I saw him in the last preseason game in Buffalo (where the Flyers got killed!) and he didn't impress me what so ever. Buffalo started their NHL roster and the Flyers they're AHL and he just simply couldn't keep up. Sure he has great hands but if he can't get to the open ice or to puck races he will never succeed at the NHL level. His skating is actually worse than Superstars. With that being said if he ever got that down pat he would be an NHLer for sure because he has all the other tools. I wish him the best of luck.
No, that was an idiotic attempt to deal with an immediate problem... they weren't able to call up anyone if someone was hurt and it wasn't a LTIR situation. As you might recall, they had to send Giroux down when Timonen got the flu for a couple of games. Of course, the actual cap gains there were squat... so by the end of the year they were playing an ATO in a crucial game.
If the issue was the following year, then (I pray!) Holmgren could have waited and gotten better value over the summer.
If that's the case, then they killed 2 birds with 1 stone by dealing Upshall. Fixed an immediate problem and a problem in the off-season by losing him to Free Agency.
And from Holmgren's track record, your last statement is probably wrong.
If that's the case, then they killed 2 birds with 1 stone by dealing Upshall. Fixed an immediate problem and a problem in the off-season by losing him to Free Agency.
And from Holmgren's track record, your last statement is probably wrong.
I agree, but I also don't think Homer was thinking about the next year at the time.. they had a severe cap problem at the deadline after Briere came back. They had lost Metro and Vaananen, and that hadn't even solved what was going on. And whether they valued Carcillo or not, he certainly isn't worth Upshall AND a 2nd... they would have been able to get a pick(s) for Upshall a few months later... and Upshall would have helped that team more than Carcillo the rest of the way that year.
Trade still pisses me off. Dealing Upshall for cap space made sense (unfortunate that it was a self-inflicted wound), but then get some damn cap space out of the deal. Same damn thing happened with Gagne this summer and Walker... don't get a guy back!
I agree, but I also don't think Homer was thinking about the next year at the time.. they had a severe cap problem at the deadline after Briere came back. They had lost Metro and Vaananen, and that hadn't even solved what was going on. And whether they valued Carcillo or not, he certainly isn't worth Upshall AND a 2nd... they would have been able to get a pick(s) for Upshall a few months later... and Upshall would have helped that team more than Carcillo the rest of the way that year.
Trade still pisses me off. Dealing Upshall for cap space made sense (unfortunate that it was a self-inflicted wound), but then get some damn cap space out of the deal. Same damn thing happened with Gagne this summer and Walker... don't get a guy back!
That's your opinion. I think otherwise. I don't think next year's deal was the sole factor but I believe it factored into the deal in some form. I also think loyalty to the players factored in, like I said, it was a good move for Upshall's career and they wanted to help him rather than just rot away on the 3rd line where he couldn't blossum, so they helped him out.
That's your opinion. I think otherwise. I don't think next year's deal was the sole factor but I believe it factored into the deal in some form. I also think loyalty to the players factored in, like I said, it was a good move for Upshall's career and they wanted to help him rather than just rot away on the 3rd line where he couldn't blossum, so they helped him out.
Only thing McManus kind of has is that something happened in the locker room.
I would guess physical confrontation, given the limited amount of truly controversial things that would happen in the locker room.
Can anyone think of another time this organization has done something like this?
We don't know the specifics here but as far as locker room antics, there was something nasty attributed to Pete Peeters which didn't immediately signal his end with the organization but likely contributed to a change of scenery.
Upshall wasn't dealt because of cap space, it was for projected cap space. He was undoubtedly going to want more money the following year and for a 3rd line player it wasn't worth it when you could get someone like Carcillo to do that role. We essentially traded him as a rental to Phoenix.
On top of that it's probably better for him. Phoenix has a lot of young guys and Upshall is getting 1st/2nd line minutes over there. For his career it was a great move.
For the next season, they gained less than $400K. Upshall was making $1.2? I think? and Carcillo was $893+. Of course Upshall was going to want more money, but you cross that road when you get to it. Phoenix was out of it, so they weren't jumping through hoops trying to find a scorer for the rest of the season.
And I don't buy the "he was going to be a 3rd liner." This is an organization who wants their 3rd line to be as potent offensively as the first two. Around that time, they had Giroux and Powe on the 3rd line, so in actuality they should have needed Upshall's scoring (although he wasn't doing much if it either).
I find it rather difficult to care about the Phantoms these past few seasons. It sucks when the "best" prospects aren't likely to ever pan out into anything that can't be bought for cheap during free agency. It's not like semi-skilled 3rd liners are every in demand in July.
I call lier on those of claiming to not be surprised. Please. The leading scorer on the team is essentially booted off the team with absolutely no buildup and you say you aren't surprised. Give me a break. Not getting a look in preseason mean possible Matsumoto treatment not what is happening here. What is happening here is very rare, not something you could have predicted. This isn't a Freddy Cabana, "bye bye you suck" issue.
Ward just wasn't resigned because he was terrible, just like Kolanos and many others before him. Kaspar wanted a shot at another league if he wasn't good enough to make the NHL.
He doesn't seem to be aware of how the Flyers operate. He's expecting answers of some sort. I think we'll hear it from our own people first before he gets wind of it.
He doesn't seem to be aware of how the Flyers operate. He's expecting answers of some sort. I think we'll hear it from our own people first before he gets wind of it.
maybe not. The beat writers probably wont put out nothign but a little blurb that wont say anything imo.
