Bill Meltzer: Flyers Add a New European Scout

thanks again Bill

these are the type of moves the team needs to make to upgrade their scouting. i totally agree w/ hammarstom's assessment regarding org impatience and it looks like we're seeing a change of course w/ the flyers.

that said, i'd be ringing WPG if rumors about Bogo having a murky future there are true...

This is an excellent summer read

Marcus Hayes comments yesterday on Bernie Parent being the most loved Philly player "most people wouldnt know Bernie Parent from Bernie Madoff and hockey being a fringe sport" He suggests that Dr J should be the most loved, well I guess he wasnt at the playoff game when 4,000 people cheered the Sixers? talk about being fringe, Marcus.

Wow! Excellent blog Bill! It's good to see them trying to correct the situation since Sweden produces so much NHL talent. It reminds me of how the Phillies went years in the 80s-90s without a Latin American scout - mind boggling!

Do you have any gauge of Hextall's involvement in this hiring or is it too early to assume that?

Hey Bill,

How much do scouts make and is there a limit to the amount that can be employed for each club? It seems like that would be the most important front office division to invest in not only money but number of employees. The more eyes the better or is that being too simplistic?

Marcus Hayes comments yesterday on Bernie Parent being the most loved Philly player "most people wouldnt know Bernie Parent from Bernie Madoff and hockey being a fringe sport" He suggests that Dr J should be the most loved, well I guess he wasnt at the playoff game when 4,000 people cheered the Sixers? talk about being fringe, Marcus.
- vejim

MH is a pompous blowhard and a momma's boy...and i'm being charitable.

Marcus Hayes comments yesterday on Bernie Parent being the most loved Philly player "most people wouldnt know Bernie Parent from Bernie Madoff and hockey being a fringe sport" He suggests that Dr J should be the most loved, well I guess he wasnt at the playoff game when 4,000 people cheered the Sixers? talk about being fringe, Marcus.
- vejim

That's just more of the same tired narrative from journalists who just love to knock hockey and pump up the NBA, which itself isn't too far from irrelevance. In his defense, Dr J was a national superstar and the Jordan of those times. Still, Bernie is as loved as any athlete in this city's history.

Great read, Bill. Since 2000, the Flyers have had so much success drafting Canadian forwards in the first round. It's hard to deviate from that plan when it's working so well.

On the flip side, it would be nice for the Flyers to get ANY player from Sweden. Country is loaded with good, two-way talent.

It would be nice to find a steal from Europe once in a while. (Hagg?)

That's just more of the same tired narrative from journalists who just love to knock hockey and pump up the NBA, which itself isn't too far from irrelevance. In his defense, Dr J was a national superstar and the Jordan of those times. Still, Bernie is as loved as any athlete in this city's history.
- BOSS_TWEED

I'm only 25 so I wasn't around for either Dr J or Bernie, but I've followed all four sports since the day I was born and it is pretty clear that Bernie is one of, if not the most beloved sports figure in this town.

Great blog Bill,

Good to hear the Flyers finally getting a scout in the country outside of NA that produces most talents/NHL-players. I remember I thought it was a bit weird that the Flyers didn't have a Swedish scout but instead several Finnish ones. But I guess it wasn't surprising that they had a pretty crappy record of drafting Swedes, both in quantity and quality. It seemed they didn't care or didn't think the Swedish playing style suited typical Flyers hockey (unless your name is Forsberg).

Great article.

So to recap.......

Flyers CAN'T draft and develop

1. Defensemen
2. Goalies
3. Anyone past the first round
4. Europeans

If this team didn't have deep pockets and they would have missed the playoffs for 10 years.

Great article.

So to recap.......

Flyers CAN'T draft and develop

1. Defensemen
2. Goalies
3. Anyone past the first round
4. Europeans

If this team didn't have deep pockets and they would have missed the playoffs for 10 years.
- SonicDefMonkeys

Not necessarily. The Rangers missed the playoffs for several years after their '94 Cup & the '97 playoffs. Big money is not always smart money.

I imagine today's blog will be fodder for folks with half-empty glasses that need something to lament.

anyone get pearl jam tickets today?

Not necessarily. The Rangers missed the playoffs for several years after their '94 Cup & the '97 playoffs. Big money is not always smart money.

I imagine today's blog will be fodder for folks with half-empty glasses that need something to lament.
- Flyskippy

The difference is the Flyers spent wisely and the Rangers didn't. The Flyers always (for the most part) target the highest quality FA.

The Rangers always went after the most talent "me first" type of players, IMO.

Through the 2000's the flyers have had pretty good playoffs success (w/o winning the cup).

Imagine what it could have been if the had drafted better as well as adding quality FA.

The difference is the Flyers spent wisely and the Rangers didn't. The Flyers always (for the most part) target the highest quality FA.

The Rangers always went after the most talent "me first" type of players, IMO.

Through the 2000's the flyers have had pretty good playoffs success (w/o winning the cup).

Imagine what it could have been if the had drafted better as well as adding quality FA.
- SonicDefMonkeys

They'd have won every Cup, if only they were as smart as we are. Jaronteed.

Bill Meltzer: Flyers Add a New European Scout
- bmeltzer

Terrific article Bill, as always. Thanks.

Hammarström also commented on his relief over the more recent move away from what he saw as an over-emphasis on scouting for size, saying "you could barely watch the games" in the late '90s to early 2000s.

"I don't dare to speculate how many talents we lost during those years," he said.

I'd love to sit down with Hammarstrom over a couple of beverages and discuss this in further detail.

They'd have won every Cup, if only they were as smart as we are. Jaronteed.
- Flyskippy

Who needs Swedes when you can draft Canadians?

good read bill! hopefully this means more swedes wind up on the flyers in future years. it's never a bad thing

Who needs Swedes when you can draft Canadians?
- Coburns_Nose

The Swedes we haven't drafted are better than all of the Canadians we have drafted. Soon, the Swedes we draft will be worse than the Canadians we didn't.

Same old same old...

Bill Meltzer: Flyers Add a New European Scout
- bmeltzer

Nice to see they are stepping up their efforts in European scouting.

Nice to see they are stepping up their efforts in European scouting.
- ob18

Hopefully they did some self scouting over the summer as well

Marcus Hayes comments yesterday on Bernie Parent being the most loved Philly player "most people wouldnt know Bernie Parent from Bernie Madoff and hockey being a fringe sport" He suggests that Dr J should be the most loved, well I guess he wasnt at the playoff game when 4,000 people cheered the Sixers? talk about being fringe, Marcus.
- vejim

I've been carrying a debate with someone for oh say 6 months that "because they are beat writers they know more than us." I'm gonna go on a limb here and say you would be with me in refuting that statement, yes?

Hopefully they did some self scouting over the summer as well
- Just5

Whoever is scouting for concussions and injury prone should make a career change to picking winning lottery numbers.