2022/23 Roster Thread III: Run It Back!

[Hollywood Cannon]

You can believe me, because I never lie, and. I'm always right.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Fletcher’s really no different than the people that make excuses for him. He too has developed a victim complex while throwing his hands up & residing to the fact there was nothing he could because he’s too incompetent to find other pathways that veer off conventional wisdom in the hockey world.

He’s definitely one of them people that look at Ristolainen & DeAngelo’s acquisitions & just chalks it up to we needed right handed defensemen & that’s the market value not realizing the market is flawed.

 

[deadhead]

If your plan completely hinged on one player & one in their mid 30’s at that. It wasn’t a good plan to begin with.

It almost would have been better if Niskanen came back that year & played like shit so the excuse would have died. Niskanen without a shadow of a doubt played at a high level that year after multiple years before that of being not so good. But what if it was just a one off?

Actually he had one off-season after they won the Cup and he played 100 games, started slow but had a solid second half.
Niskanen probably had a couple solid seasons left in him. Maybe more 2nd pair quality.
He'd been 35 in 2021-22.

But that's what happens when you try to win now, Niskanen (33), G (32), Voracek (30), JVR (30), Braun (32).

 

[JojoTheWhale]

I know there was an awful lot going on in the world, but Niskanen was borderline unplayable in those bubble playoffs. I’m not sure we can even have the conversation about anything related to him going forward from that point.

 

[Beef Invictus]

I know there was an awful lot going on in the world, but Niskanen was borderline unplayable in those bubble playoffs. I’m not sure we can even have the conversation about anything related to him going forward from that point.

They benched Ghost to motivate him.

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

I know there was an awful lot going on in the world, but Niskanen was borderline unplayable in those bubble playoffs. I’m not sure we can even have the conversation about anything related to him going forward from that point.

His suspension was a blessing when he broke Gallagher’s jaw.

 

[deadhead]

I know there was an awful lot going on in the world, but Niskanen was borderline unplayable in those bubble playoffs. I’m not sure I can say probably about anything related to him.

Yet he had the best metrics of any Flyer D-man - which is a sad commentary on some other players:

ignoring the 3 "exhibition games":

Niskanen xGF 47.33%, xGFrel +7.92
Provorov xGF 45.90%, xGFrel +6.54
Ghost xGF 41.13%, xGFrel +5.89 [4g]
Braun 40.14%, xGFrel -2.30
Sanheim 38.88%, xGFrel -4.54
Myers 38.13%, xGFrel -5.61
Hagg 37.92%, xGFrel -7.10

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Yet he had the best metrics of any Flyer D-man - which is a sad commentary on some other players:

ignoring the 3 "exhibition games":

Niskanen xGF 47.33%, xGFrel +7.92
Provorov xGF 45.90%, xGFrel +6.54
Ghost xGF 41.13%, xGFrel +5.89 [4g]
Braun 40.14%, xGFrel -2.30
Sanheim 38.88%, xGFrel -4.54
Myers 38.13%, xGFrel -5.61
Hagg 37.92%, xGFrel -7.10

That was an awful set of series from almost every player and coach. No arguments from me there. I’m just saying he clearly wasn’t the same. I believe I even said at the time it looked like he didn’t want to be there, which is not something I say lightly. I sure didn’t blame the guy, but it was just such a stark difference.

Then he retired and it came out that they knew in advance he was. So I don’t think he was coming back anyway.

 

[BigToe]

View attachment 570216

How big is your meme folder

 

[macleish1974]

I look at last year's roster and this year's roster and amazingly I will quote Yogi Berra: " It's déjà vu, all over again"; so what is the rational point of this upcoming season again?????? Unfortunately 2 years of Flyers hockey that look exactly alike is not the same as me getting 2 years older, if you get my drift.

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

How big is your meme folder

 

[Starat327]

How big is your meme folder

I would like to ask the same question, but of @JojoTheWhale

 

[JojoTheWhale]

I would like to ask the same question, but of @JojoTheWhale

Even I don’t go into the darkest corners of those Bookmarks.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

yup....

the sad part is even if hes not resigned... what am i losing by steppin away from this shitshow Org ?

nothing really...hahaaa

I’m just busting your balls.

 

[deadhead]

I look at last year's roster and this year's roster and amazingly I will quote Yogi Berra: " It's déjà vu, all over again"; so what is the rational point of this upcoming season again?????? Unfortunately 2 years of Flyers hockey that look exactly alike is not the same as me getting 2 years older, if you get my drift.

There's actually substantial differences, and by spring there will be more

1) Cates - Frost - Tippett line for a full season, when was the last time Flyers fielded a line with above average speed?
2) Allison, Laczynski healthy (cross fingers!)
3) York as a full-time starter
4) Watching Torts kick ass

At some point we'll see some of Attard, Zamula, Foerster, Wisdom, Desnoyers, Lycksell and Brink.
Meanwhile, you'll get to watch the most talented Phantoms team since ???

 

[smokey]

"We'll see where we need to put the money and which young players will be a part of the future and which young players can't cut it," Fletcher said Wednesday about the upcoming season. "It's a make-or-break year for a few of them."

So NOW he's about evaluating talent before signing them long term. Funny how vets can play like shit for many seasons and get handed a 5 x 5+ mill extension without any evaluation bc "right shot d men don't grow on trees". That quote by Fletch also implies they would give youngsters a chance to prove themselves, although it's apparent there are no roster spots for any of the players who haven't made the team yet. I'd say that comment is directed at Frost exclusively, maaaybe Tippett and Cates and York, and if things go in a fletcher's flyers-type of way, they're prolly all deemed unfitting for the NHL level and ousted before any of the patrickbrowns and nickseelers of the world because grit etc. I fear Allison and Lac and all the other non-NHL guys will be left "developing" in the AHL even in the case of injuries, bc there will always be a seat-filler like Cooper Marody you can bring up. Again, 4 x 1.75 to good ol' reliable Deslauriers, 1 x 800k "make-or-break" deal to Frost.

 

[macleish1974]

From Smokey: "4 x 1.75 to good ol' reliable Deslauriers, 1 x 800k "make-or-break" deal to Frost."

Oh, the irony of it all.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

I reassert: This team will be around .500, and in 23/24, watch out.

Foundation, progressing team this year. Separate wheat,chaff. The good young ones step up. JVR’s $7M gets applied…

Year away from being a real bitch.

 

[FlyerNutter]

I reassert: This team will be around .500, and in 23/24, watch out.

Foundation, progressing team this year. Separate wheat,chaff. The good young ones step up. JVR’s $7M gets applied…

Year away from being a real bitch.

I mean, I have nothing against them trying to be a more physical/punishing team. That is partially why long ago I chose this as a team to follow.

I enjoy Ovechkin as probably my favourite player not because he scores, but because he brings energy to the game. I think a more feisty identity isn’t a bad thing but the talent also needs to be there.

Which brings me to my question - where is the talent going to come from though? Relying on FA, and trades is not the answer imo. I just don’t see them being good enough unless they frankly do what Toronto did. Hire someone competent from the outside to change, and oversee the initial rebuild direction. A commitment to getting some top picks for a few years, in the simplest way for me to explain.

I appreciate a different viewpoint, but where is the true talent coming from staying on the current path? They are bereft of it.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

I mean, I have nothing against them trying to be a more physical/punishing team. That is partially why long ago I chose this as a team to follow.

I enjoy Ovechkin as probably my favourite player not because he scores, but because he brings energy to the game. I think a more feisty identity isn’t a bad thing but the talent also needs to be there.

Which brings me to my question - where is the talent going to come from though? Relying on FA, and trades is not the answer imo. I just don’t see them being good enough unless they frankly do what Toronto did. Hire someone competent from the outside to change, and oversee the initial rebuild direction. A commitment to getting some top picks for a few years, in the simplest way for me to explain.

I appreciate a different viewpoint, but where is the true talent coming from staying on the current path? They are bereft of it.

Setting the tone now.

Seeing which young guys step up or not.

And there’s a lot of young competition.

The winners win.

Get JVR’s $7m next summer.

And we roll from there.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Setting the tone now.

Seeing which young guys step up or not.

And there’s a lot of young competition.

The winners win.

Get JVR’s $7m next summer.

And we roll from there.

The team doesn't care when young guys step up. That's irrelevant. Player quality doesn't matter to the Flyers. If they think a player doesn't fit some arbitrary role or one that's filled, they will do everything they can to avoid playing them. That's how Fletcher works.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Would love to hear that MacEwen arbitration case.

 

[GKJ]

I thought I was told MacEwen’s re-signing was imminent

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Would love to hear that MacEwen arbitration case.

They willingly played me in 70+ games last year & the current GM just handed out a good deal to another goon?

 

[FlyerNutter]

Setting the tone now.

Seeing which young guys step up or not.

And there’s a lot of young competition.

The winners win.

Get JVR’s $7m next summer.

And we roll from there.

I very much agree with trying to give a lot of these kids a chance to play. It’s going to come with a little bit of a caveat though - because playing with a McEwen or Deslauries is going to make things a little hard to judge but there should be spots in this lineup.

I don’t think anything you suggest is wrong so to speak - but I just feel as an organization they continue to ignore the elephant in the room. They can try to win in between the lines a little more - but the basis of every contender is a talented young core that can not only match up - but exceed the performance of its counterparts.

Until I see a dedication from the Flyers to acquire that core, it’s hard to believe. I’m going to give Torts, and Thompson a chance - but there’s not a lot to work with here.