Agree

Could he use a pure sniper on his line? Yeah but whatever line G is on is not the problem on the O SIDE
- wcorvette

I'll disagree with this. Seems like in important games like the playoffs last year, G has been contained. I think Giroux needs someone to draw coverage from him.

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

- BiggE

Extremely hard.

But promoting AHL prospects and waiving/benching mediocre vets is extremely easy.

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.
- BINGO!

The Flyers had minimal quality scoring chances until Carolina took the foot off the gas in the 3rd period.

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
- bulet13

That was an injury riddled season not a were healthy but we suck season. They also had a world class goalie plus another one in waiting. A Norris candidate top d man. Etc.

So now speed is an issue?
- Just5

I would kind of like a forward who gets a breakaway and doesn't get caught from behind. (Couturier, I'm looking at you!)

The return the flyers get on Simmonds, jake,coots will be minimal. Last yr my brother in law thought the sabres were going to get a ton for kane.They ended up getting a late 1st and a player who plays in the minors.That 1st only became a 1st because kane resigned with sj.Otherwise it would have been a 2nd. No my brother in law isnt Garth.lol.
- flyeredup85

Couturier on his contract would return a fortune if they were trading him, which they are not.

Just joined HFBoards. Those of you who hang out there, where do you usually hang?

So now speed is an issue?
- Just5

Comment doesn't make sense.

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

Extremely hard.

But promoting AHL prospects and waiving/benching mediocre vets is extremely easy.
- Feanor

You really want our prospects exposed to this mess right now? Other than NAK, who has done all that can be done at the AHL level, I would leave the rest right where they are.

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.
- youarewrong

He is one of the few players on the team when at his best can truly elevate the team so that's the reason why you would make him available? That means you'd be looking to trade any player who fits that bill. We need to add more players like that, not move them.

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

And they always seem to compound mistakes. Like Gudas last year. When he would struggle with the puck, he seemed to try and do too much the next time and it would just make it worse.

Too many times instead of getting things simple and just making the right play they start to compound mistakes by trying to do more and make more high risk plays.

I see it a lot in Voracek. And yes I am not his biggest fan but for a guy with his talents I expect more. PP is struggling but instead of maybe making simple passes he seems to try and throw a knee high saucer pass across the box to Giroux when the play is to Gostisbhere to get a solid point shot.

Just things I see.

Coots is one of the best two-way centers in the league, no question. But, I have never liked his offensive "potential." We heard about it a lot his first few years. Finally saw it when he was paired with G. I have seen instances where Coots slows the play down and ruins an offensive rush. Watch how G and TK play together, then watch Coots and one of them. Night and day. G is a world-class talent and needs a stronger offensive center if he is going to play wing.
- cdearth23

Giroux and Couturier were top 6 in ES scoring last season playing on the same line for 82 games. G was 2nd only to McDavid.

http://www.nhl.com/stats/...te,1&sort=evPoints,points

I would kind of like a forward who gets a breakaway and doesn't get caught from behind. (Couturier, I'm looking at you!)
- bodiva88

I am sure NJ would give you Grabner for Couturier.

Couturier is probably the most important player on this team outside Giroux and possibly provorov.

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

This team does have a accountability problem and zero appreciation for role players.
Hextall drafting approach doesn't give you a complete team.And prospects and young player development is unpredictable.Most players don't do there job in defence and if you combine with poor goaltending you are already done halfway through the season

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
- bulet13

I agree. If Hart can be as good as Vasilevsky (which is a big if, admittedly) then the talent coming thru should allow this team to get better in a hurry. In the next year or so most of Myers, NAK, Friedman, Vorobyev, Rubtsov, Frost, and Farabee should be added to the lineup.

There is also a lot of cap space to add free agents, but who know who Fletcher will sign.

The Flyers had minimal quality scoring chances until Carolina took the foot off the gas in the 3rd period.
- MJL

Carolina didn't really have many either, is the thing. They just capitalized on the ones they did get.

Based on the actual scoring chances throughout the game, it realistically should have ended at like 3-2 for the Flyers.

I agree. If Hart can be as good as Vasilevsky (which is a big if, admittedly) then the talent coming thru should allow this team to get better in a hurry. In the next year or so most of Myers, NAK, Friedman, Vorobyev, Rubtsov, Frost, and Farabee should be added to the lineup.

There is also a lot of cap space to add free agents, but who know who Fletcher will sign.
- Feanor

Yeah, if Hart is the real deal, a lot of this team problems should go away soon. I'm hoping that by the 21-22 season, the only guys on the current roster still with the team are Giroux, Coots, Patrick, Konecny, Provy, Sanheim, Ghost and Hart.

You really want our prospects exposed to this mess right now? Other than NAK, who has done all that can be done at the AHL level, I would leave the rest right where they are.
- BiggE

Hart is the prospect most at risk of suffering from playing on a messy team, and he's already here. The NHL is absolutely the right place for prospects like NAK and Myers who have already dominated at the AHL level to develop further.

He is one of the few players on the team when at his best can truly elevate the team so that's the reason why you would make him available? That means you'd be looking to trade any player who fits that bill. We need to add more players like that, not move them.
- MJL

I think they have a pretty solid foundation on the back end with Provorov, Sanheim, Gostisbehere and Hagg. You have three potential pieces in Myers, Friedman and Morin.

I think a lot of the defense problems is more from the forwards and competent goal-tending.

Kind of a reason I would love to be able to get a guy like Stone. He is not as offensively dynamic as Voracek but has an offensive game and also plays a good two way game.

This team really needs a better overall team defense.

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
- BiggE

Led Zeppelin: Physical Graffiti
Extreme: III Sides to Every Story
Rush: Hemispheres
Van Halen: Fair Warning
Steely Dan: Aja
Chicago: Chicago Transit Authority
Bad Company: Run With the Pack
Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush: Live
Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here
Ozzy Osborne: Diary of a Madman

Yeah, if Hart is the real deal, a lot of this team problems should go away soon. I'm hoping that by the 21-22 season, the only guys on the current roster still with the team are Giroux, Coots, Patrick, Konecny, Provy, Sanheim, Ghost and Hart.
- BiggE

If you add Myers, you have what should be the Flyers protected list for the 21 expansion draft. 4 forwards, 4 dmen, 1 goalie.

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

They have plenty of needs

Another would be fast skaters who can make plays in stride. Or even decent skaters that can make plays in stride

This team stinks
- johndewar

Best post of the blog.

/comments

If you add Myers, you have what should be the Flyers protected list for the 21 expansion draft. 4 forwards, 4 dmen, 1 goalie.
- Feanor

Yup, agreed and in regards to Hart, the sooner he goes back to LHV this season, the better. He's better off with the Phantoms right now than with this hideous bunch.