Fuck the Homeless (most of them anyway)

Considering I work in a field that offers very little in the way of job security, the title of this post could, in a few years, easily be changed to “Fuck Me”. Anywhoo, if you should happen to be a pathetic bleeding heart liberal you may want to avert your eyes from what I am about to post. You also, may want to consider growing the hell up and getting a clue about the world you live in.

I am well aware that our system of goverment, healthcare, and also the decay of the family unit has failed many of those who are on the streets. I am not talking about them. I am however talking about the other ones. The ones who failed themselves and their support systems. The ones who have taken every chance and 2nd chance they have ever gotten and pissed it away. Make no mistake, our society, even as fucked as it is, affords all of us ample opportunity to get our shit together. (this is the part where you, the reader takes time to reflect on your own failures).

Liberals will point to the economy. I will point to drug addicts who’s families had every right to turn their backs on junkie relatives. Liberals will counter with something to the effect of how the homeless junkie never had a chance cause he came from the ghetto, or from a broken home, or both. Thats what liberals do. They make excuses instead of demanding accountability. (thats some deep shit right there people. Breathe that in)


Think about it folks; if a close friend or relative was down on their luck and faced with the real possibility of being homeless, wouldn’t you open your door to them? Give them the spare bedroom, the couch, the garage, the floor? (If not, thats messed up, but for sake of argument lets operate under the assumption that you are not a piece of shit.)

Seriously, am I wrong to assume that many of these homeless people had relatives and/or friends help them out and give them some kind of assistance until they got ‘back on their feet”? I dont think so. Some people took advantage of the helping hand they were given and got their shit together while others just took advantage.(I’m spinnin’ pearls here son, you gettin’ this?)

When political types lack funding they always like to bring up “grass roots” like “this problem needs to be fixed at a Grass Roots level, meaning from the bottom up. Build a solid foundation.

“Our Roots must balance our branches”; Jesse Leach from Times of Grace

If you truly care about fixing the homeless problem you need look no further than your own home. Raise your kids right. I know its tough in this pussified politically correct society, but demand accountability from your kids, and from yourself. Stop looking to fix problems on distant shores and get your own house in order. Resist the urge to look in your neighbor’s backyard when what you should really be doing is looking in the mirror.

The realist in me knows with great certainty that some spare change, some blankets, and bleeding heart empathy wont solve anything. The only purpose such things serve is help you get a guilt free night’s sleep.

The optimist part of me has hope for humanity, hope that all of us can exact some sort of change within ourselves that one day will lead to greater things for us as a whole. The realist in me cant help but think that the horse may already be out of the barn on this one.

Winger Kris Versteeg a Flyer for (2) 2011 draft picks

Tonight around 6pm, TSN.CA's Bob McKenzie broke the news via Twitter that the Flyers had traded 2 draft picks in the 2011 NHL Entry draft to the Toronto Maple leafs in exchange for 24 year old RW Kris Versteeg.

Flyers' fans are familiar with the 5'10 180 pound winger from last year's Stanley Cup finals when Versteeg tallied 5 points and was a +3 in 6 games as a key member of the World Champion Chicago Blackhawks. Following the season the Lethbridge Alberta native was shipped north of the border to the Leafs as the Hawks roster was decimated in order to fit within the construct of the NHL's 2011-12 salary cap.

Versteeg, in my opinion is very much a core type player. Dont be fooled by the fact that he has moved around a bit here in the last year. As I mentioned, Chicago was in a unique predicament and his departure was due to his cap hit of 3.083 million and not his abilities. As for why Toronto would part ways with him? My guess would be that Leafs G.M. Brian Burke has some other moves he would like to make and adding the 1st and 3rd round picks from the Flyers to his arsenal were too good to pass up. The Leafs aren't going anywhere this year and Versteeg's talents were being wasted there anyway. The Leafs are in dire need of a superstar and to be quite honest, their fans deserve it. This deal and the assets they have added may just help them toward that end.

Now, as for why Kris Versteeg is worth 2 high draft picks...He is a very skilled and talented 2-way forward capable of playing both on the power play and the penalty kill units. As I mentioned previously, he is only 24 years old, that along with his skill set and versatilty very much fits in with the nucleus of this Flyers team. Also this is no rental situation. He is under contract through the 2011-12 season and will still only be eligible for restricted free agent status after that. Meaning he would still remain under Flyers control beyond next season if the oraganization so chooses.

This season while playing for the lowly Leafs he posted 14 goals, 21 assists in 53 games and projects for 21 goal 31 assist season. Throw out his -13 on a bad Toronto squad as he is a career +22 player otherwise. He also plays the game with an edge that Philly fans will enjoy.

If you can't tell by now, I am very much in favor of this move. I have liked Versteeg for some time and am thrilled to finally get the opportunity to see him in a Philadelphia sporting his #32 sweater. I m exited not just because of who Versteeg is as a player but because I really believe that he, moreso than any player available, will fit perfectly onto this roster and into this locker room.

Ahh...#32...Murray Craven...Daniel Lacroix...Kris Versteeg. Anybody got any other former Flyers' number 32's?

76ers tame T'wolves 107-87 to climb within 2 games of .500 mark

Trap game. That is what this game had written all over it. In the past this Sixers team would most likely have suffered a let down just one night removed from their emotional upset victory of the Spurs  They shook off a somewhat sluggish start, refused to fall into the trap, and managed to win a road game going away 107-87 vs the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves (13-41).

Up 54-50 at the half the game had the look of one that could go either way. The Sixers took control in the 3rd quarter and once the lead reached double digits you never really got the feeling that the Wolves had enough in the tank defensively to get the stops needed to forge any semblance of a comeback.

Behind improved performances by Andre Iguodala, Lou Williams, and Jodie Meeks the Sixers found themselves with a comfortable lead midway through the 4th quarter. 7 Players scored in double figures but make no mistake, the star of the game for Philadelphia was Thad Young, who pumped home 18 points on 9 for 13 shooting. Thad finished the game with a game high +26. That was good for 6 points better than rookie Evan Turner who was solid with 9 points, 8 boards and 4 assists in a 32 minute run.

Next up for Philly is a nice 2 day layoff before they head to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies (29-26) Tuesday @8pm.

76ers upset Spurs 77-71, handing them only their 9th loss of the season

The ever improving Sixers took another step in their development tonight when they defeated future hall of famer Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs 77-71 at the Wells Fargo Center. It marked only the 9th time all season that the Spurs were on the losing end of a game.

Jrue Holiday who had been slumping recently had a solid bounce back performance en route to 27 points and 5 rebounds. The new point forward system coach Doug Collins is running through Andre Iguodala has taken the ball out of Holiday's hands. His assists, and overall game have suffered as a result. We can only hope that tonight is a sign that Jrue has embraced the change, adapted accordingly and made the proper adjustments necessary to succeed within the framework of the offense.

Consider this, the 76ers defeated the 44-8 Spurs on a night where Andre Iguodala and Lou Williams combined for 5 of 28 shooting and had only 13 points total. This young Sixers team is not suppose to be able to win games when that happens. Elton Brand continuing his best season in Philly, only had 6 points but was a major factor as he pulled down a game high 17 rebounds and blocked 2 shots. Spencer Hawes had one of his best games of the year with 13 and 8 respectively. Thats not suppose to occur vs. the likes of Tim Duncan, DeJuan Blair, and Antonio Mcdyess but it did tonight.

Every so often teams will sneak up and win a game they aren't suppose to win. Often is the case with young teams that don't know they are suppose to roll over and play dead when the top teams come to town. Its just the nature of pro sports. But this isn't one of those such instances. This has a different feel to it. This team has been building toward this for awhile now. The confidence has been growing, 1st with the moral victories found in narrow defeats and now with outright victories against the NBA's elite.

The biggest message that should be taken from tonight's victory is that this youthful Sixers group has learned how to win the close games. How to execute down the stretch and even more impressively, how to do it against the good teams. Thats something this team will take with them long after the enjoyment of tonight's victory has worn off. Even if they fail to realize it, they will reap the benefits of such success as it leads to future successes.

That shows just how far this group has come. They once had to derive their lessons from moral victories. Now they get to enjoy actual victories, against great teams, like the San Antonio Spurs.

Monster energy drinks and the shocking oversight

My energy drink of choice is the low carb and absolute zero products put out by Monster. The company was launched out of Corona California back in 2002 and in recent years they have carved a nice spot for themselves sponsoring many athletes and events across the extreme sports landscape. BMX and motocross riders, skaters, snowboarders and the like can often be seen rockin' the big "M' somewhere on their gear. Even the athletes that are under contract to rival companies, more often then not fly through the air with the Monster logo easily visible to anyone within camera shot. Product placement at it's finest. Red Bull may claim to "give you wings" but the evidence at the X-Games would suggest that Monster should lay claim to any such boast.

The folks at Hansen natural, founders of Monster energy have been in bed with both of the heavy hitters of the cola wars, Coke and Pepsi and even Anheuser Busch.to help their product be mass produced, distributed, and marketed globally. With access to the marketing and advertising expertise of such giants, I found the following oversight to be both shocking and unforgiveable.

As a 2 can per day Monster energy drink junkie I always have my fridge stocked. Other than my junk, Its the 1st thing I reach for each and every morning as I try to find the strength to do battle with the world that awaits outside my door. Now, I fancy myself as a pretty perceptive cat(although my girlfriend claims I didn't notice the new kitchen mat for nearly a month although I believe I did notice it at some point, but my mind, in efforts to protect me from the trauma, blocked out the memory since the mat was valentine's day themed and had a big gay red heart on it).

Anyway, I'm pretty good at spotting the IMPORTANT things like other people's flaws, mistakes, shortcomings, etc., its a gift I know, so I could not help but notice the egregious error made in the manufacturing of this particular Monster Energy can. As I mentioned it was morning so I was multitasking. Shaving, take a sip, shave some more, take another sip. You get the picture. There I am in front of the mirror, can in hand, sweet nectar of life about to touch my lips when I notice that the opening from which I am drinking, the only opening,  is located on the exact same side of the can as the only big Monster "M" on the entire can!

How can they allow this to happen. If this were my company, the marketing and advertising execs responsible for this travesty would find themselves out of work quicker than Tony Hawk's hips rotated during his groundbreaking 900 at the X-Games. The thought of anyone drinking a Monster with only the nutritional info being visible to onlookers might just be the biggest black eye for ad executives since Reebok gambled and lost on Dan & Dave striking gold multiple times at the 1992 summer olympics.

Whats next, McDonald's thinking its a great idea to make people read the fat content of a Big Mac before letting them purchase one?

My shock is derived from the society in which we live. There was an era when Times Square in Manhattan(or anywhere in Tokyo for that matter)  was a true sight to behold. A jolt to the optic nerve. The flashing lights, the branding, the total saturation of product placement was almost too much to comprehend. It needed to be seen more than once to fully appreciate it(you know, like the Usual Suspects?). We are not in THAT era anymore. Ads are everywhere. We are constantly under siege as Madison ave does all it can to ensure that we can't so much as wipe our asses without hearing Mr Whipple's voice telling us to not squeeze the Charmin.

So, my disbelief stems from the basic question of "how the hell did they overlook such a simple thing?" I mean somewhere somehow someone went to all the trouble of printing ambulance backwards on an ambulance so we could read it in our mirrors. You know, cause the sirens and big flashing lights aren't enough for some retards to realize they need to get the hell out of the way. So how do you manufacture a can of Monster and not have the logo facing out for the world to see? Its just inexcusable. Seriously, next time you watch a commercial for anything take notice. If its a Doritos commercial I guarantee you that the hippee stoner lookin' dude on the couch with the munchies chowin' down will have the side of the bag with the name on it facing the camera.

I am a fan of Monster and therefore want it to do well. Much the same way I go out and actually buy cds from my favorite Heavy Metal bands and go to their shows. For the selfish reason of keeping them prospering and thus easily accessible to me.

Hope that you all understand.

Blog version 2.0 redux preview

I generally will only post here when I feel passionate about a specific topic, idea, or concept. If you follow this blog you will most often find yourself reading about sports, entertainment, politics, and whatever other diversions that "The Man" is using to keep us occupied and without focus. Haha!


I will also use this blog to post about things that irk me. As I age I have found that the list just grows longer. So, to avoid an aneurysm, I will vent here from time to time.

Example; We (my live in girlfriend Laura and I) found this (almost) perfect pub. I made the observation that they kept the place too bright. She loved the place as did I, but I for some reason, unbeknownst to me, lack the desire and ability to ignore just how close the owners had come to achieving perfection, only to fall short due to their choice of setting on the dimmer switch. As a bar biz worker for the past 17-18 years I found it to be negligence of almost a criminal nature. Needless to say, Laura, while I believe sharing my opinion, did not come close to sharing my passion and disdain for such an oversight.

This, according to my significant other, is my biggest character flaw. I have this ability to find the negative even in the most positive of circumstances. I see her point but in my opinion I am just more observant than others. I am not a sheep. I feel it is my duty to point out flaws, mistakes, descrepencies, omissions, and random acts of ignorance and/or stupidity. And so what if I am constantly pointing out how things can be made better? After all I am only doing so in an effort to make my little fraction of the world more enjoyable to me.

Oh well. In my quest to keep Laura around to be my wife one day I figure I had better spread my neurotic thoughts amongst the masses and spare her the anquish of being the lone member of my support group.

Join me. Won't you?

Phillies season over; question for you to answer

2 minutes after midnight as I type this. The corpse of the 2010 Phillies season is still warm and the blood has yet to dry form the fresh wound that is Ryan Howard taking a borderline strike 3 called from Giants' closer Brian Wilson, yet I have to be the 1st to ask this question...Are the Phillies going backward? Sorry thats not a question, it is indeed a fact. The evidence is plain as day. 2008 was a World Series title. 2009 was a World Series loss, and now 2010 the Fightins' dont even qualify for the fall classic. That is regression.

Not one Phillies' regular had a career year. Some of that can be attributed to injury no doubt. But seriously, did this team ever find it's offense? I think we all know the answer to that one.

I will have a much bigger write up about this topic in the near future but I am interested to hear what you guys think the future holds for this team. Utley, Howard, Ruiz, Victorino and the big 3 of Halladay, Hamels, and Oswalt should be safe but aside from them ,this roster could see some serious upheaval in the next 12-18 months.

Thought?

Eagles open pre-season tonight vs. Jacksonville

Tonight, @7:30 in South Philly the Birds open their 2010 preseason slate against the Jaguars. Its the 1st exhibition game which, in years past meant don't blink or you might miss the starters. Of course years past included seasoned vets like McNabb, 36-West, and B-Dawk. Proven NFL commodities whose only goal in such contests was to avoid injury.

This preseason for all intents and purposes should by all means be different. The Eagles' roster is choc-full of question marks and unprovens. These games will undoubtedly have more impact on the final roster and depth chart than in any preseason since 1998 when Andy Reid 1st arrived on the scene.

I know most writers when writing a piece such as this will include a list of "top 5 players to watch" etc. but in reality I find it to be an absurd concept given the fact that the entire Eagles team warrants our full attention. So much is to be decided before the September 12th opener that the wife or girlfriend shouldnt call you crazy for still paying close attention come the 4th quarter tonight.

Keep in mind that the NFL season, moreso than any other pro-league schedule is truly a war of attrition. Sure some of the players scampering around the field will be bagging groceries this fall but some of them just might be integral pieces to this team's success before the seasons over and even more are likely to get their feet wet this year before ascending to bigger roles in the years ahead. Recent Eagles' history bears out that concept. Management likes to promote from within and have heir apparents on the roster, waiting in the wings for their chance like redshirt freshmen waiting for the upper classmen to graduate, or in the Eagles' case, turn 30 years old.

The naysayers in their shortsightedness will suggest that the Bird's season will be lost if they are forced to rely heavily on players who currently reside further down on the depth chart. The educated Eagles' fan will recognize that because of this team's youth that the depth chart has most likely been written in pencil or dry erase marker, not ink.

Kovalchuk signs with NJ; Flyers deal Gagne to Tampa

As I wrote here previously, once Kovalchuk chose a team that the NHL could get back to business. Illya chose the Devils and immediately after, the Flyers and Lightning got together on a trade that sent LW-Simon Gagne to Tampa in exchange for D-Matt Walker and a 2011 4th round pick. This deal gets Philadelphia almost 1.3 million under the salary cap with 13 forwards, 8 defensemen, and 2 goalies.

L.A. was rumored to be interested in Gagne. Supposedly the Kings wanted to pair the defensively responsible Gagne with the offensively minded Kovalchuk. When Kovy spurned them today to sign with the Devils, that left Tampa as the Flyers dance partner.

For the record, I do not like this deal. So far Homer has made 2 separate deals with new Lightning GM Steve Yzerman. The sum of those 2 trades netted the Flyers 2 defensemen in Andrej Meszaros, Matt Walker, and a 2011 4th rounder in exchange for Simon Gagne and a 2012 2nd round pick. How does that sound? Discuss...

Flyers re-sign Dan Carcillo to 1 year deal

For a short while it appeared that this deal would not get done. I am more a fan of Carcillo than most so I am relieved this situation has finally been resolved. The recently re-opened Arron Asham negotiations would appear to be closed with now both Carcillo and free agent addition Jody Shelley on the roster.

I still believe that Asham brings more to the table than Shelley and would most likely do so while earning less than what the Flyers gave Shelley.

http://flyers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=534298

New Flyer Nikolai Zherdev

Reports suggest his deal is for a very cap friendly 2 million. Here is a sample of what that 2 million will get Flyers fans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeEdhGS5cgo

Flyers officially announce Zherdev signing (link provided)

http://flyers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=534123&navid=DLPHIhome

Lebron chooses the Miami Heat

Finally. The decision is in. The dye has been cast. As for the fallout...much is soon to follow. Much has already occured  since James made his decision earlier this evening. The Knicks, having scored Amare Stoudamire, and struck out on James were able to move on. They shipped free agent power forward David Lee to the Golden State Warriors in a sign and trade deal that brings Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf, and Kelenna Azubuike to the Knicks. A good haul for New York as they attempt to rebuild their proud franchise in Coach Mike D'antoni's image.

The other teams that fell short in this process are sure to be heard from as well in the next few days as the NBA trade and free agent markets can now re-open without the Bosh-Wade-James scenarios clogging up the landscape. The Nets have already begun by adding Travis Outlaw and appear close to signing Kyle Korver. Small consolation but roster spots need to be filled even if the seats in the meadowlands are not.

The Chicago Bulls locked up free agent PF Carlos Boozer, who in my opinion is a great fit given their current roster. That being said, they GAVE Kirk Heinrich away to the Wizzards for nothing in an attempt to lure the big 3 and failed miserably. Of course hindsight is always 20-20, nothing ventured nothing gained and all that but surely thats a move they wish they could have back.

Next to New Jersey the obvious big loser in all of this is Cleveland. I stand by my opinion that the Nets have been hurt the most this offseason for 2 reasons. They trashed their roster and season so they could get the ping pong balls that would land them John Wall and the cap space to get Lebron and came up empty on both fronts. There is still plenty of time left in the offseason but for now the Nets are looking like...well, the Nets.

The Cavs still have some nice pieces like Varejao, talented young PF JJ Hickson, Jamison etc. but they obviously need to take a step back to assess things before moving forward. Building around unique superstars is never easy. We tried it here in Philly with a 6'4 power forward named Barkley. We tried it again years later with a 6'0 assassin at the 2 gaurd named Allen Iverson. When such stars leave it nearly impossible to try and maintain a level of success since the players you are left with are use to playing the role of Robin, not Batman.

A bunch of complimentary players almost never get the job done in a star driven league such as the NBA. Aside from the Detroit Pistons its not done very often. An ex-Celtic (Kevin Mchale) traded Garnett to Boston. Somehow Jerry West found it in his heart to ship Pau Gasol to Kobe and the Lakers. Now King James joins his Team U.S.A. buddies in South Beach while commisioner David Stern turns a blind eye.

While technically, teams did nothing wrong by shedding salaries the past few years in their attempts to lure the big 3, the damage that has been done to the league's integrity should not go unnoticed. So when you try to reconcile in your mind all that has happened in the last few hours, please try to understand that your love, hate or indifference should not be directed at the players or franchises involved in the proceedings, but at the NBA's leadership, through its lack of foresight to allow such a competitive balance of power to shift overnight.

Pierre Lebrun; Flyers sign Nikolai Zherdev to 1 year deal

Per ESPN's Pierre LeBrun the Flyers have indeed signed RW Nikolai Zherdev. The 1 year deal will be announced either today or tomorrow once the NHL is finished completing the transfer agreement with Russia's KHL (Kontinental Hockey League).

Quick thoughts; amazingly skilled player who so far has underachieved. Labeled an enigma, mainly because Zherdev is a 25 goal 60 point scorer whos' skill set suggests he should net 40+ goals annualy. I will reserve total judgement until we hear the terms but if the 1yr term is correct that would suggest a lower cap hit on a "prove you are matured" deal.

That being said, IF Zherdev comes in more focused and dedicated,  then in my opinion, he is worth whatever the Flyers will pay him. He is THAT good, THAT talented. A born again hard Nikolai Zherdev easily becomes the Flyers most skilled player. Bar none.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=3664&hubname=nhl

Lebron and Kovalchuk

I sit here on my birthday July 8th, amazed that we as sports fans face the real possibilty that the Lebron saga may just end before the Kovalchuk mystery is solved. Personally I find it unfair to criticize James for doing his due dilligence. Franchises have been shedding salaries for 2-3 years to just have a chance at signing the former no. 1 overall pick. Not only will his decision impact the Cavaliers, but the fanbase of each team he doesnt sign with will most likely also view him as public enemy #1 for spurning them. That, in my opinion could weigh heavily on anyone's mind, let alone a superstar with as much global appeal as King James himself.

While a superstar like Kobe has long dealt with haters, this will be Lebron's 1st foray into the land of the disliked star player. For a guy who by all accounts, has always been concerned with his brand and legacy, this cannot be an easy decision. I am sure that by now Bron Bron realizes that at the end of the day he cant please everyone so ultimately he needs to do what is best for him. Well atleast we will all find out the answer this evening on ESPN @9pm which means the finish line is in our sights. The same cant be said for Kovalchuk...

Kovalchuk is flat out holding up the NHL. By all accounts he wants to go to the LA Kings but is unwilling to compromise and take less than 10 mill per. Sorry, Kovy but in a salary capped league you cant expect to get everything you want. Sometimes you need to compromise and make the decision of what is of most importance to you. Life isnt always fair and the money is not always equal. The reports that he has gone back and forth with LA with the Kings breaking off negotiations on more than one occasion suggests that he either really wants to play there or he needs to keep them in the bidding to drive up his asking price from the Devils or any potential KHL team.

The fact that his agent Jay Grossman announced via twitter that a decision would be made this past monday the 5th and then wasnt, in my opinion really suggests that #17 wants to go to LA since on monday LA was considered out of the sweepstakes. All of the sudden no decision was made and word trickles out that the Kings jumped back in. Sounds like a last ditch effort by Kovy to milk as much dough out of LA as possible. Once again, the Kings smartly refusing to be used as leverage have come out publicly and announced that they are once again stepping back from this fiasco.

Finally, we have one player, Lebron who is overly concerned with his legacy and another player, Kovalchuk who obviously has demonstrated no regard for his.

My updated Flyers plan

Okay, so tons of rumors swirling around the Flyers this holiday weekend so I am taking the opportunity to lay out a plan that makes sense to me based on all the speculation.

part 1


Gagne to LA for Simmonds (courier post's Chuck Gormley says we want him)

straight up clears around 4.3 million

part 2

JVR and either Coburn OR Carle to Ducks for Bobby Ryan

deal would just about even up cap wise if Ryan gets around 5 mill per.

I would also try to pry Sbisa back from ANA or a pick/prospect

part 3

stash Cote and Boosh in AHL which would clear another 1.475 million.

total cap space created roughly 5.775 and add that to the 577k we are already under which would then put us around 6.3 under

Budget no more than 2.5-3.0 mill for a goalie (Turco?) and 1.5-2.0 mill to sign 1 more Winger(Guerin?)

keep the remaining cap space for flexibilty purposes.

thoughts ?

Young Goalies Flyers should inquire about

Below is a list I put together of some young promising goalies that are currently blocked at the NHL level by established net minders. I placed them in order of preferrence.


1) Jonathan Bernier LA 21yo (AHL) 30-21-6 2.03 .936 9so blocked by (Johnathan Quick) LA may choose to instead deal Quick given Bernier's elite prospect status. Plus he went 3-0 with 1.00 in the NHL after call up.

2) Jonas Enroth BUF 21yo (AHL) 28-18-1 2.37 .919 5 so blocked by (Ryan Miller) great numbers across the board and has zero shot to unseat Ryan Miller. Plus Buffalo has always been great at developing goalies.

3) Corey Schneider VAN 24yo (AHL) 35-23-2 2.51 .919 4so blocked by (Roberto Luongo) once again,   zeroshot this guy gets a chance. has been a top goalie in the AHL for 3 seasons. Canucks need to be fair and move him somewhere he can play. was a horse logging 60 gms this year plus small NHL stint.

4) Michal Neuvirth WAS 22yo (NHL) 9-4-0 2.75 .914 0 so blocked by (Varlamov and Theodore) though
he could be backup to Varlamov in 2010-11

5) Justin Peters CAR 23yo (AHL) 26-18-2 2.54 .917 1 so Cam Ward is only 26 and still has a cup on his resume'. If CAR decides to go with Peters I am sure Laviolette wouldnt mind a reunion.

6) Dustin Tokarski TAM 20yo (AHL) 27-25-3 2.51 .915 4 so (Nitty and Smith) Niitymaaki is a FA and Mike Smith is mediocre at best so this kid in my opinion is the least likely of this group to be moved since he stands a good chance of getting major playing time at the NHL level this season.

My Flyers offseason plan of attack

So here it goes. The Flyers enter this offseason with roughly 8.8 million dolars of available cap space.

1) Trade Jeff Carter (5.5mill) to LA for RW Wayne Simmonds (525,000) and G-Jonathan Bernier (765,000). Creates 4.2 million. LA already needs offense and may yet lose Alexander Frolov in free agency to make matters worse. Carter gives them another offensive force to go with Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. Bernier is potentially a stud goaltender in the near future but is blocked at the NHL level by Jonathan Quick who is only 24 and had an impressive 39 wins in 2009-10. Simmonds is only 21 and posted 16 goals and 40pts while registering an outstanding +22 in 14 minutes a game.

That leaves about 13.0 million now in cap space

2) Trade Braydon Coburn, preferrably at the draft, for a package including a pick and a Player. His play is too inconsistent for my blood. He has tremendous skill but I am not sure he will ever develop the proper insticts to warrant the dollars he will seek this offseason as a restricted free agent(RFA).

3) Sign either D-Anton Volchenkov or Dan Hamhuis for around 4million. Volchenkov made 3.2 million in 2009-10 and could cost closer to 5mill per so I prefer Hamhuis who made 2.5 and could be had for around the 4.2 you cleared in the Kings deal.

So now we are down to roughly 9.0 million or so left in cap space.

4) Sign D-Carlo Colaiacovo or Jordan Leopold for 2.5-3.0 million. Colaiaocovo had 32pts and was a +8 while earning a modest 1.4 million this past season in St. Louis. Leoplold had an impressive 11 goals from the point while spending the year with both the Panthers and Penguins. He made 1.75 million.

Now we should be near 6.0 million left in cap space

5) Sign RW-Bill Guerin for 1yr-2mill. I have long wanted to see Guerin in the orange and black. He is 39 and can add toughness and skill to any of the teams top 3 lines. He posted 21 goals with 11 being on the powerplay and had 45 pts while earning every penny of his 2 million dollar salary. My guess is we might have to up the ante to get him out of Pittsburgh. Thats assuming the Pens plan to retain him.

This should leave Flyers with 3.5-4.0 million left to re-sign their own restricted free agents

D-Ryan Parent (765k in 2009-10) 900k?

LW-Dan Carcillo (938k in 2009-10) 1.2?

C-Darroll Powe (532k in 2009-10) 700k?

The above moves dictate no need to re-sign any of our own UFA's so let them all leave.

RW Aaron Asham : Good contributor but Simmonds and Guerin render him expendable.

D Lukas Krajicek : Did a nice job but my above mentioned free agent plan is a definite upgrade.

G Michael Leighton : In an Ideal world I would bring him back at a modest number and have him split time with my newly aquired Bernier while we figure out which one is the real deal.

G Ray Emery : His career threatening degenerative hip condition make this decision an easy one. Its a shame we never got to see what he could have accomplished with this team for a full season and postseason.

So, there you have it. A blend of youth, ascending mid twenties defensemen, and a grizzled veteran leader with cup titles on his resume. Its not my dream scenario but it is a scenario that in my opinion is possible given the nature of the salary cap. It is also a scenario that I believe would put this team in great position to make another run at Lord Stanley's cup.

Gil Brandt chimes in with his best available

http://www.nfl.com/draft/story?id=09000d5d817b78c8&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true

NFL Draftscout's best available

CBS sports' NFL draft scout page has posted thier best remaining available players as we enter rounds 2 and 3 of the draft this evening.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/story/13276994?tag=coverlist_active;coverlist_footer