Flyers snookered em all!!

[sbfpa_Mike]

I have to say that it seems that the Flyers have benefited the most from the CBA. With the addition of Peter Forsberg and Derrian Hatcher, the Flyers did nothing if no solidifying there  presence on the ice. With Esche in goal and Niitymaki baking him up, I really like the looks of this upcoming season. I guess Vegas does too; on Wednesday the Flyers were 11-1 for the cup. On Thursday after Forsberg, they are 3-1.  GO FLYERS


Mike

[bassjunky]

What the Flyers have done is almost completely changed their team. Clarke might as well have bought out the roster and started from scratch....I think he must have sold his soul to pull off what he has done....what am I saying...like Bobby Clarke ever had a soul....

[sbfpa_Mike]

With Primeau and Desjardins, the supporting cast is there for support. With the addition of Forsberg, the support is huge. I believe the changes are for the best, but we shall have to wait and see.

Mike

[Chucker]

Their defense hasn't changed much... Hulking, big, dumb as a box of rocks, and just as fast 

Lots of Sabres fans are going insane wondering why Teppo is the only guy they've picked up, and why Golisano the billionaire isn't dropping money into the team.  I think there are two solid answers for that - the market will be REALLY interesting next year as the full effect of the cap hits with all of the free agent spending, and that you run a sports team as a business, and don't sink personal money into it.

[bassjunky]

Dosent get much better for us Leafs Fans....I cant beleive that the GM let Roberts, Newy and Leetch all walk, and has yet to sign anyone other then  Domi....what are they waiting for?

[BJ]

Us Bruins fans are also waiting for the team to do something major. Besides signing 37 year old Leetch and second liners Murry and Mceachern they havent made the big splash yet. And they still havent signed Thornton or Samsinov. Every day we watch other teams sign  major players and watch the big name players dwindle!! Wontr be much left if they dont get off their arse and spend!!

[bassjunky]

I hate to disagree with you but I think the Bruins have made some grea additions....

Leetch may be 37, but he adds to any blue line, he is solid on D and still has his scoring touch (Hell after one season in TO i bought a jersey)

Both Mceachern and Murray are very solid second line guys, and Murray could even be a first line guy in my books. Not to mention the addition of Zhamnoz another solid front line guy.

I dont think the Bruins are done yet....as for thorton...he is not due until next year? but I agree its in their best interest to get him signed up.....I think he may fly next year.....hes a bit of a complainer is he not?

[Bobman]

I'd have to agree with Chucker on the Flyers defense.  Looks like Clarke still likes to have a bunch of statues on the blue line.  The big problem the Flyers are going to have is in the next year or two.  They're up against the cap figure and that number could easily go down next year since the cap number is tied to league revenues.  I think the league is going to make less money than they think this year as a lot of people may take a wait and see approach after the year off and all the rules changes.  If that happens the Flyers will be buying out a bunch of over inflated contracts they signed this year with nothing to show for it.

The Leafs are stuck big time right now by the cap figure since they're payroll was so high before the cap.  I think that's why they haven't been active in free agency, they can't!

I think the Bruins can be a dangerous team this year if they can make Thorton and Samsinov happy.  They also need to get some more consistent scoring from somewhere other than those two.  Bringing in Leetch will be a real good addition because the Bruins really needed some quality leadership.  I think that was one big thing they lacked before.

Unfortunately I am a Sabres fan  and I'm PO'd that they lost argueably 2 of the top 5 players on the team and replaced them with one old defenseman.  I think they should have sunk a chunk of change into a top flight defenseman (like Foote, Aquoin, Gonchar or Nedemyer) considering how much they aren't spending on Satan and Zhitnik.  One player wouldn't have put them in cap trouble and they still would have a lower payroll than they had last time they played. 

Just one hockey fan's opinion.

[bassjunky]

I agree with a lot of your points Bobman, but as for your Sabres their problem in signing people is that there is no draw! The Pens were able to sign a couple guys because of Crosby and Mario, the Panthers could sign guys because of Bowmeester, Lunogo and Horton, same thing in Atlanta with Kovelchuk and Heatly. There are a lot of young guns in the league that will some of these older guys will want to play with. Buffalo not only had trouble last year but they have lost so many of their top players that there is no real draw to go there....Other then its a great Hockey town with great fans.

Im Happy with the other Canadian teams pick ups. Edmonton is stackin gup nicely, even more so if kariya goes there. Same thing with Calagary who are improving on a good thing. The Hads, Canucks and Sens have really stood pat, and as we discussed my Leafs seem to take a hit every day.

I still cant wait for OCtober 4th

[sbfpa_Mike]

Just a Flyers Cap heads up;  the gone list. LeClair, Roenick, Burke, Amonte. That should free them up quite well. They also got rid of Zhamnoz and a couple other 2nd and 3rd liners. I have to say that I am comfortable with where the Flyers are at.

BTW, does anyone know if there was anything done with the Goalies. There was talk about keeping them above the Goal line or making them hittable outside the crease. I would love to see one of these things done to free the game up.

Mike

[Bobman]

bassjunky, I don't agree.  I think, in spite of what these guys say in public, that most players will go for the money.  Granted, if they get comparable offers from two teams they will probably go with the team the has a better chance to win, but I don't buy that line about just wanting to win a cup.  If that were true you would see more players agreeing to pay cuts to stay with a contending team.  I don't think that an unproven rookie (no matter how much potential) and Mario (who may not even play) are a big draw for a bankrupt team.  You need more than two players to win no matter how good they are.  Florida and Atlanta had these guys last year and went no where and what is in Edmonton to draw the guys that are going there?  

I think the Sabres have a good young core of players (but no superstars that can carry a team) that need some quality veterans to help them take the next step.  They got Briere, Drury, Dumont, Hecht, Afinagenov (if he can overcome his concussion scare), Vanek (new rookie) and three potential top goalies (if they can settle on which one that is).

I think Muckler is happy with the Ottawa team so I wouldn't expect them to do anything else.  The Canucks have addressed their biggest problem by signing their top scorer and the Habs signed a few players.  I don't know much about what Calgary and Edmonton have done other than signing Iginla, but then we don't play them much and hardly get any info from that side of Canada.  It looks like the Isles are self destructing again under Milbury.  I don't think they are going to be as good as all the money he is spending, not to mention the cap trouble they will have in the future.  It looks like he is mortgaging the future to win now.

[Bobman]

Just a Flyers Cap heads up;  the gone list. LeClair, Roenick, Burke, Amonte. That should free them up quite well. They also got rid of Zhamnoz and a couple other 2nd and 3rd liners. I have to say that I am comfortable with where the Flyers are at.

BTW, does anyone know if there was anything done with the Goalies. There was talk about keeping them above the Goal line or making them hittable outside the crease. I would love to see one of these things done to free the game up.

Mike

The only thing I heard with the goalies is the smaller equipment and I believe that they have limited the area in which the goalie can play the puck.  Basically the can only play it in the immediate vacinity of the crease and not wander to the corners like Broduer does.

With the Flyers dumping all those players, who's going to be left to play with Foresburg?

[bassjunky]

Ok, so here is 2 or 3 qwick points......

1) Yes the Goalies have been restricted to where they can play the puck. Two lines have been added behind the net to mark that area following the crease line

2) I think there are huge numbers of players that would do whatever it takes to win the Stanley Cup. I think and no offence meant by this, that most European players could care less about the cup and are here mainly for the money. (European born players I should say). You see this a lot in older players guys who want that first or last cup befor they bow out...like Bourgue, like Andrychuk to name a few..(A point against me here would be that Kariya just signed with Nashville, that is a complete and utter Money Move...nobody in there right mind would chose to play there....)

3) I think you will be surprised on what Sidney Crosby will do for Pittsburg...look what Lebron James did for the Cavs, a few years ago nobody was going to their games and nobody would ever want to play there...but Lebron changes all of that...so will Sidney (like Gretz in LA)



 

[Bobman]

I'd have to agree with you that more of the Euro players seem more interested in making money any being in the spotlight than playing for winning organizations.  But I still say that most of these players that claim to be in it for the game or for the Cup are full of it.  They want to go to winning organizations for a better chance at the Cup but they don't want to give up money or sign for less than they think they should get for that chance.  There are some guys out there who still play for the love of the game and Andrychuk is a great example.  He came back to Buffalo with the intent of finishing out his career even though the Sabres weren't a contender because he thinks of this area as his home.  He took a small contract and played great with the ice time he got.  Luckily for him, that idiot Darcy Regier showed him no loyalty and traded him back to the Lightning.  Good for Dave!

I agree with you that Crosby will help draw fans but if they still aren't winning it won't last.  Look at Atlanta, Heatley and Kovalchuk are argueably two of the most dynamic young players in the game today but they still can't fill the arena consistantly.

[Chucker]

I agree with you that Crosby will help draw fans but if they still aren't winning it won't last.  Look at Atlanta, Heatley and Kovalchuk are argueably two of the most dynamic young players in the game today but they still can't fill the arena consistantly.

Because it's Atlanta.