He was specifically and only talking about Chicago. Why are you making it into a Flyers thing? If you want his opinion on the Flyers just ask.
- Scoob

fcs

Completely disagree!! It is extremely rare in today's NHL where you're successful without having bottomed out at some point. Are there any guarantees, of course not, but your chances of success are far greater having elite talent than not having it. You get that from the top of the draft.

I love what Chicago and Arizona are doing, look at the talent the Coyotes are assembling in a very short window of time. 2023 they have six more picks in the top three rounds to go along with all of their talent they've acquired already.

The Flyers will muddle around from 10-15th and never get that elite talent needed to win Championships....it's sad to be a Flyers fan these days knowing how poorly the team is owned and managed.
- Dave21Brown

I've raised my standards. I'm no longer happy or satisfied with a team that is just a playoff team with no real legitimate chance of winning the Cup. I won't be fooled anymore. I would like to see the Flyers raise the Cup once as an adult.

Amazing how bad the Hawks have become. Feel for Luke Richardson waited for his opportunity as a HC and is navigating the Titanic.
- Trox88

Luke knew what he was getting into. He's in for the long haul.

No, they probably won't. They are likely in for a lot of pain for a lot of years, Bedard or not, unless they rebuild a nucleus and a supporting cast. Lots of developmental patience will be needed with no guarantees among all the other picks they're accumulating.

There aren't many 54th overall picks that turn out like Duncan Keith, years where you don't pick until 39th but get an Alex DeBrincat out of it or make a NHL roster bubble trade that turns out like the Matt Ellison for Patrick Sharp trade.

It's it possible the rebuild could be relatively swift with lots of strokes of good fortune smiling upon the franchise all over again beyond drafting Kane and Toews? Yes. It is likely? Odds say no.
- bmeltzer

Good post.

No. The worst position in the NHL to be in is at the bottom, drafting high year after year and yet missing the playoffs for a decade or more, all the while..

As for the Flyers, the answer is "I don't know". Even without Couturier and Atkinson, I think they presently have 9 bonafide top 9 forwards in their top 9. The issue is not having much by way of proven top 6. Two good young goalies. Five bonafide top 6 NHL defensemen and serviceable No. 7 currently slotted 6th. Decent farm system depth but no likely superstars.

Lots of cap mess to sort out. Still have to figure out hockey ops beyond this season.

Is it an ideal spot? Far from it. But it's not unfixable in a shorter time than a total tear-down, total rebuild project.
- bmeltzer

low end top 9. Five bona fide NHL dman who again are nothing special. How many bona fide NHL dman do the Hawks have? Easy to play that game.

It is unfixable with their philosophy, how the run the team, and everything in between. They have shown nothing to convince me and I am sure many others, otherwise.

I think the value of their prospects due to injury/covid really limited the Flyers on reshaping the team. If things continue this season, do you seem them moving out pieces to reset the roster to move forward with a viable plan to build a contender?
- wcorvette

flyers only team that had to deal with covid and injurie's. They will use that excuse yet again.

Coots dropped off the list. Now zero Flyers.

I've raised my standards. I'm no longer happy or satisfied with a team that is just a playoff team with no real legitimate chance of winning the Cup. I won't be fooled anymore. I would like to see the Flyers raise the Cup once as an adult.
- MJL

Agree; I'm of the opinion that winning without elite talent is somewhat of an impossible task anymore in today's NHL. If the organization continues to just try and bandaid a team together to try and be competitive we're in for a long and unsuccessful road.

The Flyers will muddle around from 10-15th and never get that elite talent needed to win Championships....it's sad to be a Flyers fan these days knowing how poorly the team is owned and managed.
- Dave21Brown

Even if they're fortunate to luck into another one like Giroux... that's still not gonna be enough.

Need multiple elite players to have any kind of chance these days.

I mean, I'd rather be in their position than the Flyers. Sure, odds are against them. But at least they committed to a full rebuild and started selling off pieces last summer to accrue more draft capital. They took on a bad Mrazek contract to get a better draft pick. Lukas Reichel looks pretty good in the AHL and just had a pretty great cup of coffee at the NHL level. Korchinski just won gold at the WJC. Nazar is still out after surgery but is playing for a hockey powerhouse in Michigan whenever he is healthy again. Isaak Phillips looks to be a piece as a 5th round draft pick. Drew Cammesso is looked as one of the top goalie prospects in hockey. They have a young coach who could grow with this group.

Outside of getting one of Bedard, Fantilli, Michkov or Carlson they've increased their odds at getting another Debrincat/Keith pick with extra first rounders and 2nd rounders in the next two years. Not to mention plenty of pieces to sell at the deadline like Kane, Toews, Domi, Athanisiou for more draft capital. Barring any trades, the Flyers won't pick in the 2nd round until 2025. And if the Panthers continue to spiral, that 2024 extra first rounder won't be used until 2025. JVR is really the only deadline piece the Flyers have to sell off and he MIGHT get you a 2nd/3rd rounder.

The Flyers are capped out for the near future with a few guys that could have career threatening injuries (one of which will probably never play again) and no real plan. Well, I guess their plan is 'try to get in and make a run' which will result in plenty of pain for them as well.
- TobyFlenderson

That's a great post. You know a lot about the Hawks situation. Your expertise would be welcome on the Chicago page. Stop by sometime.

Coots dropped off the list. Now zero Flyers.
- Tomahawk

I am pretty confident TK will get added to that list at some point. Yikes though.

fcs
- hello it's me 2050

I’m surprised you weren’t banned longer. When does the ban end on your furio16 account?

Imagine the Washington Capitals without having drafted Ovechkin. They'd be where the Flyers are, stuck in mediocrity. Look around the rest of the division, Pens, Devils, Rangers - recent high draft picks among their best prospects/young players. These opportunities don't come often for the Flyers, and few times it has timing has been off - weak draft years. This is one of the big reason they are what they are. Drafting 10-15 this year will be more of same.

I'm sure some of the PR issues have not helped
- Peter Richards

Team was already on the downward trend when the PR issues came out in late 2021.

I've raised my standards. I'm no longer happy or satisfied with a team that is just a playoff team with no real legitimate chance of winning the Cup. I won't be fooled anymore. I would like to see the Flyers raise the Cup once as an adult.
- MJL

Without a coherent vision and plan I’m more leaning on the side that this won’t happen for at least a very long time. It’s sad because there was a time where I thought each year they had a decent shot at it up until I’d say 2012.

It's completely short-sighted for anyone to think that Keith, Toews and Kane were the only reasons the Hawks were a bit of a mini dynasty. NOT directing anything towards you, just adding on to your statement.

Thru the draft they assembled a really really good group of players, that's largely why they won, along with Toews, Keith and Kane. Look at this group and tell me drafting depth isn't important. Thats eleven players on their first cup team in 2010 they drafted in a six year span. It's really impressive!

2002
Duncan Keith 2nd round pick.
Adam Burish 9th round pick.

2003
Brent Seabrook 1st round pick-14th overall.
Corey Crawford 2nd round pick.
Dustin Byfuglien 8th round pick.

2004
David Bolland 2nd round pick.
Bryan Bickell 2nd round pick.
Troy Brouwer 7th round pick.

2005
Niklas Hjalmarsson 4th round pick.

2006
Jonathan Toews 1st round pick-3rd overall.

2007
Patrick Kane 1st round pick-1st overall.
- Dave21Brown

And they obtained Patrick Sharp in a trade with the Flyers, and then signed Hossa as a free agent to put them over the top.

Imagine the Washington Capitals without having drafted Ovechkin. They'd be where the Flyers are, stuck in mediocrity. Look around the rest of the division, Pens, Devils, Rangers - recent high draft picks among their best prospects/young players. These opportunities don't come often for the Flyers, and few times it has timing has been off - weak draft years. This is one of the big reason they are what they are. Drafting 10-15 this year will be more of same.
- backfire

Yeah, replace #1OA OV w/ #11OA Drew Stafford and #4OA Backstrom with #12OA Bryan Little... kind of a different outlook lol

I am pretty confident TK will get added to that list at some point. Yikes though.
- mickel25

If the list is top 100 players.. why aren’t there any goaltenders? Should it read out players?

I’m surprised you weren’t banned longer. When does the ban end on your furio16 account?
- Quetzalcoatl

how is the family?

Interesting Ivan Provorov’s Jersey sold out I just heard.

I am pretty confident TK will get added to that list at some point. Yikes though.
- mickel25

He'd probably crack it already if not for his surprisingly bad defensive numbers.

The list is based on GSVA combined with input from writers and some front office ppl.

Anyone attend that NHL job fair on Florida?

Exactly.

Hawks had 3 1st-round picks last summer. 8 top-90 picks in total.

They have two first, two 2nds and 2 3rds in the upcoming draft already. That number could balloon if/when they make more trades.

They also have multiple 2nds and 3rds in 2024.

That's a huge potential pool of talent to build around.
- Tomahawk

So Chicago is acquiring picks while the Flyers are giving them away in trades and to jettison players?

Coots dropped off the list. Now zero Flyers.
- Tomahawk

Tons of Flyers on that list

So Chicago is acquiring picks while the Flyers are giving them away in trades and to jettison players?
- corduroy

Gotta get rid of Kevin Hayes somehow lol