Makar is likely going to get a 10M deal. If you go to 11, the Avs absolutely would match that. Without a doubt. One million more is not going to make they walk away.
- MJL

Would YOU pay him 11 million?

No? Then forcing another team to overpay is bad, why?

Same with Marner, look where Toronto is now with a 3rd of their cap tied up in 3 players.

It is way too early to look at many of the young players and know definitively where they will ultimately wind up. For example, Frost is a highly skilled player. How will that translate on ice? Who knows at this point. Farabee has a legit chance to be a 35-35 player. Will that happen? Hart has the talent and skill to be a top player in the league at his position. Will that happen? Provorov can be better with a strong partner and solid team play. Sanhiem and Myers both have the ability to be better. Allison has grit and determination and a heavy shot and a nose for the puck. What is his upside? Unknown. York has a chance to be a really strong 2 way puck moving defenseman. Will Lindblom regain his strength and get back to being a forechecking force and a 20+ goal two way winger? There are also other prospects who have a chance to become NHL players. It's true they lack that blue chip young stud player that has a chance to be a star but that can change in the future. With a little luck.
- MJL

Is he not good enough to make his partner better? Most players can be better with an upgraded partner on Defense. Again no revelation there.

No where is it a fact both Sanheim and Myers have the ability to get better. You hope they do.

Would YOU pay him 11 million?

No? Then forcing another team to overpay is bad, why?

Same with Marner, look where Toronto is now with a 3rd of their cap tied up in 3 players.
- DrMidnite

So you think that they should sign them to OS just to make another team have to pay more?

If Provorov played for a different team and didn't have to be the team's best defenseman since he was 19 and carry the load. Brought along more gradually and played on a stronger team with a stronger support system. He would be the young defenseman Flyers fans would be drooling over and saying we needed.
- MJL

The flyers ineptness to get him and others help is a disgrace. At least Chuck addressed that with Braun and Niskannen. Another area Saint Ronald failed miserably at.

Would YOU pay him 11 million?

No? Then forcing another team to overpay is bad, why?

Same with Marner, look where Toronto is now with a 3rd of their cap tied up in 3 players.
- DrMidnite

Also, Timmins is already described as a poor man's Makar. He is a RH shot. His development was derailed by injuries but he already logged significant time in the playoffs. He is on his way.

They could also sign Hamilton/Jones and save 3 odd mil and get the 4 1sts.

So you think that they should sign them to OS just to make another team have to pay more?
- MJL

No, but either you get your man? Or you force another team to overpay.

Besides I don't think it makes sense for Colorado to pursue Jones AND pay Makar 10+.

Enter the Flyers...

When your drafting position is average, chances are high your results will also be average. Tampa drafting is an outlier. Whether it is luck or sagacity is a different story. Point is, they are an outlier and Flyers draft and development record is pretty much in line with expectations with their draft position. A few misses. A few solid NHL players. Some with potential higher than that and some not living up to hype.
- PT21

2nd over all is not average position. A couple in top 12….and also a few years with multiple first round picks. To be successful in this league you must draft well….not only with lottery picks (although they become very important) but with all draft picks….then there’s the player development….is it the average of the picks or poor player development? I think the organization needs to be addressing both…and I think they are.

No, but either you get your man? Or you force another team to overpay.

Besides I don't think it makes sense for Colorado to pursue Jones AND pay Makar 10+.

Enter the Flyers...
- DrMidnite

I don't think there is any doubt that they are going to do both. There is no chance that the Flyers will OS Makar.

I don't think there is any doubt that they are going to do both.
- MJL

Ok, we will see how it shakes out.

I have a feeling draft night will be eventful.

Ok, we will see how it shakes out.

I have a feeling draft night will be eventful.
- DrMidnite

It all starts after the ED.

Is he not good enough to make his partner better? Most players can be better with an upgraded partner on Defense. Again no revelation there.

No where is it a fact both Sanheim and Myers have the ability to get better. You hope they do.
- hello it's me 2050

To be fair they ask a lot of Provy….he had an up and down year by his standards and his ability, but he’s the one d man I have a lot of faith in….Myers was simply bad last year and Sanheim had some brutal patches….for the Flyers to be better, they need more from the d core as a hole. I don’t care if it’s done with current guys or others need to be brought in.

If Provorov played for a different team and didn't have to be the team's best defenseman since he was 19 and carry the load. Brought along more gradually and played on a stronger team with a stronger support system. He would be the young defenseman Flyers fans would be drooling over and saying we needed.
- MJL

maybe, maybe not.

2nd over all is not average position. A couple in top 12….and also a few years with multiple first round picks. To be successful in this league you must draft well….not only with lottery picks (although they become very important) but with all draft picks….then there’s the player development….is it the average of the picks or poor player development? I think the organization needs to be addressing both…and I think they are.
- landros 2

A 2nd, but then also a 27th in the same year. On average in the mid teens.

Yeah, I don't know what the "average of player development" is. It would be very hard to measure, especially because you would need to control for draft position.

What I do know is the enormous statistical correlation between draft position and performance. Whatever the role of "development" is, it is clearly being swamped out by the role of position, so a team that takes the development approach is playing a low odds game.

I remember when Babcock gave his last presser as Wings coach, he talked about how the continued success of the Wings in the previous twenty odd years were acting against their future hopes because how low they had been picking.

Ok, we will see how it shakes out.

I have a feeling draft night will be eventful.
- DrMidnite

I would not be shocked for Avs to sign Jones for the year and look at extension later. He is very cheap for this year.

I would be shocked if they trade him and sign him to an extension right thereafter or early part of season. It would be so against what they have done the past decade. I hope they are not so impatient. It would be a very Leafs signing Tavares kinda move.

semantics in terms of great. You know what I mean. Point is everyone says he needs the "Right" partner. Well you can apply that to every player. When does the time come where is expected to elevate his partner?

Define a competent partner? Niskannen was great last year before the shut down.
- hello it's me 2050

I just don't want him to have to "carry" his partner. There is a difference. He needs to have a partner he doesn't have to worry about, a guy who does his part. That doesn't mean he has to elevate anyone.

I would not be shocked for Avs to sign Jones for the year and look at extension later. He is very cheap for this year.

I would be shocked if they trade him and sign him to an extension right thereafter or early part of season. It would be so against what they have done the past decade. I hope they are not so impatient. It would be a very Leafs signing Tavares kinda move.
- PT21

Teams don't stay the same once they get to the point of true contender status. That is the time to take some chances and put the future aside for now. It is what every GM does and should do.

I disagree that they have to jettison as much of the current core as they can. The core they are building around is not Giroux and Voracek. The future core of this team is the young players and whoever they draft in the near future. That is who they need to build around. They need to make some moves to fill a few holes that are necessary now. All previous seasons have not hinted to the young core not being good enough. We don't know that now. Last year was an outlier and the worst thing the Flyers can do is overreact to last year and make drastic changes. If they do, it will be a death sentence to this team's future chances and will set them back. They may be better but they'll be stuck in a position that makes it more difficult to get to the top. Hey, but the seats will be full.
- MJL

I'm not referring to the future core, I am speaking about the current core of Giroux, Jake, JVR, Hayes, Couturier and Provorov. These are our highest paid players, these are the players who are consistently playing the "big" and "important" minutes each and every game. I'm saying right now this is not a core you can build around because they are simply not good enough and are not going to ever be good enough. I am in favor of keeping Couturier and Provorov obviously and I am stuck with Hayes unless he waives his NMC, but these three need to be augmented quite a bit to become a new and highly competitive core for this team to build around. Yes, some of our younger players like Farabee potentially can be part of this future core, as well as other prospects, draft picks, or players coming in from FA or trades. But to me if I were Fletcher this is where I start in the rebuilding of this team, that is why I am so keen on jettisoning Jake, JVR and Ghost and deciding whether to keep Giroux in a diminished role or trade him too.

I'm not referring to the future core, I am speaking about the current core of Giroux, Jake, JVR, Hayes, Couturier and Provorov. These are our highest paid players, these are the players who are consistently playing the "big" and "important" minutes each and every game. I'm saying right now this is not a core you can build around because they are simply not good enough and are not going to ever be good enough. I am in favor of keeping Couturier and Provorov obviously and I am stuck with Hayes unless he waives his NMC, but these three need to be augmented quite a bit to become a new and highly competitive core for this team to build around. Yes, some of our younger players like Farabee potentially can be part of this future core, as well as other prospects, draft picks, or players coming in from FA or trades. But to me if I were Fletcher this is where I start in the rebuilding of this team, that is why I am so keen on jettisoning Jake, JVR and Ghost and deciding whether to keep Giroux in a diminished role or trade him too.
- jd250

The players you refer to are not the players they are building the future around. With the exception of Couturier and Provorov. The Giroux situation has a good chance of being problematic. We'll see.

I am not in favor of getting jones. Has nothing to do with the player. Unless they are going to get rid of 50% of the core it wont matter anyway what they do. This core is rotten

I just hope the GM has plan B C and D ready. Him having tunnel vison for Jones only would not be good.

The more interesting question is what do the do in goal? Hart poopz the bed again they can have ab all star team and it wont matter. Haven't heard/read any rumors on they may look at.
- hello it's me 2050

Unfortunately, this GM has NO PLAN, at worst, and a plan similar to the one he had in Minnesota at best, meaning the Flyers are screwed for the foreseeable future. Between Dave "Spend to the Cap, Biased for Action" Scott the beancounter and Chuck "Middling to Average GM" Fletcher, I have no faith in this team becoming a contender.

Nice write up on Maroon, Billy