GDT: #34 | FLYERS (A) vs. Sabres (H) | Monday, Mar. 29, 2021 | 7:00 pm ET | MSG-B, NBCSP

[flyershockey]

I can't think of anything worse than being a Sabres fan and having to live in western NY. Yuck.

 

[Striiker]

This is a dude who steadily took Minnesota nowhere. He just supposedly spent the offseason wanting to trade Ghost and brought in Gus to replace him. Ghost has steadily and blatantly outperformed the "replacement." Dude was set to make the defense even worse. Fortunately, he failed.

Could probably go further than that and say he's outperformed the others too. The only one who can be debated is Sanheim.

People can nitpick every single mistake until they're in the grave, but net impact is what matters and he's been a clear positive. And that's while being screwed with constantly too.... In and out of the lineup, all over the place with usage and partners, and one of his greatest strengths being wasted on the PP. He looks dangerous, his possession numbers are best on the D, and he's producing too (not many assists, but that's not really within his control once the puck leaves his stick). Not sure what more he can really do.

Plus, debatably his greatest strength is one of the things the team overall is having the most trouble with this year... puck movement. So imagine what we'd look like without him. To visualize this, look at where Ghost is and look at where his "clone" is...

So yeah, imagine if Fletcher (and many on here) got his wish and we dumped Ghost this offseason.

 

[TheKingPin]

If they don't lose at least one of these two games I'll be utterly shocked.

I am personally hoping for 3 points. But that was before I knew Eichel was out again. There should be no excuse.

 

[deadhead]

Gus was brought in well after Niskanen retired.

He was the "last defenseman standing" since Brodie wanted a NMC, Barrie wanted to QB PP1 and went to a team where he could pad his stats, Tanev didn't look like a guy worthy of 4yr/$18M (oh well, broken crystal ball), Schultz got 2yr/$8M for a guy injured the last three years.

Gordon didn't sabotage Hextall's picks, he won't sabotage Fletcher's. His problem has always been as a game day coach.

Fletcher brought in AV, doubt he dictated assistant coaches to AV. AV is I'm sure what Scott demanded: "a winner."

Fletcher made Minn a playoff team, made some bad deals due to pressure from his owner, but gee, after the next GM totally screwed up, Minn is back in the playoff run mostly with the players Fletcher obtained.

 

[flyerslducks]

daedhead will back up av/fletcher even if they do something awful

 

[deadhead]

Point is they haven't done anything awful. When 160 minutes of Stewart, or 4 games of Prosser are your biggest complaints . . .
He hasn't given Weise a 4 year deal, or MacDonald $30M.

I don't lose sleep over 4th and 5th rd picks or 1 year deals. Those are fungible assets.

And why do people crap all over Hayes? He's exactly what we thought he was.
He's just behind G in xGF and xGFrel, 23 points in 33 games (56 point pace). Only knock this year is his PK is subpar compared to last year, but he's stepped up there the last few games.
You don't think as a FA he couldn't get a 5yr/$35M deal this offseason?

 

[Beef Invictus]

Point is they haven't done anything awful. When 160 minutes of Stewart, or 4 games of Prosser are your biggest complaints . . .
He hasn't given Weise a 4 year deal, or MacDonald $30M.

I don't lose sleep over 4th and 5th rd picks or 1 year deals. Those are fungible assets.

And why do people crap all over Hayes? He's exactly what we thought he was.
He's just behind G in xGF and xGFrel, 23 points in 33 games (56 point pace). Only knock this year is his PK is subpar compared to last year, but he's stepped up there the last few games.
You don't think as a FA he couldn't get a 5yr/$35M deal this offseason?

Those aren't the biggest complaints. They are several of the existing complaints. Weird how you left the bigger stuff out.

 

[BiggE]

I wasn’t aware that NHL rosters were created from scratch via a fantasy draft before each season.

This is such an asinine comment. Of course players are inherited, but at the end of the day the GM, like a ship’s captain, is responsible for everything. He’s had nearly 2 years to put his stamp on this team, and I think he’s done a crap job.

Cases in point:
1984-Bob Clarke inherits a team that was average at best and terrible in the playoffs the prior season. He hires Mike Keenan and turns over a 3rd of the roster by the 85 deadline. The team wins the President’s Trophy and goes to the finals

1994: Again, Clarke takes over a team that shit the bed the prior season. He brings in a new coach and nearly completely remakes the D group over the space of a few months. The team goes to the Conference final.

2007: Paul Holmgren takes over the worst team in the NHL and makes the moves to have them in the final 4 in 2008.

I get that the cap, and especially Covid, make things more difficult. But there is no excuse for ever having garbage like Stewart or Prosser in the lineup, or the fact that Therrien, and Lappy, are still assistants. Is Fletcher the worst GM ever? No, not even close. But he is mediocre and mediocre managers don’t build Stanley Cup champions.

 

[BiggE]

Point is they haven't done anything awful. When 160 minutes of Stewart, or 4 games of Prosser are your biggest complaints . . .
He hasn't given Weise a 4 year deal, or MacDonald $30M.

I don't lose sleep over 4th and 5th rd picks or 1 year deals. Those are fungible assets.

And why do people crap all over Hayes? He's exactly what we thought he was.
He's just behind G in xGF and xGFrel, 23 points in 33 games (56 point pace). Only knock this year is his PK is subpar compared to last year, but he's stepped up there the last few games.
You don't think as a FA he couldn't get a 5yr/$35M deal this offseason?

With the cap being flat, there is no way Hayes would get 7 million per right now. 5-5.5 would be more likely.

 

[deadhead]

With the cap being flat, there is no way Hayes would get 7 million per right now. 5-5.5 would be more likely.

Cap goes up next year and escalates after that due to the new TV contracts.
Hayes would easily get $7M, he's a legitimate 2C, not many hit FA.

"The real issue is that Fletcher keeps adding bad players to the roster while bleeding away assets, occasionally for nothing. Thompson, Grant, Gus, Prosser, Stewart."

That's Beef's beef. The total assets used on these five, a 4th and 5th rd pick. Peanuts.

As far as drafting, one won't know for years, but York, Brink, Attard, Millman, Foerster, Wisdom, Desnoyers have all met or exceeded expectations.

 

[BiggE]

Cap goes up next year and escalates after that due to the new TV contracts.
Hayes would easily get $7M, he's a legitimate 2C, not many hit FA.

"The real issue is that Fletcher keeps adding bad players to the roster while bleeding away assets, occasionally for nothing. Thompson, Grant, Gus, Prosser, Stewart."

That's Beef's beef. The total assets used on these five, a 4th and 5th rd pick. Peanuts.

As far as drafting, one won't know for years, but York, Brink, Attard, Millman, Foerster, Wisdom, Desnoyers have all met or exceeded expectations.

FYI Bettman recently commented that the cap would be flat for the next couple seasons, but whatever. I’ll just agree to disagree, it will save time.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Cap goes up next year and escalates after that due to the new TV contracts.
Hayes would easily get $7M, he's a legitimate 2C, not many hit FA.

"The real issue is that Fletcher keeps adding bad players to the roster while bleeding away assets, occasionally for nothing. Thompson, Grant, Gus, Prosser, Stewart."

That's Beef's beef. The total assets used on these five, a 4th and 5th rd pick. Peanuts.

As far as drafting, one won't know for years, but York, Brink, Attard, Millman, Foerster, Wisdom, Desnoyers have all met or exceeded expectations.

I remember when Homer leaking assets was dismissed as being irrelevant.

Let's not forget he did his best to give away NAK for free and successfully gifted Friedman away, ensuring we would have to ice Hogg and Prosser.

 

[BernieParent]

Taking Fletcher at his word, he has put in a lot of calls looking for deals. Part of me is glad we haven't seen desperation deals that only served to downgrade the overall roster. I am going to swallow hard and toss this season in the recycling bin because of its irregularity x 10000, including the ED hanging over every deal. On paper, this is a very good and versatile lineup. The key is making sure Hart hasn't lost his mental ability to play at the high level he has shown. That being said, I would look for a stronger backup than Elliott.

 

[deadhead]

Friedman did absolutely nothing in the few games he played last year and this year, so what is there to miss? I was disappointed, thought after all the reports of him "improving" he was ready to step up. Watching the Phantoms last night, Day looks about as good as Friedman. Actually none of the D-men stood out the way Willman, Laczynski and Allison stood out. But neither did Friedman the way Myers and Sanheim did.

Homer leaked draft picks left and right, Fletcher got his 2nd rd pick back in the draft and maximized his assets.

Fletcher made the moves to get them to the POs last year, and refrained from panic moves so far this year. So to me that's a "win-win."

This summer will be his test, with the ED behind him, and film on the current players, that's when he should remake the roster.
But I suspect there will be much gnashing of teeth around here.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

This is such an asinine comment. Of course players are inherited, but at the end of the day the GM, like a ship’s captain, is responsible for everything. He’s had nearly 2 years to put his stamp on this team, and I think he’s done a crap job.

Cases in point:
1984-Bob Clarke inherits a team that was average at best and terrible in the playoffs the prior season. He hires Mike Keenan and turns over a 3rd of the roster by the 85 deadline. The team wins the President’s Trophy and goes to the finals

1994: Again, Clarke takes over a team that shit the bed the prior season. He brings in a new coach and nearly completely remakes the D group over the space of a few months. The team goes to the Conference final.

2007: Paul Holmgren takes over the worst team in the NHL and makes the moves to have them in the final 4 in 2008.

I get that the cap, and especially Covid, make things more difficult. But there is no excuse for ever having garbage like Stewart or Prosser in the lineup, or the fact that Therrien, and Lappy, are still assistants. Is Fletcher the worst GM ever? No, not even close. But he is mediocre and mediocre managers don’t build Stanley Cup champions.

Asinine? That’s exactly what you’re acting like: That a GM can create his roster at will.

Then you cite 2 pre-cap examples, & 07 when Holmgren inherited a Grand Canyon-sized amount of cap space, to prove the Fletcher should be able to make the same kind of moves in a completely different, flat-cap world, where very few transactions are being completed due to cap restrictions, the short season, & a looming expansion draft.

Now THAT is “asinine.”

 

[Beef Invictus]

Friedman did absolutely nothing in the few games he played last year and this year, so what is there to miss? I was disappointed, thought after all the reports of him "improving" he was ready to step up. Watching the Phantoms last night, Day looks about as good as Friedman. Actually none of the D-men stood out the way Willman, Laczynski and Allison stood out. But neither did Friedman the way Myers and Sanheim did.

Homer leaked draft picks left and right, Fletcher got his 2nd rd pick back in the draft and maximized his assets.

Fletcher made the moves to get them to the POs last year, and refrained from panic moves so far this year. So to me that's a "win-win."

This summer will be his test, with the ED behind him, and film on the current players, that's when he should remake the roster.
But I suspect there will be much gnashing of teeth around here.

He outplayed Hogg and Prosser. This ace coaching staff and management elected to prefer worse players.

Is preferring inferior players over superior players good management?

 

[BiggE]

Asinine? That’s exactly what you’re acting like: That a GM can create his roster at will.

Then you cite 2 pre-cap examples, & 07 when Holmgren inherited a Grand Canyon-sized amount of cap space, to prove the Fletcher should be able to make the same kind of moves in a completely different, flat-cap world, where very few transactions are being completed due to cap restrictions, the short season, & a looming expansion draft.

Now THAT is “asinine.”

So he has no control over the coaching staff or in stuff like waiving and losing Friedman, who, while nothing special, is still a better player than Prosser and possibly Hagg. Ok, I guess he’s just doing a dandy job then.

I really don’t get the blind faith some show in Fletcher. What has he done to earn such admiration?

 

[flyerslducks]

elliot or hart in?

 

[Beef Invictus]

So he has no control over the coaching staff or in stuff like waiving and losing Friedman, who, while nothing special, is still a better player than Prosser and possibly Hagg. Ok, I guess he’s just doing a dandy job then.

I really don’t get the blind faith some show in Fletcher. What has he done to earn such admiration?

He's an authority figure. Thus he is to be revered by default.

 

[BiggE]

He's an authority figure. Thus he is to be revered by default.

 

[usahockey22flyers]

great song choice @MiamiScreamingEagles

 

[Psuhockey]

He outplayed Hogg and Prosser. This ace coaching staff and management elected to prefer worse players.

Is preferring inferior players over superior players good management?

That’s been the franchise policy since Holmgren left.

 

[deadhead]

They weren't getting blown out because Hagg was playing.
Prosser was involved in a couple games, but the main culprits on defense the last month or so were Sanheim and Myers and Ghost.
The goalies were the primary problem.

Prosser has played 78 minutes, Andreoff 52 this season. Bunnaman played 200.
When the starters are healthy, they're all glued to the bench.

The obsession with scrubs who hardly see the ice seems to be a strategy to deflect blame from favorites who have come up short.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Hogg being bad is OK, right

 

[deadhead]

Hagg was putrid to start the season, but pretty solid since the COVID break.
Too bad he was injured, would have like to find out if that's a fluke before the end of the season.