2007 Flyers Offseason Thread

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

I just don't get why they'd trade him away right after they trade for Timonen.

[Seabiscuit36]

I just don't get why they'd trade him away right after they trade for Timonen.

Supposedly he requested/demanded a trade for how he was treated by the team last year(fridge punching him in the face in practice and no one identifying with Joni) and by the fans (he got booed towards the end of the year) if thats true, he's a bitch, this town took it so easy on him. 

[Rome]

WORST TRADE EVAR!

NORRIS TROPHY FOR JONI!!

YAAHAHAHA!


Die.  All of you just die.

[rjs246]

I can't believe that this trade has generated this much conversation. They got a proven defensive veteran and leader for a young unproven offensive-minded defender. Trades like this happen dozens of times every season. You sacrifice youth and promise for experience, grit and leadership. The end.

[Rome]

That post was reasonable and well thought-out.

Are you feeling alright?

[Geowhizzer]

I can't believe that this trade has generated this much conversation. They got a proven defensive veteran and leader for a young unproven offensive-minded defender. Trades like this happen dozens of times every season. You sacrifice youth and promise for experience, grit and leadership. The end.

That's a good mo for a team that's close to winning the Cup, and trying to put the final pieces together.  The Flyers are nowhere near a cup - how much further away can a team be than the worst record in the league?

To me, the Flyers are trying to return to respectability - outside fringes of the playoff race, rather than an embarrassing flop like last season - solely to keep butts in the seats.  The Flyers are not a Cup team this year, nor next year, without a drastic change in the landscape of the league.

The Flyers aren't sacrificing youth for experience to win the Cup.  They're doing it to sell tickets.  In my opinion, the Flyers actually decreased their chances for the actual Cup in the next five years with this move. 

[Rome]

Their chances of winning the Stanley Cup in the next five years were reduced by trading Joni Pitkanen?

Come on.   

Not even IGY would be audacious enough to make that sort of statement.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

In other news, does anyone doubt that Briere's going to be a massive underachiever and/or have consistent injury problems?  I'd put money on it if there were a good way to do so.

[Geowhizzer]

Their chances of winning the Stanley Cup in the next five years were reduced by trading Joni Pitkanen?

Come on.   

Not even IGY would be audacious enough to make that sort of statement.

It goes with my point - short term gain, long term loss.

Are the Flyers, as-is, going to win the Cup next season?  No.

In the next five years, Timmonen, Smith (if he's still on the team), and Hatcher will be in their mid-30s or older.  Pitkanen will still be in his 20s.

Technically, does the trade improve the Flyers chances of winning a Cup THIS season.  Yes - from about 0.5 % to maybe 3-5%.  They aren't winning the Cup anyway.  Basically, it gets the Flyers back to (maybe) respectability, but does not increase the long-term chances of getting the Cup.

Was Pitkanen a sure thing?  No, especially with the Flyers' history of developing top defensemen.  But he was the Flyers' best defensive prospect in a long time, and was just traded for an aging defenseman and a winger that doesn't really add anything that the team needed (hence the debate about where he's going to play, and who will get bumped).

Smith would be a GREAT pickup for a team that was going for broke to win the Cup.  The Flyers aren't - or at least shouldn't be - that team.  They are a team that should be currently building for the future, but just sent one of their best young prospects in order to achieve respectability/mediocrity.  And to sell more tickets.

[Geowhizzer]

One good thing about the Pitkanen trade:  It makes one less Finnish name for me to confuse.

Kapanen
Kukkonen
Timonen
Pitkanen

No wonder Holmgren wanted so badly to get rid of one.

[Rome]

If Pitkanen had the sort of potential that you people are attributing to him then why would the Flyers trade him away?

If he was that sort of rare prospect who had the special skills to become a top-flight defenseman, there's no way in the world any sane organization would simply kick him to the curb.    It's reasonable to assume that they would do whatever it took to help him realize that potential, right?

It seems pretty obvious to me that the Flyers analyzed Joni and made the determination that he wasn't going to reach that sort of level and that he had, in fact, plateaued in terms of production.  It's too bad he didn't work out but asserting that he's going to be the sort of player that becomes a Norris Trophy-level player is a stretch of epic proportions especially considering what he'd accomplished thus far playing for the Flyers.

[SunMo]

defenceman take a long time to develop...you could've said the same thing about Chris Pronger after the same amount of time Pitkanen has had in Philly

[Wingspan]

If Pitkanen had the sort of potential that you people are attributing to him then why would the Flyers trade him away?

If he was that sort of rare prospect who had the special skills to become a top-flight defenseman, there's no way in the world any sane organization would simply kick him to the curb.    It's reasonable to assume that they would do whatever it took to help him realize that potential, right?

It seems pretty obvious to me that the Flyers analyzed Joni and made the determination that he wasn't going to reach that sort of level and that he had, in fact, plateaued in terms of production.  It's too bad he didn't work out but asserting that he's going to be the sort of player that becomes a Norris Trophy-level player is a stretch of epic proportions especially considering what he'd accomplished thus far playing for the Flyers.

I don't think anyone was comparing Pitkanen to Ratatouille. That wouldnt be fair.

[Rome]

Again, why would they give him the boot if they thought he could develop into that sort of player?

[Wingspan]

Again, why would they give him the boot if they thought he could develop into that sort of player?

Remember, you're talking about the team that traded Petr Forsberg away....twice.

Nothing should be put past them.