2007 Flyers Offseason Thread

[BigEd76]

Flyers lose 3-1.  Briere scored

[PhillyGirl]

Can't be too concerned. They have an entirely new lineup...will take some time to work out kinks and learn how to play with one another.

[SD_Eagle5]

The speed and skill level is night and day from last season, some jelling is needed but you can definitely see the potential. Brodeur is still lights out, if he's not the greatest goalie of all time he's certainly top 3.

[SunMo]

man, i really wanted to go to this game tonight, i wish i could've found tickets somewhere

[SD_Eagle5]

Ticketmaster

[ice grillin you]

or parking lot for 5 bucks


i was tellin sun this at tailgate sunday...imo flyers are gonna stryggle to score this year...unless someone like carter (or others) take a huge leap forward and become a pure goal scorer...outside of gagne they just dont have any real finishers...not including simon i think on the entire roster they have two 30 goal seasons

maybe the score by committe approach will work and they will have like ten 20 goal scorers..well see...but with the defense being suspect they are gonna need to score more than i think they have in them...biron is gonna have to be huge

[rjs246]

Along those same lines, I keep reading opinions on how vastly improved the Flyers will be and how they should be a playoff team, blah blah blah and I WANT to believe it, but it just seems like way too much has to fall in line for it to happen this season.

They have a lot of unrealized potential in their lineup that people seem to be in love with. Guys who have shown flashes of goal-scoring ability or highly touted prospects who 'just need a different environment'... It just all sounds like too much wishful thinking.

They'll certainly be better than last year, but I can't seem to convince myself that they'll be a playoff team.

[PhillyGirl]

What would you guys say if Forsberg did come back like its being talked about? Not as the superstar, but just coming back to "help".

[ice grillin you]

if forsberg is forsberg and they get him it would make a huge difference...because he would single handedly turn a guy or two from 20 to 30 goal scorers...he wouldnt make them cup contenders or anything but hed be good for a bunch more wins and maybe even a playoff series win...

from what ive read is that forsberg is not gonna play until sometime after the new year....im not sure id even want him at that point...its not like hes gonna lead the team to the stanley cup and why take him on for three months in the middle of the season...doesnt make much sense to me...unless the team plays way above my expectations and is a real player in the east to the point that forsberg could put them over the top


relative to what rjs is saying this is what i posted a while back in regards to this years team in response to romey saying they would challenge for the easter conf championship this year...its still how i feel going into the season...

if EVERY young player they have accuired and EVERY young player already on their team develops into a bonafied nhl player then maybe they can challenge for a division...but even if they all turn out they still would be too young to challenge for the eastern conference championship

outside of gagne where are their top notch nhl players that you think can bring them to the stanley cup NEXT year...even a player like briere is on a great team...how do you know what he will do on a team like the flyers with limited talent

i think youre way overrating players they have and/or counting the young players as givens as far as developing

i like the direction they are taking but lets not go overboard here...them making the stanley cup next year is laughable

[rjs246]

What would you guys say if Forsberg did come back like its being talked about? Not as the superstar, but just coming back to "help".

Of course that would make me feel better about the team's ability to win some games and maybe make the playoffs in the short term. But truthfully I already feel good about this team's future, just not convinced about this season. They have youth up front and a deep veteran blue line. Which definitely bodes well for the next 2-3 years, I just don't think there's any way to tell how all of the young guys are going to pan out this year so all of the hype about them being a playoff team seems premature.

[ice grillin you]

they should def be a playoff team...if they arent then things went dreadfully wrong

i think the question this year should be whether than can win a playoff series or not...if they do then it was a very successful season...making the playoffs would be just a good year

[Seabiscuit36]

i completely missed this thread today.  I really think this team is going to do well.  I've watched the 2 preseason losses and come away impressed with everyone except Nitty and Ratcheese. 

The D Men are very impressive, whats even better is the fact that the flyers have Bartulis, Parent, Picard, Ratchuck all in the system.

-Timonnen add the offense the blueline needed.
-Gauthier adds the physical aspect
-Smith is a beast, just mauls people and blocks shots
-Hatch really reinvented himself last season
-Kukkonen is a great defensive d man, and has a chance now to possibly show his offensive prowess
-Coburn is a guy to watch out for, he's looked very good again in the preseason.  He's 6'5 and skates like the wind.  I'm most impressed with his outlet passes to forwards. 
-Randy Jones should be the reserve and is very capable if healthy.  He sucks really bad if he has any injuries. 

-The forwards is what IGY said, i think they have 2-3 30 goal scorers and that might just be the first line.  I really like what Briere brings to the table, gagne will get his 40 easy, and Knuble should be back in the 25-30 range. 
-Upshall is good for around 20-25 imo based off the player he's been since the trade.
Hartnell is a PP beast and will get at least 12 goals on the PP alone and might end up with 30 total(philly is gonna love his game). 
-Richards is Gawd, but he needs to step it up offensively this year, i'm hoping for 20-25 from him. 
-Carter should push that 30 goal mark, but he has to stay healthy and agressive.  He plays too passive too often, but when he turns it on he's a scary player. 
-Sami is Sami, he's a huge energy guy who might net 15 goals if he's healthy
-Lupul is a huge question mark?  He had 35 goals for anaheim 2 years ago but last year really regressed in a system that was similar to the flyers style.  The good thing is he likes it here, has good friends in Hartnell, Carter, Upshall, and Richards and i really think he has so much less pressure than last time that he will produce 25 goals.
-Eager will annoy everyone in the league and may net between 5-10.  He is really underrated in his offensive play, but he's got skill
-Umberger has netted 20 goals in the past 2 seasons and if he doesnt get traded or stuck with 4th line minutes i expect him to reproduce those #'s.

overall scoring is going to be much improved.  My main concern is that our goaltending and D are exceptional as is the case with all stanley cup winners.  Biron looked very good last year with a bad D in front of him. 

[ice grillin you]

you to the flyers = shorebird to mcnabbs scrotum

[Seabiscuit36]

you to the flyers = shorebird to mcnabbs scrotum

dont ever say that whitebread

If it comes together they have a good chance to make a run

[Seabiscuit36]

Steve Downie is GAWD Pt II