I don't doubt that Niskanen is an upgrade on Amac, but what I think you miss is, Braun isn't necessarily an upgrade on AMac. Braun was rereally, really really bad last year. It could in fact, end up being a downgrade, or lateral move.
- prock

Agreed AMac was ever decent and moving him to LHV would have done the job.
Braun shoots right alone this should help to improve the game

spot on!
- 21peter

What happened to you, Peter?

It's more the term what is annoying.Hayes is a good weather player and I can't see him doing 70+ point season from no onwards. 6 million and 5 years should have been the max for him
- goenzoy

Take a look at whose making $6M/year and tell me you wouldn't rather have Hayes.
Backes? Okposo? Lucic? J. Staal? Saad? Eriksson?
And the rates have gone up since all those guys signed.
If you would rather one of them I'm sure their GM's will listen to the offer of Hayes straight up.
Hayes has gotten better every season. Will that continue? IDK. But, I know that today he is a pretty damn valuable player. Big, playmaking center who is learning to shoot more. He plays the shutdown role against top players and is a demon on the PK.
I can't stand this signing. But, only because I hate the Flyers! lol

What happened to you, Peter?
- Tonybere

What do you mean?

James T.
The puck was like a grenade on Mac's stick. He had a few moments of clarity throughout the season but then became Andrew MacDonald again. I can't imagine Niskanen was worse than him. I don't care what stupid advanced stat you dig up, he stunk. The eyes don't lie. Try watching a game instead of looking at stats.

Hayes is a high end second line player? Since when?
- prock

Hayes is a good player and has the ability to flat out dominate shifts. I think Hayes’ best years are yet to come as well. The term sucks but that’s par for the course with UFA contracts.

What do you mean?
- 21peter

You used to know hockey

I don't doubt that Niskanen is an upgrade on Amac, but what I think you miss is, Braun isn't necessarily an upgrade on AMac. Braun was rereally, really really bad last year. It could in fact, end up being a downgrade, or lateral move.
- prock

AMac was a perennial candidate to get waived and sent down to the AHL, which happened several times. This was done at a time when the Flyers were icing a bunch of young and inexperienced defenseman. There’s a reason his contract was bought out a year early.

AMac was a perennial candidate to get waived and sent down to the AHL, which happened several times. This was done at a time when the Flyers were icing a bunch of young and inexperienced defenseman. There’s a reason his contract was bought out a year early.
- Sublime55

And you could be very well in for much of the same with braun.

Hayes is a high end second line player? Since when?
- prock

He was last year. 54 points in 71 games. Thats a 62 point pace over an 82 games.

That Hayes contract is unfathomable. Maybe the worst I’ve ever seen. In two years, the Flyers will be working on a deal to trade Hayes + three 1st round picks for some dude on LTIR

And you could be very well in for much of the same with braun.
- prock

Except Braun is only here for 1 year and is only making 3.8M compared to AMac’s 5M.

Except Braun is only here for 1 year and is only making 3.8M compared to AMac’s 5M.
- Sublime55

Fletcher had to buy out MacDonald and carry 1.9M of dead cap space in 20/21 to trade for Braun.

It was known that Hayes would get overpaid, but at that level I'd pass. The Braun/Niskanan deals are harder to understand. It shouldn't have been necessary to give up the assets that the Flyers did for 2 older players coming off down years with relatively high cap hits on teams that were looking to shed salary.

Niskanen brings more offense than Gudas but isn't as good of a defender and the Flyers have plenty of offensive talent on defense, so that wasn't a need nor nearly worth the difference in cap hit on their contracts (much worse with the retained salary on Gudas).

They probably could have gotten a Braun type defenseman in FA instead of giving up the #41 pick in a deep draft + a 3rd.
- dra4477

Niskanen is a significantly better defender than Gudas is.

How much of an overpayment is Hayes really though?

There’s inflation with these contracts since the cap keeps going up. When the top elite players in their respective positions are now getting 10mm+, then shouldn’t high end 2nd line players be getting 7mm?

I feel like people are still stuck on the idea that 2nd liners should make 5.5mm at most but that was back when Crosby was getting 8.7mm and now Matthews is making over 11.5mm
- rangerdanger94

I agree. The Hayes deal is not that bad.

This ^^^^^. People were PO when Hextall didn’t make moves now we’re making moves. And I don’t know what Amac this guy was watching but he spent a lot of time in the press box. They buried him even more towards the end of the season. To say he is better than Niskanen is hilarious. Amac is so bad that some guy created an IG account to post an Amac picture every day until his contract was up. He’s a joke he was a defensive liability on the ice that was a has been. A relic from the Holmgren era, and honestly I couldn’t be happier he’s gone. People are analyzing these moves too much these players are rentals. That’s it! Strictly rentals they are not long term fixes. Braun will be gone after this year and in 2 seasons Niskanen’s contract will be up and the Gudas buy out over. Fletcher has drastically improved the team and given AV the tools to compete now. While only giving up a 2019 5th, 2019 2nd and, 2020 3rd. So please tell me how these are bad moves? The cap space will be cleared up in two years. A 5th and a 3rd are fringe NHL players a majority of the time. Does the 2nd sting a little? Yeah, but that is addressing future talent.

We finally have a stand pat 2nd center, who can be mad at that? Last season Hakstol forced Nopa into a role that he was not ready for. Logging large chunks of minutes against unfavorable matchups. You really can’t expect a young player to improve while being forced into a role like that. We landed the 2nd best UFA that would of hit the market on 7/1. I’m excited this is progress and movement forward. Hayes is everything the Flyers need a big body that can play on the PK but is productive 5v5. As far as his contract goes that’s the going rate now for a 2C. Flyers fans shouldn’t be mad at Fletcher they should be PO at Jeff Skinner and his agent for driving up the cost of a first line player. The numbers will ripple downward and affect every team. To say Hayes is making more than Barkov and other centers is an irrelevant statement. Those players signed big dollar contracts during their neogations. It’s now going full circle and the market value has gone up.

As far as I’m concerned the Flyers have addressed their major needs minus a backup goalie. The RFAs will now probably be signed in the coming days. So far it has been a productive off season.
- Jdrini56

👍

I don't doubt that Niskanen is an upgrade on Amac, but what I think you miss is, Braun isn't necessarily an upgrade on AMac. Braun was rereally, really really bad last year. It could in fact, end up being a downgrade, or lateral move.
- prock

How was Braun really, really bad? His underlying stats have as much to do with his useage and the fact that he's not Burns or Karlsson as they have to do with his game.

Yeah there’s no bias here. I’m glad it’s an opinion piece I suppose, because most of it is non-factual crap. Andrew MacDonald is better than Niskanen? Yeah ok. I don’t love the trade but that’s just wrong.

This website sucks. The guy who made it is always wrong, literally never gets anything right. Outside of Bill, all of the bloggers are some of the worst writers I have ever read. Their content and grammar is putrid.
- Flyers1218

Welcome to Hockeybuzz. Please check my location for further details.

How was Braun really, really bad? His underlying stats have as much to do with his useage and the fact that he's not Burns or Karlsson as they have to do with his game.
- Jeff Paul

His underlying stats have much more to do with him being terrible last year.

He was partnered with Karlsson for a while, and it was a disaster, so don't try blame it all on usage. It's not like he was being used in a defensive role all year. We know that, because if you're playing beside Karlsson, you're definitely not being used in a defensive role.

he was just bad.

Who is this tanner loser?

A leafs poster?

Dubas is such a genius that he gives up a first so that he can get rid of a ddcently productive forward?

Here’s a prediction for you tanner...

TBay finishes first
Bos finishes second
Tor finishes third

Then boston beats the poop out of your garbage half-team for the 3rd year in a row!!!

Dubas is a loser!!!

(frank) was i ever laughing at that trade.