen in the pipeline not the least of whom is Ryan Parent.

Yes, they do have a lot of veteran defensemen but what they gave up in Joni isn't exactly franchise-shattering.  They got a very good defenseman in return plus a guy I really like in Lupul.

I'm happy with the deal.  I wish Joni well, of course because like you I think he's got potential but he never lived up to that potential in Philly and things only appeared to be going further south with him there.

[BigEd76]

They have a nice mix of young and old now.  If you try to have 15 young guys learning at the same time, you get garbage like this past season...

BTW, they've now acquired 3 captains this offseason to go along with their 3 alternates...

[ice grillin you]

ha...those alternate capitans are uber important

easy just when i thought we had you on the phils side youre homertastic for the flyers now

farg

[BigEd76]

TEH SOUL ARE GOING TO WIN TEH ARENA BOWL

In case anyone's interested, here's some clips from the press conference:


Holmgren on Briere


Stevens is excited


Snider likes the job Holmgren has done

igs, listen to Stevens' comments about the captains.  I was just saying that if they didn't want to give it to Gagne or Kapanen, they don't have to...

[SunMo]

they shouldn't give it to Gagne, he doesn't want it, never has

[Rome]

If you think back to where this team stood before they traded Forsberg and compare it to where they stand now, it's absolutely incredible.

They've literally made wholesale changes and in most instances they've upgraded the team tremendously.

And I agree about Gagne.  No need to slap the 'C' on someone who doesn't want it.

[NGM]

If you think back to where this team stood before they traded Forsberg and compare it to where they stand now, it's absolutely incredible.

They've literally made wholesale changes and in most instances they've upgraded the team tremendously.

And I agree about Gagne.  No need to slap the 'C' on someone who doesn't want it.

At the end of the year he was quoted as saying that he is okay with being the Captain now.  He said before he wasn't ready for it, but this year matured him a lot and he thinks he could handle it now.  So I think Gagne is the guy next year. 

[SunMo]

double threat!

[Geowhizzer]

How's his curveball?  Hell, he can't be worse than Geary, Mesa or one of the other Arsonists.

[Eagles_Legendz]

A question for the actual Flyers/hockey fans (in other words, shut up MDS):

The Flyers have collected a bunch of talent this offseason.  They've sacrificed a young, talented and struggling defenseman and several draft picks for established players (some still young, some older).  They've spent a lot of their cap space, current and future, on help that will cost them big money in the future, perhaps long after they're actually benefitting the team.

To me, it almost seems as if Holmgren is loading up for a Cup run in the next year or two, going for broke with a team that had the WORST record in the NHL this year.

Where do you think this team stacks up in the Eastern Confrerence as is?  Are they a playoff team?  A possible division champion?  Where do you think they finish (1-8 or out)?  Do they have a realistic chance of actually challenging for the Cup?  Or are these moves of a team frantically trying to keep waning interest of a fan base that began to stay home in large numbers as the team limped through the schedule?

On the surface, these moves bring the Flyers forward quite a bit from last season.  I'm not convinced they are a bona-fide contender next year, and may have actually mortgaged the future quite a bit for these short term gains.

I think you are drastically overrating what the Flyers have let go.  The core of this team is extraordinarily young.  The defense isn't as young, but Rathje is gone and Gauthier will probably be moved.  This team is also loaded with prospects and is in very good shape for the future.  Also, the cap is consistently going up, to the point where most teams in the NHL won't be able to afford spending the max amount, meaning teams like the Flyers/Rangers/Red Wings/etc will be positioned better in the future again to buy whoever they want.  I think you are seeing Holmgren going after younger players with a lot of promise, while mixing them in with proven vets.  This isn't Clarke going after Adam Oates.

Furthermore, what people are missing about the EDM deal is that they aren't just dumping an uberprospect in Pitkanen and getting no promise in return.  Lupul scored 28 goals when he was TWENTY TWO.  He is only 24 now.  He had a down year in EDM last year obviously, but he should be a 30 goal scorer in Philly. 

I think this team is probably 5th or 6th in the East now, with the chance to compete for a cup within 2-3 years.

[ice grillin you]

Lupul scored 28 goals when he was TWENTY TWO.  He is only 24 now.  He had a down year in EDM last year obviously, but he should be a 30 goal scorer in Philly. 

lupul scored 28 when he was 22 and when he was 24 hes scored 16 and was a minus 29 as a friggin forward...but pitkanen is expendable because he had the same down season lupul had last year...i dont follow...and pitkanen is a defenseman which are much more valuable than forwards plus hes way higher rated as a player in general

the spin zone is in full effect

i guess pitkanen "should" be a top line defenseman in edm