Value of: Sean Couturier

[Pantokrator]

Couturier has negative value right now. No one would touch that contract unless the Flyers kept half of it and added prospects/picks, and even then the cap hit is for so long, I can't see anyone doing it with the risk he is health wise.

 

[GCK]

Couturier is unmovable.

 

[Bounces R Way]

Tough to say. Flames had to attach a 1st to Monahan to unload him for only one year. Hopefully he's not as busted up as Sean was but not likely anyone would take that on with so much term left before seeing him put in 70+ games this season. Always liked Couturier a lot, hope to see him have some more productive healthy years.

If he is fully recovered he's really not a bad guy to have around for a rebuild either. Great matchup center that plays the right way. If I was making a list of Flyers to jettison he'd be pretty low.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

He needs to play 60+ games and finish the year healthy without any lingering back issues before any conversation even begins.

 

[Flyerfan47]

Couturier has been medically cleared to play, and is expected to be ready to go when training camp opens

He'll be 31 in December, and is signed for the next 7 years at a cap hit of 7.75 million

Assuming the medical stuff checks out, is anyone taking that contract?

By the trade deadline, and when he plays mostly all those games, teams will surely come calling with bad proposals. Kevin Hayes type bad. Hope DB hangs up if they do

 

[McHelpus]

Jack Campbell

 

[Rich Nixon]

Tough to say. Flames had to attach a 1st to Monahan to unload him for only one year. Hopefully he's not as busted up as Sean was but not likely anyone would take that on with so much term left before seeing him put in 70+ games this season. Always liked Couturier a lot, hope to see him have some more productive healthy years.

If he is fully recovered he's really not a bad guy to have around for a rebuild either. Great matchup center that plays the right way. If I was making a list of Flyers to jettison he'd be pretty low.

If he's fully recovered then they unfortunately probably aren't even in a true rebuild anymore. They just become a bubble team with a bad defense.

 

[Bouboumaster]

I can't see a team rolling the dice with that type of contract...

Maybe Calgary? They are already f***ed with Huberdeau's and Kadri's contract, might as well go all in and try to make the playoffs?

 

[Bounces R Way]

If he's fully recovered then they unfortunately probably aren't even in a true rebuild anymore. They just become a bubble team with a bad defense.

Well that's most rebuilding teams honestly. Add in some bad goaltending and you're a shoe in for the bottom 6.

 

[Fire Sweeney]

Anyone outside Philly with half a brain knows he is not worth that contract. No such thing as a healthy Couturier.

 

[biturbo19]

Even without the serious health questionmarks with his back, i'm not sure that's a contract that is moveable in today's cap environment. That's a huge commitment to an aging player. Teams aren't really in the mood for taking on those kind of deals right now. Would require a whole bunch of cap swapping just to make it work for the next year or two.


But until he's able to prove that he can be healthy and productive again, it's an absolute non-starter. The contract is a huge liability as it is, but without even knowing if he can play a high level, or even stay healthy and durable at all...nobody is going anywhere near that.


It's too bad. Sucks to see good players potentially stuck and wasting away...but that's sort of the reality of it these days. Also don't feel too bad for the guy. Cashed in on his great play just in time.

 

[McJedi]

Couturier has been medically cleared to play, and is expected to be ready to go when training camp opens

He'll be 31 in December, and is signed for the next 7 years at a cap hit of 7.75 million

Assuming the medical stuff checks out, is anyone taking that contract?

How many unprotected 1sts is Philly adding?

The answer is no. No one is taking on that contract. He’s going to be LTIR for the bulk of it. And Philly recaptures the cap space to be spent elsewhere.

 

[NitroF]

If he comes back as the 2-way, 75 pts center he used to be AND puts injury doubts to bed by playing hard every games, I could very much see him getting traded.
Without injuries issue, this wouldn’t even be a bad contract as teams could live with the risk that he’d become a veteran overpaid 3C by the end of it.

 

[BackWithaVengeance]

Can't see any team being interested until he proves to be healthy again. If he can play through the 23-24 season next summer could be different.

At the end of the day the Flyers need mentors/leader for the young guys coming up. I'd be more than happy if Coots is one of them.

I'd rather look for Konecny and Laughton being traded.

 

[mr4tno]

Even if he was 100% healthy you would still need to retain 50% to get even a so-so return. Given his type of game (never on of speed), 2 back surgeries a couple of knees and the fact that he has logged heavy, hard minutes since he was 18, at best you will be lucky to 3 good years. Even if he did not have the second back surgeries, which occurred after the extension, this was CF's worse contract and second worse move (behind the Ellis trade).

All of the hopefuls will use the one or two positive examples like Kopitar, I offer all of the buy-outs the last several seasons. If you look at them too much term for older players. They should have traded him 2-3 years ago. You could see it coming, but flyers refused to plan for the future and acknowledge the rebuild.

 

[Gert B Frobe]

I used to be able to skate ok then I messed up my back and turned 50. Now I skate nice at a nice, leisurely pace once or twice a winter.

Couturier used to be an elite center in the NHL. Then he hurt his back and turned 30. Now he's not elite until he's elite again. Which is unlikely at best I suppose.

 

[Habs Halifax]

That's a 54 million dollar risk right now.

Did any fan try to say Millions of dollars don't matter to owners yet? If not, I'm surprised.

Couturier has a lot of heavy mileage on him now with his gritty style of play. Better player than Gallagher of course but I see similar age 30+ humbling years.

Flyers likely would want something in return to fit their rebuild but other teams will be like yeah, I'm not biting on that contract from 30-37. If it was age 30-34, it looks so much better.

I used to be able to skate ok then I messed up my back and turned 50. Now I skate nice at a nice, leisurely pace once or twice a winter.

Couturier used to be an elite center in the NHL. Then he hurt his back and turned 30. Now he's not elite until he's elite again. Which is unlikely at best I suppose.

Well said. If he was returning around the age of 27/28, maybe he has better probability to return to form. But man, he's got heavy mileage and there is less talent with the Flyers now. It doesn't look good

 

[Habs Halifax]

Even if he was 100% healthy you would still need to retain 50% to get even a so-so return. Given his type of game (never on of speed), 2 back surgeries a couple of knees and the fact that he has logged heavy, hard minutes since he was 18, at best you will be lucky to 3 good years. Even if he did not have the second back surgeries, which occurred after the extension, this was CF's worse contract and second worse move (behind the Ellis trade).

All of the hopefuls will use the one or two positive examples like Kopitar, I offer all of the buy-outs the last several seasons. If you look at them too much term for older players. They should have traded him 2-3 years ago. You could see it coming, but flyers refused to plan for the future and acknowledge the rebuild.

Patch was given away for free last year and he only had 1 year left. That term left is very concerning. I was a huge fan of his game in his prime. He really turned the physical dial and was a force. As a result, his body took a serious beating. Can he recover? Sure, but probably is low.

 

[FlyguyOX]

I used to be able to skate ok then I messed up my back and turned 50. Now I skate nice at a nice, leisurely pace once or twice a winter.

Couturier used to be an elite center in the NHL. Then he hurt his back and turned 30. Now he's not elite until he's elite again. Which is unlikely at best I suppose.

I guess you should tell Mark Stone that

 

[Evergreen]

I guess you should tell Mark Stone that

Stone never could skate.

 

[Flukeshot]

I think he's a Flyer for life now until he is LTIR'ed at some point.

 

[StreetHawk]

There is no LTIR benefit, LTIR does not create extra cap space.

LTIR allows a team to exceed the cap but the players contract still counts so it's a wash. The only time LTIR can be a benefit is if the player is injured all regular season and then comes back for the playoffs when there is no cap.

LTIR can also be a hinderance to a team. If your team's cap with Couturier included is over the ceiling, then any bonuses that your players earn, be it the 35+ guys or the ELC guys or the guys who have come off injuries who have bonuses, if those players achieve them, then you have to push all of those bonuses to the following year, thus you don't begin with a $83.5 mill cap ceiling. If, like Boston, you have bonuses for Bergeron and Kreiji of like $4 mill, then your cap ceiling for your actual roster is only $79.5 million.

 

[eramosat]

Update. So far so good. A pretty seamless return to the top of the Flyers lineup, a return to usual duties checking opponent's top lines. Every single ES line he's been a part of is at least break-even in goals, and most frequent are to the positive side.

Has played in 25 of 27 Flyer games. 19:36 ice time with 55.6 CF% and 45.4 OZ%. 6G and 13A with a 5 game point streak. His FO% is sub-50% at 49.7% for the first time in a long time. So far so good.

 

[Devonator]

Truly an amazing comeback...it looks like he has lost nothing.....wonder if the Flyers will try trading him at the deadline , assuming by that time they are out of the playoff race?

 

[pooch]

Truly an amazing comeback...it looks like he has lost nothing.....wonder if the Flyers will try trading him at the deadline , assuming by that time they are out of the playoff race?

Our center depth is horrible. I highly doubt they move him.