Hextall Era
Posted 9:12 PM ET | Comments 6
Hello, after a interesting year that saw a coaching change just 3 games into the regular season, a subsequent recovery to make the playoffs, a disappointing first round exit, and a change of General Managers. I like many flyers fans, have chosen to put that behind me and begin looking forward to a new era... the Hextall era. I think that we can all agree that the Paul Holmgren was for better or worse, never boring. Not afraid of making big moves, Holmgrens tenure as general manager had more than its fair share of highs and lows. In fact it seemed much longer than it was due to the fact he crammed so much in his 7 full seasons in the position.
In that time he took a team that finished last place the previous season to the conference finals and then two years later to the Stanley cup finals. He then followed that by icing a team that has lost in the 2nd round twice as well as missing the playoffs altogether before losing in the 1st round this year. He brought in big names Like Briere and Pronger but also shipped out big names Like Richards and Carter. He basically blew the team up to bring in Brysgalov(although in all fairness I feel there was some pressure from ownership), a move that subsequently led to the trading of Bobroski who went on to be a Vesina nominiee. We all know what happened to Brysgalov.
Its not all his fault, he made some great trades over the course of his tenure. Trades like Zhitnik for Coburn and Forsberg for Upshall,Parent & a 1st, then flipping that 1st for Hartnell and Timmonen. He made a good signing in Briere and a good trade to bring in an elite #1 defenseman in Chris Pronger, not to mention signing guys like Bobroski out of Russia and Read out of college. It was also imposable to predict Prongers career coming to an abrupt end as the result of post concussion symptoms. Without the assets to land another elite defenseman to replace him he decided to bring in an elite Goaltender and go for a more defense by comity philosophy which led to the trading of Richards & Carter for cheaper more unproven options. However in doing so he traded away the culture of the locker room, and even though the players received in the trade have since gone on to success, the team itself has not. Richards and Carter won the cup that year and are close to doing so again this year, so its hard to call the trade a win for us even if statistically we have fared better. In Brysgalovs first year he was mostly disappointing, as was the rest of the team. So Holmgren did what he does best, he swung for the fences and signed Shea Weber to a massive offer sheet the Flyers hoped the Predetors would be unable to match. Thus giving us the elite defenseman we were missing. Alas they did match it, crushing flyers fans dreams all over the world. Holmgren had put all his eggs in one basket and by doing so watched Matt Carle and Jaromir Jagr depart via free agency. The flyers, now without enough assets to make a move without hurting the team in other areas stood pat, and went on to miss the playoffs for only the second time in 17 years.
Brysgalov was bought out along with popular forward Danny Briere and the flyers used the savings to bring in desperately needed assets such as a puckmoving D-man(Mark Steit) and a big second line center to take some of the offensive responsibility off Giroux(Lecavalier). I actually liked our team to start the year but over the course of the season it became clear the flyers defense was not up to the standards of other elite clubs. And While Berube managed to make up for the lack of foot speed on the backend by making sure that the whole team was positionally sound and in constant support of the puck, he really only was able to make a mediocre defense good. When the playoffs hit, It was clear we could not keep up with the speed of the Ranger and rightfully so, they beat us. Now with Holmgren occupying the Presidents chair and Hextall on the cusp of his first off-season where do we go from here. Here's a look at the team Hextall has to work with.
Note: Even though Capgeek.com still has the cap ceiling set to $71,100,000, new projections have it coming in at between $69-$70 million. So for my projections I have set it at $69,500,000
CAPGEEK.COM ARMCHAIR GM ROSTER
CapGeek Armchair GM Roster
FORWARDS
Scott Hartnell ($4.750m) / Claude Giroux ($8.275m) / Jakub Voracek ($4.250m)
Brayden Schenn (RFA) / Vincent Lecavalier ($4.500m) / Wayne Simmonds ($3.975m)
Steve Downie (UFA) / Sean Couturier ($1.750m) / Matt Read ($3.625m)
Michael Raffl ($1.100m) / Adam Hall (UFA) / Zac Rinaldo ($0.750m)
Jay Rosehill ($0.675m) /
DEFENSEMEN
Braydon Coburn ($4.500m) / Kimmo Timonen (UFA)
Nicklas Grossmann ($3.500m) / Mark Streit ($5.250m)
Luke Schenn ($3.600m) / Andrew MacDonald ($5.000m)
Hal Gill (UFA) / Erik Gustafsson (RFA)
Chris Pronger ($4.941m)
GOALTENDERS
Steve Mason ($4.100m)
Ray Emery (UFA)
BUYOUTS
Daniel Briere ($0.000m)
Ilya Bryzgalov ($0.000m)
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CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(estimations for 2014-15)
SALARY CAP: $69,500,000; CAP PAYROLL: $64,541,429; BONUSES: $0
CAP SPACE (17-man roster): $4,958,571
AHL
FORWARDS
Tye McGinn (RFA) / Kris Newbury (UFA) / Jason Akeson (RFA)
Petr Straka ($0.925m) / Nick Cousins ($0.812m) / Brandon Alderson ($0.768m)
Andrew Johnston ($0.793m) / Marcel Noebels ($0.676m) / Ben Holmstrom (UFA)
Tyler Brown (RFA) / Kyle Flanagan (RFA) / Chris VandeVelde ($0.550m)
Derek Mathers ($0.585m)
DEFENSEMEN
Oliver Lauridsen ($0.600m) / Brandon Manning (RFA)
Marc-Andre Bourdon (RFA) / Mark Alt ($0.782m)
Matthew Konan ($0.718m) / Maxim Lamarche ($0.768m)
Robert Hagg ($0.925m) / Bruno Gervais (UFA)
Cullen Eddy (RFA) / Tyler Hostetter (RFA)
GOALTENDERS
Cal Heeter (RFA)
Yann Danis (UFA)
CHL
Scott Laughton ($0.863m)
Taylor Leier ($0.780m)
Samuel Morin ($0.894m)
UCHL
Shayne Gostisbehere ($0.925m)
Obviously its hard to predict who will be resigned, but guys like Schenn and Akenson are sure things while guys like Gervas and Newbury will not be back, Veterens Timmonen and Emery might be re-signed, while prospects like Eddy and Hostetter will also not back. Erik Gustafsson signed in the KHL for next season.
That said Hear is a look at what might be done with UFAs and RFAs
Walk
Kimmo Timmonen ($6.000m)
Steve Downie ($2.650m)
Bruno Gervais ($0.825m)
Hal Gill ($0.700m)
Adam Hall ($0.600m)
Kris Newbury ($0.600m)
Chris VandeVelde ($0.550m)
Yann Danis ($0.600m)
Erik Gustafsson (RFA$1,000m)
Tyler Brown (RFA$0.900m)
Cullen Eddy (RFA$0.568m)
Tyler Hostetter (RFA$0.546m)
Resigns
Schenn 2 yrs 2.750m
Emery 1 yr $0.900
Akenson 2 yrs 0.750m
McGinn 1 Yr $0.700m
Holmstrom 1 yr $0.600
Flanigin 1 Yr $0.550m
Bourdon 1 yr $0.600m
Manning 1 yr $0.600m
Heeter 2 yrs $0.600m
New entry-level contracts
C Kevin Goumas
LW Matt Hatch
RW Micheal Parks
LW Tyler Goulbourne
D Freddrik Larrson
D Nick Luukko
D Reese Willcox
You could end up with this for opening day roster
FORWARDS
Scott Hartnell ($4.750m) / Claude Giroux ($8.275m) / Jakub Voracek ($4.250m)
Brayden Schenn ($2.750m) / Sean Couturier ($1.750m) / Wayne Simmonds ($3.975m)
Michael Raffl ($1.100m) / Vincent Lecavalier ($4.500m) / Matt Read ($3.625m)
Tye McGinn ($0.700) / Zac Rinaldo ($0.750m) / Jason Akeson ($0.750m)
DEFENSEMEN
Braydon Coburn ($4.500m) / Chris Pronger ($4.941m)
Nicklas Grossmann ($3.500m) / Mark Streit ($5.250m)
Luke Schenn ($3.600m) / Andrew MacDonald ($5.000m)
GOALTENDERS
Steve Mason ($4.100m)
Ray Emery ($0.900m)
BUYOUTS
Daniel Briere ($0.000m)
Ilya Bryzgalov ($0.000m)
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CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(estimations for 2014-15)
SALARY CAP: $69,500,000; CAP PAYROLL: $68,966,429; BONUSES: $0
CAP SPACE (20-man roster): $533,571
LTIR Pronger and call up some kids and you get...
FORWARDS
Scott Hartnell ($4.750m) / Claude Giroux ($8.275m) / Jakub Voracek ($4.250m)
Brayden Schenn ($2.750m) / Sean Couturier ($1.750m) / Wayne Simmonds ($3.975m)
Michael Raffl ($1.100m) / Scott Laughton ($0.863m) / Matt Read ($3.625m)
Tye McGinn ($0.700m) / Vincent Lecavalier ($4.500m) / Zac Rinaldo ($0.750m)
Jason Akeson ($0.750m) /
DEFENSEMEN
Braydon Coburn ($4.500m) / Shayne Gostisbehere ($0.925m)
Nicklas Grossmann ($3.500m) / Mark Streit ($5.250m)
Luke Schenn ($3.600m) / Andrew MacDonald ($5.000m)
Mark Alt ($0.782m) / Oliver Lauridsen ($0.600m)
GOALTENDERS
Steve Mason ($4.100m)
Ray Emery ($0.900m)
BUYOUTS
Daniel Briere ($0.000m)
Ilya Bryzgalov ($0.000m)
LTIR
Chris Pronger ($4.941m)
------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(estimations for 2014-15)
SALARY CAP: $69,500,000; CAP PAYROLL: $67,195,000; BONUSES: $826,667
CAP SPACE (23-man roster): $2,305,000
Trade Lecavalier and you get...
FORWARDS
Scott Hartnell ($4.750m) / Claude Giroux ($8.275m) / Jakub Voracek ($4.250m)
Brayden Schenn ($2.750m) / Sean Couturier ($1.750m) / Wayne Simmonds ($3.975m)
Michael Raffl ($1.100m) / Scott Laughton ($0.863m) / Matt Read ($3.625m)
Tye McGinn ($0.700m) / Ben Holmstrom ($0.600m) / Zac Rinaldo ($0.750m)
Jason Akeson ($0.750m) /
DEFENSEMEN
Braydon Coburn ($4.500m) / Shayne Gostisbehere ($0.925m)
Nicklas Grossmann ($3.500m) / Mark Streit ($5.250m)
Luke Schenn ($3.600m) / Andrew MacDonald ($5.000m)
Mark Alt ($0.782m) / Oliver Lauridsen ($0.600m)
GOALTENDERS
Steve Mason ($4.100m)
Ray Emery ($0.900m)
BUYOUTS
Daniel Briere ($0.000m)
Ilya Bryzgalov ($0.000m)
LTIR
Chris Pronger ($4.941m)
------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(estimations for 2014-15)
SALARY CAP: $69,500,000; CAP PAYROLL: $63,295,000; BONUSES: $826,667
CAP SPACE (23-man roster): $6,205,000
Not a bad looking squad really, something to build off of for sure. Now we get into where to go from here.
Possible Draft targets
LW Dylan Larkin - a gritty two-way forward with a nose for the net, he is the type of player who gives his all every shift, very much in the mold of a Ryan Callahan.
C/RW Alex Tuch - An average skater, Tuch calling card is his ability to make space by utilizing his big frame to sheild the puck. Big power forward, perhaps a replacement for Hartnell down the line.
LW Sonny Milano - A speedy winger with good hands he may project to have the most offensive upside of the 3 but his overall game needs work. Still with a little effort he could turn into something like along the lines of a Devin Setoguchi.
D Travis Sanheim - No one has climbed the charts faster than Travis Sanheim over the season. He went for 167th to 53rd and would now not shock anyone if he went in the 1st round. He projects to be a set him and forget him type of defenseman not excelling in any one area but never a liability.Along the lines of Kim Johnsson.
LW/RW Kasperi Kapanen - Most likely will not be available but this crafty winger has some of the best hands in the draft and would no doubt become a fan favorite because of his fathers time in Philly. Potential 1st line winger for Giroux.
Other notables include - D Anthony DelAngelo, D Roland McKeown, G Thatcher Demko
Potential free agency targets
Ryan Callahan - only if he can be had at a reasonable price but Ryan Callahan is a player that would fit well into Berubes system. Fast, defensively responsible, and a hard nose for the net. Ryan Callahan is a warrior and a leader. Injuries are a concern but if he would sign a shorter term deal like 4 to 5 years max at under $6m He would be well worth a look.
Anton Stralman - Not flashy but again would fit well into Berubes System, A good skater and a decent puck mover he doesn't wow you but he is a smart player who is pretty good(not great) at everything and would be a player to look at. Say 3 to 4 years around 3m.
Brian Boyle - a lot of ex-rangers on this list but Boyle is the Ideal 4th line center. Big, hard to play against and defensively sound he would make our 4th line a real threat. 2 to 3 years at 1.5-2m.
Justin Peters - Put up good numbers on a bad Carolina team in replacement of Ward, as long as he is not looking for more than 20 games, he would be a nice backup.
Alex Stalock - Put up great number with a great team in front of him, as with Peters as long as he doesn't want more than 20 games he could end up a solid pick up.
Other notables include - LW Mayson Raymond, D Nikita Nikitin, D Mark Fayne
Possible Trade Targets
Evander Kane - A young gritty top line scoring winger, Kane would look fantastic next to Giroux and Voracek and with all the rumored unhappiness in Winnipeg, he might be available, would a package including Brayden Schenn be enough to land him, who knows but it is worth inquiring.
Dustin Byfuglien - Not the fastest but a big hitter with a big shot and a nose for the net, Flyers fans know how tough he can be to play against(2009-10). Would Luke Schenn and parts be enough? How about B.Schenn, L.Schenn and a 1st or 2 for Kane and Byfuglien?
Bobby Ryan - Bobby Ryan grew up adoring the Flyers and his father is good friends with Paul Holmgren and Bobby Clarke. Next summer is the first time he will be a UFA in his career and it would not be a stretch to say both sides might be interested in making Ryans boyhood dream of wearing the orange and black a reality. He may also be a solution to our 1st line LW issue as he played primarily LW in Anaheim. Why not speedup the process with a package of say Akenson(Ottawa native),Hagg and a 1st.
Jordon Ebberle - It was rumored that the Flyers were interested in Ebberle at last draft and again he might be the right fit for the top line. I had heard a rumor of a Simmonds and Coburn for Ebberle package but the fact is they are simply to valuable to us, not to mention Simmonds had more points than Ebberle last year. Still if a package could be put together out of one or more of the Schenns it might be the right move, as an Ebberle and Giroux combo might make the highlight reel once or twice.
Kevin Shattenkirk - While Phillys D is a major concern, St Louis defense is arguable the most solid in the NHL. Would they be willing to trade Shattenkirk to bring in some offense, Brayden Schenn might fit the bill.
Now Going back to Lecavalier some possible trade partners could include Nashville, Florida, and Montreal. We may have to hold back salary($1-1.5m) but I feel this is a deal that gets done. The other possibility is trading one bad contract for another and hoping for better results, like say Torontos David Clarkson or bringing back Danny Briere in a package with Montreal.
Anyway I am looking forward to seeing what Hextall does this off-season. Maybe he shocks us all and pulls of a mega deal to bring Weber in for say Voracek,Schenn,Morin and a 1st. Or the 1st overall from Flordia for the Schenn brothers and our 1st and then uses it to select Aaron Ekblad! But I have a feeling slow and steady will be the philosophy for this era...and I think that Flyers fans will enjoy that for a change. Thanks for reading.
In that time he took a team that finished last place the previous season to the conference finals and then two years later to the Stanley cup finals. He then followed that by icing a team that has lost in the 2nd round twice as well as missing the playoffs altogether before losing in the 1st round this year. He brought in big names Like Briere and Pronger but also shipped out big names Like Richards and Carter. He basically blew the team up to bring in Brysgalov(although in all fairness I feel there was some pressure from ownership), a move that subsequently led to the trading of Bobroski who went on to be a Vesina nominiee. We all know what happened to Brysgalov.
Its not all his fault, he made some great trades over the course of his tenure. Trades like Zhitnik for Coburn and Forsberg for Upshall,Parent & a 1st, then flipping that 1st for Hartnell and Timmonen. He made a good signing in Briere and a good trade to bring in an elite #1 defenseman in Chris Pronger, not to mention signing guys like Bobroski out of Russia and Read out of college. It was also imposable to predict Prongers career coming to an abrupt end as the result of post concussion symptoms. Without the assets to land another elite defenseman to replace him he decided to bring in an elite Goaltender and go for a more defense by comity philosophy which led to the trading of Richards & Carter for cheaper more unproven options. However in doing so he traded away the culture of the locker room, and even though the players received in the trade have since gone on to success, the team itself has not. Richards and Carter won the cup that year and are close to doing so again this year, so its hard to call the trade a win for us even if statistically we have fared better. In Brysgalovs first year he was mostly disappointing, as was the rest of the team. So Holmgren did what he does best, he swung for the fences and signed Shea Weber to a massive offer sheet the Flyers hoped the Predetors would be unable to match. Thus giving us the elite defenseman we were missing. Alas they did match it, crushing flyers fans dreams all over the world. Holmgren had put all his eggs in one basket and by doing so watched Matt Carle and Jaromir Jagr depart via free agency. The flyers, now without enough assets to make a move without hurting the team in other areas stood pat, and went on to miss the playoffs for only the second time in 17 years.
Brysgalov was bought out along with popular forward Danny Briere and the flyers used the savings to bring in desperately needed assets such as a puckmoving D-man(Mark Steit) and a big second line center to take some of the offensive responsibility off Giroux(Lecavalier). I actually liked our team to start the year but over the course of the season it became clear the flyers defense was not up to the standards of other elite clubs. And While Berube managed to make up for the lack of foot speed on the backend by making sure that the whole team was positionally sound and in constant support of the puck, he really only was able to make a mediocre defense good. When the playoffs hit, It was clear we could not keep up with the speed of the Ranger and rightfully so, they beat us. Now with Holmgren occupying the Presidents chair and Hextall on the cusp of his first off-season where do we go from here. Here's a look at the team Hextall has to work with.
Note: Even though Capgeek.com still has the cap ceiling set to $71,100,000, new projections have it coming in at between $69-$70 million. So for my projections I have set it at $69,500,000
CAPGEEK.COM ARMCHAIR GM ROSTER
CapGeek Armchair GM Roster
FORWARDS
Scott Hartnell ($4.750m) / Claude Giroux ($8.275m) / Jakub Voracek ($4.250m)
Brayden Schenn (RFA) / Vincent Lecavalier ($4.500m) / Wayne Simmonds ($3.975m)
Steve Downie (UFA) / Sean Couturier ($1.750m) / Matt Read ($3.625m)
Michael Raffl ($1.100m) / Adam Hall (UFA) / Zac Rinaldo ($0.750m)
Jay Rosehill ($0.675m) /
DEFENSEMEN
Braydon Coburn ($4.500m) / Kimmo Timonen (UFA)
Nicklas Grossmann ($3.500m) / Mark Streit ($5.250m)
Luke Schenn ($3.600m) / Andrew MacDonald ($5.000m)
Hal Gill (UFA) / Erik Gustafsson (RFA)
Chris Pronger ($4.941m)
GOALTENDERS
Steve Mason ($4.100m)
Ray Emery (UFA)
BUYOUTS
Daniel Briere ($0.000m)
Ilya Bryzgalov ($0.000m)
------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(estimations for 2014-15)
SALARY CAP: $69,500,000; CAP PAYROLL: $64,541,429; BONUSES: $0
CAP SPACE (17-man roster): $4,958,571
AHL
FORWARDS
Tye McGinn (RFA) / Kris Newbury (UFA) / Jason Akeson (RFA)
Petr Straka ($0.925m) / Nick Cousins ($0.812m) / Brandon Alderson ($0.768m)
Andrew Johnston ($0.793m) / Marcel Noebels ($0.676m) / Ben Holmstrom (UFA)
Tyler Brown (RFA) / Kyle Flanagan (RFA) / Chris VandeVelde ($0.550m)
Derek Mathers ($0.585m)
DEFENSEMEN
Oliver Lauridsen ($0.600m) / Brandon Manning (RFA)
Marc-Andre Bourdon (RFA) / Mark Alt ($0.782m)
Matthew Konan ($0.718m) / Maxim Lamarche ($0.768m)
Robert Hagg ($0.925m) / Bruno Gervais (UFA)
Cullen Eddy (RFA) / Tyler Hostetter (RFA)
GOALTENDERS
Cal Heeter (RFA)
Yann Danis (UFA)
CHL
Scott Laughton ($0.863m)
Taylor Leier ($0.780m)
Samuel Morin ($0.894m)
UCHL
Shayne Gostisbehere ($0.925m)
Obviously its hard to predict who will be resigned, but guys like Schenn and Akenson are sure things while guys like Gervas and Newbury will not be back, Veterens Timmonen and Emery might be re-signed, while prospects like Eddy and Hostetter will also not back. Erik Gustafsson signed in the KHL for next season.
That said Hear is a look at what might be done with UFAs and RFAs
Walk
Kimmo Timmonen ($6.000m)
Steve Downie ($2.650m)
Bruno Gervais ($0.825m)
Hal Gill ($0.700m)
Adam Hall ($0.600m)
Kris Newbury ($0.600m)
Chris VandeVelde ($0.550m)
Yann Danis ($0.600m)
Erik Gustafsson (RFA$1,000m)
Tyler Brown (RFA$0.900m)
Cullen Eddy (RFA$0.568m)
Tyler Hostetter (RFA$0.546m)
Resigns
Schenn 2 yrs 2.750m
Emery 1 yr $0.900
Akenson 2 yrs 0.750m
McGinn 1 Yr $0.700m
Holmstrom 1 yr $0.600
Flanigin 1 Yr $0.550m
Bourdon 1 yr $0.600m
Manning 1 yr $0.600m
Heeter 2 yrs $0.600m
New entry-level contracts
C Kevin Goumas
LW Matt Hatch
RW Micheal Parks
LW Tyler Goulbourne
D Freddrik Larrson
D Nick Luukko
D Reese Willcox
You could end up with this for opening day roster
FORWARDS
Scott Hartnell ($4.750m) / Claude Giroux ($8.275m) / Jakub Voracek ($4.250m)
Brayden Schenn ($2.750m) / Sean Couturier ($1.750m) / Wayne Simmonds ($3.975m)
Michael Raffl ($1.100m) / Vincent Lecavalier ($4.500m) / Matt Read ($3.625m)
Tye McGinn ($0.700) / Zac Rinaldo ($0.750m) / Jason Akeson ($0.750m)
DEFENSEMEN
Braydon Coburn ($4.500m) / Chris Pronger ($4.941m)
Nicklas Grossmann ($3.500m) / Mark Streit ($5.250m)
Luke Schenn ($3.600m) / Andrew MacDonald ($5.000m)
GOALTENDERS
Steve Mason ($4.100m)
Ray Emery ($0.900m)
BUYOUTS
Daniel Briere ($0.000m)
Ilya Bryzgalov ($0.000m)
------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(estimations for 2014-15)
SALARY CAP: $69,500,000; CAP PAYROLL: $68,966,429; BONUSES: $0
CAP SPACE (20-man roster): $533,571
LTIR Pronger and call up some kids and you get...
FORWARDS
Scott Hartnell ($4.750m) / Claude Giroux ($8.275m) / Jakub Voracek ($4.250m)
Brayden Schenn ($2.750m) / Sean Couturier ($1.750m) / Wayne Simmonds ($3.975m)
Michael Raffl ($1.100m) / Scott Laughton ($0.863m) / Matt Read ($3.625m)
Tye McGinn ($0.700m) / Vincent Lecavalier ($4.500m) / Zac Rinaldo ($0.750m)
Jason Akeson ($0.750m) /
DEFENSEMEN
Braydon Coburn ($4.500m) / Shayne Gostisbehere ($0.925m)
Nicklas Grossmann ($3.500m) / Mark Streit ($5.250m)
Luke Schenn ($3.600m) / Andrew MacDonald ($5.000m)
Mark Alt ($0.782m) / Oliver Lauridsen ($0.600m)
GOALTENDERS
Steve Mason ($4.100m)
Ray Emery ($0.900m)
BUYOUTS
Daniel Briere ($0.000m)
Ilya Bryzgalov ($0.000m)
LTIR
Chris Pronger ($4.941m)
------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(estimations for 2014-15)
SALARY CAP: $69,500,000; CAP PAYROLL: $67,195,000; BONUSES: $826,667
CAP SPACE (23-man roster): $2,305,000
Trade Lecavalier and you get...
FORWARDS
Scott Hartnell ($4.750m) / Claude Giroux ($8.275m) / Jakub Voracek ($4.250m)
Brayden Schenn ($2.750m) / Sean Couturier ($1.750m) / Wayne Simmonds ($3.975m)
Michael Raffl ($1.100m) / Scott Laughton ($0.863m) / Matt Read ($3.625m)
Tye McGinn ($0.700m) / Ben Holmstrom ($0.600m) / Zac Rinaldo ($0.750m)
Jason Akeson ($0.750m) /
DEFENSEMEN
Braydon Coburn ($4.500m) / Shayne Gostisbehere ($0.925m)
Nicklas Grossmann ($3.500m) / Mark Streit ($5.250m)
Luke Schenn ($3.600m) / Andrew MacDonald ($5.000m)
Mark Alt ($0.782m) / Oliver Lauridsen ($0.600m)
GOALTENDERS
Steve Mason ($4.100m)
Ray Emery ($0.900m)
BUYOUTS
Daniel Briere ($0.000m)
Ilya Bryzgalov ($0.000m)
LTIR
Chris Pronger ($4.941m)
------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(estimations for 2014-15)
SALARY CAP: $69,500,000; CAP PAYROLL: $63,295,000; BONUSES: $826,667
CAP SPACE (23-man roster): $6,205,000
Not a bad looking squad really, something to build off of for sure. Now we get into where to go from here.
Possible Draft targets
LW Dylan Larkin - a gritty two-way forward with a nose for the net, he is the type of player who gives his all every shift, very much in the mold of a Ryan Callahan.
C/RW Alex Tuch - An average skater, Tuch calling card is his ability to make space by utilizing his big frame to sheild the puck. Big power forward, perhaps a replacement for Hartnell down the line.
LW Sonny Milano - A speedy winger with good hands he may project to have the most offensive upside of the 3 but his overall game needs work. Still with a little effort he could turn into something like along the lines of a Devin Setoguchi.
D Travis Sanheim - No one has climbed the charts faster than Travis Sanheim over the season. He went for 167th to 53rd and would now not shock anyone if he went in the 1st round. He projects to be a set him and forget him type of defenseman not excelling in any one area but never a liability.Along the lines of Kim Johnsson.
LW/RW Kasperi Kapanen - Most likely will not be available but this crafty winger has some of the best hands in the draft and would no doubt become a fan favorite because of his fathers time in Philly. Potential 1st line winger for Giroux.
Other notables include - D Anthony DelAngelo, D Roland McKeown, G Thatcher Demko
Potential free agency targets
Ryan Callahan - only if he can be had at a reasonable price but Ryan Callahan is a player that would fit well into Berubes system. Fast, defensively responsible, and a hard nose for the net. Ryan Callahan is a warrior and a leader. Injuries are a concern but if he would sign a shorter term deal like 4 to 5 years max at under $6m He would be well worth a look.
Anton Stralman - Not flashy but again would fit well into Berubes System, A good skater and a decent puck mover he doesn't wow you but he is a smart player who is pretty good(not great) at everything and would be a player to look at. Say 3 to 4 years around 3m.
Brian Boyle - a lot of ex-rangers on this list but Boyle is the Ideal 4th line center. Big, hard to play against and defensively sound he would make our 4th line a real threat. 2 to 3 years at 1.5-2m.
Justin Peters - Put up good numbers on a bad Carolina team in replacement of Ward, as long as he is not looking for more than 20 games, he would be a nice backup.
Alex Stalock - Put up great number with a great team in front of him, as with Peters as long as he doesn't want more than 20 games he could end up a solid pick up.
Other notables include - LW Mayson Raymond, D Nikita Nikitin, D Mark Fayne
Possible Trade Targets
Evander Kane - A young gritty top line scoring winger, Kane would look fantastic next to Giroux and Voracek and with all the rumored unhappiness in Winnipeg, he might be available, would a package including Brayden Schenn be enough to land him, who knows but it is worth inquiring.
Dustin Byfuglien - Not the fastest but a big hitter with a big shot and a nose for the net, Flyers fans know how tough he can be to play against(2009-10). Would Luke Schenn and parts be enough? How about B.Schenn, L.Schenn and a 1st or 2 for Kane and Byfuglien?
Bobby Ryan - Bobby Ryan grew up adoring the Flyers and his father is good friends with Paul Holmgren and Bobby Clarke. Next summer is the first time he will be a UFA in his career and it would not be a stretch to say both sides might be interested in making Ryans boyhood dream of wearing the orange and black a reality. He may also be a solution to our 1st line LW issue as he played primarily LW in Anaheim. Why not speedup the process with a package of say Akenson(Ottawa native),Hagg and a 1st.
Jordon Ebberle - It was rumored that the Flyers were interested in Ebberle at last draft and again he might be the right fit for the top line. I had heard a rumor of a Simmonds and Coburn for Ebberle package but the fact is they are simply to valuable to us, not to mention Simmonds had more points than Ebberle last year. Still if a package could be put together out of one or more of the Schenns it might be the right move, as an Ebberle and Giroux combo might make the highlight reel once or twice.
Kevin Shattenkirk - While Phillys D is a major concern, St Louis defense is arguable the most solid in the NHL. Would they be willing to trade Shattenkirk to bring in some offense, Brayden Schenn might fit the bill.
Now Going back to Lecavalier some possible trade partners could include Nashville, Florida, and Montreal. We may have to hold back salary($1-1.5m) but I feel this is a deal that gets done. The other possibility is trading one bad contract for another and hoping for better results, like say Torontos David Clarkson or bringing back Danny Briere in a package with Montreal.
Anyway I am looking forward to seeing what Hextall does this off-season. Maybe he shocks us all and pulls of a mega deal to bring Weber in for say Voracek,Schenn,Morin and a 1st. Or the 1st overall from Flordia for the Schenn brothers and our 1st and then uses it to select Aaron Ekblad! But I have a feeling slow and steady will be the philosophy for this era...and I think that Flyers fans will enjoy that for a change. Thanks for reading.
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05 Hextall Era
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Dear goodness... None of those trade proposals would have a snowballs chance in hell, IMO
You forgot a trade to get Stamkos, Ovechkin and Crosby. Hextall is too much of an idiot to pull any of those proposed trades off
@MrBeanTown, thanks for your comment. Although most of them are more starting points then actual proposals. For example, for Evander Kane I wrote " would a package including Brayden Schenn be enough to land him" and for Jordon Ebberle I put "if a package could be put together out of one or more of the Schenns". The proposals I did write were also meant to be more just a rough idea of value. Thank you for your input.
@Savage1, I think it might be a bit early to call Hextall an Idiot as he has basically just started, and has also yet to make a move to judge him by. But thank you for your input.
The spelling is horrendous but not a bad blog. Some of those trade options are a bit ridiculous but it would be nice to bring Byfuglien.