the banking of space required forethought and a plan. Unfortunately the Flyers have neither.

Chuck 100% wants to leave the door open for Coots to return.
- mickel25

And let's be honest... what are the Flyers gonna do with a late round pick anyway? Pick another Nick Luukko or Alexis Gendron? Who's hockey playing son is on deck? Briere's boys? Chuck Jr?

the banking of space required forethought and a plan. Unfortunately the Flyers have neither.

Chuck 100% wants to leave the door open for Coots to return.
- mickel25

I'm pretty sure that if Couturier wants to return he would have the right to do so as determined by his contract and the NHLPA agreement.

Flyers are also looking at the potential for 1M in bonus carryover penalties for next years cap. Don't know what that bonus structure looks like but that is the max. Most likely will be lower.

I'm pretty sure that if Couturier wants to return he would have the right to do so as determined by his contract and the NHLPA agreement.
- Sinisalo4vr

He absolutely does.

Bottom line, Hextall had this team as a bubble team and Fletcher has this team as a bubble team. If Coots, Atkinson and Ellis were healthy the Flyers would be vying for a playoff spot. Both these guys will probably be unemployed in the near future and rightfully so IMO. Hexy might actually be first out the door cause there is lots of vile being flung at him in the Burgh currently. FIRE CHUCK!

And let's be honest... what are the Flyers gonna do with a late round pick anyway? Pick another Nick Luukko or Alexis Gendron? Who's hockey playing son is on deck? Briere's boys? Chuck Jr?
- Tomahawk

lindblom, cates, elliott??

Pens just need to pick a lane. If they are going for it, go for it. Screw the future. If they are not then start offloading folks. They have basically two seasons left with the big three.
- mickel25

they lane was picked when you have 3 HOF all under contract for next few seasons. Ronald didn't get the memo.

Bottom line, Hextall had this team as a bubble team and Fletcher has this team as a bubble team. If Coots, Atkinson and Ellis were healthy the Flyers would be vying for a playoff spot. Both these guys will probably be unemployed in the near future and rightfully so IMO. Hexy might actually be first out the door cause there is lots of vile being flung at him in the Burgh currently. FIRE CHUCK!
- Phillywhiteout

nah they are a bottom feeder to me

please stop mentioning Ellis, he has never even played for the flyers less 4 games. cracks me up when peeps bring him up

nah they are a bottom feeder to me

please stop mentioning Ellis, he has never even played for the flyers less 4 games. cracks me up when peeps bring him up
- hello it's me 2050

I'm looking at it from the perspective of the fact that he is a member of the Flyers and if he was playing he would be a difference maker. Sorry, not sorry! They aren't far from a playoff spot and those 3 would probably be worth an additional 10 points. Under Torts and with those guys they would not be a bottom feeder.

I'm looking at it from the perspective of the fact that he is a member of the Flyers and if he was playing he would be a difference maker. Sorry if that annoys you. Sorry, not sorry!

- Phillywhiteout

doesnt annoy me
it cracks me up as he really isn't a member of the team. No he wouldn't be a diff maker to me he would have been a good addition for a few years. All while the team still isnt a contender.

I am just glad Chuck will be around another year before Danny Boy takes over.

I really think the thought around the team with it's brain trust is what you talked about the other day. That they have a good team that has been sidetracked by injury. Once they get all the pieces back, with the miracle worker coach they have now, they'll be "right back in it"!
- MJL

Bad injury luck so the spin for this season is to be a stabilizing year. Bring in the right coach and get the players that can play playing the right way.

Mission accomplished and the collaborators are patting themselves on the back. Internal metrics back this up.

The "???" part of their plan now is to wait for the players to get healthy. Couturier will absolutely be back this year.

The one question mark I have is if The Comintern Collaborators will jettison players that they don't feel play "Flyers" hockey. Players like Hayes. What further damage will they do to themselves in the long run to purge these players?

And let's be honest... what are the Flyers gonna do with a late round pick anyway? Pick another Nick Luukko or Alexis Gendron? Who's hockey playing son is on deck? Briere's boys? Chuck Jr?
- Tomahawk

This a 100%.

Bad injury luck so the spin for this season is to be a stabilizing year. Bring in the right coach and get the players that can play playing the right way.

Mission accomplished and the collaborators are patting themselves on the back. Internal metrics back this up.

The "???" part of their plan now is to wait for the players to get healthy. Couturier will absolutely be back this year.

The one question mark I have is if The Comintern Collaborators will jettison players that they don't feel play "Flyers" hockey. Players like Hayes. What further damage will they do to themselves in the long run to purge these players?
- StepfordSam

Exactly…this was a stabilizing year….next year a couple of guys come back…it’s a let’s see what are healthy year. 2 years from now when they still are just average the idiots in charge are finally replaced and we’d have wasted 3 years of being a irrelevant NHL team….great future..

Keith is my age and weighs 300 lbs…so I glad Fletch didn’t grab him. I really don’t understand the allocation of salary that Fletcher has done. Again, maybe the word incompetence shouldn’t be thrown around lightly…but what word could actually describe the job Fletcher has done?
- landros 2

Sorry, showing my age. I meant Matthew of course. The word I would use is panicked to describe Fletcher. When things clearly went south with AV, Covid and injuries, a good GM would have taken a step back, established an updated course of action, communicated that action and then executed on it. Besides one presser where the term "aggressive retool" was mentioned without any clear definition of what that is, Fletcher has been all over the map. For example, this team is not ready to clear cap space to get Gaudreau but is more than ready to clear space and trade picks to resign Risto and obtain DeAngelo. Apparently this team is not ready to tank in order to get real top-end talent in here, but is more than ready to do what it takes to get Dylan Larkin. Fletcher is just panicking in my opinion, chasing whatever is presented in front of him in the moment without a clear objective and timeline to guide him.

It is not realistic to suggest that the Flyers could've obtained both Tkachuk and Gaudreau this past off season.
- MJL

A good GM would have seen that obtaining these two players was possible and made the appropriate moves at last year's deadline and off-season to set the team up to at least attempt at getting them both. Fletcher's actions demonstrated he didn't have a clue these players would be available. Don't think for a second that Fletcher did not try very hard to clear space to get Gaudreau, he just couldn't do it because, lets face it, other teams are not going to do the Flyers any favors, and thus Fletcher puts out the chatter that the team is in evaluation mode and is not ready for a player like Gaudreau. Nonsense! If Fletcher could have got him, he would have. To get Tkachuk, the Flyers would have to trade both Provey and TK but I would have done that in a heartbeat for a player like Tkachuk.

In your premise after a full off season to train and then doesn't show improvement then it makes sense to trade him? His perceived value would be even lower after that then it is now because a lot of promise would be removed. Out of the two scenarios, the best time to trade him would be now or this off season. I'm not advocating to trade him, just pointing out the flaw in your premise.
- MJL

I'm not advocating trading him either, just saying if I were the Flyers I would give him the off-season and next season to bounce back before I determined he is not part of things here. And I think that is exactly what the Flyers will do unless Farabee is part of a bigger trade to land a player like Larkin.

Sorry, showing my age. I meant Matthew of course. The word I would use is panicked to describe Fletcher. When things clearly went south with AV, Covid and injuries, a good GM would have taken a step back, established an updated course of action, communicated that action and then executed on it. Besides one presser where the term "aggressive retool" was mentioned without any clear definition of what that is, Fletcher has been all over the map. For example, this team is not ready to clear cap space to get Gaudreau but is more than ready to clear space and trade picks to resign Risto and obtain DeAngelo. Apparently this team is not ready to tank in order to get real top-end talent in here, but is more than ready to do what it takes to get Dylan Larkin. Fletcher is just panicking in my opinion, chasing whatever is presented in front of him in the moment without a clear objective and timeline to guide him.
- jd250

How do you know they are more than ready to get Dylan Larkin?

You finally have it all figured out now? It's the equivalent and stating who is going to win the race after the race is over.

Interesting read this morning about Hexy….apparently Mike Sullivan the head coach wants Jacob Chychrun. Hextall not willing to move 2 1rst rounders in the future to get him.
- landros 2

Of course not .. Hextall has to maintain that bubble team while he stocks the farm with middling prospects. Its what he does after all!

A good GM would have seen that obtaining these two players was possible and made the appropriate moves at last year's deadline and off-season to set the team up to at least attempt at getting them both. Fletcher's actions demonstrated he didn't have a clue these players would be available. Don't think for a second that Fletcher did not try very hard to clear space to get Gaudreau, he just couldn't do it because, lets face it, other teams are not going to do the Flyers any favors, and thus Fletcher puts out the chatter that the team is in evaluation mode and is not ready for a player like Gaudreau. Nonsense! If Fletcher could have got him, he would have. To get Tkachuk, the Flyers would have to trade both Provey and TK but I would have done that in a heartbeat for a player like Tkachuk.
- jd250

It wasn't possible! LOL There is no way the Flyers could've matched the offer Florida made for Tkachuk to Calgary.

I'm not advocating trading him either, just saying if I were the Flyers I would give him the off-season and next season to bounce back before I determined he is not part of things here. And I think that is exactly what the Flyers will do unless Farabee is part of a bigger trade to land a player like Larkin.
- jd250

Your premise was poorly thought out. He would have more value trading him now then after having another failed season last year. If they were entertaining trading him, now would be the time compared to after another bad season. With now being this off season.

How do you know they are more than ready to get Dylan Larkin?

You finally have it all figured out now? It's the equivalent and stating who is going to win the race after the race is over.
- MJL

Rumors are being floated out there over the past few weeks that the Flyers are searching for a center and love Dylan Larkin. Where do you think these rumors are coming from? They are coming from the Flyers of course!

Rumors are being floated out there over the past few weeks that the Flyers are searching for a center and love Dylan Larkin. Where do you think these rumors are coming from? They are coming from the Flyers of course!
- jd250

Oh brother! Do I have to explain this to you also?

Sorry, showing my age. I meant Matthew of course. The word I would use is panicked to describe Fletcher. When things clearly went south with AV, Covid and injuries, a good GM would have taken a step back, established an updated course of action, communicated that action and then executed on it. Besides one presser where the term "aggressive retool" was mentioned without any clear definition of what that is, Fletcher has been all over the map. For example, this team is not ready to clear cap space to get Gaudreau but is more than ready to clear space and trade picks to resign Risto and obtain DeAngelo. Apparently this team is not ready to tank in order to get real top-end talent in here, but is more than ready to do what it takes to get Dylan Larkin. Fletcher is just panicking in my opinion, chasing whatever is presented in front of him in the moment without a clear objective and timeline to guide him.
- jd250

Panicked…maybe. I just don’t think he’s a very good GM. I really believe the Flyers don’t think they are far away….the only guy that seems to get it is the head coach. Like him or not he does seem to suggest what Fletcher and Scott won’t, that this team is not very good.

Your premise was poorly thought out. He would have more value trading him now then after having another failed season last year. If they were entertaining trading him, now would be the time. With now being this off season.
- MJL

My only point is I would not panic and trade Farabee just because he is having a down year given the type of injury he had and when he had it. That is not only the prudent thing to do, it is incredibly well thought out. Apparently, just too well thought out for the likes of you!

Panicked…maybe. I just don’t think he’s a very good GM. I really believe the Flyers don’t think they are far away….the only guy that seems to get it is the head coach. Like him or not he does seem to suggest what Fletcher and Scott won’t, that this team is not very good.
- landros 2

100% .. my only hope is that Scott is listening to Torts and not Fletcher at this point. That is why I would not be sad if any Flyer was traded to one way or the other bring in top-end talent, because this franchise really needs a reset. The aggressive retool could have happened last off season if Fletcher had his pants up, but now its clear a big step-back is needed for this franchise to move forward.