Ristolainen to Flyers

[lynxrattle]

43 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

Sure on a team since he was drafted I imagine he has some pretty bad PTSD they have to cure him of first...

 

From the interviews he's given to the Finnish media over the years, I'd say his mental side is the big question now. He has been a total wreck, totally miserable playing for the Sabres with not one playoffs game under his belt, and the lousy stats to deal with. He does have the right idea on how to get himself going again, though:

 

"Philadelphia on minun tyylinen paikka ja pelityyli sopii sinne varmasti. En malta odottaa, että pääsen laittamaan äijää katolleen ja seinän läpi"

 

Something like:

"Philadelphia is my kind of place and my style of play will fit there for sure. I can't wait to start putting guys on their roofs and through the wall" [I don't know the English equivalents there, but 'hit 'em so hard that they land on their roofs', is the idea]

 

https://yle.fi/urheilu/3-12033437

 

It's a high risk trade, Fletcher grasping for straws. (But I would love to see Ristolainen getting his act together, because if he would, he would be a threat we really don't have in the Finnish National Team - come to think of it I would like to see Philadelphia getting its spirit back, and if this trade together with the Atkinson trade turns out the way Fletcher dreams, Philly will start playing closer to their traditional identity).

[radoran]

25 minutes ago, lynxrattle said:

the lousy stats to deal with.

 

He's a consistent 40 point defenceman. The point stats are the. The analytics are not.

 

He has a chance to turn everythinf around.

 

If he does it - and re-signs - he can be a real fan favorite.

[OccamsRazor]

7 hours ago, lynxrattle said:

the lousy stats to deal with

 

Yeah I can see spending your first 8 years in Buffalo can have some negative affects on his mind set.

 

The only stats that look so bad is his plus minus every year but it was Buffalo.

 

And 4 straight 40 point season is pretty impressive too when is the last time a Flyer D man had 4 straight 40 point seasons?

 

And I have even did the math on the short season to prorated those.

 

But from the looks of it he has all the tools to work with.

 

Now can the coaches get him to play better sound hockey is the million dollar question.

 

Chuckles was desperate for sure I imagine he loses his job if this goes bad again.

 

It was a huge gamble and as others are worried is that they will be pressured to sign considering all they gave up for him.

 

That makes me nervous as hell.

 

I'm having Andrew Macdoald flash backs.

[OccamsRazor]

7 hours ago, radoran said:

 

He's a consistent 40 point defenceman. The point stats are the. The analytics are not.

 

He has a chance to turn everythinf around.

 

If he does it - and re-signs - he can be a real fan favorite.

 

 

If feels like it's either boom or bust.

 

[LegionOfDoom]

At first glance this looks bad...very bad, at second look it feels boo'd, very boo'd.

We're at a crossroads again. The team put themselves in it again. When we got Niskanin and Braun and brought in Pitlick and crew many of us where also bothered by Chuck's Choices and I was one who was concerned highly as well.

I understood the GM's thinking on why he did it but thought he overpayed back then.

Same as today.

Fletch overpaid this time around but unfortunately he was cornered in his mind and that's when he gets into cap/asset problems. If the team played like pre-covid he wouldn't feel the need to go extreme makeover channel. The Nisky retirement hurt his flowchart. That coupled with team defense is suck forced his hand to change the team dynamic. Jake has talent but his demeanor unfortunately might have been the problem, same I feel with Ghost, another talent but maybe their attitude wasn't conducive to what the team culture Fletcher/AV envisions.

I think Ellis and Risto where needed pickups according to what Fletcher/AV want on the ice. Players that are hard to play against add Atkinson to that mix also. Which is why they still wanted Laughton. If they could lace up five Bruce Willis' they would do it. Yippee Ki Yaa motha sucka.

I believe this year the Flyers will be harder to play against. Team toughness got addressed. We have a shoot first winger added to the top pairings, who kills penalties and oh my don't you pair him in the PK with Hayesee(our shorthanded time might seem like our powerplay with those on the PK).

Our top line defensive pairing has been restored and stabilized. I think if Braun is still on our team, pair him with Sanheim and bring and form the Twin Towers of Doom(Morin/Risto) to activate! Form of a sledge hammer; shape of an ice pick.

We might see the reemergence of the Philly Flu were even the "jab" won't alleviate the danger.

 

[MaineFlyFan]

I remember Radko being "effective" in his time here and was at least "tolerated" by the fans (which is about the best you can hope for these days in Philly)....

 

SO. I'm gonna remain "hopeful" on this one and hope this guy can come in and give a MUCH needed snarl to our back end?... (especially seeing how Hagg is gone). Does this guy clear the crease at all? Can he get the puck "up and out?"....

 

Remember Pronger?!.....god he was fun to watch.

 

(Sorry, for some reason I don't really have a "book" on this guy despite my instant recognition of his name when the story broke....)

[mojo1917]

15 hours ago, flyercanuck said:

Let me ask you this...does adding Ristolainen and Ellis and Atkinson make a team was was in shambles last year a cup contender?

Does this include Carter Hart playing decently?

Because as I've been saying I don't think any of these things exist in a vacuum.

If the team is stingier with shots and goals allowed. I think they are a playoff team. 

Can they, even in this "broken down" state, go on a run ? 

I just watched Montreal do it.

The additions and subtractions should change the culture and play of this team. Guys that were good before that pandemic and struggled during it will most likely revert to the mean and perform to their capabilities. 

I think the team as constructed even today is an improved product over last year's **** show. 

There are still prospects in the system, there are still 1st picks in the next two drafts. Gone are guys that were not getting it, inconsistent and Voracek who produced but didn't keep the puck on his stick as much as he should/could have. 

 

The overwhelming negativity about these changes is baffling to me. 

 

[CoachX]

23 hours ago, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

So for anyone wondering why I hate Schmuck Felcher

I dont think anyone Is wondering.  You've made your position perfectly clear

[CoachX]

17 hours ago, OccamsRazor said:

There is plenty of time to bitch about this but let's see him skate before claiming to be the bum many claim he is.

Has this ever happened?

[CoachX]

16 hours ago, flyercanuck said:

 

Let me ask you this...does adding Ristolainen and Ellis and Atkinson make a team was was in shambles last year a cup contender

No, but it makes the team better

[OccamsRazor]

1 minute ago, CoachX said:

Has this ever happened?

 

No.

 

It always instantly seems like time a trade goes down It was a bad one even though it won't be till maybe mid season at the least if we know if it was good or not.

 

And honestly ever season that doesn't end in a Cup then every trade or pick up should be a loss or bad trade.

 

The only time you win a trade is by winning a Cup at least in my eyes.

 

No one has to agree with this but it is how I view it.

[Cheesesteak]

On 7/26/2021 at 7:18 AM, LegionOfDoom said:

 If they could lace up five Bruce Willis' they would do it. Yippee Ki Yaa motha sucka.

Hell Yeah!   They could be called the Philadelphia Royers  

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

On 7/26/2021 at 11:35 AM, CoachX said:

No, but it makes the team better

The addition of Ellis makes them better. But it's negated now that Atkinson, Ristolainen and Yandle have been added. Just wait until day one of free agency when he does something really dumb.....

[CoachX]

8 minutes ago, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

The addition of Ellis makes them better. But it's negated now that Atkinson, Ristolainen and Yandle have been added. Just wait until day one of free agency when he does something really dumb.....

What are you going to do with all that free time you will have, not watching the flyers?

 

[ruxpin]

9 minutes ago, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

The addition of Ellis makes them better. But it's negated now that Atkinson, Ristolainen and Yandle have been added. Just wait until day one of free agency when he does something really dumb.....

Yandle is "eh" but a temp hire.  Risto is a terrible move.  I'm curious though what the issue is with Atkinson. Would you explain? Or did you already and I missed it.

 

The term doesn't thrill me, but I'm really excited about the player in the near term.  What are your thoughts?

[CoachX]

1 minute ago, ruxpin said:

What are your thoughts?

I can answer this for you

 

He thinks fletcher sucks

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

14 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

Yandle is "eh" but a temp hire.  Risto is a terrible move.  I'm curious though what the issue is with Atkinson. Would you explain? Or did you already and I missed it.

 

The term doesn't thrill me, but I'm really excited about the player in the near term.  What are your thoughts?

Yandle is terrible. Talk with Florida fans and they'll tell you that for the past four years, his play has deteriorated.  So now the Flyers sign him and for what? He immediately blocks York now and if you think Vigneault is going to play a rookie over Yandle, think again. The bottom pairing of Braun and Yandle is pretty much set now. 

 

As for Atkinson, he scored 41 riding shotgun with Panarin. Now he comes to Philadelphia and once again,  a young player is going to get bumped so that he can play with Giroux and Couturier to maximize his value. So now we get to see Farabee and Konecny bounced to play on the other lines and in the case of whoever plays alongside Frost, they're going to be held accountable if Frost has a defensive miscue.

 

As for Ristolainen, a complete overpay and there wasn't seven teams willing to part with first round picks for him. There's no way. A career -163 and the worst advanced stats of any top 4 defender in the past 8 years.  But hey, ARGH SIIIIIIIIIZE to add to the defense. 

Edited July 28, 2021 by BobbyClarkeFan16

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

7 minutes ago, CoachX said:

I can answer this for you

 

He thinks fletcher sucks

Fletcher does suck. The fact he moved Gostisbehere, a 1st, 2 2nd round picks for 'cap space' but acquired and infinitely worse defenseman says all what needs to be said.  Fletcher is creating the same mess Holmgren created that Hextall had to come in and clean up. Look at the mess he left in Minnesota that Guerin is having to clean up. It's a pattern with Fletcher. 

[CoachX]

10 hours ago, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

Fletcher does suck. The fact he moved Gostisbehere, a 1st, 2 2nd round picks for 'cap space' but acquired and infinitely worse defenseman says all what needs to be said.  Fletcher is creating the same mess Holmgren created that Hextall had to come in and clean up. Look at the mess he left in Minnesota that Guerin is having to clean up. It's a pattern with Fletcher. 

Do you watch the Flyers play?

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

11 hours ago, CoachX said:

What are you going to do with all that free time you will have, not watching the flyers?

 

Oh I watch. As I've mentored in numerous occasions,  I'm a 40+ year fan,  so I've seen good and bad from this franchise. Right now, this is a franchise that is completely mired in mediocrity. It doesn't help that the 'consultants' in the team,  ahem Holmgren,  are consistently in Dave Scott's ear. It doesn't help that the owner is a corporate entity that knows nothing about hockey and have appointed a non hockey person in a hockey based role. It doesn't help that the general manager and assistant general manager left a tire fire in their previous location and they're starting to do the same thing here. It doesn't help that the head coach and assistant coaches have built a system that is completely based on dump and chase hockey and they refuse to embrace a puck possession and pursuit system. They also embrace a system that often leaves defensemen exposed with no support from the forwards and everything is reliant on stretch passes. I get that I'm critical to the point that it's overbearing. At the same time "Flyer" hockey has won nothing the past 47 years. It's time for a complete change and I have hope that eventually, proper hockey people will be brought in. 

 

The only good news about this offseason is that Vigneault and company are now on the firing line. Fletcher made changes and if Vigneault doesn't make it work, it's his head on the line. 

[CoachX]

1 hour ago, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

Oh I watch. As I've mentored in numerous occasions,  I'm a 40+ year fan,  so I've seen good and bad from this franchise. Right now, this is a franchise that is completely mired in mediocrity. It doesn't help that the 'consultants' in the team,  ahem Holmgren,  are consistently in Dave Scott's ear. It doesn't help that the owner is a corporate entity that knows nothing about hockey and have appointed a non hockey person in a hockey based role. It doesn't help that the general manager and assistant general manager left a tire fire in their previous location and they're starting to do the same thing here. It doesn't help that the head coach and assistant coaches have built a system that is completely based on dump and chase hockey and they refuse to embrace a puck possession and pursuit system. They also embrace a system that often leaves defensemen exposed with no support from the forwards and everything is reliant on stretch passes. I get that I'm critical to the point that it's overbearing. At the same time "Flyer" hockey has won nothing the past 47 years. It's time for a complete change and I have hope that eventually, proper hockey people will be brought in. 

 

The only good news about this offseason is that Vigneault and company are now on the firing line. Fletcher made changes and if Vigneault doesn't make it work, it's his head on the line. 

You seem to hate everything about this team. You don't seem to have a positive thing to say, no matter what happens. If you hate it that bad, maybe you shouldn't watch. Tampa is an easy team to cheer for right now

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

3 minutes ago, CoachX said:

You seem to hate everything about this team. You don't seem to have a positive thing to say, no matter what happens. If you hate it that bad, maybe you shouldn't watch. Tampa is an easy team to cheer for right now

No, what I hate is the complacency and apathy that people have and allow this franchise to get away with. I have the utmost respect how they built from the ground up and remained competitive through the 70s, 80s and early 90s. They founded things a bit through mid 90s, but rebounded nicely in 2000s. However, things haven't been good for quite some time. 

 

I thoroughly enjoy a number of young players we have. Joel Farabee is on the ascension for superstardom. Provorov should be a perennial Norris trophy candidate. Hart can be a vexing winner, provided his depression and anxiety issues are addressed.  Frost has the upside to be an elite point getting center. York looks like he could be a defenseman along the lines of Mark Howe. Now that Lindblom is cancer free for one year, I think he steps it up and brings his game to the next level. I love the tenacity that Konecny brings. There's lots about the Flyers that I enjoy. 

 

However,  I'm tired of incompetent management and coaching. It's the same circles here with regards to those hires. And I will be critical about it. Look around the league and see all these executives running clubs.  Joe Sakic has done a phenomenal job in Colorado. Julien Brise Bois has continued Steve Yzerman's masterful plan in Tampa Bay. Rob Blake is fixing up the Kings. Bill Guerin is getting Minnesota on track. Chris Drury has the Rangers headed in the right direction. Bill Armstrong is getting Arizona fixed.  Bill Zito has been phenomenal in Florida. And why? Because they aren't panicking. Chuck panics and he makes countless bad decisions. So yeah, I'll continue to point out his flaws and how it's a negative effect on the team. I'm also willing to point out the good moves he's made and I said he hit a grand slam with Ryan Ellis. But I certainly won't give him a pass because he made one good move. 

 

As for Vigneault, it's on him and his staff to deliver. He's got HIS guys in place on the coaching staff. It's up to him to make this work. He **** the bed in the playoffs in 2020 and it carried over to the 2021 season. No more excuses. Deliver or get fired. 

[CoachX]

4 minutes ago, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

No, what I hate is the complacency and apathy that people have and allow this franchise to get away with

What people? Fans? exactly what can fans do about it?

 

6 minutes ago, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

Because they aren't panicking. Chuck panics and he makes countless bad decisions

Sorry, I don't see this the way you do. It's conjecture not based in fact. I don't see Fletcher panicking at all

[LegionOfDoom]

So.............what's the scuttlebutt......?...............

 

[Buffalo Rick]

Well maybe they use Ristolainen and Atkinson on Pp and maybe they finish 2nd last just above us?