Yes, they’ll be major contributors.

Things don’t move that slowly in the NHL.. especially if you have some cap space which they will have. Philadelphia is a place where a majority of players want to come and play. Within the next three years they will peak, I believe. This year they’ve beaten better teams than they beat last year… and been more competitive as well against top teams.
- Eklund

Will respectfully disagree again. Flyers are years out from contention. More than 3 years. They have way too many holes and nothing in the pipeline to fill those holes in 3 years. TK and Sanheim will be on the downside when/if they are ready to contedn.

Philly is no longer a destination where top players want to come. They have much better options. Top offensive players will not want to play for the current coach. Unless a severe overpay. Someone like Bennet and Ekblad who may want to cash in a retirement contract.

Beating better teams this year really doesn't mean much. To use that as an indicator is misleading to me. Too much parity. Any given night any team can win. Weak cliche but true.

It’s a bit hindsight in my opinion. Getting hot in 2010 and going all the way to the finals was awesome but it also changed expectations around here.. they weren’t bad enough to completely tear it down. And hextall fell in love with prospects. So bringing people in for draft picks and prospects wasn’t happening either…. In my opinion, that’s why they got stuck..

This management group is not playing at halfway. They didn’t expect this team to be as good as they are for sure, but you have to be really careful how you handle that. They are very much open for business, but they aren’t gonna give away players either. They won a lot for Risto because you can’t get a player like him at that price and he’s playing the best hockey of his career right now… it takes a while for defenseman to mature in this league… starting to see that out of drysdale as well
- Eklund

They most certainly are, they refuse to pick a lane. A middle of the road approach. Hope and luck should be the theme.

This team is not good. They are average at best, and the standings show this to be true. Risto is what a 12 year vet? Yes need to be patient. They want a lot because they do not want to trade him.

Didn’t they trade Scott Walker last year for good pick despite the fact that they were very much in the playoff race…. Even more so than they are this? year.?
- Eklund

The only reason the traded walker is because they could not extend him. Tell me how many players have they extended on expiring contacts vs how many they have resigned?

ns, tk, gh, rp all have been extended when they were tradeable assets. The Room™ should have been traded and not kept for "intangibles" and "culture" Since they were not traded this shows that the "rebuild" talk was and is a bunch of bull.

And what got them a 1st from CO last year walker of taking on rj? It seems taking a year and a quarter of rj should have brought an additional asset along with a first for walker

It’s a bit hindsight in my opinion. Getting hot in 2010 and going all the way to the finals was awesome but it also changed expectations around here.. they weren’t bad enough to completely tear it down. And hextall fell in love with prospects. So bringing people in for draft picks and prospects wasn’t happening either…. In my opinion, that’s why they got stuck..

This management group is not playing at halfway. They didn’t expect this team to be as good as they are for sure, but you have to be really careful how you handle that. They are very much open for business, but they aren’t gonna give away players either. They won a lot for Risto because you can’t get a player like him at that price and he’s playing the best hockey of his career right now… it takes a while for defenseman to mature in this league… starting to see that out of drysdale as well
- Eklund

This team is not that good. I think you have some orange glasses on. They are a lot closer to the bottom 5 then you might want to admit.

This team has made bad deals in my view. Tippett is overvalued. They should have moved Konecny instead of extending him. Hathaway should have been a TDL piece this year not resigned. Laughton should be moved.

In my eyes they are stuck because they aren't valuing the players they have correctly.

The way they are going, I think they will be in purgatory longer then you think.

In order to sign anyone, you need a team with money and a player who’s available…. Kevin Hayes doesn’t play into this at all……
- Eklund

Sure he does -- that is the caliber of player that is available in FA. What true number one center, in their prime has been available in FA? Teams lock those players up and they do not get to FA

The only reason the traded walker is because they could not extend him. Tell me how many players have they extended on expiring contacts vs how many they have resigned?

ns, tk, gh, rp all have been extended when they were tradeable assets. The Room™ should have been traded and not kept for "intangibles" and "culture" Since they were not traded this shows that the "rebuild" talk was and is a bunch of bull.

And what got them a 1st from CO last year walker of taking on rj? It seems taking a year and a quarter of rj should have brought an additional asset along with a first for walker
- corduroy

Also gave up a 5th in the Walker deal.

It’s a bit hindsight in my opinion. Getting hot in 2010 and going all the way to the finals was awesome but it also changed expectations around here.. they weren’t bad enough to completely tear it down. And hextall fell in love with prospects. So bringing people in for draft picks and prospects wasn’t happening either…. In my opinion, that’s why they got stuck..

This management group is not playing at halfway. They didn’t expect this team to be as good as they are for sure, but you have to be really careful how you handle that. They are very much open for business, but they aren’t gonna give away players either. They won a lot for Risto because you can’t get a player like him at that price and he’s playing the best hockey of his career right now… it takes a while for defenseman to mature in this league… starting to see that out of drysdale as well
- Eklund

is the triumvirate paying you to espouse this stuff? You sound like Russian or Chinese propaganda

Those chirps are fair. Definitely something I’m working on.
- Eklund

DON'T change the typos. They're your trademark at this stage of the game.

is the triumvirate paying you to espouse this stuff? You sound like Russian or Chinese propaganda
- corduroy

Wow. No they are not. .

This group hasn’t been around long enough and hasn’t had the opportunity to do enough yet to give up on them the way some flyers fans want to. You are of course, entitled to your opinion. That’s what makes the world go around.

maybe I have the benefit of covering the whole league so I hear things from other gms and other players about what’s going on in Philly…. The biggest problem they have for sure is Tortorella for some players…. Some players don’t want to block shots.

But the other side of it, there are some players that will go through a wall forbhim, and would love to play for him again. There is no middle ground on Torts.

Didn’t they trade Scott Walker last year for good pick despite the fact that they were very much in the playoff race…. Even more so than they are this year.?
- Eklund

https://x.com/ADiMarco25/...is_nightmode%3Dfalse&mx=2

They wanted to resign him, trading him wasn't what DB wanted to do. Can you imagine trying to spin letting a UFA defenseman leave in FA while claiming a rebuild? Trading Walker was the only rebuilding type move they made all year. Let's not also forget, that they only got that return due to the salary and term they took on for RyJo who was never going to play for them. In a sense, Walker was kind of a secondary piece rather than a main piece.

I know everyone wants to say "look at walker", "look at the return for walker" but the return wasn't for Walker and trading Walker was the only option after failing to resign him that wouldn't put him in the press's crosshairs.

https://x.com/ADiMarco25/...is_nightmode%3Dfalse&mx=2

They wanted to resign him, trading him wasn't what DB wanted to do. Can you imagine trying to spin letting a UFA defenseman leave in FA while claiming a rebuild? Trading Walker was the only rebuilding type move they made all year. Let's not also forget, that they only got that return due to the salary and term they took on for RyJo who was never going to play for them. In a sense, Walker was kind of a secondary piece rather than a main piece.

I know everyone wants to say "look at walker", "look at the return for walker" but the return wasn't for Walker and trading Walker was the only option after failing to resign him that wouldn't put him in the press's crosshairs.
- Flyers_01

Walker was NOT a secondary piece for Col… and yes, they tried to assign him, but only at a rate that made sense for them. Konecny deal turning out to be an absolute steal..

DON'T change the typos. They're your trademark at this stage of the game.
- Letterkenney

lol….oh man…

Walker was NOT a secondary piece for Col… and yes, they tried to assign him, but only at a rate that made sense for them. Konecny deal turning out to be an absolute steal..
- Eklund

That is false.

This team is not good so the deal is pointless right now. This team is multiple years from being a contender.

You cannot make that statement until we see how the team is built. Right now he is producing. Great. The teams is close to the bottom of the metro.

I think the deal was a mistake and will hinder them in the future.

Wow. No they are not. .

This group hasn’t been around long enough and hasn’t had the opportunity to do enough yet to give up on them the way some flyers fans want to. You are of course, entitled to your opinion. That’s what makes the world go around.

maybe I have the benefit of covering the whole league so I hear things from other gms and other players about what’s going on in Philly…. The biggest problem they have for sure is Tortorella for some players…. Some players don’t want to block shots.

But the other side of it, there are some players that will go through a wall forbhim, and would love to play for him again. There is no middle ground on Torts.
- Eklund

Top end players don’t want JT.
Bottom end players want JT.

Walker was NOT a secondary piece for Col… and yes, they tried to assign him, but only at a rate that made sense for them. Konecny deal turning out to be an absolute steal..
- Eklund

TK is still on his old deal. His new deal isn’t a steal at all at this juncture.

Wow. No they are not. .

This group hasn’t been around long enough and hasn’t had the opportunity to do enough yet to give up on them the way some flyers fans want to. You are of course, entitled to your opinion. That’s what makes the world go around.

maybe I have the benefit of covering the whole league so I hear things from other gms and other players about what’s going on in Philly…. The biggest problem they have for sure is Tortorella for some players…. Some players don’t want to block shots.

But the other side of it, there are some players that will go through a wall forbhim, and would love to play for him again. There is no middle ground on Torts.
- Eklund

They should be -- anyone with a modicum of hockey knowledge sees that this team is not rebuilding -- rebuilding teams do not resign third and fourth line players -- this team is hell-bent on making it into the playoffs (they won't). They will falter like the did last year because with the lack of talent this team has every game they play is like a game 7 of a PO series

Wow. No they are not. .

This group hasn’t been around long enough and hasn’t had the opportunity to do enough yet to give up on them the way some flyers fans want to. You are of course, entitled to your opinion. That’s what makes the world go around.

maybe I have the benefit of covering the whole league so I hear things from other gms and other players about what’s going on in Philly…. The biggest problem they have for sure is Tortorella for some players…. Some players don’t want to block shots.

But the other side of it, there are some players that will go through a wall forbhim, and would love to play for him again. There is no middle ground on Torts.
- Eklund

I think you can absolutely question what they are doing. THis team is stuck in purgatory and if you can't admit that then your not being truthful. They are not good enough to pick high and maybe grab a high impact player and then are not good enough to be a cup contender. Also they are limited in cap space and have some big term and money in players that I am unsure if they are future pieces.

This "wait for everything to fall into place and be perfect" approach is not a good way to think or plan to build a continuous contender.

That is false.

This team is not good so the deal is pointless right now. This team is multiple years from being a contender.

You cannot make that statement until we see how the team is built. Right now he is producing. Great. The teams is close to the bottom of the metro.

I think the deal was a mistake and will hinder them in the future.
- J35Bacher

It’s all conjecture…. You can no sooner say that they aren’t gonna be a contender for multiple years than I can say it’s a great deal. Slow rebuild in the NHL don’t happen in general…Florida and Colorado went from very bad to very good quickly. It’s just impossible to tell how long it’s gonna take in the NHL. Too many moving parts.

Yes, they’ll be major contributors.

Things don’t move that slowly in the NHL.. especially if you have some cap space which they will have. Philadelphia is a place where a majority of players want to come and play. Within the next three years they will peak, I believe. This year they’ve beaten better teams than they beat last year… and been more competitive as well against top teams.
- Eklund

IIRC, last year the Flyers beat every team in the league except NSH, which they played 2x and got 1 OTL point against them. So, they beat all the top teams last year, as well. This year they are not as good.

Walker was NOT a secondary piece for Col… and yes, they tried to assign him, but only at a rate that made sense for them. Konecny deal turning out to be an absolute steal..
- Eklund

So we agree that DB didn't want to trade Walker but only did because his asking price was to high and that they only got the first because of the cap space they took back (not because Walker was worth a 1st)? Glad we cleared that up.

The Walker trade was not part of a master plan or rebuild. It wasn't looked for, it wasn't planned for, it was what happened when plan A failed but they sure spun it through the PR cycle a few times.

The Konecny deal discussion wasn't about whether he was worth the money in today's market, it was whether he puts this poorly constructed team closer to the cup long term. You can't say it does. Will he put asses in the seats, sure, but is this team any closer to building a cup contender? No.

Gourde makes no sense for the Flyers timeline. Seattle will be sellers at the deadline. So will the Flyers.
- jd250

I'd gladly trade Ristolainen for Gourde. Then it would make a lot if sense. Then I would flip Gourde for an asset at the deadline.

It’s all conjecture…. You can no sooner say that they aren’t gonna be a contender for multiple years than I can say it’s a great deal. Slow rebuild in the NHL don’t happen in general…Florida and Colorado went from very bad to very good quickly. It’s just impossible to tell how long it’s gonna take in the NHL. Too many moving parts.
- Eklund

Be honest. What gives you hope that this team is trending in the right direction? Because for me, I can't really point to a lot.

-No one in Lehigh brings me hope.
-I have a lame duck coach and no one who I think can take the team forward
-Outside Michkov, there isn't anyone in the organization I look at and think he is close to a lock to build around.

So we agree that DB didn't want to trade Walker but only did because his asking price was to high and that they only got the first because of the cap space they took back (not because Walker was worth a 1st)? Glad we cleared that up.

The Walker trade was not part of a master plan or rebuild. It wasn't looked for, it wasn't planned for, it was what happened when plan A failed but they sure spun it through the PR cycle a few times.

The Konecny deal discussion wasn't about whether he was worth the money in today's market, it was whether he puts this poorly constructed team closer to the cup long term. You can't say it does. Will he put asses in the seats, sure, but is this team any closer to building a cup contender? No.
- Flyers_01

I like the discussion, but it is possible for a team to say a player is worth it at a certain price and then after that, not worth it given what they can get back for him… that was all plan A last year

I'd gladly trade Ristolainen for Gourde. Then it would make a lot if sense. Then I would flip Gourde for an asset at the deadline.
- MJL

Now that would be a smart plan.

But this front office does not have that forsight to do it.

Just like extending Hathway before the season. He would be a perfect TDL piece that teams are always looking for that are going to the playoffs.

Because of his age in the return that they got. It’s all about putting a team together that’s going to peak at the same time.
- Eklund

Ek, the point is with Walker. They didn't trade him because of rebuilding. They traded him because they couldn't come to an agreement. They wanted to keep him.