The Flyers had another sour loss the other night. Now I will raise my hand as one of the people seeing improvement under Berube. Their only win was not a great performance in my opinion, and while they have lost 3 in a row, they have all been credible performances with the team notably much better at 5-on-5. Of course there are still lots to work on such as terrible special teams (compounded by taking a ton of minor penalties), 3rd period swoons...
I have faith that those things will improve, but one also has to look at the roster and identify its shortcomings. It is easy for anyone to immediately identify that the team hasn't replaced Chris Pronger, in skills or leadership, but no one mentions Matt Carle anymore.
I probably fall into the group that didn't appreciate Carle enough when he was here, and I was ready to say good riddance at his current price of $5.5m, but I have to admit his absence is really hurting. Seeing Keith Yandle weave around the ice with the puck the other night reminded me of this, as he and Carle have very similar skill sets. Yandle puts the puck in the net more often with a much better shot, but the puck carrying and skating is similar.
The Flyers brought in Streit, with all his offensive talents, but no expects the smaller, older Streit, to play the 23+ minutes Carle used to play. This means the Flyers are still without a take-charge, high-minutes, puck carrying defensemen or can control the game tempo.
Holmgren is not an idiot. He knows the Flyers defense is inadequate, and that's why he's tried to acquire Ryan Suter and Shea Weber recently. Either way, they're not here, and something needs to be done. There is no easy path for Holmgren that I know about, but he needs to get creative in how he can change the chemistry of the Flyers' defensive group.
Opinions on NHL topics of the moment, but mostly on the Flyers.
Showing posts with label holmgren. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holmgren. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Monday, July 8, 2013
Do the Flyers Regret Signing Streit?
The question of the day is, with Lecavalier in the fold, do the Flyers regret their early move to add Streit?
The Flyers have said they did not expect Lecavalier to be bought out, and signing him was a move of opportunity. Surely when the Flyers made the move to acquire Streit they had an offseason plan laid out that did not include freely picking up a prominent center for $4.5m. However, had the Flyers known they could add Lecavalier, I suspect they would not have added Streit.
Clearly, the Flyers are trying to move a defensemen now due to lack of cap space. Coburn could fetch a decent return, but I'm not too keen on the idea of subtracting a top-4 defensemen. Meszaros, coming off a poor injury-riddled season and a UFA to-be, has little to nil trade value. It feels like the Flyers are scrambling a bit, basically because they are.
I believe that, with Lecavalier, the Flyers are more willing to move Schenn or Couturier. Those two had a disappointing season last year as the Flyers second line struggled, but the Flyers had no choice but to rely on those guys on the 2nd and 3rd line and hope for improvement from them. Therefore, the option of trading them was particularly unappealing for the Flyers. Now the second line has received a substantial shot in the arm, so while that doesn't degrade the trade value of Schenn or Cooter, they are not as critical to the upcoming season.
Accounting for Lecavalier before making any moves on defense, the Flyers could've made a move for a younger, better all-around defensemen than Streit. Something like Schenn+Mesz+Read/picks for Yandle? Or even something better for Pietrangelo? In such a case, there would be no more talk of trading Coburn, and a second pair of Yandle/Coburn looks much more formidable than a potential pair of Streit/Grossmann.
Of course the Flyers could still make such a trade, but they are awfully tight to the cap to be paying Streit $5.25m to get 3rd pair minutes.
Jumping out in front of the market for an early move is a go-to play for Holmgren (Hartnell/Timonen, Bryzgalov, even re-signing Leighton), but by not letting events unfold and fully capitalizing on opportunities as they come, the Flyers make a different kind of risk.
The Flyers have said they did not expect Lecavalier to be bought out, and signing him was a move of opportunity. Surely when the Flyers made the move to acquire Streit they had an offseason plan laid out that did not include freely picking up a prominent center for $4.5m. However, had the Flyers known they could add Lecavalier, I suspect they would not have added Streit.
Clearly, the Flyers are trying to move a defensemen now due to lack of cap space. Coburn could fetch a decent return, but I'm not too keen on the idea of subtracting a top-4 defensemen. Meszaros, coming off a poor injury-riddled season and a UFA to-be, has little to nil trade value. It feels like the Flyers are scrambling a bit, basically because they are.
I believe that, with Lecavalier, the Flyers are more willing to move Schenn or Couturier. Those two had a disappointing season last year as the Flyers second line struggled, but the Flyers had no choice but to rely on those guys on the 2nd and 3rd line and hope for improvement from them. Therefore, the option of trading them was particularly unappealing for the Flyers. Now the second line has received a substantial shot in the arm, so while that doesn't degrade the trade value of Schenn or Cooter, they are not as critical to the upcoming season.
Accounting for Lecavalier before making any moves on defense, the Flyers could've made a move for a younger, better all-around defensemen than Streit. Something like Schenn+Mesz+Read/picks for Yandle? Or even something better for Pietrangelo? In such a case, there would be no more talk of trading Coburn, and a second pair of Yandle/Coburn looks much more formidable than a potential pair of Streit/Grossmann.
Of course the Flyers could still make such a trade, but they are awfully tight to the cap to be paying Streit $5.25m to get 3rd pair minutes.
Jumping out in front of the market for an early move is a go-to play for Holmgren (Hartnell/Timonen, Bryzgalov, even re-signing Leighton), but by not letting events unfold and fully capitalizing on opportunities as they come, the Flyers make a different kind of risk.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
What's Hot, What's Not
Today I'm going to pretend I'm a 90s supermarket tabloid, and quickly cover many subjects in a peurile hot list.
What's Hot: Jake Voracek. Everyone has taken note of his recent points explosion and NHL player of the week award, though he's been the Flyers best player for a few weeks now. His season reminds me of Hartnell last year; started out pretty rough (0 goals and 2 assists in his first 7 games) and fans called him out before having a torrid stretch for a few games. Hartnell played that out into a full season of excellence scoring at the rate of a goal every other game the rest of the season. Similarly, Voracek showed up for the season overweight, and started out with only 3 points in 8 games, but has 18 points in 13 games since. Voracek has always been a hardworker on the ice during games, but I think there was some perception in Columbus that his off-ice habits weren't the best. Either way, hopefully this is a true career turning point and Voracek becomes a point a game player, which I wasn't sure would ever happen.
What's Not: Ilya Bryzgalov. He started out great, but has been slowly but steadily slipping. He's played an absurd amount of games, and his game is showing cracks. He's fighting in there, but he's increasingly sloppy in angles and is leaking stoppable goals. Too bad the Flyers back-ups don't offer much relief.
What's Hot: The Flyers first PP unit. This unit is moving the puck with confidence and scoring goals. When the Flyers win, it's usually because this unit has come up with key goals.
What's Not: The Flyers second PP unit. These guys are still pretty hopeless.
What's Hot: Brayden Schenn. I won't say he's been tearing it up with irresistible play, but his 15 points in 14 February games almost matches his 18 for the entirety of last season. That's progress.
What's Not: Trading for veterans or rentals. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Flyers this year are not a great team, and they are not a player away from being a cup contender. This doesn't rule out all trades, but trading youth and picks for veteran rentals is not wise. Holmgren, apparently, can't help himself from trading away draft picks, and he re-acquired Simon Gagne yesterday for a 4th round pick (a 3rd rounder if Flyers make the playoffs, which I'm sure Holmgren is planning to do). Mind you, Gagne is a pretty old and fragile 33, only playing 34 games for the Kings last year and has been a healthy scratch their last 4 games. He's still got speed and smarts, but he doesn't go to scoring areas anymore. I suspect the Flyers will put him on the 2nd PP unit mentioned above and let him try to snipe a few though.
The trade winds are blowing around the Flyers for sure. I just hope Homer doesn't lose his head and trade for a rental. If it's a restructuring trade for a young defensemen, I would give up some quality as it suits both long and short term needs. If it's trading for an aging UFA to-be to squeeze a little more out of this year's squad, that is misguided. Briere rumors have started, and that could make sense as he's not been a big regular season performer for the Flyers, but he has been absolutely money in the playoffs, and he's only owed $5 million in real dollars over the next two seasons. That should interest other teams. Trading Couturier on the hand (who I'm sure other teams will ask for) will give me shit-fits, although I'll allow an exception if it's for a young defensemen who projects as a top pair guy.
Until then, look for the Flyers to scrape out wins on the backs of Voracek, their PP and Bryzgalov. If any one of those factors takes the night off, it's probably not going to be a good night for the Flyers.
What's Hot: Jake Voracek. Everyone has taken note of his recent points explosion and NHL player of the week award, though he's been the Flyers best player for a few weeks now. His season reminds me of Hartnell last year; started out pretty rough (0 goals and 2 assists in his first 7 games) and fans called him out before having a torrid stretch for a few games. Hartnell played that out into a full season of excellence scoring at the rate of a goal every other game the rest of the season. Similarly, Voracek showed up for the season overweight, and started out with only 3 points in 8 games, but has 18 points in 13 games since. Voracek has always been a hardworker on the ice during games, but I think there was some perception in Columbus that his off-ice habits weren't the best. Either way, hopefully this is a true career turning point and Voracek becomes a point a game player, which I wasn't sure would ever happen.
What's Not: Ilya Bryzgalov. He started out great, but has been slowly but steadily slipping. He's played an absurd amount of games, and his game is showing cracks. He's fighting in there, but he's increasingly sloppy in angles and is leaking stoppable goals. Too bad the Flyers back-ups don't offer much relief.
What's Hot: The Flyers first PP unit. This unit is moving the puck with confidence and scoring goals. When the Flyers win, it's usually because this unit has come up with key goals.
What's Not: The Flyers second PP unit. These guys are still pretty hopeless.
What's Hot: Brayden Schenn. I won't say he's been tearing it up with irresistible play, but his 15 points in 14 February games almost matches his 18 for the entirety of last season. That's progress.
What's Not: Trading for veterans or rentals. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Flyers this year are not a great team, and they are not a player away from being a cup contender. This doesn't rule out all trades, but trading youth and picks for veteran rentals is not wise. Holmgren, apparently, can't help himself from trading away draft picks, and he re-acquired Simon Gagne yesterday for a 4th round pick (a 3rd rounder if Flyers make the playoffs, which I'm sure Holmgren is planning to do). Mind you, Gagne is a pretty old and fragile 33, only playing 34 games for the Kings last year and has been a healthy scratch their last 4 games. He's still got speed and smarts, but he doesn't go to scoring areas anymore. I suspect the Flyers will put him on the 2nd PP unit mentioned above and let him try to snipe a few though.
The trade winds are blowing around the Flyers for sure. I just hope Homer doesn't lose his head and trade for a rental. If it's a restructuring trade for a young defensemen, I would give up some quality as it suits both long and short term needs. If it's trading for an aging UFA to-be to squeeze a little more out of this year's squad, that is misguided. Briere rumors have started, and that could make sense as he's not been a big regular season performer for the Flyers, but he has been absolutely money in the playoffs, and he's only owed $5 million in real dollars over the next two seasons. That should interest other teams. Trading Couturier on the hand (who I'm sure other teams will ask for) will give me shit-fits, although I'll allow an exception if it's for a young defensemen who projects as a top pair guy.
Until then, look for the Flyers to scrape out wins on the backs of Voracek, their PP and Bryzgalov. If any one of those factors takes the night off, it's probably not going to be a good night for the Flyers.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Luongo???
The CBA is still an unsigned "tentative" agreement, training camps haven't started, and the Flyers are already at the center of a juicy rumor and potential goalie controversy.
Yesterday, a report gained some traction that the Flyers were interested in Luongo, whose potential move to Toronto has been dragging on for 8 or 9 years (or maybe it just seems that long). Holmgren immediately shot it down, but some TSN guys, foremostly host James Duthie, insists it's true. My first reaction was, what?
First of all, the fact that Holmgren denied any interest doesn't mean much. Taking a cue from Bobby Clarke, his word on trade denials is basically worthless. Still, why would the Flyers be interested??
Luongo is 33 years old and owed ~$47 million over the next 10 years, carrying a cap hit of $5.33 million. Bryzgalov is 32 and is owed $41 million over the next 8 years at a cap hit of $5.66. These are two of the biggest goalie contracts in the league. Let's have them both?
I think Luongo is generally regarded as the better goalie, but I'm not sure how significant a difference it would be. Both goalies are coming off disappointing seasons, and their ability to carry a team to a cup is being questioned.
Their 3 year performance record isn't very different either:
Bryzgalov:
2010 - 42-20-6, 2.29 GAA, .920 sv %, 2nd in Vezina voting
2011 - 36-20-10, 2.48 GAA, .921 sv %, 6th in Vezina voting
2012 - 33-16-7, 2.48 GAA, .909 sv %, not in Vezina voting
Luongo:
2010 - 40-22-4, 2.57 GAA, .913 sv %, 10th in Vezina voting
2011 - 38-15-7, 2.11 GAA, .928 sv %, 3rd in Vezina voting
2012 - 31-14-8, 2.51 GAA, .919 sv %, not in Vezina voting
It's interesting that Luongo and Bryzgalov were the only 2 goalies in the league to be in the Vezina voting in both 2010 and 2011, and then both dropped out in 2012. To Luongo's credit, if you expand that time window a little more you'll see Luongo being the Vezina runner-up in 2007 and finishing third 2004, and receiving votes in other seasons as well.
Either way, let's take this to mean Luongo is a slight upgrade to Bryzgalov right now. Is this worth giving up assets for? Frankly I have no idea what Luongo commands in a trade these days when he clearly has one foot out the door in Vancouver, but I wouldn't give up much for him if I were the Flyers for what amounts to a small marginal benefit (if the Flyers were still rolling out Bob and Leighton, the marginal benefit would be much larger).
Second, assuming the Flyers make an opportunistic deal at a cheap price, how would it work if he got here? Between his contract and his NMC, I don't think Bryzgalov can be traded, and he cannot be bought out until after the season. So you have Bryzgalov and Luongo trading starts competing for the starting job, and then loser of that competition is paid $25 million to go away after the season? Seems kind of insane to me.
It wouldn't surprise me if the Flyers poked around Luongo's availability, but I don't see the endgame here.
Yesterday, a report gained some traction that the Flyers were interested in Luongo, whose potential move to Toronto has been dragging on for 8 or 9 years (or maybe it just seems that long). Holmgren immediately shot it down, but some TSN guys, foremostly host James Duthie, insists it's true. My first reaction was, what?
First of all, the fact that Holmgren denied any interest doesn't mean much. Taking a cue from Bobby Clarke, his word on trade denials is basically worthless. Still, why would the Flyers be interested??
Luongo is 33 years old and owed ~$47 million over the next 10 years, carrying a cap hit of $5.33 million. Bryzgalov is 32 and is owed $41 million over the next 8 years at a cap hit of $5.66. These are two of the biggest goalie contracts in the league. Let's have them both?
I think Luongo is generally regarded as the better goalie, but I'm not sure how significant a difference it would be. Both goalies are coming off disappointing seasons, and their ability to carry a team to a cup is being questioned.
Their 3 year performance record isn't very different either:
Bryzgalov:
2010 - 42-20-6, 2.29 GAA, .920 sv %, 2nd in Vezina voting
2011 - 36-20-10, 2.48 GAA, .921 sv %, 6th in Vezina voting
2012 - 33-16-7, 2.48 GAA, .909 sv %, not in Vezina voting
Luongo:
2010 - 40-22-4, 2.57 GAA, .913 sv %, 10th in Vezina voting
2011 - 38-15-7, 2.11 GAA, .928 sv %, 3rd in Vezina voting
2012 - 31-14-8, 2.51 GAA, .919 sv %, not in Vezina voting
It's interesting that Luongo and Bryzgalov were the only 2 goalies in the league to be in the Vezina voting in both 2010 and 2011, and then both dropped out in 2012. To Luongo's credit, if you expand that time window a little more you'll see Luongo being the Vezina runner-up in 2007 and finishing third 2004, and receiving votes in other seasons as well.
Either way, let's take this to mean Luongo is a slight upgrade to Bryzgalov right now. Is this worth giving up assets for? Frankly I have no idea what Luongo commands in a trade these days when he clearly has one foot out the door in Vancouver, but I wouldn't give up much for him if I were the Flyers for what amounts to a small marginal benefit (if the Flyers were still rolling out Bob and Leighton, the marginal benefit would be much larger).
Second, assuming the Flyers make an opportunistic deal at a cheap price, how would it work if he got here? Between his contract and his NMC, I don't think Bryzgalov can be traded, and he cannot be bought out until after the season. So you have Bryzgalov and Luongo trading starts competing for the starting job, and then loser of that competition is paid $25 million to go away after the season? Seems kind of insane to me.
It wouldn't surprise me if the Flyers poked around Luongo's availability, but I don't see the endgame here.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Trainwrecked
I didn't need to see last night's game to know the Flyers got bulldozed. All of their flaws were on full display; terrible defensive zone coverage, soft goaltending, lack of hitting, not generating shots from the slot... The Bruins have comprehensively demolished the Flyers this series. Of all those factors though the defensive zone coverage and constantly yielding the slot and crease to attackers is the most disappointing to me because you'd think that would be easy to identify and fix.
Ending this series is just a formality at this point.
Other notes:
-Carter played a lot more minutes than expected.
-Goalie pulled for the 6th time in 11 games. Amazing--not that last night was about goalies anyway. I think every Flyers fan wanted so badly to see Boucher succeed, but he's just not that good of a goalie. Does Bob start game 4, just to get the experience?
It's hard to make heads or tails of this Flyers team. Are they the team that barely qualified for the playoffs last and got bulldozed by the Bruins, or are they the team of last year's cup run and phenomenal first half of this season? There's many directions Holmgren could go in the offseason, but I guess I'll wait until their season is at least officially over before laying out options.
Ending this series is just a formality at this point.
Other notes:
-Carter played a lot more minutes than expected.
-Goalie pulled for the 6th time in 11 games. Amazing--not that last night was about goalies anyway. I think every Flyers fan wanted so badly to see Boucher succeed, but he's just not that good of a goalie. Does Bob start game 4, just to get the experience?
It's hard to make heads or tails of this Flyers team. Are they the team that barely qualified for the playoffs last and got bulldozed by the Bruins, or are they the team of last year's cup run and phenomenal first half of this season? There's many directions Holmgren could go in the offseason, but I guess I'll wait until their season is at least officially over before laying out options.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Not Good News on Pronger
There have been some rumors floating around about Pronger not being ready for the start of the playoffs, but I wasn't sure what to make of them and chose to be optimistic.
Given that Pronger is not practicing today, and that the Flyers put Matt Walker on re-entry waivers today, maybe the word that game 5 or game 6 is a "optimistic" return date is accurate.
Let's recap this mess;
-March 10, Pronger misses game with "upper body injury"
-March 12, Pronger gets wrist brace, then cast. Sits in press box with Homer for first time ever (according to Panaccio). Homer says he is day-to-day.
-March 14, Pronger doesn't shoot in practice.
-March 15, surgery, goes well, out 3-4 weeks.
-March 17, Pronger says he feels better, wants to get in a few games before playoffs (which start April 14)
-March 21, Pronger practices, no passing or shooting.
-March 23, Pronger in yellow caution jersey at practice
-March 24, Pronger "taking hard shots", 9 days after surgery.
-March 25, Pronger admits "overdoing with shots this week," has some pain.
-March 31, "setback", doubtful for regular season games.
-April 7, teammates says they expect him to be ready for playoffs.
It's hard to know what happened between March 25 and March 31, but taking slapshots on a broken hand less than 1.5 weeks into a 3-4 week recovery period was incredibly stupid. Is there anything more stressful on a broken hand than slapshots? If he misses playoff time (which is looking likely), the Flyers only have themselves to blame for being stupid.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Crunch Time
The playoff nominally start in approximately 7 days, but the Flyers may as well already be in the playoffs with their slim 1 point lead on the Pens. Time to get stuff in order, period.
First, after Leighton cleared waivers yesterday, Laviolette took the unusual step (for him) to announce Bobrovsky was starting tonight and will start in the playoffs. Not surprising that Bob is the guy, but Holmgren said he wanted Leighton to play Friday or Saturday, which may not happen now. As I said yesterday, it seems odd to me that the Flyers would expose Leighton to waivers now for him to be an undressed 3rd goalie. Or maybe they had to do it now? Goaltending hasn't really been the problem, but I wouldn't rule out doing something drastic to shake things up if the Flyers continue to slowly sink.
Second, Holmgren apparently laid down law on the team in a private meeting. Per Tim Panaccio:
tpanotch Tim Panaccio
Hartnell: “Paul Holmgren can be a scary guy,” said Scott Hartnell. “Especially, when he gives you that look.”
tpanotch Tim Panaccio
Peter Laviolette thought Holmgren's message/address to the team was constructive and well-received
tpanotch Tim Panaccio
Flyers say GM HOLMGREN address to them yesterday was a bit scary. Intimidating ...some said
LOL. It's not as simple as yelling and deciding to play harder all of a sudden, but I don't think it could hurt.
Third, there are the injuries. Briere partially practiced yesterday, though his status for tonight is unclear. No signs of Pronger, but you have to think he'll be ready for actual playoff games. Betts is also out.
The time for excuses is over. Time for Richards to get in playoff form. Carter needs to prove he can score in the playoffs. Versteeg needs to find his niche on this team. Can JVR be more of a factor this year?
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Zherdev Clears
I said yesterday I thought Zherdev would probably be claimed, but if he wasn't, it would absolve the Flyers from criticism on their handling of Zherdev. Looks like the latter turned out.
Kind of funny how it all turned out, with some philly sportswriters let it rip on Zherdev.
Tim Panaccio;
Zherdev declines to talk. Gets in Lincoln town car and off he goes. He was smiling. Hollmgren says agent wanted Z waivednever saw a guy so happy to get waived.My favorite Zherdev moment: He tells Holmgren he wont talk to me because "that guy is Russian mob." Homer tells him, "he's Italian."Grinning ear-to-ear for the first time in weeks, Zherdev left the building saying “No” to interviews, hopped in a black Lincoln Town Car, and rode off into the sunset....For more than a month, Holmgren had tried to trade Zherdev, but was unsuccessful.
“His agent and Nik obviously they’re not very happy with the situation and asked us to look around for options; nothing really came of that through trade,” Holmgren said. “We’ll see what happens with this.”...He was a healthy scratch for six consecutive games under coach Peter Laviolette, who makes just one demand of his players: Make a consistent effort....“It was a little bit of an experiment,” Holmgren said. “Seeing what he can do. For a period of time it was good.
“Obviously, he has 15 goals and limited power play time, limited minutes, but over the course of time here, things have eroded and Nik’s work ethic has dropped off. Right now, he’s just not fitting in.”...Holmgren also said Zherdev didn’t “respond the right way” to being a healthy scratch.
There was no way Laviolette was going to play Zherdev again as a Flyer....Incidentally, though Zherdev had a driver’s license, he used a limo service to and from practices and games the entire time he was here because he did not have a car.
Frank Seravalli;
Never really seen anything like it. Zherdev bolted out the side door to avoid media and hopped in a limo and left with a smile on his face.
After clearing, it appears Zherdev will stay with the Flyers. Who knows when he will play again.
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