Hard to make a deal if no one is buying what you are selling.

The mistakes that doomed this team were made in the offseason:

You move on from Neuvirth and do what it takes to bring in another veteran goalie.

You don’t allow the team to go into camp hoping that Weal or a prospect can be the 3rd center you badly need.

These 2 gaffes put the team at a disadvantage from game 1. We talk about players underperforming all day, but if this team starts the season with a quality, experienced goalie who can play the majority of the games and 1 more solid middle 6 center, they are likely competing for a playoff spot right now and no one would be out of a job.
- BiggE


And you went out and signed van Riemsdyk long term but was that foolish now looking how the roster could get a little reshaping?

And i don't know but he just doesn't look great. i know he scored but he just seems like he isn't engaged a lot. Is he really that reliant on a center?
- J35Bacher

He scores a lot from the front of the net. For that you need rebounds pucks close enough for redirection (not missed nets--21 attempts in the first period an less than half on net?). I think he has a lot to offer, but maybe on a better team. Maybe this will be a better team next year?

So question to those who are reluctant to move key pieces. What is this team's ceiling?

I ask because let's say Provorov and Ghost find their game. JVR and Simmer start scoring. Jake and Coots produce at their potential. Patrick and TK get better. What are they? A first or second round exit? Was the team we saw last season: 3rd in the Metro, their peak?

At what point is just getting into the playoffs no longer good enough?

If this team team has reached their max potential it's time to start stripping away at it. Fletcher has his work cut out.

Not defending JVR but a player who scores in tight needs someone to get him the puck, hex should have had a plan for that. JVR based on games played is on pace for 48 points, not great but not the problem with the team. Hägg has as many points as provy and Sanheim, the pieces just don’t fit together. They need another good center, they need speed with play making ability.
- wcorvette

Like HE says!

may be time to shake things up in Philly...team you got isn't cuttin it. just sayin!

It’s getting really hard to give a (frank) about this team anymore, and that’s coming from a fan whose earliest memories of the team include names like Doug Favell, Andre Lacroix and Jean-Guy Gendron.
- BiggE

They played with more heart. You left out Sudsy Sutherland who also played with heart. This team disgusts me.

So question to those who are reluctant to move key pieces. What is this team's ceiling?

I ask because let's say Provorov and Ghost find their game. JVR and Simmer start scoring. Jake and Coots produce at their potential. Patrick and TK get better. What are they? A first or second round exit? Was the team we saw last season: 3rd in the Metro, their peak?

At what point is just getting into the playoffs no longer good enough?

If this team team has reached their max potential it's time to start stripping away at it. Fletcher has his work cut out.
- Pelle31Forever

The path to becoming a top team is not trades or free agency. The path is to continue to draft and develop and adding younger players. Supplement with trades and free agency. A properly built team should have minimal trades and free agent signings.

I don't even want to talk about this team anymore. It's just too depressing. So, with that in mind, here is a list of 10 albums I can listen to at any time and they never get old:

Cream: Disraeli Gears
The Beatles: Abbey Road
The Allman Brothers: Live at the Fillmore East
Jimi Hendrix: Axis Bold As Love
Yes: Fragile
Genesis: A Trick of the Tail
The Kinks: Misfits
Rush: Moving Pictures
Pearl Jam: Ten
Rush: Clockwork Angels

So question to those who are reluctant to move key pieces. What is this team's ceiling?

I ask because let's say Provorov and Ghost find their game. JVR and Simmer start scoring. Jake and Coots produce at their potential. Patrick and TK get better. What are they? A first or second round exit? Was the team we saw last season: 3rd in the Metro, their peak?

At what point is just getting into the playoffs no longer good enough?

If this team team has reached their max potential it's time to start stripping away at it. Fletcher has his work cut out.
- Pelle31Forever

A lot of ifs, but in the end we still would lack goaltending. If this pick up of play you mentioned also includes our PP scoring, I would say 1st or 2nd round exit depending on our seeding. If we were 8th and played Tampa, we won’t last long in that series. Our depth still isn’t great either even with all those guys picking up their play when comparing to top teams in the East and/or Metro

Watching the Flyers last night, accepting the season is over

Yup, and there are multiple plays like that every game with this team. It's disgusting.
- BiggE

A disease has infected this team. They need to identify the cancer and cut it out. No confidence in eachother or themselves as individuals.

As I said to you before, that kind of thing effects younger players even more, and we can see it in the regression of Patrick, Provorov, Ghost, Lindblom, Konecny etc etc.

The vets have lost the room as much as the coach(s).

Jake plays a dumb game, JVR is soft, Simmonds is used up, Giroux and Couturier can only do so much.

Why anyone would want to throw more kids in to this soul sucking atmosphere is beyond me.

I agree with you that as soon as it is feasible to get Hart back to Lehigh, he should be on a rocket powered super car to Allentown. NO use in adding him to the list of young players having their souls sucked out by this poisoned team and locker room.

Here is one of the issues with the Flyers. There are many more. When they come out ready to play, which is maybe half of the games, they play with a decent team structure. Then they get a goal scored against them. They then abandon the team structure and try to do too much with individual plays. They try to stick handle past two defenders and turn the puck over. They circle around the offensive perimeter like a merry go round looking to make a play. It's not there. Make ill advised passes that lead to turnovers. Forwards cheat out of the offensive zone and defenseman don't have outlets. That leads to turnovers and icings. Watch the neutral zone and the bluelines. The team controlling that wins. You don't score a lot of goals in the NHL by trying to create offense against a 5 man defensive unit. You score by creating opportunities and rushes by defending in the neutral zone and at the bluelines. The are large expanses of white ice absent of the Flyers. In the middle of the ice in the neutral zone and the offensive zone. Can't win like that.
If someone didn't watch the game and look at the shot metrics, they'd think the Flyers controlled the game. They didn't.

Honestly, the biggest need on this team is a heart transplant.
- BiggE

Yup. This team is like Wizard of OZ characters- no heart, no brains, no courage hoping for a miracle.

What is the reasoning for looking to trade Gostisbehere?
- MJL

I think with his talent and what he is signed to the Flyers could fleece a team.

The Flyers need to make some moves. That would be the case even if the team was in the playoff hunt. They need to tweak the roster more towards the speed and quickness side. They don't however need to panic and overreact to this season. They need to make some smart moves, figure out what they're going to do with goaltending moving forward and continue to draft and develop.
- MJL

So now speed is an issue?

A disease has infected this team. They need to identify the cancer and cut it out. No confidence in eachother or themselves as individuals.

As I said to you before, that kind of thing effects younger players even more, and we can see it in the regression of Patrick, Provorov, Ghost, Lindblom, Konecny etc etc.

The vets have lost the room as much as the coach(s).

Jake plays a dumb game, JVR is soft, Simmonds is used up, Giroux and Couturier can only do so much.

Why anyone would want to throw more kids in to this soul sucking atmosphere is beyond me.

I agree with you that as soon as it is feasible to get Hart back to Lehigh, he should be on a rocket powered super car to Allentown. NO use in adding him to the list of young players having their souls sucked out by this poisoned team and locker room.
- MBFlyerfan

Jake infuriates me on a nightly basis. Simmer is a ghost. Last night, even though they seemed to be in the offensive zone a lot of the first period, the game seemed interminable. They all appear to need a Shooter Tutor.

I think with his talent and what he is signed to the Flyers could fleece a team.
- youarewrong

Every team dealing with the Flyers is in the drivers seat when it comes to a negotiation. They wont be fleecing anyone.

At one point during last night's game, they were playing "I Wanna Be Sedated" in the arena. Honestly, that's about the only way to watch this team these days.
- BiggE

There was enough sedative in Flyers play last night to last me a few nights of good sleep.

A few years ago the Lightning randomly had a down season. They didn't overreact, they didn't completely rebuild, but did some tweaks and made a few trades on the edges and now have gone back to being a powerhouse. I hope the flyers take that path rather than sabres scorched Earth rebuild

Here is one of the issues with the Flyers. There are many more. When they come out ready to play, which is maybe half of the games, they play with a decent team structure. Then they get a goal scored against them. They then abandon the team structure and try to do too much with individual plays. They try to stick handle past two defenders and turn the puck over. They circle around the offensive perimeter like a merry go round looking to make a play. It's not there. Make ill advised passes that lead to turnovers. Forwards cheat out of the offensive zone and defenseman don't have outlets. That leads to turnovers and icings. Watch the neutral zone and the bluelines. The team controlling that wins. You don't score a lot of goals in the NHL by trying to create offense against a 5 man defensive unit. You score by creating opportunities and rushes by defending in the neutral zone and at the bluelines. The are large expanses of white ice absent of the Flyers. In the middle of the ice in the neutral zone and the offensive zone. Can't win like that.
If someone didn't watch the game and look at the shot metrics, they'd think the Flyers controlled the game. They didn't.
- MJL

One thing to add, easiest way I have found to tell how well the Flyers will play is if they constantly go backwards with the puck. If you start seeing them "regrouping" a lot they almost always cough the puck up or instead of chipping the puck out of the defensive zone they try to keep swinging the puck behind their own net.

I think with his talent and what he is signed to the Flyers could fleece a team.
- youarewrong

Many players on the team fit that description. Not a valid reason for wanting to trade him.

Yup, they are team marshmallow.
- BiggE

We tried to think of the most harmless thing we could...



Your 2018-2019 Philadelphia Flyers!

What do you think. Put your GM hat on.

Because I agree. I think you'll maybe see something like conditional 2nd rounder depending on something like him re signing or how far in playoffs they go + maybe a low a level prospect or maybe a youngish 3rd line type roster player.

Hypothetically using Boston, a rumored team I maybe could see something like this if just Simmonds involved:

To Boston: Simmonds

To Philadelphia: Ryan Donato, Conditional 2nd rounder.

Maybe?
- J35Bacher

OK. GM hat on... ever since the 3 point games there tend to be about 4-5 teams selling at the deadline and about 24 teams buying.

I look at what Kane got, and realize that he is a PP guy, and a lockerroom guy. I'm sure he gets a first and some conditions.

I'm perfectly fine with that reasoning. Posters are putting lists together and categorizing players. Gostisbehere has struggled this season but if there is a list of untouchables, Gostisbehere belongs on it. Many are badly missing the impact that he can have on the game and for the team. As well as how well he fits the style of play that wins in today's NHL.
- MJL

This is the reason I would make him available. I think the sum of the parts you could possibly get for him would be huge for the development of the team. Would scoring from the point suffer a bit, maybe, maybe not if Sanheim and Myers games develop as expected.

Here is one of the issues with the Flyers. There are many more. When they come out ready to play, which is maybe half of the games, they play with a decent team structure. Then they get a goal scored against them. They then abandon the team structure and try to do too much with individual plays. They try to stick handle past two defenders and turn the puck over. They circle around the offensive perimeter like a merry go round looking to make a play. It's not there. Make ill advised passes that lead to turnovers. Forwards cheat out of the offensive zone and defenseman don't have outlets. That leads to turnovers and icings. Watch the neutral zone and the bluelines. The team controlling that wins. You don't score a lot of goals in the NHL by trying to create offense against a 5 man defensive unit. You score by creating opportunities and rushes by defending in the neutral zone and at the bluelines. The are large expanses of white ice absent of the Flyers. In the middle of the ice in the neutral zone and the offensive zone. Can't win like that.
If someone didn't watch the game and look at the shot metrics, they'd think the Flyers controlled the game. They didn't.
- MJL

Well, Brind'amour disagreed to an extent.

Thought the Canes were kinf of lucky to get out of that game with a win. They scored on their counterpunches, but they really didn't have much sustained pressure at any point and spent most of the game defending. Honestly the Canes D had a difficult time trying to hold the Flyers off for a lot of the game, and if not for a bit of luck and strong play by Mrazek that's a Flyers win.

One thing to add, easiest way I have found to tell how well the Flyers will play is if they constantly go backwards with the puck. If you start seeing them "regrouping" a lot they almost always cough the puck up or instead of chipping the puck out of the defensive zone they try to keep swinging the puck behind their own net.
- Glak18

I can't stand that. There is also the endless cycle of defend for an extended period, finally get control, dump in and change behind it only to have it right back in the defensive zone. Wash, rinse, repeat.