But you claim TK is someone you build a team around. Again, the goal posts get moved every single day.
- Flyfly

I love TK and want the Flyers to extend him, but at the right price. I think the Flyers will be ready to complete with TK leading the way, I really do. But if TK wants $10M for 8 years, sorry .. I just can't get there. TK does a lot of things well but to me the market was set yesterday with the Guentzel and Reinhart deals. Thus if I am Briere I hold firm. If TK does not want to sign a fair market deal, no choice but to trade him at the deadline next season.

EJ is not blocking anyone, he is there solely as a 7th defenseman and to help bring the younger defenseman along. Last year Marc Staal played in 35 games and that is with all the injuries late in the season on the Flyers defense. I highly doubt EJ will play even this many games unless there is another rash of injuries.
- jd250

you really just eat up all they say.

They have seeler RR sanheim. They do not need nay vet to help "young" guys along.


now you have ginning and attard back in LHV. Assuming Zamula is the 6th man which one shouldnt assume. A "rebuilding" flyers team does not need EJ.

Why does Danny talk up Andre and then block him and Attard with signing Johnson? Before I hear, a 7th ‘D Daddy’ isn’t blocking kids, of course he is. Every game he plays is a game not played by a kid. If his job is to sit and doing nothing, fine I guess but we all know he will play 35 games like old man Staal did last year.
- coffee junkie

I don’t think it’ll be an issue. You want a vet sitting as your 7th. I think it should be risto as I believe they’re just stuck with him and he’s only trade able in a swap of bad contracts. But I understand the logic.

I love TK and want the Flyers to extend him, but at the right price. I think the Flyers will be ready to complete with TK leading the way, I really do. But if TK wants $10M for 8 years, sorry .. I just can't get there. TK does a lot of things well but to me the market was set yesterday with the Guentzel and Reinhart deals. Thus if I am Briere I hold firm. If TK does not want to sign a fair market deal, no choice but to trade him at the deadline next season.
- jd250

you truly are a fool. he aint leading nothing.

the bad outweighs the good by a lot in terms of giving him an ext

Adam Henrique 24g 27a (33 years old) 2 yrs 3 mill aav
Garnet Hathaway 7g 10a (32 years old) 2 yrs 2.4 mill aav.

Which contract is an overpay?

I think you are right, cap % over the life of the contract is a much better gauge versus AAV. I wouldn't mind if TK started at 10% because I know over the next coupole of seasons that % would drop to 7-8% which is much more reasonable. To me the market was set yesterday with the signings of Guenzel and Reinhart. Now I know Florida does not have income tax, but TK didn't score 57 goals last season either. If I am the Flyers, I hold firm at 7 years and $58M, take it or leave it. I don't give TK 8 years given his age when the contract kicks in.
- jd250

Reinhart took a team discount so the Panthers can try to resign as many guys as they can to make another run. Or bring in more talent as well. It is the same thing Crosby did.

Toronto has 5 guys taking up 61% of the cap. We see how that works out for them, though they did make some really good moves this offseason.

I am not trying to defend the move, just repeating what Briere said in his presser yesterday. Briere said multiple GMs commented to him how hard the Flyers had become to play against, and Briere's feeling is Hathaway is the main reason for that. Though Hathaway will be 35 when this new deal expires, Briere stated Hathaway is a workout freak and does not expect a drop off from him. Finally Briere stated the fact that Hathaway was willing to extend at the same cap hit was a factor also.

Personally I like Hathaway as a player and didn't mind the signing, but only if some veteran players are shipped out also, so there are ample spots for younger players to get a chance. I want the Flyers to get younger next season and if they take a step back in the standings, all the better.
- jd250

The Flyers were so hard to play against, that they boomed all the way up to 21st overall in the league from 26th the season before. Man, the future is bright.

I am not trying to defend the move, just repeating what Briere said in his presser yesterday. Briere said multiple GMs commented to him how hard the Flyers had become to play against, and Briere's feeling is Hathaway is the main reason for that. Though Hathaway will be 35 when this new deal expires, Briere stated Hathaway is a workout freak and does not expect a drop off from him. Finally Briere stated the fact that Hathaway was willing to extend at the same cap hit was a factor also.

Personally I like Hathaway as a player and didn't mind the signing, but only if some veteran players are shipped out also, so there are ample spots for younger players to get a chance. I want the Flyers to get younger next season and if they take a step back in the standings, all the better.
- jd250

Not to put to fine a point on it but "being hard to play against" is about as relevant to winning hockey games as "good in the locker room".

2nd worst goal differential in the Metro, 4th worst in the East.
2nd fewest goals scored in the Metro, 2nd worst in the East.

They went 3 months without beating a single team in the Metro. I'm pretty sure GH was playing during that stretch.

I don't think anyone was like damn, we don't want to play the Flyers tonight, they are hard to play against, especially that Hathaway guy.

Hard to play against sounds like, "keep your head up, you'll get us next time!"

Anyway, I think the extension was unnecessary and removed one bullet from the TDL.

I also think things would be much better for the Flyers long term, if their own pick was in the top 4-5, and those multiple 1sts could be used on multiple players, ala SJ. There's nobody who is in position to draft a McDavid, Bedard or Celebrini who is going to trade it for some mid to late round 1sts.

1 top of the draft 1st round pick beats all the possible 1sts the Flyers could acquire. I think there were 0 trades for top 10 picks in the last 2 drafts, and the Flyers are going to change that next year?

Trades are hard? Maybe put yourself in position to not need a trade to get that pick. CHI and SJ get it.

I am open to any veteran player being traded, no one should be untouchable except Michkov. The most likely candidates to trade are Laughton and Farabee. I would love to trade Risto but he needs to show he can play coming off the injury so I can see him being moved at the deadline. Would love to move Couts but given his injury history and contract I would think its not possible. I think the market is set for TK whether his agent likes it or not. If he goes into this next season unsigned I trade TK at the deadline. I would definately move Deslauriers if any team wanted him, otherwise waive him and send him down.
- jd250

Are you saying that Ristolainen is no longer the Flyers best defenseman?

EJ is not blocking anyone, he is there solely as a 7th defenseman and to help bring the younger defenseman along. Last year Marc Staal played in 35 games and that is with all the injuries late in the season on the Flyers defense. I highly doubt EJ will play even this many games unless there is another rash of injuries.
- jd250

When the season plays out, you'll find out that Johnson is not there solely as the 7th defenseman. Not with Tortorella as the coach.

Are you saying that Ristolainen is no longer the Flyers best defenseman?
- MJL

you know better, Risto is the greatest defenseman of all time

EJ is not blocking anyone, he is there solely as a 7th defenseman and to help bring the younger defenseman along. Last year Marc Staal played in 35 games and that is with all the injuries late in the season on the Flyers defense. I highly doubt EJ will play even this many games unless there is another rash of injuries.
- jd250

He played 14 of those games before the new year so his usage was pretty consistent over the whole season. EJ is going to play because he is a vet.

Adam Henrique 24g 27a (33 years old) 2 yrs 3 mill aav
Garnet Hathaway 7g 10a (32 years old) 2 yrs 2.4 mill aav.

Which contract is an overpay?
- MBFlyerfan

How many guesses? Was Henrique born to be a Flyer? Does he block shots with his face?

When the season plays out, you'll find out that Johnson is not there solely as the 7th defenseman. Not with Tortorella as the coach.
- MJL

To be honest, I doubt EJ would hold up the entire season, similar to Staal last year.

How many guesses? Was Henrique born to be a Flyer? Does he block shots with his face?
- Flyers_01

The GH signing is nonsense. Why extend him now? Why not ride out the season and see if you can pick up assets at the TDL? If you love him that much as a player you can bring him back.

It really reminds me of a CF move.

To be honest, I doubt EJ would hold up the entire season, similar to Staal last year.
- jd250

I didn't state that he would play 82 games.

The GH signing is nonsense. Why extend him now? Why not ride out the season and see if you can pick up assets at the TDL? If you love him that much as a player you can bring him back.

It really reminds me of a CF move.
- Flyfly

Unfortunately, the overwhelming amount of available information points to not much changing with the Flyers. They continue to be stuck in their old archaic ways. Most recent example are Briere's recent comments concerning Michkov that he apparently made.

Not to put to fine a point on it but "being hard to play against" is about as relevant to winning hockey games as "good in the locker room".

2nd worst goal differential in the Metro, 4th worst in the East.
2nd fewest goals scored in the Metro, 2nd worst in the East.

They went 3 months without beating a single team in the Metro. I'm pretty sure GH was playing during that stretch.

I don't think anyone was like damn, we don't want to play the Flyers tonight, they are hard to play against, especially that Hathaway guy.

Hard to play against sounds like, "keep your head up, you'll get us next time!"

Anyway, I think the extension was unnecessary and removed one bullet from the TDL.

I also think things would be much better for the Flyers long term, if their own pick was in the top 4-5, and those multiple 1sts could be used on multiple players, ala SJ. There's nobody who is in position to draft a McDavid, Bedard or Celebrini who is going to trade it for some mid to late round 1sts.

1 top of the draft 1st round pick beats all the possible 1sts the Flyers could acquire. I think there were 0 trades for top 10 picks in the last 2 drafts, and the Flyers are going to change that next year?

Trades are hard? Maybe put yourself in position to not need a trade to get that pick. CHI and SJ get it.
- Flyers_01

I agree with you on a couple of points here. Chicago, SJ and Anaheim clearly get it in terms of aggressiveness at the draft and stockpiling talent. The Flyers for whatever reason have been unwilling to do this, and I do believe Torts is the big reason why. Torts I think has a dream of taking a decent team that no one expects to win on an unprecendented deep run, knowing full well that team is not going to win it all and will certainly not be sustainable. Seems to fly in the face to what Briere and Jones state repeatedly about building this thing right so the team can truly contend year after year.

I think you also make a good point about Hathaway. I like him in all, but he could have got the Flyers yet another 2nd round pick next year at the deadline, and that is what aggressive rebuilding teams do. Its great the Flyers have picks, but if they go into next season with say the 15th, 22nd and 27th picks in the first round, does this really move the needle, even in a deeper draft?

Michkov can become an arbitration-ineligible restricted free agent on July 1, 2027

So when the Flyers have to extend Michkov, TK will be in year 3 of his 8 x $9.5m deal.

attard is now 25 years old. he will need to pass through waivers (dont think he will be claimed). dont think him being a 6/7 guy would do him any harm at this point.

there was zero need for EJ
- hello it's me 2050

Hey him and Briere were teammates though….

Veteran presence
Plays the right way
Good in the room
Mentor to the kids
Priceless intangibles

Memorizing the Flyers big book of cliches is mandatory for every GM.

Veteran presence
Plays the right way
Good in the room
Mentor to the kids
Priceless intangibles

Memorizing the Flyers big book of cliches is mandatory for every GM.
- Feanor

Have to throw culture in there are some point. Can't forget about that.

The Flyers were so hard to play against, that they boomed all the way up to 21st overall in the league from 26th the season before. Man, the future is bright.
- MJL

I not disagreeing with you, but you have to factor in losing Hart and then faltering down the stretch had a lot to do with where the Flyers ended up. Still, it all points to the same thing, a house of cards that is very fragile which means unsustainable. Briere and Jones say all the time the team is not close and they want to build this the right way, but their actions (which matter the most) are not consistent with their words. We know what Torts wants, he wants to go to war with a veteran team and make a run, and I am concerned Briere and Jones' actions are more consistent with Torts' desire than they are with building this the right way.

I'll be honest with you and everyone here, I think there is a good chance Chicago, Anaheim and SJ will pass the Flyers within 2 seasons unless Briere really makes some moves this off season and gets into the top 5 in the next draft.

Unfortunately, the overwhelming amount of available information points to not much changing with the Flyers. They continue to be stuck in their old archaic ways. Most recent example are Briere's recent comments concerning Michkov that he apparently made.
- MJL

Sadly, I think you are right. I like GH on the 4th but not sure why there was urgency on day one to extend him when there is a chance to get something at the deadline.

I agree with you on a couple of points here. Chicago, SJ and Anaheim clearly get it in terms of aggressiveness at the draft and stockpiling talent. The Flyers for whatever reason have been unwilling to do this, and I do believe Torts is the big reason why. Torts I think has a dream of taking a decent team that no one expects to win on an unprecendented deep run, knowing full well that team is not going to win it all and will certainly not be sustainable. Seems to fly in the face to what Briere and Jones state repeatedly about building this thing right so the team can truly contend year after year.

I think you also make a good point about Hathaway. I like him in all, but he could have got the Flyers yet another 2nd round pick next year at the deadline, and that is what aggressive rebuilding teams do. Its great the Flyers have picks, but if they go into next season with say the 15th, 22nd and 27th picks in the first round, does this really move the needle, even in a deeper draft?
- jd250

Yet you want to try to resign tk. Let season play out with him and move him at tdl if can’t sign him. So doesn’t having tk in lineup all year help them win games? Doesn’t that make draft position worse? See how that works. You can’t have both. What would flyers draft position been this year had tk been moved BEFORE season started? Even a few spots lands them 1 of the players they reportedly wanted (demigod or Richardinson) see how that works.