Confirmed with Link: Andrew MacDonald placed on waivers (cleared)

[Tripod]

Frankie Corrado got claimed for real by the Leafs

 

[bennysflyers16]

Frankie Corrado got claimed for real by the Leafs

Few guys got claimed today, sadly someone didn't

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

Few guys got claimed today, sadly someone didn't

no one is going to take our bad contracts.
better chance at winning powerball than someone claiming any of the clowns with the bad contracts.

 

[Tripod]

Nope. I guess my letter to Santa got misplaced and he never got my wish.

 

[Tripod]

no one is going to take our bad contracts.
better chance at winning powerball than someone claiming any of the clowns with the bad contracts.

Not so fast...Grossmann and Pronger now play for AZ.

Just think though...we got Gagner in the Grossmann deal...and he is benched and Grossmann is playing. WE GOT DUPED!

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

Islanders claimed JF Berube off waivers. yes he won a Calder with Manchester last year, but it had more to do with the team in front of him.
he really isn't that good. but I suppose they needed a goalie with Halak hurt.

 

[Rebels57]

The Isles goaltending is one of the reasons I can see them slipping this year and finishing behind the Flyers.

 

[Curufinwe]

Islanders claimed JF Berube

Any relation?

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

The Isles goaltending is one of the reasons I can see them slipping this year and finishing behind the Flyers.

Pittsburgh, Washington and the Rangers will be locks in the Metro. If they are healthy I would figure CBJ to be in the running as well.
I think a lot is going to have to break for the Flyers to make the playoffs. IMO

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

Any relation?

nope.

 

[Garbage Goal]

Bill Meltzer has a good write up on the MacDonald waiving. But here is why it was him and not others:

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Bill...Cap-Straights-Even-Without-MacDonald/45/71448

Had the Flyers elected to waive Brandon Manning rather than MacDonald, the team would have gained $625,000 of cap space before Laughton's deal was figured in and wound up with just $345,000 -- not even enough to call up a player making the NHL minimum of $575,000 -- in the case of a non-LTIR injury.

So why waive MacDonald rather than Schenn? Two reasons: 1) With MacDonald making $5 million and having five seasons (including 2015-16) left on his deal, he is quite unlikely to be claimed, leaving him available for recall if and when the Flyers need him and have sufficient cap space; 2) Schenn, making $3.6 million with an expiring contract at the end of the season, stood at least a 50-50 chance of being claimed off waivers. While a waiver claim would take his entire cap hit off the books immediately, the Flyers would prefer to trade him to losing him for no return. Other teams with potential interest in Schenn, conversely, had no incentive to trade for him if there was a possibility of claiming him off of waivers instead.

So, uh, I was completely right.

Yes, that is gloating.

 

[Garbage Goal]

Pittsburgh, Washington and the Rangers will be locks in the Metro. If they are healthy I would figure CBJ to be in the running as well.
I think a lot is going to have to break for the Flyers to make the playoffs. IMO

I think Pittsburgh is really being overrated. That D is a trainwreck, they still have Kunitz in their top six, Pouliot hasn't progressed, and they still have yet another coach that the fans are kind of souring on. Just by virtue of their top six they should secure a playoff spot, but really how much different is that than any other year besides last season? They missed the playoffs last year and this off-season their D got destroyed and so did their prospect pool really (by losing a 1st, Harrington, Kapanen, and Pouliot sucking so far). Now Dupuis is starting the season injured. Really, their only key addition is Kessel isn't it? It's a huge addition, but it's one guy and these dynamic big name duos acquired through big trades and free agent splashes rarely live up to the hype in modern days (Vanek/Tavares and Heatley/Thornton in my recent memory). Even beyond all of that, Columbus is healthy and looking pretty underrated. We're better, albeit not a playoff team. Our division in general looks like it could contend for toughest in the league. Pittsburgh added Kessel and got hurt or stayed the same everywhere else after missing the playoffs last year.

Don't get me wrong, they should make it by all reasonable guesses, but I would be about as unsurprised to see them miss it as I would the Islanders for their G situation. The Islanders have a bad goalie situation and shaky coaching and the Pens have a bad D situation and shaky coaching. Both teams live off of their top six forward talent. Not a lot of difference in my eyes. With how tight the Metro is it's likely one of them gets really disappointed this season too.

Regardless, neither of them stand a chance at the Cup as is. At least with the Islanders all they need is Halak to be healthy and decent or at least to acquire one solid starting G for a season. It's harder to fix a whole defense group, in Pittsburgh's case.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Pitt's D is one Letang injury away from being worse than ours.

 

[Cyborg LeClair]

I thought Pitt made the playoffs as the last team last year...also, I think Bonino is an upgrade over Sutter

 

[RJ8812*]

The Isles goaltending is one of the reasons I can see them slipping this year and finishing behind the Flyers.

Their blueline is also average

 

[Garbage Goal]

I thought Pitt made the playoffs as the last team last year...also, I think Bonino is an upgrade over Sutter

You're right, I got them confused with Boston. Regardless, doesn't really change anything. It's still the same story as every other year, should make the playoffs due to top six scoring talent but don't stand a real chance at winning anything since everything else is lacking. Except this year the difference between that top six scoring and the rest of the roster is way more pronounced than ever before and the rest of the division looks as tough as it's been for a few seasons.

With Bonino/Sutter, like most people said when the trade happened it's not a big enough upgrade to matter for much. With Bonino you get a little more scoring (but still not enough to be anything more than secondary depth scoring) and less PK ability. The best part of that trade for Pittsburgh was the differences in contract. That difference materializes in the front office though, not on the ice per se. Besides, the biggest upgrade Bonino offers over Sutter is scoring ability and does a third line 40 to 50 point guy (at best) really matter when the rest of the forward group looks like Pittsburgh's does? Furthermore, does it really matter in the scope of their strengths and weaknesses?

 

[Rebels57]

You're right, I got them confused with Boston. Regardless, doesn't really change anything. It's still the same story as every other year, should make the playoffs due to top six scoring talent but don't stand a real chance at winning anything since everything else is lacking. Except this year the difference between that top six scoring and the rest of the roster is way more pronounced than ever before and the rest of the division looks as tough as it's been for a few seasons.

With Bonino/Sutter, like most people said when the trade happened it's not a big enough upgrade to matter for much. With Bonino you get a little more scoring (but still not enough to be anything more than secondary depth scoring) and less PK ability. The best part of that trade for Pittsburgh was the differences in contract. That difference materializes in the front office though, not on the ice per se. Besides, the biggest upgrade Bonino offers over Sutter is scoring ability and does a third line 40 to 50 point guy (at best) really matter when the rest of the forward group looks like Pittsburgh's does? Furthermore, does it really matter in the scope of their strengths and weaknesses?

Kessel isn't that much better than Neal, and Pittsburgh went nowhere with him in the lineup either.

 

[CanadianFlyer88]

Kessel isn't that much better than Neal, and Pittsburgh went nowhere with him in the lineup either.

*** not to derail the thread, but...

Neal hit 40 once, playing with Malkin, and hasn't scored more than 27 goals in any other season.

Kessel hasn't hit 40, but scored at least 30 five times, four of those playing with Matt Stajan or Tyler Bozak.

If I need goals, I'm looking to Kessel over Neal every time.

 

[Garbage Goal]

*** not to derail the thread, but...

Neal hit 40 once, playing with Malkin, and hasn't scored more than 27 goals in any other season.

Kessel hasn't hit 40, but scored at least 30 five times, four of those playing with Matt Stajan or Tyler Bozak.

If I need goals, I'm looking to Kessel over Neal every time.

To be fair, he only said *not that much* better. If you ignore linemates, that isn't that much better. Of course it's hard to ignore linemates, but it's also hard to quantify how much a linemate matters or how to factor in chemistry, playstyles, coaches (since Johnston wasn't around when Neal was), age (since Malkin was younger when Neal was there), or roster differences (since the roster was generally better when Neal was there, especially if we're ignoring Kessel).

 

[Beef Invictus]

I don't know that Kessel is all that likely to be much more successful than Neal. Neal kinda came unwound in whatever crap culture Pittsburgh has, it's hard to imagine Phil working out there in the end. Lots of questions out of Toronto about his work ethic. He's also very one dimensional.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

I'm not a huge Kessel fan but he's way more of a drink stirrer than Neal. My guess is Pittsburgh cruises through the regular season, too much offensive fire power there. The playoffs very well could be a different story though.

 

[Tripod]

TSN were showing Kessel's goals with Pitt in the preseason and how dome were from tip ins from passes from Sid where he redirected the pass into the net.

They then said that all of last year, Kessel had only one tip I goal like that. The one thing Kessel can go is THINK like an elite scorer which is a good match for Sid or Malkin.

But Kessel also likes to lead rushes with the puck so there could be some issues that arise that way too.

IMO, Kessel gets 40+ and helps their PP.

 

[Flyerfan4life]

I don't know that Kessel is all that likely to be much more successful than Neal. Neal kinda came unwound in whatever crap culture Pittsburgh has, it's hard to imagine Phil working out there in the end. Lots of questions out of Toronto about his work ethic. He's also very one dimensional.

i bet it wont take even 2 months for Kessel to be ruined mentally by the Pens..

look at how Cindy is... hes a disaster when he plays us.. like 6 yr old girl rage.. hahhah

 

[Striiker]

Crosby doesn't really lose his head against us, that's more Malkins thing. He gets angry and goes headhunting like a child.

 

[dats81]

Pittsburgh ist still flawed and won't win the cup but their offense and regular season goaltending carries their team and they always get off to a great start which is why they easily overcome periods of weakness and injury.

Honestly, I wish the Flyers could get out of the gates with that kind of self confidence because alot of games are won that way.