They missed the playoffs by 16 points.
- narfmoo12

Bad start to the season, bad ending. They were in it for most of 2019 calendar year.

The real question is how many more seasons is Giroux a franchise player? If it's 2 or 3, then you have to go for it now. Was Hextall willing to go for it or simply waste Giroux's last few years as a superstar? If it's the former, would you really trust Hextall to sign free agents based on the guys he brought in? If it's the latter and he was just going to waste Giroux, why wasn't he traded for more prospects (assuming he'd waive the NMC, which I assume he would if they weren't going to try to win)
- narfmoo12

I never believed that G was the limit on their window. I always assumed by the time the window was wide open that he'd be a Steve Yzerman type who could still play, but not have to carry the team. Frost, TK, Farabee would take over by then.

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.
- narfmoo12

Here is exactly what you said. It's inaccurate. I'm not going to bother with the rest.
Read the post by Tomahawk directly above yours. Sums it up perfectly.
"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"

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.
- Tomahawk

Fletcher, I know you're reading this. Please do not trade TK or Sanhiem. Seriously. No.

Future cap-space, expansion considerations, wasting picks, bringing in vets to take minutes from kids, buying out AMac instead of burying him, etc... all the stuff 'Team Negative' has been complaining about.

It's not just about signing 1 guy to a stupid contract. The JVR contract was pretty stupid too, IMO.
- Tomahawk

well on that I agree. I didn't like the JVR contract any better than Hayes.

Here is exactly what you said. It's inaccurate. I'm not going to bother with the rest.
Read the post by Tomahawk directly above yours. Sums it up perfectly.
"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"
- MJL

EXACTLY! ... Fletcher was handed a bottom six of Laughton, Raffl, Simmonds (turned into Hartman), Lehtera, Weise, etc. The first three will go from last year's 3rd line to this year's 4th line, hence under Hextall they were "playing a line above where they should be" ... Then Lehtera, Weise, etc were the fourth line and don't belong in the NHL.

How are you failing to understand this?

- MJL

Fletcher, I know you're reading this. Please do not trade TK or Sanhiem. Seriously. No.
- bmoreflyer

He's not Colangelo.

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.
- Tomahawk

while I agree with you that development is not linear, I think "one collective Bump" is an oversimplification of what happen to Hextall. Note, I was a fan of keeping Hextall but there was a lot more going on for him to be canned than a bump in the road.

love these reporters...

GHost out the door now that the Flyers landed 2 D...

yes, 2 D that 1 of won't be back next year, the 2nd might no be back next year but gone for sure the year after

ANDDDDDDD

neither can replace Ghosts skill set...

I can stomach the deals so far, if Ghost goes for an even swap that is some BS, Fletcher needs to win that deal hands down.

Yes, just call up guys from LV just like banking on Vorobyov to be your full-time 4C last year. Worked so well in the past.

And I don't know if he has the cap space because I don't know the demands of the RFAs both this year and next.
- jmatchett383

Say worst case most our space is tied up this year from RFAs so 20 something mill split across Prov, Sanheim, TK, Hartman and Laughton + RW. This is all based on the current cap.

The cap will be increasing today from 79 to 81-83 mill
The cap will likely increase next year too

Braun's 3.8 mill is off the books
Gudas 1.075 mill is off the books
Schlemko's 2.1 mill will be off the books

You are looking at over 10 mill to sign both Patrick Lindblom and MAYBE Hagg if he is still with the team. That is without even considering Raffl's 1.6 mill contract that can be dealt away

After that Niskanen and Raffl(if not traded) are gone which can be relocated to Morin and Hart

Everyone can CALM DOWN! The team is NOT on fire!

For the love of Kate Smith, do NOT trade Sanheim or TK... the fact that other teams ask about Sanheim a lot is proof that he has a high ceiling. I personally like TK's style and he fits well on wing. Unless monster deal plays out for either, please do not entertain it.

And by Monster, I mean Marner, Panarin, McKinnon, etc. Draisaitl...

I've defended Fletch up to this point. Not sure I could get behind moving Travis x 2...

For the love of Kate Smith, do NOT trade Sanheim or TK... the fact that other teams ask about Sanheim a lot is proof that he has a high ceiling. I personally like TK's style and he fits well on wing. Unless monster deal plays out for either, please do not entertain it.

And by Monster, I mean Marner, Panarin, McKinnon, etc. Draisaitl...

I've defended Fletch up to this point. Not sure I could get behind moving Travis x 2...
- cdearth23

Unless he totally rips them off I agree. You cant deal either

while I agree with you that development is not linear, I think "one collective Bump" is an oversimplification of what happen to Hextall. Note, I was a fan of keeping Hextall but there was a lot more going on for him to be canned than a bump in the road.
- wcorvette

Yeah, it was a power struggle w/ Scott that Hexy was never gonna win. I have a feeling that even if they had played better than they did, Hexy would have lost his job anyway. Patience had already left the station.

Scott said the Flyers' DNA was "going for it every year" when he took the job.

Well 8 mil gone after trade. Sign fa for couple years. We have frost Farabee Ratcliffe plus 7 and 11 picks this years draft coming. Not winning anything next few years anyways. Imangine boldy and caulfield added to frost Farabee Ratcliffe Konecny Patrick linbloom provy Myers coots jvr Sanheim hart. And yes I didn’t include g because I see him as declining when those players take over.
- SMS4016

Sorry for the late response.
This seems like a Hextall move, . It's very interesting but doesn't mesh with the direction Fletcher's going.

Yeah, it was a power struggle w/ Scott that Hexy was never gonna win. I have a feeling that even if they had played better than they did, Hexy would have lost his job anyway. Patience had already left the station.

Scott said the Flyers' DNA was "going for it every year" when he took the job.
- Tomahawk

I don't think it was a patience issue. Hextall wouldn't commit either direction. If we're a good team, then why do we have 2 injury prone goalies and then Calvin Pickard? Why were Lehtera and Weise not replaced with average players on one year deals like a lot of teams do with their cap space. If we're a bad team waiting for the prospects to be good, then why are they not playing in the NHL getting experience, and why are they being scratched for guys MacDonald and Lehtera? Hextall needed to pick which team we were and commit instead of this purgatory we were in.

Yeah, it was a power struggle w/ Scott that Hexy was never gonna win. I have a feeling that even if they had played better than they did, Hexy would have lost his job anyway. Patience had already left the station.

Scott said the Flyers' DNA was "going for it every year" when he took the job.
- Tomahawk

I mean he's not wrong. What GM has this franchise ever had that was patient aside from Hextall? You're expecting a pig to fly.

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.
- Tomahawk

what kind of mint?

EXACTLY! ... Fletcher was handed a bottom six of Laughton, Raffl, Simmonds (turned into Hartman), Lehtera, Weise, etc. The first three will go from last year's 3rd line to this year's 4th line, hence under Hextall they were "playing a line above where they should be" ... Then Lehtera, Weise, etc were the fourth line and don't belong in the NHL.

How are you failing to understand this?
- narfmoo12

What I'm failing to understand is how anyone can try and spin the situation into how Hextall didn't leave Fletcher in a utopia of a situation for a new GM coming in. It's that simple.

Laughton, Raffl and Hartman are capable of playing on the 3rd line in the NHL.

What I'm failing to understand is how anyone can try and spin the situation into how Hextall didn't leave Fletcher in a utopia of a situation for a new GM coming in. It's that simple.

Laughton, Raffl and Hartman are capable of playing on the 3rd line in the NHL.
- MJL

They are not capable and last year showed it. Along with every other year we had Raffl and Laughton.

Say worst case most our space is tied up this year from RFAs so 20 something mill split across Prov, Sanheim, TK, Hartman and Laughton + RW. This is all based on the current cap.

The cap will be increasing today from 79 to 81-83 mill
The cap will likely increase next year too

Braun's 3.8 mill is off the books
Gudas 1.075 mill is off the books
Schlemko's 2.1 mill will be off the books

You are looking at over 10 mill to sign both Patrick Lindblom and MAYBE Hagg if he is still with the team. That is without even considering Raffl's 1.6 mill contract that can be dealt away

After that Niskanen and Raffl(if not traded) are gone which can be relocated to Morin and Hart

Everyone can CALM DOWN! The team is NOT on fire!
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

First of all, removing Schlemko from the picture does not remove 2.1 off of the Flyers Cap. You also failed to factor in the 1.9 for the buyout of MacDonald. So you're off by 3M.

Do you think the Flyers are all of a sudden not going to go out and make the same kind of moves they've made this off season?

This team was headed towards the top of the league under Hextall. That is in doubt now.

Well we know 1 is Byram. Who's the other... Seider? York? Soderstrom?

As long as it's not Broberg.
- Tomahawk

I hope it’s Seider, but I can also see them going a little off the board with someone like Harley.

But I agree, anyone but Broberg haha

They are not capable and last year showed it. Along with every other year we had Raffl and Laughton.
- narfmoo12

I disagree. May not be ideal but capable.

Hextall's absurd amount of patience with Hak and Lappy was his downfall.
- Feanor

and not getting a different goalie last summer,
a better tender would have made all of them including the coaches look better

What I'm failing to understand is how anyone can try and spin the situation into how Hextall didn't leave Fletcher in a utopia of a situation for a new GM coming in. It's that simple.

Laughton, Raffl and Hartman are capable of playing on the 3rd line in the NHL.
- MJL

capable yes, should they? NO. It is best for them and the team if they are the 4th line.

there is no debate on Lethera and Weise, just horrible and Gordon did fine without them.

I say that for last year, prior to that Hextall was still flushing the toilet from the prior era