how many teams dont sign their top 5 pick college prospect?

He had options. Flyers messed up. Simple as that.
- hello it's me 2050

I think that’s what I’m saying. Db messed up trading him?

I think it’s OBVIOUS he needed another year of college.
- Stayin alive

It WASN'T.

He was great at the World Champs playing against men a month later. Briere miscalculated. Simple as that.

Maybe if you repeat that a top 5 pick is gonna risk 4 years in college making no money and never getting those earnings years back or that an agent would allow that or advise that it’ll make it true

I mean surely we see all these top players in college staying 4 years and not seeing them sign elc as fast as possible. Yep I’m wrong.
- Stayin alive

Blake Wheeler seems to have done fine. $75M in career earnings and he never had to play for the Coyotes.

Different circumstances than Cutter, but still... the risk of injury is there no matter where you play.

Blake Wheeler was picked fifth overall and did the same thing.

I think Gauthier was fully prepared to spend 4 years in college especially with how loaded BC's roster is and the opportunity to make NIL money.
- TobyFlenderson

Ahhhh yes the Blake wheeler example. There’s 1 out of how many? Ask yourself 20 years ago what were the rules dealing with elc contracts? Did teams burn a year by playing 1 or 2 games at end of season like now for top pick prospects? Ask yourself how much money was involved in losing 2 or more years of potential earnings?


You will never see another top 5 pick spend 4 years in college again. You have a few examples from 20 years ago or longer. Simply not ever happening again.

I was waiting for the wheeler example to come up.

For those willing to dig there are a couple more examples of players that also did this.


Decades ago

I think that’s what I’m saying. Db messed up trading him?
- Stayin alive

messed up not signing him. Then he should have waited until the season was over to talk to him. see if cooler heads prevail.

If not then trade hi at the drfat. there was no rush. Flyers wanted the playoffs and saw the chance to add to the nhl roster so they made a deal.

Laughton is a 3rd line forward. This was his first complete season since 2018, which means he gets injured a lot.
His point production went down compared to last season, 4 points, not much but still a drop.
The major concern is his PIM, went up to a career high 69 minutes. To me, a lot of them I would consider lazy penalties.

He is also turning 30. Flyers would maybe get a low 2nd or a 3rd round pick for him.
- WhiskeyMan

Excellent points. I think he’s replaceable at a lower cost.

I think it’s OBVIOUS he needed another year of college. To mature. Db was well within his rights to tell the kid hey we want you to do one more year of college to grow. Go dominate. Grow body. Enjoy world jr’s.


People forget and use the March timeline for signing him or not. But here’s the truth and facts. NHL season starts in October. He would’ve signed at end of college season in March or early April depending on college team season so you’re really talking about where does he play ACTUAL hockey for 6 or 7 months from October to April? He would’ve signed just like he did in Anaheim and burn 1st year of elc.


What would’ve been better for his development? Dealing with torts game all season or dominating in college and playing in world jr’s tourney?

Db has 100 % correct what he did.

He was doing what was best not only for team but the player.

Where they (frank)ed up was puffing chest and making a stupid trade and how they publicly handled the situation when cg shunned them.


Yes cg is guilty of immature behavior but there simply ZERO chance top 5 pick is gonna sit in college 4 years.

The team should NEVER just cave
- Stayin alive

You keep saying this, and I disagree. That would have reduced the standoff to a game of chicken. On the one side you have a very talented young kid who wants to play elsewhere. On the other, you have a large moribund franchise committed to mediocrity.

I am not at all sure as time went on, this would have been advantageous to the Flyers. Think of the publicity. Many people have publicly sided with Gauthier's desire to play elsewhere (and been critical of the tack Flyers took): Lindros, Pronman come to mind.

When players hold out (in professional sports, happens all the time), it is very, very rare that the club simply lets them rot by invoking contract.

Not rightfully so. The goal shy Flyers would have been much better off signing Gauthier in March last year and getting his NHL career started rather than wasting ice time on guys like Hayes, Bellows, Lemieux, Allison and Deslauriers.

Briere miscalculated, no doubt about it, and the Flyers lost a lot of value. Now that he's signed do you think Anaheim would trade Gauthier to the Flyers for Drysdale, their 2nd back and the Panthers 1st rounder? No way.
- Feanor

What? I have interest in drafting a player and just throwing him onto team. Sounds like a very STUPID way to develope a player. These are 18 year old kids. Under no circumstances should he have played straight out of draft

@charlieo_conn
·
25m
Jamie Drysdale didn't deny that he was banged up pretty much all year, and wasn't 100% even from the start of his Flyers tenure. Said he didn't want to make excuses.

I asked if he might have a procedure this summer due to an injury.

"Potentially," he said with a smile.

The leverage is there. Just because most don't use it doesn't mean it disappears.

He played his hand and got what he wanted.
- J35Bacher

It’s right up there threat wise as signing an offer sheet contract. The threat is there…. Never used

Blake Wheeler was picked fifth overall and did the same thing.

I think Gauthier was fully prepared to spend 4 years in college especially with how loaded BC's roster is and the opportunity to make NIL money.
- TobyFlenderson

This isn’t college football. NIL money lol very hard to come by and not any sort of value for college hockey

What? I have interest in drafting a player and just throwing him onto team. Sounds like a very STUPID way to develope a player. These are 18 year old kids. Under no circumstances should he have played straight out of draft
- Stayin alive

What part of March last year don't you understand? That was after his first college season ended, when he was 19.

goodrow coleman and the liek all got a 1st....look at past deadlines.
- hello it's me 2050

Goodrow was a mistake and the Rangers would love to dump him. He completely tanked this year.

Laughton isn’t anywhere close to Coleman. Coleman played a major role in 2 Cups with the Bolts.

Don’t know who Liek is.

Step 1 ) he’s not gonna sit 4 year in college. ZERO chance cg sits 4 years in college. When was the last time top 5 pick sat 4 years in college to “become free agent”
- Stayin alive

You can gamble that is the case but the possibility and leverage is there.

Ahhhh yes the Blake wheeler example. There’s 1 out of how many? Ask yourself 20 years ago what were the rules dealing with elc contracts? Did teams burn a year by playing 1 or 2 games at end of season like now for top pick prospects? Ask yourself how much money was involved in losing 2 or more years of potential earnings?


You will never see another top 5 pick spend 4 years in college again. You have a few examples from 20 years ago or longer. Simply not ever happening again.

I was waiting for the wheeler example to come up.

For those willing to dig there are a couple more examples of players that also did this.


Decades ago
- Stayin alive

It doesn't matter where guys were originally picked, it only matters what their standing was at the time they elected to stay in school.

Fox was one of the top prospects in the world when he refused to sign with Calgary. When he was refusing to sign with Carolina his profile was even higher. This was all the way back in ancient times of 2018-2019.

4-years is the nuclear option. It doesn't have to happen all the time for the threat to shape how business is done. No team wants to push a prospect to harden and pursue that route... unless you're the Flyers.

It WASN'T.

He was great at the World Champs playing against men a month later. Briere miscalculated. Simple as that.
- Feanor

Oh really? Then why is he being absolutely ROASTED for comments about championship game? It’s obvious he’s very immature mentally.

What could possibly go wrong forcing him into situation of a professional setting. Dealing with things such as nutrition rest living quarters money management torts playing time media fans travel women fame etc etc etc etc.

The elc signing and burning of contract year would’ve and was the same philly or Anaheim.


This dude is a douche. Could just be immaturity. Obviously he wasn’t ready for nhl in March. His actions prove that.

@charlieo_conn
·
25m
Jamie Drysdale didn't deny that he was banged up pretty much all year, and wasn't 100% even from the start of his Flyers tenure. Said he didn't want to make excuses.

I asked if he might have a procedure this summer due to an injury.

"Potentially," he said with a smile.
- Feanor

Watching him yesterday (admittedly, my viewing sample is very small, so for what it is worth): I saw a guy utterly without confidence or instincts on defensive end.

He clearly has a lot of talent. It will require patience and nurture. Lot of development. Who is going to coach him into that level in a place that very rarely produces top defencemen esp with his skill set?

@charlieo_conn
·
25m
Jamie Drysdale didn't deny that he was banged up pretty much all year, and wasn't 100% even from the start of his Flyers tenure. Said he didn't want to make excuses.

I asked if he might have a procedure this summer due to an injury.

"Potentially," he said with a smile.
- Feanor

flyers acquired damaged goods, you dont say.

Oh really? Then why is he being absolutely ROASTED for comments about championship game? It’s obvious he’s very immature mentally.

What could possibly go wrong forcing him into situation of a professional setting. Dealing with things such as nutrition rest living quarters money management torts playing time media fans travel women fame etc etc etc etc.

The elc signing and burning of contract year would’ve and was the same philly or Anaheim.


This dude is a douche. Could just be immaturity. Obviously he wasn’t ready for nhl in March. His actions prove that.
- Stayin alive

Did be bang your girl or something? You're taking this very personally.

Goodrow was a mistake and the Rangers would love to dump him. He completely tanked this year.

Laughton isn’t anywhere close to Coleman. Coleman played a major role in 2 Cups with the Bolts.

Don’t know who Liek is.
- Minnyhock

yes they were close.

What? I have interest in drafting a player and just throwing him onto team. Sounds like a very STUPID way to develope a player. These are 18 year old kids. Under no circumstances should he have played straight out of draft
- Stayin alive

He wouldn't have played straight out of the draft. He was drafted in 22. He wanted to sign with the Flyers in March of 23. There was an NCAA season of hockey in between.

You keep saying this, and I disagree. That would have reduced the standoff to a game of chicken. On the one side you have a very talented young kid who wants to play elsewhere. On the other, you have a large moribund franchise committed to mediocrity.

I am not at all sure as time went on, this would have been advantageous to the Flyers. Think of the publicity. Many people have publicly sided with Gauthier's desire to play elsewhere (and been critical of the tack Flyers took): Lindros, Pronman come to mind.

When players hold out (in professional sports, happens all the time), it is very, very rare that the club simply lets them rot by invoking contract.
- PT21

Except the little fact he DIDNT WANT TO PLAY ELSEWHERE. That shoots that theory to hell. HE WANTED TO BE SIGNED AND OLAY IN PHILLY THIS WHOLE SEASON to start his elc surely.

So when told to play for 6 or 7 months at bc and then sign all of a sudden he doesn’t want to play in Philly. Nope. If that was the case he never would’ve wanted to sign to begin with. That just makes no sense.

He got pissed he didn’t get his way. Totally immature but does happen. He would’ve gotten over it real quick if db simply said we aren’t trading you and if you want to go down this path we will let you play out 4 years of college. And put the ball in his court.

And no one would’ve blamed db at all.


Please explain cg wanting to play elsewhere but also pissed at philly not signing him to elc that HE wanted in March? Make that make sense

Did you notice Frost when he was playing? I sure as hell didn't. In fact, I barely noticed him at all down the stretch in general. He is a soft player that simply doesn't have the competitive fire and you can't teach that. I did see him smiling on the bench last night though, so I guess he was having a good time. I hear he is a helleva guy though.

- Phillywhiteout

Frost's last shift he forechecked behind the net and caused a turnover but a las his wingers had already skated back out of the zone too scared to follow their hockey instincts and continue the forecheck and try and score, so they went for a change in fear of not getting another step onto the ice - which never came again anyway.

flyers acquired damaged goods, you dont say.
- hello it's me 2050

Oh really? Then why is he being absolutely ROASTED for comments about championship game? It’s obvious he’s very immature mentally.

What could possibly go wrong forcing him into situation of a professional setting. Dealing with things such as nutrition rest living quarters money management torts playing time media fans travel women fame etc etc etc etc.

The elc signing and burning of contract year would’ve and was the same philly or Anaheim.


This dude is a douche. Could just be immaturity. Obviously he wasn’t ready for nhl in March. His actions prove that.
- Stayin alive

His play on the ice is what determines if he is ready for the NHL. Not the miniscule examples of isolated comments made about the championship game. That is what NHL teams have development coaches for. To help young players deal with NHL life.