Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: No Quick Fixes, Goulbourne, and More

Again Bill, great work. Hexy said at his presser something along the lines of liking draft picks and young players. Although, patience isn't flashy or exciting, developing the young core of this team seems the likely route this season.

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: No Quick Fixes, Goulbourne, and More
- bmeltzer

I just hope Hextall gets to follow thru on his plans...not sure the "impatience" shown in past years came from GMs chair

I was suprised in a draft that was considered so deep that the Flyers Settled on a player with the skill set of Goulbourne....not so much that I don't thinks he will play one day at some level of pro hockey....I would think that maybe they hoped some off their later picks would have a better chance of getting through to them...then that of Goulbourne.
I really look forward to this years draft....even though its considered weak, I have a feeling that Hexy will suprise us .....all this downplaying of changes has me thinking hexy is laying ground work to re-work the direction of this team in the way its constructed.

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: No Quick Fixes, Goulbourne, and More
- bmeltzer

Bill,

Do you think Jake Virtanen will drop due to his shoulder injury and would you take him at 17 if there? I like him and think that would be a good risk at 17 with high reward.

Bill,

Do you think Jake Virtanen will drop due to his shoulder injury and would you take him at 17 if there? I like him and think that would be a good risk at 17 with high reward.
- J35Bacher

Not Bill , but if Virtanen is there at 17, sprint to the podium & take him

I like what you said about the draft being bruatally inexact science.

I don't get worked up passed the initial knee jerk reaction of a questionable pick. For me, I look at the organization and I see professional scouts and others that get together for days and days to discuss perhaps 100s of players. This group of people are the people I trust. Sure, I look and certainly consider what OB amd PhillySportsGuy have to say, bit the reality is the Flyers end up selecting a player for sound reasons that are agreed upon by people much after than me and much more "in the loop" than I or anyone else here is, Bill included.

Bottom line is I trust the scouts and the hockey personnel and trust their justifications for making a selection.

Moreover, to the exact science thing, it's completely true. I love it when people say WE COULDA HAD PK SUBBAN INSTEAD WE PICKED KEVIN MARSHALL. well, yes, because the Flyers (and all other teams, some of them twice) passed on him for another player for reasons they deemed justifiable and sound. If they could see into the future, they would have picked Subban. He would be a top 10 pick.

You just don't know. Drafting is a lot of luck.

Not Bill , but if Virtanen is there at 17, sprint to the podium & take him
- Jsaquella

I am curiious if he will drop. I think he has first line potential and could be the winger g and voracek could use. I like him and Nick Ritchie. Would love Bennett but don't think he is possible at all unless hexy make some great deal to pick top 2

I just hope Hextall gets to follow thru on his plans...not sure the "impatience" shown in past years came from GMs chair
- Jsaquella

Seriously. as I have repeated like a broken record, Snider swore up and down after the "Lost season" the Flyers would get back to building like they did in the 70's and 80's.....the draft. No more moving kids and picks. Obviously that lasted all of one season.

I like what you said about the draft being bruatally inexact science.

I don't get worked up passed the initial knee jerk reaction of a questionable pick. For me, I look at the organization and I see professional scouts and others that get together for days and days to discuss perhaps 100s of players. This group of people are the people I trust. Sure, I look and certainly consider what OB amd PhillySportsGuy have to say, bit the reality is the Flyers end up selecting a player for sound reasons that are agreed upon by people much after than me and much more "in the loop" than I or anyone else here is, Bill included.

Bottom line is I trust the scouts and the hockey personnel and trust their justifications for making a selection.

Moreover, to the exact science thing, it's completely true. I love it when people say WE COULDA HAD PK SUBBAN INSTEAD WE PICKED KEVIN MARSHALL. well, yes, because the Flyers (and all other teams, some of them twice) passed on him for another player for reasons they deemed justifiable and sound. If they could see into the future, they would have picked Subban. He would be a top 10 pick.

You just don't know. Drafting is a lot of luck.
- Giroux_Is_God

Yeah. I mean look how far datsyuk and zetterburg were drafted. Thinks teams regret that now. Picking 18-20 year olds is tough.

I hadn't really heard of Anthony Duclair before. That would be a nice prospect to have in the system.

My favorite part:

The limited free agent options are the number one reason why the Flyers overpaid Mark Streit last summer fter acquiring his rights from the Islanders was that they still had to pay him according to open market prices to get him to forgo unrestricted free agency. It is also the same reason why the team committed a lengthy big-dollar extension to Andrew MacDonald to pre-empt his UFA status. That's the price to pay for having traded away so many draft picks over the years and for not having NHL-ready defensemen in the farm system who are currently capable of filling top-six roles on an every game basis.

The cost of doing business will be paid, one way or another. No good defensive prospects of your own? Time to trade. Want to lock up a player before other teams can lure him away? Time to (over)pay.

I like what you said about the draft being bruatally inexact science.

I don't get worked up passed the initial knee jerk reaction of a questionable pick. For me, I look at the organization and I see professional scouts and others that get together for days and days to discuss perhaps 100s of players. This group of people are the people I trust. Sure, I look and certainly consider what OB amd PhillySportsGuy have to say, bit the reality is the Flyers end up selecting a player for sound reasons that are agreed upon by people much after than me and much more "in the loop" than I or anyone else here is, Bill included.

Bottom line is I trust the scouts and the hockey personnel and trust their justifications for making a selection.

Moreover, to the exact science thing, it's completely true. I love it when people say WE COULDA HAD PK SUBBAN INSTEAD WE PICKED KEVIN MARSHALL. well, yes, because the Flyers (and all other teams, some of them twice) passed on him for another player for reasons they deemed justifiable and sound. If they could see into the future, they would have picked Subban. He would be a top 10 pick.

You just don't know. Drafting is a lot of luck.
- Giroux_Is_God

With him, it's always an exact science. It's just science.

TBH, I probably don't know nearly as much as Jsaq, Tomahawk, MOAT or OB when it comes to the draft.

With him, it's always an exact science. It's just science.

TBH, I probably don't know nearly as much as Jsaq, Tomahawk, MOAT or OB when it comes to the draft.
- PhillySportsGuy

My point still stands

Ugh, I cringe at the idea of over-looking two 50 goal scorers and taking Goulbourne who will probably never equate to anything outside the AHL

I'm glad Holmgren isn't drafting anymore, outside the first round, his drafting record is horrendous.

I like what you said about the draft being bruatally inexact science.

I don't get worked up passed the initial knee jerk reaction of a questionable pick. For me, I look at the organization and I see professional scouts and others that get together for days and days to discuss perhaps 100s of players. This group of people are the people I trust. Sure, I look and certainly consider what OB amd PhillySportsGuy have to say, bit the reality is the Flyers end up selecting a player for sound reasons that are agreed upon by people much after than me and much more "in the loop" than I or anyone else here is, Bill included.

Bottom line is I trust the scouts and the hockey personnel and trust their justifications for making a selection.

Moreover, to the exact science thing, it's completely true. I love it when people say WE COULDA HAD PK SUBBAN INSTEAD WE PICKED KEVIN MARSHALL. well, yes, because the Flyers (and all other teams, some of them twice) passed on him for another player for reasons they deemed justifiable and sound. If they could see into the future, they would have picked Subban. He would be a top 10 pick.

You just don't know. Drafting is a lot of luck.
- Giroux_Is_God

Well, I think it is an exact science. There's a reason why Shea Weber was the #1 overall selection in his draft year.

Ugh, I cringe at the idea of over-looking two 50 goal scorers and taking Goulbourne who will probably never equate to anything outside the AHL

I'm glad Holmgren isn't drafting anymore, outside the first round, his drafting record is horrendous.
- Flyers_V88

Which 50-goal scorers are you referring to?

Not Bill , but if Virtanen is there at 17, sprint to the podium & take him
- Jsaquella

Totally agree

Interesting fact that I just came along that is no where near related to this topic but Ill share. Leighton was actually one of the best goalies in the KHL this year. He had .933SV% in 42 games. Although KHL stats dont mean much its nice that he is doing well for himself.

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: No Quick Fixes, Goulbourne, and More
- bmeltzer

I agree with your take on defenseman. I happen to like Niskanen, but not at $7M.

Best way to improve this team is to balance the forwards and allow them to roll 4 lines. It will help the defenseman more than any FA defenseman would imo.

I understand why they take Z2, but I would have gone after the higher upside guy and hoped Z2 was still there in the 5th. They could have looked to trade down and collect a 4th rounder too.

It would be a solid pick to get a 4th line player in the 3rd round, but those guys are much easier to find in FA than top 9 forwards or top 6 defenseman. Would it really be that hard to replace Rinaldo this year if they wanted to?

Which 50-goal scorers are you referring to?
- jmatchett383

Bjorkstrand and Duclair. Guaranteed 50 goals next season for their respective NHL teams.

Not Bill , but if Virtanen is there at 17, sprint to the podium & take him
- Jsaquella

I think Button has him weirdly low when I last looked at his ranking but honestly I think he will go late in the top 10 or early teens. There are many teams before us who would take him.

Quick Question for discussion.

The Islanders want dmen. The Flyers have cap issues. The Islander are willing to trade the 5th overall. I am not advocating just thinking out loud. Would you package the Schenns(if B. Schenn wants big raise) and 2nd rounder to move up to 5th overall. Then you have 5th overall and 17th overall. Would you replace the 2nd rounder with 17 if it got deal done?

My reason is it would help you cap situation and allow you to take to prospects if you were to keep 5 and 17. Also what if 5 and 17 allowed you to move to 1 overall and get one of the top guys.

I think Button has him weirdly low when I last looked at his ranking but honestly I think he will go late in the top 10 or early teens. There are many teams before us who would take him.
- FrmRusiaWifGlov

If he falls out of the top 10, I imagine the Flyers won't be the only ones looking to move up. There will be other teams with many more assets. Flyers aren't really stacked with 2nd and 3rd rounders over the next 2 seasons.

Also with all this draft talk. My pick for the Flyers is Kevin Fiala. He seems like he is on the rise. Hopefully he doesnt go before our pick