Post-Game Talk: #74 | Rangers at FLYERS | Wednesday, Apr. 13, 2022 | 7:00 pm ET | TNT

[Beef Invictus]

You actually believe the bs you write? Serious question

Do you think Yandle is better than York or Zamula?

 

[flyersnorth]

Middle of the pack if is not how I would define a successful "aggressive retool."

You need to come to the realization that this team is going nowhere any time soon.

I'm not convinced that Fletch can put together a competitive team. I don't like his targets and I don't like his execution.

But it doesn't mean I'm right, and it doesn't mean he won't be able to make this team middle of the pack, which is what I was alluding to as the worst of all possible outcomes, especially considering next year's draft.

 

[deadhead]

Do you think Yandle is better than York or Zamula?

In October or April?

Yandle actually started OK before Ellis went down, he ended up with Seeler on his right side and his legs showed their age.
And both York and Zamula, due to COVID, were extremely inexperienced to start the season. At 20-21, they had essentially missed almost a whole season of PT over the past two seasons.

Watching LHV last night and the Flyers, I don't think Zamula was hurt in any way being down at LHV the past couple months.
LHV is well coached, and they're playing above their heads.
The Flyers are a shitshow, the older veterans have tuned out, the younger veterans are in and out, and the kids are clueless.

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

Lehigh Valley is well coached. Playing above their heads all the way to being 2nd worst in the conference.

 

[Flyerfan4life]

they deserve to be given a chance to fix the mess hextall made

Zinggg..

 

[deadhead]

Lehigh Valley is well coached. Playing above their heads all the way to being 2nd worst in the conference.

Have you seen their roster?
Between callups to the Flyers and their own string of injuries, I'd say half the roster is closer to the ECHL than the AHL.

It's not like Sandstrom and his .901 Sv% has carried this team.

 

[kudymen]

Lehigh Valley is well coached. Playing above their heads all the way to being 2nd worst in the conference.

If this improvement applies to the Flyers, why wouldnt it apply to the AHL team as well?

 

[BernieParent]

I don't know about worse overall, but surely in the short term it doesn't look good.

The aggressive retool may or may not work. It's hard to get a read on this team that is basically an AHL squad at this point.

Of course, I get the feeling Chuck will do just enough to make sure we don't get a high draft pick next year, but don't really compete either. So there's that.

This depends, of course, on our definition of "work". If both Couturier and the Loch Ness Defenseman come back healthy, Fletcher brings in a Gaudreau type, and the overall team talent is increased, they may compete for a playoff spot. The front office will probably consider this Mission Accomplished. The blank-cheque aggressive retool obviously has a ton of half-giraffe-sized potholes in its pathway, including the cap implications and ability of Fletcher to win trades and find a very good coaching staff who will populate the roster with the best players at their disposal.

Alternatively, scorched-earth would be difficult because of the multiple big-dollar, long(ish) contracts they have at present, and a dearth of elite-level talent. "Play the kids" is certainly a Darwinian approach that won't be kind to gate receipts over the 3-4 years it will take to stock up in quantity and high-end quality.

 

[kudymen]

Just a weird year for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Next year, this year will be water under the bridge

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

Have you seen their roster?
Between callups to the Flyers and their own string of injuries, I'd say half the roster is closer to the ECHL than the AHL.

It's not like Sandstrom and his .901 Sv% has carried this team.

And they're performing at a 2nd worst in the conference rate. Very impressive. Great management. Great coaching.

 

[landsbergfan]

I agree Zamula looked good. His head and hockey IQ is NHL ready but his body is not. 20 lbs or more is needed or he will fade or get hurt in 10-15 games. That was already proven this year in the AHL.

Yes I love this logic...his body isn't ready yet to get hurt in the NHL so he will have to continue to get hurt in the AHL until it is

 

[Beef Invictus]

In October or April?

Yandle actually started OK before Ellis went down, he ended up with Seeler on his right side and his legs showed their age.
And both York and Zamula, due to COVID, were extremely inexperienced to start the season. At 20-21, they had essentially missed almost a whole season of PT over the past two seasons.

Watching LHV last night and the Flyers, I don't think Zamula was hurt in any way being down at LHV the past couple months.
LHV is well coached, and they're playing above their heads.
The Flyers are a shitshow, the older veterans have tuned out, the younger veterans are in and out, and the kids are clueless.

Zamula was better in October too. So was York.

Ellis going out isn't why Yandle is bad.

Yandle has been blatantly bad for a long time. That's why some of us who operate on facts rather than a desire to defend bad decisions were able to accurately predict he would be bad.

Defending Yandle's usage and the blocking of a superior player is quite the low.

 

[flyersnorth]

This depends, of course, on our definition of "work". If both Couturier and the Loch Ness Defenseman come back healthy, Fletcher brings in a Gaudreau type, and the overall team talent is increased, they may compete for a playoff spot. The front office will probably consider this Mission Accomplished. The blank-cheque aggressive retool obviously has a ton of half-giraffe-sized potholes in its pathway, including the cap implications and ability of Fletcher to win trades and find a very good coaching staff who will populate the roster with the best players at their disposal.

Alternatively, scorched-earth would be difficult because of the multiple big-dollar, long(ish) contracts they have at present, and a dearth of elite-level talent. "Play the kids" is certainly a Darwinian approach that won't be kind to gate receipts over the 3-4 years it will take to stock up in quantity and high-end quality.

The truth of it is that neither approach guarantees anything.

Hextall's build-through-the-draft approach was long overdue, but hasn't yielded great results. Certainly there are many other variables at play, but our high picks (Patrick, Provorov, Farabee) aren't even in the same hockey universe as, say, MacKinnon, Makar, Rantanen or Barkov, Ekblad, Huberdeau. So there's some serious bad luck on our side (from draft position, player taken, and quality of the draft year).

I don't think scorched earth is even an option at this point. The organization simply isn't going to forfeit another 5-10 years.

The aggressive retool, as you say, could go either way. I personally don't think Fletcher is very competent, but it doesn't mean he can't find some level of success. Is a playoff berth a success? I'd say yes if only for the fact that it means we're closer to being competitive than we are now. Then it becomes about how the organization is able to find that next level of success.

I just don't believe Fletcher is able to identify what is needed to find that next level. The Risto trade and re-sign just killed my spirit. It is a complete waste of assets, cap space, and roster spot. What's done is done, and I would prefer that Fletch also be put to pasture, but I know that won't happen unless/until the team implodes next season.

I would feel a lot better about things if I believed in the man at the helm, but I absolutely do not.

 

[deadhead]

I'd feel a lot better if Scott came out and said he re-evaluated, and realizes this team is not a move or two away from contending for a SC, and sneaking in the playoffs is not good enough for the Flyers. So he's instructing Fletcher to build up the talent base so the fans can cheer for a good team in a couple years, and asks for patience - the Flyers will no longer chase the will-o-wisp with a "bias for action". And the Flyers HC search will focus on a candidate who can grow with the team and has hands on experience coaching up young players.

 

[Tripod]

I agree Zamula looked good. His head and hockey IQ is NHL ready but his body is not. 20 lbs or more is needed or he will fade or get hurt in 10-15 games. That was already proven this year in the AHL.

Yup. Needs a big body like Morin and Myers to avoid getting hurt.

 

[BritainStix]

Zamula tears it up. Who would have thought.

Oh yeah me. Kid should have started on the big club this year. But cuck for brains thought differently.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

This depends, of course, on our definition of "work". If both Couturier and the Loch Ness Defenseman come back healthy, Fletcher brings in a Gaudreau type, and the overall team talent is increased, they may compete for a playoff spot. The front office will probably consider this Mission Accomplished. The blank-cheque aggressive retool obviously has a ton of half-giraffe-sized potholes in its pathway, including the cap implications and ability of Fletcher to win trades and find a very good coaching staff who will populate the roster with the best players at their disposal.

Alternatively, scorched-earth would be difficult because of the multiple big-dollar, long(ish) contracts they have at present, and a dearth of elite-level talent. "Play the kids" is certainly a Darwinian approach that won't be kind to gate receipts over the 3-4 years it will take to stock up in quantity and high-end quality.

"Loch Ness Defenseman" -- I like it. Henceforth, I shall refer to Ryan Ellis as "Nessie."

 

[Beef Invictus]

I'd feel a lot better if Scott came out and said he re-evaluated, and realizes this team is not a move or two away from contending for a SC, and sneaking in the playoffs is not good enough for the Flyers. So he's instructing Fletcher to build up the talent base so the fans can cheer for a good team in a couple years, and asks for patience - the Flyers will no longer chase the will-o-wisp with a "bias for action". And the Flyers HC search will focus on a candidate who can grow with the team and has hands on experience coaching up young players.

Scott is letting Fletcher make these decisions. Scott has no idea what is going on.

This is what Fletcher has always been.

 

[BernieParent]

"Loch Ness Defenseman" -- I like it. Henceforth, I shall refer to Ryan Ellis as "Nessie."

Lol, whatever ownership of the term I happily bequeath to you!

 

[Beef Invictus]

Yup. Needs a big body like Morin and Myers to avoid getting hurt.

If he were built like Patrick he wouldn't miss time

 

[Beef Invictus]

"Loch Ness Defenseman" -- I like it. Henceforth, I shall refer to Ryan Ellis as "Nessie."

GimliYes.gif

 

[Flyerfan4life]

"Loch Ness Defenseman" -- I like it. Henceforth, I shall refer to Ryan Ellis as "Nessie."

Nellis..

 

[FLYguy3911]

Yup. Needs a big body like Morin and Myers to avoid getting hurt.

And Dan Silver has bigger pecs than Sanheim and we've seen what happened to him in the NHL.

 

[Tripod]

Reality is they purposely blocked York and Zamula by signing Yandle and guaranteeing he would play. They also made the decision in the summer that Frost would not make the team when signing Brassard and Thompson. That was further proved true when Hayes was hurt to start the season and Willman started game 1 and 2.

Wonder what vet we are going to sign this summer that we don't need. We already have Brown....

 

[Beef Invictus]

Reality is they purposely blocked York and Zamula by signing Yandle and guaranteeing he would play. They also made the decision in the summer that Frost would not make the team when signing Brassard and Thompson. That was further proved true when Hayes was hurt to start the season and Willman started game 1 and 2.

Wonder what vet we are going to sign this summer that we don't need. We already have Brown....

Beagle is possible. They'll be caught up in him roughing up a dude once in a game. Very veteranny. Total trash. Fits Fletcher's idea of an ideal 4C if they decide Thompson needs to be moved to the management side.