Grossman Signs Extension

[Hatch]

Ten points a season, I agree it's not flashy at all but it's not his job to put up points. Also, in the 20 somewhat games he has worn the Orange and black, he has put up six points and shown some competency pinching But this is not the point I'm making. i'm not sure how old you are but remember Rod Langway from the Caps? He won a norris trophy being a stay at home, net clearing physical force. Now, I'm not comparing Grossmann to Langway but he is the lower tier brand of that player. Langway is also a HofFer if I'm not mistaken. In today's market, with these accomplishments, I guarantee Langway is a 6mil per defenseman. At 3.5, he is a pretty good signing and one that is delivering for this team. Remember a month back you all wanted Luke Schenn? I see him up here enough to have a bit of credibility. He is making more than Grossmann and is on the bench, giving the puck away and not nearly the physical force. Holmgren made a swift and savvy deal here, I believe in this system Grossman can put up 15-20 in a good season. No accident Bryz has been much better with this guy clearing the sight lines for him-so there is a bit of an impact around IMO.

I will agree with you on cost saving. In this league, there is no such thin as saving, only great deals and this is a solid one!

I never said it was his job to score points. That's what I said was it was a solid signing, but I have to stop short of calling it a great, shrewd type of signing. I like it, I'm happy so let's all just relish the fact that we have what appears to be the big, physical defenseman we've wanted and needed for the next few years!

[MMC1710]

With this signing....which I'm estatic about....does that mean Matt Carle is not coming back?

[phillyeaglesman]

With this signing....which I'm estatic about....does that mean Matt Carle is not coming back?

not necessarily, but i believe it does.


carle will get a top dollar offer from someone somewhere, and the flyers simply shouldn't pay him that kind of money.

[Randall Stevens]

Really curious what everyone on here would do if they were GM with the #5 and #6 defense spots this offseason. New thread!

[TheRuckus]

Trade Mez for whatever, keep Carle.

[Randall Stevens]

I'd honestly try a low risk-high reward move, try and steal Luke Schenn for cheap, and develop him at the #6 spot for a season or two. He SHOULD devolop into a very physical version of Mez, and a solid top 4 defensemen for the next decade.

But only if you could get him cheap.

If not, I'd get a new/cheap veteran for the #5 spot. If Kubina would sign for 2 million, then he's our guy. and then let Gus/Bart alternate at #6.

[zrvoff]

This is great news

[StryderSox]

Lets take a peek into next season for a moment before we focus on the playoffs.....

Flyers Top 4 D Pairing

Coburn + Grossmann
Timonen + Pronger/Suter (if we can sign him)

[Hatch]

I'd honestly try a low risk-high reward move, try and steal Luke Schenn for cheap, and develop him at the #6 spot for a season or two. He SHOULD devolop into a very physical version of Mez, and a solid top 4 defensemen for the next decade.

But only if you could get him cheap.

If not, I'd get a new/cheap veteran for the #5 spot. If Kubina would sign for 2 million, then he's our guy. and then let Gus/Bart alternate at #6.

Well, a couple comments on Schenn. Since they traded Aulie at the deadline I would tend to think that Schenn isn't as available as he may have been earlier this year. Secondly, if you want to trade for him under the premise that you project him as a top 4 in a few years I'm not really sure how cheap you can get him for. I would assume Toronto is thinking the same things about him. Komisarek hasn't been what they thought they were getting so to me that means Schenn is probably more valuable to them right now.

I'm not opposed to getting him, I just think in this case it would cost more than we want to give up.

But without getting into all the capology right now, I think the defense looks like this next year:

Kimmo/Suter
Coby/Grossmann
Mez/ Gus-Bart-Bourdon

Lilja #7

To get Suter we'd be committing to getting something on the cheap for the #6 spot for sure. If I got Suter I would very much be inclined to try to trade Mez to Burke and see if a package along those lines could get us Schenn. Let Schenn sit at the #5/6 pair and see what the potential is for a Decemberish Pronger return. I like Mez, just don't love him so I'd rather work the future potential with Schenn at that point.

Even if it looks like Pronger can come back, relying on him to be a Top 4 guy is a mistake...we need to pick up a legit top 4 guy to replace him and consider his presence back there a bonus.

[TheRuckus]

http://www.broadstreethockey.com/201...ee-agency-2012

http://thehockeyguys.net/matt-carle-vs-ryan-suter/

http://www.broadstreethockey.com/201...are-matt-carle

These might be TL;DR and heavy on obscure advanced metrics (especially the first link), but the upshot of each one is that Ryan Suter really isn't that much of an upgrade over Carle.

[ryguy553]

Wow a lot of people are down on Mez which is surprising. I know he got hurt but last season he was arguably our best defenseman. Why the sudden rush to trade him?

[TheRuckus]

As good as Mez was last year, he was kind of lousy even when healthy this season. It's mostly cap crunch though, at least for me. I'd much rather keep Carle, and Mez is the only trade candidate on the blue line that makes any sense.

[delfinko]

I'd honestly try a low risk-high reward move, try and steal Luke Schenn for cheap, and develop him at the #6 spot for a season or two. He SHOULD devolop into a very physical version of Mez, and a solid top 4 defensemen for the next decade.

But only if you could get him cheap.

If not, I'd get a new/cheap veteran for the #5 spot. If Kubina would sign for 2 million, then he's our guy. and then let Gus/Bart alternate at #6.

I don't want Kubina back. Maybe I'm alone in this, but he's just slow and I have not really been impressed at all. I just don't see him having much left right now, how much would he have this time next year?

[MMC1710]

The defenseman the Flyers have assembled (not including Pronger) are good...but I watch this team play, and it became evident when Grossman was out, and their physical play just disappears....

I get the feeling that Kubina is here to just play out the year so he can move back to a FLA team....Timonen is getting long in the tooth....Carle & Coburn makes mistakes that just seem to get magnified....Bourdon and Gustufsson are young and still learning....Meszaros, I think has been battling this back issue for most of the season and thats why his play has been so-so....

I don't see Carle or Suter being $5-6 million a year players....Carle is good for 35-40 points a year....Suter is good for 35-45 points a year....Both have benefitted from players they've been paired with - Suter with Weber and Carle with Pronger....

Sentiment says to bring him back....but at the expense of losing what? You could weaken another part of the team because we can't "afford" the contract(s)....

[TheRuckus]

Kubina is a mortal lock to leave. He's old and there's no room in the budget for him. Purely a rental.

There's a lot riding on Pronger's health and potential changes under the new CBA - both things we're not going to have concrete answers on for a while.