Just have to throw this out there with the hard cap. I don’t think at all it makes the league any more competitively better what it does is makes the league more middling together and takes away from gms to show of they’re any good. Making moves trades how to build a team etc. obviously in a cap world you have to build through the draft. Everyone agrees on that. Most agree that eventually you’ll have to draft at least for a portion toward the higher end of draft some say top end. Either way that means for a good period of time these teams will be either bad. Slightly better than bad or hover around average for extended period of time. How’s does the cap help make them competitive? Competitive to what? Can’t just blame team for extended period of mediocrity as there’s so many teams in that boat.

Take Edmonton for example. They take mcdavid and in a few years he’s getting HIGE contract. That’s gonna severely affected how team can move forward. Why not give each team 1 contract for drafted player to keep that doesn’t count toward cap if team chooses to use it.
- Stayin alive

While gimmicky, I actually kind of like it. It adds a whole new element to cap management.

And this is my problem with the cap. I understand parity and competitive balance and I understand that the bottom line being in the black is what controls everything, but the cap absolutely sucks as a fan. Draft good players, groom said player, compliment said player, lose said player/keep player and lose several key pieces.

Yea that’s kind of my point, was it looked at too simply?
- AngryJoe

If anything I think you might be overthinking it. The Flyers wanted to resign him. He wanted to resign here. Deal got done.

Sure they could have waited but really would not gain advantage by doing so.

I agree keep the band together. One of these years things will change.
- hello it's me 2050

There’s a difference between “keeping the band together” and selling low/destroying your cap for change.

In this flat cap environment, paying $4 million for a player to play against you is stupid.

That defense is pretty horrible. There is depth with the forwards but the core guys are aging. And to be honest the goaltender is a question mark at this point. I’d say we are right around average.
- ClaudeFather

Agree. With that roster I can see then winning 10 games in a row

Can also see them losing 10 games in a row.

Oh wait didn’t that happen in the same season🙄

Cool sell high on coots
To Vegas coots
To philly tuch/20211st/good young d prospect(whoever that may be )
- Stayin alive

I think colorado would give up more.

There’s a difference between “keeping the band together” and selling low/destroying your cap for change.

In this flat cap environment, paying $4 million for a player to play against you is stupid.
- Flyers1218

How are you selling low? How are you destroying your cap?

Stupid to you not all.

That defense is pretty horrible. There is depth with the forwards but the core guys are aging. And to be honest the goaltender is a question mark at this point. I’d say we are right around average.
- ClaudeFather

It’s weird how you of all people always home in on everyone comment I make. Not saying you can’t do it, just saying it’s weird that you do, do it.

Agree. With that roster I can see then winning 10 games in a row

Can also see them losing 10 games in a row.

Oh wait didn’t that happen in the same season🙄
- Stayin alive

It’s certainly not an above average roster. Could they maybe over achieve and win a round? Maybe, they are going to need Hart to play well obviously and these kids need to make the next step here. The bottom line is there is a ton of question marks on this roster.

It’s weird how you of all people always home in on everyone comment I make. Not saying you can’t do it, just saying it’s weird that you do, do it.
- SuperSchennBros

It was a nice laid out look at what we have going into next season and thought it was worth commenting on.

I don’t think it’s about just getting new players or being mad at fletch. It’s more fans are realizing the core needs to be turned over. It should’ve been a few years ago. It’s part of the process. We were never winning with g jake. I even say coots. Only because of pending contract and age at time. No one wants a tank blow it up and can’t anyways. Way too many good young players it’s just if moves aren’t made for key pieces were stuck in neutral. Whether it’s trade draft free agency gotta get those pieces
- Stayin alive

Agree with everything you said. I just can’t stand the constant negativity like oh we’ll never get x player or y player bc we are such a poop franchise yada yada we have morons running this team. And it’s not just here on this site. It’s on Any social media platform or in article comments. Maybe it’s just the long off season that’s causing this but I don’t think Fletcher deserves this heat. If anything he actually has the least ties to our core and could be the one to flip the team (who knows). Hold judgment on Chuck after this offseason/season IMO. Year 3 (not counting when he took over for Ron) is usually a good indicator.

It was a nice laid out look at what we have going into next season and thought it was worth commenting on.
- ClaudeFather

Oh…that’s nice of you to say.

Everyone here should expect improvement up and down the roster, even without adding to the roster. Patrick cannot play any worse than he did. Konency had a down season. We haven’t seen full seasons from Tylson Foerster, Wade Wilson or Morgan Frost. With much improvements in the medical field to counteract Covid, you shouldn’t see long stretches of key players sitting this coming season, which in my opinion hurt any chance we had of recovering when 5 key players were asked to quarantine.

If there isn’t a sense of faith or belief in what we already have, why would a big time player come here?

Cool sell high on coots
To Vegas coots
To philly tuch/20211st/good young d prospect(whoever that may be )
- Stayin alive

Now the Flyers need a center and have a bigger logjam on the wing. Who do they trade for their new 1C?

I think teams would still love to have Jake…. just not his contract.

I saw someone mention paying $4 million a year for the next 3 years to be rid of him just to shake things up. No way in hell would I do that.
- Flyers1218

It’s not done just to shake things up. Look at it this way

1) if you just keep Jake you KNOW what you are getting. A extremely over paid player for the next 3 year that is taking key ice time away from other player. Or you push him down the lineup and your paying bottom 6 winger over 8 mil. Both are horrible scenarios. And you know you aren’t winning with him.

2) if you move him even retaining up to 50% which yes it sucks ( and that’s why you don’t sign big deals for average or slightly better than average players or older players to $and term cough cough coots) because it severely hampers you not only in present but especially in future but anyways it frees up 4 mil to address bottom pairing d or f corps that can actually help team and be slotted correctly. For example say we trade Jake and get 4 mil cap space. Then trade for cernak and sign him just for example 3 years 4 mil per. See how that helps team. One move alone will not solve whole team problems but moves have to be made.

Option 1 is the worst thing philly can do.

Option 2 is NOT ideal and shouldn’t be thought of as saving grace BUT it’s still better than option 1.

Hopefully philly learns this lesson and doesn’t keep making this mistake. Especially with coots

I agree with SSB. I know last year was very bad and underwhelming (especially compared to 19-20), but FFS our fans are so low on Chuck and so negative about getting new players. It’s getting a tad ridiculous. Yes, I was disappointed in Fletcher’s offseason post-Nisky retirement, but the true reality is Fletcher absolutely tried to improve this team and simply couldn’t with the unexpected pandemic and flat cap. I’d say Fletcher’s 1st off-season was great. Really made the right moves to complement the current roster as well as our core. He brought in Nisky, Braun, and Pitlick (perhaps I’m blanking on 1 or 2), brought in AV who should have won Jack Adam’s last year, and also had 2 solid drafts. I think fans need to take a step back, breath and have some faith. I’d say Chuck is 1 for 2 offseason wise but there’s an * for last offseason with the flat cap In mind.

/endrant
- arichardson22

The guy has a track record of mediocrity at best

I agree with SSB. I know last year was very bad and underwhelming (especially compared to 19-20), but FFS our fans are so low on Chuck and so negative about getting new players. It’s getting a tad ridiculous. Yes, I was disappointed in Fletcher’s offseason post-Nisky retirement, but the true reality is Fletcher absolutely tried to improve this team and simply couldn’t with the unexpected pandemic and flat cap. I’d say Fletcher’s 1st off-season was great. Really made the right moves to complement the current roster as well as our core. He brought in Nisky, Braun, and Pitlick (perhaps I’m blanking on 1 or 2), brought in AV who should have won Jack Adam’s last year, and also had 2 solid drafts. I think fans need to take a step back, breath and have some faith. I’d say Chuck is 1 for 2 offseason wise but there’s an * for last offseason with the flat cap In mind.

/endrant
- arichardson22

Man I agree with all of this!
Nisky retiring left a void and it's not an easy one to fill, especially with a flat cap
His previous additions of pitlick and Braun and nisky were low key but had tremendous effects on this team!
I think CF is going to surprise and impress all of us this off-season.
I hope you are all ready for the craziness that's coming this off-season.
I know that I am!

The guy has a track record of mediocrity at best
- corduroy

I think you can find a point in most current (or ex) GMs that had a state of mediocrity. I don’t disagree with you, but GMs can learn from mistakes.

While gimmicky, I actually kind of like it. It adds a whole new element to cap management.

And this is my problem with the cap. I understand parity and competitive balance and I understand that the bottom line being in the black is what controls everything, but the cap absolutely sucks as a fan. Draft good players, groom said player, compliment said player, lose said player/keep player and lose several key pieces.
- Flyers1218

Exactly. It’s horse poop no other league has hard cap. Can do luxury tax gimmick or whatever the (frank) nba does with star contracts gimmick or nfl drop player with some consequence or rework contract gimmick.

Obviously no “cap” world is perfect but for the love of god the nhl hard contract structure is by far the worst. Sucks for teams and especially fans.

There’s a difference between “keeping the band together” and selling low/destroying your cap for change.

In this flat cap environment, paying $4 million for a player to play against you is stupid.
- Flyers1218

Keeping a player making over 8mil for the next 3 years that’s not even close to worthy of that is even more stupid

I think colorado would give up more.
- hello it's me 2050

Even better bidding war

The Kraken can sign him and have that count as there pick though. Of course, Laughton would have to be willing but why leave the window open for that?
- mickel25

This is exactly what I was saying last year. The mechanism is different, but the end result is the same and Kraken has priority dibs.

But people kept insisting UFAs don't need to be protected. 😭

Agree with everything you said. I just can’t stand the constant negativity like oh we’ll never get x player or y player bc we are such a poop franchise yada yada we have morons running this team. And it’s not just here on this site. It’s on Any social media platform or in article comments. Maybe it’s just the long off season that’s causing this but I don’t think Fletcher deserves this heat. If anything he actually has the least ties to our core and could be the one to flip the team (who knows). Hold judgment on Chuck after this offseason/season IMO. Year 3 (not counting when he took over for Ron) is usually a good indicator.
- arichardson22

I agree 100%. I don’t have faith in fletch only because he hasn’t had time or opportunity to really do much with silly seasons lately but these next few weeks he can make many moves. It’s time. I reserve judgement until after a week or so of free agency starting to see what’s done and see his plan. I will those if I hear any sort of “ we’re good with trying to win with current core” talk and no moves made to the core g Jake Jvr ghost personally punch him in the face.

Oh…that’s nice of you to say.

Everyone here should expect improvement up and down the roster, even without adding to the roster. Patrick cannot play any worse than he did. Konency had a down season. We haven’t seen full seasons from Tylson Foerster, Wade Wilson or Morgan Frost. With much improvements in the medical field to counteract Covid, you shouldn’t see long stretches of key players sitting this coming season, which in my opinion hurt any chance we had of recovering when 5 key players were asked to quarantine.

If there isn’t a sense of faith or belief in what we already have, why would a big time player come here?
- SuperSchennBros

$$$$

Now the Flyers need a center and have a bigger logjam on the wing. Who do they trade for their new 1C?
- Glak18

Well being coots is an average 1c to begin with and we’re not winning with him anyways and hopefully not signing that big deal contract with him the answer would be who knows but you’ll have options… trade? Move up in draft? Free agent? That’s to be seen

Even better bidding war
- Stayin alive

ex selke at a 2.x cap hit if the flyers retain is a a huge asset

Well being coots is an average 1c to begin with and we’re not winning with him anyways and hopefully not signing that big deal contract with him the answer would be who knows but you’ll have options… trade? Move up in draft? Free agent? That’s to be seen
- Stayin alive

You make it sound like its easy to get an average #1C. Draft, no guarantees anyone will be as good as Coots. FAs? What FA are available this year or next to replace Coots? Most teams lock up the #1C before they become a FA.