The team is better but by what measure?

The only move I’m 100% on the side of Fletcher’s with is the Andrew MacDonald buyout. I don’t like Mac as a player and most of that is because of his price tag. With this said, Mac is an NHL player and should be allowed to continue his career in the nhl. It’s unfair to handcuff Mac’s career, so the best move for both sides is to cut him lose.
- SuperSchennBros

I liked the Weise trade a lot.
A lot.

Well, ya know that first shift!
- FlyerFan16

d000d!

Except he didn't get handed tons of cap space because we all know that Provorov, TK, Sanheim and Laughton need about $22M/year in RFA deals. In December, Fletcher got handed a roster full of holes as the entire bottom 6 was filled with guys who didn't belong in the NHL or were playing a line above where they should be, a defense that couldn't stop a junior team, and had used 6 goalies before Fletcher brought up Hart. He also inherited $12M being tied up by MacDonald, Lehtera and Weise. Now the team has a legitimate defense and 4 actual lines of NHL players.
- narfmoo12

If Fletcher wasn't handed a bunch of cap space how is going to sign players to contracts totaling 22M as well as signing Hayes to a contract for 7.1M a year?

The bottom 6 that Fletcher is going to field likely includes Patrick, Lindholm, Laughton, Raffl, Hartman. They don't belong in the NHL?

Except he didn't get handed tons of cap space because we all know that Provorov, TK, Sanheim and Laughton need about $22M/year in RFA deals. In December, Fletcher got handed a roster full of holes as the entire bottom 6 was filled with guys who didn't belong in the NHL or were playing a line above where they should be, a defense that couldn't stop a junior team, and had used 6 goalies before Fletcher brought up Hart. He also inherited $12M being tied up by MacDonald, Lehtera and Weise. Now the team has a legitimate defense and 4 actual lines of NHL players.
- narfmoo12

He got handed a ton of cap space. If you cant see the difference in what Hextall inherited vs. What Fletcher walked into, I am not sure how to respond. If I remember correctly Fletcher even stated so much in his hiring presser.

Except he didn't get handed tons of cap space because we all know that Provorov, TK, Sanheim and Laughton need about $22M/year in RFA deals. In December, Fletcher got handed a roster full of holes as the entire bottom 6 was filled with guys who didn't belong in the NHL or were playing a line above where they should be, a defense that couldn't stop a junior team, and had used 6 goalies before Fletcher brought up Hart. He also inherited $12M being tied up by MacDonald, Lehtera and Weise. Now the team has a legitimate defense and 4 actual lines of NHL players.
- narfmoo12

Well said.

Well said.
- Dkos

Not really

Report saying VAN is offering Virtanen and 2020 1st round pick to COL for Tyson Barrie.

Any interest in that deal for Ghost?

Report saying VAN is offering Virtanen and 2020 1st round pick to COL for Tyson Barrie.

Any interest in that deal for Ghost?
- cdearth23

That's a pretty good offer tbh.

Report saying VAN is offering Virtanen and 2020 1st round pick to COL for Tyson Barrie.

Any interest in that deal for Ghost?
- cdearth23

No on Virtanen. MAYBE he's finally figured it out to an extent, but I'm not sold on him.

Again, if it's a deal for Ghost, I want a major impact player, not a 1st rounder and 3rd liner.

If Fletcher wasn't handed a bunch of cap space how is going to sign players to contracts totaling 22M as well as signing Hayes to a contract for 7.1M a year?

The bottom 6 that Fletcher is going to field likely includes Patrick, Lindholm, Laughton, Raffl, Hartman. They don't belong in the NHL?
- MJL

Last year, Patrick was the 2C, and now he's the 3C. Lindblom bounced around the lineup but will now be set on the 3rd line. Laughton, Raffl, Hartman were 3rd liners and now will be a quality 4th line instead of an overmatched third line. Last year's 4th liners won't be on the team even though Hextall brought them in because they were supposed to be so good.

Yes Fletcher was handed the cap room to resign the RFAs, but as I stated, the team was awful. So he has to sign RFAs and improve the team, which he has done and Hextall did not. Hayes slots in and makes Patrick better as a 3C and Laughton better as a 4C. The defense was awful last year. Niskanen and Braun instead of Gudas and MacDonald is a huge upgrade.

what do you guys think is the percentage chance that MoFro makes the team?

No on Virtanen. MAYBE he's finally figured it out to an extent, but I'm not sold on him.

Again, if it's a deal for Ghost, I want a major impact player, not a 1st rounder and 3rd liner.
- jmatchett383

Virtanen is to much of a question mark to make that deal, we are giving up a 50 point Dman on a great contract, no thanks.

what do you guys think is the percentage chance that MoFro makes the team?
- Crimsoninja

less than 10%, think about what our fourth line might be (Laughton, Raffl, Hartman), he would have to SERIOUSLY impress to knock one of them off.

Last year, Patrick was the 2C, and now he's the 3C. Lindblom bounced around the lineup but will now be set on the 3rd line. Laughton, Raffl, Hartman were 3rd liners and now will be a quality 4th line instead of an overmatched third line. Last year's 4th liners won't be on the team even though Hextall brought them in because they were supposed to be so good.


- narfmoo12

None of that supports your comment that Fletcher was handed a bunch of bottom 6 players that don't belong in the NHL.

Yes Fletcher was handed the cap room to resign the RFAs, but as I stated, the team was awful. So he has to sign RFAs and improve the team, which he has done and Hextall did not. Hayes slots in and makes Patrick better as a 3C and Laughton better as a 4C. The defense was awful last year. Niskanen and Braun instead of Gudas and MacDonald is a huge upgrade.
- narfmoo12

This makes zero sense. So if the team was good last year , he wouldn't be signing the RFA's? LOL A few players had poor seasons including Provorov and Gostisbehere. It's pretty clear that your original post was completely inaccurate.

less than 10%, think about what our fourth line might be (Laughton, Raffl, Hartman), he would have to SERIOUSLY impress to knock one of them off.
- ClaudeFather

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhMJ5cRFv0k

Not really
- FlyerFan16

less than 10%, think about what our fourth line might be (Laughton, Raffl, Hartman), he would have to SERIOUSLY impress to knock one of them off.
- ClaudeFather

I hope he does, because that's a legitimate 4th line. No Chris VandeVelde or Boyd Gordon to be found.

I’m not a fan of Fletcher and didn’t like the hiring. For men he is to old school.
Hextall hurt himself and I can understand why he was fired.
I would have trusted him more on making the moves needed to add to the young guys and not hurt the team with zero cap space.
Hextall screwed up when he signed Neuvy. That was not wise. Elliot then has injury issues and then the season gets out of hand.
Fletcher makes me nervous he doesn’t seem like the tell his boss no there’s a better way and here’s my plan to get what you need done.
Hextall from what I read and heard was a stick to the plan guy and let me do my job you do yours type of guy.
If he had sat down with the brass and said look here’s what we can do to expediate my plan a little bit to fill the rink get the fans excited but not mortgage our future. He might have saved his job.
Maybe he did but I doubt it.
Fletch might have a plan to work this all out and no doubt it might be unpopular. If the team wins the cup in the next 2-3 years then great.
I’m not seeing it that way now but we will have to see.

Just because:



I've never heard an announcer be so excited about a player going for a line change.

You're kidding, right? Totally not the same. Hextall got handed a system with minimal prospects and buried in cap space. Fletcher got handed a system full of prospects and ten million dollars in cap space..... And a mandate to win now.
- FlyerFan16

I can't even remember the last time a GM landed in such a ridiculously good situation as Fletcher did.

- Franchise player... check,
- Young franchise goalie... check,
- Young #1 dman... check,
- PP QB... check,
- Selke-level 1C... check,
- Tons of cap space... check,
- Tons of picks... check,
- Tons of quality prospects... check,
- Under the contract limit... check,
- Only 1 NMC... check.

Usually new GMs have to dig out of some deep nasty mess left by their predecessor. Fletcher had the table set, sheets pressed, flowers in the bath and a mother(frank)ing mint on his pillow.

All he had to do was to wait for the kids to grow, add a few minor pieces, and not (frank) the whole thing up by doing what he has done.

None of that supports your comment that Fletcher was handed a bunch of bottom 6 players that don't belong in the NHL.



This makes zero sense. So if the team was good last year , he wouldn't be signing the RFA's? LOL A few players had poor seasons including Provorov and Gostisbehere. It's pretty clear that your original post was completely inaccurate.
- MJL

1. You didn't read what I said. Try again. I said the bottom 6 Fletcher was handed was playing above their line or didn't belong in the NHL. Laughton/Raffl/Hartman as a 3rd line was playing above their line. Weise, Lehtera and whoever else was rotated on the 4th line didn't belong in the NHL.

2. My post was completely inaccurate? So the team was really good last year? We didn't have guys playing above their line? Our defense was doing great? We didn't use 6 goalies before Hart got called up?

3. Simply signing our RFAs and doing nothing else would result in the same awful team from last year. Fletcher took MacDonald (Homer's fault, but Hextall should have dealt with him 4 years ago instead of playing him on the top 4), Weise (Hextall's biggest signing before JVR), Lehtera (awful job by Hextall), Gudas, Elliott and Neuvirth (another great Hextall signing), and turned them into Hayes, Niskanen, Braun and more space for the RFAs.

Simply re-read what I originally wrote and you should be able to figure it out.

Report saying VAN is offering Virtanen and 2020 1st round pick to COL for Tyson Barrie.

Any interest in that deal for Ghost?
- cdearth23

I'd do it in a minute! Virtanen is going to be a really good player. Has a shot size and is physical.

1Simply signing our RFAs and doing nothing else would result in the same awful team from last year.
- narfmoo12

You have no idea how it would play out.

Just like everybody thought this team was going to be PO bound again last summer. Everybody knows development isn't linear. Yet one collective bump in the road and Hexy was shipped out on his ass, and we're right back to the Paul Holmgren School of How to (frank) Your Team.

No, I don't think so. If they didn't sign Hayes, maybe.
- MJL

That’s what I’m saying. I lieu of Hayes and Braun.

If they didn't sign Hayes...probably. But that assumes that Toronto makes that trade and that Panarin would have signed here.


- jmatchett383

That’s what I thought. I know that is a ton of IF’s, but that would have absolutely moved the needle.