Hawks are still unbelievably screwed. They have 14 guys under contract (including Huet) and 3.6M in space. Take Huet off and they have 13 guys and roughly 9.2M in cap space... which seems good, but both Niemi and Hjalmarsson are going to get decent raises, so that'll get 'em to 15 guys and probably 3-2M in cap space. In any event, they're looking at having a lot of really cheap contracts filling out that roster.
Yeah, but unilke us (thanks to the idiot running this team) they have guys that can step into the NHL and potentially be good.
I think Briere had his best even strength year as a Flyer for many other reason than playing with Jeff Carter. 1) The team was completely dreadful at even strength the entire time he has been here...2) he actually played with consistent linemates for the first time and 3) he was healthy. He would have put up much more offense with Giroux as his center and he also showed how much better he is when playing with a truly skilled player in Leino, and while at center.
Carter is better complemented by north/south players like Hartnell and Lupul, hence why that line worked so well together. Not guys that like to move the puck around and play a give and go type game like Briere.
Briere's horrid defensive play as a center was a contributing factor to those even strength problems.
As to this larger point, I just don't buy that Jeff Carter (a pure shooter) cannot and does not benefit from having a good playmaker on his wing. The problems this year had a lot more to being snakebit than anything else.
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Plus, Carter's numbers were down from the prior year so how much did Briere have to do with that?
Not much. He was struggling a bit in the beginning of the year, but before he got injured he was getting dangerously close to being back on 40 goal pace this year.
Carter doesn't really rely on his linemates to get his. The bigger factor for both him and Briere was that Hartnell was a black hole on the LW for a lot of the year. Not a lot of assists coming from that wing getting goals.
Yeah, but unilke us (thanks to the idiot running this team) they have guys that can step into the NHL and potentially be good.
Who knows... they're going to struggle to afford an expensive ELC filling out their roster at this point.
They will be good, but if Niemi isn't the real deal they're going to have a serious problem on their hands as they're going to lack depth in a big way this coming year.
Yeah, but unilke us (thanks to the idiot running this team) they have guys that can step into the NHL and potentially be good.
The 'Hawks are gonna get ass r@ped by the cap for years to come. Honestly, it's not a good situation in Chicago. Yeah, they won their first Stanley Cup in a long time and they better savour that moment because it's going to be a long, long, long time before they win their next one. The Huet, Campbell and Hossa contracts have come back to bite them hard.
The 'Hawks are gonna get ass r@ped by the cap for years to come. Honestly, it's not a good situation in Chicago. Yeah, they won their first Stanley Cup in a long time and they better savour that moment because it's going to be a long, long, long time before they win their next one. The Huet, Campbell and Hossa contracts have come back to bite them hard.
Yeah, they should have been moving hell and high water to get someone to take Campbell off their hands this offseason. Would have let 'em keep some depth next year and also opened up everything going forward.
Yeah, they should have been moving hell and high water to get someone to take Campbell off their hands this offseason. Would have let 'em keep some depth next year and also opened up everything going forward.
Well, I'm sure there's a few teams that are going to need to get to the floor by the time the season starts, so I can see someone picking up Campbell then. However, I think every team knew of Chicago's cap issues and there was no way anyone was going to help out the Hawks and that teams were going to sit and wait and watch the Hawks implode first and then come picking at the carcass for any left overs. I'm sure we haven't seen the end of the roster dismantling in Chicago. It certainly won't be the same team next season......
Yeah, they should have been moving hell and high water to get someone to take Campbell off their hands this offseason. Would have let 'em keep some depth next year and also opened up everything going forward.
There's been some chatter about the Islanders offering a huge contract to Kovalchuk. They're something like ten million away from the floor with nearly a full roster, so they could absorb it. If that doesn't happen for them, I could realistically see them taking on Campbell, given their pretty serious lack of quality defense and need to get to the floor.
We are going to deal long time Flyer a game breaker like Gagne and we will keep Shelly.
We are going to pay Leighton 1.5M. This ****ing sucks.
I bet Lombardi will do a number on Homer. Lombardi won't overpay. We won't get Schenn or Teubert. We probably going to get Simmonds (he ain't bad) and goalie prospect.
ya, Let's Trade Gagne to make room for useless Turco
**** Holmgrem, if you do that I will personally slap you in the face
I'm calling shenanigans. Holmgren is not a small man. I think he'd probably beat the **** out of you, even if he isn't a spring chicken anymore. Just vandalize his car or something, we all have tow ork within our limitations.
ya, Let's Trade Gagne to make room for useless Turco
**** Holmgrem, if you do that I will personally slap you in the face
Everyone on this board is complaining that the Flyers re-signed Leighton instead of going after a goalie. Now they are going after a goalie and everyone is freaking out. Ellis and Mason are both pretty average goalies, just like Leighton. Turco is above average, not great, but a clear upgrade from Leighton. Nabby is the only goalie on the market who is really anything special, but he wants too much money and is questionable come big game time (looked to me like he just gave up in both the Olympics and the playoffs). What would the ideal solution have been, oh wise GM(s)? This team is better than it was last year as it stands right now and depending on what happens after the inevitable Gagne trade, could be a lot better. The bottom line is, until the puck drops in October, you can't make any real judgments except for what the team looks like on paper. Maybe a solid winger comes back in return for Gagne to play on the third line. Maybe Leino steps up and has a breakout year, thus replacing Gagne. Maybe a rookie makes the team and breaks out. JVR is certainly due to have a breakout year. Gagne is a great player and will be missed when he is gone, but just because Gagne is being traded and we are signing a goalie that isn't a Vezina Trophy winner, does not by any means make this season over before it starts. Let's wait until AT LEAST October to make any real judgments on the team.
Everyone on this board is complaining that the Flyers re-signed Leighton instead of going after a goalie. Now they are going after a goalie and everyone is freaking out. Ellis and Mason are both pretty average goalies, just like Leighton. Turco is above average, not great, but a clear upgrade from Leighton. Nabby is the only goalie on the market who is really anything special, but he wants too much money and is questionable come big game time (looked to me like he just gave up in both the Olympics and the playoffs). What would the ideal solution have been, oh wise GM(s)? This team is better than it was last year as it stands right now and depending on what happens after the inevitable Gagne trade, could be a lot better. The bottom line is, until the puck drops in October, you can't make any real judgments except for what the team looks like on paper. Maybe a solid winger comes back in return for Gagne to play on the third line. Maybe Leino steps up and has a breakout year, thus replacing Gagne. Maybe a rookie makes the team and breaks out. JVR is certainly due to have a breakout year. Gagne is a great player and will be missed when he is gone, but just because Gagne is being traded and we are signing a goalie that isn't a Vezina Trophy winner, does not by any means make this season over before it starts. Let's wait until AT LEAST October to make any real judgments on the team.
...maybe if you don't sign Leighton (1.55M), Shelley (1.1M), and have this insanely expensive scheme on D you don't have to trade a top 6 winger that has spent his entire career with the franchise.
We are going to deal long time Flyer a game breaker like Gagne and we will keep Shelly.
We are going to pay Leighton 1.5M. This ****ing sucks.
I bet Lombardi will do a number on Homer. Lombardi won't overpay. We won't get Schenn or Teubert. We probably going to get Simmonds (he ain't bad) and goalie prospect.
Call me crazy, but Gagne for Simmonds and the room to sign Turco I'd do. The Shelly thing still baffles me days later.
...maybe if you don't sign Leighton (1.55M), Shelley (1.1M), and have this insanely expensive scheme on D you don't have to trade a top 6 winger that has spent his entire career with the franchise.
Also, couldn't the team have played hardball with Coburn and waited to see what kind of offer sheet he'd get? We aren't exactly swimming in picks. A 1st and a 3rd would be automatic in my opinion.
I agree the situation Holmgren has put us in with his 7/1 shenanigans is not ideal, in fact it sucks. But, we were going to have to try to resign Gagne next year anyway, along with Carter, Giroux and hopefully Leino, among others if I'm not mistaken. Gagne missed quite a bit of time this year, still produced though...I'm thinking if we can get a decent enough return, i.e a young player and a pick or two, and the cap space, then we may be better off. He can always sign with us next year. Gagne has been my favorite Flyer since he was drafted, but I don't think the sky is falling. Of course I'd rather have Gagne and Turco, rather than Meszaros Turco and no Gagne, but this is the situation now, and I think it could be worse. It could be a lot better too.
You have to wonder if Holmgren even looks at the numbers before he does something.
People always give me **** when I say this but there is really no reason to seriously consider most former players for the GM position. Well, maybe a guy like Powe who has an Ive League education and is a player's rep. But not a former goon with a 5th grade education.
