Yeah I’m with you on this one. They haven’t quit at all. They’ve been playing at a high level of compete all year and they just seem like they have no more to give. They don’t have the Elite talent to carry them through, their PowerPlay shows no creativity and it’s clear the coaching staff never practiced it. And let’s remember many of these younger players have never played an NHL 82 game schedule so this is a new experience for them that they need to train differently in the offseason. A successful season IMO and they have several picks in the coming drafts. Stay the course. Take the positives out. Be aggressive perhaps at the draft and target that 1C and 1D in the next couple drafts, and BE PATIENT.

Oh and please no buyouts. Let these aging veteran drift away in to the sunset over the next year or two and trade RR for a handful of magic beans if you have to.
- mikeyo27

Started a backup (Ersson) goalie 28 times in two months. Never added an NHL level backup when Hart got arrested. Lost four defensemen, including the best d pair they had. Powerplay never got better. Players that were producing tailed off drastically. The overall OT philosophy was laughably bad. They were the least talented of the two teams on the ice most nights. Other teams started to match the Flyers effort level. Thus eliminating the only real advantage they had.

That about sums up the last two months of the Flyers. Not surprised at all they will not make the playoffs.

I personally don't buy that either.
- MJL

I do. The on ice product and the outcomes clearly changed afterwards.
They lost Walker/ Seeler on defense, their best defensive forward was scratched/ demoted. Hence, defensive structure has collapsed.

In addition, Couts is a captain and a leader, the tight locker room did not take well the leader being dragged through the mud.

Anyway, that's my conspiracy theory. I am willing to entertain any other.

Rehab is great, day to day...so he will miss all of next year.
- Glak18

I think we should buy him out and make NSH , COL pay some cash for this dumpster fire they unloaded on us.

All this talk about how they greatly exceeded expectations the reality is they are only 8 points better than last years awful team.
- hfc355

When you put it that way… 😱😥😭

At least the youngsters got some good looks this year and it’s better than 8 points less. So we got that too. Yay Flyers.

In what world is a GM on a bottom feeder like Columbus not going to view Johnson and Sillinger as building blocks? At 20 and 21 years old? No offense but we'll have the entire off season for silly season. Let's not invoke fantasy here for the Flyers to get something we may covet. Need to at least have a basis in reality.
- MJL

maybe that new GM wants to be competitive right away and knows they may be able to get a nice package if one is traded that accomplishes that? that is possible no?

I personally don't buy that either.
- MJL

I do. They saw how he was being used in the first half of the season and understood what his presence had to do with their success. They also saw him start to break down from overuse. A good coach would stop riding him so hard and try to adjust his usage. What their coach did instead was throw him under the bus when he started to falter. Treat him like some green rookie instead of the veteran he is. Players understand the inherent lameness of how Torts chose to deal with the situation, the hypocrisy of it.

We can disagree but if I were in that room I would not be too happy about that. I would see it as the coach deflecting blame and not seeing the big picture to sooth his own ego. But that is just me.

I do. They saw how he was being used in the first half of the season and understood what his presence had to do with their success. They also saw him start to break down from overuse. A good coach would stop riding him so hard and try to adjust his usage. What their coach did instead was throw him under the bus when he started to falter. Treat him like some green rookie instead of the veteran he is. Players understand the inherent lameness of how Torts chose to deal with the situation, the hypocrisy of it.

We can disagree but if I were in that room I would not be too happy about that. I would see it as the coach deflecting blame and not seeing the big picture to sooth his own ego. But that is just me.
- MBFlyerfan

I wasn't in that room and I was pissed about it. It is one thing to scratch Couturier. It is a whole other thing to not address it directly with him before hand and then basically avoid answering any questions about it afterwards. Torts "accountability" mantra definitely lost some followers during that fiasco.

All this talk about how they greatly exceeded expectations the reality is they are only 8 points better than last years awful team.
- hfc355

well they had a chance to be much more

well they had a chance to be much more
- 2Real

and they failed.

I wasn't in that room and I was pissed about it. It is one thing to scratch Couturier. It is a whole other thing to not address it directly with him before hand and then basically avoid answering any questions about it afterwards. Torts "accountability" mantra definitely lost some followers during that fiasco.
- mickel25

We all know Coots wasn't playing well. You know who else knew it? Coots.

Torts IMO treated him like some clueless rookie and decided that punishing him for wearing out was the best way to handle it. Publicly embarrassing him on top of the embarrassment he was already surely feeling over his play was just piling on from Torts.

yes I say hire him, but i was replying to the notion he would not come here because of the talent. If he can't win it this year I think it it time for him to move on. I can see Pittsburg going after him.
- WhiskeyMan

Brind'amour still refers to Philly as his other home. I would think that if he were to leave the Hurricanes for whatever reason, Philly would be one of his main interests.

He would get a hero's welcome home. I am one of those that hated the Brindy for Primeau trade. I wanted Brind'Amour to be a Flyers for remainder of his career, and have been waiting for him to come back home.

Brind'amour still refers to Philly as his other home. I would think that if he were to leave the Hurricanes for whatever reason, Philly would be one of his main interests.

He would get a hero's welcome home. I am one of those that hated the Brindy for Primeau trade. I wanted Brind'Amour to be a Flyers for remainder of his career, and have been waiting for him to come back home.
- TheFreak

think he cares more about winning or a hero's welcome?

We all know Coots wasn't playing well. You know who else knew it? Coots.

Torts IMO treated him like some clueless rookie and decided that punishing him for wearing out was the best way to handle it. Publicly embarrassing him on top of the embarrassment he was already surely feeling over his play was just piling on from Torts.
- MBFlyerfan

100% agree. And again never addressed it directly with Couturier. Couturier deserves better than that. It is a simple conversation to have if accountability is really something you value. Torts has selective accountability at best.

maybe that new GM wants to be competitive right away and knows they may be able to get a nice package if one is traded that accomplishes that? that is possible no?
- hello it's me 2050

I would imagine that if either of those players were available, there are other teams that could offer as much if not more than the Flyers. Either one would be coveted and there would be a long line of suitors around the corner. I’d rather have them as the Flyers top centers during a rebuild than any of the current centers on the team or in the system.

Maybe the Flyers should try to steal a potential big 1C and sign Byfield to an offer sheet. 8.5 million would be a 1st, 2nd and 3rd which they have in 2025. I would imagine that LA would match but ya never know. That would solve the 1C problem.

make it happen!
- Flyfly

We'd have to throw in a second rounder too.

and they failed.
- hello it's me 2050

at least they were fun to watch for a good party of the year

Brind'amour still refers to Philly as his other home. I would think that if he were to leave the Hurricanes for whatever reason, Philly would be one of his main interests.

He would get a hero's welcome home. I am one of those that hated the Brindy for Primeau trade. I wanted Brind'Amour to be a Flyers for remainder of his career, and have been waiting for him to come back home.
- TheFreak

we all know why the trade had to be made though

I would imagine that if either of those players were available, there are other teams that could offer as much if not more than the Flyers. Either one would be coveted and there would be a long line of suitors around the corner. I’d rather have them as the Flyers top centers during a rebuild than any of the current centers on the team or in the system.

Maybe the Flyers should try to steal a potential big 1C and sign Byfield to an offer sheet. 8.5 million would be a 1st, 2nd and 3rd which they have in 2025. I would imagine that LA would match but ya never know. That would solve the 1C problem.
- mikeyo27

right though wasn't about that, cliff sayin they wont be moved or what not.

they are going to have to find an undervalued, underappreciated youngish center. you have any confidence they can?

center is the biggest need:

ex selk
frost
pohlig
laugton
cates

those options are bottom of the league options as a unit.

at least they were fun to watch for a good party of the year
- 2Real

I do not think they were fun at all. very boring, predictable, and vanilla to me.

think he cares more about winning or a hero's welcome?
- hello it's me 2050

Or the most important thing = money.

Or the most important thing = money.
- psuhockey

correct. though think other teams will be in that ballpark that have more to offer from a team perspective.

Brass tacks this team still needs:

A first line center
A starting goalie
A true top defenseman that can skate and eat up a ton of minutes
A 3rd line center - Laughton IMO played his best hockey as a winger
A proven top 6 winger

They have nothing to fill these voids immediately in their system apart from Mishkov (who may never make it to Philadelphia). Drysdale may develop into a legitimate top defenseman but he'll need to take some significant strides forward.
- Pixote Andolini

What makes you say that? If Fedotov made it over after military camp and the KHL fiasco, why wouldn't MM make it over?

I do not think they were fun at all. very boring, predictable, and vanilla to me.
- hello it's me 2050

well not everyone pays close attention to details on ice

all these hurt feelings about Coots being scratched is hilarious. Torts tried (and failed) to get a spark from him and his teammates. It didn't work. I don't think it's incredibly egregious to scratch someone who hadn't scored in 30 games. Coots is an adult.

Again, it was a tactic and it did not work. Quite the opposite. But can we stop pretending these are toddlers we are dealing with?

He's on loan currently, but when does his contract expire with Dinamo Minsk?
- Glak18

He signed his 3 year ELC with the Flyers last year, and was on loan to Minsk with the agreement he was comig to NA after his season finished with Minsk.
He is here now to stay for the foreseeable future.