I don't know if this is GM speak from Poile or not, but until Ekholm is resigned there is always room to make a trade. And maybe Poile does really want Ekholm but then might want to trade Ellis to use the cap space for other areas? Either way there is still room.
- jd250

He’s signed through next year, he doesn’t need to make room

Those Detroit teams would have won with a plate of spaghetti in net!


- Letterkenney

97 Hexy/Snow were like Chef Boyardee then?

The only revenue lost the past decade, compared to the preceding ones, is the loss of playoff revenue. Since 2012, the Flyers have only had 7 or 8 home playoff games. That does cost them some cash. Overall though, they were probably still turning a profit.
- BiggE

Well, except for that Covid thing.

Jake has overstayed his welcome

The Flyers core right now is very similar. Kopitar and Coots are almost identical players. Quick and Hart were both picked outside of the first round. Hart is having a tough season but his pedigree points to him being on Quicks level or better. 2012-2014 Doughty is better than Provorov is now.

The Flyers have young player assets and all of there picks to make seismic moves similar to the Richards and Carter moves the Kings made. I feel like the parallels are very close.

Will the Flyers win two cups in the next three years? Who knows. Don’t think anyone thought the Kings would win 2 in three years going into 2011-2012 either.
- mickel25

Multiple differences:

1. There are indeed some similarities to the kind of play of Kopitar and Couts, in that their numbers understate their contributions. But a key difference between the two is the stage of their career. Kopitar's ascent was coinciding with the team's ascent. Cout's ascent is not on the same trajectory with the team, and those who say otherwise are largely basing their projections on hope.

2. Doughty could likely be the best D-man overall in 2010-2015. The difference between him and Provorov is frankly the difference between Provorov and Hagg.

3. Hart could be as good as Quick or better. Or he may not. The jury is still out. His meltdown this year is historic and on par with the Carson Wentz meltdown.

4. LA was not weighed down by contracts of the sort we are.

5. Our prospects are not ranked as high. At the time of the Richards trade, you will remember that Schenn was called the best young player not in the NHL. He had that tremendous world juniors.

Finally, your "who knows" whether Flyers will win 2 cups in the next 3 years deserves to be highlighted but I will refrain from comment.

Well, except for that Covid thing.
- MBFlyerfan

Well yeah, but my post was in response to someone suggesting that Hextall was fired for financial reasons and that all went down before Covid.

So having 10 first round picks in seven years improves your chances of getting “star” players?
- mickel25

I am not quite sure what you are saying? Improves compared to what? 9 picks? No picks? 2 top 5 picks?

Re: stars

1. The higher your pick, the better your chances.
2. These chances increase exponentially, especially near the top.
3. The more often you pick, the better your chances, but you will have to have pick about 5 times (not quite, but ballpark) in 11-20 to get the same odds of landing a star as one time in 6-10. (according to the chart, which I do not vouch for)

it's all part of the plan, not one player has leverage for their next contract, CAP issues solved and they only can get better, right?

He’s signed through next year, he doesn’t need to make room
- ClaudeFather

Right now yes, but after next year it might be a problem when you already have $15M in cap space tied up between Ellis and Josi, and you have to think Ekholm is going to want between $5M-$6M per. Most teams cannot have more than 2 big contracts on defense, especially given the flat cap in place.

IMO Hextall was fired because he was stubborn and difficult to work with. But I am not in the back offices, this is completely speculation on my part.
- jd250

I think his drafting is greatly overrated also. Time will tell. Need to make the 1st and 2nd rounders count. Every team has a few late rounders come through, as Hexy did

it's all part of the plan, not one player has leverage for their next contract, CAP issues solved and they only can get better, right?
- wcorvette

The only revenue lost the past decade, compared to the preceding ones, is the loss of playoff revenue. Since 2012, the Flyers have only had 7 or 8 home playoff games. That does cost them some cash. Overall though, they were probably still turning a profit.
- BiggE

That is a very good point. Fair enough. The figures I looked at do not account for loss of playoff revenue.

Now explain to me why-the-eff Comcast cares about effing playoff revenue. They already screw everyone here. They can't give us a deep-pocketed operation of the franchise?

I think his drafting is greatly overrated also. Time will tell. Need to make the 1st and 2nd rounders count. Every team has a few late rounders come through, as Hexy did
- bradster

Hextall's drafting was extremely overrated IMO. Hextall had 5 drafts and over 40 picks and what do the Flyers have to show for it right now? A bunch of bottom 6 and 3rd pairing players, other than Farabee, Provorov and TK, all of which were 1st round picks. This is not enough given what Hextall was hired to do here.

In fact I would argue that Fletcher's two drafts have been as if not more impactful to the overall organization than Hextall's 5 drafts.

Multiple differences:

1. There are indeed some similarities to the kind of play of Kopitar and Couts, in that their numbers understate their contributions. But a key difference between the two is the stage of their career. Kopitar's ascent was coinciding with the team's ascent. Cout's ascent is not on the same trajectory with the team, and those who say otherwise are largely basing their projections on hope.

2. Doughty could likely be the best D-man overall in 2010-2015. The difference between him and Provorov is frankly the difference between Provorov and Hagg.

3. Hart could be as good as Quick or better. Or he may not. The jury is still out. His meltdown this year is historic and on par with the Carson Wentz meltdown.

4. LA was not weighed down by contracts of the sort we are.

5. Our prospects are not ranked as high. At the time of the Richards trade, you will remember that Schenn was called the best young player not in the NHL. He had that tremendous world juniors.

Finally, your "who knows" whether Flyers will win 2 cups in the next 3 years deserves to be highlighted but I will refrain from comment.
- PT21

So you “know” who will win the cup over the next three years? Please share with the group.

That is a very good point. Fair enough. The figures I looked at do not account for loss of playoff revenue.

Now explain to me why-the-eff Comcast cares about effing playoff revenue. They already screw everyone here. They can't give us a deep-pocketed operation of the franchise?
- PT21

While I’m sure that Comcast would prefer to make as big a profit as possible, I don’t believe that Hextall was fired for economic reasons. From everything I could gather it was the combo of yet another bad start, his stubborn refusal to get rid of Hak and personality conflicts with his bosses and co-workers.

I don’t think it had anything to do with money.

I don't know if this is GM speak from Poile or not, but until Ekholm is resigned there is always room to make a trade. And maybe Poile does really want Ekholm but then might want to trade Ellis to use the cap space for other areas? Either way there is still room.
- jd250

You have been shilling for Ellis here, and I admit I don't watch a lot of Preds games because I find them boring. But based on the comments I read about him, he is no longer the player he was. He frequently misses the net, is not the same offensive presence, and is often injured.

Hextall's drafting was extremely overrated IMO. Hextall had 5 drafts and over 40 picks and what do the Flyers have to show for it right now? A bunch of bottom 6 and 3rd pairing players, other than Farabee, Provorov and TK, all of which were 1st round picks. This is not enough given what Hextall was hired to do here.
- jd250

100%

Right now yes, but after next year it might be a problem when you already have $15M in cap space tied up between Ellis and Josi, and you have to think Ekholm is going to want between $5M-$6M per. Most teams cannot have more than 2 big contracts on defense, especially given the flat cap in place.
- jd250

Your top 4 is a pipe dream, we’d be extremely lucky to get one of those adds

So you “know” who will win the cup over the next three years? Please share with the group.
- mickel25

That is not what we were discussing, were we? Are there very very very high odds that the Flyers won't win the cup twice in the next 3 years? I believe they are.

Your top 4 is a pipe dream, we’d be extremely lucky to get one of those adds
- ClaudeFather

Maybe, but you go into the off season with an ideal plan and then you see what comes out of it. Why not shoot for the moon?

100%
- bradster

In fact I would argue that Fletcher's two drafts have been even more impactful to the overall organization than Hextall's 5 drafts. In two drafts Fletcher has drafted these players that are already playing in the AHL or are close to being ready to join the AHL:

2020 Entry 23 1 Tyson Foerster R Barrie Colts [OHL]
2020 Entry 54 2 Emil Andrae D HV71 Jrs. (Sweden)
2020 Entry 94 4 Zayde Wisdom R Kingston Frontenacs [OHL]
2019 Entry 14 1 Cam York D U.S. National Development Team [USHL]
2019 Entry 34 2 Bobby Brink R Sioux City Musketeers [USHL]
2019 Entry 72 3 Ronnie Attard D Tri-City Storm [USHL]
2019 Entry 103 4 Mason Millman D Saginaw Spirit [OHL]

Your top 4 is a pipe dream, we’d be extremely lucky to get one of those adds
- ClaudeFather

Love how he's so mindful of Nashville's cap situation, but somehow he's added Ellis/Ekholm, signed Dougie Hamilton AND brought in a top-line shoot-first winger with no mention at all of how he did it, lol.

Love how he's so mindful of Nashville's cap situation, but somehow he's added Ellis/Ekholm, signed Dougie Hamilton AND brought in a top-line shoot first winger with no mention at all of how he did it, lol.
- Tomahawk

Yea it’s ridiculous to just throw names down and say I want this, well I want McDavid but it ain’t happening

Fletcher will have cap space to work with. If I were him, I would start by signing Dougie Hamilton, and then making a hockey trade with Nashville to get Ellis or Ekholm. Fletcher can free up more cap space but working with Seattle to pick either Jake or JVR in the expansion draft, and whichever player is not selected work them into another hockey trade. I would also sign a younger, better backup goalie, there are plenty of FA goalies to chose from this year. Finally I go get a veteran shoot first forward for the PP, and give the 'C' to Couts moving forward. This is my wish list anyway.
- jd250

Were you ever disappointed on Christmas? No way would I touch Ellis' contract. I like Hamilton a lot but am very leery on giving him a 7 year deal.

In fact I would argue that Fletcher's two drafts have been even more impactful to the overall organization than Hextall's 5 drafts. In two drafts Fletcher has drafted these players that are already playing in the AHL or are close to being ready to join the AHL:

2020 Entry 23 1 Tyson Foerster R Barrie Colts
- jd250[OHL]
2020 Entry 54 2 Emil Andrae D HV71 Jrs. (Sweden)
2020 Entry 94 4 Zayde Wisdom R Kingston Frontenacs [OHL]
2019 Entry 14 1 Cam York D U.S. National Development Team [USHL]
2019 Entry 34 2 Bobby Brink R Sioux City Musketeers [USHL]
2019 Entry 72 3 Ronnie Attard D Tri-City Storm [USHL]
2019 Entry 103 4 Mason Millman D Saginaw Spirit [OHL]

Those names look good, time will tell. The ones I'm not sure about are Andrae and Brink, but I think we have some nhlers with the other ones. Not exactly stars, but Hextalls weren't either.