I never said he was going to be there forever. Just that he should have been up weeks ago because the #4-6 dmen the Flyers have been putting out every night are very poor, and the 2nd PP unit has been completely useless.

There are only 4 players in the league who have played 20+ games but have zero points, and two of them are Flyers defenseman.

https://www.nhl.com/stats...points&page=0&pageSize=50
- Feanor

The first mistake he makes Torts will staple him to the bench and then the Cote suite next game.

I never said he was going to be there forever. Just that he should have been up weeks ago because the #4-6 dmen the Flyers have been putting out every night are very poor, and the 2nd PP unit has been completely useless.

There are only 4 players in the league who have played 20+ games but have zero points, and two of them are Flyers defenseman.

https://www.nhl.com/stats...points&page=0&pageSize=50
- Feanor

Wasn’t directed at you, more in general. No issue with how they handled York thus far. Now if he’s sent back down after a couple games. I would have an issue. I’d like to see him up with the big club for an extended period of time

Regarding York. If anything this was the right decision by the organization. He had a really bad camp, didn’t look himself. They send him down for 20 games to get his game back and then call him up. That’s the way it should be for a young D man.
- ClaudeFather

It feels really strange to see them handle a player's development properly for once... I wonder if Torts had some say in this situation because it's a breath of fresh air to see them do anything the right way at all

It feels really strange to see them handle a player's development properly for once... I wonder if Torts had some say in this situation because it's a breath of fresh air to see them do anything the right way at all
- Bob Habib

Very true. No idea if Torts had a say. They didn’t Yo-yo the kid, they let him find his game and prove he was ready. Let’s see what happens to Zamula before we give them even an ounce of credit

My predication will be that York scores the winner in OT tomorrow night and skates right of the ice without celebrating with his teammates.

Injured. I thought Ratcliffe took a nice step forward in the second half of last season, both with the Phantoms (especially down the stretch during the desperate -- but failed -- push for the final playoff spot) and his 10-game look with the Flyers.

It hasn't carried over to this season.

A big part of the problem is that Ratcliffe and the organization have never figured out what they want him to be as a player. Is he a power forward/ netfront PP guy? Is he a banger? A PKer? He's been yo-yoed around, a lot. There have been injury issues. There have definitely been confidence issues at times.
- bmeltzer

Thanks Bill. An honest assessment, but also an indictment of the franchise. The inability to develop players has plagued this franchise for years.
I’d find the best player development coaches for the Phantoms, regardless of cost, and let them work on all these kids. I’m so sick of hearing this guy, and that guy are all busts. There has to be a better way forward to turn these young guys into solid NHL players. Sadly, I don’t think the Phantoms coaching staff is anywhere near what these kids need. A heart and soul player whose NHL career was admirable, but awful at his current job.

What do you think the Flyers could get for Hayes today?
- Minnyhock

Unless you're willing to throw in a sweetner to a team, I see Hayes as pretty much untradeable.

A horrible camp indeed, he played himself off the team
- ClaudeFather

He didn't have a strong pre-season. There was a 30 game sample from last season that showed that York could play in the NHL. That should've factored in. I think playing time in the NHL would be more valuable to his development than going to the AHL.

Neither do I. If they haven't offered him one yet I doubt they're in a hurry to do so, which is puzzling since we have worse contracts on our books rather than JOB

Flyers management doing flyers management things, eh?
- Bob Habib

O'Brien is an NCAA player. He wouldn't get a contract offer unless he was willing to forgo the rest of his eligibility. If the Flyers wanted to.

Unless you're willing to throw in a sweetner to a team, I see Hayes as pretty much untradeable.
- MJL

Agreed.

O'Brien is an NCAA player. He wouldn't get a contract offer unless he was willing to forgo the rest of his eligibility. If the Flyers wanted to.
- MJL

You're right about the NCAA status but if he was anywhere close to being a pro and in the NHL do you think that the flyers would not offer him a contract?
Ir is this another case of a player wanting to outlast the rights of the team who owns them and then signing with thw team of his choice.
Like vesey did... and I can't rhino of the other guy who also did this
Either way its a curious case with JOB. Why is he still playing hockey at that level and but not really lighting the score card up at his age?
These are honest questions to which I am unsure of. Right now it's just another 1st round miss of a quality draft pick

I think you have to go all the way back to 2008, Detroit Red Wings, to find a team thats won the Stanley Cup without a top three draft pick. Yes it’s important to draft well but drafting top talent is also pretty important.

2022 Colorado - MacKinnon#1, Landeskog#2 (Makar#4, Johnson#1, Byram#4)
2021/2020 Tampa - Stamkos#1, Hedman#2
2019 St. Louis - Boumeester#3 (Pietriangelo#4, Schenn#5)
2018 Washington - OV#1 (Backstrom#4)
2017/2016 Pittsburgh - Cindy#1, Malkin#2, Fleury#1 (Kessel#5)
2015 Chicago - Kane#1, Toews#3
2014 Los Angeles - Doughty#2
2013 Chicago - Kane#1, Toews#3
2012 Los Angeles - Doughty#2, Jack Johnson#3 (Kopitar, Richards, Carter, Brown)
2011 Boston - Horton#3, Seguin#2
2010 Chicago - Kane#1, Toews#3
2009 Pittsburgh Cindy#1, Malkin#2, Fleury#1

I just saw something on Facebook about the league adding yet another franchise. Ugh I hope that’s just rumors. There are too many teams as it is. Not to mention the embarrassment that is the Coyotes.

Granted I’d probably jump for joy if they ever announced Philly was getting a 2nd team so we could root for an actual franchise for a change.

I never said he was going to be there forever. Just that he should have been up weeks ago because the #4-6 dmen the Flyers have been putting out every night are very poor, and the 2nd PP unit has been completely useless.

There are only 4 players in the league who have played 20+ games but have zero points, and two of them are Flyers defenseman.

https://www.nhl.com/stats...points&page=0&pageSize=50
- Feanor

Ya know what you really nailed it. The flyers having two dmen w 0 pts has without a doubt been the issue. I would say that is the number one issue they have today.

Just where do folks come up w this stuff

I think you have to go all the way back to 2008, Detroit Red Wings, to find a team thats won the Stanley Cup without a top three draft pick. Yes it’s important to draft well but drafting top talent is also pretty important.

2022 Colorado - MacKinnon#1, Landeskog#2 (Makar#4, Johnson#1, Byram#4)
2021/2020 Tampa - Stamkos#1, Hedman#2
2019 St. Louis - Boumeester#3 (Pietriangelo#4, Schenn#5)
2018 Washington - OV#1 (Backstrom#4)
2017/2016 Pittsburgh - Cindy#1, Malkin#2, Fleury#1 (Kessel#5)
2015 Chicago - Kane#1, Toews#3
2014 Los Angeles - Doughty#2
2013 Chicago - Kane#1, Toews#3
2012 Los Angeles - Doughty#2, Jack Johnson#3 (Kopitar, Richards, Carter, Brown)
2011 Boston - Horton#3, Seguin#2
2010 Chicago - Kane#1, Toews#3
2009 Pittsburgh Cindy#1, Malkin#2, Fleury#1
- Dave21Brown

We had 2 number 2 picks.. how did that work out

Ya know what you really nailed it. The flyers having two dmen w 0 pts has without a doubt been the issue. I would say that is the number one issue they have today.

Just where do folks come up w this stuff
- Joe Nardone

So you're saying that you don't think the Flyers defense core is not scoring enough and that you don't understand how offense is created in the NHL?

He didn't have a strong pre-season. There was a 30 game sample from last season that showed that York could play in the NHL. That should've factored in. I think playing time in the NHL would be more valuable to his development than going to the AHL.
- MJL

How they handled him was not an issue at all. It didn’t hinder his development, there are over 50 games left

How they handled him was not an issue at all. It didn’t hinder his development, there are over 50 games left
- ClaudeFather

I don't think that spending more time in the AHL is going to hurt his future, but it was not the right move in my opinion. He showed he could play in the NHL last year. They should have started him in the NHL despite his subpar pre-season. If he continued to play poorly, they then could've sent him down. You have to move your players forward. He's a #1 pick and talent.

I don't think that spending more time in the AHL is going to hurt his future, but it was not the right move in my opinion. He showed he could play in the NHL last year. They should have started him in the NHL despite his subpar pre-season. If he continued to play poorly, they then could've sent him down. You have to move your players forward. He's a #1 pick and talent.
- MJL

He had the poor pre season, had he come in and played poorly at the NHL level, torts certainly would have cut his ice drastically. He would have been up playing minimal minutes looking over his shoulder. He went down, got his game together, and was called up. This was the right approach.

The first mistake he makes Torts will staple him to the bench and then the Cote suite next game.
- MBFlyerfan

I'd really like to see the term "Cote suite" permanently retired. Considering what we now know, I find it inappropriate.

$.02

He had the poor pre season, had he come in and played poorly at the NHL level, torts certainly would have cut his ice drastically. He would have been up playing minimal minutes looking over his shoulder. He went down, got his game together, and was called up. This was the right approach.
- ClaudeFather

That's where a coach has to have the insight to know that he is coaching for the future and not for now. Allow a player to play through the unenviable ups and downs that a young player is going to have. Especially a defenseman. I guess you're not considering thar the same thing can still happen if he plays poorly or has a bad game. This is where Tortorella has to get his head out of his ass and stop playing players with no upside and playing the right players for the future development of the team.

I'd really like to see the term "Cote suite" permanently retired. Considering what we now know, I find it inappropriate.

$.02
- Levit8

?

I'd really like to see the term "Cote suite" permanently retired. Considering what we now know, I find it inappropriate.

$.02
- Levit8

Someone, somewhere, somehow is always offended by something in someway

I'd really like to see the term "Cote suite" permanently retired. Considering what we now know, I find it inappropriate.

$.02
- Levit8

Oh please DO enlighten me.

That's where a coach has to have the insight to know that he is coaching for the future and not for now. Allow a player to play through the unenviable ups and downs that a young player is going to have. Especially a defenseman. I guess you're not considering thar the same thing can still happen if he plays poorly or has a bad game. This is where Tortorella has to get his head out of his ass and stop playing players with no upside and playing the right players for the future development of the team.
- MJL

There’s ups and downs and then there’s how he looked in pre season. You still have to earn your spot. Growing pains are part of the game but sometimes it’s best to let a player, especially a young Dman, go and get his game together.