The New Unending Flyers thread

[zambonir]

Yes the timing of it makes it all the more terrible. And the circumstances (speed or DUI or both) will likely be terrible too. The URL has the word "accident" in it but not sure I'd call it that.

[Docs]

Thanks for the correction i edited my post. I checked the article where i saw that information and it has been updated. I should have checked two sources before posting.

[Aquapong]

There are few more selfish crimes than Dui. The perpetrator often gets away with it, until he doesn’t. Then someone else’s life is forever altered. In this case, two people, their families, the hockey franchise, and the fanbase are hurt. I hope this guy spends the rest of his life in prison.

[zambonir]

Funny if not always that simple (he revived the tweet when Flyers signed TK, today the Oilers locked up Draisatl)

NFL: we gonna cut you in preseason.
MLB: We not paying you anything for like 6 years.
NHL: Take this 8 year contract

— Tony X ( @soIoucity ) June 19, 2019

[Aquapong]

Nice start to the preseason. I didn’t watch the game but several guys had multipoint nights.

[bkeich]

So, same team plus Michkov? Why am I not encouraged (for the more than 10th year in a row). Are we ever going to try and do better than maybe make the playoffs? This franchise used to compete year after year and make bold (sometimes stupid) moves. Now the Flyers are the poster child for stay mediocre every year. Stay at just outside the playoffs and draft around 10, stay away from top FA (they don’t want to come) and hold on to aging players until their value is minimal.

[Austinfan]

Last year's team would have made the playoffs if Hart wasn't indicted.
Comes down to how Ersson/Fedotov play.
12 players 25 and under, so improvement will come from within this season.

Still rebuilding, they may have 5 picks in the first 40 plus their own 2nd, so lots of potential to move around the draft and target players.

[zambonir]

They should certainly not be trying to make the playoffs this year so why would they add talent? It would have been better if last year's team had been a little worse or if they'd been in more of a sell mode. And if they'd had a really good goaltender to sell. The best-case this year would be a repeat of last year where they actually do improve and make the playoffs. Or where they don't and move on from a few more players.

Free agents will happily come here when the Flyers have both the cap space and it makes sense to bid on them, but that ain't this year. Still, what looked like a 3-5 year re-build might come in at the low end of that. This is probably the Phillies in 2017, not 2018 or 2019. Hopefully they'll be better at it than the Phillies were.

[Austinfan]

My attitude is this is a win-win season.
Either young players improve and they make the playoffs, or they don't and they get to pick around #10 and #42.
Next summer's draft will be the key to the rebuild.

I don't think they plan to go after FAs, I think they extended TK b/c they figured he was as good as most of the probabl available FAs in two years, and he was a player they knew and the fans loved.

Most "Name" FAs tend to be 29-30, TK's 8 years kick in at 28.
They also have Sanheim and Couts on long-term deal.
That gives you a veteran core that bleeds "orange."

[zambonir]

You never think any team will or should go after FAs. When it's time to take another step forward they are going to need more talent, whether in trade or free agency. There are are six or seven younger forwards on the team right now not named Michkov who aren't all guaranteed to be here in 1, 2 or 3 years (as well as Laughton). They won't all pan out, and they won't all be replaced by new prospects.

[zambonir]

this is a twist though (maybe)

John Tortorella won’t rule out keeping Jett Luchanko with the Flyers: ‘We have...

[Austinfan]

This has been overblown by the "media."

They're giving the kid a long look, for one thing, he's a good bet to stick next fall so they want to see how he fits with current players.

But he'd have to beat out Cates or Laughton at 3C. That means you'd have to project him as a 30-35 point even strength center with at least average defense. Cates two years ago was a 28 point center with elite defense, last year, once he returned after injury, he played at a similar level at LW. Laughton is an average defender with 26 and 27 point ES seasons under his belt. And both play on the PK.

So the odds of Luchanko making this team is slim and none, and slim left town.

Of course, if he plays lights out the last few exhibition games against legitimate NHL talent (not the AHL players he faced in the 1st game) all bets are off.

But don't hold your breath.

[zambonir]

Well, it's not really overblown if you read the articles, because they all say it's unlikely (though my "maybe"), be it for cap reasons or development reasons. But I guess if people don't read them, the hypey headlines aren't working! (And they also don't work if your site is paywalled, have never understood that dynamic.)

But he might make it for the 10 games at least. And the notion of letting him and Michkov start at the same time is at least intriguing. If they were certain they wanted to do it they could find a way.

[Austinfan]

You sign free agents when you're ready to compete at a position of need.

Flyers will have Frost, Couts, Luchanko at center, Michkov, TK, Tippett, Farabee, Foerster, Brink, Cates at wing.
York, Sanheim, Bonk, Drysdale on D.

They also have 5 picks next summer that will probably be in the top 40 plus their own 2nd, so they should probably land 3 more starter caliber players (they can trade up and target players).

And they have to reserve cap room to sign their own players.
Given they're paying Sanheim, Couts and TK $22M for 6 more years, and may need to give Michkov a big contract in 3 years, plus extend a number of other players, how much cap room will be available for a "name" free agent.

[Squire]

FYI....The Flyers struck some sort of compromise with Kolosev and he is flying in for training camp

[zambonir]

Flyers will have Frost, Couts, Luchanko at center, Michkov, TK, Tippett, Farabee, Foerster, Brink, Cates at wing.
York, Sanheim, Bonk, Drysdale on D.

Not all of these players will be here in 2026 or 2027, and I don't mean because of their contracts or contract status. At least two guys on that list will likely end up being replaced by better players who are not currently in the organization, unless they all hit their ceilings, and how likely is that?

[zambonir]

Sounds like the compromise is they are going to let him go back once the season starts unless he somehow makes the NHL team.

[Austinfan]

Still a lot deeper than say NJ, who have a half dozen very good young players but who then bought a bunch of veterans to round out their roster.

[Docs]

The flyers do not have any cap space to sign free agents because they took on extra salary in trades to pick up additional draft capital. It was a very smart strategy given the state of the organization. They are doing this correctly. Clarke never understood the economics of a salary cap and his successors continued to handcuff the organization with the Bob Clarke way of running a team. We should be thankful the organization has a long term plan that fits with the constraints of a salary cap.

[zambonir]

They aren't really carrying any of that extra salary anymore though. Just Peterson (Johansen is already off the books and won't be back on them unless he files and wins a grievance). But yes, the realistic competitive goals for the team does not require FAs this year. And those goals also align with waiting out the buyouts (and trading Risto and LTIRing Ellis if and when that makes sense). I just don't reckon the money they do have is going to go exclusively to their own RFAs and UFAs at that point.