Hitting the Links: Flyers Celebrate Draft Weekend By Giving Away The Farm

by Ryan Durling on Jun 24, 2011 8:00 AM EDT

In case you hadn't heard, Paul Holmgren shipped Jeff Carter and Mike Richards out of town to make room for Ilya Bryzgalov's hefty salary. But of course you heard that. We know this, because so did everyone else. And apparently, "everyone else" has an opinion on the matter.

We start in Philly itself, where Broad Street Hockey writes that the Richards trade might have been overkill - which, of course, should surprise no one. Broad Street Buzz Continues by saying that trading the captain might not have just been overkill, but that it might be something the franchise can't bounce back right away from. Philly Sports Daily has a bit of a sunnier outlook (like what I did there? Philly? Sunny? nevermind) on things, though, and FoxNews.com takes heart in the opportunity that now awaits a much younger Flyers core.

Back in Boston, Johnny Boychuk sat down with ESPN's Louise Cornetta to tell how winning the Stanley Cup was the highlight of his career in his ESPN Boston diary. For Bruins Assistant Director of Media Relations Eric Tosi, a similar story unfolded, as told in the Beverly Citizen. Meanwhile, NESN begs the new legions of Bruins fans to stick around when October gets here.

Puck Daddy looks back to Wednesday night's NHL Awards, and offers some interesting numbers on the voting for the night's awards. Lambert also picked up the slack for Wyshynski and Leahy and recapped the ceremony with a best and worst commentary.

But of course, the focus of the NHL world is on Minneapolis, where tonight the 2011 Entry Draft will begin. Cup of Chowder's own Kathryn discussed a few months ago what the draft has done for the Bruins lately at 7th to Last. While the Bruins have had recent success in the draft, it hasn't been all rosy, and NHL.com details where the Bruins (and the rest of the Northeast division) have struggled and succeeded in calling names. In the StarTribune, Kent Youngblood discusses how Minnesotans - who've made up a large part of the early round of the draft lately - take different roads to achieve their dreams. The Toronto Sun takes a closer look at the unique business relationship between Leafs' GM Brian Burke and Boston's Peter Chiarelli. Finally, The LeafsNation shows teams - looking at you, now, Florida - just how they can reach the salary cap floor.

Happy reading!

Tweet Comment 38 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

The Flyers trade me like that we are playing Philly first thing next year. They will probably still be in disarray after moving Richards and Carter.

by tkent on Jun 24, 2011 8:46 AM EDT reply actions

Flyers trades are just shocking, kind of like splitting 10’s against a 6. I it’s either going to work out great for them, or blow up in their faces. I see no middle ground.

by theDbaker on Jun 24, 2011 9:20 AM EDT up reply actions

yep. it’s scary to trade established, quality NHLers for prospects – you never know what could happen…

Suck it, Felger!

by phonymahoney on Jun 24, 2011 9:31 AM EDT up reply actions

not just an established, quality NHL player, but one who is locked into a long term contract with a pretty reasonable cap hit.

by theDbaker on Jun 24, 2011 9:42 AM EDT up reply actions

Carter’s kicks in this summer, with a NMC. Enjoy Columbus for the next 11 years, bucko!

Your 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins
Hockey Blog Adventure: New Post: 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins: YES!!! (I'm also on Twitter.) GO BRUINS! (and Wild!)

by Cornelius Hardenbergh on Jun 24, 2011 9:48 AM EDT up reply actions

Carter + Nash is going to be a great tandem.

by tkent on Jun 24, 2011 9:51 AM EDT up reply actions

If carter or nash are unselfish with the puck, yeah

Your 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins
Hockey Blog Adventure: New Post: 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins: YES!!! (I'm also on Twitter.) GO BRUINS! (and Wild!)

by Cornelius Hardenbergh on Jun 24, 2011 9:52 AM EDT up reply actions

So true. Take a look at their defense, a sad state of affairs if you ask me. They need serious help.

by tkent on Jun 24, 2011 9:57 AM EDT up reply actions

PhiLOLidelphia

I was worried Mike Richards wasn’t gonna be able to see the banner this year, but…thank goodness, LA comes here. Somebody make a sign for warmups that says “Hey Mike! Look Up!”

Your 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins
Hockey Blog Adventure: New Post: 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins: YES!!! (I'm also on Twitter.) GO BRUINS! (and Wild!)

by Cornelius Hardenbergh on Jun 24, 2011 9:35 AM EDT reply actions

honestly I can’t stop smiling about Holmgren’s drunken shenanigans yesterday.

Let’s get rid of 23% of our goals and sign a goalie – A GOALIE – to a 9 year deal!

Because long-term goalie deals always work out, you know? Just look at DiPietro or Luongo or…huh.

Your 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins
Hockey Blog Adventure: New Post: 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins: YES!!! (I'm also on Twitter.) GO BRUINS! (and Wild!)

by Cornelius Hardenbergh on Jun 24, 2011 9:38 AM EDT up reply actions

It’s worse than A GOALIE. It’s freakin’ Bryzgalov, whose about as consistent as Turco and as mentally sound as Luongo.

I just don’t get it. Why blow up the team when they’re obviously a good one? So they got swept in the 2nd round…by the eventual Cup champions who also were on a warpath to avenge last year. There has to be another way to get a goalie that doesn’t undermine your present strength. Those trades are the definition of cutting off the nose despite the face.

by Arenacale on Jun 24, 2011 9:42 AM EDT up reply actions

I think they were desperate. I don’t blame them for trying to get a goalie and not even trying to get Bryzgalov, but I don’t think they signed a good contract-he isn’t worth that much and I wouldn’t have signed him to that kind of long term deal. That said Brysgalov is a better goalie than the three headed monster they played with in 2010-2011.

I still kind of think they cleared out Richards for locker room issues and I have seen several rumors that indicated the Flyers were looking to ship Carter to sign a goalie.

by TCL40 on Jun 24, 2011 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions

I just can’t believe they would make not one move like that, but TWO. Two questionable trades, ah! ah! ah!

Suck it, Felger!

by phonymahoney on Jun 24, 2011 9:57 AM EDT up reply actions

Nice Count there :)

by CelticPride on Jun 24, 2011 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions

Does this trade remind anyone of...

the Joe Thornton trade? Other than the fact that Richards had led his team to a Stanley Cup Final appearance and Jumbo Joe hadn’t won a playoff series at the time he was traded…so what the Flyers did actually seems worse.

by bcfan131 on Jun 24, 2011 9:39 AM EDT reply actions

I think the return Philly got has more upside potential than what the Bruins got for Thornton

by theDbaker on Jun 24, 2011 9:40 AM EDT up reply actions

Voracek is pretty promising

Your 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins
Hockey Blog Adventure: New Post: 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins: YES!!! (I'm also on Twitter.) GO BRUINS! (and Wild!)

by Cornelius Hardenbergh on Jun 24, 2011 9:47 AM EDT up reply actions

Well I was thinking more in terms of the Richards trade...

Voracek was a result of the Carter trade. Carter was more of a salary dump. Richards was more of a “we don’t want to center our team around this guy anymore” …similar to Thornton. You don’t trade your 26 year-old captain who’s signed for 10 more years just to dump salary. The Flyers might be in better shape though than the B’s were cause they have still have tons of talent still there to fall back on for next year (Giroux, JVR, Briere) plus they’re getting some quality prospects. However certain guys (Pronger and Briere especially) aren’t getting any younger so you gotta wonder how many years they have left with those two. I also think Richards has a lot more of the intangible things that Thornton didn’t have, especially the same age, so that might actually be a bigger loss. So I guess you can say for the Flyers in comparison to the Bruins in 05-06: bigger loss, bigger return. Richards has proven more at his age than Thornton had so it’s seemingly a bigger loss, but at the same time if these prospects Philly is getting are as good as hyped, they’ll definitely get a bigger return than the Bruins did (best thing they got out of the Thornton deal was Sturm if I recall).

by bcfan131 on Jun 24, 2011 10:08 AM EDT up reply actions

Umm

Are you forgetting Wayne Primeau?

by bruinlorr on Jun 24, 2011 10:20 AM EDT up reply actions

oddly

i really liked wayne primeau and was sad when they sent him to calgary.

Suck it, Felger!

by phonymahoney on Jun 24, 2011 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions

I think Richards was about getting him out of the locker room and not about salary. I think Carter likely was about Salary and had seen rumors they were looking to trade him, but the Richards move was more of a surprise. I do think the Flyers were looking for a leadership change-although I think the Flyers end up coming out of this move better situated than the Bruins did post Thornton.

by TCL40 on Jun 24, 2011 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions

No argument there ;-)

"Never start a fight, but ALWAYS finish it."
@TheFourthPeriod How intense with the #Bruins #Habs PO series be? || @Noctro Like K-Y Jelly lit on fire. || @TheFourthPeriod Wow. Best. Answer. Ever.
"I still say McLellan needs to roll Pavelski, Marleau, and Stetoguchi together. No one would go NEAR that line."
My Twitter

by Noctro on Jun 24, 2011 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree. Although I have seen a lot of comparisons to the Thornton trade, I think the Flyers may have gotten a better return, but I think the comparison is still kind of close.

by TCL40 on Jun 24, 2011 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions

My favorite part about this trade is...

Simmonds and Voracek aren’t even signed! They are both RFA.

by tkent on Jun 24, 2011 9:48 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs

and its not like they gained a whole lot of cap space. They also have Leino to sign and JVR, Versteeg, Carle and Coburn to contend w/ next year.

by TomServo42 on Jun 24, 2011 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions

I think they are going to let Leino go, but who knows for sure. I think they will jump through 10 billion hoops to keep JVR though-I think JVR is their future and they know it. I think Versteeg is a wash whether they keep him or lose him, I actually see him as a trading piece more than somebody they absolutely want to keep on their team.

by TCL40 on Jun 24, 2011 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Quite possibly the stupidest move ever for the Flyers.

I’m not saying Byrz isn’t a good goalie, but shit, the cap implications over the next few seasons are just ridiculous. They won’t be able to sigh/retain shit as their UFA deals expire.

by Noctro on Jun 24, 2011 12:00 PM EDT reply actions

sign/retain*

by Noctro on Jun 24, 2011 12:06 PM EDT up reply actions

to me,

signing anyone to a big, long-term contract isn’t a smart idea, but it especially isn’t if it’s a goalie, IMO.

Suck it, Felger!

by phonymahoney on Jun 24, 2011 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions

With the Flyers explosion, let’s reflect – last year, we were in a horrible cap crunch and were facing the possible trade of major pieces. Isn’t it nice not to be rosterbating right now and instead spectating as another roster shakes up?

by TomServo42 on Jun 24, 2011 12:12 PM EDT reply actions

extremely satisfying, yes

Your 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins
Hockey Blog Adventure: New Post: 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins: YES!!! (I'm also on Twitter.) GO BRUINS! (and Wild!)

by Cornelius Hardenbergh on Jun 24, 2011 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions

I honestly think that is one of the nicest things right now for the Bruins. I think this is where Chiarelli deserves some recognition. He put together a Stanley Cup winning team and did ti without putting the team into major cap issues. There will be no Bruins fire sale post SCFwin like the Blackhawks team of 2010.

And right now it looks like we are in pretty good shape for at least a couple of more seasons.

I realize Gilles won the best GM award, but if the voting was after the playoffs I think Chia wins this one running-he put together a cup team and managed the cap space well and got the pieces needed to fit inside it.

by TCL40 on Jun 24, 2011 1:07 PM EDT up reply actions

soooooooooooo satisfying

Suck it, Felger!

by phonymahoney on Jun 24, 2011 1:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Do these moves make PC look like a genius?

Everyone saw the Carter move coming once they dealt for Bryzgalov’s rights but dealing Richards too? This reeks of a full blown panic attack.

The popular wisdom following the sweep was that the Flyers were extremely banged up with a number of guys needing surgery. They had goaltending issues but the Flyers didn’t give a lot of support to any of their scapegoats.

The question is this: is the exact opposite of the path that PC took after the collapse of last year versus the Flyers? If there was ever a time to panic the Bruins 2010 off-season was the time.

Richards and Carter were large contributors to one of only 3 hockey teams ever to comeback from a 0-3 playoff series deficit. How bad could their character/influence in the locker room possibly be?

In Holmgren’s place I would have written this sweep off to a Vezina trophy winning goaltender taking his game to another level. Over the off-season, I would have made an attempt to sign Bryzgalov after July 1. (How much money did the Flyers save by securing exclusive negotiating rights to Bryzgalov until July 1). If Bryzgalov didn’t come through I would have taken a serious shot at Vokoun.

Alternately if they are interested in committing suicide by goaltending contract why not make a pitch for a goat north of the border? What do you think it would have taken to get Luongo from Vancouver? Maybe Carter, a number 8 pick and a second rounder this year, and a 1st rounder next year.

by inthemist on Jun 24, 2011 12:25 PM EDT reply actions

man i would relish Luongo coming East. Kernkraft would be his new Chelsea Dagger

by TomServo42 on Jun 24, 2011 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions

I actually think Chia probably did the best job ever of putting together a stealth cup team without murdering the cap space.

I absolutely agree though that the Bryzgalov deal reeks of panic rather than a well thought out signing.

I think Chia was wise to look for the pieces that could bring the best bang at the cheapest prices, and it paid off. I think many of the fans spent the season scratching our heads wondering just what in the world Chia was thinking, but the depth he had the patience to look for and trade for paid off. I think the Flyers probably had some time-but were worried they would lose a piece they wanted without thinking whether that piece at that price was the best move.

Only time will tell over the next couple of seasons whether this was a brilliant or suicidal move.

by TCL40 on Jun 24, 2011 1:12 PM EDT up reply actions

or, if they are getting younger with Schenn, Voracek, the #8 pick…. why not try and trade for a young goalie on the brink (Schnider sic?). Would cost a lot less $$ and would set them up for a long, future run. Bryzgolov is getting elite goalie money and there is little evidence that says he is in fact an elite goalie. The Flyers are going in two separate directions

by theDbaker on Jun 24, 2011 12:52 PM EDT reply actions

I was thinking kinda the same thing… especially after watching the re-broadcasts of the SC finals, if I was a GM in search of better goaltending I’d be talking to Vancouver about that Schnider kid…. he looked very promising to me. But for all I know they did talk and Vancouver isn’t interested, I’m just a shlub sitting at a computer

by dm440c on Jun 24, 2011 1:02 PM EDT reply actions