Flyers' History: When Is The Last Time You Felt Good About This Team?

[Hollywood Cannon]

With the writing on the wall basically about who the next coach will be I figured I’d make this.

The title is pretty much self explanatory with what I’m looking for here but it can be both in a micro or macro way.

I’m looking for single moves that you could point to that made you think positively or just all encompassing time and date.

I know everyone’s general sense will probably say 2010 or so.

I’m thinking back myself about micro things and they’re all fleeting moments that have big gaps in between.

Semi in chronological order with what first pops into my head:

Michkov coming over
Drafting Michkov
Ryan Ellis trade
Stadium Series OT Winner
“Winning” the draft lottery for Patrick
Giroux’s MVP season
Ghost’s rookie season
The OT against the Jets

That’s basically all I’ve got off the top of my head but I have a ton of kicks in the balls during that time period.

Little reward to this whole thing.

So let’s hear some highlights that others may have over the last few years that I and others may have forgotten about as we all traverse this shit mountain.

 

[mja]

With the writing on the wall basically about who the next coach will be I figured I’d make this.

The title is pretty much self explanatory with what I’m looking for here but it can be both in a micro or macro way.

I’m looking for single moves that you could point to that made you think positively or just all encompassing time and date.

I know everyone’s general sense will probably say 2010 or so.

I’m thinking back myself about micro things and they’re all fleeting moments that have big gaps in between.

Semi in chronological order with what first pops into my head:

Michkov coming over
Drafting Michkov
Ryan Ellis trade
Stadium Series OT Winner
“Winning” the draft lottery for Patrick
Giroux’s MVP season
Ghost’s rookie season
The OT against the Jets

That’s basically all I’ve got off the top of my head but I have a ton of kicks in the balls during that time period.

Little reward to this whole thing.

So let’s hear some highlights that others may have over the last few years that I and others may have forgotten about as we all traverse this shit mountain.

Hakstol’s firing was the last moment in which I genuinely felt good about the team.

 

[Magua]

2017 summer into 2018 fall. You had Patrick just drafted, career years from all their best players (Giroux started the season at age 29!). Even if we didn’t like Hakstok — and he dicked around hard with Sanheim that year — it still felt like there was time enough to fix that, although that’s where the Hextall doubt started creeping in. You had Hart *eek* on the horizon, JVR signing in the 2018 summer, Lindblom had recently come over. Just a lot of reasons to think it could coalesce quickly the following season or two.

The Covid season just felt like a dead cat bounce. That’s the only possible answer? I definitely enjoyed much of that year — it’s the last time I remember caring — but it never felt like a window.

 

[MacDonald4MVP]

2017 summer into 2018 fall. You had Patrick, career years from all their best players (Giroux started the season at 29!). Even if we didn’t like Hakstok — and he dicked around hard with Sanheim that year — it still felt like there was time enough to fix that. You had Hart *eek* on the horizon, JVR signing in the 2018 summer, Lindblom had recently come over. Just a lot of reasons to think it could coalesce quickly the following season or two.

The Covid season just felt like a dead cat bounce. That’s the only possible answer. I definitely enjoyed much of that year, but it never felt like a window.

Have to agree. And then immediate collapse to start 2018-19 with Neuvirth Elliot duo and everything that followed had me sober up.

 

[CerpinTaxt]

Honestly I felt good about the team up until 2018 draft. Sure the hankstank years were up and down but Hextall had cleared out all the bad cap, was drafting what seemed like good draft choices. Even if there were some questions with some of the picks it still felt like movement in the right direction. The trade acquisitions he made were kinda shit and some of his FA signings as well, but it all seemed like a move towards the future. Still had a good core with some nice up and comers.

Then 2018 draft came. Farabee pick I'd say everyone at the time was happy with (and he was a good draft choice given his profile as an NHL player), but then came the Jay Obrien pick. Again very questionable but it seemed like trying to take an upside swing with a 2nd 1st rd pick. Where it all came crashing down was the Adam Ginning pick. Every pick up to that point seemed like it had a reason and then they selected someone who profiled to be a worse Robert Hagg. With a 2nd rd pick no less. I thought what the hell is this? They've never had such a clunker of a pick this high

From there it felt like the writing was on the wall. Something had shifted. Hextall was fired that same year and we were gifted ole chuckie Fletcher. Besides small little things here or there haven't really felt good about the team since then.

 

[Curufinwe]

Right before Covid

 

[Strawberry Fields]

2020

 

[BigToe]

That beautiful period of time between the Michkov and Bonk picks. Thought things changed.

 

[Beef Invictus]

I suppose the last time I felt good was early Hextall. Before all the happenings.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

Honestly I felt good about the team up until 2018 draft. Sure the hankstank years were up and down but Hextall had cleared out all the bad cap, was drafting what seemed like good draft choices. Even if there were some questions with some of the picks it still felt like movement in the right direction. The trade acquisitions he made were kinda shit and some of his FA signings as well, but it all seemed like a move towards the future. Still had a good core with some nice up and comers.

Then 2018 draft came. Farabee pick I'd say everyone at the time was happy with (and he was a good draft choice given his profile as an NHL player), but then came the Jay Obrien pick. Again very questionable but it seemed like trying to take an upside swing with a 2nd 1st rd pick. Where it all came crashing down was the Adam Ginning pick. Every pick up to that point seemed like it had a reason and then they selected someone who profiled to be a worse Robert Hagg. With a 2nd rd pick no less. I thought what the hell is this? They've never had such a clunker of a pick this high

From there it felt like the writing was on the wall. Something had shifted. Hextall was fired that same year and we were gifted ole chuckie Fletcher. Besides small little things here or there haven't really felt good about the team since then.

I had thought the Hagg pick was well received. He had some offensive upside and seemed a pretty solid prospect. Then the Flyers decided to turn him into something else and well we know how that ended.

 

[FatTugboatFlahr]

2017 summer into 2018 fall. You had Patrick just drafted, career years from all their best players (Giroux started the season at age 29!). Even if we didn’t like Hakstok — and he dicked around hard with Sanheim that year — it still felt like there was time enough to fix that, although that’s where the Hextall doubt started creeping in. You had Hart *eek* on the horizon, JVR signing in the 2018 summer, Lindblom had recently come over. Just a lot of reasons to think it could coalesce quickly the following season or two.

The Covid season just felt like a dead cat bounce. That’s the only possible answer? I definitely enjoyed much of that year — it’s the last time I remember caring — but it never felt like a window.

That covid year was special. Multiple shit-kickings of the Caps and Rags vividly stand out.

Horace Grant kick pass alert.

Christmas that year, I promised my Dad playoff tickets. Still owe him those...

 

[macleish1974]

The day before MacLeish was injured. The only fast guy on the team that might keep up with the Canadiens in ‘76. Of course that is hindsight blindness or foolishness but here I am. With that thought.

Nothing better than thinking of the Three-peat. The Flyers didn’t do it, but the feeling was palpable. Most of you don’t know that feeling. Perhaps when I am dead in a few years , this regime will make that happen, a Three-peat euphoria !

Song for the day

 

[Rebels57]

Right before Covid

Thats rarely discussed anymore but from NYE 2020 to the Covid stoppage, they were the best team in the NHL and were destroying teams. Best hockey a Flyers team played since probably 2011? They rocketed up to #1 on the MoneyPuck Cup odds. Then the Hockey Gods noticed what was happening and brewed up a global pandemic (allegedly).

 

[Rebels57]

I suppose the last time I felt good was early Hextall. Before all the happenings.

The 2016 German Rubtsov / Pascal Laberge pics were such a kick in the nuts after drafting Konecny and Provorov in the 2015 1st round. Whiffing on both picks was a serious setback in Hextalls rebuild. 5 picks in the first 2 rounds of 2016 and they walked away with one quality player in Hart...and we know how that ended. Patrick ill cut him some slack on.

 

[BringBackHakstol]

When Fletcher made those stupid deadline moves to get Thompson and Grant I think my wavering support really evaporated entirely

 

[freakydallas13]

The 2016 German Rubtsov / Pascal Laberge pics were such a kick in the nuts after drafting Konecny and Provorov in the 2015 1st round. Whiffing on both picks was a serious setback in Hextalls rebuild. 5 picks in the first 2 rounds of 2016 and they walked away with one quality player in Hart...and we know how that ended. Patrick ill cut him some slack on.

I mean Hart is obviously a PoS but you can't fault Hextall for that when he drafted him. That was a potential franchise goaltender.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

The moment I turned was the Filppula trade. They valued him as a positive asset. So the minute before that trade broke on 3/1/2017 is my answer.

I didn't enjoy that 19-20 season as much as others did because they had hired the coach i just watch destroy the favorite team of a significant portion of my friends. But I understand others did. I'm envious of that. Might be the last run for a decade.

It was technically before that, but the Winnipeg OT Goal might be the last memorable moment of pure on ice joy. I'm glad that made the list.

 

[Beef Invictus]

The moment I turned was the Filppula trade. They valued him as a positive asset. So the minute before that trade broke on 3/1/2017 is my answer.

I didn't enjoy that 19-20 season as much as others did because they had hired the coach i just watch destroy the favorite team of a significant portion of my friends. But I understand others did. I'm envious of that. Might be the last run for a decade.

It was technically before that, but the Winnipeg OT Goal might be the last memorable moment of pure on ice joy. I'm glad that made the list.

I have recollection of being where you were with AV and for the same reasons. Just waiting for the lack of enforced structure to collapse.


I didn't have "AV retreats into a ludicrously cautious attempt at defense" in my expectations though. Which is why I've come to think all those defensive turns in coaches were team-mandated from on high.

 

[FLYguy3911]

2012 - Game 1 against the Devils.

The moment I turned was the Filppula trade. They valued him as a positive asset. So the minute before that trade broke on 3/1/2017 is my answer.

He retired today btw.

 

[freakydallas13]

2012 - Game 1 against the Devils.

Yeah the last time I was excited about this team was absolutely before that Devils series. I just remember watching those games feeling like the team was so lifeless and there was no chance they were winning that series.

Everything since has either been a general malaise or outright anger at the team's stupidity, with small peaks of serotonin sprinkled in like Ghost's rookie season or winning the lottery in 2017.

 

[CerpinTaxt]

I had thought the Hagg pick was well received. He had some offensive upside and seemed a pretty solid prospect. Then the Flyers decided to turn him into something else and well we know how that ended.

You're right the Hagg pick was well received at the time, and you're right again then the Flyers turned him into trash. Then they picked an even worse version of the worse version of Hagg as a 2nd rd pick

 

[FLYguy3911]

Yeah the last time I was excited about this team was absolutely before that Devils series. I just remember watching those games feeling like the team was so lifeless and there was no chance they were winning that series.

Everything since has either been a general malaise or outright anger at the team's stupidity, with small peaks of serotonin sprinkled in like Ghost's rookie season or winning the lottery in 2017.

13 years to the day btw.

That 2012 team was genuinely fun to watch and the last time I can say I truly enjoyed watching the Flyers play...and that team lost a HoF defenseman in the first month of the season! Maybe I just didn't know they sport well enough back then that I was able to overlook certain things that I can't now. Also up until that point, aside from that 06-07 season, the Flyers were pretty much always great going back to when I could first comprehend hockey as a kid, so it was natural to have hope. Now we have this...hopeless.

There have been moments in between where I had hope.

• When Ghost signed - he immediately blew out his knee
• When Hextall seemed to have a feasible plan - he had hired his son's college coach who sapped the joy out of the games.
• Following the prospects after the 2015 draft, they were truly stacked - they then treated Provy like a God amongst everyone else when he wasn't that guy
• Winning the 2017 lottery - we know how that ends
• the 2020 run before Covid - I never really believed that team was a Cup contender even though the numbers were favorable but it was nice to see them pump teams for a change.

 

[CerpinTaxt]

The 2016 German Rubtsov / Pascal Laberge pics were such a kick in the nuts after drafting Konecny and Provorov in the 2015 1st round. Whiffing on both picks was a serious setback in Hextalls rebuild. 5 picks in the first 2 rounds of 2016 and they walked away with one quality player in Hart...and we know how that ended. Patrick ill cut him some slack on.

Is this a little bit of hindsight bias? I thought that when the draft happened most on here thought they had a pretty good crop. I don't remember any egregious picks left on the table ala Buium/Luchanko. Maybe Rubtsov and Laberge still don't amount to much but injuries I think played a pretty big part in that.

It is a shame Wade Allison didn't turn out to be much cause he also looked promising.

 

[CanadianFlyer88]

Definitely the Covid season for me.

I hated the Hayes signing and some of the other roster moves that year, but it really looked like they caught lightning in a bottle. Sometimes it's a fluke season like that to end a championship drought.

That was a fun year until the league shutdown. The team was never the same again, afterwards, which is not surprising.

The last time the team was truly fun to watch, though, which is generally all I care about, was Ghost's rookie year and the season or two afterwards.

The Flyers choosing the whims of coaches like AV and Torts over keeping players that actually provide entertaining hockey is a path they have a chance to get off of now. Today's Tocchet news makes me uneasy that they'll stick to an approach that will keep this franchise irrelevant.

 

[DAVIDE1333]

Question for everyone. Would or should we be happy if we won a Cup during the COVID season?