Just for fun .... Projecting the Flyers as a playoff team for 2026-27 — "if the rebuild works" (Part 2 - Defense/Goalies)

[pilldoc]

Continuing on with the fun ....  

 

 

Briere goes out and gets his Chris Pronger.

 

Victor Hedman fully expected to end his career in Tampa, even signing a four-year, $36 million extension in 2025. But the floor falls out from under the Lightning in his very first season on the new deal, as years of win-now thinking and a nonexistent prospect pool finally catches up with the club. Hedman, after a long talk with Tampa Bay owner Jeff Vinik, decides he wants to conclude his career trying to chase down a third Stanley Cup while also helping the Lightning to get younger and cheaper in the process, and waives his no-trade protection for the right fit.

 

Briere pounces once he realizes Hedman is open to coming to Philadelphia, betting on the fact that Hall of Fame-caliber defensemen tend to age gracefully into their late 30s and that he’ll be the perfect mentor to their many young blueliners while providing the kind of playoff experience the club so desperately lacks.

 

He offers up a massive package, headlined by 24-year-old Foerster (fresh off a breakout 32-goal campaign), Joel Farabee, a 2026 first-round pick and blue line prospect Sam Dickinson, the Flyers’ pick with their second 2024 first-rounder and a player Lightning scouts absolutely love.

(In this fun exercise DB trades Foerster / Farabee / picks for Hedman)

 

For the record I do not like this trade ... I understand it is a fun exercise here but I disagree with Charlie here.

 

Cam York has plenty of experience on the right side by 2026, so moving over there to accommodate Hedman is no issue. York’s strong play on his two-year bridge deal — including a 54-point breakout offensive season in 2024-25 — earns him a big raise, but come 2026, he’s yet to prove that he can be a true alpha 1D on a Cup contender. Now, he doesn’t have to be.

 

 

All hail the Nordic Bash Brothers.  (LOL ...Nordic Bash Brothers ...LOL)

 

Emil Andrae pushes his way onto the Flyers’ roster in 2023-24 and immediately establishes himself as a fan favorite due to his aggressive on-ice mentality, both with and without the puck. He settles in as a second-pair defenseman who on most teams would be a quality top-pair guy, and an expensive bridge deal puts off his real payday for a few more years.

 

Ristolainen, against all odds,(queue the Phil Collins song ........."So take a look at me now, oh there's just an empty space ")  remains in Philadelphia with one year left on his contract. Still a lightning rod in the fan base — particularly those of the analytical variety — Ristolainen retains some of his gains from 2022-23, when Tortorella and assistant coach Brad Shaw molded him into an actually useful defensive defensemen. The stat people yell that he’s being carried by superior partners, but voices in the organization believe the defense needs his big physical presence to counterbalance the smaller and more skilled players throughout the rest of the lineup — namely, president of hockey operations Keith Jones, who remains one of his biggest fans. The contract remains an overpay, but given Ristolainen’s legitimate statistical improvement and the cap ceiling’s rapid rise, it doesn’t look like an albatross deal anymore.

 

 

It turns out that it’s difficult to trade defensemen with $6.25 million cap hits and full no-trade clauses who don’t want to leave.  Imagine that.

 

Yes, Sanheim sticks around as well, in part because of his contract/trade protection, but also because he delivers a bounce-back season in 2023-24 and finds a way to coexist with Tortorella in the process. They still butt heads at times, but Torts and the Flyers accept Sanheim as a smooth-skating minutes eater, even if he’s overpaid as the third (and now fourth, with Hedman in the mix) LHD on the organizational depth chart. His full no-trade clause morphs into a modified one come 2027, and Sanheim enters the season knowing he might be on his way out, especially with a big raise looming for Gauthier.

 

In the short term, however, he can serve as a stabilizing veteran presence for Oliver Bonk, who after a solid rookie pro season in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms is ready for the jump and earns the final starting lineup spot out of camp, pushing 27-year-old fan favorite Ronnie Attard to the press box. He’ll get his opportunities when injuries strike, however — and they always do.

 

 

The Flyers hung onto quite a few veterans from the pre-rebuild era — Couturier, Sanheim, Laughton, Ristolainen. But in the end, they decide to go in a different direction in terms of goaltending, moving on from Carter Hart and turning over the position to cheaper alternatives, believing that the future of NHL netminding is more about having two quality players in a timeshare than one high-priced option carrying the bulk of the load.

 

Ersson — long a favorite of the front office — established himself as ready to be the 1A in 2024-25, posting a solid .916 save percentage in 45 starts for a club still in a state of transition and without a strong back end. A decent follow-up campaign in 2025-26 puts him in line for a raise in the wake of his two-year bridge deal, but not one in line with the true elites of the position. It helps that the Flyers also have Alexei Kolosov, who cracks the NHL club in 2025-26 and pushes Ersson in a big way, earning himself a solid cap hit bump in the process.

 

Goaltending remains a question for the Flyers entering their first Michkov season, but it’s less about whether they have quality options and more about whether one of the two can seize the reins over a long playoff run. The talent is there.

 

Lineup stats:

Average age: 26.2

2022-23 roster regulars still on team: 8

Total cap spend: $87.5 million

Stanley Cup odds: Pretty high! (Hopefully.)

Odds that people will complain this article is dumb and unrealistic and pointless: Also pretty high!

Edited July 22, 2023 by pilldoc

[pilldoc]

I do not like the move for Hedman.  It seems like a reach something Homer would have done if he was still here.  By this time Hedman would be 35 and have seen his better years past him.  Especially giving up the package that Charlie has suggested.  This move would be a hard pass for me.

[pilldoc]

Its obvious in this scenario Hart is traded.  Would be interesting to see who he goes to and what the return package is.   Would trading Hard for a top pair D-man be legit and more reasonable instead of trading Farabee / Foerster?  

[RonJeremy]

14 hours ago, pilldoc said:

Its obvious in this scenario Hart is traded.  Would be interesting to see who he goes to and what the return package is.   Would trading Hard for a top pair D-man be legit and more reasonable instead of trading Farabee / Foerster?  

I agree with you 100%. We finally have a good group of skilled prospects and we are gonna trade them for a 35 yr old dman? We should be picking in the top 4 or 5 or hopefully higher in the next two drafts and we also have Konecny and Hart as trade assets. I think we should be able to get some high end defenseman without giving up our younger guys like Foerester. Sam Dickinson is a 6ft 2, 200lb defenseman who is rated as the # four or five pick.  So if we can draft him and then trade Hart and Konecny and get back a top young center and a top young dman, your rebuild is expedited big time. There are a few highly rated dmen we can pick,inculding Jiriceks younger brother .

Edited July 23, 2023 by RonJeremy

[tucson83]

i think sanheim isnt going to be here, if he plays well this year, he's getting traded at the deadline to a contender, as far as hedman is concerned i dont think he's going to get a big return as a result of him not staying healthy his contract, his age, the return will probably be similar to mcdonagh.

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

Charlie moves into heroin now with this. Does he not think the Flyers learned the last time around what happened when they traded for Pronger? The 35 year old defenseman with a TON of mileage on his body had to retire after a freak injury. So now they sell off two critical offensive wingers, a top defense prospect and a 1st for a 35 year old with a TON of mileage on his body. If Briere does that, then it's clear that Holmgren, Clarke, Barber, etc....all have significant pull within the franchise still and are encouraging these sorts of stupid moves. As a team you HAVE to learn how to develop a number one defenseman. That's the only way your team gets ahead. We've seen for years that the Flyers have gone out and acquired number one defensemen, but it's never worked. Draft and develop. That's how you get a legit number one. 

 

I'm fine with the second pair. And I fully expect that Andrae will be the offensive guy on that pair. Ristolainen will never be allowed to play offense because he completely forgets his defensive responsibilities when doing so. Leave him in a banging role and clearing the crease while allowing Andrae to roam is the best fit for him. And yes, no one wants him at that price tag.

 

I'm rather intrigued by the third pairing. I'm a big Sanheim fan and his development by this franchise was really given the gears so to speak. I posted about it in another post, but think of what he's had to go through. Hakstol - doesn't allow him to do the thing he does best in rushing the puck. Instead, it's get the puck up to the blue line and let the forwards deal with it. Hakstol robbed him of one of his best abilities.

Gordon - go play firewagon hockey and do what you need to do. There's no focus on defense or transition to offense, it's skate around like a chicken with it's head cut off.

Vigneault - he and Therrien really messed with Sanheim. First it's rush the puck, then it's don't rush the puck, but it get out of the zone quickly, then it's back to rushing and then back to not rushing.

Yeo - was probably the best coach Sanheim had and had the best results under. He was beginning to flourish as Yeo actually let him play his game. But Yeo knew he was nothing more than an interim head coach.

Shaw - completely changed the way Sanheim played and had the worst results. Why he wouldn't continue what Yeo was doing is beyond me.

 

So yeah, Sanheim never stood a chance here. With that being said, his experience could go a long way in helping Bonk reach his potential. Both are excellent skaters. Both see the ice well. Both are adept puck handlers. Having Sanheim as a mentor can really help Bonk avoid the pitfalls that Sanheim experienced, especially when you consider that there was zero veterans around to help groom Sanheim. This might be the perfect role for Sanheim.

 

As for the goaltending, I think Kolosov ends up being the starter. Ridiculously good goaltender and Russia has been putting out some really good goalies as of late. However, I love the idea of he and Ersson as the goaltending tandem. You could pretty much split the starts evenly for them and they could really run with it. As for Hart, it's funny that Charlie doesn't mention what happens with him. I'm wondering if this an Alex Formenton situation here. 

[RonJeremy]

4 hours ago, tucson83 said:

i think sanheim isnt going to be here, if he plays well this year, he's getting traded at the deadline to a contender, as far as hedman is concerned i dont think he's going to get a big return as a result of him not staying healthy his contract, his age, the return will probably be similar to mcdonagh.

The problem I see for Soyheim is ... they are projecting him and Risto as our top pair. Sanheim is incapable of playing the tough minutes that Provorov played, he will be run into the ground and Risto statistically has been one of the worst dmen throughout his career in every category. He is an anchor, not a stabilizing force, but a boat anchor. I don't see it working out very well.

 

Remember the game a few years ago when Sanheim and Meyers were lit up, both were a -5 for the game and looked like two pylons out there . This is gonna be a nightly thing. Sanheim is not rugged enough or strong enough, physically or mentally for the wear and tear of being considered our #1 dman. His weak, frail body will not hold up . 

[Howie58]

Trading Hart would be a real pivot. He is the first consistent netminder we've had in ages. I'd hope the return is a first rounder or productive youngster.  On a darker note, I'd hope this current investigation of the junior team incident doesn't yield bombshells that derail Hart's career or make him less marketable.

[OccamsRazor]

1 hour ago, Howie58 said:

Trading Hart would be a real pivot. He is the first consistent netminder we've had in ages. I'd hope the return is a first rounder or productive youngster.  On a darker note, I'd hope this current investigation of the junior team incident doesn't yield bombshells that derail Hart's career or make him less marketable.

 

I would trade Hart just to trade him even if I was going to move I would hold out till the deadline in his last year of his contract.

 

It needs to be a substantial return in order for me to even consider that.

[mojo1917]

I think this kind of mental exercise is fun.

 

It's pure speculation.

There are some things based in reality that are more plausible than others.  But how often has a move from left field stunned everyone. I've seen one mentioned here several times. 

So to me a big swing like that isn't heroin addicted ramblings, it is actually based on past events. 

We all do it. I didn't mind seeing what Charlie thinks might happen.

 

When I think about that true #1 defenseman for the Flyers I don't think he's drafted until next year or the year after that. 

Maybe we're surprised and we roll out a Seabrook, Keith style top pairing- with Emil Andrae and Bonk?

 

 

 

[GrittyForever]

I would trade Hart. Not that I dislike him, but because this is a full rebuild and we might as well go all in on that and rebuild with the future goalies like the rest of the futures. Hedman? No way. One, there's virtually zero chance he'd want to end his career here, and two, we are going to be nowhere near a compete for the cup era in that timeline. 

 

Build primarily with the draft for the next 3 years and after that if all goes well you consider old veterans as additions to take you over the top. Maybe strategically add a few free agents that fit your plan over the years but mostly, build with the draft and await the Michkov factor.

[jammer2]

Amazingly, the proposed Hedman trade is worse than anything Chucky did...and that is tough to pull off. Almost puked contemplating this complete and utter garbage. Disgusting does not even scratch the surface. 

[radoran]

On 7/23/2023 at 9:36 AM, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

We've seen for years that the Flyers have gone out and acquired number one defensemen, but it's never worked. Draft and develop. That's how you get a legit number one. 

 

I agree you don't "acquire a #1" but if you can identify another team's and acquire them early it's much the same as drafting.

 

Difficult but so is drafting.

 

The Flyers always try to clip the timeline and take shortcuts and that's where it has bit them.

[radoran]

42 minutes ago, jammer2 said:

Amazingly, the proposed Hedman trade is worse than anything Chucky did...and that is tough to pull off. Almost puked contemplating this complete and utter garbage. Disgusting does not even scratch the surface. 

 

Unless the Flyers are coming off a freak Conference Final, it's the kind of move they don't/won't need.

 

And to your point the price for the Flyers is EXACTLY what got Danny into the GM seat.

 

If he goes full Fletch it's all over.

[pilldoc]

1 hour ago, jammer2 said:

Amazingly, the proposed Hedman trade is worse than anything Chucky did...and that is tough to pull off. Almost puked contemplating this complete and utter garbage. Disgusting does not even scratch the surface. 

 

Absolutely agree .....  I love the articles that Charlie writes and he has some great thoughts but this idea for trading for Hedman is just downright horrendous on so many levels.

(Granted it is a fantasy article ....but even in fantasy this is horrible.......)

[pilldoc]

47 minutes ago, radoran said:

The Flyers always try to clip the timeline and take shortcuts and that's where it has bit them.

 

Bingo .... we have a winner.  This statement is so very true on so many levels.

[flyercanuck]

On 7/23/2023 at 1:37 PM, RonJeremy said:

The problem I see for Soyheim is ... they are projecting him and Risto as our top pair. Sanheim is incapable of playing the tough minutes that Provorov played, he will be run into the ground and Risto statistically has been one of the worst dmen throughout his career in every category. He is an anchor, not a stabilizing force, but a boat anchor. I don't see it working out very well.

 

Remember the game a few years ago when Sanheim and Meyers were lit up, both were a -5 for the game and looked like two pylons out there . This is gonna be a nightly thing. Sanheim is not rugged enough or strong enough, physically or mentally for the wear and tear of being considered our #1 dman. His weak, frail body will not hold up . 

 

Maybe give Sanheim a decent partner so he isn't constantly having to be concerned about not if, but when Risto is going to screw up.

 

Remember that year when Sanheim and Myers were our best pairing? Connor McDavid was -3 in a game just last year. I'm sure he could have brought that down to at least a -5 on the Flyers. 

 

Sanheims weak frail body played more games for the Flyers over the last 2 seasons than any other player. So apparently it can hold up. 

[RonJeremy]

21 minutes ago, flyercanuck said:

 

Maybe give Sanheim a decent partner so he isn't constantly having to be concerned about not if, but when Risto is going to screw up.

 

Remember that year when Sanheim and Myers were our best pairing? Connor McDavid was -3 in a game just last year. I'm sure he could have brought that down to at least a -5 on the Flyers. 

 

Sanheims weak frail body played more games for the Flyers over the last 2 seasons than any other player. So apparently it can hold up. 

He did play lots of games and hold up well, but not as the go to guy that he is expected to be now. Provy was an iron man and played in all situations, is a physically strong guy who is better suited for big minutes and we ruined him . My whole point is ,the added minutes ,the responsibility of being the #1 guy and having Risto as his partner with both of them playing first pair minutes spells disaster in my book. We have seen the results time an time again of giving too much responsibility to guys who can’t handle it . Some guys thrive playing 20 minutes a game in certain situations, then you put them on the PP, PK, up their minutes and they fall apart. Making Sanheim the #1 defenseman is like putting an introvert in charge of the next Tony Robbins Convention.

[RonJeremy]

Just now, RonJeremy said:

 You said maybe if we gave him a decent partner, that is true …but they won’t put him and York together so from the looks of it Risto will be his partner again, so that’s a disaster waiting to happen. He did play lots of games and hold up well, but not as the go to guy that he is expected to be now. Provy was an iron man and played in all situations, is a physically strong guy who is better suited for big minutes and we ruined him . My whole point is ,the added minutes ,the responsibility of being the #1 guy and having Risto as his partner with both of them playing first pair minutes spells disaster in my book. We have seen the results time an time again of giving too much responsibility to guys who can’t handle it . Some guys thrive playing 20 minutes a game in certain situations, then you put them on the PP, PK, up their minutes and they fall apart. Making Sanheim the #1 defenseman is like putting an introvert in charge of the next Tony Robbins Convention.

 

[flyer4ever]

Part #3 Coach Rod BrindA'mour.

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

On 7/24/2023 at 6:10 PM, RonJeremy said:

He did play lots of games and hold up well, but not as the go to guy that he is expected to be now. Provy was an iron man and played in all situations, is a physically strong guy who is better suited for big minutes and we ruined him . My whole point is ,the added minutes ,the responsibility of being the #1 guy and having Risto as his partner with both of them playing first pair minutes spells disaster in my book. We have seen the results time an time again of giving too much responsibility to guys who can’t handle it . Some guys thrive playing 20 minutes a game in certain situations, then you put them on the PP, PK, up their minutes and they fall apart. Making Sanheim the #1 defenseman is like putting an introvert in charge of the next Tony Robbins Convention.

The Flyers ruined every single one of their young defensemen. You can go back to Robert Hagg to see the progression of how they ruined defenders. A good two-way defender that they turned into a complete shut down defender with no puck handling skills (when he was one of the better defensemen in Sweden before arriving to the Flyers). You can then look at Gostisbehere, Provorov, and Sanheim as players they've messed up. The only two who missed the development flustercuck are Morin (who had destroyed his knee) and York (who Tortorella and Shaw actually handled properly). Hopefully Bonk and whoever they draft next year in the first round also start getting proper handling.