Niemi was only a little better. If the Flyers simply had an average goalie that series, they would have won IMO.
- jd250

Lavi stuck with the fraud too long. Maybe they still lose with Boucher, but not in the worst possible way imaginable.

Yes, I do believe that Scott and Fletcher are correct in this regard, and I am very happy to state it! Every team needs a solid core to build on. Some teams like Edmonton pick at the top of the draft every year and get a McDavid, Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins to build around. Other teams, like the Flyers, build a core group and then add top end pieces to it. There is not just one way to build a team! if the Flyers were like Tampa or Edmonton, or even the Rangers they would be picking high in the draft and getting this talent, but unlike those franchises, the Flyers didn't tank so they must build the team a different way. There is really nothing hard about understanding this ... but then again we are talking about you now.
- jd250

Rangers didnt tank..they lucked into the #1 and #2 pick just as the Flyers lucked into their #2 pick. Rangers hadnt had a #1 pick or even a top 5 pick in decades. Difference is their 1st round picks ( Lafreniere..Kakko..Chytil..Miller..Schneider..) are for the most part panning out and look like staples for a long long time unlike the Flyers 1st round picks of last few yrs. .

Rangers didnt tank..they lucked into the #1 and #2 pick just as the Flyers lucked into their #2 pick. Rangers hadnt had a #1 pick or even a top 5 pick in decades. Difference is their 1st round picks ( Lafreniere..Kakko..Chytil..Miller..Schneider..) are for the most part panning out and look like staples for a long long time unlike the Flyers 1st round picks of last few yrs. .
- hfc355

I like Brennan Othmann from their 2021 draft. Plus Vitali Kravtsov is a wild card

The Rangers rebuild has taken much longer than 3 years. They were aided by Panarin and Fox only wanting to play there. Not a model to emulate.
- MJL

Letter went out March 2018..4 yrs and they are in ECF and will be a contender for yrs to come. There was a time when free agents clamored to be a Flyer. They also picked a developed young talent very well. Getting KAndre Miller and Schneider at the spots they got them were steals.

Actually no. Not in their current cap situation. You said it yourself, they have to build ON TOP of these players. Out of all the names you mentioned, I only see Couturier as a top line player and Hart as a potential franchise goalie. The rest are good second and third liners. The team doesn't have enough cap space to sign a difference maker and nor should they. They need 2 top line wingers IMO, a top pair dman, a good backup goalie, and a second or high end third line center.

Fletcher has them in cap hell as they have all these expensive needs and no way to afford them.
- MBFlyerfan

So where are all the studs Hextall drafted. They should be coming into their own now.

This is the problem with tying to rebuild. It's not exact. Patrick was supposed to be a corner stone. That didn't happen. That causes you to look at a Hayes because now your out a 2nd line center. Frost has been hurt and his development slowed. Farabee is a solid player. Konecny is solid player but he leaves you wanting more.

I can't say it was just Fletchers fault this team is where they are. With what has transpired with some of these picks the team was heading here.

The best course of action if you wanted to rebuild would have been to get that 1st overall pick in 2014 and build around Ekblad. Based on pieces mentioned you could have cleared cap space and you got a franchise defenseman.

Then if bad, in the 2015 draft you have shot at Eichel or McDavid. That would have been the time to try and rebuild in my opinion.

I like Brennan Othmann from their 2021 draft. Plus Vitali Kravtsov is a wild card
- hello it's me 2050

Othmann will be a beast...big strong and fills the net....Kravtsov will be interesting. Will either be included in a big trade or they will trade someone like Kakko. They just dont have enough room for all the wingers they have and they could use a real good young C. Wouldnt surprise me to see them make a package deal including Kakko and a young Dman like Jones plus a pick to move into the #2 slot or 3rd to get their center

Disclaimer: I hate the Rags with a passion.

Remember a few years ago when the management of the Rags sent a letter to their fans essentially apologizing and saying that they were gonna tear it down and rebuild? Honesty to the fan base. Honesty to the players. They are just a few years from that letter and three games away from a Stanley Cup Final appearance. They made shrewd trades, lured Breadman, evaluated their talent when resigning Kreider, drafted and developed some young studs, and here they are. And as a bonus, as much as I hate their goal song, it’s awesome and they’ve had it for a while, not like that stupid techno crap thing they selected this past year in Philly.
- mikeyo27

This!! As much as I despise the rags they did their rebuild the right way. Also lucking into those top picks helped immensely though
The difference is that star players want to play for the NYR and not for Philly.
Fox and oanarin both wanted to play there and they did. Our Franchise is such a joke that I don't care what anybody says... Philly doesn't seem like a top detonation for anyone nowadays.
Rebuild it all. Let's do this right

Letter went out March 2018..4 yrs and they are in ECF and will be a contender for yrs to come. There was a time when free agents clamored to be a Flyer. They also picked a developed young talent very well. Getting KAndre Miller and Schneider at the spots they got them were steals.
- hfc355

Remember folks on here wanted Miller too, who did saint Ronnie pick?

Really .. show everyone! Don't be a coward and delete the rest of the post .. because its clear I'm not wrong. You and others just want to believe what you want, and I feel bad for you!
- jd250

https://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=115813

We’ve got a core group to build on. I think as we look at the reality of it, two, three pieces we’d be great. Maybe a little more.

I deleted this part of my post because you quoted scott yourself, so I found it redundant -- you state that no one EVER said this, and yet here it is in black and white provided by the Flyers themselves in the transcript of the press conference

you are wrong about literally everything

the rr trade - the ellis trade -- job - shall I go on?

You put so much faith in chuckles yet feel that rr didn't have a competent coaching staff -- who hired the staff that was fired in December?

Othmann will be a beast...big strong and fills the net....Kravtsov will be interesting. Will either be included in a big trade or they will trade someone like Kakko. They just dont have enough room for all the wingers they have and they could use a real good young C. Wouldnt surprise me to see them make a package deal including Kakko and a young Dman like Jones plus a pick to move into the #2 slot or 3rd to get their center
- hfc355

when you have real assets many options open up

So Hart, Ellis and Couturier are not top-end or potential top-end players?
- jd250

Hart -- Not yet --maybe yes/possibly no

Ellis -- LOL -- the guy who played 4 games -- come on son

Couturier -- yes -- but injured and at the age when players start declining

Letter went out March 2018..4 yrs and they are in ECF and will be a contender for yrs to come. There was a time when free agents clamored to be a Flyer. They also picked a developed young talent very well. Getting KAndre Miller and Schneider at the spots they got them were steals.
- hfc355

The Rangers "rebuild" started long before the letter went out.

The Rangers rebuild has taken much longer than 3 years. They were aided by Panarin and Fox only wanting to play there. Not a model to emulate.
- MJL

This and arguable their 2 best players. Can't compete with I only want to play in Manhatten.

Remember folks on here wanted Miller too, who did saint Ronnie pick?
- ClaudeFather

Why would you do that to yourself and follow that Schtick?

Remember people thought Phil Meyers was a good hockey player?

Why would you do that to yourself and follow that Schtick?
- MJL

I’m sorry but it’s honestly all I have left. There’s literally nothing to look forward to on this team. They are going to be neck deep in hockey purgatory. It’s just absurd. I pray people stop buying tickets and merchandise because that’s the only way we might see change.

Remember people thought Phil Meyers was a good hockey player?
- ClaudeFather

there has to be more to that story to just jettison a guy out of the country away from your orginization!!!

Why would you do that to yourself and follow that Schtick?
- MJL

How do your think your dad the GM is making out in Pitt? Would you classify it as a failure so far?

Actually no. Not in their current cap situation. You said it yourself, they have to build ON TOP of these players. Out of all the names you mentioned, I only see Couturier as a top line player and Hart as a potential franchise goalie. The rest are good second and third liners. The team doesn't have enough cap space to sign a difference maker and nor should they. They need 2 top line wingers IMO, a top pair dman, a good backup goalie, and a second or high end third line center.

Fletcher has them in cap hell as they have all these expensive needs and no way to afford them.
- MBFlyerfan

“Bias for action”

Every fan of this poop team SHOULDVE known the minute they fired hextall and uttered those words bad days and years were coming.

Hexy was right. It wasn’t go time.
Agree with his picks or not we NEVER will know what he would’ve done next.
It can be argued he would’ve failed.

Point is WHAT actually happened failed and was extremely predictable. All of it. From trading assets (picks) to Fa signings to horrible extensions (coots/risto) to what they do next.

The goaltending in 2010 was probably one of the worst matchups ever
- ClaudeFather

Colorado-Edmonton is shaping up to challenge that

The Rangers "rebuild" started long before the letter went out.
- MJL

Rebuild started in 2018. In 2017 they were 20 games over .500 and lost in conference semis. In 2018 they were floundering and mgmt decided to tear it down and sent the letter Feb 2018 . Rebuild started 2018.

I’m sorry but it’s honestly all I have left. There’s literally nothing to look forward to on this team. They are going to be neck deep in hockey purgatory. It’s just absurd. I pray people stop buying tickets and merchandise because that’s the only way we might see change.
- ClaudeFather

Unfortunately until they make a complete organizational change. Were in for dark years as Flyers fans.

Colorado-Edmonton is shaping up to challenge that
- Scoob

Meant finals but, I hear you

This makes no sense. I just posted word for word the entire quote. Do you still want to believe fantasy or believe reality?

In your opinion, do the Flyers not have a good core of players? Hart, Ellis, Provorov, Sanheim, Risto, Couturier, Hayes, Laughton, Farabee and Atkinson. These are not good players?? You can't build on top of these players and create a contending team??
- jd250

I wouldn't count Ellis as part of the core.

I wouldn't count Ellis as part of the core.
- Scoob

He has to be, he’s signed for what, the 5 upcoming seasons?