2018 off-season thread

[Starat327]

Giroux's rebound is both health and playing LW with Couts, if he was still at center, he would have had a good but not great season, he's not as quick or fast as he was five or six years ago. He was a dominant player from age 23-26, the falloff began in 2014-15, before he was injured, and injuries tend to become more common as players age. This follows the normal decline curve for hockey players.

Playing LW takes a lot of pressure off him defensively, reduces the amount of skating Giroux has to do, and playing with Couts has helped him the same way it's helped practically every Flyer forward the past three years. But the odds are that this will be his best season going forward.

Giroux will be a solid veteran presence going forward, but Couts, Patrick and Provorov will be the key to winning a Cup.

As far as Patrick, since the All Star break he's scored at a 53 point pace, added by promotion to PP1.
Next year I expect a huge jump from him, he's acclimated to the NHL and will finally be able to train in the offseason.
And Lindblom should be more effective on his LW.
So to me, 40-50 ES points and 70-80 total points is not out of the question.
And given his size, strength, and defensive instincts, he could approach Couts in value.

Couturier only had an offensive breakout season due to having an elite player like Giroux on his wing. Couturier doesn't have the innate offensive instincts at the NHL level to play to a 70+ point season. Odds are he will never replicate this season without Giroux on his wing.

See, I can make claims that cant be proven, too. The difference is, I dont try to pass my BS off as fact.

 

[SchatzY]

So the guy that made Hartnell a 40 goal scorer, and Coots a 30 goal scorer and made Arron Asham look like a NHL player isn't the best player on his team? Enlighten me why everyone he plays with gets better? Do you really think Coots beaks out this year without G? Meth is a hell of a drug.

 

[FlyTimmo]

So the guy that made Hartnell a 40 goal scorer, and Coots a 30 goal scorer and made Arron Asham look like a NHL player isn't the best player on his team? Enlighten me why everyone he plays with gets better? Do you really think Coots beaks out this year without G? Meth is a hell of a drug.

Yeah, it is ridiculous. Imagine thinking that.

 

[Beef Invictus]

No more taking back cap dumps and making them prominent roster pieces. No more washed up veterans. Move forward.

 

[CutOnDime97]

Here we go

Armchair-GM - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

 

[CutOnDime97]

Realistically though, we have to get a Center in Free Agency

 

[Rodu58]

I dont see Tavares signing anywhere that wont pu th him at 1C

 

[deadhead]

Couturier only had an offensive breakout season due to having an elite player like Giroux on his wing. Couturier doesn't have the innate offensive instincts at the NHL level to play to a 70+ point season. Odds are he will never replicate this season without Giroux on his wing.

See, I can make claims that cant be proven, too. The difference is, I dont try to pass my BS off as fact.

Couts was averaging 40 ES points per 80 games with a revolving door of forwards the previous two seasons.
While 62 ES points may be partially attributable to Giroux, having just turned 25, a jump to 50+ ES points is probably a reasonable expectation independent of Giroux.
And the rest of Couts' point jump is simply a matter of playing on PP1.

I mean he just scored a hat trick and had 5 points on a line with Laughton and Simmonds!

 

[Tripod]

Lol...yeah a 10+ ES jump was just "going to happen".

I am a HUGE Couts fan and defender thru the years. But it is amazing the lengths that people are going thru to discredit Giroux HELPING him reach the years total's.

Why can't people just admit they BOTH play better, together?

 

[deadhead]

They both play better with each other, but this game showed Couts can play with almost anyone (ok, with Lehtera and Read on his wings he'd probably struggle).

 

[Magua]

They both play better with each other, but this game showed Couts can play with almost anyone (ok, with Lehtera and Read on his wings he'd probably struggle).

Ummm we figured that out years ago.

 

[Flyerfan13]

Watching the playoffs this year makes me think this team needs a vet dman brought in for leadership more than a forward even if its only for a couple years until the kids start stepping up.obviously gudas and MacDonald are not it.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Ummm we figured that out years ago.

Yeah, like in his rookie year when he would tailor his play to his linemates.

 

[Richards18Forever]

I dont want Amac to be around anymore either, but he's an allstar compared to Manning and Gudas and their repeated turnovers that always ended up in our net. I would've rather had Hagg and Sanheim as pair on the ice at any point of the game then Manning and Gudas. I like gudas but Hagg can do everything positive that Gudas can and then some other then maybe fight.

 

[Devonator]

Well a disappointing end to our season but we are going in a good direction....however of our 3 older better players, Girioux, Jake and Simmonds, I think it would be wise to trade 2 of them now while we can still get a mitt full for them.....Keep Roo and trade Jake and Simmonds....there are teams out there that will pay a lot for those guys and if we can get a return of some young stud prospects or high draft picks or a combination, that would be super....at the very least Simmonds must be traded now while we can still get something for him.....with Carter Hart coming on board likely in another year, that will hopefully solve our long lasting goal tending issues....we have many nice prospecsts that are coming up....our Future is very bright indeed....perhaps even a nice free agent signing also....We knew going in this year that we were not going to win anything...this experience in the playoffs will be a learning one for our younger players.....if we handle things correctly, we are going to be a strong strong team for years to come!

 

[Rebels57]

Well a disappointing end to our season but we are going in a good direction....however of our 3 older better players, Girioux, Jake and Simmonds, I think it would be wise to trade 2 of them now while we can still get a mitt full for them.....Keep Roo and trade Jake and Simmonds....there are teams out there that will pay a lot for those guys and if we can get a return of some young stud prospects or high draft picks or a combination, that would be super....at the very least Simmonds must be traded now while we can still get something for him.....with Carter Hart coming on board likely in another year, that will hopefully solve our long lasting goal tending issues....we have many nice prospecsts that are coming up....our Future is very bright indeed....perhaps even a nice free agent signing also....We knew going in this year that we were not going to win anything...this experience in the playoffs will be a learning one for our younger players.....if we handle things correctly, we are going to be a strong strong team for years to come!

Trading Jake will look just as bad for us as when Atlanta traded Marian Hossa. This guy is going to continue to produce and if we do go on a long run, he will be a big part of it.

Trading Simmer would be proactive enough.

 

[achdumeingute]

I dont want Amac to be around anymore either, but he's an allstar compared to Manning and Gudas and their repeated turnovers that always ended up in our net. I would've rather had Hagg and Sanheim as pair on the ice at any point of the game then Manning and Gudas. I like gudas but Hagg can do everything positive that Gudas can and then some other then maybe fight.

soo many ldh?

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Hagg is/was the worst defensemen on the roster this year. He can’t move the puck to save his life.

 

[achdumeingute]

Here we go

Armchair-GM - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

I dont think JT is the right guy.

Imo...id be trying to pry ROR out of Buffalo and put him on the 2nd line. Patrick on top line, Couts on 3rd (not because he's a 3rd liner only) line. Imo the team will be better with 3 centers of size. Contract still enough years left to be decent and hes young enough still.

 

[achdumeingute]

Hagg is/was the worst defensemen on the roster this year. He can’t move the puck to save his life.

id rather give him a chance to get better than some others here.

I'm also not losing sleep if hes dealt.

 

[deadhead]

If we get a young RW who can skate and shoot, we won't miss Jake, the last two playoff showed he's certainly not the straw that stirs the drink.
Given the length of his contract, I can see him buried in 3-4 years as the young forwards pass him.
Jake has great raw talent, but there is no hint that he's ever going to improve, he peaked from age 23-25 and will never play that well again. He was a Corsi monster those three seasons, but since then, 51.8%, CorsiRel 2.3.
Last five years at ES 13-28 41, good but nothing special, your basic 2nd line forward.
He's had one good playoff, 2012, since then 18g 3-5 8 - for a guy who's mediocre defensively, that's pretty meh.
And he's as soft as they come, despite his size, a smurf's game in a big man's body.

Sell while he has value and you can get his contract off the books - he might be ready to move on at this point.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

id rather give him a chance to get better than some others here.

I'm also not losing sleep if hes dealt.

That’s not an endorsement for Manning or MacDonald (although I think the latter is here the next two years regardless). I’d get rid of all them if it was up to me.

 

[Starat327]

I dont think JT is the right guy.

Imo...id be trying to pry ROR out of Buffalo and put him on the 2nd line. Patrick on top line, Couts on 3rd (not because he's a 3rd liner only) line. Imo the team will be better with 3 centers of size. Contract still enough years left to be decent and hes young enough still.

ROR also adds immense roster flexibility. He can play on either wing as well, so we can deploy a 3rd good C against teams with good lines (pitt, toronto) or put him on Patrick's wing for other teams with more a stacked top 6.

If the organization pursued a player, ROR would be my choice. I'd rather stand pat though.

 

[achdumeingute]

ROR also adds immense roster flexibility. He can play on either wing as well, so we can deploy a 3rd good C against teams with good lines (pitt, toronto) or put him on Patrick's wing for other teams with more a stacked top 6.

If the organization pursued a player, ROR would be my choice. I'd rather stand pat though.

I look at it like

G NP V
OL RoR TK
Frost Couts NAK
4th line whomever.

What better place to play two rooks than with a selke finalist.

I try to get an asset for Simmonds to not be totally not adding this year and would easily trade the 2 1sts plus one of Hagg/Morin/Gudas (avoid small d log jam).

Imo ROR fixes problems for at least 4 years.

 

[Devonator]

Trading Jake will look just as bad for us as when Atlanta traded Marian Hossa. This guy is going to continue to produce and if we do go on a long run, he will be a big part of it.

Trading Simmer would be proactive enough.

Well I look at this way....we could still get a lot for Jake...I think we need to keep one vet and that would be Roo.....I love all our young talent and the talent to come online yet....imagine what we could get for Jake and Simmonds right now??