The New Unending Flyers thread

[zambonir]

Unfortunately it's wildly premature to think he'll be convicted of anything, nor banned from the NHL if not. But it's progress for that to be the default assumption and he's probably not playing hockey for the next 18 months regardless.

But, look no further into the recent past than Herrera, the Phillies never took the moral stance of releasing him - using the MLB policy saying they couldn't as cover - and ultimately put him back on the team. And he wasn't even a good player!

[Aquapong]

Yes, we’ll have to let things play out. But he’s screwed.

There’s two short video clips of the incident. Text message chains. Perhaps surveillance videos of the coming and going from the hotel and the room. If the police were smart they court ordered cell phone record holds the day after. But the guys in the room talked and named names. Without forensic evidence, that’s the only way they would be issuing arrest warrants.

[LegoDoom]

That's cool. I can remember A) when people hated him as part of the trade and B) people thought he should be traded before this year if the rebuild was going to take 3-4 years.

They are in a win-win position here, if they want to extend one of the d-men they can but if they don't there are young guys waiting to get a look. And I don't think the locker room (or the coach) is going to be upset/disrupted, they understand one playoff run is not the goal, and most of them will be around to benefit from that approach.

$6M per year for 8 years is cool for a 25yo forward without a 50 point season under his belt? G is still out performing him.

[zambonir]

He had 49 points last year playing for, y'know, the Philadelphia Flyers.

So what, trade him? Give him a two year deal and then have to pay him (with a more challenging cap hit) after that? If you don't think the Flyers will be good in three years there's certainly an argument for that but the money's not exorbitant.

What Giroux is doing now or whether they could have done better (which they couldn't have, as you well know, due to there only being two teams he'd go to) is irrelevant at this point. They took Tippett instead of an additional draft pick and that wasn't exactly to Fletcher's credit at the time since he still wasn't committed to rebuilding. But they are lucky he is starting to reach his potential.

[LegoDoom]

He had 49 points last year playing for, y'know, the Philadelphia Flyers.

So what, trade him? Give him a two year deal and then have to pay him (with a more challenging cap hit) after that? If you don't think the Flyers will be good in three years there's certainly an argument for that but the money's not exorbitant.

I don't know the correct answer, but I don't think its an 8 year deal.

On the plus side he has a great shot which ages well.

[Austinfan]

He also posted the fastest speed in the NHL this season, which at his size is impressive.
Defensive awareness needs work, but Torts will beat that into him!
Stamina, non stop motor also has value.

[LegoDoom]

He also posted the fastest speed in the NHL this season, which at his size is impressive.
Defensive awareness needs work, but Torts will beat that into him!
Stamina, non stop motor also has value.

I know. That stat is very misleading. Drysdale is a great skater... Tippett is not.

[LegoDoom]

Morgan Frost had 3 points less than Tippett last year. Would anyone be happy if he got that contract?

[Aquapong]

Tippett looks like he’s rounding into the player he’ll be, a scoring wing. Hopefully Foester will be a similar player in a few years. Frost has some work to do as a center.

[Austinfan]

Foerster doesn't have Tippett's speed, but he's smarter, going to be bigger, more skilled. Starting to learn how to finish, ironically, when he was drafted it was partially due to his plus shot, his defense and passing are pleasant surprises.

[Aquapong]

It’s funny to hear the Drysdale trade talked about from the Ducks perspective. Basically they think Drysdale is a bust already and ripped the Flyers for being upset with Gauthier and “chasing him halfway across the world while he was playing a tournament.”

I kind of think it’s bad form to not at least meet with the team execs if you’re a kid that hasn’t played one NHL shift.

[Florida_Sunshine]

I put this one totally on Gauthier. And it appears that he was upset for being told it was best for him to go back to college for an additional year. I may very well be wrong but that is the theory that makes the most sense.

[Squire]

I'm coming around to Gauthier's point of view. Considering that of picks 1-12 in that draft he was the only one who had not been offered an ELC.

[zambonir]

The timeline of the drama doesn't completely align with that theory though. I think it's more likely he just was not impressed with the state of the organization. Or some combination of the two. I've got no problem with it. 88 is hanging in the rafters at the Wells Fargo Center because Lindros originally screwed over/didn't like another team (and then fell out with the Flyers at the end to boot!)

The system allows players to make this choice. If the Flyers were truly bitter and petty about it they could have let it drag out, so they took the high road in some respects as well (while also preserving more value for the franchise). Honestly I'm just glad he went to a Western team so the soap opera part of it will ultimately fade (and for Drysdale too, who Ducks fans already disliked because he held out this year, which isn't that different). The only way it won't is if the two teams make it to the Final and if that happens people probably won't be dwelling on the drama (or who won the trade) either.

It's still weird he wouldn't talk to the team but I think a lot of the mystery around this is also due to how careful the Flyers were not to let word out. They have to know what his reason was.

And yeah, at this point you do have to wonder if another possibility is that he'd heard whispers about the Hockey Canada thing. If we'd all been told last May that the Flyers might not have Carter Hart - and wouldn't be able to trade him either - going into this rebuild how much more pessimistic would we have been about it?

[Austinfan]

I think Gauthier will be a good scorer, he's big and fast for his size and a LW, which the Flyers need.
However, watching him in college, I didn't see a guy who dominated play or has a high IQ. Never developed as a center.
We already have TK, Tippett, Foerster, Brink, Michkov at RW, Farabee at LW. Barkey and Rizzo may end up at LW if they make the NHL. We need centers and D-men.

Drysdale is a work in progress, in many ways he's a superior version of Ghost, great speed (which Ghost lost after his first ACL, he looked like Drysdale in college), agility, really nice wrist shot, seems to have a good feel for offense. Defense needs work, but Shaw is the right coach to fix that.

[jimbomill]

I'm coming around to Gauthier's point of view

As am I. The Flyers did not win the talent aspect of this trade.

[Aquapong]

Well Couts, Laughton, Frost, and Poehling would seem to disagree we need centers. As would Cates, but it seems we’re using him at LW. Personally I like Cates at C and Frost at LW, but what do I know?

[Austinfan]

Poehling is better suited to 4C, both Cates and Laughton are better at LW. Frost is a solid center but not one I want to matchup against the better, physical centers around the league. They have nothing in the system.

Gauthier would be a bigger blow if he had showed potential to be a top 6 center in college, but after two years, the consensus (including Anaheim) is that he's a LW.

Drysdale fills a hole on defense, but problem now is defense is faster and more mobile, but undersized. Bonk should fill out, Risto is playing well, keep an eye on Sotheran (big RHD having a solid D+1 season). Supposed to be a really deep D-man draft this year, so look for Flyers to take at least one in the early rounds.

[zambonir]

Not surprising at this point, but first published report (lawyer for the Swiss league player had already acknowledged he was the fifth).

Sources confirm NHL players facing charges in sexual assault investigation | TSN

I guess they must have been given a certain amount of time to deal with all the logistics and meet with their lawyers. Official announcement still expected on February 5.

[Aquapong]

The Flyers entered the break on a rough stretch, but still in solid playoff position. Some thoughts for after the All Star Break.

Hart is gone and isn't coming back, certainly not this year even if by some miracle he’s acquitted. The Flyers could be fishing in the trade market for a goalie. Whether that’s a long term starter, co-starter with Errson, or just a better back up, they could use one.

The offense seems down a tick from earlier in the season. Missing Tippett hurts, but TK has cooled as well. Couturier has got to round into form and play to his offensive potential.

The trade deadline is March 8th. What happens in the next month will decide whether we’re selling on guys like Walker and Seeler or looking for another goalie to bolster our depth there. Other than that, I expect us to stand firm unless an offer we can’t refuse is made for TK or Atkinson. I’d be pretty shocked to see a big acquisition.

Hopefully they can continue to play entertaining games and get to the playoffs and get some playoff experience for the younger players.