The New Unending Flyers thread

[zambonir]

True, true.

I guess that's a mixed blessing. If they are "'good" enough to pick more like 9th and get a Provorov-like return on Couts and Atkinson (at least between them) that's probably worth it.

I do think they can return to form, question is will they stay healthy. Essentially the same thing I realize.

[VoteForKalas]

It is a double edged sword.

We want guys like Atkinson & Petersen to play well so we can trade them for whatever value we can. Atkinson also has a limited NTC that will factor into the situation.

Couturier we are likely stuck with regardless due to his contract unless we are going to retain loads of money.
Similar with Sanheim who has a crazy contract too and a full NTC.

Konecny & Hart remain the biggest chips we have and we need to pray they play well and stay healthy.

Vets like Staal, Walker, Hathaway & Laughton could also be flipped at the deadline for picks.

[Austinfan]

If TK can show he can stay healthy, they may extend him instead of trading him - you want some veterans to lead the way on a young rebuilding team, and TK and Couts have the right mind set - and you'd rather pay your own than go sign some big FAs in three years the way the Devils have done the last two summers. Tk would be 29 when Michkov comes over, with a rising cap, so if he doesn't break the bank I can see him staying "unless someone makes an offer you can't refuse" - a late 1st, 2nd and B prospect won't move the needle in a rebuild.

I don't think the Flyers are 5-7 years away, they have a nucleus of young players, Michkov, Gauthier and Bonk in the pipeline, (2) 1st, (2) 2nds in the 2024 draft, and should pick up some more picks at the TDL and before the draft. They are stocked at goalie, already close to nine deep at forward, the one player they really need to find is a first pair RHD.

[zambonir]

We want guys like Atkinson & Petersen to play well

Now that's some optimism! (About Peterson. Didn't he already clear waivers? That's not to say someone might not want him if he does okay in the AHL or should he come back up but at that point you're just shedding the money probably.)

I think the Flyers are certainly prepared to eat salary on Couts. Sanheim too, possibly. They have been careful not to burn all those picked-up salary slots which is why it also didn't turn out to be that bad that the D'Angelo trade didn't work out. But they'd also probably prefer for both of them to be useful (if overpaid) veterans once there is a competitive team.

I think the Team Canada investigation continues to loom over Hart's status, that he actually would have been traded over the summer if not for that. But his value is probably the same at the deadine or next summer (i.e. high so long as everything is right with him).

I'm ready for them to sign Laughton to new deal after yesterday.

[Austinfan]

They can't eat money on Couts or Sanheim - the contracts are too long.
Just got to hope Couts is 100%, b/c he's the perfect senior statesman on a young and upcoming team.

[zambonir]

Hey how 'bout that Couturier penalty shot tonight?

[Austinfan]

Yeah, sure looks like he's 100%. But the real key is he's making all the little plays he used to make, in the right place, totally aware of what's happening, and somehow the puck finds him.

He has always been grossly underestimated as a player, the "Bobby Abreu" of the Flyers, because there's nothing flashy about his game. Similar to Mark Stone on Vegas, big, slow but just makes plays.

Advanced metrics love him.

[Aquapong]

I’m going to show that to my son and see if he can use that move.

[bkeich]

Coots is a great defensive forward, so it is no surprise that the metrics love him. He has always been more valuable than just goals and assists show, when he scores he is an incredible player.

He will be passed over in HOF consideration, but if he had not spent his whole career on a team that was allergic to the playoffs he would be considered one of the top players in his years. Sadly he really is just a footnote in the last 10 years.

I hope he gets a ring wherever he ends up, he deserves the chance to at least play some important games before age or injuries finally end his career

[bkeich]

So, after 5 games we have 7 points. That is about 5 more points than I expected.

The OT loss came in a game where we scored 3 short handed goals, including 2 goals in the same 2 minute penalty. Shame they lost in OT, but still a strong game and they got a point.

Great start. I do hope I am wrong and this is a young, interesting team. I don’t expect it still, but it would be great if we seemed like we were headed in the right direction instead of just aimlessly lounging at the bottom of the league.

[zambonir]

Well, last year at this time they had 8 points and were 4-1. It's a tricky balance. With what we've seen so far of Couts and Atkinson they will not be playing for a bottom three finish, for better or worse. Heck last night wasn't even a Hart game.

Now they've lost Staal which everyone says is going to hurt, but it creates playing time for kids.

[Aquapong]

Well at least the Flyers won in Veg… oh no they blew it.

[zambonir]

I saw the score before I finally crashed and figured it couldn't last.

[Austinfan]

Last year after 6 games, they were 31st in the league in xGF%. This year they're 6th.
That is, it was smoke and mirrors last year, it's for real this year.
Though I don't expect them to play this well over a larger sample, they're showing they can skate with good teams and stay in games.
It would help if they had a decent PP, only one goal in 32? attempts, but they're outscoring the opponent's PP 4-3.

[Aquapong]

Well they’re all I’ve got to watch until ST. Up 1-0 on the Wild right now. I hate when players change their numbers, now I don’t know who these guys are.

[Docs]

Flyers win 6-2. What’s a better scenario, Flyers are better after dumping a few ‘key’ players and their young players are on track to be solid contributors, or the Flyers have an historical losing season that allows the flyers to draft one promising prospect?

I know it’s a super small sample size, but the guys that we hoped would flash something to increase their trade value are all contributing on the score sheet (except the defenders on IR).

My one concern so far - why is Morgan frost a healthy scratch?

[zambonir]

I never thought they had a shot at a bottom three finish. If they end up 11th or 12th instead of 6th or 7th it is probably not the end of the world. And if they are good but still aggressive about being sellers they could falter (assuming they don't sooner). Where it would get tricky is if they actually try to make the playoffs and don't sell on Atkinson and Hart (though they could certainly re-sign Hart).

But, a long way to go.

[Aquapong]

Frost has been healthy scratched a few times. Some kind of Tortorella crap.

[Docs]

Frost has not played since game 2 - that's five games in a row he hasn't dressed because he's in Tortorella's dog house. I don't get it.

[zambonir]

I mean, what's not to get? Torts being Torts. His official position is that he got benched after getting off to a bad start, and now the team is going well, and he doesn't want to put Frost back in the line-up in a fourth-line role/ice time. But I don't know if anyone believes him.