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Could really use an elite forward, hopefully Cutter keeps progressing.

Could really use an elite forward, hopefully Cutter keeps progressing.
- ClaudeFather

Coupled with the way Foerster looked in his "audition", I am definitely encouraged by what I have seen.

Two big shoot first guys with some real pedigree.

Hopefully we get another solid player with the #7.

Could really use an elite forward, hopefully Cutter keeps progressing.
- ClaudeFather

Been very impressed with his game. Skating is very strong, his pace of play is very good. The speed over there is high with the bigger ice and he actually is standing out. His sneaky quick powerful release is elite….add him and Foerester to the lineup to go with Tippet, that’s definitely something to look forward to.

Coupled with the way Foerster looked in his "audition", I am definitely encouraged by what I have seen.

Two big shoot first guys with some real pedigree.

Hopefully we get another solid player with the #7.
- MBFlyerfan

Can’t remember the last time we had that

Been very impressed with his game. Skating is very strong, his pace of play is very good. The speed over there is high with the bigger ice and he actually is standing out. His sneaky quick powerful release is elite….add him and Foerester to the lineup to go with Tippet, that’s definitely something to look forward to.
- landros 2

Absolutely, maybe Chuck left us with a few nice things after all lol

Absolutely, maybe Chuck left us with a few nice things after all lol
- ClaudeFather

I think he did…I think Hexy left us with some strong assets as well. It not like everything these guys did were bad.

Absolutely, maybe Chuck left us with a few nice things after all lol
- ClaudeFather

His drafts look like they're going to turn out fairly well. Too bad he traded some many picks......

I think he did…I think Hexy left us with some strong assets as well. It not like everything these guys did were bad.
- landros 2

But do you trust Lappy to develop them?

With Jonesy stating how he believes a team needs to be constructed, I'm starting to believe RHD could be the pick at 7. I kind of think Flehr may like Sandin-Pellikka over Reinbacher. They really do not have a top 4 quality RHD in the organization right now.

Ratcliffe is doing much better in Milwaukee, who are in the AHL conference finals.

https://www.eliteprospect...er/300398/isaac-ratcliffe

Seems odd that he has got a bigger scoring role by going to a better team.

With Jonesy stating how he believes a team needs to be constructed, I'm starting to believe RHD could be the pick at 7. I kind of think Flehr may like Sandin-Pellikka over Reinbacher. They really do not have a top 4 quality RHD in the organization right now.
- Trox88

Which is a shame considering Fletcher traded for five of them in three years:

Niskanen - 6/4/2019
Braun - 6/18/2019
Ellis - 7/17/02021
Ristolainen - 7/23/2021
DeAngelo - 7/8/2022

https://theathletic.com/4...jones-dynamic-conference/

Given that Jonesy is an old-school guy and Briere is a relatively unknown quantity, can we assume that analytics will continue to be placed on the back burner under the new regime? — Bill F.

There are really two sides to this answer, so I’ll try to go into both.

I do not believe that the Jonesy hire means that analytics will be ignored in the new Flyers’ regime. Jones is, undoubtedly, more of an old-school thinker in terms of hockey. But he’s not so anti-analytics that he’s going to advocate for freezing them out of the decision-making process. In a post-news conference scrum, Jones said the following regarding analytics, turning directly to me and giving a smirk as he said it.

“We have the resources to bring in anybody we want,” he said. “I mean, this is a fact — whether it’s analytics, we have resources, we’re gonna build. That’s a fact. We want to be creative, we want to have the best people working for us to make us look smart.”

So don’t interpret the Jones hire as the Flyers going back to the pure eye test era. In fact, I could see the Flyers further expanding their analytics department in the coming months and years under Jones and Briere.

The biggest question is how much value will be placed on new-school, analytics ways of evaluating players in the team-building process. And it’s totally fair to question whether that will take a back seat to gut feel and traditional eye testing, given the presence of Jones and John Tortorella within the triumvirate. Briere is open to analytics, yes, but he’s also a former player, and now he’s going to have two people in his ear who likely will be encouraging him to lean more toward more old-school ways of thinking. Having a large, well-funded and intelligent analytics department is important. But what is more important is whether the people at the top actually listen to them.

That said, as I said, I don’t think Jones is fully closed off to their importance, and Tortorella isn’t nearly as anti-analytics as he lets on — use the words “scoring chances” instead of “expected goals” and you’ll realize very quickly that Tortorella definitely looks at and values numbers and objective, stat-based analysis of player performance. Briere, however, is going to have to be the one to drive the bus if the Flyers are going to really lean on the value of the analytics department and their findings.

------------------

Charlie O'Connor seems to have a somewhat optimistic view of analytics under the new regime and he is right about one thing, you can spend as much money as you want and have the best analytics department but if you don't listen to them it's just wasted money.

That being said do we think they've been throwing money at the right people or do they have the right people and they were just ignored?

Which is a shame considering Fletcher traded for five of them:

Niskanen
Braun
Ristolainen
Ellis
DeAngelo
- Feanor

It is absolute carnage. I do believe the last time the Flyers used a 1st rd pick for a RHD was in a trafe for Steve Eminger. Too bad the Caps used the pick to select John Carlsson. It really is amazing the difficulty the organization has incurred trying to fill a top 4 RHD slot for any length of time. Has there been anyone since Desjardins?

Ratcliffe is doing much better in Milwaukee, who are in the AHL conference finals.

https://www.eliteprospect...er/300398/isaac-ratcliffe

Seems odd that he has got a bigger scoring role by going to a better team.
- Feanor

This I saw as well….the Flyers can’t afford to miss on these type of prospects.

But do you trust Lappy to develop them?
- Flyers_01

Not sure….hopefully they start to see some results.

Ratcliffe is doing much better in Milwaukee, who are in the AHL conference finals.

https://www.eliteprospect...er/300398/isaac-ratcliffe

Seems odd that he has got a bigger scoring role by going to a better team.
- Feanor

yet he did next to nothing for the phantoms in 3 years. Sometimes players need a change to progress.

https://theathletic.com/4...jones-dynamic-conference/

Given that Jonesy is an old-school guy and Briere is a relatively unknown quantity, can we assume that analytics will continue to be placed on the back burner under the new regime? — Bill F.

There are really two sides to this answer, so I’ll try to go into both.

I do not believe that the Jonesy hire means that analytics will be ignored in the new Flyers’ regime. Jones is, undoubtedly, more of an old-school thinker in terms of hockey. But he’s not so anti-analytics that he’s going to advocate for freezing them out of the decision-making process. In a post-news conference scrum, Jones said the following regarding analytics, turning directly to me and giving a smirk as he said it.

“We have the resources to bring in anybody we want,” he said. “I mean, this is a fact — whether it’s analytics, we have resources, we’re gonna build. That’s a fact. We want to be creative, we want to have the best people working for us to make us look smart.”

So don’t interpret the Jones hire as the Flyers going back to the pure eye test era. In fact, I could see the Flyers further expanding their analytics department in the coming months and years under Jones and Briere.

The biggest question is how much value will be placed on new-school, analytics ways of evaluating players in the team-building process. And it’s totally fair to question whether that will take a back seat to gut feel and traditional eye testing, given the presence of Jones and John Tortorella within the triumvirate. Briere is open to analytics, yes, but he’s also a former player, and now he’s going to have two people in his ear who likely will be encouraging him to lean more toward more old-school ways of thinking. Having a large, well-funded and intelligent analytics department is important. But what is more important is whether the people at the top actually listen to them.

That said, as I said, I don’t think Jones is fully closed off to their importance, and Tortorella isn’t nearly as anti-analytics as he lets on — use the words “scoring chances” instead of “expected goals” and you’ll realize very quickly that Tortorella definitely looks at and values numbers and objective, stat-based analysis of player performance. Briere, however, is going to have to be the one to drive the bus if the Flyers are going to really lean on the value of the analytics department and their findings.

------------------

Charlie O'Connor seems to have a somewhat optimistic view of analytics under the new regime and he is right about one thing, you can spend as much money as you want and have the best analytics department but if you don't listen to them it's just wasted money.

That being said do we think they've been throwing money at the right people or do they have the right people and they were just ignored?
- Flyers_01

I have to admit, when I read that article it scared the crap out of me. "Old school" imo, is what got us here to begin with. I hope the triumvirate is watching this final four and learning the right lessons about what analytics can do.

Charlie O'Connor seems to have a somewhat optimistic view of analytics under the new regime and he is right about one thing, you can spend as much money as you want and have the best analytics department but if you don't listen to them it's just wasted money.

That being said do we think they've been throwing money at the right people or do they have the right people and they were just ignored?
- Flyers_01

In some cases, it's obvious that they were ignored (ie Ristolainen, Angelo). The key with analytics is having the stats to implement and adjust with the info given. Tulsky works so well in Carolina due to the relationship he has with Brind'Amour and how Brindy is able to take the info and apply it to the on ice situaiton and terms of systems and strategy.

With Jonesy stating how he believes a team needs to be constructed, I'm starting to believe RHD could be the pick at 7. I kind of think Flehr may like Sandin-Pellikka over Reinbacher. They really do not have a top 4 quality RHD in the organization right now.
- Trox88

If Provorov is serious about being traded and the Flyers agree to move on. I’m trying to trade Provorov the second the Stanley Cup is handed out and I’m making that pick at 7th based on what the Provorov return is. I think we equally need a young skilled center as much as a top tier defenseman. Hopefully Briere can manage to bring in both.

Coupled with the way Foerster looked in his "audition", I am definitely encouraged by what I have seen.

Two big shoot first guys with some real pedigree.

Hopefully we get another solid player with the #7.
- MBFlyerfan

Now they need to draft more dmen and centers who will be capable of getting those shooters the puck in scoring position.

Charlie O'Connor seems to have a somewhat optimistic view of analytics under the new regime and he is right about one thing, you can spend as much money as you want and have the best analytics department but if you don't listen to them it's just wasted money.

That being said do we think they've been throwing money at the right people or do they have the right people and they were just ignored?
- Flyers_01

I'm not falling for it again.

I remember feeling optimistic about Hexy when he first got here from LA, hoping he'd push the franchise into the 21st century, but it was just more of the same unfortunate go-with-the-gut type of decision making. Then Fletch came in with his Harvard Law degree and all the talk of expanding the department... and ended up making even bigger avoidable mistakes like RR and Hayes.

Camillo will call Danny B "analytical" all she wants, but I'm not buying any of it. It certainly doesn't smell like some new analytical dawn, especially with Torts firmly entrenched and looming over everything. What Jonesy thinks about any of it is probably gonna be irrelevant anyway.

https://theathletic.com/4...jones-dynamic-conference/

Given that Jonesy is an old-school guy and Briere is a relatively unknown quantity, can we assume that analytics will continue to be placed on the back burner under the new regime? — Bill F.

There are really two sides to this answer, so I’ll try to go into both.

I do not believe that the Jonesy hire means that analytics will be ignored in the new Flyers’ regime. Jones is, undoubtedly, more of an old-school thinker in terms of hockey. But he’s not so anti-analytics that he’s going to advocate for freezing them out of the decision-making process. In a post-news conference scrum, Jones said the following regarding analytics, turning directly to me and giving a smirk as he said it.

“We have the resources to bring in anybody we want,” he said. “I mean, this is a fact — whether it’s analytics, we have resources, we’re gonna build. That’s a fact. We want to be creative, we want to have the best people working for us to make us look smart.”

So don’t interpret the Jones hire as the Flyers going back to the pure eye test era. In fact, I could see the Flyers further expanding their analytics department in the coming months and years under Jones and Briere.

The biggest question is how much value will be placed on new-school, analytics ways of evaluating players in the team-building process. And it’s totally fair to question whether that will take a back seat to gut feel and traditional eye testing, given the presence of Jones and John Tortorella within the triumvirate. Briere is open to analytics, yes, but he’s also a former player, and now he’s going to have two people in his ear who likely will be encouraging him to lean more toward more old-school ways of thinking. Having a large, well-funded and intelligent analytics department is important. But what is more important is whether the people at the top actually listen to them.

That said, as I said, I don’t think Jones is fully closed off to their importance, and Tortorella isn’t nearly as anti-analytics as he lets on — use the words “scoring chances” instead of “expected goals” and you’ll realize very quickly that Tortorella definitely looks at and values numbers and objective, stat-based analysis of player performance. Briere, however, is going to have to be the one to drive the bus if the Flyers are going to really lean on the value of the analytics department and their findings.

------------------

Charlie O'Connor seems to have a somewhat optimistic view of analytics under the new regime and he is right about one thing, you can spend as much money as you want and have the best analytics department but if you don't listen to them it's just wasted money.

That being said do we think they've been throwing money at the right people or do they have the right people and they were just ignored?
- Flyers_01

Does anyone else picture this guy when the Flyers talk about being smart?

If they draft BPA at #7 instead of reaching for a dman like they did in ten years ago, that would be a good start.

If they draft BPA at #7 instead of reaching for a dman like they did in ten years ago, that would be a good start.
- Feanor

BPA at #7 could legit be a dman, tho.

In hindsight we wish they would have reached for a dman in 2017