(CONTINUING FROM SERIES THREAD SINCE I WROTE A LONG RESPONSE AND THEN THE THING GOT CLOSED)
Serious question.
How close do Philly fans think this team is?
Yes, assume you fire your idiot coach and also for the sake of argument the replacement is a very good coach.
I was serious when I said that for the first time in half a century the team seems to have a plan that has more chance of success (meaning ultimately a cup) and is building the right way with a lot of talent in the pipeline and five kids getting their first playoff experience. That was a turning point for the Pens, for the first time in memory you could say 'Penguin hockey' and everyone knows what you mean. They had a plan and sought out players to make that plan work. The Flyers IMO have a better plan now and are seeking players to make it work.
Is it enough?
The reason that I ask is that Giroux is 30. Coots is young at 25 but Voracek is 28, not old but it depends on that window and when it realistically opens.
If I were a Flyers' fan my worry would be if the kids do not come up fast enough some of the current core may be beyond where they are now when they do come into their own. Giroux was found lower in the first but that is rare. Usually you need a top five pick to nail a top center.
Crosby and Malkin have just rounded into their 30's as well and we are talking a two or three year window with them, although they still will play and I am sure produce beyond. Will the kids be ready to you think while Giroux is still in his prime?
That's a complicated question.
Kessel/Crosby/Malkin put up 279 points this year. Giroux/Couturier/Voracek put up 263. That's surprisingly close! Two centers and a wing!
The problem isn't that the Flyers don't have the talent to make serious noise in the playoffs. It's that the chasm between the top end talent and the bottom is so big. And we'll include Provorov, Gostisbehere, and Konecny in that top echelon.
The Penguins wouldn't be where they were if their role playing forwards and bottom 4 looked as bad as the Flyers' did. Even still, their defense is mediocre. So declare it even between Letang/Schultz and Hornqvist, when comparing to Prov/Ghost/Konec. But if you just tore out Hagelin, Sheary, Sheahan, Rust, Dumoulin, Maatta, and now Oleksiak and Brassard and replaced those with Manning, MacDonald, Filppula, Gudas...the Penguins are a much worse team.
"Depth" isn't having a 2nd line for a 3rd line, it's having a good 2nd, 3rd, and 4th line. The Penguins have depth not because Sheary and Sheahan are incredible players, it's because they do their f***ing jobs.
I think Hextall has drug his feet for a bit. He's essentially declared that he doesn't have expectations by letting the likes of MacDonald see the NHL roster again (if you recall, he was buried in the AHL for most of the 2016 season-that was Hex's decision). Hextall knows Andrew MacDonald isn't an NHL defenseman, but he's put him back in the hands of a coach who thinks he's a 2nd pairing guy, which is scary.
And that's frustrating, because I think with some savvy moves the team is a lot closer. Look at the Ian Cole deal this year-sad as it is, he'd be the 3rd or 4th best defender on the team at this point. He cost Columbus half of what the Flyers paid for Mrazek. So if Hextall's serious about shoring up this team's flaws a bit, he could've done it that way, instead of a half-hearted deal for another flameout goalie.
I don't think CBJ is planning on winning a Cup, and if they are they sure as hell aren't going "Letestu and Cole are the missing pieces!" But they do give the team a better chance every night. And an important thing for young players is learning how to win. If Cole gave the kids a better shot at the playoffs, and then a better shot at the second round, he's worth it-he's helping bring in millions of revenue through a few more home playoff games and he's helping those younger guys get confidence.
I think the thing is, the resources are there. I think the team could be contending in 2 seasons if they wanted to be: They probably need to trade for or sign a legit 2nd pairing defenseman (even someone like Hickey or Moore is an upgrade over Manning/Gudas/Mac), a legit 3rd line center, a goalie (whether it's Hart or a stopgap) and clean the trash off the roster. They also need a coach that doesn't consolidate the team's talent and flaws.
But they already have the pieces to make some noise. They're just a black hole when those pieces aren't on the ice. And what's frustrating is that those decent players who could make the team a lot better aren't particularly expensive or hard to find.
So that's why all the "Aren't you surprised you made the playoffs!" and "Are you sure you'll still be able to compete while Giroux/Voracek are in their prime?" questions are annoying.
We should be able to compete while Giroux and Voracek are in their prime because WE HAVE f***ING GIROUX AND VORACEK IN THEIR PRIME. These aren't everyday players, these are legit NHL top end talent. Most teams aren't competing for a Cup because they don't have players like that.
There isn't a forward on the Minnesota Wild as good as Voracek, let alone Giroux. They have a strong defense, but Provorov is quickly becoming almost as good as Suter, and Dumba and Ghost have very different skill sets but probably equivalent value. Yet the Wild made the playoffs the last 6 years-and even won a round or two-because they have a solid goalie, a decent roster, and NHL coaching.
The Flyers have some truly elite talent, they just don't have the supporting cast or the coach. They don't need more Provorovs and Girouxs (although everyone wants those), they need Neiderreiters and Brodins.
