The New Unending Flyers thread

[Austinfan]

It was one of their best games of the season. Foerster is getting more confident, hit a post then a perfect shot in the upper right hand corner for the game winner. He's playing elite defense and now has 18 goals in his rookie season, top 6 forward going forward.

Couts was alright, on the "4th line" with Cates and Lycksell, though Torts was rotating the lines fairly evenly.

After a couple nice games, Brink struggled a little, a summer adding more strength and working on his straight line speed and I predict a breakout season next year, he's learning what it takes at the NHL level, not just pretty plays, but grinding along the boards.

The Flyers have been maligned for their development process, but when you can play top teams even with Zamula, Attard and Ginning as your D-men, you must be doing something right in the coaching department. Same with Foerster, Brinka nd Lycksell at forward. These young players are coming up from LHV fundamentally sound.

[LegoDoom]

Think of it as basic training for the armed forces - to build skilled and cohesive units that will perform in the field and get the job done requires filtering. If one cannot perform or chooses not to, they will be replaced by someone who can and wants to. Hockey is not combat, but winning in hockey is extremely difficult and requires total buy-in by every player and coach to even have a chance.

WTF should we ever think of it like that? You want your players to be drones? No, you want thinking players.

AF is talking about speed... has anyone watched one of Forsberg's games? Jagr's? Couts was never going to be top speed skater.

Torts is a joke.

[Austinfan]

The game has changed over the last decade, the rule changes have put a greater emphasis on speed and quickness, as smaller players can no longer be held and hooked on a regular basis.

This doesn't mean slower players can't function, Cates, Couts and Foerster are all slower than average, but all exceptional on defense. Rather, you need to structure a roster so you can balance smaller smart players with fast players. Give Couts faster wings, or move him to wing with a faster center. Improve the speed on defense so forwards don't have to get back as quickly, And so on.

[Aquapong]

I liked the play in yesterday’s game where Couts came off the end boards and took it right to the net. Use some power moves with that big frame of his.

Brink has some work to do before I write him in ink on the roster. Getting stronger is definitely his big need right now. Too many guys just push him off the puck on the boards.

[Aquapong]

Three weeks left in the regular season and the Caps are surging after Ovechkin seems to have regained his scoring touch. The Islanders haven’t taken advantage of the Flyers rough patch in our schedule and fell further behind.

Tough game tonight against the Rangers. They might be the team I’d least want to face in the 1st round.

[Austinfan]

It's easy to forget the Flyers are rebuilding, i mean with 3 D-men injured, Briere traded his best D-man for a 1st rd pick in the 2025 draft. He's still has his "eye on the prize," the team needs to accumulate assets, both to build depth and for trade bait.

So I'm not really concerned about making or going deep into the playoffs, enjoy the ride.
Frankly, I expect a minor regression next season as there is little available in LHV that's NHL ready, only Rizzo out of college if he signs, and NHL drafts are like baseball drafts (the top players make it faster, but the rest take 3-5 years).

Michkov is two years away, Bonk, Barkey, Sotheran, 3-4 years, the goalies they drafted last year 3-5 years.
So 2024-25 and 2025-26 depend on player development and finding some low cost assets in free agency and trades (like Poehling last season).
But the 2024 and 2025 drafts will strengthen a talent pipeline already ranked 6th in the NHL by Wheeler (best evaluator out there, writes for the Athletic) after losing Gauthier and graduating Ersson, Foerster, York.and Zamula.
So I don't mind a couple years of struggle if it sets them up for a decade of high level competition.

[Docs]

I agree with that in theory, but since they are so close and it appears only one of the Flyers, Red Wings or Capitals will miss out on the playoffs, at this point I hope they don't hit a bump and that they actually make the playoffs for that experience. They are holding their own so far during this tough 10 game stretch, all season long I've prepared myself for a let down, and I'm impressed that the team continues to play well enough to be in the race, i would like them to be rewarded for that effort. The difference between missing and making the playoffs will in all likelihood be at most a two spot swing in the draft - that's nothing. I am glad that they stayed on course as an organization, but missing out on the playoffs doesn't help the future at all.

[Austinfan]

Oh, I'm all for making the playoffs, I'm just not going to consider the season a failure if they come up short.

It's amazing they're still in the race after losing Hart, trading Walker and having Seeler and Risto injured for the stretch run (Drysdale isn't NHL ready anyway, needs a summer in the weight room and hard coaching from Shaw on defensive fundamentals - but he's only 21).

At this point the season is a rousing success, making the POs would be icing on the cake.

[VoteForKalas]

After tonight's game vs NYR, the schedule lightens up and they need to take advantage of that.

I agree it would be good experience (and a reward for their hard work) to make the playoffs, but management needs, as AF stated, to keep their "eye on the prize" and continue to execute the rebuild.

The roster will be different next season, but the East overall is still loaded and the division competition fierce.

Several things I would have liked to see them do went by the boards unfortunately - for example, Toronto signed Bertuzzi on a 1 yr deal in the off-season and Carolina just grabbed Kuznetsov for a song at the deadline.

That level of talent is needed here; I know some will argue Kuznetsov is a bad fit chemistry wise on this team, but I think the Flyers are overplaying their hand a bit there. Having a player or two with an edge can help, especially when they play C, you can get them for super cheap and they are strongly motivated to rebuild their careers. I trust Torts could handle any issues.

is it too early for moves such as Kuznetsov or Bertuzzi? I can see that argument, but talent is talent. Look under every rock and in every corner and grab it while you can, especially when it is cheap and could even help you gain assets later if you figure out the fit is not good longer term.

Bottom line, I hope Briere is more aggressive in the off-season and does not shy away from taking some risk to get the bigger reward. Roseman as GM of the Eagles has flaws, but he does this part very well.

[Austinfan]

I think Briere should focus on players like Poehling, 25 with upside, rather than older players who might give you a one year boost, but will just take PT from someone who could contribute 3 years from now. Hathaway was a good addition, but I'd be looking to move him this summer or next TDL, same with Laughton. This team still needs a lot of talent, especially centers but also organizational depth (b/c injuries will happen).

The one exception will be when G's deal runs out in Ottawa, if he wants to finish his career as a Flyer, I'd consider it.

It's also important to take "culture" into account, Torts wants a certain kind of player, who'll go full speed every shift, backcheck, block shots, fight along the boards. He can put up with mistakes (see TK, Tiippett) as long as they're mistakes of aggression, but not half hearted defense, cherry picking, etc. So additions should be made with that in mind, no offense first players who'll bridle if they're asked to play defense, no matter how talented.

[zambonir]

The fun of being in the playoff race, even if expectations are low and the rebuild remains paramount, is that you actually don't have to talk about the 2026 team or this July's free agents yet

[VoteForKalas]

I think Briere should focus on players like Poehling, 25 with upside, rather than older players who might give you a one year boost, but will just take PT from someone who could contribute 3 years from now

The talent difference between Poehling and players Bertuzzi and Kuznetsov is night & day.

We are not winning a Cup by getting more players like Poehling and Hathaway. They are good 3rd or 4th line players and those are needed on a winning club, but the top 6 needs to be significantly upgraded to compete.

The age difference is a valid argument, but again talent is talent. Briere cannot afford to ignore that part of the talent pool completely if he wants to build a winner especially within a short window. If this is a 10 year process, sure, but no way the Flyers or the fans are going to wait even close to that long to see results on the ice.

We need star level talent to get home ice and win series vs Carolina, NY, FL, Boston, TB, Toronto not to mention the loaded teams out West.

We have some of that coming via the draft and development channels, but the hit rate is not high or quick. Briere is going to have to play in FA and trades to supplement that flow and flip assets into better players.

[zambonir]

Who knows what kind of trading the Flyers might do this off-season. They could still move some guys and also take some guys back.

The ideal acquisition or signing might be a buy-low skill player who bounces back and has us asking the same question we were about Walker this year.

But they could also jump the gun on a trade or signing of someone with a four year window, knowing they'd help build and raise the talent level now and then be part of legit playoff teams in years three and four.

They need to keep stockpiling picks and if they miss the playoffs not only this year but next year it would not be the end of the world. but some of those picks will also end up in trades.

[Aquapong]

Ultimately missing the playoffs would suck, but at least we’re playing meaningful games in soon to be April.

[Austinfan]

Briere's schedule is built around players like Michkov (a future star, up there with Russians like Kaprizov), Bonk, a #2-#3 D-man, Barkey, the two goalies they drafted, Sotheran (diamond in the rough D-man), etc.

So his target year is 2026-27 when Michkov plays out his KHL contract and comes over, Bonk reaches the NHL and so on. At that point he wants a loaded pipeline, accumulate more draft picks, clear out dead money, extend your key young players already on the roster.
Then you go shopping, both FA and trades (this is where accumulating prospects and picks matters, package a 1st, 2nd, and B+ prospect for a major addition).

Makes no sense to add expensive, 30+ year old players in the meantime merely to make the POs and get knocked out in the first round.
But if he can land an under 25, top 6 center, go for it.

[Aquapong]

I think vets on one year deals to help the current team is fine as long as they aren’t keeping young players from getting playing time.

[Aquapong]

Shesterkin, Ullmark, and Saros are all Fa’s after 2025…just saying.

[zambonir]

your future hot stove talk was bad juju for tonight (I kind of had a bad feeling)

[zambonir]

Man, what a game.

I think the pivot point for the Flyers' short-term path is Konecny. You gotta either trade him or extend him.

"We'll take the point" - the 2024 Flyers.

[xogfog]

So in the last four games, the Flyers played the top four teams in the Eastern conference. Lost to Carolina in overtime, beat the Bruins, lost to the Panthers on a back to back with Sandstrom in net and lost to the Rangers in overtime. Not great, but they were in every game and I think in their heads, they think they can beat them. The last nine games are mostly against bottom feeders, so hopefully they don't play down to their level and lose games they should win. The Capitals are two points behind them and have two games in hand, they play each other the last game of the season.