Quote:
Originally Posted by usahockey22flyers
Well if you think about it, theres unproven NHL talent on this team. (Schenn and Couterier), and then theres 2nd/3rd year guys about to take the next step (Giroux, JvR, Voracek, Simmonds).
So what we did today, brought in Jagr for one year at a decent cap hit (3.3), which guarentees around 45-60 points and makes our team that much more stable with proven talent.
Brought in Talbot, one of the best "locker room" guys in the entire NHL. We all know what he does in the playoffs and he's fantastic on the PK.
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Being a Pens fan I don't know what to think of the Flyers offseason moves. The team was built to compete for the Cup every year for the past several years just like the Pens. Now they trade a good bit of the core and other top 6 type forwards in Richards and Carter who are both all star type players and Leino and Versteeg who are top 6 type forwards. So you lose 4 proven top 6 forward with 2 being all star types. The forwards you bring in are not close to that level with Jagr on his last legs but still could put up top 6 forward points this year. Voracek who is also a top 6 forward but more in the class of Versteeg and Leino at this point in his development. I see Jagr and Voracek taking the point total place of Leino and Versteeg type production but not playing at the all around level of Carter and Richards.
Guys like Talbot and Simmonds are grinders to play on 3rd and 4th lines and that is it. Honestly everyone in the burgh really did not think highly of Talbot as a player. Talbot is loved for his playoff performance the year we won the Cup but besides that brief 20 game stretch Talbot has really never produced more than a 4th liner type. He honestly became our 6th option at center behind Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Letestu, and Jeffrey. When Crosby and Malkin went down Letestu and Jeffrey played the 2nd and 3rd line center spots ahead of Talbot. I love the guy because of his off ice personality but I would of been pissed if we payed him anything more than $1 million a year and felt Letestu and Jeffrey are better cheaper options.
The thing I was getting at though about not understanding what your GM is doing is you have these great young players who will be good in a few years just when your most important dmen are declining (Pronger and Timonen will both be 37 this year). So in two years when guys like Shenn, JVR, Voracek, and others start getting close to top form your top 2 dmen which is your strength will be 39 years old. I just don't see how this makes sense for a team that was trying to win now. So just when your team's forwards get back to the level they have been the past 3-4 years when you had 3 #1 lines and either a weakness in goal or D or both depending on the year kept you from winning the Cup. In a few years your elite Dmen will be out of gas just as the forward depth gets near what it used to be. How's this supposed to work for the now or the future?
5 years at $1.8 million per year is brutal for Talbot. I would rather have Letestu, Jeffrey, Asham, or Adams and they all are under $.8 million a year.