Bill Meltzer: Flyers Make No Big Moves in Free Agency

Bill, correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems the subject of Ellis has worsened since a few weeks ago when Chuck said he’s progressing well but lots of work to still be done. Yesterday Chuck said when or if Ellis plays and sounded like he had much more uncertainty.

Has there been more discovered with his injury that has given the Flyers more doubt on his return at all?

Bill, correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems the subject of Ellis has worsened since a few weeks ago when Chuck said he’s progressing well but lots of work to still be done. Yesterday Chuck said when or if Ellis plays and sounded like he had much more uncertainty.

Has there been more discovered with his injury that has given the Flyers more doubt on his return at all?
- arichardson22

I think it is most likely that he has made little actual progress toward playing.

Bill,

What is the road out of this? I can't remember things looking so bleak ever...

Bill Meltzer: Flyers Make No Big Moves in Free Agency
- bmeltzer

Today is 14 July 2022 and chuck fletcher is the worst GM in the history of sports

Every team in the division minus the Isles got better this offseason.

I did not want them to sign Johnny Gaudreau. However, the fact they could not even pursue him due to cap mismanagement should be an embarrassment to the Flyers. It's not though.

Honestly, what is there to be excited about with this team? It is 2011 all over again. The next GM will need 3-4 years to clean up this mess. Of course I am assuming the next GM is given that much time to course correct.

I am happy CF did not move the 2023 first rounder so far. But at this point does it really matter?

That summary looks like a rough draft obituary on Chuck Fletcher as GM of the Flyers.

Bill - you are the flyers GM. Do you sign JG for almost 70 mill over 7 years considering the flyers current situation?

Do you think that move would have been best for the org?

Bill - you are the flyers GM. Do you sign JG for almost 70 mill over 7 years considering the flyers current situation?

Do you think that move would have been best for the org?
- Joe Nardone

Bill offered his opinion in the blog

What was the purpose of buying out Lindblom? What are they doing with the cap savings from that transaction?

Who is replacing Giroux's production on a team that scored 2 goals or less an absurd 40 times last year.

I think that blog summed up it up nicely.

Well said Bill, it’s the apparent lack of direction that has us all frustrated and irritated.

The previous blog said JG was plan A, the bold face lying used car salesman GM said they never pursued him. Which is it?

The question was for Bill. Thank you.

What was the purpose of buying out Lindblom? What are they doing with the cap savings from that transaction?

Who is replacing Giroux's production on a team that scored 2 goal or less an absurd 40 times last year.
- PLindbergh31

There were two 40 goal scorers available this off-season and we walked out with DeAngelo, Nick D and Braun.

I do think Braun and Deslauriers move the needle. Just in the wrong direction. I can't see how we are any better now then when we ended the season. Farabee and Ellis out. No back up goalie. TK knows he was being shopped.

Here's the thing, though: The Flyers hired the 64-year-old, hard-driving Tortorella as head coach. They traded three draft picks and then committed a $5 million cap hit for two seasons to offensive defenseman Tony DeAngelo. They talked the talk of trying to land a high-end impact forward. Then they come away with only Nick Deslauriers (on an indefensibly long four-year term) and the return of Justin Braun as a third-pair right defense stopgap.

You can't tease big, win-now moves and go in half way without any kind of centerpiece acquisition. One way or the other, take a definitive direction. Demonstrate that there's a well-defined plan. But don't go in circles. Deslauriers and Braun do not move the needle at all.

Go Bill! Not only did they misread the OL situation but they actively used the cap space to get a worse player for longer term. I'm still not sure where all that Giroux cap savings went either, most went to TDA but there's still 3 mill or so that went somewhere.

Fire Chuck!

The question was for Bill. Thank you.
- Joe Nardone

I was opposed to seeing the Flyers sign Gaudreau. - Bill Meltzer

Some said on the boards yesterday that they would take Hextall back at this point. Hell, at this point I'd take Russ Farewell back...

What a mess.

Bill answered that exact question on the blog that you very obviously chose not to read. Read the article.

Some said on the boards yesterday that they would take Hextall back at this point. Hell, at this point I'd take Russ Farewell back...

What a mess.
- hockeylover

but true!

If the signings yesterday didn’t make the team better, my question is why even make these signings and use up again what little cap space we had left?
Why not just leave it be, go into season with what we have and bring up some younger talent when lord knows this team will not win many games again this season and the moves made will not make them a contender.
There was no need to use up cap on players we didn’t need.

Every team in the division minus the Isles got better this offseason.

I did not want them to sign Johnny Gaudreau. However, the fact they could not even pursue him due to cap mismanagement should be an embarrassment to the Flyers. It's not though.

Honestly, what is there to be excited about with this team? It is 2011 all over again. The next GM will need 3-4 years to clean up this mess. Of course I am assuming the next GM is given that much time to course correct.

I am happy CF did not move the 2023 first rounder so far. But at this point does it really matter?
- mickel25

And the Isles don't need to be done yet. They have plenty of cap space to add a player like Dylan Strome or Sonny Milano or even Nazim Kadri. They may or may not, but at least, with thier cap situation, they have options. They will surely be better.

These are the dark times my friends.

The question was for Bill. Thank you.
- Joe Nardone

Did you read his blog? He answered that in the blog.

I'm fine with not adding JG.
I hate cutting Oscar to be able to sign ND.
I'm guessing that because they didn't use that cap savings to sign tippet or frost that they don't expect to have ellis ever, so the cap recapture there will pay for signing frost and tippet