Question:

[dondo]

What happened since last season that has brought you guys from the WHL Final to struggling to make the playoffs this season. Did you lose a bunch of players or a couple of real leaders? Is the Eastern Conference that much more competitive?

I'm not trying to be an *ss here. I'm actually curious what the fans thoughts are on this situation.

[moon]

What happened since last season that has brought you guys from the WHL Final to struggling to make the playoffs this season. Did you lose a bunch of players or a couple of real leaders? Is the Eastern Conference that much more competitive?

I'm not trying to be an *ss here. I'm actually curious what the fans thoughts are on this situation.

The loss of Sbisa really hurt because even with him there would have been some real issues with the bottom half of the defense and without him it left the team with really 3 WHL calibre defensemen to start the season. So early on there was a lot of trying to get by with a really sub-par defensive group.

The team started to really turn it around going in to December and then lost Boychuk and Metsola to the WJHC, Bancks and others to injury and Theriau to the Under-17. It left the team without its top two centers (and probably two most important forwards) and with only 14-16 players left to dress. The resulted in the 8 game losing streak.

There are other issues with last year the team getting a lot of puck luck and this year they get none at all.

I think once everyone is back the team will comfortably fit in to the 4-5-6 slot and give whomever they play a tough time in the opening round series.

After this post I imagine you will be bombarded with posts telling how bad Dyck is so I thought I would try to give you some other responses before the "Dyck sucks" responses come in.

[shushu]

The loss of Sbisa really hurt because even with him there would have been some real issues with the bottom half of the defense and without him it left the team with really 3 WHL calibre defensemen to start the season. So early on there was a lot of trying to get by with a really sub-par defensive group.

The team started to really turn it around going in to December and then lost Boychuk and Metsola to the WJHC, Bancks and others to injury and Theriau to the Under-17. It left the team without its top two centers (and probably two most important forwards) and with only 14-16 players left to dress. The resulted in the 8 game losing streak.

There are other issues with last year the team getting a lot of puck luck and this year they get none at all.

I think once everyone is back the team will comfortably fit in to the 4-5-6 slot and give whomever they play a tough time in the opening round series.

After this post I imagine you will be bombarded with posts telling how bad Dyck is so I thought I would try to give you some other responses before the "Dyck sucks" responses come in.
j/k.......... your post pretty well sumed up this year to a T.....but you left out one important note....roy suck also...................... ;)

[HURRICANE'S ROCK]

Moon is right but the puck luck is not there because the effort is not there. You make your own luck with hard work. I think the team just thought it was gonna be easy. The team effort is just not there. Too many players at pro camp and they came back in dribs and drabs and changed the team chemistry and line combos. We seem to have diiferent players and line combos every couple of games with a lot of injuries. Right now we have 12, thats right 12 players who were not on the team last year.
Then playing 4 games in 5 nights with 2000km travel and 14 skaters was just too much to ask of anyone. The beating we took there has shattered team confidence and they just continue to lose. Also our backup goalies play collapsed when Metsola was away.
Strange year so far. We lost like 8 of 10, then won 8 in row and 10 out of 12 once we had our full lineup. Now we lose 9 in row. Talk about streaky. Once we get Boychuk back from his injury and get our top 2 lines put back together we will be OK. This team still has the talent to do a lot of damage. I would not be surprised to see them go on a huge tear and make it to the East final, but beating Calgary looks like a huge task.

[O&C]

We seem to have diferent players and line combos every couple of games with a lot of injuries.


Nailed it.

[Gamer]

You are bang on. I dont think we have ever had any real consistent lines. And when we do get a good line going - it somehow gets split up. The boys play with someone different almost every shift - every game... how can they gel or have any chemistry! I feel for the boys... they are the ones bearing the burden of an unstable coach, GM and Board of Directors. They are the ones who have to deal with the losses.. dont give me this crap that they dont care! Most DO!!! I give them credit - I dont think I would show up to work if I had this GM and Coach as my boss!!

[HURRICANE'S ROCK]

I have never seen so many players move in and out of our line-up due to pro camps, trades, injuries, tournaments etc. It is like a different team every few games. If this stops and we get 4 lines and 3 Dmen pairings going things will change quick. We could realistically win our next 4 games this week. They are all 4 pointers in the conference and could put us right back in the hunt in one week.
I agree though that if we lose all 4 or even 3, a change behind the bench will have to happen.

[LHF]

Too many players at pro camp and they came back in dribs and drabs and changed the team chemistry and line combos.

Sorry, but I disagree with your comment. All the guys that came back from pro camps expected to. So they were not disappointed. Not very many guys play in the NHL when they are only 18 or even 19. I do however agree with the other things you said.

I also think Sbisa will be back, which is why Roy didn't make a move for a d-man before the trade deadline. (Or, maybe it's just me hoping). I don't know why he didn't make a move for a goalie though. We won't go anywhere if Metsola gets hurt.

[loudi94]

I also think Sbisa will be back, which is why Roy didn't make a move for a d-man before the trade deadline. (Or, maybe it's just me hoping). I don't know why he didn't make a move for a goalie though. We won't go anywhere if Metsola gets hurt.
As frustrated as I am with what's happened, if Sbisa comes back, this team instantly becomes a contender. How crazy is that?

[dondo]

Thanks guys

It never ceases to amaze me how a team on the top in the WHL can lose a player here and there and become ordinary. Sounds like in spite of poor coaching and GM, the boys played their hearts out last season.

HR is right that you crate your own puck luck and hard work can pull a team out a slump by creating better chances, but its also true that some years the puck goes in pretty damn easily and the next raft of games you can't buy a goal. Sp puck-luck is a fleeting commodity that you increase its probability by hard work, but never guarantee it.

I have to say I love Dub fans, most of them are knowledgeable and willing to talk about the negatives as well as the positives of their teams, with detail and thoughts on how to make it better.

Having players shifting from line to line has become one of my personal irritants as hockey is a team game and chemistry is very important, but these coaches that keep moving guys around to get something working is fine to begin with, but when a line has success and then are broken up the next game makes no sense to me. Its almost become a game with some coaches to detriment of their team and their boys who never get to climb to that next level playing with compatible teammates.

[Bocephus]

Jan 12 story on Sbisa status.
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/flyers/20090112_Ed_Moran__Rookie_defenseman_Sbisa_has_ear ned_his_spot_with_Flyers.html

[HURRICANE'S ROCK]

Here we go again. Just when it appeared we would have a full team, 2/3 of our top line will not play the next 2 games. Boychuk is still hurt and Ashton gone to prospects game. Ross also hurt so only dressing 5 Dmen and 9 or 10 forwards. When are we gonna have a full team for more than 1 game at a time????? Also where is all this depth Stasiuk keeps talking about??

[O&C]

Ross will play either tonight or tomorrow. So the D is taken care of. But I dont understand why they dont call up Reners for the trip b/c of Ashton leaving. Come on Roy!!

Once again, we have to send another one of our players away before a big trip...

[Bocephus]

Great photoshop O&C.
You just made my day.

[O&C]

Great photoshop O&C.
You just made my day.

Hahah....yaaaa, I was really bored the other day. :laugh:

[Bocephus]

Sbisa is a healthy scratch tonight.
Please return him. PLEEEEEEEESE!

[O&C]

Its OVER! Its finally over! Kyle Beach...... need i say more?


Oh and to make the night even sweeter, my Oilers beat up on the Ovechkins :D

[Jake]

The team has actually been dressing 6 d-men, they're just not playing Castro much if at all.

Ross was in the lineup tonight as well.

[localguy]

The team has actually been dressing 6 d-men, they're just not playing Castro much if at all.

Ross was in the lineup tonight as well.

Castro hasn't played d all year, with the exception of one or 2 games he has been 4th line. Jut still listed as a d-man on the whl site.

[HURRICANE'S ROCK]

Sbisa is a healthy scratch tonight.
Please return him. PLEEEEEEEESE!

He is as good as back in a Canes jersey!!!!!!!

[O&C]

He is as good as back in a Canes jersey!!!!!!!

Yes but lets not forget about the most important question.....what number will he wear?

[Jake]

Castro hasn't played d all year, with the exception of one or 2 games he has been 4th line. Jut still listed as a d-man on the whl site.

Which is a strange approach when you're only dressing 5 other potential defensemen. Apparently they've written him off as a d-man?

[O&C]

Just thought I would let everybody know that Luca once again was a healthy scratch last night as the Flyers took on the Lightning. I just wish that they would make a decision already instead of making him sit around so much. My guess is that they are looking to trade some of their salary away before they make the move to send Luca back down to the Canes.

Ps.
If he comes back....he will be the best payed person in the entire WHL!! Hahah, could be weird working for a coach and GM who make less than a quarter of your yearly salary.

[Bocephus]

Just thought I would let everybody know that Luca once again was a healthy scratch last night as the Flyers took on the Lightning. I just wish that they would make a decision already instead of making him sit around so much. My guess is that they are looking to trade some of their salary away before they make the move to send Luca back down to the Canes.

Ps.
If he comes back....he will be the best payed person in the entire WHL!! Hahah, could be weird working for a coach and GM who make less than a quarter of your yearly salary.
Get real O&C. The three stooges make plenty in royalties. pbj
Woop woop woop

[dagley]

No offense Canes fans, but Sbisa isn't coming back.

[canes77]

No offense Canes fans, but Sbisa isn't coming back.

We know :( Still kept some of us hopeful all season! Esp during both losing streaks!

[loudi94]

No offense Canes fans, but Sbisa isn't coming back.

Didn't anyone ever tell you that if you have to say that, chances are you're going to offend the person you're speaking to. vc178

eg. No offense, but your breath smells like poo.

See, no way that one could not help but be offended.

[sbtatter]

Is there a deadline date after which the rules don't allow Sbisia to return?

[Big Torro]

Is there a deadline date after which the rules don't allow Sbisia to return?

I've heard a couple things. 40 games and February 10th. Maybe it is one of the combination things of either 40 games or February 10th which ever comes first. By the flyers not sending him back and making him a healthy scratch all the time, I would think they are trying to do something to keep him or if they were going to send him back they would have done so all ready. Keeping all this time as a healthy scratch where he could have been playing all this time in Lethbridge, make you think they want to keep him. I think sending him back is a last resort on Philly's part if they are unable to do all their necessary moves to meet the salary cap.

[moon]

I've heard a couple things. 40 games and February 10th. Maybe it is one of the combination things of either 40 games or February 10th which ever comes first. By the flyers not sending him back and making him a healthy scratch all the time, I would think they are trying to do something to keep him or if they were going to send him back they would have done so all ready. Keeping all this time as a healthy scratch where he could have been playing all this time in Lethbridge, make you think they want to keep him. I think sending him back is a last resort on Philly's part if they are unable to do all their necessary moves to meet the salary cap.

After 40 games he gets his full contract. He can still come back to the Canes after that but it doesn't help the Flyers in terms of his contract.

Since Sbisa is still listed as a Canes player the trade deadline doesn't stop him from coming back to the Canes.

[Jake]

40 games is the threshold for determining whether a year of free agency has been "used".

Clearly the bonehead that says Sbisa ISN'T coming back is more than a little slow on the uptake. The Flyers wouldn't have scratched Sbisa for a number of games recently if they weren't keeping a return to junior open as a salary cap strategy. Holmgren is looking at making some moves and his success or lack thereof in making the right deal will bear largely on whether Luca returns to Lethbridge.

The Flyers won't continue to scratch Sbisa indefinitely, the next week or two will be pivotal in Sbisa and the Hurricanes' season.

[grainbear]

More important than the 40 game also now counts as one year for the free agency , prior to that he maintained 7 years before he gets free agency under the players agreement

[OLDSCHOOL]

The 10-game mark: A junior-aged player with a contract can play up to nine NHL games as a trial period. If he is returned to junior before the tenth game, his contract is effectively put on hold: when he goes to training camp the following season, he will be in the first year of his contract.Once the player appears in his tenth NHL game, his contract kicks in. He can still be returned to his junior club after that. But at season's end, a full contract year will expire.

The 40-game mark: This is when the clock starts ticking on a player's free agent status. Under the 2005 collective agreement, a player are eligible for unrestricted free agency after seven years in the NHL. But if he returns to junior hockey before playing 40 NHL games, the season does not count as an "accrued season," which means it doesn't count towards free agency eligibility.So an 18-year-old rookie who plays at least 40 NHL games can become an unrestricted free agent at the age of 25. An 18-year-old who is returned to junior hockey before game 40 will not be eligible for free agency until he's 26. (Assuming both go on to become NHL regulars every season after that.)

[dagley]

Ill put money on it he isn't coming back

[LHF]

Ill put money on it he isn't coming back

Do you know something that the rest of us don't? If so please share... :confused:
clrkth

[OLDSCHOOL]

Salary cap woes could be costly to Sbisa

If all goes as planned and center Danny Briere returns to the Flyers' lineup Wednesday against Atlanta at Wachovia Center, the Flyers will have to do some roster juggling.
For defenseman Luca Sbisa, it could mean a trip back to Lethbridge, Alberta, in the Western Hockey League.

According to assistant general manger Barry Hanrahan, the Flyers would have to clear about $2 million in salary cap space for Briere to be able to play. The club can free nearly $1.9 million by sending Lasse Kukkonen ($875,000) to the AHL Phantoms and placing Josh Gratton ($411,000) and Jon Kalinski ($583,000) on the long-term injured list.

They can also send either Darroll Powe ($450,000), who has been impressive lately, or Claude Giroux ($477,000) to the Phantoms, or they can send Sbisa ($875,000) to juniors.

In the season's first few months, Sbisa made some rookie mistakes but, for the most part, played solidly. He spent some time on the first defensive pairing and was even used on the power play.

In addition, his good-natured personality and on-ice energy have played a role in helping the Flyers overcome a shaky start and emerge as an Eastern Conference heavyweight.

Sbisa's playing time, however, decreased since Randy Jones returned to the lineup Dec. 21. Sbisa was a healthy scratch in seven of 13 games, including three in a row. That is strong indication he is heading back to junior hockey. (He played three games at wing during that 13-game stretch.)

Make no mistake: Down the road, Sbisa, who will turn 19 on Jan. 30, will be a star.

"He's going to be scary-good," captain Mike Richards said.

But he needs to play regularly to continue to blossom. That leaves general manager Paul Holmgren with a difficult decision: Keep Sbisa here, where he is frequently a healthy scratch, or play him regularly in juniors.

"It's just one of the parts of the equation that we're talking about," Holmgren said of the possibility of sending Sbisa to Lethbridge. "That doesn't necessarily mean that's what we're doing."

If Sbisa went to juniors, "it causes you to think of the long-term effects," Holmgren said. "He's played close to 40 games with us now; if he went back to his junior team, he'd probably play 40 minutes a game, so is that good? . . . I think Luca is a pretty solid kid. He's more mature than his age, and he's dealt with being here very well, and whatever happens, I'm sure he'll deal with it fine."

Sbisa has learned to deal with his decrease in playing time.

"You never want to get scratched, but it's actually getting better because I kind of accept it now," Sbisa said. "The first time I got scratched, it was the first time in my career, and you think about the worst. But you just have to see the positives and keep working hard and take your chance if it comes.

"They just keep telling me to keep going, to keep my head up."

You could argue that Sbisa is more effective than Andrew Alberts and should still be one of the club's top six defensemen. But coach John Stevens hasn't seen it that way, based on his recent lineups.

[CJSenterprise4]

He has been solid for the Flyers and a pleasant surprise. They are getting Randy Jones back soon and i really would not be shocked to see him back in Lethbridge this year.

[localguy]

Do you know something that the rest of us don't? If so please share... :confused:
clrkth

No offense to Mr. Dagley, but he clearly showed with his playoff predictoins last year that he doesn't. He merely likes to stir it up. However, I too would be surprised (icredibly pleased as well) to see Luca back.

[LHF]

Stick sense
Ed Moran: With Briere returning, Sbisa falls under Flyers' salary-cap gun
By Ed Moran
Philadelphia Daily News

Daily News Sports Writer

THE FLYERS HAVE BEEN dodging salary-cap bullets all season, but it looks like that will end tomorrow. Danny Briere played his last conditioning game with the Phantoms last night, and he most likely will return to the Flyers' lineup for Wednesday's home game against Atlanta.
It could be called luck that general manager Paul Holmgren hasn't had to do anything more than waive Lasse Kukkonen twice since the start of the season - if you see injuries as luck.

Defenseman Luca Sbisa made the team and was kept from being sent back to junior hockey because of injuries to Randy Jones and Ryan Parent at the start of the season. Then when Jones was ready to return, and it looked like Holmgren was going to have to clear as much as $2 million in cap room, Briere went out with groin injuries.

But now the cap issue is upon them. There has been much speculation about what will be done, including a possible trade of a high-profile player and the return of Sbisa to juniors.

Don't look for a trade. It won't happen. With Josh Gratton and Jon Kalinski both on long-term injury, sending Kukkonen to the Phantoms will get Holmgren close to what he needs.

So close that he may even be able to keep Sbisa by sending Darroll Powe or Claude Giroux to the Phantoms. Both have played well and could make a case for the NHL. Powe has speed and determination and can mix it up. Giroux has vision and skill but gets knocked around easily.

The real question is Sbisa. He has been a healthy scratch. And he is part of a stacked defensive corps that already can't find room for Parent. Remember him? He was the centerpiece of the Peter Forsberg trade to Nashville that also brought Scottie Upshall.

Parent played 22 games with the Flyers last season and stayed through the playoffs, where he was impressive. His shoulder injury cost him a spot this season; now he is with the Phantoms.

So can the Flyers justify keeping Sbisa and leave no chance to bring up Parent?

The decision I see coming is the return of Sbisa to Lethbridge in the Western Hockey League, where he will play every game and skate huge minutes.

He's young and confident and as much as keeping him would be good for the Flyers' locker room and for Sbisa's confidence, there doesn't seem to be a better solution.

----------------------------------------

:thumb:

[grainbear]

Sbisa stays on the fence, as Briere will now be another 2 weeks minimum as he has exploratory surgery on the groin. How can a manager continue to leave someone like Sbisa for an insurance play is beyond me , it is obvious that this is short term insurance that down the road my bite him in the butt. Like any player you can only do so much in practise so either get him in the lineup or suck it up and send him back to junior.

[Jake]

Ill put money on it he isn't coming back

Gimme some odds - I'll take that bet.

[Bocephus]

Looks like Briere is out for 4 weeks as announced today. With that much salary coming off the books I would bet Sbisa isn't returning. Of course I can check everyday and hope but Briere's large salary seemed to the glimmer of hope us fans were holding on too.
Of course, we can also take the approach of why keep him in the NHL if he is going to be a healthy scratch most nights.

[caniac # 2]

Ill put money on it he isn't coming back

good thing we didnt bet about sbisa coming back he is baaaack baby !!

have a good one !! :laugh:

[Bocephus]

Oh dagley. Anymore prognosticating for us to look forward too? :thumb: