The combination of Hayes, Niskanen, Braun, Gudas retention, and MacDonald buyout ($18.87m) now nearly equals the Marchand / Bergeron / Pastrnak AAV ($19.67m) almost exactly.

How to Drain Your Cap Space starring Chucky "The Pantload" Fletcher.
- PLindbergh31

What is your point? They got a #2 Center, 2 capable top 4 dmen, saved cap space with buying out amac, gudas 1mil big deal for 1 more year and you are going to complain? Do you ever wonder why you and SSB are laughing stocks on this site? This makes it pretty obvious

This.

I'm getting used to the deals by allowing for the fact that the team is better on paper now than it was at the end of the season.

I look at all these RFA's we have this season and the next few years and worry about cap implications. I have NO DOUBT Fletcher and the brain trust have this in mind as well.

I really do think this team is closer than we think. Last season was a step back because of a multitude of things that happened all at once. Yes, we could have predicted the goalie debacle and many of us worried about that. Couple that with Provorov and Ghost taking EPIC steps backward, Patrick also not improving thus making the loss of Filppula actually hurt, Simmonds continued decline.....it became too much.

Heck, just having a decent goalie to carry the load and give some steadiness probably would have been enough to get us in to the playoffs last season.

We saw Lindblom improve, Sanheim improve, Laughton improve so it wasn't all bad.

So I hope Fletch stays patient enough to let most of these kids find their place.
- MBFlyerfan

Agreed. The progression of young players is not linear as we'd like it to be. I think it was a blip too, and part of the rationale of the moves to me is chemistry and mentorship of the young players. I really don't want to see them ship out Ghost Provy or Sanheim.

Having Hart is probably my biggest reason for optimism. I think he's the real deal but I'll still be patient with him if there is regression. Remember Price's struggles initially in Montreal? Stay the course!!!

I think what it is is that not all fans felt it was go time to content right now. While I always want them to succeed, to me success isn't winning a round or two of playoffs, it's sustainably competing for the cup for a decade. You do that with picks and development. Then when go time hits, you trade or sign aggressively with hopes of putting you over the top.

While ownership and some fans want to improve right now at all costs like we always have done before, I want them to build into a long term contender even if that means go time isn't until 2 years out. Our previous mo didn't get us to the cup, and I don't love that we're going back to that model.
- Hextall271

This is a great post.

I’m also improving the product on this ice. To me, that’s what Hextall didn’t do every season. Like, why stock the cupboards, if you aren’t gonna use the Cups and plates? This however feels like taking the plates and smashing them on the ground.

Puljujarvi is Finnish for bust. I looked it up.
- MBFlyerfan

Lehtera is Finnish for Drug Bust...

Yes you do because your follow post showed that you clearly didn't understand what I posted. I'll make it simpler. People saying that Fletcher was going to trade all the picks and prospects doesn't exist. Nobody has said that. Posters only claimed that was said by others. It wasn't. You're wrong.
- MJL

You said Nobody said that... quick google search... it does exist.

December 4th, 2018.
(Flyer fan - I'll leave names out of it) - "My concern with Fletcher is his track record in Minnesota of trading prospects from the farm system for veterans with long term contract. I don't want to go back to the days of trading for players past the prime such as Paul Coffee, Tony Amonte, Daryl Sittler, ect."

Agreed. The progression of young players is not linear as we'd like it to be. I think it was a blip too, and part of the rationale of the moves to me is chemistry and mentorship of the young players. I really don't want to see them ship out Ghost Provy or Sanheim.

Having Hart is probably my biggest reason for optimism. I think he's the real deal but I'll still be patient with him if there is regression. Remember Price's struggles initially in Montreal? Stay the course!!!
- Hextall271

I actually think Hart is the reason they went out to get Niskanen and Braun. Fletcher wanted solid vet defenders to bbe better in their own zone, especially with a younger defense core.

A lot of the moves are moves to assist development. Not hinder it.

Darn he is 6 ft 5 and now he is around 240 in weight. And he can skate!!!!! Flyers finally have a skilled physical center again.
- Landsbergfan

OLDER AND SOFTER

This is a great post.

I’m also improving the product on this ice. To me, that’s what Hextall didn’t do every season. Like, why stock the cupboards, if you aren’t gonna use the Cups and plates? This however feels like taking the plates and smashing them on the ground.
- SuperSchennBros

It's not that bad so far. My preference would be to not trade the 11 pick, keep ghost and supplement with some smart UFA signings or minor trades.

I'd even be ok with a pure hockey trade of Jake if we get good value in return. Switching up the chemistry a bit isn't bad, and the moves so far I believe have that partially in mind. The progression I see for us this year is to make the playoffs, so it's not go time yet.

the guy also ranked out at the following amongst dman last year:

31st in DZ stick checks
24th in DZ puck battles won
37th in DZ denied entries
12th in SH blocked shots

you could also look at last year as an outlier, one of his down years, but also still played 20+ minutes during the season and 21+ in the playoffs. He was a regularly depended on dman for a team that go to within 2 games of the cup finals.
- sjk540

It didnt help his +- that their goalie was martin jones who was probably the worst starter in the entire league.

Lehtera is Finnish for Drug Bust...
- cdearth23

HA HA the cops stopped his coke boat from Finland

I wouldn't give a plus.
- MJL

Fletcher will cause he sucks at leverage

i'd go for Pullijarvi (sp) over ehlers if we only have to give up something like Haag

You said Nobody said that... quick google search... it does exist.

December 4th, 2018.
(Flyer fan - I'll leave names out of it) - "My concern with Fletcher is his track record in Minnesota of trading prospects from the farm system for veterans with long term contract. I don't want to go back to the days of trading for players past the prime such as Paul Coffee, Tony Amonte, Daryl Sittler, ect."
- leon neon

How exactly is that saying that he is going to trade ALL of the picks and prospects? Are you seriously coming back with this? LOL

You failed miserably here.

I’m still waiting on everyone’s alternative ideas for next years 2C if this didn’t get done

They bought out MacDonald so they could add a 32 year old player to the lineup while adding dead cap space to the future. It's ridiculous to stated that some fans don't understand the plan. Not that complicated to see what's going on.
- MJL

MJL you realize that buying out AMAC gave us cap space correct? So who cares if theres a 1mil cap hit when it could have been a 5mil cap hit?

Seeing you guys freak out over this has made me realize that (within reason) I don't really care what they move on the roster aside from Giroux and Hart. Just (frank)ing win.
- hereticpride

Amen brother.

Well that's hindsight. I think any GM worth his salt would go for it when they feel they have a team that can win it all. If he doesn't then you shouldn't have him as your GM. The smart GM's and teams know the difference and when your team isn't at hat point. The Flyers are making moves to win now. They shouldn't be.
- MJL

win now as in contend for the cup this year or win now to move the process along to eventually contend for the cup?

I actually think Hart is the reason they went out to get Niskanen and Braun. Fletcher wanted solid vet defenders to bbe better in their own zone, especially with a younger defense core.

A lot of the moves are moves to assist development. Not hinder it.
- J35Bacher

def a part of it and peeps are severely overlooking that aspect.

peeps really gonna lose their poop when Frost and Hagg are traded to Toronto for Kappenen and some picks.

I’m still waiting on everyone’s alternative ideas for next years 2C if this didn’t get done
- Just5

Nutter answered this but it was like 6 paragraphs into his tome

def a part of it and peeps are severely overlooking that aspect.

peeps really gonna lose their poop when Frost and Hagg are traded to Toronto for Kappenen and some picks.
- daryl stanley

I am hoping for a Gostisbehere to montreal for Domi and 15.

Nutter answered this but it was like 6 paragraphs into his tome
- Marc D

I love nutter lol. I’ll try and look

I am hoping for a Gostisbehere to montreal for Domi and 15.
- J35Bacher

lol why would Montreal do that?

I love nutter lol. I’ll try and look
- Just5

page 16

lol why would Montreal do that?
- daryl stanley

I said it was a hope.


Ok. maybe not 15 but I wouldn't mind Domi and maybe Poehling.

Who looks dumber? Me for shredding Berube, or the Flyers firing him and replacing him with a college coach?
- PLindbergh31

That doesn't really answer my question..

Can you tell me if Berube has done anything of significance in the NHL in the past few months because again "Punchface will never coach in this league again"