Deal. I can't wait to see the Blues fanbase react to Elliott for Allen.

Sweet, lets take on berglund who produces like a low end 3rd liner for another 4 years at nearly $4 mil per! Sounds great!

I'm torn as a Blues. On one hand we get a 30 goal scorer to play with within our top 6 who is also a net front presence. On the hand, Elliott will get screwed by Armstrong again and Yeo won't play him

I'm not as big of a fan of the length of the deal on Berglund as you are. The deal does bring in Tage Thompson and I like that. It cost Simmonds, but the Flyers do end up with an overall upgrade on the 3rd line with Thompson who hopefully will be more and then Berglund (17 total goals last year in 57 games, 14 of which were at even strength. Compare that to Simmonds 24 total goals in 75 games of which only 13 were at even strength. Nolan Patrick should easily make up for the lost power play goals from Simmonds in 2nd season.

Allen provides a cost controlled younger goalie who could ultimately take the starters job and run with it with a change in scenery. Worst case he's a solid experienced NHL goalie signed for 3 more years who can groom along and push Hart, Sandstrom, Stolarz, and Lyon.

So you make it Simmer, Elliott for Thompsen and Allen. We are still losing but it is way more even as they don't have to pay Allen for 3 more years.

If Berglund is free, you take him. His cap hit isn't a problem and he can play. He's the best 3rd liner on the team right way.

And he blocks a roster spot for years to come! We are NOT winning it next year or the year after but we do want kids to get experience. How is this hard for you to understand?

What spot is he blocking?

And the assumption the Flyers are not winning is what? Giroux, Couturier and Konecny produced like an elite level first line last year. Assuming they duplicate that then the 2nd line of Lindblom, Patrick, and Voracek has to take a step forward. Lindblom with a full season should produce about 15 goals and that's being fairly conservative. Patrick's 2nd half production would seemingly point to him getting close to 25 goals. Voracek will probably score about 20 goals with a significant amount of assists.

That leaves the 3rd line above. Berglund, Thompson, and Raffl. Let's say they average about 15 each. That's a very productive 3rd line. That leaves the 4th line of Laughton, Weal and Aube Kubel, that should score 8 to 10 goals each, which would be the most productive 4th line the Flyers have had in quite some time. That's a significant boost in production from just the forwards. Sanheim and Provorov will continue to improve and Gostisbehere will continue his productivity. They would have the capability to be a very strong offensive team. Does it win? I'm not sure. But it moves them closer. As for the overall deal, Simmonds isn't a player I would be keeping beyond this year so to add 3 players who can join the lineup right away would be attractive.

In the next 2-3 years we are likely to have Frost, Aube-Kubel, Ratcliffe, Rubstov, Strome, Allison, Laczynski and whoever we draft this year. Those are the guys that he would be blocking.

I can clearly tell that you thought Holmgren was the perfect GM...

He causes absolutely no issues for the first 2 years of his deal. He is flexible at wing and center. Frost has a higher projection than 3rd line center if he really is a center. Thompson and Frost will have to earn and figure out that role but Raffl is gone in that scenario not Berglund. I'm not sure what the hope with Rubstov is anymore. He could be more but he might just be a good 4th line center. Weal leaves and Rubstov has a role. Laughton and Rubstov battle over the center position.

Aube-Kubel is a 4th line level prospect at the NHL level and he's on the projected team above.

Strome will not be an NHL player. The skating ability is not there.

It would be a great success if one of Ratcliffe, Allison, or Laczynski play a significant role at the NHL level. If they all make it then the Flyers can figure it out. There's plenty of entry level contracts, actual bad contracts expiring, and increases in the salary cap to not have to worry about Berglund in years 3 and 4. He helps now and causes minimal risk for damaging the future.

I believe Holmgren would be re-signing Simmonds for 6 years at $ 7 Mil cap hit with a no move clause. Perhaps your view from the van down by the river is skewed?

LMAO, that is a lot of opinion there. Fact of the matter is we have a ton of prospects that we believe will be solid NHLers and they need the spots on the roster. Berglund is garbage and makes too much money.

Your fact of the matter is your opinion. pass the L-MAYO.

I guess you don't listen to Hextall's press conferences. Makes sense...

Do GM's frequently tell you exactly what they're going to do?

No but they tell you who they think will make the big club out of the prospects...

Who did he say would? Prospects have to earn their roster spot. They're not handed to them. Hextall has proven that time and time again.

Great job! You cherry picked one line. Maybe listen to the full 30 minutes and you will hear the names he throws out there.

I think it also proves my point of having a strong overall team. Now and going forward. You seem more interested in delaying the process until all of the prospects are ready. Frost might be ready at 20. Rubstov could be ready at 23. Ratcliffe might be ready at 25 and may have been written off by then. The hope is they'll all be ready but you don't know when and at what time. There's nothing wrong with trying to win now and continuing to let players grow.

The quote proves my point in that players roles change as time goes on. Berglund's role in year 1 and 2 would be on line 3 with a good chance he moves up during injuries. Year 3 he's likely pinned to line 3 or 4 and year 4 he's likely line 4 or the spare forward if the prospects are working out the way we all hope. All the while no assets were lost and the Flyers are making legitimate efforts to contend now and beyond.

When Hextall says roles change he was talking about G and Jake not having to be top liners for their entire career and that Patrick and Konecny etc. take more of a share. Not a donkey like Berglund whose only role change will be to the 4th line and then pressbox.
As I said, Berglund is a 3rd liner at best. Having to move him up do to injuries does absolutely nothing for us. Remember Filppula? Here is Filppula but signed to 4 more years. If you think that is good for the team then again you prove my point that you don't know what you are talking about.

Berglund is only part of the trade right, you're so fixated on him? Allen and Thompson are huge pieces to this trade. He is quite a bit better than Filppula.

Also, I thought you were taking your ball and going back home under the bridge?