2017-18 Season Post Mortem

[OccamsRazor]

30 minutes ago, King Knut said:

It’s why benching Sanheim or Morin for a big mistake doesn’t helpling term. 

 

Comparing 22 year old D men to a 30 year old forward is not the same.

 

And benching Ghost helped him and it helped Sanheim which will pay dividends later.

 

And in order to get a solid goalie you have to give up something of value too.

 

This isn't all about Jake being terrible if you move someone to me it has to be him.

 

It is the price for doing business.

 

[RonJeremy]

Karlsson is an offensive dman , what this team needs is a defensive stalwart. We need a skilled defensive dman . Maybe Morin can become that guy, but we can't expect him to step in and dominate, especially after missing the whole season. So maybe trading Simmonds can get us a defenseman like that? Is there a young dman who was drafted a few years ago and is ready to make an impact,  is there a team with a surplus of D that needs a forward like Simmonds? 

 

 I would trade Voracek if we could get the right return. Maybe we test the waters and see what's available in a trade for Simmonds and Voracek and then make a decision to trade one or both based on that. Maybe if we attempt to sign Kane and Tavares, then trade Voracek and Simmonds. We free up $$$ to sign them and we get a bunch of picks and prospects on top of that, and then trade for a solid defensive dman.

[OccamsRazor]

15 minutes ago, RonJeremy said:

is there a team with a surplus of D that needs a forward like Simmonds? 

 

I don't know if the Yotes have a surplus of D men but Nick Hjarlmrsson is a good option.

 

The other that comes to mind however he is older at 36 right now but would make Philly tougher is Kevin Bieska.

 

I think either team could use Simmer.

 

Hjarlmrsson would be the better option from age and experience standpoint.

[Howie58]

This factoid was in Carchidi's piece today:

 

The Flyers have had playoff goalie problems for — well, it seems like forever.

They used three goalies in this series. None had the answers. Yes, the defense was porous, but the goalies failed to make many game-turning saves that are needed in the postseason. Brian Elliott wasn’t himself. He was coming off core-muscle surgery, and the Flyers rushed him back for the playoffs.

Here were the final series numbers for their goalies: Elliott (1-3 record, 4.75 goals-against average, .856 save percentage), Michal Neuvirth (1-1, 4.40, .847), and Petr Mrazek (0-0, 3.87, .857)

For what it’s worth, some guy named Michael Leighton went 8-3 with a 2.46 goals-against average and .916 save percentage for the Flyers in the 2010 playoffs.

 

Yep, we need a change.  Equally important, putting aside "the goal" against Chicago, maybe we should come to appreciate Leighton a little more.

 

 

[OccamsRazor]

Anyone else notice since many bring up the Bob trade and how the Flyers gave up on him since 2010-11 Neuvy has actually 2 more playoff wins than Bob.

 

A whooping 7!

 

Sure regular season Bob is a vezina guy.

 

Playoff Bob has a grand total of 5 wins.

 

SMFH

 

 

[OccamsRazor]

5 minutes ago, Howie58 said:

This factoid was in Carchidi's piece today:

 

The Flyers have had playoff goalie problems for — well, it seems like forever.

They used three goalies in this series. None had the answers. Yes, the defense was porous, but the goalies failed to make many game-turning saves that are needed in the postseason. Brian Elliott wasn’t himself. He was coming off core-muscle surgery, and the Flyers rushed him back for the playoffs.

Here were the final series numbers for their goalies: Elliott (1-3 record, 4.75 goals-against average, .856 save percentage), Michal Neuvirth (1-1, 4.40, .847), and Petr Mrazek (0-0, 3.87, .857)

For what it’s worth, some guy named Michael Leighton went 8-3 with a 2.46 goals-against average and .916 save percentage for the Flyers in the 2010 playoffs.

 

Yep, we need a change.  Equally important, putting aside "the goal" against Chicago, maybe we should come to appreciate Leighton a little more.

 

 

 

 

Some guy named Bob is sporting a 815% as we speak in tonight elimination game.

 

Food for thought.

[OccamsRazor]

6 minutes ago, Howie58 said:

Yep, we need a change

 

And yes I completely agree.

 

Goal must improve if they are to take the next step.

[Howie58]

1 minute ago, OccamsRazor said:

Some guy named Bob is sporting a 815% as we speak in tonight elimination game.

Howdy:

 

I don't think Gerry Cheevers (I date myself) was so hot in the regular season, but he was a money player.  I suspect that in his prime, Elliott was a pretty good regular season goalie.  He has a really bad playoff record.  

[OccamsRazor]

1 minute ago, Howie58 said:

Howdy:

 

I don't think Gerry Cheevers (I date myself) was so hot in the regular season, but he was a money player.  I suspect that in his prime, Elliott was a pretty good regular season goalie.  He has a really bad playoff record.  

 

 

It is why I would try to move Simmer and Jake for a defenseman and a goalie.

 

Trade them for Raanta and Hjarlmrsson what say you?

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

4 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

 

It is why I would try to move Simmer and Jake for a defenseman and a goalie.

 

Trade them for Raanta and Hjarlmrsson what say you?

 

You might be able to pry Hjarlmrsson away from the Yotes, but I don't think they'll give up Raanta.  He had a great year on a terrible team and they just resigned him.

[Howie58]

Hello:

 

Raanta has good specs:

 

https://www.nhl.com/player/antti-raanta-8477293

 

His AAV is 4.25 million.  Not a bargain...not too bad.  

 

Hjalmarsson...4.1 million for a defensive d-man...only one year left on contract.  He is 30.  I might pass.  Agreed on Raanta as target of opportunity!

 

 

[OccamsRazor]

23 minutes ago, AlaskaFlyerFan said:

 

You might be able to pry Hjarlmrsson away from the Yotes, but I don't think they'll give up Raanta.  He had a great year on a terrible team and they just resigned him.

 

So would Simmer for Hjarlmrsson be fair trade?

[FD19372]

49 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

 

It is why I would try to move Simmer and Jake for a defenseman and a goalie.

 

Trade them for Raanta and Hjarlmrsson what say you?

Raanta and Domi for Jake, Simmer and a 1st. I want a young, talented forward who has the game Domi does.

[OccamsRazor]

1 minute ago, FD19372 said:

Raanta and Domi for Jake, Simmer and a 1st.

 

I would tweak it to include Hjarlmrsson in there to say maybe Leier would even it out.

[FD19372]

4 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

I would tweak it to include Hjarlmrsson in there to say maybe Leier would even it out.

Sounds good to me. Hjalmarsson is a good all-around d man and blocks a ton of shots.

[vis]

I haven't fully reflected on the season or what lies ahead, but below are my initial, gut reactions and thoughts:

• I'm not sure whether the season was a success or failure.  The inconsistency and streakiness remain prevalent, which is very troublesome.  Then again, the ability to bounce back and stick together is admirable.  The fact that they made the playoffs would normally lead one to conclude the season was a success, but the fact that they were sitting in third place (or higher?) at one point and fell off a cliff to getting in on the last day was a little disappointing.  I will say this: they exceeded my expectations, for whatever that's worth.
• Giroux, Couturier and Ghost had fabulous regular seasons.  I could not have anticipated better from any of them (in fact, I dogged G and Couturier quite a bit coming into the season).  Konecny has started to break out and looks like the player he was in juniors (despite the coach's best efforts otherwise).  Patrick really came into his own toward the end of the season and in the POs.  Hope he finds a little more scoring touch next year.  Hagg was a pleasant surprise.  On the flip side, Lindblom was a disappointment.  Sanheim shows flashes, but really has to learn how to play defense at this level.  Provorov had an uneven season, imo.  He put up great offensive numbers, but he had a lot of turnovers.  I think he tries to do too much at times.  I'm not worried about him at all.  The kid is an absolute stud.  Also, I was hoping Laughton would take a little more of a step forward.  Overall, the depth (or lack of) really killed them.  They had no viable 3C throughout the season and third/fourth line production was non-existent. 
• Goaltending sucks.  I don't see it substantially improving any time soon.  We are hanging on for dear life until Carter Hart gets here.  Please get here soon.
• I cannot fathom how Lappy can keep his job.  It's criminal if he's still here next year.
• I have mixed feelings on Hakstol.  At times, I marvel how well the team has played given the roster.  At other times, he leaves me flustered, frustrated and confused.  But every time I get really down on him, he makes some adjustment or does (or does not do) something that turns things around.  I just wish he had a little more fire and emotion behind that bench and had a better feel for the game.  It's a shame they lost Game 6, because I thought he was handling that game pretty well.  Wish his team played more physical.  
• Guys who should not be here next year: Gudas, Manning, Read, Filppula, Weise, Weal and Mrazek.
• Hextall is at a major crossroads.  He's got a little window where he's going to have a lot of cap space and no immediate need to resign a player to a long term contract (well, maybe Provorov).  So, he has an opportunity to sign some UFAs to short-ish term deals without mortgaging his future.  That said, I don't see him as the type to sign Tavares (though I would love to see him sign here).  Rather, I think a solid 3C and veteran d-man should be tops on his list.  But who?  Last I looked the C and d-man UFA  markets were very thin.  Possible trade of Simmonds/Gudas?  But who would give up a solid C and/or d-man for either?  Would Hextall part with any of his prized prospects or draft picks?  He's got a lot of thinking to do about the timeline and whether he wants to take a shot now - especially since there's no telling how long Giroux and Voracek will remain among the league's best players.  This is a pivotal offseason for him.

[Howie58]

8 minutes ago, vis said:

I haven't fully reflected on the season or what lies ahead, but below are my initial, gut reactions and thoughts

Vis:

 

This is a thoughtful post. The "Best of Times; Worst of Times" impression is what a lot of us feel.  There seems to be agreement that we are at the proverbial inflection point.  I suspect Hexy will remain patient but he has another two or three years to make this work before G and V decline.  

 

I do not see our GM overpaying in free agency.  But he may need to part with some youngsters to get some assets in return.

[ruxpin]

I really don't think this requires the huge moves we're all talking about. It's only fair to the players to go get a goalie, and maybe they move Simmonds to do it.  Otherwise, it's tweaky stuff. 

 

We'll see some filling in on the bottom six to improve depth. That's it. 

[RonJeremy]

I dont know why everyone wants to trade Laughton, he is a solid 4th liner, potentially a 3rd liner. We are not going to replace 5 players on the third and fourth lines. Weise ,Lethera and Filupa definitely,  but I would keep Laughton Raffl and Leier. Laughton played very well with Coots and Simmonds in the last game,  he forechecked well and created chances and he scored too. If he played with better players he might surprise people with some solid scoring.  It took Coots 6 years to be a scorer.

[ruxpin]

4 minutes ago, RonJeremy said:

I dont know why everyone wants to trade Laughton, he is a solid 4th liner, potentially a 3rd liner. We are not going to replace 5 players on the third and fourth lines. Weise ,Lethera and Filupa definitely,  but I would keep Laughton Raffl and Leier. Laughton played very well with Coots and Simmonds in the last game,  he forechecked well and created chances and he scored too. If he played with better players he might surprise people with some solid scoring.  It took Coots 6 years to be a scorer.

Because he's horrible. Simply horrible. I didn't see the last game so I can't argue whether it was his only good game in the series. You're right that we cannot replace 5 guys, but given his youth we might actually get some kind of return for him. 

 

I doubt it. Other teams have to know he's about worthless.  I used to want to defend him, but it just isn't there. 

[RonJeremy]

Laughton actually played a very good game and so did Simmonds playing with Coots . If  Laugthon is so bad and we trade him , then we will be getting someone equally as worthless. Martel and NAK are the top forwards on the Phantoms, but they are scorers , so they are more likely to be on the third line if they make the team. Vecchione is a two way player , so maybe he can beat out Laughton. I dont see many options , I think Laughton will most likely be on the team next year. 

[ruxpin]

13 hours ago, RonJeremy said:

Laughton actually played a very good game and so did Simmonds playing with Coots . If  Laugthon is so bad and we trade him , then we will be getting someone equally as worthless. Martel and NAK are the top forwards on the Phantoms, but they are scorers , so they are more likely to be on the third line if they make the team. Vecchione is a two way player , so maybe he can beat out Laughton. I dont see many options , I think Laughton will most likely be on the team next year. 

I think he probably will be on the team.  And I agree that I don't think we get much for him.   He tries hard, but he has a very low hockey IQ.   It's a shame. Could have had Maata. 

[OccamsRazor]

1 hour ago, ruxpin said:

I think he probably will be on the team.  And I agree that I don't think we get much for him.   He tries hard, but he has a very low hockey IQ.   It's a shame. Could have had Masts. 

 

I am ok with Laughton. He has good speed decent size and can play anywhere in the bottom 6.

 

If he could score more goals like he did in game 6 then he could become even more useful.

 

Honestly I just think he is a faster younger Raffl no more.

 

Maybe next year he proves me wrong.

[ruxpin]

4 hours ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

I am ok with Laughton. He has good speed decent size and can play anywhere in the bottom 6.

 

If he could score more goals like he did in game 6 then he could become even more useful.

 

Honestly I just think he is a faster younger Raffl no more.

 

Maybe next year he proves me wrong.

Have you ever taken a look at the people drafted around him?  We got the runt.   Vasilevskuy went immediately before him. Could you imagine? (that's not on Leighton or even the Flyers.  Just, can you imagine?)

 

If he were as good as Raffl, I'd be disappointed about using a first round pick on him, but I'd be okay with him as a player. I don't think he is. 

 

1-800-LEMON-LAW

[OccamsRazor]

58 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

Have you ever taken a look at the people drafted around him?  We got the runt.   Vasilevskuy went immediately before him. Could you imagine? (that's not on Leighton or even the Flyers.  Just, can you imagine?)

 

If he were as good as Raffl, I'd be disappointed about using a first round pick on him, but I'd be okay with him as a player. I don't think he is. 

 

1-800-LEMON-LAW

 

Sure a 1st rounder you would expect more out of.

 

However we have the benefit of hindsight and projecting guys is hard.

 

You hit and miss.

 

And he was a Holmgren pick.

 

He struck gold with Ghost in the 3rd and not so much with Scott in the 1st. It happens.