You're missing it. That's being said to counteract the thought that the next coach, Tortorella is going to "fix" Ristolainen. When all the other coaches before him couldn't. Ristolainen supporters keep wanting to lower the standard. Now it's he wasn't proclaimed to be a savior. What was he proclaimed to be? The team gave up a 1st, 2nd and an NHL player for him. The expectation is that he would make somewhat of a difference. He hasn't.
- MJL

Torts may not “fix” Ristolainen but he should be a god sent to the haters because if Risto is that bad (which is possible), he’ll be scratched, given limited minutes, called out through the media and shown the door if he cannot improve.

I was optimistic the change of scenery would help RR improve.
- mickel25

but the change was at least if not more dysfunctional than prior. RR has issues, not as little as his supporters say and not as much as his haters say.

IF, Torts can get them to play a better team D, Flyers are in the middle of the pack, RR is solid, he could be moved at the deadline, if they choose. I do think there was truth when Bill said Flyers had to beat offers to get him, I don't think one shxt show year will completely change that, now another shxt show year might. The cost was to much but the player still has a story to write.

He wants the hextall plan, draft mid pack and develop. Which is what we have been doing for the last decade.

I would prefer to bottom out and get high picks. The mid 1st draft picks dont move the needle unless you get lucky on some late picks
- bradster

Yes, I would have preferred the Flyers did what the Rangers did, but the Rangers had a good start with Fox and Panarin, and made some great trades also. The draft is such a crap shoot, a lot of it is luck and timing. I have no problem with a team retooling with a couple of top 5 picks, but to build a team you need to make some savvy trades, smart free agent signings, and get a good amount of luck. Look at how Tampa and Colorado built their teams for an example. They hit on their top draft picks, but they also built a great team around those players as they developed. For the Flyers, it starts with hitting on this 5th pick coming up. The Patrick pick set them back, now they have another shot.

I have no doubt in my mind Torts won’t mix words behind closed door meets with our GM that he can’t do anything with Ristolainen.

but the change was at least if not more dysfunctional than prior. RR has issues, not as little as his supporters say and not as much as his haters say.

IF, Torts can get them to play a better team D, Flyers are in the middle of the pack, RR is solid, he could be moved at the deadline, if they choose. I do think there was truth when Bill said Flyers had to beat offers to get him, I don't think one shxt show year will completely change that, now another shxt show year might. The cost was to much but the player still has a story to write.
- wcorvette

Over the weekend I researched the types of defensive and fore checking systems Torts has used over his coaching career. I think Risto will benefit greatly from being coached by Torts. He will be fine next season.

but the change was at least if not more dysfunctional than prior. RR has issues, not as little as his supporters say and not as much as his haters say.

IF, Torts can get them to play a better team D, Flyers are in the middle of the pack, RR is solid, he could be moved at the deadline, if they choose. I do think there was truth when Bill said Flyers had to beat offers to get him, I don't think one shxt show year will completely change that, now another shxt show year might. The cost was to much but the player still has a story to write.
- wcorvette

He wants the hextall plan, draft mid pack and develop. Which is what we have been doing for the last decade.

I would prefer to bottom out and get high picks. The mid 1st draft picks dont move the needle unless you get lucky on some late picks
- bradster

How does the "draft mid pack" get assigned solely to Hextall? That is what the Flyers have always done. That is of course the times they actually kept the picks.

This organization is not run correctly to compete in the salary cap era. That did not start with Hextall. That is how it has always been and will continue to be. We are just now seeing the 15 years of rot that have accumulated.

This just looks like Risto clearing the crease and reducing some goals against.


Risto is the train and some poor bastard is the car.
- hockeylover

Sadly, that poor bastard was Carter Hart

Over the weekend I researched the types of defensive and fore checking systems Torts has used over his coaching career. I think Risto will benefit greatly from being coached by Torts. He will be fine next season.
- jd250

Didn't you also say it was a great trade by chuckles last season? That he would be a difference maker?

Yes, I would have preferred the Flyers did what the Rangers did, but the Rangers had a good start with Fox and Panarin, and made some great trades also. The draft is such a crap shoot, a lot of it is luck and timing. I have no problem with a team retooling with a couple of top 5 picks, but to build a team you need to make some savvy trades, smart free agent signings, and get a good amount of luck. Look at how Tampa and Colorado built their teams for an example. They hit on their top draft picks, but they also built a great team around those players as they developed. For the Flyers, it starts with hitting on this 5th pick coming up. The Patrick pick set them back, now they have another shot.
- jd250

Yes, usually you draft the great players and then work around those drafted players.
Hopefully the flyers nail this draft. And then a year or 3 down the road that player can be a significant contributor.

I have no doubt in my mind Torts won’t mix words behind closed door meets with our GM that he can’t do anything with Ristolainen.
- SuperSchennBros

Wouldve been fun to see how torts wouldve handled yandle last year. Pretty sure chuck and him wouldnt have seen eye to eye on that one.

How does the "draft mid pack" get assigned solely to Hextall? That is what the Flyers have always done. That is of course the times they actually kept the picks.

This organization is not run correctly to compete in the salary cap era. That did not start with Hextall. That is how it has always been and will continue to be. We are just now seeing the 15 years of rot that have accumulated.
- mickel25

pretty sure i said they've done that the last decade. Hextall was only half of that time. I never said solely hextall.....not even close

This just looks like Risto clearing the crease and reducing some goals against.


Risto is the train and some poor bastard is the car.
- hockeylover

too bad hes pushing that car into Carter Hart

Yes, usually you draft the great players and then work around those drafted players.
Hopefully the flyers nail this draft. And then a year or 3 down the road that player can be a significant contributor.
- bradster

Yes, and I am also looking to some of the young players coming up to be a hit also. I expect York to be a top 4 defenseman and develop into a top 2 defenseman. I am hoping 1 or 2 of Brink, Tippet and Frost develop into a top 6 forward, and would like to see Foerster and Wisdom take the next step in their development. It does not always have to come from the top of the draft. Kucherov was a 2nd round pick, Point was a 3rd round pick. Pastrnak was picked around the same spot as Konecny. The Flyers need some similar luck as well.

Sadly, that poor bastard was Carter Hart
- corduroy

damn it

pretty sure i said they've done that the last decade. Hextall was only half of that time. I never said solely hextall.....not even close
- bradster

You labeled it the Hextall plan. Naming it after someone seems to assign blame.

"He wants the hextall plan, draft mid pack and develop. Which is what we have been doing for the last decade."

It is the "That is how the Flyers have always done it" plan. And that is only the years they actually kept there picks.

Either way we both agree they are not operating properly in the salary cap era.

No but another 5 years of him is.
- Pelle31Forever

Risto is like a bad car loan. You might think you had to sign that contract but everyday and month you make that payment you get sicker and sicker that you made that deal. 5 years is a longggggg time when you’re in it.

https://twitter.com/frank...N4PdQMnGGLINCIkMqMcA&s=19

Paul Maurice to FLA, interesting.

He is definitely not a player that should have received a 5 year contract regardless of the AAV.
- mickel25

Correct. He should get at most 3 and that is being nice. To think the powers that be think he is core player of this team.

He has losers mentality. Otherwise why sign here after how many years in buffalo. Born for the playoffs he and his agent said.....

Torts may not “fix” Ristolainen but he should be a god sent to the haters because if Risto is that bad (which is possible), he’ll be scratched, given limited minutes, called out through the media and shown the door if he cannot improve.
- SuperSchennBros

The thing with RR is that he’s not that bad. I do think he can be more consistent and I also think he can provide more offence, (As he has 4 -40 plus point seasons already) then he did last year. This notion that he didn’t create any meaningful results with his physical play is a complete fallacy. Some posters want to point to all his faults but not acknowledge his many above average qualities. I could talk about every Flyers d man and their weaknesses but that’s just a waist of time for the most part…we know Sanheim is not physical enough, we know Provy had issues last year, we know Yandle was not anywhere close to being good enough to play every night.
Did Flyers over pay for RR ? Ya maybe, but that’s more on Fletcher the RR. At his current salary I will let him play this year and see if he earns it. Bottom line is RR has been in the top 4 of his teams d core every single year he’s played in the NHL…warts and all.

So what exactly would you want the Flyers to do? Are you saying you want them to tank, sell off everyone they have, and be Buffalo and Edmonton for the next 5 years picking at the top of the draft? The Flyers are trying to rebuild on the fly. That is why you hire a coach like Torts and why you have Fletcher as a GM, because that is his specialty. This is what the Flyers tried to do with Hextall also, so its not like the Flyers have changed their philosophy over the past decade or so.

The Flyers are not in cap jail as you have stated. They do not have tons of space but they have space and they have the ability this off season to create more space if they want to. The Flyers also have a good and promising young core of players coming up and plan on adding to that core with the #5 pick. Torts will teach these young core the right way to play and thus the foundation will be built. I do not see Fletcher doing too much this off season, one because he does not have the space and two, because he really does not have the assets to pull off a hockey trade that would make any sense. I see the Flyers next season picking in the top 15 in a deep draft, so they will get another good player, at least that is what I am looking forward to.
- jd250

I ask myself why as well. His "specialty". everyday you do amaze me. I enjoy it.

The Saint failed did he not? so would you replicate that same process?
flyers cap situation for a bottom 5 team blows.

their young core is average. When are you going to except that pretty much every team has the type of prospects the flyers have, many have better.

Fletcher will no doubt do something dumb and try as hell for a big "fish".

Correct. He should get at most 3 and that is being nice. To think the powers that be think he is core player of this team.

He has losers mentality. Otherwise why sign here after how many years in buffalo. Born for the playoffs he and his agent said.....
- hello it's me 2050

Yep. I saw somewhere that they have $52mil committed to just nine players in 2024-2025. That gives you $30mil to sign 14 players. Hopefully they start developing better soon. Of course you can trade some of those players but that number seems absurd to me.

but the change was at least if not more dysfunctional than prior. RR has issues, not as little as his supporters say and not as much as his haters say.

IF, Torts can get them to play a better team D, Flyers are in the middle of the pack, RR is solid, he could be moved at the deadline, if they choose. I do think there was truth when Bill said Flyers had to beat offers to get him, I don't think one shxt show year will completely change that, now another shxt show year might. The cost was to much but the player still has a story to write.
- wcorvette

The time to move him was the 2022 deadline. That really isnt even debatable imo.

You labeled it the Hextall plan. Naming it after someone seems to assign blame.

"He wants the hextall plan, draft mid pack and develop. Which is what we have been doing for the last decade."

It is the "That is how the Flyers have always done it" plan. And that is only the years they actually kept there picks.

Either way we both agree they are not operating properly in the salary cap era.
- mickel25

You have to draft and develop with success in the cap era. You can’t over pay FA’s. The Flyers haven’t done a very job at this and are where they are because of it. They had there shot at a number 2 in the draft and failed …they have # 5 this year and really need to come away with a winner. Their over all inability to add young cheap skilled talent continues to haunt this team.

Sadly, that poor bastard was Carter Hart
- corduroy

oof lol