re: Pietrangelo, Alex
- mochoson

good example...STL coulda ruined him

My opinion of the Flyers and their drafting record is this:

They could be drunk, blindfolded, and have the 182nd pick in the draft and select an All-Star forward just by smelling him.

They could have 5 picks in the first round of the draft and either A. Not pick 1 dman or B. Pick the next Joni Pitkanen.

Other teams seem to have at least one high end defensemen in the organization. Why can't the Flyers?

Also.......

Ed Snider said a number of years ago in an interview that the Flyers had NEVER drafted and developed an All-Star dman. I found that hard to believe considering all of the great teams this franchise has had over the years. But I can't think of one.
- SonicDefMonkeys

Off the top of my head I cant think of the last all star defenseman they drafted who played for any team...I know there has to be one. I just cant think of him.

Off the top of my head I cant think of the last all star defenseman they drafted who played for any team...I know there has to be one. I just cant think of him.
- MBFlyerfan

Behn Wilson might have been the only one who was drafted and played in an All-Star Game as a Flyer.

Janne Niinimaa made an All-Star team post-trade w/ EDM.


Those might be the only two...

good example...PHI would have ruined him
- isaiah520

fixed

There were two d-men available that were ranked higher than Laughton.
- MBFlyerfan

By people who no longer work of have worked as GMs in the NHL. There usually a reason for that. I take the Flyers eye for talent at the forward position than any outside rankers.

I think this last draft was perfect: draft the best available forward in the 1st (since forward talent drops precipitously after the top 50) and dmen after in volume, especially those that can develop at their own pace. Gostisbehere and Willcox have 3-4 years in the NCAA to gain size and experience and Vasiliev can learn over in Russia. By drafting dmen in bulk, the odds are 1 or 2 will be turn odd to be good.

good example...STL coulda ruined him
- isaiah520

Anaheim did the same thing with Justin Schultz, except that came back to bite them in the ass pretty hard

don't fall too much in love with schenn or couts. one will have to be moved to get a top 3 guy. inability to draft/develop dmen is a big maata... I mean matter, for this org.
- isaiah520

Trading one of those two is not the sole way to land a good defenseman.

Behn Wilson might have been the only one who was drafted and played in an All-Star Game as a Flyer.

Janne Niinimaa made an All-Star team post-trade w/ EDM.


Those might be the only two...
- Tomahawk

Jimmy Watson played in 5 NHL ASG

Jimmy Watson played in 5 NHL ASG
- Jsaquella

shoulda just said the Flyers suck at drafting mighta got 5 more pages of female doging

shoulda just said the Flyers suck at drafting mighta got 5 more pages of female doging
- JoeRussomanno

The Flyers franchise has been around for awhile you would think they hit on a stud defenseman just by accident (in the draft).

alot of teams such as stl and nsh have produced good dmen cuz they sucked for along time and had no choice but to put there young dmen out there to gain exp, which we always have a decent team in putting already exp dmen, this year we will see what can develop on our backend for once, who knows, we night have a future stud.

Here's a novel idea - maybe the Flyers should DRAFT a cornerstone defenseman instead of raiding other teams rosters....

To bad Bettman doesn't play football...

To bad Bettman doesn't play football...


- Buzzo

talk about a double whammy.

Jimmy Watson was a homegrown talent who played in 5 NHL All-Stae Games. Behn Wilson had an All-Star season. Chris Therien, Janne Niinimaa and Joni Pitkanen made the NHL All-Rookie team after the season. That's about it.

Jimmy Watson was a homegrown talent who played in 5 NHL All-Stae Games. Behn Wilson had an All-Star season. Chris Therien, Janne Niinimaa and Joni Pitkanen made the NHL All-Rookie team after the season. That's about it.
- bmeltzer

Bill-
In your opinion what are the main reasons or contributing factors for the Flyers producing zero Norris/Calder/Art Ross/Rocket Richard/President's Trophies in team history? I can't understand the futility.

Then throw in the fact a homegrown D-Man hasn't made an all-star game since 1981 and the 37 year Cup drought and things are taken to other levels. This seems odd to me to happen to a team that is a large market team and by in large money hasn't been a hindrance as with lots of other franchises.

Just curious to your thoughts.

Bill-
In your opinion what are the main reasons or contributing factors for the Flyers producing zero Norris/Calder/Art Ross/Rocket Richard/President's Trophies in team history? I can't understand the futility.

Then throw in the fact a homegrown D-Man hasn't made an all-star game since 1981 and the 37 year Cup drought and things are taken to other levels. This seems odd to me to happen to a team that is a large market team and by in large money hasn't been a hindrance as with lots of other franchises.

Just curious to your thoughts.
- PLindbergh31

I understand what you're saying, but I want to first point out the fact that President's Trophies mean nothing. As long as you're a contender, it shouldn't matter if you're first in the NHL or not. My next point is a similar one: what "futility"? This team has been a contender for what? In my lifetime, every year but one. And that goes back to 1993, since....well....that's when my lifetime started.

This organization is not even close to futile.

I understand what you're saying, but I want to first point out the fact that President's Trophies mean nothing. As long as you're a contender, it shouldn't matter if you're first in the NHL or not. My next point is a similar one: what "futility"? This team has been a contender for what? In my lifetime, every year but one. And that goes back to 1993, since....well....that's when my lifetime started.

This organization is not even close to futile.
- Giroux_Is_God

Thank you! What a hapless organization huh?

Bill-
In your opinion what are the main reasons or contributing factors for the Flyers producing zero Norris/Calder/Art Ross/Rocket Richard/President's Trophies in team history? I can't understand the futility.

Then throw in the fact a homegrown D-Man hasn't made an all-star game since 1981 and the 37 year Cup drought and things are taken to other levels. This seems odd to me to happen to a team that is a large market team and by in large money hasn't been a hindrance as with lots of other franchises.

Just curious to your thoughts.
- PLindbergh31

The last team to win the president's trophy and win the cup was I think the Red Wings in 2002.

Bill-
In your opinion what are the main reasons or contributing factors for the Flyers producing zero Norris/Calder/Art Ross/Rocket Richard/President's Trophies in team history? I can't understand the futility.

Then throw in the fact a homegrown D-Man hasn't made an all-star game since 1981 and the 37 year Cup drought and things are taken to other levels. This seems odd to me to happen to a team that is a large market team and by in large money hasn't been a hindrance as with lots of other franchises.

Just curious to your thoughts.
- PLindbergh31

The Flyers have often won by being more than sum of their parts. As for the specific awards:

1) The President's Trophy didn't come into existence until 1985-86. If had existed previously, the Flyers would have won it three times (1974-75, 1979-80 and 1984-85).

2) The Flyers have not had a Norris winner but Mark Howe was first runner-up three times and finished in the top five another year. The only reason he never won was because his prime coincided with the likes of Paul Coffey and Raymond Bourque as well as Rod Langway.

3) Had the Richard Trophy existed in 1975-76, Reggie Leach would have won it.

4) Bill Barber probably should have won the Calder his rookie year. Ron Hextall should have won the Calder Trophy in 1986-87. Mikael Renberg was a finalist in 1993-94. Lindros missed too many games his rookie year due to a knee injury, plus it was also the year that Teemu Selanne scored 76 goals as a rookie.

5) Clarke and Lindros were both first runners-up for the Art Ross, and Lindros actually tied Jagr in points that year (and played fewer games) but lost on the basis of goals scored.

The absence of awards in those categories really hasn't hurt the club. Since the time they came into existence, the Flyers have the NHL's second-highest winning percentage. As for the Cup drought, EVERY organization in the NHL has at some point in its history had a multi-decade Cup drought (if they've won one at all). I blogged about that last summer, going team by team http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=36430

The last team to win the president's trophy and win the cup was I think the Red Wings in 2002.
- ob18

It was Detroit, but it was 2008.

In the years the President's Trophy has been awarded, the winner has gone on to win the Stanley Cup 7 times out of 26.

It was Detroit, but it was 2008.

In the years the President's Trophy has been awarded, the winner has gone on to win the Stanley Cup 7 times out of 26.
- Jsaquella

Not bad I was only 6 years off

Holmy will get the team there. The forwards are very young. Briere's contract is a bit if an anchor, but we all know finding and retaining a top defender or two is the key.

Trading one of those two is not the sole way to land a good defenseman.
- Jsaquella

what would you suggest given the dearth of FAs and the amt of time it takes to develop at this position?

what would you suggest given the dearth of FAs and the amt of time it takes to develop at this position?
- isaiah520

They didn't have to trade Giroux for Pronger, did they? Packages can be built around other players. You identify the cornerstone types, and which pieces are not cornerstones and move them to fill the needs.

Obviously, both Couturier and Schenn are seen as cornerstone pieces right now.