Post-Game Talk: #82 | Hurricanes 4 at FLYERS 3 (SO, won 2-1) | Sun., April 9, 2017

[bennysflyers16]

The broadcasting crew keeps on acting like Filpulla's addition turned the team's play around, but to me, Weal playing well from March on was a much bigger factor. They should absolutely have a spot for him on the 3rd line. Having guy that can play up and down the line up and score is valuable and not a player they can afford to lose. Regarding VdV, I'm talking about this year. If him and Bellemare actually had to compete and play well for a spot, they would've been replaced by guys on the Phantoms long ago.

I like Weal also , just think they will use Weise Couts Schenn as third.

Unless Hexy can dump guys like Weise Read PEB Raffl, there aren't a lot of spots. This is me assuming Lindblom gets a spot.

 

[Hurricane28]

We will be fine picking 13th instead of 10th. This doesn't really change the rebuild at all. And you really expect guys to play to lose? Cmon now lmao. Hockey players are some of the most competitive guys on the planet, and some like Del Zotto are fighting for their NHL lives

 

[Magua]

And you really expect guys to play to lose? Cmon now lmao.

People need to stop it with this straw man

 

[TCTC]

The lengths people will go purely for the sake of optimism and nothing else (not realism, not pragmatism, just optimism). People can make themselves borderline delusional sometimes just to be optimistic.

The there is an inverse relationship between draft position and talent. The farther back you go, the worse the talent gets. That's a fact. Being three spots back means you have three less choices to pick from and less trade-down options. That's also a fact. Being spots back in the draft lottery significantly lowers your odds of winning it, that's a fact. The only reward you get for a non playoff season, especially one as horrid as this, is your draft position. That's a fact.

Add all these together and them blowing their draft position in absolutely meaningless games is an absolute failure by an utterly disappointing, boring, and mediocre season and team.

There's objectively nothing positive about blowing their draft position. Doesn't mean people have to get depressed or up-in-arms about it but I'd choose that over the utterly ridiculous positive spins and marginalization of it.

During these meaningless games we've seen a good game from Morin, a good game from Hagg, 2 decent games from Vecchione, and other signs for a better season next year.
That's not a failure in my book.

We're not Colorado or New Jersey who are desperate for new talent. We already have a solid foundation.

 

[Rebels57]

Christ, we cant even lose a meaningless game the right way.

Losing 3 draft spots in a thin draft is another kick in the balls in a season that specialized in kicking Flyers fans in the balls.

At least Bickell was able to have that shootout moment because of it.

Hagg was really good. Like effortlessly good. Of course, Carolina has one of the weaker forward groups, but still.

Watching Hagg and Morin this past week is a reminder of how terrible the play was from some of the regulars this season. Both of these guy could have played all season and we would have been better off. Hopefully it pays off in the long run.

After the game, Morganti said of VandeVelde "Hes a guy they will probably ask to come back."

 

[whitstifier]

Literally not one person said this. We're not players and we have no control over them; we're fans. What we want and what they want aren't necessarily the same.

Some people felt that the best thing the team could do for the future was lose. A loss today for a win tomorrow. Some people feel several picks difference doesn't matter. That's all. No one expected the players to not try to win. Did they try to not win 40 times this year?

If you look at the past 10 drafts, excluding the most recent, it hasn't seemed to make a tremendous difference. In fact it seems fairly common for teams to pick lesser players than others selected in the mid to late first.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

so if they do not pick anyone you like/approve of..your gonna be down on the team? why be a fan at that point...

So I have to blindly agree with everything the team does in order to be a fan? I disagree. Part of being a fan is having your own opinions about the team and what they should do. And right now, like many, I am down after this season, so having a player I like fall to 13 and the Flyers drafting a player I like will go a long way toward rekindling my enthusiasm. I see nothing wrong with that.

 

[AndHeMissedTheNet]

If you would've told me before the season that they would go on a 10 game winning streak AND have a winning shootout record this year, i would've thought "well they HAVE to be a lock for the playoffs, right?"

This team, man.

By the way, i wish i could feel worse for Del Zotto. He legitimately seems like a great person, and now that his tenure here is effectively over, i feel comfortable in saying that he was nowhere near as bad as rags fans made him out to be. That being said, between his inconsistency and his unfortunate impact on their choice of goal songs the last couple years, i'm glad they're moving on.

 

[Tripod]

For anyone thinking it makes no difference....

Would you be saying that if we picked 3 away from Provorov? Giroux?

3 picks could easily be the difference between a franchise altering player being there or not. Every pick matters.

On paper it does....but then why did Hextall drop down 4 spots last year at the draft?

Maybe because in real life, it might not matter. It could go either way.

We traded up to get Konecny. We all loved the move. But we could have stayed put and grabbed Aho.

Again, it can go either way. I wanted the better pick to try and increase our chances of getting a better player. But who knows how it ends up.

And your Giroux example is laughable. The 3 picks before him were Mitera, Fischer and Sanguinetti. So did it matter for those teams getting a higher pick than us? Nope. You just proved that you just need to pick the right guy.

 

[Hurricane28]

Christ, we cant even lose a meaningless game the right way.

Losing 3 draft spots in a thin draft is another kick in the balls in a season that specialized in kicking Flyers fans in the balls.

At least Bickell was able to have that shootout moment because of it.

Hagg was really good. Like effortlessly good. Of course, Carolina has one of the weaker forward groups, but still.

Watching Hagg and Morin this past week is a reminder of how terrible the play was from some of the regulars this season. Both of these guy could have played all season and we would have been better off. Hopefully it pays off in the long run.

After the game, Morganti said of VandeVelde "Hes a guy they will probably ask to come back."

It really will be a joy to watch likely two of Myers, Hagg, Morin, and Sanheim next year instead of Schultz and Del Zotto. Training camp will be VERY interesting next year. Those four will have to play their best to get the call.

 

[Grare]

So what kinds of snacks do you serve at a We're Number 19 party?

I appreciate you making conversation, but I have no idea what you're trying to say lol

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

That doesn't surprise me one bit, MSE. We were a joke back there for a long time, especially when it came to the draft. I've been dying for a D corps that I can really love for a long time and I'm overjoyed that we have finally given ourselves a chance to correct that.

Since the League has expanded through time, a first round pick isn't necessarily the same today as in was in prior decades. As such, here are defensemen drafted by the Flyers among the top 50 NHL picks (from 2016 going back):

Ivan Provorov 7
Travis Sanheim 17
Robert Hagg 41
Samuel Morin 11
Luca Sbisa 19
Kevin Marshall 41
Michael Ratchuk 42
Joni Pitkanen 4
Jeff Woywitka 27
Jason Beckett 42
Shane Kenny 48
Janne Niinimaa 36
Terran Sandwith 42
Darren Rumble 20
Kerry Huffman 20
Greg Smyth 22
Jeff Chychrun 37
John Stevens 47
Miroslav Dvorak 46
Bill Campbell 47
Steve Smith 16
Mike Stothers 21
Blake Wesley 22
Behn Wilson 6
Glen Cochrane 49
Kevin McCarthy 17
Mark Suzor 17
Don McLean 35
Larry Goodenough 20
Tom Bladon 23
Jim Watson 39
Glen Irwin 36
Jacques Lapierre 46
Willie Brossart 28
Al Sarault 14

There are plenty of misses in that group. No team at any position will have home runs every pick but that list above has much to be desired.

 

[BernieParent]

We will be fine picking 13th instead of 10th. This doesn't really change the rebuild at all. And you really expect guys to play to lose? Cmon now lmao. Hockey players are some of the most competitive guys on the planet, and some like Del Zotto are fighting for their NHL lives

Why didn't he fight harder in games 1-81? The level of competition and skill have been mediocre with gusts of putrid, for the majority of this season. The time to show their competitiveness was when a playoff spot was on the line, and they fell flat on their faces. This faux honour of competing when games are just schedule burners does not impress me in the least.

 

[bennysflyers16]

MDZ there just isn't room for anymore and he gets that. He will get a 1-2 yr deal somewhere at a reduced cap hit, he will be fine.

 

[Hurricane28]

Why didn't he fight harder in games 1-81? The level of competition and skill have been mediocre with gusts of putrid, for the majority of this season. The time to show their competitiveness was when a playoff spot was on the line, and they fell flat on their faces. This faux honour of competing when games are just schedule burners does not impress me in the least.

im not impressed either but they're not going to intentionally glide around to lose. Expecting that is disgraceful

 

[Curufinwe]

Going down a couple of spots is hardly "blowing" your draft position. The Flyers were a good home team all season who just happened to finish with 5 of 7 at home. Nothing unpredictable happened, and it's not worth any more of a response than a sigh and a shrug.

 

[Magua]

If you look at the past 10 drafts, excluding the most recent, it hasn't seemed to make a tremendous difference. In fact it seems fairly common for teams to pick lesser players than others selected in the mid to late first.

Talking about draft history, can you compile me a list of who you would consider true 1C's over the last decade+ and where they were selected in the draft?

 

[Rebels57]

Del Zotto is another player whose struggles I personally feel Hak is partially responsible for.

He was effectively the Flyers 1D until his injury last season. He comes back from injury and isnt 100% up to speed so Hak decides to healthy scratch him. He showed no faith in him and it snowballed from there. Up and down play. In and out of lineup. Different partner every night.

I cant remember a defense being so poorly handled in my time as a fan.

 

[Hurricane28]

But I feel with Del Zotto, this year's version is closer to what he truly is than last year

 

[Curufinwe]

My favorite ever draft argument on here was when we got 29 from Tampa and there were pages of posts about how no one good ever gets drafted at 29.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

I do actually feel sorry for Del Zotto. I don't want the guy to be sad.

That said, I am working on my next book, titled:

"Last Season, A DJ ***ed My Life"

 

[Magua]

And your Giroux example is laughable. The 3 picks before him were Mitera, Fischer and Sanguinetti. So did it matter for those teams getting a higher pick than us? Nope. You just proved that you just need to pick the right guy.

Eh. They didn't really want Giroux as their "guy." We know the stories. If they picked several spots higher, they likely wouldn't have even taken him.

So you can take that two ways: either things fortunately worked out as they did picking there, and hey it can happen again!.....or it's a crap shoot and you can't just expect and trust the team to do that again. I will say though that picking there is way more of a crap shoot than picking in the top 10.

 

[Rebels57]

But I feel with Del Zotto, this year's version is closer to what he truly is than last year

Yeah I am fine moving on from him, I just think he was mishandled early on this season. I think the Del Zotto of the past few weeks is more in line with his ability. Not a liability but not an impact player.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

I appreciate you making conversation, but I have no idea what you're trying to say lol

What he is saying is that it's obnoxious to complain about people cheering for us to lose as if we are all bad fans, when it's a meaningless game at a meaningless point of the season and we would benefit more from a better draft pick than we would from winning one meaningless game.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

im not impressed either but they're not going to intentionally glide around to lose. Expecting that is disgraceful

Literally not one single person in here was expecting that.