Bill Meltzer: Wrap: Flyers Fall to Caps, 4-1

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Bill Meltzer: Wrap: Flyers Fall to Caps, 4-1
- bmeltzer

Sad to see us fall in the third, and it was nowhere as exciting as last game, but ultimately the higher draft pick the better.

Sad to see us fall in the third, and it was nowhere as exciting as last game, but ultimately the higher draft pick the better.
- therabbi

Yes!! The higher the pick the better! That's the absolute best for this franchise right now, if they can actually make a 1st round pick that is worth a damn, unlike hextall was able to do.

I used to love hexy but he was/is a terd of a GM when it comes to drafting. I don't care who disagrees. The numbers speak for themselves

Time to sell high on Hayes, even if you have to eat a little salary. Get ahead of the curve. Start acquiring additional draft picks!

Yes!! The higher the pick the better! That's the absolute best for this franchise right now, if they can actually make a 1st round pick that is worth a damn, unlike hextall was able to do.

I used to love hexy but he was/is a terd of a GM when it comes to drafting. I don't care who disagrees. The numbers speak for themselves
- Bob Habib

The pick # is irrelevant it is about recognizing & drafting talent. As you said Hextall failed miserably at that & that is why this team haz zero offense hexy was horrific at identifying skill opting to go for “200 foot players” instead. As previously mentioned look up the last 5 nhl drafts many players drafted after the top 5 & even a good amount drafted past 10 have turned out to out produce the #1 pick that year

Lindgren catches with his right, somewhat rare. Found myself wondering if the Flyers even had one. I should know this but coming up blank, sure there had to be someone.

Lindgren catches with his right, somewhat rare. Found myself wondering if the Flyers even had one. I should know this but coming up blank, sure there had to be someone.
- backfire

Mrazek most recent

I think you're wrong about Mrazek but I just read that Steve Mason was one. How forgettable he was.

Steve Mason

I think you're wrong about Mrazek but I just read that Steve Mason was one. How forgettable he was.
- backfire

Top five in home stats leaguewide over the course of his Flyers career. Road numbers were another story. But he was a good goalie for Philly overall.

Sad to see us fall in the third, and it was nowhere as exciting as last game, but ultimately the higher draft pick the better.
- therabbi

Whenever the Flyers are competitive in a game it turns into a snoozefest. They can't play the up tempo/skill game so they turn it into grinding drawn out affair. But hey, they led in hits and jam....

Is Ratcliffe hurt or just done? A colossal bust especially considering Robertson was picked 4 picks later and the Flyers traded a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th to move up to get him.

Is Ratcliffe hurt or just done? A colossal bust especially considering Robertson was picked 4 picks later and the Flyers traded a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th to move up to get him.
-MBFlyersfan

He is a colossal bust regardless of whether he is hurt or not. Another Hextall blunder!

Is Ratcliffe hurt or just done? A colossal bust especially considering Robertson was picked 4 picks later and the Flyers traded a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th to move up to get him.
- MBFlyerfan

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.

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

So again, we can point fingers at the franchise development strategy.

What scares me is that even if we continue to finish low and draft high, will this franchise keep destroying prospects?

So again, we can point fingers at the franchise development strategy.

What scares me is that even if we continue to finish low and draft high, will this franchise keep destroying prospects?
- MBFlyerfan

That has been the major problem for a long time now. They have basically gotten nothing after the first round for over 20 years. The lack of development is an organizational issue not a specific GM issue.

Is Ratcliffe hurt or just done? A colossal bust especially considering Robertson was picked 4 picks later and the Flyers traded a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th to move up to get him.
- MBFlyerfan

Now do Rubstov vs Tage Thompson. 😂 /s

So again, we can point fingers at the franchise development strategy.

What scares me is that even if we continue to finish low and draft high, will this franchise keep destroying prospects?
- MBFlyerfan

I wouldn't point fingers solely at the franchise. The problem IMO is not that the Flyers are screwing up the development of players, its that they are not drafting the right players to begin with. Certainly this was true with Hextall. This next season will be critical to see what has come from Fletcher and Flahr's picks, given York, Foerster and Andrae and Brink should all be ready for prime time.

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

You gotta get the players to play the right way before you can trust them to do the things they were drafted to do

its simple gealgaometry

So again, we can point fingers at the franchise development strategy.

What scares me is that even if we continue to finish low and draft high, will this franchise keep destroying prospects?
- MBFlyerfan

This is all very interesting to me. Is it really player development or is it their drafting. I mean, it seems to me if kids are talented enough to play at the NHL level they will find a niche to belong. I see it as more of a drafting problem. These kids just aren't consistent NHL players. Of course Frost is the lightning rod on here for whatever reason. Do people really think that they ruined this kid? Or is he simply not good enough to be an every day NHL player. I think it's more of the latter personally.

Is Ratcliffe hurt or just done? A colossal bust especially considering Robertson was picked 4 picks later and the Flyers traded a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th to move up to get him.
- MBFlyerfan

Been saying it since he was drafted...just cant skate well enough to play in NHL...4th line player this year with Phantoms...forget about him

This is all very interesting to me. Is it really player development or is it their drafting. I mean, it seems to me if kids are talented enough to play at the NHL level they will find a niche to belong. I see it as more of a drafting problem. These kids just aren't consistent NHL players. Of course Frost is the lightning rod on here for whatever reason. Do people really think that they ruined this kid? Or is he simply not good enough to be an every day NHL player. I think it's more of the latter personally.
- Phillywhiteout

Did you see the pass he made to Hayes last night? (I could cite about 15 other plays this season, as well). Tortorella himself said that there's a good NHL player in there with Frost; the issue is how to bring that out in him more consistently.

Absolutely NOT a question of talent or "not good enough".

That has been the major problem for a long time now. They have basically gotten nothing after the first round for over 20 years. The lack of development is an organizational issue not a specific GM issue.
- mickel25

Kjell Samuelsson was promoted to head of player development after developing absolutely no one on defense for years. There’s your issue.

Comcast let the front office turn into a complete joke and the country club has run the franchise into the ground unsupervised.

Yes!! The higher the pick the better! That's the absolute best for this franchise right now, if they can actually make a 1st round pick that is worth a damn, unlike hextall was able to do.


- Bob Habib

LOL. Hextall drafted Provorov, Sanheim and Konecny in the first round.