25 Greatest Philadelphia Flyers of the Last 25 Years (1992-2017)-Final List and Discussion

[Lotusflower]

Dog days of summer so I thought this would be a good time to try to put this together.

Just picked Patrick 2nd obviously and with a ton of new faces both already on the team and ready to debut in '17 it feels like the beginning of a new era for the franchise.

25 is also a tidy number so of course there's that as well.

Spanning the beginning of the Lindros era (give or take) til now which players make up the board's consensus for best of the last 25 years? I added goalies as well because I want a hard and fast and more or less "definitive" list.

Use your own criteria for your decision and after you vote if you feel like it post who you voted for and why.

*The way I've been voting is how the player in question played:
-FOR (only) the Flyers and
-DURING the window in question (Oct. of 1992- April of 2017) / Last 25 Years

Thanks all.

Winner of Poll #25 is: Mason, Steve
Link to Previous Poll: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threa...rs-1992-2017-25-final.2399331/#post-136912117

Thanks to all who voted. In this thread feel free to comment on the final list, post your own, who you thought got snubbed etc.
And here it is...

25 Greatest Philadelphia Flyers of the Last 25 Years (1992-2017)
#1: Lindros, Eric (92-00) 486-290-369-659-84%
#2: LeClair, John (95-04) 649-333-310-643-42%
#3: Giroux, Claude (08-17) 656-180-395-575-61%
#4: Desjardins, Eric (95-06) 738-93-303-396-49%
#5: Recchi, Mark (92-95, 99-04) 602-232-395-627-44%
#6: Brind'Amour, Rod (92-00) 633-235-366-601-69%
#7: Gagne, Simon (99-10,13) 691-264-271-535-71%
#8: Timonen, Kimmo (08-14) 519-38-232-270-68%
#9: Briere, Daniel (08-13) 364-124-159-283-47%
#10: Richards, Mike (06-11) 453-133-216-349-41%
#11: Voracek, Jakub (12-17) 445-116-238-354-33%
#12: Carter, Jeff (06-11) 461-181-162-343-44%
#13: Simmonds, Wayne (12-17) 447-163-142-305-32%
#14: Renberg, Mikael (93-97, 99-00) 366-128-168-296-39%
#15: Pronger, Chris (10-12) 145-15-77-92-28%
#16: Hextall, Ron (86-92, 94-99) 489-240-172-.895-56% (Tie-breaker w/ Primeau, Keith)
#17: Primeau, Keith (00-06) 312-87-126-213-92%
#18: Hartnell, Scott (08-14) 517-157-169-326-75%
#19: Roenick, Jeremy (02-04) 216-67-106-173-29%
#20: Forsberg, Peter (06-07) 100-30-85-115-44%
#21: Johnsson, Kim (02-06) 291-40-107-147-55%
#22: Knuble, Mike (06-13) 338-118-111-229-43%
#23: Kapanen, Sami (03-08) 311-44-66-110-73% (Tie-breaker w/ Cechmanek, Roman)
#24: Cechmanek, Roman (01-03) 163-92-43-.923-64% (Tie-breaker w/ Therien, Chris)
#25: Mason, Steve (13-17) 231-104-78-.918-44%

Click to read more...

 

[Rebels57]

Richards over Jake and Simmonds bothers me.

Thankfully Therien didnt make it.

 

[Lotusflower]

Youve mentioned youre dislike of Richards before. What's its origin may I ask?
Im also glad Therien didnt make it. Giroux should be above LeClair

 

[Appleyard]

I love Sami Kapanen, and he was my fave Flyer for a time.

But not sure he really belongs on the list tbh.

 

[Rebels57]

I love Sami Kapanen, and he was my fave Flyer for a time.

But not sure he really belongs on the list tbh.

Sami is one of my favs too. Got to meet him and tell him that once.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

Sami is one of my favs too. Got to meet him and tell him that once.

I met Sean Burke in St. Louis one time, but I was totally plastered and all I wanted from him was to know if Fetisov was in the club with him.
"Where's Slava?" I kept shouting into his ear over the blasting music. I could barely see anything, so I'm not sure how he reacted, but it couldn't have been very good.

 

[pit]

I love Sami Kapanen, and he was my fave Flyer for a time.

But not sure he really belongs on the list tbh.

He gets bonus points for taking that hit from Tucker and somehow making it to the bench so that JR could eliminate the Leafs.

 

[FlyerFaithful17]

It still bothers me that our 5th greatest on this list had so much with success with teams I hate.

 

[Sawdalite]

I love Sami Kapanen, and he was my fave Flyer for a time.

But not sure he really belongs on the list tbh.

Purely on heart and character... IMO this List is not as much Greatest Players as it is Players that left an indelible mark with the Flyers over the Period... contrary to the Poll Title.

JMO

 

[Sawdalite]

It still bothers me that our 5th greatest on this list had so much with success with teams I hate.

I imagine that could be said for quite a few Players who made the cut... but their time with the Flyers were good enough to have influenced enough people on here.

 

[Strawberry Fields]

Therien makes it to a tiebreaker in round 24 but still can't crack the final list?

Serves him right for replacing Coatesy on TV

 

[YEM]

Therien makes it to a tiebreaker in round 24 but still can't crack the final list?

he shoulda been in over Mason, easily

 

[Lotusflower]

he shoulda been in over Mason, easily

Once again I would love for someone to explain why. Therien was trash he only lasted as long as he did because this organization loves "character guys" over actual skill and on ice impact.

Mase was actually an impact player here for long stretches. Therien was MacDonald.

 

[Rebels57]

Mason is top 3 in team history in wins, save percentage, and shut-outs.

Therien was a dime-a-dozen defensemen.

Hes behind Coburn, Streit, Galley and a few other defensemen that didnt crack the top 25.

 

[baudib1]

I was wondering if there was a way to get Tocchet on this list. I realize his contributions at the end of his career weren't much but he was a great Flyer in the 80s, and Hextall makes the list with his pre-92 contributions. He's way more of a Flyer than Fors

I'd take Simmonds over LeClair, and it's not particularly close IMO.

 

[Rebels57]

I was wondering if there was a way to get Tocchet on this list. I realize his contributions at the end of his career weren't much but he was a great Flyer in the 80s, and Hextall makes the list with his pre-92 contributions. He's way more of a Flyer than Fors

I'd take Simmonds over LeClair, and it's not particularly close IMO.

Hextall made the list for his post-92 contributions. If he was on here for his pre-92 contributions he would be much higher.

Simmonds over LeClair is a joke. No offense.

 

[baudib1]

LeClair is third or fourth in Flyers history as power forward/PP specialist behind Kerr, Simmonds and probably Leach.

LeClair was entirely a product of playing with Eric Lindros; before and after playing with Lindros he was a 20-25 goal scorer

 

[Rebels57]

LeClair is third or fourth in Flyers history as power forward/PP specialist behind Kerr, Simmonds and probably Leach.

LeClair was entirely a product of playing with Eric Lindros; before and after playing with Lindros he was a 20-25 goal scorer

Just entirely wrong.

 

[Sawdalite]

LeClair is third or fourth in Flyers history as power forward/PP specialist behind Kerr, Simmonds and probably Leach.

LeClair was entirely a product of playing with Eric Lindros; before and after playing with Lindros he was a 20-25 goal scorer

FWIW... Before he was obtained by the Flyers LeClair was not used in the same manner by the Habs... He was actually at best a 19 Goal/Season scorer (2x) in Montreal...When he joined the Flyers Lindros has his complimentary Winger and developed into what he finally became -- one hand washes the other... -- LeClair IIRC played very well when Eric was out of the Lineup... The two Players' best Seasons ran parallel and when Lindros was off the Team John did lose his talented Center but also fell upon injury concerns, age and a changing NHL. With that, he still scored more Goals with the Flyers per Season, when healthy, than he did with the Habs.

When in his Prime Seasons, John was the best or near the best Power Forward in the NHL...made better by Lindros, but never really a 'product' of Lindros.

 

[Rebels57]

FWIW... Before he was obtained by the Flyers LeClair was not used in the same manner by the Habs... He was actually at best a 19 Goal/Season scorer (2x) in Montreal...When he joined the Flyers Lindros has his complimentary Winger and developed into what he finally became -- one hand washes the other... -- LeClair IIRC played very well when Eric was out of the Lineup... The two Players' best Seasons ran parallel and when Lindros was off the Team John did lose his talented Center but also fell upon injury concerns, age and a changing NHL. With that, he still scored more Goals with the Flyers per Season, when healthy, than he did with the Habs.

When in his Prime Seasons, John was the best or near the best Power Forward in the NHL...made better by Lindros, but never really a 'product' of Lindros.

This.

I mean, hell look no further than the 97-98 season.

Lindros missed 19 games. LeClair still scored 51 goals, tying his career high.

Or look at his international numbers away from Lindros while still in his prime:

6 goals in 10 Olympic games
6 goals in 7 World Cup games

https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/l/leclajo01.html

 

[YEM]

Mason is top 3 in team history in wins, save percentage, and shut-outs.

Therien was a dime-a-dozen defensemen.

Hes behind Coburn, Streit, Galley and a few other defensemen that didnt crack the top 25.

totally disagree on Therien
from 1994 to 2004 he is 9th overall for all defenseman in +/-
and if you want to disregard +/- as a crummy stat, he's 5th all time among Flyers defensemen in Defensive Point Shares
he was a pretty solid player for a long time

 

[Rebels57]

totally disagree on Therien
from 1994 to 2004 he is 9th overall for all defenseman in +/-
and if you want to disregard +/- as a crummy stat, he's 5th all time among Flyers defensemen in Defensive Point Shares
he was a pretty solid player for a long time

He was carried by Desjardins, much like Provorov carries MacDonald, for the majority of that stretch.

 

[Sawdalite]

He was carried by Desjardins, much like Provorov carries MacDonald, for the majority of that stretch.

... and Lindros carried LeClair?





(I miss the Sarcasm Smiley lost in the Migration... sigh)

 

[JXC]

totally disagree on Therien
from 1994 to 2004 he is 9th overall for all defenseman in +/-
and if you want to disregard +/- as a crummy stat, he's 5th all time among Flyers defensemen in Defensive Point Shares
he was a pretty solid player for a long time

Cannot agree enough on this. Chris Therien was a good solid steady reliable defenseman for 750 Flyer games.

All told, great list, great idea, brings back memories.

 

[Beef Invictus]

I'd have Therien over either of the two last goalies.


Thanks for running this poll series! The lack of Carle shows it is accurate.