Why would the Flyers need to clear out Ristolainen, who you claimed is the Flyers best defenseman many times? The last thing the Flyers should be doing is going the free agent route again.
- MJL

when did he claim this? it was a while ago no? his stance has clearly changed cliff

don't think anyone wants the Ronald approach at all.
- hello it's me 2050

I know I don’t but I’ve seen people posting on here describing what direction they’d like to see and it’s exactly what Hexy did.

You're incorrect. The Flyers could not get any feedback from his agent or the player at the end. Which is why they flew overseas to try and talk to the player.
- MJL

false cliff. the agent said he talked to them. home and abroad. I guess it comes down to who you believe.

I believe the agent. Also do not fault the flyers for going and still trying.

I know when you said. Still a bad idea. Need to stick with drafting and developing. This is going to take 5 years or longer. Just because you have money in your pocket. Doesn't mean you have to spend it. Fill the gaps through the draft.
- MJL

would you hire Ronald back in any capacity.

This board has largely coalesced around this pov. But you think if it is so obvious to fans, it isn't to mgmt, who are paid to do this full time?

I just don't buy it. I think they know this full well.
- PT21

Maybe they’re playing 4D chess. Trading Walker made them worse. Acquiring EJ made them worse than just playing the young kids. Scratching Frost and Brink at the end and playing Poehling instead.

Wouldn’t that be awesome?! Anyway, back to reality…

Maybe they’re playing 4D chess. Trading Walker made them worse. Acquiring EJ made them worse than just playing the young kids. Scratching Frost and Brink at the end and playing Poehling instead.

Wouldn’t that be awesome?! Anyway, back to reality…
- Schmojo

The real issue is the head coach believes that playing Poehling 19 minutes as the 1C gave them a better chance of winning the Cap game then playing Frost and Brink

yea yea this organization is such a dumpster fire that we set Cam York on a development plan to get him into the player he was this season

we also trade a prima donna that hasn't even sniffed a real nhl season and get a super talented defenseman
- 2Real

If that's the criteria, they should trade Michkov, too. He also hasn't sniffed a real NHL season. Maybe they can get a "super talented defenseman" who isn't made of glass.

There's certainly a business side that most of us don't take into consideration. I acknowledge that.
- Dave21Brown

And most GMs don’t get to see the rebuild through. Why I understand it’s a hard decision to make. You really need Ownership to buy in long term.

No I don't think they did, based on everything I have read. They wanted to sign Gauthier to an ELC after his first college season was over and give him a chance to make the club the follow season out of camp. Quitter balked at that because he wanted a guarantee he would make the Flyers and not be sent down. Talk about entitlement? When did Quitter rise to the level of Bedard? As I have posted many times, Quitter wasn't even the best player on his BC team. That honor IMO belonged to Smith, who you will see playing for the Sharks next season.
- jd250

You just continue to make shlt up.

Carolina is going to hire their color analyst to run the team?
- MJL

yea yea this organization is such a dumpster fire that we set Cam York on a development plan to get him into the player he was this season

we also trade a prima donna that hasn't even sniffed a real nhl season and get a super talented defenseman
- 2Real

Briere had his butt handed to him in that trade. Anaheim won hands down.

Drysdale is a second pairing dman at best. Think flashier Ghost.

You're incorrect. The Flyers could not get any feedback from his agent or the player at the end. Which is why they flew overseas to try and talk to the player.
- MJL

Maybe the feedback was, “ We’re done.”

You have it wrong. Gauthier wanted to sign after his first NCAA season was over. Briere and the Flyers said no.
- MJL

Briere wanted to sign him after the Flyers season ended, not his college year....removing the possibility to burn his first year of his ELC.

Tampa over paid for him. He had 1 good offensive season.
- WhiskeyMan

Now they want someone else to overpay for him when his value is lowest.

Briere wanted to sign him after the Flyers season ended, not his college year....removing the possibility to burn his first year of his ELC.
- TheFreak

Correct.

You're incorrect. The Flyers could not get any feedback from his agent or the player at the end. Which is why they flew overseas to try and talk to the player.
- MJL

There is a difference between "lack of feedback" (presumably about reasons) and "lack of communication" (which was what Hesh brought up).

If the agent shows up, and tells you repeatedly: my client wants out and wants to keep the reason why private, that may not be feedback, but that is surely communication.

Pittsburgh Penguins did to get Mario Lemeiux. Sent down thier starting goaltender and brought up a goalie who was clearly not an NHL goalie under the guise of they wanted to get a look at him. It was clearly to ensure that they lost down the stretch. Teams have absolutely done that in the history of the league.
- MJL

And again, the tanking def used by MBFF was of throwing games by the players who were actually dressed. Like, dogging it conspicuously/consistently on backchecks; whiffing on open nets, leaving beachball size opening for goals ... that kinda stuff.

EDIT: AT least, I thought that was what he meant.

Like I said, hadn’t verified. I heard it second hand. But looking at your specific example it does look like PIT had 10 Canadians to Detroit’s 9 Canadians in 08.
- Schmojo

Meaning the 07-08 season or the 08-09 season?

As I think about the season coming up, I don't agree with Jason that the Flyers have to make the playoffs to be a successful season. To me a successful season for the Flyers might actually look like a step back, with the Flyers finishing lower in the standings this coming season, but in the process clearing out more veterans that will not be part of the future, players like Laughton, Cam and Risto, clearing more cap space and opening up spots for younger players like Lycksell, Grans, Ginning, Attard and Andrae to get some NHL experience and continue to develop. You need to see what you have in these players and decide if they are part of this or not. Can't do that just playing in the AHL. The 2025 draft is going be a deeper draft so the Flyers should want to get as much draft capital as they can to really build the foundation for a contending team for many years to follow. Plus if Michkov does come over, the Flyers will have some cap space the in the 25-26 season to sign 1 or 2 good free agents and really kick this thing off. My opinion is this coming season is not the right time, more clean up is needed IMO.
- jd250

Signing really good F/A means giving a 28/29 year old a 7 year deal. This is the exact deal everyone is complaining that we gave Couturier and exactly the same deal no one wants TK to get. Why are these yet-to-be-determined F/A different? Personally I would never give out a 7-8 year deal to a late 20's player....

Meaning the 07-08 season or the 08-09 season?
- PT21

2008 playoffs

Signing really good F/A means giving a 28/29 year old a 7 year deal. This is the exact deal everyone is complaining that we gave Couturier and exactly the same deal no one wants TK to get. Why are these yet-to-be-determined F/A different? Personally I would never give out a 7-8 year deal to a late 20's player....
- mr4tno

A good example would be Chicago signing Brian Campbell summer 08 and then Hossa in summer 09. They had their core in place but those 2 were valuable in their first cup run. Hossa obviously for all 3 cups. Once they drafted their foundation, Toews, Kane, Keith, Seabrook, they acquired Sharp and Ladd through trades and then signed Campbell and Hossa.

Until the foundation is built you don’t sign big FAs.

2008 playoffs
- Schmojo

Well, there you go then.

I find it interesting that some teams that repeatedly had top 5 picks (at least twice in a 5 years span), went on to have success within a few years after that even without the top 5 players being significant contributors. More than teams that never tanked in that fashion.

Consider Boston. Thornton. Huge center. Some commitment issues, but averaging about 1.2 points a game over the past 4-5 seasons. They trade him.

Kessel. Top 5 pick. 60 points in 70 games and 11 points in 11 playoff games. They trade him for Seguin, a top 2 pick.


It seems to me that teams willing to pick/(or trade for) repeatedly in the top 5 of the draft have a long term plan for excellence as their goal. They are willing to bear short term costs for long term gain. They are willing to take risks. Even if the picks themselves don't turn out to be studs, there might be other aspects of that mindset that might bear fruit.

I hope the Necas rumors are true and he does get traded this week. So ready for the offseason to begin and see what players get moved. The finals needs to end in a sweep to get this season over with. The earliest the seaaon can end is June 15th. It really is stupid that the season for ice hockey could end within 2 weeks from 4th of July. Truly idiotic.

Well, there you go then.

I find it interesting that some teams that repeatedly had top 5 picks (at least twice in a 5 years span), went on to have success within a few years after that even without the top 5 players being significant contributors. More than teams that never tanked in that fashion.

Consider Boston. Thornton. Huge center. Some commitment issues, but averaging about 1.2 points a game over the past 4-5 seasons. They trade him.

Kessel. Top 5 pick. 60 points in 70 games and 11 points in 11 playoff games. They trade him for Seguin, a top 2 pick.


It seems to me that teams willing to pick/(or trade for) repeatedly in the top 5 of the draft have a long term plan for excellence as their goal. They are willing to bear short term costs for long term gain. They are willing to take risks. Even if the picks themselves don't turn out to be studs, there might be other aspects of that mindset that might bear fruit.
- PT21

It’s really interesting to look at the Blackhawks. In the mid to late 90’s they were in a similar spot as the Flyers have been for a decade now, this endless middle of the road. They drafted some half decent players here and there but no top of the lineup players. In 2002, they get Keith in the 2nd round. The following season is where you see them begin to commit to the rebuild. They lose Amonte to FA in 2002. They then move on from Michael Nylander and Boris Mironov. 2003 draft they get Seabrook in the 1st rd and with the compensatory pick from Amonte leaving, they select Crawford. In 2003-04, they fully commit, trading Zhamnov and their best player Steve Sullivan, and finish 2nd to last. Unfortunately for them they lose the lottery and miss out on Ovechkin and Malkin, selecting Barker 3rd. They’d later turn Barker into Leddy who was a good player on their 2nd cup team. We all know what happens next, they continue to be awful. They finish 3rd to last in 05/06 getting Toews 3rd then finish 5th to last in 06/07 and get the lottery luck they didn’t get 3 years earlier, and select Kane. In 07/08 they’d have the 11th pick and miss on that pick. They were also able to trade 2001 #9 pick Ruutu for Andrew Ladd.

So, while they missed on a couple picks while they were tanking, they hit on several because they were bad for many seasons. Rebuilding/tanking for several seasons give you several chances to land a couple elite players to build your foundation. The Hawks won 3 cups because they were also able to draft well outside of those top picks and then make some key trades and signings. But without Toews and Kane the rest of it becomes irrelevant.

Just like Florida, without Barkov, Ekblad, and Huberdeau, all the great moves they’ve made recently wouldn’t matter.

There is a difference between "lack of feedback" (presumably about reasons) and "lack of communication" (which was what Hesh brought up).

If the agent shows up, and tells you repeatedly: my client wants out and wants to keep the reason why private, that may not be feedback, but that is surely communication.
- PT21

That's semantics. At the end, neither the agent nor the player would communicate with the Flyers. Which is why Jones and Briere took the step to fly overseas to the world championships to try and talk to the player.