I think if Hayes is back tonight, Lindblom may be a healthy scratch.
- PLindbergh31

Lindblom has been invisible in recent games IMO. Sometimes I forget he's playing at all.

I wish Lindblom was playing better. I can't criticize him after what he's been through. He likely won't be the player he was, and it will be a bad contract. I just hope he remains healthy.
- PLindbergh31

he is still better than bunnyman. Any way you slice it.

Do they have enough players to sit someone?
- mickel25

They recalled the slug brothers yesterday. Willman & Bunnaman.

It’s all bull. Just like the corporate bull you get when you work for a large company. Still, it’s a positive thing, I think, that they addressed it publicly.
- Dkos

It's crap, imho. We know they have issues and basically stink now. Fletcher and team also know this. We know they know. They know we know they know. Personally I don't need/want to hear words. I want to see action addressing the issues.

he is still better than bunnyman. Any way you slice it.
- hello it's me 2050

Agreed

For me, if the young players were living up to the contracts they were given I do not think we would need to move on from players.

I will admit they are relying to heavily on Ellis and to a smaller extent Hayes. That will hurt them long term. I never liked the AAV or term of Hayes' contract. I like him as a human and for the most part as a player. However, he will never perform to the level that contract demands.

Two more big decisions this offseason with G and Risto. I am fine with walking away from both at this point.
- mickel25

If and when Hayes becomes a role playing center with a cap hit of 7+M. How the young players are playing won't matter. When Atkinson becomes a declining 3rd line winger or Ellis can't stay healthy. How the young players are doing won't matter. They will still be a deterrent to building a quality team.

How do you know this? This team is not in a bad position, not by a long shot. What makes you say this?
- jd250

The fact that they are a capped out team and really are one of the worst teams in the league right now. The loss of Hayes and Ellis is not the sole cause of this.

I wish Lindblom was playing better. I can't criticize him after what he's been through. He likely won't be the player he was, and it will be a bad contract. I just hope he remains healthy.
- PLindbergh31

Starting to look that way and that's fine in view of what he's been through.

I wish Lindblom was playing better. I can't criticize him after what he's been through. He likely won't be the player he was, and it will be a bad contract. I just hope he remains healthy.
- PLindbergh31

Yeah he gets a full pass from me. If he gets scratched I will not argue against it though.

I now it is just funny. You still need that element as tampa knows.
- hello it's me 2050

And thats why RR will be valuable at the trade deadline, someone will want....need that. the expiring contract is helpful at that point.

Lindblom has been invisible in recent games IMO. Sometimes I forget he's playing at all.
- Hextall271

who?

Let me tell you something mister - AV is a JACK ADAMS AWARD WINNER!!!!!

He has taken not one, but TWO teams to the Stanley Cup Finals.

His coaching chops are the best in the business!!

Do not question his abilitites

carry on
- corduroy

Okay, sure. This team has gone through three/four coaches in the last 8 seasons. At some point you have to stop cycling through coaches and admit that you've not done a good job getting the right mix of players on the team for the coach to work with.

I am not sticking up for Fletcher here. But his moves this off season were to make us better than previous season NOT make us a Cup contender. We did not land that big name that was going to push us over the top. The guys that were brought in were supposed to help us tighten up defensively. Atkinson is more of a shoot first guy offensively.


- cdearth23

This completely has me flabbergasted. So the goal was to be better than the catastrophe that was last season? If that is the GM's approach, then he should be immediately fired. He embarrassed himself when he used the bench mark of last season to assess his team. Why take on high cap hit players and trade future assets if it doesn't push you to contention? Yea, they're better than last year. Lets hang a banner.

just yesterday you said it was time to do a full rebuild....
- THE BLACK HAND

Can't make it up.

They recalled the slug brothers yesterday. Willman & Bunnaman.
- PLindbergh31

sounds like a 33 and a third law firm

who?
- bradster

Exactly.

I agree with defending too much. It is a losing formula to have the puck in your zone most of the night. It will not be a 100% losing formula but you will lose more often than you win in that scenario.

I also agree with the Rangers. They are fun to watch. But they do not play playoff winning hockey. Same with the Oilers and the Leafs.
- mickel25

When I say losing, it means you will not be a top team.

Good advice. In Florida we learned to live with Covid instead of living in fear. Each chooses their own level of protection. Florida has had no mask mandates or lockdowns for 18 months. Yesterday they reported the lowest rate per capita of new cases than any other state...(notice you don’t hear any of this from the media). Freedom is a wonderful thing.
- Djapana

For now. They were a dumpster fire for a while.

Okay, sure. This team has gone through three/four coaches in the last 8 seasons. At some point you have to stop cycling through coaches and admit that you've not done a good job getting the right mix of players on the team for the coach to work with.
- Scoob

my post was sarcasm -- any time av was criticized certain people would bring this up, every time.

If and when Hayes becomes a role playing center with a cap hit of 7+M. How the young players are playing won't matter. When Atkinson becomes a declining 3rd line winger or Ellis can't stay healthy. How the young players are doing won't matter. They will still be a deterrent to building a quality team.
- MJL

Totally false. If the young players were playing good, we wouldnt be were we are right now. Provy, TK Travis Farabee Oskar Frost are half the reason we are where we are.

And thats why RR will be valuable at the trade deadline, someone will want....need that. the expiring contract is helpful at that point.
- bradster

If the season has gone pear shaped, there will be a taker for RR at the deadline> I just hope that they can find someone to overpay.

And thats why RR will be valuable at the trade deadline, someone will want....need that. the expiring contract is helpful at that point.
- bradster

A team with a smart coach maybe. Don't see him playing a top 4 role on a cup contending team. Being a smart physical player is good. just a physical plyer well not so much.

that being said they can get back some picks or a prospect if they go the trade route.

We are only 1/4 of the way into the season. The Flyers played well in the first 10 games, though not perfect in terms of puck possession. The past 10 games is where they have regressed greatly in defensive structure and puck possession. Who did the Flyers get rid of that would help with defensive structure and puck possession?? Certainly not Patrick, Ghost, Haag or Myers, right? Certainly not Jake in terms of defense, however he did help with puck possession. However not all puck possession is good puck possession. For example, I have seen the Flyers possess the puck on the PP for minutes at a time and get no shots on goal. I care more about HDCF than puck possession. Jake would skate laps in the o-zone with the puck then turn it over, dog it back and watch as the other team scored. HIs puck possession was high, but it didn't generate anything!
- jd250

No, in reality they did not play well the first 10 games. They had a good record due to some hot shooting and extraordinary goaltending. What we're seeing now is that level of play catching up to them.
Good that you care about HDC more because the Flyers are in the bottom of the league in that category.
Voracek wouldn't help in puck possession? He would be making more of an impact now than Atkinson is in my opinion.

And this is all Fletcher's doing? I agree this team does not have top end talent, but that is something you are going to have to draft and develop yourself because teams that have that talent are not getting rid of it unless they are forced to for cap reasons. Hextall did not stock the cupboards with top end talent, that is a fact. Fletcher has tried in his 3 draft to obtain these types of dynamic players and we'll see how he did soon enough. Hayes was a necessity due to Patrick being a bust. Couts is arguably the best player on this team, you don't let players like him walk so that was a no-brainer IMO. Ellis, unlike Provorov, is a legitimate top pairing defenseman and when he gets back this year you will see the impact he makes game in and game out, that was a good trade! RR might not work out but it was a good gamble IMO. York and Igor will be playing in the NHL soon enough! The coaching staff might need to be changed depending on how this season goes, but at the time I think most fans and analysts in the league though getting AV was a great move. He is one of the most winningest coaches in the NHL, so he must have done something right!
- jd250

Are you telling the board that Provorov is not one of the best 64 defenseman in the NHL?
There is no such thing as a good gamble with first and second round picks. If you're labeling the Ristolainen trade as a gamble, then maybe, just maybe you're on your way to admitting what you've been told for how long now.

If the season has gone pear shaped, there will be a taker for RR at the deadline> I just hope that they can find someone to overpay.
- Hextall271

cf will trade him and a 2nd for two thirds