Hart has been fine this year, but I was listening to the NHL Network on Sirius/XM yesterday and they were talking about how badly they are in need of a stable goalie to move forward. Hart is from that area and I got to thinking. I really wanted Hart to play for team Canada at the Olympics to see how he does in a real pressure situation behind a good team(although I suppose he did that at the world juniors) just to validate that he is indeed a franchise goalie. I'm considering anything at this point, but I was thinking the Oil might throw one hell of a package the Flyers way if they thought they could pry Hart outta here.
- Phillywhiteout

He’s exactly what they need..the GM knows it…everyone watching them know it.

He’s exactly what they need..the GM knows it…everyone watching them know it.
- landros 2

I would move Hart. This rebuild if done right will encompass his best years. He would be worth the most to us getting us a great haul while not winning us unnecessary games

So, if you’re Risto, are you interested at all in staying with the Flyers? I sure wouldn’t be.
- Dkos

Nope. I expect he’s gone.

I would move Hart. This rebuild if done right will encompass his best years. He would be worth the most to us getting us a great haul while not winning us unnecessary games
- Just5

That's not true. Goalies are in the prime in their later 20's. Hart is 23.

I would move Hart. This rebuild if done right will encompass his best years. He would be worth the most to us getting us a great haul while not winning us unnecessary games
- Just5

Not sure other teams view it the same just due to him being a goalie. They seem to cost less. If he continues to improve, in a few years, yes maybe.

I'm just kind of phissing into the wind here, but would anyone be open to trading Hart to Edmonton? They are badly in need of a goalie and they would probably give the Flyers a king's ransom. I mean, at this rate the kid is going to be ruined here anyway. This could really upset the apple cart and this apple cart needs upsetting in the worst way!!
- Phillywhiteout

Im totally down for that, but what does edmonton have that we want besides the big 2 guys.

Clarke has fired people who are his friends, guys he likes and guys he’s played with. He may not necessarily agree with moving on from Fletcher but he would fire him in a heart beat (if it was his call) if he thought it needed to be done. That way Clarke has always been ruthless. If he thought it’s best for the Flyers he’d fire Fletch in a heart beat…and would sleep easy that night.
- landros 2

its true. He wanted hextall and im sure didnt lose any sleep 5 years later sending him packing....probably even smiled about it

Not sure other teams view it the same just due to him being a goalie. They seem to cost less. If he continues to improve, in a few years, yes maybe.
- Peter Richards

Right now Hart is not an elite goalie . Could he be who knows but he is in a large group of good to very good goalies. Dont think he would bring back a Kings Ransom by any means Goalies rarely bring back very much. Hart is only 23 yrs old hold on to him and hope he develops into elite.

Yea, I know you can't. I know that a team in the Flyers position is always better off with failed prospects with cheap contracts than they are with injury prone high cap hit long term veteran players.
- MJL

dont we need some vets for the young guys and the rebuild like what you said with couts yesterday? Couts on forward and Ellis on D.

Im totally down for that, but what does edmonton have that we want besides the big 2 guys.
- bradster

Nurse but not for what he recently signed for.

You are incorrect in stating that the President of hockey operations is a nothing job. Make no mistake about it, Gorton is in charge in Montreal not the recent ex agent GM they hired.

It wasn't a cop out. Any plan that starts with promoting Fletcher is not a good one, hence no reason to read further in my opinion.
- MJL

Agree president of hockey operations is a big job. Look what JD did with Rangers...moves that were made were done with him consulted with Gordon. Lets get Fletch..Clarke..Barber..Brown..Lappy ..and all of them out of here . No Tocchet..No Briere...Lets start a new identity

Agree president of hockey operations is a big job. Look what JD did with Rangers...moves that were made were done with him consulted with Gordon. Lets get Fletch..Clarke..Barber..Brown..Lappy ..and all of them out of here . No Tocchet..No Briere...Lets start a new identity
- hfc355

Agreed. No strings attached hires. Bring in a completely new philosophy and mindset.

Nurse but not for what he recently signed for.
- Peter Richards

ya but .....

Im totally down for that, but what does edmonton have that we want besides the big 2 guys.
- bradster

That's the issue. I have no idea what type of package that they could put together, but I know it won't include either of their 2 big guys could that would defeat the purpose for them.

The coach had other options than to play McEwen that much. With those options, any coach playing McEwen that much with the Flyers in the situation they are in, is a bad coach. However it's a symptom of the overall disease of the franchise. I don't think people have disdain for 4th line players. They have disdain for what they believe are poor 4th line players. How about the Flyers had kept Aube-Kubel instead of the waiver claim players they picked up for starters.
- MJL

Totally agree they should have kept NAK but most people on here complained about him constantly because of "stupid penalties." I liked NAK and was disappointed they let him go. I have no problem with MacEwen playing regular 4th line minutes as he does his job well in that role. In their current situation, what other options do they have? I don't follow the Phantoms, but don't they also have injuries?

Totally agree they should have kept NAK but most people on here complained about him constantly because of "stupid penalties." I liked NAK and was disappointed they let him go. I have no problem with MacEwen playing regular 4th line minutes as he does his job well in that role. In their current situation, what other options do they have? I don't follow the Phantoms, but don't they also have injuries?
- Don Nachbaur

I keep reading statements posted on here such as Ristolainen battles in the trenches and adds an element the Flyers need. That McEwen does his job well in his role. Neither is factually true.

I keep reading statements posted on here such as Ristolainen battles in the trenches and adds an element the Flyers need. That McEwen does his job well in his role. Neither is factually true.
- MJL

Roger that.

That's not true. Goalies are in the prime in their later 20's. Hart is 23.
- MJL

My god. Hart has been fine this year and for once we need to let a goaltender develop over more than 3 years here. Look how many years it took before price became elite. I hope to god the incompetent management at least can see that is a boneheaded move. I mean what do you do then bring in a ufa then watch the goalie carouse
Spin around again?

Im totally down for that, but what does edmonton have that we want besides the big 2 guys.
- bradster

Who plays goal for the team moving forward? There’s no guarantee we get another tender of his quality once the rebuild is done in 5 years.

Complete overpay sure. Look at it.

So I have been thinking long and hard about this, and I have come to the conclusion that Chuck Fletcher is not going to recover from this debacle of a season. Two 10 game losing streaks in the first 40 games is not only very hard for a team to get over, but also a front office. However firing Fletcher now would be a mistake because anyone you bring in is going to have to have an assessment period and that is just going to delay things further. So I believe the next best thing is to bring in more outside voices to compliment the voices we have now, so here is my 10 point plan to retool the Flyers and get them ready to contend in 2023-2024.

1. Move Fletcher to President of hockey Operations only (same job as Jeff Gorton has with Montreal)
2. Hire Stacey Reost as your GM. Stacy comes from Tampa where he is the assistant GM and director of player development. Clearly Tampa knows how to draft and develop players, so adding this voice will address some obvious gaps in the Flyers leadership.
3. Keep Brent Flahr as assistant GM and director of player scouting. Brent has shown to be a very good drafter.
4. Hire Lane Lambert as your new head coach this off season. He has worked with Barry Trotz since his Nashville days, so he knows Trotz's system well, a system that has been proven to win in the NHL. Lane has been an assistant for a long time and is chomping at the bit to be a head coach, he has earned a chance.
5. This year at the deadline trade G, Risto, JVR, Braun and Martin Jones. This should net the team a 2 1st round picks, a second round pick, two 3rd round picks and maybe a prospect or two.
6. Get into the top 5 of this year's draft and draft the center Lambert from Finland, who had 5 points in 2 games at the WJCs.
7. Play the kids next year, I mean everyone that can play in our system, including Foerster, O'Brien (what a move he made last night in OT, goalie made a great stop), Frost, York, Zamula, Allison, Ratcliff, Sandstrom, etc. We must see what we have in these players and do a proper evaluation.
8. Sign a few depth veterans, but for the most part stay away from any major free agents.
9. Plan on drafting in the top 10 next year in a very deep draft. Get another young, highly skilled player.
10. Hopefully have a season with a healthy Ellis, Couts and Hayes, start rebuilding the psyche of this team and franchise.

Have at it, I'm sure you will all hate it, but this is my specific plan on how I would proceed to rebuild this front office and team if I were running the Flyers.
- jd250

I don't know enough about guys Reost and Lambert but I did enjoy reading this and largely agree. Thanks.

My god. Hart has been fine this year and for once we need to let a goaltender develop over more than 3 years here. Look how many years it took before price became elite. I hope to god the incompetent management at least can see that is a boneheaded move. I mean what do you do then bring in a ufa then watch the goalie carouse
Spin around again?
- Hextall271

I would definitely keep him. He is only 23. He has a 0.912 average, which is solid, while the team is 3rd worst in expected goals against and 2nd worst in high danger chances. This follows the corrections he has made from last season, when he was floundering in front of a bad team. The team is still floundering, but he has rectified his own play substantially.

I still feel he tends to go down a bid too early and a bit too much, and is vulnerable on the top corners, but again he is only 23. That last part is key. In the unlikely event we ever contend, it will be 5+ years from now, and he would still be in his prime.