Carlo Colaiacovo (Age 29): He has a similar skillset to Carle, but has been very injury prone, especially in recent years.
Matt Gilroy (Age 28): The former Hobey Baker Trophy winner has puck moving ability and some offense ability but has been inconsistent offensively and suspect both physically and defensively at times.
Michal Rozsival (Age 33): Has shown offensive prowess in the past -- including a pair of double-digit goal, 38+ point seasons with the Rangers -- but is prone to horrific gaffes when he tries to play wide-open hockey. When he plays more conservatively, he can be more effective in his own of the ice, but sacrifices most of his offensive game. Roszival is also on the wrong side of 30, coming off a major injury, and entered the free agency period actually hoping to get a raise on the $5 million he made in his last contract. When healthy, however, he can play 20 minutes per game.
Cam Barker (Age 26): Barker was very highly regarded just a few years ago when he was the third overall pick of the 2004 Draft. He seemed to blossom with a 40-point season with the Blackhawks in 2008-09. Ever since then, he has struggled mightily with both injuries and consistency -- to the point where he is now basically a reclamation project for his next team. He's big but is not physical at all and his speed was never an asset even before a serious ankle injury.
Scott Hannan (Age 33): Reliable, physical-yet-disciplined, durable and defensive-minded, Hannan has spent all but part of one season in the Western Conference. He'd help any NHL team's third pairing, especially if paired with a young puck-mover. But you won't get any offense out of him. Can be beaten wide on the rush, but generally knows how to play within his limitations.
Jaroslav Spacek (Age 38): He has been a reliable two-way defenseman for years. Not physical at all but he gets the job done. Injuries have started to mount, and he has missed 67 games over the last three seasons. He is still very good at making the first pass out of the zone on breakouts and is well-liked in the locker room.
Brett Clark (Age 35): A very accomplished shot-blocker who had some Matt Carle-like offensive seasons in the prime of his career in Colorado. He's coming off a terrible season with the Lightning, however. Average size but good mobility. So-so positional defenseman and suspect in the physical department.
Kurtis Foster (Age 30): Probably has the best pure shot of all the UFAs. That's his greatest asset. He is huge (6-foot-5, 225 pounds) but plays small. In the defensive zone, he's suspect both positionally and physically. To be fair, he may be capable of more if he can ever get healthy, but injuries seem to pop up every season. Bounced between four teams in less than three seasons after leaving Minnesota the first time and ended up back with the Wild last season.
Steve Eminger (Age 28): The Flyers have an open-door policy at the SkateZone during the summer, and ex-Flyer Eminger has been working out in Voorhees. That does not necessarily mean he will be signed by Philly but that possibility is there. At this point, no one expects him to live up to the hype that accompanied him into the NHL -- and convinced the Flyers to trade the 2008 first-round pick the Caps used to select John Carlson. Eminger is strictly a third-pairing defenseman who has never turned his tremendous physical tools into NHL-level performance. Had injury issues with the Rangers last year, but was serviceable on their third pairing when healthy.
Apart from Eminger, there are several other UFA defensemen with previous Flyers' ties whose games should be familiar to Philadelphia fans: 31-year-old Randy Jones, 32-year-old Jim Vandermeer, 35-year-old Mark Eaton, 35-year-old Pavel Kubina, and 40-year-old Sean O'Donnell.
Flyers may target Carlson with offer sheet
John Carlson is still a restricted free agent, looking for a new contract from the Washington Capitals. He has surpassed 30 points in each of the past two seasons from the back end and owns a wealth of offensive upside. Carlson could become the target of an offer sheet if he can't come to terms with the Capitals soon because Philadelphia is growing more desperate for help on defense after learning that Andrej Meszaros could miss most of the 2012-13 campaign with a torn Achilles tendon.
I think a Read/McBain makes a lot of sense. Read is the only forward I would entertain moving right now. Simmonds and Voracek need to stay no matter the deal. Unless we are upgrading on them (and not sacrificing depth), I would be pissed if we traded either of them.
I'd love Subban. I'd love Carlson. I'd love Kulikov. I'd love Yandle. But we simply cant afford what it would take to land any of them.
So unless Read+non roster pieces could land one of those guys, I'd be content making a play for McBain, and just see where it takes us.
EDIT: Well, even before that, I'd like to try for Roszival and keep Read obviously.
I like Carlo, but he has injury issues. Signing him would be a risk. Hannan would work better, although he wouldn't be much help on the PP.
Going after a RFA at this point would be fruitless. Montreal and Washington will instantly match any offersheet to Subban or Carlson.
Trading young talent for a veteren defensmen wouldn't be a terrible idea. It just depends on who they're trading/who they're getting. The only player on the starting roster that I'd be willing to trade is Read. Anyone in the minors is fair game IMO.
Standing pat is the easiest solution. See what Manning, Bourdon, and Gustafsson can do with more icetime.
We should stand pat but we all know homer wont and if homer offer sheets carlson or subban i dont have a problem with it at least hes not afraid to try improve the team.
Coby and Yuckmann were awesome together, and I think it will finally allow Coburn to be more of a "rover" and move up on the play with a pure stay at home guy.
Same for Timonen with Schenn... Schenn will benefit from playing with a great vet like Timonen, and hes a stay at home so Timonen can move up.
As for the third, I wanted Mez + whoever there obviously but... I want to give Manning a shot.. and Gustafsson to me was really good when he played with us. MAB I have a feeling is hurt still and won't start with us.
Honestly, given all the potential shown by cam barker coming into this league, plus that chicago kinda gave up on him, i would have no problem taking a (no pun intended) flyer on him. if he can be a more solid 5 guy than the ones we have, he would give us a different sort of dimension on the back line
I think from that list of UFA you would have to go Barker. I would offer him a low money, 1-2 year deal. At his age, you figure he can't hurt as even a depth guy is Gus and Bourdon step up to fill #5 and #6. Problem is some team ou there will probably offer him more (see: teams who need to get to the cap floor).
After that, I would make a wager that Emminger ends up on the roster this year. Wouldn't be surprised to see him play a bunch of games on the 3rd pairing, but hopefully he would just serve as depth as well.
I think our only real hope is that Gus and Bourdon are NHL-ready this year. I think Bourdon is, and Gus is not far off, but how good they will be is anyone's guess.
When I think about our D corps, the scariest piece to me is Timonen. The franchise doesn't seem to care or recognize that he is aging fast. What if he has an injury plagued year? (which is not out of the question considering his age and mileage at this point)
You know, this would be a good year for a lock out. It would solve the Mezaros problem.
Any extended period of time of not playing will only help our injured players and prevent wear down from a long season, but it could hurt our young guys if they don't get to play on a NHL talent level.
No more depth defensemen e.g. Carlo, rosival, all other UFA's, we have enough. Ride out with our the young guns (MAB/Gus/Manning) and our top 4, maybe mix in a bit of bruno and please, please no lilja. Assess our situation at the deadline and trade for a D-man if need be. That is what i think should happen but we shall see.
No more depth defensemen e.g. Carlo, rosival, all other UFA's, we have enough. Ride out with our the young guns (MAB/Gus/Manning) and our top 4, maybe mix in a bit of bruno and please, please no lilja. Assess our situation at the deadline and trade for a D-man if need be. That is what i think should happen but we shall see.
Do people feel ok with a 3rd pairing of MAB/Gus/Manning? One injury to Kimmo - Grossmann - Schenn - Coburn and they're in the top 4 I'm scared of that so I'd at least sign a guy like Hannan.
