Flyers stockpiling Dmen? Acquired Swede from Nash.

[FlyersJoe]

Janne Niskala acquired from the Predators for Tristan Grant, an enforcer, and a seventh-round draft pick in 2009. Any fantasy impact here with Niskala?

[Shadow]

I really don\'t know anything about him, but here\'s a link that highlights some of the things he has done up to this point.

http://flyers.nhl.com/team/app/?serv...ticleid=366860

[angus]

hes actually a Finn, but born in Sweden.

Anyway, I think he is NHL ready.

[lockedge]

They should stop acquiring dmen and should just toss Bartulis into the lineup :P

[duballstar014]

I could have done without the 27th overall pick for Eminger trade...I\'d love 2 first rounders in a deep draft. ugh

[FlyersJoe]

I like the Eminger and Sbisa pickups. I think Eminger will be a player. D is more difficult to acquire via free Agency. You have to acquire them young and hope some meet or exceed your expectations.

[duballstar014]

I like Sbisa. He is a good asset. Eminger...not so much...his career stats NHL and AHL arent too impressive and have a lot of minuses.

Niskala I like the sound of as well. Not to mention Danny Syvret from Edmonton that we picked up for Potulny. I think Eminger could lose a job to Niskala or Syvret. I just really dont want to see someone like Rory Fitzpatrick again...:blink:

On a separate note...I really think we should start looking into adding Nashville as a farm organization...

[Shadow]

IcyGrail.com wrote:

I like the Eminger and Sbisa pickups. I think Eminger will be a player. D is more difficult to acquire via free Agency. You have to acquire them young and hope some meet or exceed your expectations.

I agree. Did the Flyers overpay for Eminger? At first glance, sure. But what if a change of scenery is exactly what he needs to start fulfilling his potential? In reality, it was an inexpensive way to take a shot at a guy who has top-4 potential. On top of that, he is NHL ready now, and will be signed cheaply.

Lets also not forget that whoever the Flyers would have drafted at that spot would have NO CHANCE to help this team for at least 2-3 years. We\'re talking about a conference finalist here who needs to upgrade the defense NOW, and with cap restraints, has to do it as cheaply as possible. Hence, the move for Eminger.

Since 1999, only 2 players taken at the #27 spot have become NHL players. That pick certainly had no chance to help the Flyers now, and the value of that pick is being severely overrated by alot of people, IMO. I think people also conveniently forget that the Flyers picked up a 3rd rounder in that deal as well.

As a sidenote, don\'t be shocked if the Flyers and Predators hookup on another deal come July 1st, with Zidlicky moving to Philadelphia. His rights can be traded at that point, and the Flyers would likely be able to fit his salary on the books.

[FlyersJoe]

On a separate note...I realy think we should start looking into adding Nashville as a farm organization...

LOL

[duballstar014]

Shadow, you make good points, and I actually considered them previously as well too. I have a hard time disagreeing with Homer because he is doing a phenomenal job...I just dont think I can see Eminger ever being a top 4...I say that right now. 6 months from now I could be singing a different tune. I was a lot more open to Coburn than Eminger...we\'ll see.

Hilarious you mention Zidlicky. Any time the Flyers make a trade, my brothers and I are always emailing back and forth for a few hrs. We literally were JUST talking about how Zidlicky needs to get called up to the Flyers...:laugh: I\'ll take it!

[Shadow]

Hey Dub,

I agree to a certain extent that it is initially an overpayment. The guy certainly isn\'t a top-4 Dman right now, so in that sense, the critics are correct. And, he may just never amount to anything, a complete bust. Only time will tell, but I just feel in the Flyers\' current situation, and taking the cap into consideration, it was a decent risk.

I agree that he is no Coburn, but it is similar in that, much like Coburn, Eminger\'s development was wasting away in another organization. The guy was a #12 pick, and is only 24 years old (maybe 25?). Its worth the risk in the Flyers\' current situation, whether it works out or not. At least that\'s how I see it.

As for Zidlicky, I have always been stunned that he is never mentioned as someone the Flyers would target. You always hear Suter or Weber, but never Zids. He is older, sure, but is top-4 ready, and at his current salary would fill a hole for the Flyers very nicely. I don\'t know if that deal is realistic or not, but it certainly wouldn\'t shock me to see it happen.

TOP-6 DEFENSE
Timonen - Coburn
Zidlicky - Parent
Jones - Eminger

That\'s assuming Hatcher is retired of course, and some of the other depth guys (Kukkonen, etc) are moved out. But I certainly wouldn\'t be unhappy with that lineup.

[duballstar014]

It\'s scary how similar your comments are lined up with me and my brothers\' discussion. We had the exact same D pairings, picked Zids to come over...just crazy.

Initially, yeah...It\'s hard to not think it\'s an overpayment. But the thing I keep telling myself is that Holmgren is a solid GM and knows what he is doing. Obviously he saw something he liked in Eminger during the playoff round against Washington.

[Shadow]

Maybe I\'m your long lost brother? Momma always said I was left at the door by Gypsies :P

I guess the thing with Eminger that bothered me was how much alot of my fellow Flyers fans were bashing the deal. As if the #27 pick was some million dollar coin, only to be used to land Bouwmeester or something. Too many fans need a reality check sometimes.

It doesn\'t mean the Eminger deal will end up being a good one, but its not as if the Flyers mortgaged their future to get him. The kid has ability, and I would go as far as to say that he has NO LESS ability than anyone they could have picked at that spot. But I\'ve said enough on that subject B)

I trust Holmgren, and I trust our scouts. To this point, they have done a remarkably good job in such a short time. And let\'s face it, some deals are going to work, and some aren\'t. I don\'t care how good a GM you are, that\'s just the nature of the beast. Whether its drafting, trading or signing a FA, there is always a chance it will be a failure. I just think sometimes people are too quick to judge things, and are too reactionary with their initial opinions.

[duballstar014]

Maybe you are! haha

The thing that scares me most about the Eminger trade is something that happened pretty recently...just hard for me to shake...

At the 2003 NHL draft, the following trade happened...

Dallas trades #28 overall pick (Corey Perry) to Anaheim for #36 pick (Vojtech Polak) and #54 pick (BJ Crombeen)

Just because it\'s a late pick in the 1st round doesnt mean you should write that player off. The 2003 draft was pretty damn deep (maybe one of the deepest all time) and this 2008 draft was fairly deep. If I had to go back and do it over again, I\'d like to grab as many 03 first rounders as I could. OH WAIT. The Flyers have the most already (3) B)

Using that logic, I\'d like two 08 first rounders if I had the choice...

[Shadow]

Oh yea, I certainly don\'t mean to imply that the #27 holds no value. All draft picks are assets, and you never know when you are going to find a gem. That pick could easily end up being a superstar, and Eminger could totally bust. I\'m just saying it could also just as easily go the other way too, and some Flyers fans (not you) need to relax a bit, and let this kid show us what he can do.

I just think you have to look at two things in particular when concerning the Flyers and any deals that they make. 1)Salary Cap, and 2)They are no longer rebuilding.

If the Flyers were in a better cap position, then there would be no need to look at a guy like Eminger. Just go sign a Campbell or whatever and go with it. Or package that pick with whatever and make a deal for a stud. But the reality is that they aren\'t in a position to do that, unless they can clear quite a bit more salary, so you\'re left taking a shot at potential with a young guy like Eminger. It is what it is.

It would also be an extremely questionable move had the Flyers just missed the playoffs, and were clearly still far away from contending. You don\'t give up draft picks if that\'s the case. You roll the dice on a prospect and hope he\'s ready to be a player in 3-5 years. But Philly was a conference finalist, with a good young core in place, so you would like to fill those holes on your roster more quickly. So, when up against the cap, and no draft pick available to step in and help immediately, you are left with what the Flyers did.

Honestly, the only other thing that would have made sense to me, would have been to move Carter for a Dman. But of course, I would then have to hear all the Flyers fans moaning in 2-3 years about how we gave up another good young player who blossomed. Patrick Sharp and Justin Williams send their regards