Not saying they needed to tank Leafs style. I would have preferred they bottomed out a bit though.

Until the NHL abolishes the draft, tanking will always be the most efficient way to build a Stanley Cup caliber team.
- PhillySportsGuy

I think we have stocked an impressive cupboard, and if that equals a championship without tanking it will be that much cooler

Not saying they needed to tank Leafs style. I would have preferred they bottomed out a bit though.

Until the NHL abolishes the draft, tanking will always be the most efficient way to build a Stanley Cup caliber team.
- PhillySportsGuy

Precisely. You don't need to hit the bottom every year, but two or three years in the bottom 10 can be an enormous help.

Then only sign cheap vets to single year contracts and flip them for picks during those season.

Leaves you with a well stocked cupboard and a ton of cap space to load up for a run when the time comes.

Precisely. You don't need to hit the bottom every year, but two or three years in the bottom 10 can be an enormous help.

Then only sign cheap vets to single year contracts and flip them for picks during those season.

Leafs you with a well stocked cupboard and a ton of cap space to load up for a run when the time comes.
- BINGO!

ftfy

He'll be a good forward but you usually need a top flight center to win. Name me a team that won a cup without a top flight center? I could be totally wrong but I think you need a center that can carry you a little.
- J35Bacher

Move Konecny to center.

ftfy
- YuenglingJagr

heh.

Move Konecny to center.
- Feanor

You could.

But I would prefer a little more size down the middle.

My argument is that the team should have traded 1 or 2 of these guys when their value was obviously at its apex.

The re-signing of Voracek argument is that the team shouldn't have re-signed him after that season. They should have either traded him or waited to re-sign him because his value was never likely to get better.

Regarding Giroux, the Flyers should have given him the big contract after 2012-13 instead of the bridge deal. That way it would have kept his salary lower and the contract wouldn't have carried on so far past his prime. Knowing the Flyers, they were likely in cap hell and decided to kick the can down the road.
- PhillySportsGuy

20/20 hind sight. Once again you can look at every NHL player and find pluses and minuses to when they were signed. Signing Richards to that deal was a major mistake considering where he is now but signing Carter was a great deal to date.

Giroux current rank is 242nd in the league in 5 on 5 scoring.
- MJL

I think that is great he is in the to 300. Nothing wrong with that.

We bottomed out enough in 14-15 to get a #1 dman. He could be the 3rd best player from that draft.
- Feanor

Doesn't that support my argument?

Precisely. You don't need to hit the bottom every year, but two or three years in the bottom 10 can be an enormous help.

Then only sign cheap vets to single year contracts and flip them for picks during those season.

Leaves you with a well stocked cupboard and a ton of cap space to load up for a run when the time comes.
- BINGO!

Yuuuuuuup

I don't have that kind of time to search that long.
- MJL

Top 500 which is great!

Imagine losing to Arizona twice.
- PLindbergh31

And he makes the long-awaited appearance we could all have predicted since around 9:30 last night.

If you're unwilling to move any of the good players on the team and unwilling to tank, then you can't be upset if the Flyers never find an elite forward when the defensemen are developed.
- PhillySportsGuy

you don't need to tank to find great talent. you have to be able to find talent and draft well. you have to be able to piece a team together.

If you're unwilling to move any of the good players on the team and unwilling to tank, then you can't be upset if the Flyers never find an elite forward when the defensemen are developed.
- PhillySportsGuy

you don't need to tank to find great talent. you have to be able to find talent and draft well. you have to be able to piece a team together.

you don't need to tank to find great talent. you have to be able to find talent and draft well. you have to be able to piece a team together.
- nastyflyergirl

agreed

you don't need to tank to find great talent. you have to be able to find talent and draft well. you have to be able to piece a team together.
- nastyflyergirl

disagreed

If you're unwilling to move any of the good players on the team and unwilling to tank, then you can't be upset if the Flyers never find an elite forward when the defensemen are developed.
- PhillySportsGuy

Recent Elite Forwards for the Flyers:

Simon Gagne: Drafted 22nd overall
Peter Forsberg: Signed UFA
Mike Richards: Drafted 24th overall
Jeff Carter: Drafted 11th overall
Daniel Briere: Signed UFA
Claude Giroux: Drafted 22nd Overall
Jake Voracek: Carter Trade
Wayne Simmonds: Richards Trade

I see the logic in your strategy but it's far from the only method of obtaining an elite forward. I for one hope the Flyers never resort to tanking.

Recent Elite Forwards for the Flyers:

Simon Gagne: Drafted 22nd overall
Peter Forsberg: Signed UFA
Mike Richards: Drafted 24th overall
Jeff Carter: Drafted 11th overall
Daniel Briere: Signed UFA
Claude Giroux: Drafted 22nd Overall
Jake Voracek: Carter Trade
Wayne Simmonds: Richards Trade

I see the logic in your strategy but it's far from the only method of obtaining an elite forward. I for one hope the Flyers never resort to tanking.
- Baxter27

Fail for Nail
Lose at Hockey for Nugent Hopkins

Recent Elite Forwards for the Flyers:

Simon Gagne: Drafted 22nd overall
Peter Forsberg: Signed UFA
Mike Richards: Drafted 24th overall
Jeff Carter: Drafted 11th overall
Daniel Briere: Signed UFA
Claude Giroux: Drafted 22nd Overall
Jake Voracek: Carter Trade
Wayne Simmonds: Richards Trade

I see the logic in your strategy but it's far from the only method of obtaining an elite forward. I for one hope the Flyers never resort to tanking.
- Baxter27

You don't think the climate has changed a little? Look at who is available as a UFA every year... it's not very pretty.

you don't need to tank to find great talent. you have to be able to find talent and draft well. you have to be able to piece a team together.
- nastyflyergirl

So much of drafting is luck. Hoping to land one of the top 10 forwards in hockey without a top 10 pick is so incredibly difficult. It's like finding a needle in a haystack.

👀

Why can't Konecny be the elite forward?
- Feanor

Because apparently someone once called him a bust.

You don't think the climate has changed a little? Look at who is available as a UFA every year... it's not very pretty.
- BINGO!

The entire climate has changed, which makes drafting even more important. Also, development leagues have improved which allows for better depth in drafts.

Because apparently someone once called him a bust.
- MBFlyerfan

He has all the makings of a bust.

- Doesn't fight a lot
- Doesn't score 60 goals per year.

Sounds pretty busty to me.

Because apparently someone once called him a bust.
- MBFlyerfan

I mean, Aho was picked 11 spots behind him, so clearly he should be at LEAST 11x better, right????