Team defense is a dumpster fire right now. Decion making with the puck in all three zones is inexcusable. That touch pass Giroux tried at his own blue line that led to a turnover and goal was unbelievable.

This team is maddening at the moment. Where they should be simplifying yet they choose to make things complicated. The coach needs to put the hammer down and start benching players for some shifts in game. A message needs to be sent. They need to be embarrassed in front of their teammates and fans.

I would have benched Voracek and demoted him in game after that ridiculous turnover and lack of effort on the back check two nights ago. And he needed to demote Giroux or sit him for a few shifts last night after that ridiculous play.

There is no accountability for the real culprits. Instead he sits NAK and Myers. Yeah, that sends a message.
- MBFlyerfan

I agree to an extent. This is a pure guess and not saying I agree. Maybe he knows benching a hagg and bobby will do no good. They are what they are and wont get any better.

With NAK and Myers there is still potential there and he is trying to teach them to improve. In Myers case he has said Myers isn't listening. So no issue with him taking a seat.

Okay, but IF they did lose both and Flyers had “two more holes to fill now and in the future,” you have room to bring players up from the Phantoms (in the short term), and/or bolster the lineup with proven forwards for the long term via trade or FA signing.

I’ll go back to my original point: Can you identify one area of either players’ game that makes them not expendable?
- BroadSTmayhem

Being expendable and losing them for nothing are 2 diff things.

Any chance of a quiet trade deadline this year....

Then a Richards & Carter level seismic shift in the off season?

If we continue to suck this year? Why not try for Eichel in the off-season?

In addition to defense, of course.

Imagine an Eichel/Coutourier 1,2 punch down the middle.

Being expendable and losing them for nothing are 2 diff things.
- login

Then trade one on or both for future draft picks - get what you can get. My point is, do you honestly believe either player is a key piece for future Flyers’ success? I don’t.

Okay, but IF they did lose both and Flyers had “two more holes to fill now and in the future,” you have room to bring players up from the Phantoms (in the short term), and/or bolster the lineup with proven forwards for the long term via trade or FA signing.

I’ll go back to my original point: Can you identify one area of either players’ game that makes them not expendable?
- BroadSTmayhem

At considerable more cost than now when you have other important players coming up to be resigned. AND a flat cap for at least the next two seasons.

They are not expendable because they are young talented cheap players who will get better. Neither have played competitive hockey for a long time and you are ready to give up on them after 25 games.

Did Captain Clode have any post game quotes?

Did Captain Clode have any post game quotes?
- login

“We are doing some good things…If we keep playing like this, we’re going to be trending in the right direction. It’s hard to say when you’re not winning games but we have confidence in this locker room…We know we can do it.”

“We are doing some good things…If we keep playing like this, we’re going to be trending in the right direction. It’s hard to say when you’re not winning games but we have confidence in this locker room…We know we can do it.”
- Dkos

Been saying the same BS for how many years now?

Trending in the the right direction for a lottery pick.

At considerable more cost than now when you have other important players coming up to be resigned. AND a flat cap for at least the next two seasons.

They are not expendable because they are young talented cheap players who will get better. Neither have played competitive hockey for a long time and you are ready to give up on them after 25 games.
- MBFlyerfan

How do you know they’ll get “better”? And what does “better” mean? They’ll both turn into 12-15 goals per year players? If so, players like that are a dime a dozen. But scoring is an aside...WHAT specifically in their game stands out to you to believe they’ll get better? To me, nothing stands out in either player’s game.

"Trending the right way"

Translation: "Working toward a high lottery draft pick"

The most important thing to clean up are the turnovers. Too many unforced turnovers are being made and they are ending up in our net.

Goaltending is not a concern for me. Yes their confidence is down and they are not playing well but if you cut out the turnovers and play better defensively the goalies are going to play better and their confidence will rise to the point they are confident they can make those big saves.

I like AV, but in a way, when Tortorella was available, I'm a bit sorry they didn't hire him. Granted, he would have been fired months after being hired, but he would have exposed the true lacking mix of reality and culture..that seems to exist within this organization.

we're trending the right way if we're looking for a draft pick to replace Patrick

we're trending the right way if we're looking for a draft pick to replace Patrick
- 2Real

we're trending the right way if we're looking for a draft pick to replace Patrick
- 2Real

How’s the upcoming draft look?

How’s the upcoming draft look?
- Dkos

d heavy i think

I did not think the goaltending would be an issue this year. It is has been ok overall. Team defense has also gotten a lot worse compared to last season.

I think both can be corrected this season. Just not sure it will happen in time to make the playoffs.
- mickel25

"Ok" is a stretch. Defense has crumbled in front of them yes, but both have been more of a hiderence than adventagous this season.

Any chance of a quiet trade deadline this year....

Then a Richards & Carter level seismic shift in the off season?

If we continue to suck this year? Why not try for Eichel in the off-season?

In addition to defense, of course.

Imagine an Eichel/Coutourier 1,2 punch down the middle.
- DrMidnite

I would imagine Buffalo would want Couturier in a trade.

I am a supporter of AV, I think he is a good hockey coach and a proven winner, even though he does not have a cup. But now I have to criticize him on one major point. The Flyers have been down the last 2 games to the Caps and in the 3rd they have had key sequences that they needed to take advantage of, i.e 4 on 4s and Power players. Yet in all these sequences, one the best offensive players for the Flyers, Joel Farabee, is sitting on the bench. This MAKES NO SENSE!

You need goals to get back into the game, and Farabee is sitting??? Meanwhile Jake is doing laps with the puck in the O-zone, while generating no shots, then turns the puck over and is too tired to get back. G is sitting on the half wall waiting for a pass so he can one time it, Hayes is in Zombie land, JVR is begging for someone, anyone, to shoot the puck so he can deflect it, and Patrick is about 5 steps behind everybody else. But low and behold when the Flyers get a penalty, you guessed it, Farabee is out there killing it. Again, THIS MAKES NO SENSE! You don't leave you best horses in the barn when the game is on the line!

I like AV, but in a way, when Tortorella was available, I'm a bit sorry they didn't hire him. Granted, he would have been fired months after being hired, but he would have exposed the true lacking mix of reality and culture..that seems to exist within this organization.
- CupOnBroadSt.

Its been exposed, everyone who watches the team or is around the team understands the culture on this team is broken. But who has the balls to do something about it? AV can only do som much, his job is to work with what the GM gives him and get the most out of what he has. And given the NHL cap in and the Flyers current situation, its extremely hard for the GM to do something, but in the end it will take guts to get rid of some veterans on this team, does Fletcher have it? I hope so.

There is no need to trade for ekholm.
This team is so lost and out of sync right that it doesn't matter if we add one person to the roster. This team can not play defense.
Right now it is not worth the assets or the expansion draft headache to acquire ekholm

This team has some serious deficiencies. Therrien has got to go, imo
Save the assets for next season after the draft and try again then
This is not how I expected this season to go, even with the loss of nisky

Hell, we may be sellers at the deadline at this point (not that you can really sell anything in a flat cap pandemic)
- Bob Habib

I respectfully disagree. If you can get a player like Ekholm for the right price that fills a big hole on your team now and in the future, you do it. He may not be enough this season, but he is a building block to a better team in the near future.

I would imagine Buffalo would want Couturier in a trade.
- Pelle31Forever

No they wouldn't.

- CupOnBroadSt.

I'm interested to see how Patrick does for the next 10 games with G and Jake. I have been advocating this for a while now, put him on a line with veterans and leave him there and see if he can get some confidence. Last night he called for the pass, and he got and one timed it. That was a big step. I am interested in seeing how this works for a longer trial period.

No they wouldn't.
- login

Are you kidding? Couts is Patrice Bergeron only several years younger, any team would die for that type of player!

Are you kidding? Couts is Patrice Bergeron only several years younger, any team would die for that type of player!
- jd250

Sanheim, Frost, Voracek, and their first this year, maybe a future protected first.

Steep, but keeps our core. And makes our current best player a 2nd line center.