All-time Flyers best free agent signing

[LastWordArmy]

Our 30 teams in 30 days features a look at the best free agent in each franchise's history. Today, the Philadelphia Flyers are up.

http://lastwordonsports.com/2016/08/08/philadelphia-flyers-best-all-time-free-agent/

Click to read more...

 

[BillDineen]

Kerr is one of my all-time favorite Flyers.

 

[lancer247]

Kerr is one of my all-time favorite Flyers.

Tough to beat a multiple time (4 times I think)50 goal scorer. Plus, the guy should be a hall of famer if they have guys like Neely and Gillies in it.

 

[Rebels57]

Our 30 teams in 30 days features a look at the best free agent in each franchise's history. Today, the Philadelphia Flyers are up.

http://lastwordonsports.com/2016/08/08/philadelphia-flyers-best-all-time-free-agent/

Pelle Lindbergh was the Flyers goaltender in their 1985 run to the Stanley Cup Final, not Ron Hextall, whose rookie season was 1987 when the Flyers once again faced the Oilers in the Finals.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Kerr was great, but Bernie Parent's Cup run followed him being singed as a FA.

 

[lancer247]

Kerr was great, but Bernie Parent's Cup run followed him being singed as a FA.

Good catch. I forgot that was his second stint. What did we sign him back after the WHA?

 

[Beef Invictus]

Good catch. I forgot that was his second stint. What did we sign him back after the WHA?

My memory is hazy, but I think we expansion drafted him from Boston, then he went to Toronto and refined his game, then he was expecting to play for some other league and it never worked out so Philly signed him and discovered that he'd gone Fully Bernie since they last saw him.

 

[Curufinwe]

Gotta be Conn Smythe winner and Stanley Cup winning hero, Danny Briere.

Oh damn, this is the ****** timeline where Lavy stuck with MFL for all of the 2010 Finals and we lost to Chicago.

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

If Kerr is #1 (I have no problem there) I think Briere has got to be #2. He was ultimately bought out, but for majority of that contract he was earning his keep. We know about his playoff acumen, but he also produced regularly for them during the season.

 

[flyersfan018]

Gotta be Conn Smythe winner and Stanley Cup winning hero, Danny Briere.

Oh damn, this is the ****** timeline where Lavy stuck with MFL for all of the 2010 Finals and we lost to Chicago.

Being someone who wasn't even born when Kerr was playing for the Flyers, my mind immediately jumped to Briere when I read the thread title.

 

[Rebels57]

Is this list supposed to be for undrafted free agent signings or just free agent signings in general?

If so, Parent is quite obviously the best ever.

 

[Rebels57]

Gotta be Conn Smythe winner and Stanley Cup winning hero, Danny Briere.

Oh damn, this is the ****** timeline where Lavy stuck with MFL for all of the 2010 Finals and we lost to Chicago.

Wasn't Boucher still kinda banged up from when that jerk off Ryan Parent collided with him?

 

[lancer247]

If Kerr is #1 (I have no problem there) I think Briere has got to be #2. He was ultimately bought out, but for majority of that contract he was earning his keep. We know about his playoff acumen, but he also produced regularly for them during the season.

1. Bernie
2. Kerr
Significant drop off after those two.

 

[renberg]

AIR, Dave Poulin was an UDFA. Correct me if I'm wrong. He was a very good signing.

 

[kelmitchell]

#1 bryz
#2 zherdev

You're welcome fellas, the debate is now over

Jk I wasn't around for the Kerr days so I immediately thought briere but Kerr would be #1

 

[kelmitchell]

Is this list supposed to be for undrafted free agent signings or just free agent signings in general?

If so, Parent is quite obviously the best ever.

I'm not 100% on this but we got him through the expansion draft didn't we?

 

[YEM]

the best player ever signed as a FA by the Flyers is Peter Forsberg

 

[Kermit the Prog]

I'm not 100% on this but we got him through the expansion draft didn't we?

I know Parent joined the Flyers the second time after playing in the WHA for the Philadelphia Blazers, but his rights were still owned by the Mapleleafs. Toronto traded his rights to Philadelphia for Doug Favell and a pick.

Incidentally, my very first hockey card was this below. I still love that set:

 

[Qyburn]

the best player ever signed as a FA by the Flyers is Peter Forsberg

I guess it's a semantics thing. Kerr (and Bernie if he counts) were by far the better signings.

 

[Sawdalite]

Kerr was great, but Bernie Parent's Cup run followed him being singed as a FA.

Good catch. I forgot that was his second stint. What did we sign him back after the WHA?

My memory is hazy, but I think we expansion drafted him from Boston, then he went to Toronto and refined his game, then he was expecting to play for some other league and it never worked out so Philly signed him and discovered that he'd gone Fully Bernie since they last saw him.

I haven' read the article yet so please forgive me if I'm no following this correctly.

Bernie's second stint with the Flyers couldn't be considered a FA signing... at least not technically... He was traded to Toronto and then Jumped to the WHA... he then had a dispute with the Blazers about not being paid and ultimately decided to jump leagues once again.

The Maple Leafs still owned his NHL Rights so the Flyers traded Doug Favell -- some side players/picks involved I believe -- for his NHL Rights... and I assume they worked out a new contract a that point, or maybe under the table prior... Not really FA Signing as I understand the term.

... The first time around Bernie was obtained from Boston IIRC in the Expansion Draft that occurred after the Flyers etal joined the NHL.


EDIT: Sorry... I didn't read far into the Thread to see this already addressed.

 

[Sawdalite]

If Kerr is #1 (I have no problem there) I think Briere has got to be #2. He was ultimately bought out, but for majority of that contract he was earning his keep. We know about his playoff acumen, but he also produced regularly for them during the season.

Yeah... That Contract was constructed for a late BuyOut as I see it... It was such a great deal in the constricted Cap Era... and the special Free BuyOut... that even Briere would have bought himself out given the circumstances. The savings were great for a Cap Strapped Team, and the payout was minimal. I don't see that BO taking anything from Danny's Legacy whatsoever.

Danny has to be up there on the List in my eyes.

 

[lancer247]

Cookie Dvorak was a good signing for the Keenan team that went to the cup in 85, IIRC.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Ilkka Sinisalo is among the best free agent signings.

And Parent jumped to the WHA and joined the MiamiScreamingEagles, one of the League's original franchises but they relocated to Philadelphia after a lack of funding for an arena. They moved to Philadelphia and as stated above a contract dispute resulted in Parent quitting the team. The franchise relocated to Vancouver. He was dealt to the Flyers since he didn't want to return to the Leafs. The trade took months to complete.

 

[Sawdalite]

Ilkka Sinisalo is among the best free agent signings.

And Parent jumped to the WHA and joined the MiamiScreamingEagles, one of the League's original franchises but they relocated to Philadelphia after a lack of funding for an arena. They moved to Philadelphia and as stated above a contract dispute resulted in Parent quitting the team. The franchise relocated to Vancouver. He was dealt to the Flyers since he didn't want to return to the Leafs. The trade took months to complete.

Haha, MSE ... I totally forgot about those Miami Screaming Eagles.

... I do remember that the very first WHA Game in Philly had to be postponed when the ice surface at the Philadelphia Convention Hall -- or was it then called Civic Center?? -- cracked and was not serviceable.

And I remember being pissed as Hell at Bernie when he refused to suit up for Game One of the WHA Playoffs due to said pay dispute.

I remember the NY Raiders changed to the Golden Blades and all the players got golden bladed skates... and then it moved to Cherry Hill and they quickly needed uniforms; the only ones they could find that were the same and had enough fo the Team were ones with Chess Knights crests... So they became the Jersey Knights, with gold blade skats, and played their Home Games at the old Ice House (later called the Centrum) on Brace road in Cherry Hill, across from Kaminski's... a Flyers players' hangout... I saw most of their remaining Home Games there that Season... with the linked storm fence used instead of glass causing some wild-assed caroms... Exciting Offensive minded games... fun to watch. They were gone by the following Season; IIRC to Vancouver.

The WHA had a brief but extremely interesting lifespan.

... But I digress... What was the Thread Topic again?

 

[lancer247]

Ilkka Sinisalo is among the best free agent signings.

And Parent jumped to the WHA and joined the MiamiScreamingEagles, one of the League's original franchises but they relocated to Philadelphia after a lack of funding for an arena. They moved to Philadelphia and as stated above a contract dispute resulted in Parent quitting the team. The franchise relocated to Vancouver. He was dealt to the Flyers since he didn't want to return to the Leafs. The trade took months to complete.

So, then Kerr is the best Free Agent signing?