This is just you being stubborn because you were wrong about Risto and you don't want to admit it. Risto IMO is playing the best overall game of any Flyers defenseman. Better than Sanheim right now. Better than York. In fact, just about every one that is talking about Risto around the Flyers and around the NHL beleive Risto is playing the best hockey of his career. Just watch the games. Risto kills plays better than any other defenseman on the ice most nights. Is he perfect, hell no. His first pass out of the d-zone is an adventure for sure, but he is healthy, skating well, adding more offense to his game, using his size to make hits more appropriately, and playing very sound in his own end. What else do you want from a top 4 defenseman?
- jd250

ok, agree to disagree. Nothing either of us says will change our respective minds.

The draft is "shallow", not some kind of writeoff. There's still gonna be elite players available at the top that the Flyers desperately need.

Matt Schaefer alone would completely change the Flyers' long term outlook.
- Tomahawk

Schaefer is to much like Drysdale, York and Andrae.

The Flyers are not a capped out team, not now and not projected to be next year. However the Flyers also do not have a ton of cap space to sign some big names, but then again they are not in any position to do that yet anyway.

You and I don't know how the Flyers' prospects will work out. Some might move the needle, some might never play an NHL game. That is the nature of drafting players at 17 and 18 years old. It's not a guarantee that simply because some ranking has a teenager as the top 5 prospect that player will realize their potential. It's about the future for sure, but there is no reason the future has to be 8 years from now. Risto can be part of the future. He is a legitimate top 4 NHL defenseman that has size, good legs and a RHS. Those are hard players to find, and the Flyers currently do not have anyone in their system that is ready to step into that role.

A tanking team would just trade any veteran that has value, get what they can and then take their chances in the draft. The Flyers are not tanking. They are not going to trade good players that play well within their system unless what they get back would move the needle further in their rebuild.
- jd250

It’s not only a tanking team that should trade away vets that have value….its literally any team that is engaged in a rebuild.

Trading Ristolainen for a late 1st with no salary retention would be a dream scenario. Any GM would be a fool to turn that down. You're supposed to create holes in the lineup when rebuilding. You fill it with younger players. That's how you rebuild. Such as Grans whom you state is ready. Andrae is also ready.
- MJL

I would like to see Grans and Andrae in the NHL soon for sure, but neither can fill the role Risto plays on this team. Briere might trade Risto at the deadline, you never know for sure. I have always believed you don't listen to the words a GM says, but their actions. Briere stated the other day he is not shopping Risto and would have to be blown away to trade him. I wonder if that is just GM speak to get the best return he can get. It's possible anyway.

It’s not only a tanking team that should trade away vets that have value….its literally any team that is engaged in a rebuild.
- landros 2

If a team does not care about winning games I agree with you. However, Torts is not coaching that way.

I think the threat if him going back to his previous team was real. Yesterday Charlie O pointed out that the season for his previous team is wrapping up soon.
- WhiskeyMan

Yes, the KHL season end in March. I do think the Fyers waited just to make it not worth it for Kolosov to return to the KHL. But Kolosov's old team had goalies in place already, so not sure what team he would have played for anyway.

In your delusional world, you think they have already started.
- MBFlyerfan

Hmmm .. 6 picks in the first two rounds of a draft is not an action of a rebuilding team?

If a team does not care about winning games I agree with you. However, Torts is not coaching that way.
- jd250

Torts can care about winning without Risto, without Laughton and without any other guy not named Michkov, just as easily. His job is to coach the guys in front of him.

The draft is "shallow", not some kind of writeoff. There's still gonna be elite players available at the top that the Flyers desperately need.

Matt Schaefer alone would completely change the Flyers' long term outlook.
- Tomahawk

There would probably be opportunities to move up but I doubt Briere has the courage to do it. After the top four maybe 5, rankings are all over the place. Islanders and Penguins would probably be willing to trade down for more picks with how empty their prospect pools are. Buffalo and Anaheim would be interested in further along players instead of more rookies. The Penguins would also be in that group. Unfortunately I don’t think Briere has it in him.

It will be more middling depth with the Hope one or top pop higher than their draft position.

If the kid looked ready I could see them handling him this way….but I don’t think his play has warranted the kid glove treatment. I honestly think the Gauthier situation has played into how the Flyers have dealt with Kosolov.
- landros 2

Absolutely! Briere and Jones are very mindful of public perception of players wanting to play for the Flyers after the Gauthier situation.

Hmmm .. 6 picks in the first two rounds of a draft is not an action of a rebuilding team?
- jd250

It can’t just stop there though….DB needs to be aggressive….he starting to sound like, dare I say, Chuck Fletcher….”trades are hard”…

Agreed….although I do think Risto has played well enough that maybe it’s not such a pipe dream anymore.
- landros 2

I have no doubt the Flyers could get a late 1st round pick for Risto with no salary retention or taking back a bad deal. But I just don't see this as valuable. The Flyers could have 5 first round picks. Teams in the top 5 are not trading out of the top 5, even if the Flyers offered them 3 later 1st round picks. The Bruins tried this in 2015 and had picks 12-14, and still couldn't complete a trade.

I would like to see Grans and Andrae in the NHL soon for sure, but neither can fill the role Risto plays on this team. Briere might trade Risto at the deadline, you never know for sure. I have always believed you don't listen to the words a GM says, but their actions. Briere stated the other day he is not shopping Risto and would have to be blown away to trade him. I wonder if that is just GM speak to get the best return he can get. It's possible anyway.
- jd250

You've shown today that you don't understand prospects or what a rebuild is. You laughably state here that you've always believed that you don't listen to the words of what a GM says but you were clearly manipulated by Briere's comments. Same as you are easily manipulated by what Tortorella says. You fall in line with everything they say.

Absolutely! Briere and Jones are very mindful of public perception of players wanting to play for the Flyers after the Gauthier situation.
- jd250

All because of their incompetence.

I have no doubt the Flyers could get a late 1st round pick for Risto with no salary retention or taking back a bad deal. But I just don't see this as valuable. The Flyers could have 5 first round picks. Teams in the top 5 are not trading out of the top 5, even if the Flyers offered them 3 later 1st round picks. The Bruins tried this in 2015 and had picks 12-14, and still couldn't complete a trade.
- jd250

Contradicting yourself again! You just posted that having picks in the first two rounds is a sign of a rebuild. Now you don't see a pick in the late 1st round as valuable. Hysterical.

The draft is "shallow", not some kind of writeoff. There's still gonna be elite players available at the top that the Flyers desperately need.

Matt Schaefer alone would completely change the Flyers' long term outlook.
- Tomahawk

The Flyers would have to gut the team to get into the top 5, which is not going to happen. Even if the Flyers traded away Risto and Laughton this year this team is not getting into the top 5. And as I mentioned, teams in the top 5 are not trading out of the top 5 for reasons you just highlighted, with Schaefer having very high potential. So the Flyers are going to have to build this another way.

Well enough, maybe. But I think its somewhat of a delusion, it's more like he is the fastest sprinter at the special Olympics. Risto IS playing better compared to his old standard, but his old standard was so bad he has risen to mediocre.
- MBFlyerfan

Want to also add, what happens when Risto is not playing in a conservative system that the Flyers play? If he has to react quicker or what not how will he handle it?

Contradicting yourself again! You just posted that having picks in the first two rounds is a sign of a rebuild. Now you don't see a pick in the late 1st round as valuable. Hysterical.
- MJL

Not at all, you are just a person of very low intelligence and cannot understand. The Flyers already will have two late round 1st round picks in this draft. Adding a 3rd late 1st round pick in a shallow draft is not going to add much more value. They can get the same level of player in the 2nd round at that point. My other point even if the Flyers have 4 1st round picks, teams are not trading out of the top 5 so the Flyers would not be able to draft a potential elite player at the top of the draft.

All because of their incompetence.
- MJL

Cutter still won't explain why he did what he did. You do not all the facts and can only speculate.

Until we get a full explanation we have to say at the very least both sides are at fault. The longer Cutter goes with out telling his story the worse it looks for him.

All because of their incompetence.
- MJL

Maybe, but it the end I think it will be better for the Flyers that Gauthier is not playing here. Drysdale is starting to come around .. sort of ... fingers crossed.

In your delusional world, you think they have already started.
- MBFlyerfan

Cutter still won't explain why he did what he did. You do not all the facts and can only speculate.

Until we get a full explanation we have to say at the very least both sides are at fault. The longer Cutter goes with out telling his story the worse it looks for him.
- WhiskeyMan

But wait, Cutter wishes we all knew the truth! He is nothing but a fraud!

Cutter still won't explain why he did what he did. You do not all the facts and can only speculate.

Until we get a full explanation we have to say at the very least both sides are at fault. The longer Cutter goes with out telling his story the worse it looks for him.
- WhiskeyMan

Please... the kid has no reason to speak. He has no obligation to say anything. And it certainly doesn't make him look worse beyond a handful of flyers fans. Flyers came out of the gate bashing the kid which was ridiculous.

It can’t just stop there though….DB needs to be aggressive….he starting to sound like, dare I say, Chuck Fletcher….”trades are hard”…
- landros 2

That’s going to be a problem if they don’t want to tank. They are going to have to be super aggressive which means overpaying and Briere doesn’t seem to want to take that chance. In fairness it’s early but as of now they have no avenue of getting a #1 center besides getting ridiculously lucky in the lottery or an Aho/Bergeron like steal.

The Flyers are not a capped out team, not now and not projected to be next year. However the Flyers also do not have a ton of cap space to sign some big names, but then again they are not in any position to do that yet anyway.

You and I don't know how the Flyers' prospects will work out. Some might move the needle, some might never play an NHL game. That is the nature of drafting players at 17 and 18 years old. It's not a guarantee that simply because some ranking has a teenager as the top 5 prospect that player will realize their potential. It's about the future for sure, but there is no reason the future has to be 8 years from now. Risto can be part of the future. He is a legitimate top 4 NHL defenseman that has size, good legs and a RHS. Those are hard players to find, and the Flyers currently do not have anyone in their system that is ready to step into that role.

A tanking team would just trade any veteran that has value, get what they can and then take their chances in the draft. The Flyers are not tanking. They are not going to trade good players that play well within their system unless what they get back would move the needle further in their rebuild.
- jd250

Semantics. They are capped out when you look at the entire picture. Do you think they are in a good cap spot for a rebuilding team? After they re-sign and overpay the RFA will make it worse.

I am basing the prospects on all the available information. None are needle movers. Using the Flyers history also plays a factor.

Risto can be part of the future. Ok. Your then ok re-signing hm to a 4-year ext deal in the summer of 2026? Can sign a vet to short term deal to fill in the gap.

A tanking team does not have to trade every veteran. You mention that play well within their system. How log do you see the coach they currently employ being here? The players they want who play their “system” are not going to win you anything.