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

[Halladay]

December 2010

 

[JojoTheWhale]

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

My answer to this is that the single stupidest Flyers post I’ve ever seen was that weird guy that works with COC now saying he didn’t want the Flyers to win that Cup because he couldn’t go to a parade.

 

[Rebels57]

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.

No one wanted Rubtsov or Laberge. Neither were on anyones radars like DeBrincat was, for example.

 

[Magua]

My answer to this is that the single stupidest Flyers post I’ve ever seen was that weird guy that works with COC now saying he didn’t want the Flyers to win that Cup because he couldn’t go to a parade.

Now, I’m thinking about Flyers Artie Lange and COC going to a parade together. Artie being uncomfortably into it, and Charlie uncomfortably bringing his indie emo concert aura.

No one wanted Rubtsov or Laberge.

That’s revisionist, cuz. Rubtsov was one of the most popular targets.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

I am more than happy to own up to preferring Rubtsov to the other options at the time. I did not give a single shit about the doping scandal. Clearly that did not work out.

 

[Magua]

I am more than happy to own up to preferring Rubtsov to the other options at the time. I did not give a single shit about the doping scandal. Clearly that did not work out.

Not playing at the u18s was seen as a positive because most people thought his stock would rise.

In hindsight, it was my first taste in understanding the shit show of MHL scouting. I honestly learned a lot about what to look for in prospects because Rubtsov fell on his face.

 

[Rebels57]

Now, I’m thinking about Flyers Artie Lange and COC going to a parade together. Artie being uncomfortably into it, and Charlie uncomfortably bringing his indie emo concert aura.



That’s revisionist, cuz. Rubtsov was one of the most popular targets.

Really? I dont remember that for some reason. I feel like I remember Max Jones and Riley Tufte being discussed more (not that they would have been much better in hindsight). 9 years is a long time though.

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

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

Mickey Mouse for thee but not for me.

 

[FLYguy3911]

I once saw Rubtsov take over a game with Cale Makar on the opposing blue line. That must have been good dope.

Rubtsov was also listed at like ~6'2 his entire draft year up until the combine and he looked like he could become a power forward of sorts with his puck possession style, but turned out he was actually much smaller and he was too stiff of a skater and puck handler with no deception like Provorov. Combine that with being extremely passive...

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Not playing at the u18s was seen as a positive because most people thought his stock would rise.

In hindsight, it was my first taste in understanding the shit show of MHL scouting. I honestly learned a lot about what to look for in prospects because Rubtsov fell on his face.

Acadie-Bathurst that year and the one before helped me so much. Seeing both Rubtsov and Vladimir Kuznetsov fail taught me well. Even a dope like me never believed in Antoine Morand at least. Small victories.

 

[Magua]

Really? I dont remember that for some reason. I feel like I remember Max Jones and Riley Tufte being discussed more (not that they would have been much better in hindsight). 9 years is a long time though.

Jones and Tufte were our nightmares, fueled by dumb mock drafts. We wanted Rubtsov at that pick.

 

[freakydallas13]

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

A COVID cup would feel a million times better than living my life and never seeing a cup, which is the most likely scenario at current time.

 

[GKJ]

The Flyers were Round Robin champions and that will live forever.

 

[trostol]

I think I've done too much weed to remember that far back

 

[Taijuan Fedotov]

The 2017-18 season was a great one. Probably the last time I really cared about the minutiae of the team.

2017-18 Philadelphia Flyers Roster, Stats, Injuries, Scores, Results, Shootouts | Hockey-Reference.com

Giroux 100+ pts which was unthinkable for a Flyer.
Couturier broke out for 76 pts.
Voracek at a PPG.
Ghost 65 pts.
Provorov 17 goals.

Had a strong prospect pool with a 19 year old Patrick and a 20 year old Konecny on the NHL roster.

Part of the reason I'm so bearish on this current team is that core I just highlighted accomplished absolutely nothing, and as of today they are currently nowhere close to having that kind of firepower.

 

[Hakroach]

I was happy when Hakstok was fired. Then they signed Chuckles and AV and I knew there is no hope.

 

[Lord Defect]

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.

I want to say 2010 but this is probably the right answer

 

[dragonoffrost]

I'll go with the day before Fletcher was hired. As with Hextall we had hope. Hired Fletcher, Hired AV.... Hired Torts.... SPIRAL

 

[ybnvs]

Truly? When Ghost was called up. That run was so nasty and obviously one of the best of all time for a defensemen. 15 game point streak. G-V-G in 3v3 OT was cheatcode. Both Mason and Neuvy had a good year. Defense was a mishmash of misfits but we had the prospects: Ghost, ProV, Sanheim, Morin, and Hagg were the future. Am I misremembering the Flyers farm system being lauded after during this time?

We added TK and ProV the next year and it felt like things were catapulting for the Flyers to me.

And they jumped the lottery and drafted Nolan Patrick, which was surreal (I will always contend it was the correct choice at the time). Future 1C baby.

And then everything just went downhill and continued to go downhill. Even up to this day it seems like it will continue until I'm f***ing dead and I'm only 39 so hopefully there are a lot more years of The Darkest Timeline to endure.

f***.

 

[FLYguy3911]

The 2017-18 season was a great one. Probably the last time I really cared about the minutiae of the team.

2017-18 Philadelphia Flyers Roster, Stats, Injuries, Scores, Results, Shootouts | Hockey-Reference.com

Giroux 100+ pts which was unthinkable for a Flyer.
Couturier broke out for 76 pts.
Voracek at a PPG.
Ghost 65 pts.
Provorov 17 goals.

Had a strong prospect pool with a 19 year old Patrick and a 20 year old Konecny on the NHL roster.

Part of the reason I'm so bearish on this current team is that core I just highlighted accomplished absolutely nothing, and as of today they are currently nowhere close to having that kind of firepower.

And then Hakstol decided to line match Filppula against Crosby all series.

 

[MJL66]

And then Hakstol decided to line match Filppula against Crosby all series.

That's how they got to the playoffs. Hakstol receives a lot of flack but he was a better coach that Vigneault and Tortorella. He got the Flyers to the playoffs with one scoring line and using Filppula as a checking center against top lines.

 

[Appleyard]

They had a likeable and pretty enjoyable team up until around 2019-20.

2018-19 they missed of course, but you could see that if things kind of went the right way with great luck? With Hakstol gone too... Then they still had some legit high end players who could maybe get things done. There was hope!

And then in the space of a few months.

June 2019: Kevin Hayes signed to a silly deal that was obviously going to become a problem.
September 2019: Announced Patrick had a migraine disorder and his return was unknown.
October 2019: Gostisbehere gets seriously injury and then has to have surgery in January.
December 2019: Oskar Lindblom diagnosed with cancer.

While at the same time over 2019-21:
Basically none of Provorov, Sanheim or Myers develop like hoped/showed promise. (they were 22-23 going into 2019-20)
Carter Hart does not develop into the star goalie it seemed he was destined to be in first 2 seasons. (he was 21 going into 2019)
Konecny and Farabee stagnate (were 19 and 23 going into 2019... and TK only really kicked on in 22-23, at 26, when looked on cusp of being a top player from age 20)
Ryan Ellis... lmao.
Matt Niskanen... lmao.
Sean Couturier gets serious injury and we lose a top 20 C in NHL.

Which wasted the ends of the prime of Giroux and Voracek... in 2018 they were 30 and 29. Still in primes. By time 2021 rolled around? They were 33 and 32. Not too many players stay at very top after 34.

In 2019? If you squinted you could maybe see a future where they had a short window.
By 2021? It was slammed so hard shut and they still did not start a real "rebuild" for another 18 month.

ALL of Hart (21), Provorov (22), Sanheim (23), Myers (22), Gostisbehere (26), Patrick (21), Lindblom (23), Konecny (23) and Farabee (19) either stagnated or regressed under Vigneault... they were the 9 guys who, alongside Couturier (26) who were regular NHLers as teenagers or in early 20s... and who you dont expect to ALL stagnate or regress at the same time. (and Konecny and Sanheim only got back on track once AV gone, and Ghost when moved out).

 

[FLYguy3911]

That's how they got to the playoffs. Hakstol receives a lot of flack but he was a better coach that Vigneault and Tortorella. He got the Flyers to the playoffs with one scoring line and using Filppula as a checking center against top lines.

Stop. Love the guy all you want but don't tell me they made it to the playoffs because of Filppula's role. The guy was washed and got caved every night.

That team was below average in pretty much every notable metric, but they made the playoffs because the team shot over 12% when Giroux & Couturier were on the ice. That's pretty much what it came down to. That line was lights out and the Flyers actually had a threatening PP.

Hakstol may have been a good X's & O's coach, but he absolutely sucked with player usage and that's the most important thing for a coach to nail down.

 

[MJL66]

Stop. Love the guy all you want but don't tell me they made it to the playoffs because of Filppula's role. The guy was washed and got caved every night.

That team was below average in pretty much every notable metric, but they made the playoffs because the team shot over 12% when Giroux & Couturier were on the ice. That's pretty much what it came down to. That line was lights out and the Flyers actually had a threatening PP.

Hakstol may have been a good X's & O's coach, but he absolutely sucked with player usage and that's the most important thing for a coach to nail down.

LOL, yes that was the entire strategy. It's what you have to do when you have a flawed lineup. Filppula got caved in so Couturier and Giroux didn't have to play against top lines as much and were put in better situations. See the big picture. He made the most of what he had.

 

[FLYguy3911]

LOL, yes that was the entire strategy. It's what you have to do when you have a flawed lineup. Filppula got caved in so Couturier and Giroux didn't have to play against top lines as much and were put in better situations. See the big picture. He made the most of what he had.

There is no way you actually believe that. Filppula getting caved in doesn't help the top line score on the PP. That line was still playing the most so it's not exactly like they were being sheltered at ES. They were still seeing top lines. And as always QoT > QoC.

Do you know who averaged the second most TOI for that team? Andrew MacDonald who was out of the league entirely shortly after that. Fourth? Brandon Manning who was also out of the league shortly after that. Fifth? Robert Hagg who hung around a little longer because he was younger but no one else gave him the minutes Hakstol gave him.

Radko Gudas, who was and still is good, was 5/6 for D minutes that year and may have been lower if Hakstol gave Sanheim any rope. Sanheim exploding shortly after Hakstol got fired is a whole other topic.

It wasn't an all-time roster or anything but he certainly had a hand in how the talent on that roster was viewed.