Caufield # 2 on the list. No chance the Flyers regret not taking him right?
- PLindbergh31

come on man isn't bobby brink supposed to be better?

Caufield # 2 on the list. No chance the Flyers regret not taking him right?
- PLindbergh31

If York pans out, I don't think there will be any regrets

Sounds about right. Lol
Fletcher didn’t rule out York seeing NHL games this year.
- PLindbergh31

That's how he'll get injured. We can watch Tom Wilson end his career.

If York has even a similar career to those players the pick will be a homerun.
- PLindbergh31

How about Kim Johnsson?

I agree that the Flyers best chance is to draft and develop given the landscape in the NHL with the flat cap and ED coming up. When I looked deeper into this article, I realized there must be some players that Button has not seen yet. For example, I think the Flyers have at least 3 potential top players coming up for them, in York, Foerster and O'Brien. York we will see this season, Foerster maybe next season and O'Brien maybe late next season or the season after. I sincerely hope these players can be hits for the Flyers, they really need it.

On the other side, the Flyers need to clear out a few veterans here. I do believe there is a market for Giroux if Fletcher has the stomach for it. I don't see a market for Jake unless the Flyers cover significant salary. We are stuck with Hayes and I think there is a fair chance JVR gets selected in the ED. I would really like a new leadership core in place next year, we need to flush out the current bad vibe that's been hanging over this team for several years now.
- jd250

The only way I see Giroux getting moved is if they can't come to a fair deal for an extension. Even if you keep the max at 50%, I still think it is going to be difficult to move Voracek. The new leadership core for this team is going to evolve from the young players improving and taking a bigger bite. It's really difficult to guess who Seattle will take. There's probably going to be a bunch of higher cap hit players left unprotected with teams looking for more cap maneuverability. What guarantee is there that they take the Flyers player in that situation?

Here is the thing though. If you are going the moderate tanking route (stay competitive, draft in mid round, develop as best you can), you will have to scoop more sand to find gold. I understand this has been a tough month, but I don't understand why it is so tough that we just jump ship.

Opinion here seems to fall into 3 categories:

1. Trade to get a "different mix of vets" (you and others)
2. Stay patient and resign Couts and G (Tomahawk, MJL, Mickel 25..)
3. Draft higher (me and a couple of others).

My preference is 3-2-1. If we start giving up on the youngsters this early, you will get B grade vets who will give you more respectability for a couple of years and then suddenly the bottom will fall off and you will have no prospects either.
- PT21

Here’s the thing....this has been going on for 7 years.....7 years. Not one month. Personally I’m fine with retaining Couturier. I’m not even against resigning G. Still my favourite Flyer. I have never advocated trading all the prospects for short term fixes. I have not before this year or this year thought the mix of vets was very good. I think after witnessing the embarrassment this team has become changes are in order. It’s not even the losses ...it’s the way they lose. The lack of pushback is astonishing. As a 45 year fan I’ve never witnessed the lack of accountability the organization now shows.
To blow it up and go for higher draft picks doesn’t even come close to deserving a consideration. They have some really good young pieces. They have some really solid prospects. Sorry “tanking” for where this team is makes no sense, and honestly it’s not somewhere Fletcher or any GM worth his salt would take this team the way it’s currently constructed.

It's over. The franchise is doomed. Do you think Foerster is a quality prospect?
- MJL

Yes, I just posted about this; Foerster, O'Brien, maybe Tanner Laczynsky, maybe Allison (don't know I haven't watched him play), but I would think we would have more than 1 in the top 75. Even the Bruins have 2 on his list and their farm system stinks right now.

How about Kim Johnsson?


- PT21

I actually have fond memories of Kim Johnsson.

How about Kim Johnsson?


- PT21

Solid player. I'd be fine with that.

Yes, I just posted about this; Foerster, O'Brien, maybe Tanner Laczynsky, maybe Allison (don't know I haven't watched him play), but I would think we would have more than 1 in the top 75. Even the Bruins have 2 on his list and their farm system stinks right now.
- jd250

The Flyers have a bunch of quality prospects. That list is meaningless.

How about Kim Johnsson?


- PT21

Is it a lock York plays 740 NHL games and scores close to 300 points?

That's how he'll get injured. We can watch Tom Wilson end his career.
- Tomahawk

No reason to play him in this lost season. Let him try and win a job in camp. And with the current personnel, it shouldn’t be hard

The Flyers have a bunch of quality prospects. That list is meaningless.
- MJL

The problem with the flyers is it’s a bunch of what ifs. Who’s the guy when all these kids are ready?

Button panders hard to his Canadian audience by talking up their teams' prospects. Of that list of 75, about a third of the list belongs to the 7 Canadian franchises. The Maple Leafs have 5 players just by themselves, when their prospect pool is kinda meh. Rasmus Sandin is the 14th best affiliated player? Like wut?

IMO, all these lists are pretty much bullpoop to begin with. But Button/TSN take it to another level. The only list from TSN worth a damn is McKenzie's pre-draft rankings, because that's a survey of all the NHL teams, not opinion.
- Tomahawk

Somewhat true...I frankly have watched Sandin a lot....I would rank York ahead of him. As far as Caufield, I guess he had a good year in the NCAA....but I wasn’t overly impressed with his world jrs. The Russian goalie he rated so high can’t catch the puck ...I’ve never seen a goalie that highly rated with such a flaw....McKenzie does a good job...but he has his share of misses as well...they all do.

This I agree with. For sure Flyers fans have hung on to Button's assessments of Sanheim and Morin far too tightly in the past. Same folly as putting any stock in Cam York being the only Flyers in the top-75 of 2021.
- Tomahawk

SMS has posted here several times about why NHL picks tend to be so random, and his thesis is that it is partly taht they get drafted at 18 instead of 21/22 NFL and NBA. It kinda makes sense.

More to the point, picks are random and expert opinions are far from infallible. But I guarantee you (and I am sure you agree) that a guy like McKenzie, Button et al are not sitting on an island watching tape and having a swig of scotch and then offering their Gospel. They are likely at the top of a huge information pyramid of scouts, personnel, other writers, coaches, execs etc with whom they chat regularly (in reality, not like EK). In return, said scouts/GM etc get to hear what other in their profession are thinking. He filters things, swirls things around etc.

What you are getting is a reflection of the collection of such information. Button is worth several million, makes several grand a year. If he was so spectacularly wrong, it is unlikely someone would not scoop him.

The two are not mutually exclusive, really.

Button ranks individuals. Your list ranks the entire set. You could have a large # of B grade prospects and finish higher than some places that have a few A prospects and not much else.
- PT21

Yes, but we are talking about supposedly the 8th best farm system and yet only 1 player in the top 75? Montreal was 7th on this list and had 3 prospects on Button's list. Even the Bruin have 2 prospects on Button's list but their farm system is ranked 26th. Something is not right here!

The problem with the flyers is it’s a bunch of what ifs. Who’s the guy when all these kids are ready?
- ClaudeFather

That's why they call them prospects. I suspect Carter Hart will be the guy.

Is it a lock York plays 740 NHL games and scores close to 300 points?
- PLindbergh31

An then absolutely disappears from the world, like he has and like Pavel Datsyuk holed up with his fave monk?

No.

Is it a lock York plays 740 NHL games and scores close to 300 points?
- PLindbergh31

There’s not 1 prospect on the entire list that has a lock for that so he’s in good company.

I actually have fond memories of Kim Johnsson.
- Tomahawk

I have fond memories of his mouthpiece.

An then absolutely disappears from the world, like he has and like Pavel Datsyuk holed up with his fave monk?

No.
- PT21

I suspect that you don't have a clue of how good of a defenseman Kim Johnsson was when he was a Flyer. If York turns out to be that good, Flyers have hit a home run.

That's why they call them prospects. I suspect Carter Hart will be the guy.
- MJL

I hope so, we really need a couple guys to exceed expectations and TK be the player he was last year

Best season you've seen from a Flyers in past 30 years... go!

Yes, but we are talking about supposedly the 8th best farm system and yet only 1 player in the top 75? Montreal was 7th on this list and had 3 prospects on Button's list. Even the Bruin have 2 prospects on Button's list but their farm system is ranked 26th. Something is not right here!
- jd250

Gee I dunno.

Look at probabilities and incentives and the nature of capitalism/competition and you can generally hone the variability down a little.

For eg: if opinions diverge sharply, then it is one thing. But if many external watchers all rank Flyers prospects outside the top 20 or so, I put higher weight on the collective opinion.

The only way I see Giroux getting moved is if they can't come to a fair deal for an extension. Even if you keep the max at 50%, I still think it is going to be difficult to move Voracek. The new leadership core for this team is going to evolve from the young players improving and taking a bigger bite. It's really difficult to guess who Seattle will take. There's probably going to be a bunch of higher cap hit players left unprotected with teams looking for more cap maneuverability. What guarantee is there that they take the Flyers player in that situation?
- MJL

We can only hope JVR has a good month of April, keep up his pace and finish the year close to a point a game player. The Kracken are going to need some veterans and given JVR's productivity and his price tag (which is reasonable, not off the charts) I think he might fit nicely for them. They can't draft all young prospects, they have to at least get to the cap floor and field a good hockey team if they want the fans to show interest, as Vegas did.