Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Top 20 Flyers Homegrown Defensemen

No kidding, after number 1 that got ugly fast.

Woohoo good morning Bill and flyer land. Great read Bill.

well that was depressing.

Yeah not such a great list but its a nice sunny morning.

Though the BPA strategy sounds like a really logical way to go, my issue with it is that it's hard to compare the skills of a defenseman to a forward. Plus top pairing puck moving defenseman are always in short supply, so it seems like the only way to acquire them is to over pay. Just look at our current situation we have lots of promising young forwards but we can't seem to convert any of them into promising young defenseman via trade because everyone is asking more than we are willing to pay. So it seems like to me if you want to go BPA you have to at least take into consideration then inherent trade premium on defenseman.

I'd rather they draft the way they do then shoot bullets in the dark and come up empty. At least with a surplus of forwards you find a dance partner who needs said talent and has a dman or two to trade. The flyers may not have won a cup in 30+ years but they've come pretty damn close and yes there is something to say for that. That's not to say the organization should just proceed with business as usual but is rather be a fan of team like this than one who sees the playoffs once a decade.

Absolutely laughable.


That is all.

I'd rather they draft the way they do then shoot bullets in the dark and come up empty. At least with a surplus of forwards you find a dance partner who needs said talent and has a dman or two to trade.
- JoeRussomanno

I'm not saying they should draft a defenseman no matter what but if the skill sets are close it makes sense to go defenseman because it usually is harder to trade for them. For example I really like couturier and still think he was the BPA but I bet they couldn't trade him straight up for Dougie Hamilton at this point just because defenseman are more valuable

I should be on that list!

[quote=flyav]
^ And because boston needs him to replace Chara. I'd readily give B Schenn + Read for Hamilton, though.

worst top 20 ever

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Top 20 Flyers Homegrown Defensemen
- bmeltzer

So you are saying they have room to improve?

Coaches have come and go.

Yet its pretty (frank)ing horific seeing just how badly this team comes at evaluating d-men at the draft, and developing them. Especially in later rounds.

How the hell the majority of that scouting department has its job is insane. You cant build a quality consistent team in the "new nhl" by simply being able to draft forwards.

Holmgren was shown just how easy it is to find dance partners, and the value of quality d-men.

So, as we see, the Flyers have never really developed their own defensemen. While it'd be great if they could, it's always been that way, and they have had a lot of success in approaching things in this manner.

Does it matter if the Flyers drafted Mark Howe? Or is it OK that they traded assets that they did draft to acquire him? IMO, it's ultimately most that the player came in and contributed to the team's success rather than how he was acquired.

Coaches have come and go.

Yet its pretty (frank)ing horific seeing just how badly this team comes at evaluating d-men at the draft, and developing them. Especially in later rounds.

How the hell the majority of that scouting department has its job is insane. You cant build a quality consistent team in the "new nhl" by simply being able to draft forwards.

Holmgren was shown just how easy it is to find dance partners, and the value of quality d-men.
- flyer_nutter

It's not just the "new" NHL. When the Flyers acquired Mark Howe, they traded their leading scorer from the previous season, as well as a good prospect and draft picks.

Landing good defensemen has never been cheap. One summer where Holmgren didn't land one isn't a trend, because he's managed to land at least one solid one every summer previously.

I'd have to find a spot for Jeff Chychrun in that 20 somewhere.

A big, strong, stay at home defenseman who played during the very lean years of the organization. Carried the weight of team enforcer during his three seasons here racking up 245 and 250 PIM's from '88-90. Drafted in the 2nd round in 1987.

I'd have to find a spot for Jeff Chychrun in that 20 somewhere.

A big, strong, stay at home defenseman who played during the very lean years of the organization. Carried the weight of team enforcer during his three seasons here racking up 245 and 250 PIM's from '88-90. Drafted in the 2nd round in 1987.
- 77rams

Yeah, Chychrun should be there ahead of Bowen, at least

1992 NHL Draft

That was fairly embarrassing to read.

It's not just the "new" NHL. When the Flyers acquired Mark Howe, they traded their leading scorer from the previous season, as well as a good prospect and draft picks.

Landing good defensemen has never been cheap. One summer where Holmgren didn't land one isn't a trend, because he's managed to land at least one solid one every summer previously.
- Jsaquella

I agree.

And yet, the Flyers were still creative enough to make great deals for Howe, Desjardins, McCrimmon, Dailey, Timonen, all first pairings, without gutting the future.

Yikes! After looking at that list perhaps drafting a forward at #11 isnt such a bad idea! All kidding aside the BPA method is the one I prefer. After all if you arent going to select the player your scouts feel is the best still on the board, then why bother having a scouting dept?

Yikes! After looking at that list perhaps drafting a forward at #11 isnt such a bad idea! All kidding aside the BPA method is the one I prefer. After all if you arent going to select the player your scouts feel is the best still on the board, then why bother having a scouting dept?
- BiggE

But everyone can accept Pulock's skill and potential. Surely, unless something went drastically wrong developing him, he could land top 5 on that list, if not top 3.

I'd rather they draft the way they do then shoot bullets in the dark and come up empty. At least with a surplus of forwards you find a dance partner who needs said talent and has a dman or two to trade. The flyers may not have won a cup in 30+ years but they've come pretty damn close and yes there is something to say for that. That's not to say the organization should just proceed with business as usual but is rather be a fan of team like this than one who sees the playoffs once a decade.
- JoeRussomanno

I agree. Let's face it, when you do something as well as the Flyers do with drafting forwards, you play to your strengths. That being said you also work on your weaknesses. I think of the players who could very well be availible come the 11th pick, the BPA could be a Defensemen. But if not, I'd rather have a useful NHL bound player of any position I could trade than someone who just is not going to make it. A useful player always has some value regardless of position. In the end by draft or by trade, it's about the team you can put on the ice that counts.

I have this sinking feeling Pulock is going to sit on the board only to fall to Dallas.