2020-21 Flyers Season Summer Lamentations

[Curufinwe]

It sounded like the ball was in his court more than the Flyers — if he wanted a fresh start. Not that he said he did. To the Flyers credit, they gave him a top 9 spot (even RW) and PP time for a good chunk of the year. Playing him with Coots was something worth trying though, which they did not.

Laughton-Couturier-Patrick would be an interesting line. They could call it the 3C line, since they are all centers.

 

[deeshamrock]

I don't get the Athletic, but Le Brun has an interview with Fletcher , and cites an aggresive offseason

LeBrun: Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher on Alain Vigneault, team expectations, offseason plans and more

 

[Curufinwe]

This is what you can read without a sub.

Philadelphia Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher paused and pondered the question for a moment.

How would he describe the 2020-21 Flyers season in one word?

“I will use two words: poor defensively,’’ he said.

There’s no possible argument to that. It’s as plain as day.

“We finished 31st in the league in goals against and 31st in the league in save percentage,” said Fletcher. “You have no chance to be successful giving up the number of chances and the number of goals that we did this year.’’

It was shocking in many ways. After all, the Flyers had the seventh-best defensive record in the league a year ago.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

I don't get the Athletic, but Le Brun has an interview with Fletcher , and cites an aggresive offseason

LeBrun: Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher on Alain Vigneault, team expectations, offseason plans and more

To which the question must be asked even if I didn’t believe it to be any other answer than the one Fletcher gave. But because there were a few murmurs around the league wondering, I asked: is head coach Alain Vigneault safe as head coach?

“Absolutely. AV’s our coach and we’re excited to have he and his staff back next season,’’ Fletcher said without any hesitation.

“We have a lot of work ahead of us to redefine our defensive game and our defensive structure. I can’t think of a better group to do it than the group of experienced coaches that we have behind our bench right now.’’

This upcoming season is not worth it anymore.

 

[Flyerfan4life]

This is what you can read without a sub.

whats the common theme here Fletch..

AV, ur stupid boys "system"...

get rid of him and those issues go away.

 

[Flyerfan4life]

This upcoming season is not worth it anymore.

wait wait wait, did he actualy say AV and the whole coaching staff are back next year ??

ZING....

hahaaa, this Org. is so f***edddd...

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

This upcoming season is not worth it anymore.

What a f***ing farce.

Anyone who is still thinking of taking this organization seriously is either completely naive or brain-damaged.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

I do have a feeling though, that if the whole coaching staff is coming back, then I feel it's going to be a short leash and probably given 15 games or so to make it work before being replaced.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

I do have a feeling though, that if the whole coaching staff is coming back, then I feel it's going to be a short leash and probably given 15 games or so to make it work before being replaced.

It sure doesn't sound like it, does it? That's not to say that we should take everything that total bottom says at face (i.e. ass) value, but it sure seems like he has no doubts in the clowns or in the value of experience, even with this entire season of contrary evidence staring him in his ass face.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

It sure doesn't sound like it, does it? That's not to say that we should take everything that total bottom says at face (i.e. ass) value, but it sure seems like he has no doubts in the clowns or in the value of experience, even with this entire season of contrary evidence staring him in his ass face.

You can easily say that he will be your coach without batting an eye, which can be 100% true, but it doesn't mean he won't be under a microscope.

 

[Cootsfanclub]

I don't get the Athletic, but Le Brun has an interview with Fletcher , and cites an aggresive offseason

LeBrun: Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher on Alain Vigneault, team expectations, offseason plans and more

Not sure if I'm allowed to repost or not. Mods can remove if it's against the rules.

Philadelphia Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher paused and pondered the question for a moment.
How would he describe the 2020-21 Flyers season in one word?
“I will use two words: poor defensively,’’ he said.
There’s no possible argument to that. It’s as plain as day.
“We finished 31st in the league in goals against and 31st in the league in save percentage,” said Fletcher. “You have no chance to be successful giving up the number of chances and the number of goals that we did this year.’’
It was shocking in many ways. After all, the Flyers had the seventh-best defensive record in the league a year ago.
A team that many had pegged to challenge for the East Division title going into this pandemic season, ended up as one of the NHL’s most surprising disappointments.
“We didn’t perform to our expectations,’’ Fletcher continued in an interview this week with The Athletic.
In fact, Fletcher felt something was off even when the team got off to an 11-4-3 start.
“I don’t think our record was representative of our play,’’ he says now looking back. “We weren’t playing as an 11-4-3 team; we were finding ways to win games, which was great, but our process was off all year.’’
To which the question must be asked even if I didn’t believe it to be any other answer than the one Fletcher gave. But because there were a few murmurs around the league wondering, I asked: is head coach Alain Vigneault safe as head coach?
“Absolutely. AV’s our coach and we’re excited to have he and his staff back next season,’’ Fletcher said without any hesitation.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us to redefine our defensive game and our defensive structure. I can’t think of a better group to do it than the group of experienced coaches that we have behind our bench right now.’’
Which is the right answer. This is still the same Vigneault who worked wonders a year ago and has a track record in his career of being one of the best defensive minds in the game.
You don’t throw that overboard after one brutal season.
The loss of top-four blue-liner Matt Niskanen to a surprise retirement after last season was a blow that the Flyers never recovered from.
“I did a poor job of filling that void,” said Fletcher, who scoured the trade and free-agent market trying to find a top-4 D last fall. “It wasn’t for a lack of trying, but we didn’t do what we needed to do. And that falls on me.’’
The Flyers’ young blue line corps faltered. In fact, almost every player not named Joel Farabee struggled this season. Which, well, is a bit alarming.
“The majority of our young players either plateaued or regressed this season,” said Fletcher. “But I put our team in a tough position by asking too much of our young players. It starts with me, I have to do a better job.’’
And believe me, this sounds like a veteran GM determined to make this offseason count. The Flyers are going to be players in what should be a very busy offseason overall with the Seattle expansion draft.
I could see the Flyers looking into Jack Eichel, for example. I could also see them reaching out to Nashville and inquiring yet again on either Mattias Ekholm or Ryan Ellis.
And certainly, if for whatever reason the Blue Jackets aren’t able to extend Seth Jones, you can bet the Flyers will be all over that situation.
A busy offseason is ahead. But first, Fletcher says his organization must decompress after an emotional season. Then, a look inward before going outside and establishing a shopping list.
“We’re going to have to do certainly take a look internally first at our players and try to determine the players that we feel are part of the solution going forward,” said Fletcher. “And look at the areas we need to improve. You won’t be able to fill every hole you have in a salary cap system, particularly with a flat cap, so we’re going to have to prioritize and try to improve where we can.’’
The Flyers have the young pieces to get in on a major trade or two, and they’ve got their top picks intact. They’ve got the ammunition to be active.
A piece at forward, a piece on the blue line, and yes, finding a goalie to push Carter Hart will also be top of mind.
The Flyers have no issue with Brian Elliott, the pending UFA veteran did all he was asked and more in a tough situation this year with Hart faltering as much as he did.
So I think in a perfect world, while Fletcher wouldn’t come out and say it, the Flyers develop a 1a-1b situation by finding a goalie that really pushes Hart.
And certainly, there’s the matter of Selke Trophy winner Sean Couturier. He’s got one more year left on his deal before becoming a UFA.
“Our intention clearly is to keep Sean in Philadelphia for the rest of his career,” said Fletcher. “He’s one of our best players if not our best player. We’ll certainly make it a priority this summer to have conversations with him and try to find a way to continue this relationship going forward.’’
So, a busy summer ahead. And some soul searching.
Did the Flyers vastly overachieve a year ago? Did they vastly underachieve this season? Wherein lies the reality of their roster?
“In 19-20, we defended well, we defended as a unit of five, players seemed to be slotted properly and we were a hard team to play against,” said Fletcher. “This year we just completely lost that identity.
“I have complete faith that if we can make a couple of additions and refocus our group on playing the game the right way, we can dramatically improve our goals against as we did two years ago.
“If we do that, we’re still a very good hockey team,” continued Fletcher.
“But we have some work ahead of us. I think our issues were so obvious this year that we should be able to make a dent into fixing those issues and come back a better team.’’
This team might be able to bounce back next year.
But a productive offseason with meaningful roster changes might be required.

 

[Tripod]

thank you!

 

[deeshamrock]

Not sure if I'm allowed to repost or not. Mods can remove if it's against the rules.

Thanks for posting that. His answers don't change much. With a 5 year deal and both Fletcher and AV using COVID as a crutch, I expected Comcast would give him another chance, but I think it will be a short leash.

Thanksgiving is usually the quarter mark that is looked to as a benchmark for making the playoffs. If the Flyers are not in a competitive positions (a few points in or near 4th) I can see Comcast putting pressure of Fletcher to remove AV.

Of course he has to say he'll make changes, that was evident in the 'something's not right in the room, wrong mix of players comments'. And I think he will move some of the young talent, prospects and picks out for a top 4 D and a top 6 scoring forward. But that won't change AV's ineffecient and ineffective system and staff. Part of the teams defensive struggles were the errors made by the forwards. Which is tied to his system. And what if he's lost some of those players. He does not come into the lockeroom, never has. ANd I think that is an error. When you see videos of Brindy or Tocchet or other coaches making motivational talks during a tough game , you can see it helps.

Also, they are in a very competitive division . The Canes are the cream of the crop, with the Isles and Caps still ahead ofthe Flyers. The Rangers are a good team on the rise and if they sign Gallant, they have a chance to finish ahead of the Flyers. Devils are young a bit green but will be better than this year . And that still leaves the Pens and Jackets . Tough to keep pace if you get off to a slow start or are inconsistant.

Granted this year saw way too many players , esp young ones, falter. Some of that is growth, some of it is AV who is historically bad using/developing young players.
They should be better next year. Trading for the right pieces will help. Even if they do make the playoffs, (I don't think they will) last year AV's decisions at times were questionable and he was outcoached.

The path won't be easy, esp if Comcast is putting pressure on Fletcher, who is IMO a mediocre GM to begin with.

 

[Don Nachbaur 26]

I don't get the Athletic, but Le Brun has an interview with Fletcher , and cites an aggresive offseason

LeBrun: Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher on Alain Vigneault, team expectations, offseason plans and more

"So I think in a perfect world, while Fletcher wouldn’t come out and say it, the Flyers develop a 1a-1b situation by finding a goalie that really pushes Hart."
If Vancouver wants to eat some salary, I say get Holtby. If Seattle picks him from Vancouver, see if you can acquire him. They're familiar with each as they used to go to the same Sports Psycholigist (the one Hart dropped). I don't know what Holtby's fancy stats look like, just saying by familiarity it could make sense. 1 year left on his contract too.

 

[wankstifier]

I hope the vetting process is more thorough in 2-3 years when current management and coaching have been removed

 

[deadhead]

"So I think in a perfect world, while Fletcher wouldn’t come out and say it, the Flyers develop a 1a-1b situation by finding a goalie that really pushes Hart."
If Vancouver wants to eat some salary, I say get Holtby. If Seattle picks him from Vancouver, see if you can acquire him. They're familiar with each as they used to go to the same Sports Psycholigist (the one Hart dropped). I don't know what Holtby's fancy stats look like, just saying by familiarity it could make sense. 1 year left on his contract too.

Holtby had a pretty bad season as a backup, about the same as Elliott. Pass.

 

[CutOnDime97]

I thought the Rangers cleaning house might inspire Fletcher to grow a pair of balls. Guess not. f*** this team.

 

[Tripod]

"So I think in a perfect world, while Fletcher wouldn’t come out and say it, the Flyers develop a 1a-1b situation by finding a goalie that really pushes Hart."
If Vancouver wants to eat some salary, I say get Holtby. If Seattle picks him from Vancouver, see if you can acquire him. They're familiar with each as they used to go to the same Sports Psycholigist (the one Hart dropped). I don't know what Holtby's fancy stats look like, just saying by familiarity it could make sense. 1 year left on his contract too.

Why would you want Holtby at 4.3 million after posting a .897 SV%, 3.43 GAA?

 

[Rebels57]

This upcoming season is not worth it anymore.

I am f***ing flabbergasted that they are even sticking with Therrien.

The powerplay has been awful in both years under him.

This organization has absolutely zero standards anymore. They went out the window with Snider. We took him for granted.

 

[Don Nachbaur 26]

Why would you want Holtby at 4.3 million after posting a .897 SV%, 3.43 GAA?

Throwing out ideas cause I don't see much of anyone that could push Hart that could be available. Could it be a situation like here? Just a bad team playing in front? Beats me. Didn't watch 1 Vancouver game all year.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

Imagine saying that shit about his coaches, and then saying that shit about the team's problems this year, and not connecting the dots. He was too busy taking all the bullets - i.e. Bottoming Out TM - to see the obvious connective tissue.

 

[Tripod]

Throwing out ideas cause I don't see much of anyone that could push Hart that could be available. Could it be a situation like here? Just a bad team playing in front? Beats me. Didn't watch 1 Vancouver game all year.

I disagree. There are plenty of goalies who could handle a #1 role if needed:

Ullmark
Raanta
Andersen
Reimer
Mrazek
Bernier
Halak
Smith

then backups who could be 1B
Brossoit
Driedger

With Hart having a shit year, we could bridge him for 2 cheap year, and then sign someone for 2 years.

 

[Cootsfanclub]

This is the best year to get a goalie. Not only is there abundance of decent ones on the market, but their prices are also going to be driven down by the flat cap. Really good mix of number 1s, 1Bs, and backups. If I had to place money it would be on Elliot though because our organization is dumb.

 

[deadhead]

Elliott is history. With Hart having a bad season, veteran goalies will see Philly as a good situation to be a 1B and get enough PT to get that last contract.

 

[Don Nachbaur 26]

I disagree. There are plenty of goalies who could handle a #1 role if needed:

Ullmark
Raanta
Andersen
Reimer
Mrazek
Bernier
Halak
Smith

then backups who could be 1B
Brossoit
Driedger

With Hart having a shit year, we could bridge him for 2 cheap year, and then sign someone for 2 years.

Thanks for following up.