This organization is a disgrace.

https://www.inquirer.com/...de-deadline-20230304.html

Sorry, but this goes beyond semantics. Fletcher’s refusal to speak plainly suggests that the Flyers are still taking a lipstick-on-a-sow approach to the task ahead of them. Using the word rebuild actually does matter, and there’s a reason that Fletcher’s referring to the Flyers as the “fifth-most-improved team” in the NHL this season infuriated so many fans.

People don’t want to feel like they’re being sold a bill of goods, and by ducking the hard, real language that accurately describes the state of the franchise, the Flyers are telling everyone that they don’t understand how long and difficult the road back will be. Say what you will about Hinkie and “The Process,” but the smartest thing he did was be up front: This is what we’re doing, and this is why we’re doing it. You might not like it. It might not work. But at least we’re clear about our means and goals.

The Flyers, at least publicly, are still hedging, which creates doubt that they know what they’re doing — and rightly so. If they can’t clearly articulate a plan to improve, why would anyone think they can carry out that plan? Or that they even have a plan?

====================

I think this sums up the mood.

In a deep, deep draft filled with first round players well into the second round our rebuilding team only has one draft pick. Just one.
This was the draft to try to turn things around and the feltch traded away our second rounder... and for what?
Holy poop this is pathetic
During no season before this one have I not tuned in to watch a flyers game.
Its hard to even be a fan when you watch this thing burn to the ground before our eyes
- Bob Habib

This has been burning down since the great lockout. The league was changing and the biggest holdout was philly. Refusing to change with it. Sure they compiled a little as time went on but the divide became greater. When hexy was hired there was a belief they finally “got it” hey even I was suckered in. But once he was fired with the bias for action bs it became extremely clear it was a ruse.

EVERYTHING they have done with fletch proves that they will NEVER get it. All the talk and debate about direction of players trades contracts hirings firings plans etc is all bs. Comcast doesn’t give a flying (frank) about team or season ticket holders or anything other than bottom line. Here’s the priority

1) profits

That’s all. What are the profits. What is the roi in flyers? They are a company that has proven that. They WILL fire cf soon. Probably Scott too. And they market it and either profit from it or try to set up a course of action to profit from it

The cruel thing is they don’t see or won’t see that a total rebuild is in their best interest. Because they don’t understand the new nhl. Never have. Never will.

Eventually they will get rid of the drain that is the flyers. Hopefully. Maybe not. Maybe they see flyers as a means to other profits within the business.

Either way. Not good for the actual fans of this team. You have a choice. Let this poop consume you or watch from afar.

Wonder if the Flyers will have a police presence at the town hall meet today.

Bill red the wings had the cap space to take on JVR. I ddnt look so do not know if true. If so that really doesn't jive from a cap perspective.

Bottom line to m e s in the last 10 days he had a chance to deal JVR 100%. He held out overplayed his hand then got caught holding the bag.

Wonder ho JVR feeslsabout his GM saying no on wanted him....
- hello it's me 2050

Detroit was going to flip him to another team.

Asking this because I don't actually know. How many sports teams are owned by honest to goodness for profit companies?

Yeah, no one was in a rush to hire Hextall and he already has one foot out the door in Pittsburgh. If it was up to their blogger he would already be gone. This is why the Flyers suck so bad. Their last three GM's have essentially sucked (the end of Homer's tenure included).
- Phillywhiteout

The blogger is a clown. Every time I read an RW blog I realize how lucky we are to have Bill.

MJL, buddy, bro, brosef... I saw some of your responses in the previous blog and I wanted to address them. Partially because they were in response to things I have said.



1. "On pace" doesn't mean anything to anyone in hockey.


- Aaron_85

Please provide the support of that opinion. Of course on pace matters. A player can't put up the same point totals in a season where a full slate of 82 games is not played. There was a significant sample of games there to do he simple math that shows he was producing at the same rate as he was in the seasons where he did score 30 goals and 70 points

2. I don't know what seasons you're looking at, is it the 14 goals in 66 games? (the year right before he hit 31) Are you looking at 2020 shortened season of 69 games due to covid and he scored 22? In both of these if we prorate him he would about 17 goals and 26.3 goals respectively. He is not a scorer and this "on pace" would be incorrect. You're wrong about the facts of "four straight seasons". Oh and he wouldn't have hit 70 points in the 14 goal season as you've also suggested. He had 34 in 66 games.


- Aaron_85

17/18 31G 45A 76P in 82 games played
18/19 33G 43A 76P in 80 games played
19/20 22G 37A 59P in 69 games played
For a full 82 game season, that is on pace for 26G and 44A for 69 points
20/21 18G 23A 41P in 45 games played
For a full 82 game season, that is on pace for 32G and 41A for 73 points.

It's simple math. It appears that I'm not wrong about the 4 straight seasons of scoring at a similar rate there , buddy, bro, brosef.

You're kind of backtracking here. A few days ago I suggested that CF had overplayed his hand and you rightfully told me the deadline hadn't come yet and that JVR would be a guy teams would go for once others came off the board. You've also claimed there was no market for him in previous posts but in this one you tell me "it dried up". How can there be no market but also have one enough to dry up?


- Aaron_85

No, I'm not backtracking. I did believe that JVR would be traded before the deadline. Who didn't? So lump me in with the rest of the world who believed that JVR would be traded. There is a difference between a speculative look before more facts are known than a look at the facts after more is known. The statement of there being a market for JVR was made before knowing more facts. Stating that the market dried up is an analysis made after knowing more of the facts of the situation. Pretty simple.

CF screwed the pooch on this one and you've been wrong about it. JVR had value. CF overplayed his hand holding out for a better deal and he was left with no dance partner because of it. The writing was on the wall that GMs wanted to get their work done early this year and he likely could have moved him for something. You tell me how valuable "Gustav Rydahl" is to the Avalanche or "Scott Reedy" to Dallas.


- Aaron_85

I posted in a previous post that the I believed it is possible that Fletcher received an offer that he didn't like and turned down hoping to get a better deal later. That doesn't seem to be the case but we'll find out more possibly in the coming days.

Every outlet, every media member speaking about the flyers think he misplayed this. There's no getting around it and I am positive JVR has value in the league. A GM missing the playoffs can't afford to let assets goto free agency for nothing, even if it's an 8th round pick as Bruce Boudreau said. See that? A bonafide head coach in the NHL thinks ANYTHING is of more value than letting a UFA walk for nothing.
- Aaron_85

What every other outlet or media member thinks won't change the facts of what happened. It comes down to whether one believes what Fletcher has said or doesn't. I understand why someone wouldn't. More should come out in the coming days but at this point in time. After more information has come to light. I'm leaning toward believing that there just wasn't a market for JVR and that there wasn't a deal to be made. Bruce Bodreau does not know what happened and what was offered and what wasn't offered.

This has been burning down since the great lockout. The league was changing and the biggest holdout was philly. Refusing to change with it. Sure they compiled a little as time went on but the divide became greater. When hexy was hired there was a belief they finally “got it” hey even I was suckered in. But once he was fired with the bias for action bs it became extremely clear it was a ruse.

EVERYTHING they have done with fletch proves that they will NEVER get it. All the talk and debate about direction of players trades contracts hirings firings plans etc is all bs. Comcast doesn’t give a flying (frank) about team or season ticket holders or anything other than bottom line. Here’s the priority

1) profits

That’s all. What are the profits. What is the roi in flyers? They are a company that has proven that. They WILL fire cf soon. Probably Scott too. And they market it and either profit from it or try to set up a course of action to profit from it

The cruel thing is they don’t see or won’t see that a total rebuild is in their best interest. Because they don’t understand the new nhl. Never have. Never will.

Eventually they will get rid of the drain that is the flyers. Hopefully. Maybe not. Maybe they see flyers as a means to other profits within the business.

Either way. Not good for the actual fans of this team. You have a choice. Let this poop consume you or watch from afar.
- SMS4016

That is pretty much the baseline for the flyers downfall; they NEVER evolved with the league as the salary cap era began. I think that’s the biggest criticism of the “old guard” having so much apparent involvement. Before the cap, Snider was willing to spend spend spend to have a chance every year. Since the cap, the Flyers have pretty much done nothing but falter. We had the magical run in 2010 but don’t forget, that team barely made the playoffs until a game 82 shootout.

Flyers should issue Lemieux jersey # 66.

Flyers should issue Lemieux jersey # 66.
- PLindbergh31

That is awesome

I'm going to go ahead and say I told you so - I believe my quote was:

"do you really think when playoffs come around there's going to be teams that think JVR is the guy that's going to push them over the edge?"







1 year deal coming

If you add a potential 3rd round pick for JVR to the pathetic haul at TDL, it still is horrible. We weren't trading for any difference makers. Teams hold on to them. Draft day trades are more likely to move the needle for us.

My point is Chuck was going to get criticism even with a JVR trade. The fact that he couldn't get a deal done these past two months, just screams of incompetence.

After all is said and done, we are going to end up exactly where many people felt we would be. Bottom of the league with a lot of work to do.

As much as Chuck is public enemy #1 right now he’s only a symptom of the disease. In simplest terms this franchise is headed nowhere until they stop putting the country club first and the team second.

Honest question, and I’d love to see this asked to Dave Scott, can anyone think of any ex-athletes turned front office employees in any sport that have been given passes this long with such little results? I can’t come up with anything even close.

I wonder how Ed Snider would have handled this current situation with the people running his team?

I wonder if he is proud of how this current group , Scott-Fletcher etc, is advancing the team he started in 1967. I wonder if this is what he envisioned?

This is not just a Chuck Fletcher problem.

As a fan I can only hope for….
1. They sell the team to an owner who cares about the on ice product.
2 . The current group moves this franchise out of the area and we eventually get a new franchise.
3. They completely clean house of anybody involved in any on ice decision making and get real hockey people in charge.

At this point this team is dead to me!

As much as Chuck is public enemy #1 right now he’s only a symptom of the disease. In simplest terms this franchise is headed nowhere until they stop putting the country club first and the team second.

Honest question, can anyone think of any ex-athletes turned front office employees in any sport that have been given passes this long with such little results? I can’t come up with anything even close.
- hereticpride

Chuck D > Chuck F

Please provide the support of that opinion. Of course on pace matters. A player can't put up the same point totals in a season where a full slate of 82 games is not played. There was a significant sample of games there to do he simple math that shows he was producing at the same rate as he was in the seasons where he did score 30 goals and 70 points



17/18 31G 45A 76P in 82 games played
18/19 33G 43A 76P in 80 games played
19/20 22G 37A 59P in 69 games played
For a full 82 game season, that is on pace for 26G and 44A for 69 points
20/21 18G 23A 41P in 45 games played
For a full 82 game season, that is on pace for 32G and 41A for 73 points.

It's simple math. It appears that I'm not wrong about the 4 straight seasons of scoring at a similar rate there , buddy, bro, brosef.





No, I'm not backtracking. I did believe that JVR would be traded before the deadline. Who didn't? So lump me in with the rest of the world who believed that JVR would be traded. There is a difference between a speculative look before more facts are known than a look at the facts after more is known. The statement of there being a market for JVR was made before knowing more facts. Stating that the market dried up is an analysis made after knowing more of the facts of the situation. Pretty simple.




I posted in a previous post that the I believed it is possible that Fletcher received an offer that he didn't like and turned down hoping to get a better deal later. That doesn't seem to be the case but we'll find out more possibly in the coming days.




What every other outlet or media member thinks won't change the facts of what happened. It comes down to whether one believes what Fletcher has said or doesn't. I understand why someone wouldn't. More should come out in the coming days but at this point in time. After more information has come to light. I'm leaning toward believing that there just wasn't a market for JVR and that there wasn't a deal to be made. Bruce Bodreau does not know what happened and what was offered and what wasn't offered.
- MJL

1. Proof that "on pace" doesn't matter is the fact you don't win awards, get into the hockey hall of fame or get a bigger contract for being "on pace". It's something the fans and media like to use to fluff up favourite players. You tout facts and facts are the points you actually get. Not the "on the pace".

2. You claimed with an absolute statement Coots was "on pace" for 30 goals and 70 points for FOUR straight seasons. Your own math proves the 3rd year you used he would only score 26 goals and get 69. 26 is not 30 so no he wasn't "on pace" for 30 goals. You're simply moving goal posts at this point. You were wrong in your statement shown by your own math. You didn't claim "similar rate" you said full stop "30 goals and 70 points". I don't get how you think 26 goasls is 30 though....
Further, you can't use the extrapolation of of "oh he scored 18 goals in 45" so over 82 he would score X number of goals. He didn't play the entire season in a shortened season, you'd have to factor in injury missed games. You can't go "on pace" for goals and then not go "on pace" for missed games due to injury. Additionally, he had the HIGHEST S% at 15% of his career. You're considering that he would keep that up for an additional 20+ games? Even if he did you're willing to die on a hill that his career high, never done before S% was sustainable enough to claim him some amazing top center?

3. You're ASSUMING these are facts. You CLAIM everything you believe is fact. Did you know that GMs lie? Dubas claimed he wouldn't spend a top prospect or top draft picks on rentals and here we are. ROR for a 1st like a week later. GMs don't always tell the truth so if you're taking what CF completely at face value then I think you're looking at it wrong. You have to be taking these things with a grain of salt.

4. Bruce Boudreau likely knows more than you or I ever would. If he thinks CF screwed up by not getting ANYTHING then I'm going to side with him over what you believe happened. Again, you claimed there was no market and believe that but also made an absolute statement of "market dried up". It can't be both. I only hope you stick to the same story you believe (which is fine, you're welcome to your opinions) instead of flip flopping and making absolute statements and then changing them when called out.

I'm going to go ahead and say I told you so - I believe my quote was:

"do you really think when playoffs come around there's going to be teams that think JVR is the guy that's going to push them over the edge?"







1 year deal coming
- black_francis

Naw it's not about he being "the guy" or a Patrick Kane. It's about getting assets for UFA's. It's another kick at the lottery for NHL players. In addition, a team ends up with a guy like JVR as depth for a PP or whatever. I'm surprised a team like Minnesota or Florida wasn't interested.

The bias for action will be on full display at the draft

I am a 1/2 glass full guy, Brown is gone, I am happy, all I got.

How (frank)ing dare anyone out there make fun of Chuck Fletcher after all he has been through.!

He lost Ellis, Atkinson and Couturier because of injuries, he went through an expansion draft, he was forced to trade MacEwen because of his conservative podcast.

His coach turned out to be anti technology , an abuser, and now he's going through a custody battle. All you people care about is... readers and making money off of him.

HE'S A HUMAN! (ah! ooh!) What you don't realize is that Chuck made the Flyers the 5th most improved team and all you do is write a bunch of crap about him.

He hasn't performed on ice in years. His song is called "Give Me More" for a reason because all you people want is MORE! MORE-MORE, MORE: MORE!.

LEAVE HIM ALONE! You are lucky he even signed Ristolainen for you BASTARDS!
LEAVE CHUCK ALONE!...Please.
- Streit2ThePoint

Well said, friend

1. Proof that "on pace" doesn't matter is the fact you don't win awards, get into the hockey hall of fame or get a bigger contract for being "on pace". It's something the fans and media like to use to fluff up favourite players. You tout facts and facts are the points you actually get. Not the "on the pace".


- Aaron_85

No that's not proof that on pace doesn't matter to anyone in hockey. That's proof that on pace doesn't matter for post season or career awards. You're also not considering that every player in those seasons played less games. Of course in any contract negotiation, the rate of scoring in a season where a full 82 game season wasn't played would be viable. Unless you believe it should be held against a player that the season was shortened due to the pandemic. It's simply looking at the rate that the players scored at to compare to full season production. That's the only way to compare point production from season to season where the same amount of games weren't played by the player.

Are you aware that in an arbitration hearing for a players contract, stats such as points/60 and points per game played is evidence that can be used? If the stat of points per game played, which is basically the same thing as scoring pace, doesn't matter to the anyone in hockey. Then why is it listed as an official stat of the NHL?

2. You claimed with an absolute statement Coots was "on pace" for 30 goals and 70 points for FOUR straight seasons. Your own math proves the 3rd year you used he would only score 26 goals and get 69. 26 is not 30 so no he wasn't "on pace" for 30 goals. You're simply moving goal posts at this point. You were wrong in your statement shown by your own math. You didn't claim "similar rate" you said full stop "30 goals and 70 points". I don't get how you think 26 goasls is 30 though....
Further, you can't use the extrapolation of of "oh he scored 18 goals in 45" so over 82 he would score X number of goals. He didn't play the entire season in a shortened season, you'd have to factor in injury missed games. You can't go "on pace" for goals and then not go "on pace" for missed games due to injury. Additionally, he had the HIGHEST S% at 15% of his career. You're considering that he would keep that up for an additional 20+ games? Even if he did you're willing to die on a hill that his career high, never done before S% was sustainable enough to claim him some amazing top center?




- Aaron_85

If you want to nit pick at that, go right ahead. Bottom line is that we have a 4 year sample of games where he scored at a very similar rate. In the context of the conversation of what level of player Couturier was before his back injury. That clearly shows that he wasn't just a 30 goal 70 point player for one season. He scored at that similar level for 4 straight seasons. So you're saying we should project missed games into that. Okay, go ahead and do that. Tell me which games you think he should've missed and then we'll recalculate for that.

The numbers I provided are factual proof that Couturier scored at a similar level for 4 straight seasons.

There isn't anywhere where I stated, inferred or insinuated that Couturier was an amazing top center.

3. You're ASSUMING these are facts. You CLAIM everything you believe is fact. Did you know that GMs lie? Dubas claimed he wouldn't spend a top prospect or top draft picks on rentals and here we are. ROR for a 1st like a week later. GMs don't always tell the truth so if you're taking what CF completely at face value then I think you're looking at it wrong. You have to be taking these things with a grain of salt.


- Aaron_85

If someone states that they believe something. That is not offering something as a fact.

4. Bruce Boudreau likely knows more than you or I ever would. If he thinks CF screwed up by not getting ANYTHING then I'm going to side with him over what you believe happened. Again, you claimed there was no market and believe that but also made an absolute statement of "market dried up". It can't be both. I only hope you stick to the same story you believe (which is fine, you're welcome to your opinions) instead of flip flopping and making absolute statements and then changing them when called out.
- Aaron_85

This is a fallacy. That Bruce Boudreau likely knows more you or I is an appeal to authority. If we use that standard, then we can never criticize any GM or coach because they also likely know more that you or I or anyone ever would. You can side with whomever you like. That's your prerogative.
Again, as I explained in my previous post. Before the deadline came, I believed there would be a market t trade JVR and I said that. After getting more information of how it played out and getting the reported facts. I concluded that there wasn't a market for JVR. There is no flip flopping involved. Nor did I make any absolute statements. You can call me out all you want. I welcome it.

This is a fallacy. That Bruce Boudreau likely knows more you or I is an appeal to authority. If we use that standard, then we can never criticize any GM or coach because they also likely know more that you or I or anyone ever would. You can side with whomever you like. That's your prerogative.
Again, as I explained in my previous post. Before the deadline came, I believed there would be a market t trade JVR and I said that. After getting more information of how it played out and getting the reported facts. I concluded that there wasn't a market for JVR. There is no flip flopping involved. Nor did I make any absolute statements. You can call me out all you want. I welcome it.
- MJL

Nothing but the facts Cliff. Now you all of a sudden believe Chuck and what he says.

What facts by the way?

Chuck D > Chuck F
- PLindbergh31

lol that's where my head went too

The bias for action will be on full display at the draft

I am a 1/2 glass full guy, Brown is gone, I am happy, all I got.
- wcorvette

What GM is worse than CF? None. So every GM that deals with the Flyers, as long as Ralph Wiggum is still GM, will be punching down. Confidence is not only low, but nonexistent.

Remember this is the guy who gave away Ghost and like the 35th overall pick for nothing, then Traded a 1st and 2nd and Haag for RR and then signed him to a horrible contract for a 3rd pairing D, replaced Nisky with Gustafson, signed ND to a 4 year contract with a no trade clause, traded 2,3 and 4 to TDA then signed him to a bad contract, extended Coots (who we all love) to a contract that doesn’t expire until he is close to 40 years old, traded for Ellis (might not have done his homework) and got a whopping 4 games out of him, signed Hayes to a 7 year contract, extended Sanheim to ridiculous contract that was unwarranted, couldn’t even get a late pick for JVR, by his own admission never even tried to sign Johnny Hockey, sold the fans and STH a bill of goods (lied) with this “aggressive retool” nonsense, then neither pooped nor got off the pot when it came to the game plan to either rebuild or go for it this year. All this while knowing this years Draft has a potential franchise player and some potential elite talents at the top of the upcoming draft, apparently oversaw gross mishandling of younger talent (Frosts yo-yo as an example), and those are just the highlights. As long as this guy remains in charge can anyone even remotely be optimistic with rebuilding? Trading? Drafting? Singing free agents?

Please provide the support of that opinion. Of course on pace matters. A player can't put up the same point totals in a season where a full slate of 82 games is not played. There was a significant sample of games there to do he simple math that shows he was producing at the same rate as he was in the seasons where he did score 30 goals and 70 points



17/18 31G 45A 76P in 82 games played
18/19 33G 43A 76P in 80 games played
19/20 22G 37A 59P in 69 games played
For a full 82 game season, that is on pace for 26G and 44A for 69 points
20/21 18G 23A 41P in 45 games played
For a full 82 game season, that is on pace for 32G and 41A for 73 points.

It's simple math. It appears that I'm not wrong about the 4 straight seasons of scoring at a similar rate there , buddy, bro, brosef.





No, I'm not backtracking. I did believe that JVR would be traded before the deadline. Who didn't? So lump me in with the rest of the world who believed that JVR would be traded. There is a difference between a speculative look before more facts are known than a look at the facts after more is known. The statement of there being a market for JVR was made before knowing more facts. Stating that the market dried up is an analysis made after knowing more of the facts of the situation. Pretty simple.




I posted in a previous post that the I believed it is possible that Fletcher received an offer that he didn't like and turned down hoping to get a better deal later. That doesn't seem to be the case but we'll find out more possibly in the coming days.




What every other outlet or media member thinks won't change the facts of what happened. It comes down to whether one believes what Fletcher has said or doesn't. I understand why someone wouldn't. More should come out in the coming days but at this point in time. After more information has come to light. I'm leaning toward believing that there just wasn't a market for JVR and that there wasn't a deal to be made. Bruce Bodreau does not know what happened and what was offered and what wasn't offered.
- MJL

me. i didn't.