radoran

There's serious validity to this. Sending EVERYONE away and having no vet leadership is a recipie for disaster. Your Oiler experience and that of Buffalo speak to it. That said, locking up a late 20s core that just ALMOST made the playoffs and has been with the team since they were drafted doesn't speak to me as the "rebuild" they claimed to embark upon. Michkov or no Michkov. I've seen more than a few articles about the Flyers pivoting to "make the playoffs" - which just gives me Wild visions. The gap between "make the playoffs" teams and actual Cup contenders is real and generally large and not easily changed in the middle of the first. I like Konecny. I'd like him better as the C in this scenario but obvs Couturier isn't going anywhere and was captain in waiting the day Giroux left. The question is "will they be a Cup contender within this contract?" I'm not sanguine. As always, we'll see...

rocking a Phillies hat and Flyers shirt. Dude does not particularly look 19, but he is standing next to Briere...

And yet, they hand them out like candy in a pinata. Of course, when you make the wrong eight-year commitment(s), it's often your successor's successor's problem.

Schenn, too, I think. Regardless, (as you know) rewarding people for what they did five years ago isn't a strong argument for building the future. None of those guys are "face of the franchise" like Stamkos was in Tampa, for example. I'm not at all sure what St. Louis is trying to accomplish down there...

Jeebus, they have seven guys over 30 with some form of NTC/NMC. Buchnevich is eight at 29. And then they have 26- and 25- year old who get their clauses next season. That's nine guys in 25-26 over 27 with NTC/NMCs (Faska drops off after this season) for a team that was 9th in the Conference last year. NHL GMs are poster children for bad decisions and Ryan Suter is the cherry on top of this crap sundae.

But it's also the right best players. JVR was the "best UFA available" after Tavares, and the correct answer was to sign neither of them. Buium and Helenius may be better than Luchadore rightnow but who knows where the kid will be after a couple more years of development? It's making the rightnow moves that have really hurt the Flyers, because as we all know, they're perpetually really only a move away from true competition.

Not talking about "rushing" them, talking about timing their contracts. Having a Buium/Helenius playing next year and starting his ELC honestly does nothing to move the needle. Having a potential #2C be available in two years and just starting his ELC has value in a rebuilding context. We won't know what the "right" answer was for 3-5 years, barring Helenius being an Aho or Buium suddenly emerging as Heiskanen. I am told, reliably, that this is not, believe it or not, Scott Laughton.

But do the Flyers need or want "NHL ready" players rightnow? I don't think you they do. Burning two years - or an entire - ELC while the team is treading water doesn't appeal to me. Might not appeal to Briere. If they get a "breakout" Luchadore starting his NHL ELC at 19, what's the harm?

Joel Farabee, drafted at #14 overall in 2018, made his NHL debut in 2019 has all of 5 AHL games on his record. Travis Konecny 24OA in 2015 makes his NHL debut in 2016 and never played in the A. Giroux (22Oa) and York (14) both had more NHL than AHL games in their first few seasons. Laughton (20OA) had five NHL games in his draft year. It happens... Tends to happen more often with the Flyers (see: Patrick, Nolan). Won't particularly surprise me if the guys taken 12 and 14 this year play in the NHL this season. Wasn't the focus of the Flyers' draft.

I don't think this ranking is particularly shocking. They didn't pick Luchadore to come in and be an impact player next season. They're looking 2-3 years down the line on it, so it will be more instructive if he's not on the top 100 list in the next couple years. If they wanted "NHL talent rightnow" they would have taken a different pick. I'm not saying he's going to pan out as a solid top six center, but I'm also not saying he won't. Regardless, it wasn't going to be next year.

Did you see what the monkeys did to that poor football?

By all accounts, it's one guy speculating on a random site on the internet, from the Flyers' perspective about how the Blues really want to make a run now that they've canned Kevin Hayes. In other news, I read that Scott Laughton might be on his way out - @CoachX said it.

We'll see where they end up, but by all accounts 2025 is a pretty deep draft and they do have six picks in the first two rounds... And also "who's available"?

I love fans who are so excited about getting a guy that two other teams are literally paying to not play for them that they're willing to get rid of actual NHL players in pursuit of...

He's been pretty clear that this is a longer term process from his perspective. They didn't "expect" Michkov for another two years. The Luchadore pick is another one expected to blossom in 2-3 years. They're actually letting picks play in lower leagues rather than insisting everyone is an immediate impact NHLer. They are in significant cap hell, much as they were when Hextall took over. They've got $7.5M in buyout/retained cap space plus $3.85M buried in the NHL next season AND the Two Ryans on board for another $10.25M. A lot of that clears out over the next two seasons. Ellis in three. If they avoid "spending to the cap" as a matter of habit, they should be able to bank some space to get a significant FA (as one becomes available) in 26-27. If that turns out to be another JVR, they're screwed again. But, yeah, this isn't "turning around" in the next few seasons.