While us penguins continue to wilt in the usual Northeastern Summer heat, pining for the days when a cool iceberg awaits our collectively scorched behinds, thoughts about the upcoming (and too far off) season still seep their way into our Sun-addled brains. This is the first in a five-part series which intends to examine the ways the Flyers front office, though publicly professing to want to win the Cup by any means necessary, just ends up conducting business as usual year in and year out. It could have been said any time over the last 25 years: At the end of the painful …
Considering the possibility of a Bobrovsky trade
There’s something humorous about the fact that the Flyers waited until they had arguably their best goaltending prospect in ages before acquiring a bona fide starter. As a result, Sergei Bobrovsky, a once little-known goalie who posted solid numbers for Novokuznetsk Metallurg, a bad KHL team, ceased being the goalie of the future and became perceived as an overpaid, expendable backup in the mere bat of an eyelash. Barely a year after committing three years and nearly $3 million to Bobrovsky, it was reported that the Flyers began shopping him. It’s a long fall for someone who showed such promise and …
Putting some of the roster changes in perspective
In order to make sense of the destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Holmgren, we need to compare these roster changes to a version of the 2010 Flyers and see how those parts changed. Here is a look at that the forwards from team: Gagne – Richards – Carter Hartnell – Briere – Leino JvR – Giroux – Asham Carcillo/Powe – Betts – Laperriere So, what’s different? A lot, on paper. Here’s my attempt at projecting the 2012 offensive lines, barring any other changes: JvR – Giroux – Voracek Hartnell – Briere – Jagr Nodl – Schenn – Simmonds …
Let the dust settle
Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it. The Flyers finally have their bona-fide starter. They have some size and grit. They have wingers. They have cap space, and draft picks, and prospects. As Dick Enberg is fond of saying…Oh my! They got all of the assets that we perceived to be lacking in the franchise and for the low, low price of the captain and one of the alternates. The cost is nothing more than a top-tier, team-leading scorer and a heart-and-soul, leave-it-all-on-the-ice leader. Really, it’s a mere pittance. First-line centers. Cornerstones. Franchise players. That’s it. Anyone …
Holmgren’s D-Day conference call transcript
Q: How did this progress so quickly? “Well, I think probably what got the ball rolling for a lot of talk over the last 10 or 12 days was the acquisition of the negotiating rights for Ilya Bryzgalov. That set the wheels in motion. Most teams probably viewed us as trying to sign Ilya – we did come to an agreement today – and I think that got the ball rolling. I know over the last few days, I spent a lot of time talking particularly with both Los Angeles and Columbus, and that culminated in what happened today.” Q: …