Flyers weakened

[André]

No doubt the Flyers are weaker than last year.

They've added Schenn on D, and their young guys are a year older, but they've lost Carle, Jagr and Van Riemsdyk.

A comparison to last year at the moment looks like this:

Additions:

L Schenn
Knuble

Substractions:

Jagr (FA)
Carle (FA)
Kubina (FA)
Van Riemsdyk (trade)
Meszaros (injury)
Briere (injury)
Hartnell (injury)
Pronger (injury)

Yeah pronger only played 13 games but still.

Just happily stating this

[shmenguin]

I don't like jvr. He looks like he's always covered in dirt. But when he was tearing us up the other night, I was excited about the prospect of him turning into a legit scorer while the flyers enjoy the B-level performance, at best, of schenn #1

[Lt. Dish]

Timonen is playing like he's 100 years old.

[tfrizz]

Meszaros now out a month with a shoulder injury.

[Lt. Dish]

Meszaros now out a month with a shoulder injury.

Wow. This is huge. 4 weeks! They just got him back from his achilles injury.

[mikey287]

Flyers system didn't fit additions. Not everyone in the organization is on the same page or going in the same direction. Flyers are an offensive team that likes to spring transition attacks, use defensemen to help establish the attack. Holmgren's moves? Loses Carle, adds Schenn and Grossmann, two players that are poor in transition, not very mobile in terms of north-south game.

Compare: Penguins direction is known from the top on down. There are weaknesses in our organization, but everyone is largely on the same page. Look at outside the box additions: undrafted free agents are muckers: Sill, Payerl. Acquisitions are cycle capable: Tangradi, Glass, Adams, etc. Mistakes are corrected: Michalek AND Martin. In Philadelphia, mistakes are multiplied, then holes are glossed over. Lost Pronger and Carle, added Gervais and Foster, as an example.

[Lt. Dish]

Flyers system didn't fit additions. Not everyone in the organization is on the same page or going in the same direction. Flyers are an offensive team that likes to spring transition attacks, use defensemen to help establish the attack. Holmgren's moves? Loses Carle, adds Schenn and Grossmann, two players that are poor in transition, not very mobile in terms of north-south game.

Compare: Penguins direction is known from the top on down. There are weaknesses in our organization, but everyone is largely on the same page. Look at outside the box additions: undrafted free agents are muckers: Sill, Payerl. Acquisitions are cycle capable: Tangradi, Glass, Adams, etc. Mistakes are corrected: Michalek AND Martin. In Philadelphia, mistakes are multiplied, then holes are glossed over. Lost Pronger and Carle, added Gervais and Foster, as an example.

I agree with this, although I know I couldn't have described it as well. (especially today, being a bit down and out)

And the Flyers are now being forced to fit the additions by duct-taping them to the big team's system. Holmgren may as well put on a blindfold and throw a dart to see whom he's going to call up. I look forward to it not working, but stranger things can happen.