2024-25 Roster Thread #1: The Beginninging

[deadhead]

They promoted the special assistant to the GM to GM, promoted the broadcaster to president, kept the head coach, kept the assistant GM, I think kept all the assistant coaches (I can't remember if they replaced one?), kept Homer, kept all the senior advisors, added an additional crony advisor. Got rid of I think one scout. Oh and changed chairmen.

That's not exactly a house cleaning, that's just more Flyers nepotism and shuffling off a few people while replacing them with more company men.

"The special assistant" was an outsider who spent a year observing, CF definitely did not want his potential successor looking over his shoulder. Briere worked for Maine, owned by Comcast but not affiliated with the Flyers.

Jones was a national broadcaster as well as Flyers, and spent most of his NHL career with other teams.

The HC basically forced out CF and Scott when they refused to commit to a rebuild by challenging their rose colored glasses script.

There is zero evidence that any of the senior advisors have any influence. Barber had Scott's ear, Clarke was pulling strings in FLA, and Holmgren was GM/President until he retired. The last two years, other than being polite to them as alumni, not one story from anyone about their involvement with any decision.

It's almost impossible to make a "clean break" b/c in the NHL, everyone is more a matter of 3 degrees of separation at best, Briere and Jones played for a half dozen teams, Torts on his fifth team, so practically anyone they hire for any position has some connection to at least one of them.

 

[Beef Invictus]

I don’t think we talk enough about how they fired the previous GM, no one on his staff, replaced said GM with an internal candidate and no formal interview process and expected everything to be fine and dandy.

Oh I've been talking about it nonstop since they hired Briere as intern. This was always, always going to happen. It was the most predictable thing they've ever done, which is saying a lot.

We are second last in HDSH% and dead-last in PDO. It should theoretically fix over time... But if Tippet keeps shooting as he is now (I don't count last night's lucky 5-hole goal much) - who knows.

Those metrics are built to assume team's are trying all they can to score. You know, doing the setup passing that more than doubles shooting percentages, rather than keeping everything within the same half of the ice or passing well outside of the HD areas where it can matter because it might a risk. The Flyers system, by design, halves the shooting percentage they're aiming for, compared to everyone else.

It's very likely they run the whole season below average on stuff like PDO and it'll be easy to say "wow, it was just luck!" when they're "unlucky" by those metrics by their own bad design.

This is the apex of what they've been trying to do since 2012.

It's a very small sample, but it's so on brand for the toothless Flyers to healthy scratch their best ES scorer so far for Nic Deslauriers.

Player Season Totals - Natural Stat Trick

Annual tradition.

If they would leave Poehling on the 4th line where he belongs there would not be a issue. But the moron HC thinks he is a 1st or 2nd line center.

This is not an outlier either. He did his utmost to pretend Cates was a top 6 C as well. People who can't score and don't try hard to attempt it are what he loves.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Hart? Give me a break, the Flyers didn't move on from him by choice.

Lemieux was a deadline rental pickup, absolutely not someone you should give them credit for "moving out".

The last 4 players are AHL scrubs, not exactly ground breaking stuff there.

JVR's contract expired, big whoop.

So the list of people that mattered they actively moved on from is 3 players: Hayes, Provy, and TDA. Two malcontents and someone who was vastly under performing compared to his contract.

Failing to trade JVR is one of the most stunning failures of Chuck's career full of nonstop failure, I can't believe anyone would want to draw attention to it in any way as some kind of defense of management.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

This is @freakydallas13 's fault.

I have discovered today that I can construct a reasonable argument that peak Brandon Manning was a more effective NHL player than Jamie Drysdale has been to date.

 

[Beef Invictus]

"The special assistant" was an outsider who spent a year observing, CF definitely did not want his potential successor looking over his shoulder. Briere worked for Maine, owned by Comcast but not affiliated with the Flyers.

Jones was a national broadcaster as well as Flyers, and spent most of his NHL career with other teams.

The HC basically forced out CF and Scott when they refused to commit to a rebuild by challenging their rose colored glasses script.

There is zero evidence that any of the senior advisors have any influence. Barber had Scott's ear, Clarke was pulling strings in FLA, and Holmgren was GM/President until he retired. The last two years, other than being polite to them as alumni, not one story from anyone about their involvement with any decision.

It's almost impossible to make a "clean break" b/c in the NHL, everyone is more a matter of 3 degrees of separation at best, Briere and Jones played for a half dozen teams, Torts on his fifth team, so practically anyone they hire for any position has some connection to at least one of them.

This is only true if you ignore all the evidence, which has been presented nonstop. You choose to ignore it. More evidence accrues every season. You choose to ignore that too.

Willful ignorance.

Briere was never an outsider. He worked for an ECHL team owned by Comcast! How in hell can you pretend a team owned by Comcast is "outside?????!!!!"

 

[FlyerNutter]

I love this topic. It’s been my personal little pet project.

Proclaiming “changes” from the rooftops.

Dare to explain to me how the director of player development, and the assistant GM (McCauley) got their jobs on merit. After checking what their BS connections are.

 

[deadhead]

Briere was never an outsider. He worked for an ECHL team owned by Comcast! How in hell can you pretend a team owned by Comcast is "outside?????!!!!"

Outside of what? Maine had zero connection with the Flyers' organization.
It was more Comcast senior executives wanting an insurance policy.

Briere may or may not work out, but he certainly has a different perspective, an undersized offense first forward doesn't fit the "Broad Street Bully" mode.

Both Briere and Jones played for numerous teams and coaches, giving them a wider perspective than Holmgren or Clarke. They've played on bad teams and playoff teams. And Jones as a national broadcaster interacted with most of the league executives.

 

[A1LeafNation]

He is learning Torts culture though, much more valuable than trying to score 30 goals in junior.

This kid has NO chance and should be demanding a trade.

Could be a slow play until the World Juniors then they send him down when he comes back.

Who knows...

 

[trostol]

doesn't matter...Torts is not good and the other 2 heads of the hydra are in over their heads

 

[freakydallas13]

This is @freakydallas13 's fault.

I have discovered today that I can construct a reasonable argument that peak Brandon Manning was a more effective NHL player than Jamie Drysdale has been to date.

 

[BillDineen]

Foerster/TK - Couts - MM
Tippett - Frost - Foerster/TK
Bee - 3C of choice - Brink

Is what I would like to see for a while. Also curious how brink would work with MM, but Torts probably isn't

 

[Beef Invictus]

Outside of what? Maine had zero connection with the Flyers' organization.
It was more Comcast senior executives wanting an insurance policy.

Briere may or may not work out, but he certainly has a different perspective, an undersized offense first forward doesn't fit the "Broad Street Bully" mode.

Both Briere and Jones played for numerous teams and coaches, giving them a wider perspective than Holmgren or Clarke. They've played on bad teams and playoff teams. And Jones as a national broadcaster interacted with most of the league executives.

Maine was owned by Comcast Spectacor, and they assigned their GM prospect to work there for experience.

We were talking about upper Flyers management grooming Briere well before he was hired here. Going back to when Hextall was petering out, looking at the future, Briere was clearly someone they had their eye on for the future. It's why nobody was surprised when they moved fast the second the first rumor of Montreal gazing at him came out.

The idea he was some outsider and not a long-time project at the highest levels of Flyers management is completely indefensible. Total fantasy. This is like pretending it was never known the Flyers have been trying to groom Lappy for coaching and management. Or that they don't see Jason Smith, former Captain and Clarke/Homer Acquaintance, in a similar light as management and coaching prospect.

 

[Cody Webster]

Outside of what? Maine had zero connection with the Flyers' organization.
It was more Comcast senior executives wanting an insurance policy.

Briere may or may not work out, but he certainly has a different perspective, an undersized offense first forward doesn't fit the "Broad Street Bully" mode.

Both Briere and Jones played for numerous teams and coaches, giving them a wider perspective than Holmgren or Clarke. They've played on bad teams and playoff teams. And Jones as a national broadcaster interacted with most of the league executives.

Zero connections, other than being owned by Comcast...

 

[FlyerNutter]

Let’s go into another fun one.

Hanrahan, he’s been employed under my count at least 3 GMs?

* employed in a FO capacity since 1998 *

Changes. What a beautiful topic. Let’s pick somebody else

 

[WIP CALLER]

Find a girl that defends you like deady defends this organization.

 

[renberg]

This is @freakydallas13 's fault.

I have discovered today that I can construct a reasonable argument that peak Brandon Manning was a more effective NHL player than Jamie Drysdale has been to date.

To be honest IDK what any of these Flyers are as players including MM. He’s good but might be better if he a legitimate center to work with. Tortorella has changed lineups and pairings so much that none of these guys has been able to get ice time with others to create chemistry with them. Certain guys have a long leash; some a short one; others have none. Many show a lack of confidence and knowledge of what the staff wants them to do. In fairness that’s a tough way for a player to play.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

So, is Luchanko hurt? If not why did he not play in b2b?

Seems pointless to have kid in NHL just to be watching from press box

 

[Curufinwe]

So, is Luchanko hurt? If not why did he not play in b2b?

Seems pointless to have kid in NHL just to be watching from press box

Bill Meltzer says he is not hurt.

The Flyers are a broken pencil.

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

Don't gloss over the fact that we're still being told that Keith Jones wasn't "from" Philadelphia.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Let’s go into another fun one.

Hanrahan, he’s been employed under my count at least 3 GMs?

* employed in a FO capacity since 1998 *

Changes. What a beautiful topic. Let’s pick somebody else

This is my favorite one because he is the CBA/Cap guy.

Now stop and think about all the debacles he's overseen and survived, like not understanding the 35+ rule with Pronger.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Don't gloss over the fact that we're still being told that Keith Jones wasn't "from" Philadelphia.

Did he even move offices? They probably just changed the plaque on the one he had.

"Briere had no ties to the Flyers" despite working for the team owned by Flyers management is also a banger.

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

Did he even move offices? They probably just changed the plaque on the one he had.

That’s honestly beside my point. The man has been the radio forever at this point. To paint it as if he has no connection to Philadelphia is like that time we were told Nate Thompson the second time had no connection to AV and the Flyers.