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

Says everything.

It's your opinion, not most of the people's opinons who post on here. It is definitly in the minority.

But it's only an opinion...it doesn't mean it is more true because it is yours. You are arguing with everyone on here about Risto, his placement on the team, his value, etc, and actually have the nerve to tell people, like the post quoted in this response, that they are wrong in their opinion.

Kinda ignorant...feels like you are almost verbally attacking some on here.

The bolded is the problem...they need to move on, make space and create competition for jobs on the Flyers between the young guys. It has to be demoralizing to be say how Andrae has to be thinking ..watching Johnston be the 7th dman, earning an NHL salary, whil Andrae is clearly the better player who should be with the big team...

The Flyers are too in love with the players that have failed here for years.
- TheFreak

The don't fall in love with players mantra is nonsense.

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

but it's a "shallow" draft, so you shouldn't expect many of the picks to make the team, so nothing is going to help, right?

Since the Flyers refuse to position themselves for a top pick, here is what we're left with

1) They get lucky with a later 1st round pick or later and draft a future 1C

2) They acquire a 1C in free agency

3) They trade for a 1C

What are the odds that any of that becomes reality?
- MJL

If a team has a 1C they are not trading him, unless there is a contractual or other issue between the team and player, so I think the odds are extremely low. Getting a 1C in free agency means they are getting an older player and committing long term to that player. This could happen once the team clears cap space. Getting lucky with late 1st round pick or 2nd round pick is possible but obviously lower odds.

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.
- jd250

Trade TK and a first to get into the top 5...TK is top 10 in scoring, is signed as long as they can be, and can be the face of the team he gets traded to.

Would that be enough to pry a top 5 pick back?

I do not agree that they are rebuilding. Every team builds through the draft. As I said previously, they are not adding anyone at all. They are straddling the middle of the road approach hoping something goes their way. Terrible way to run a team. Aren’t you a little tired of laying out the IF factor when it comes to this team?

Kudo to them acknowledging there is a Center issue. Are they supposed to get bonus points for pointing out the obvious? They have created that Center mess. They do not have any concrete plan to fix it.

Never heard that in bold before.
- furio16

Not every team builds through the draft.

Contenders and Retooling teams make trades to make the team better and fill holes.

Teams that are rebuilding sell players they dont deel are part of the future and add young players and\or picks.

The Flyers are selling. They dont have rentals to sell outside of EJ but they are very much open to moving players. The Flyers have the Leverage with guys like Risto because like Danny said, he doesnt have to move him. Danny can be patient and wait for a team to perhaps overpay or at least submit an acceptable offer. Realistically the Flyers could be better off not moving him at the deadline and waiting till the offseason. It would be much easier to move the full contract in the offseason.

I do expect Danny wants to move him because at the end of the day they do have a bunch of guys who they need to make room for. Andrae is NHL ready. MacDonald they really like. I havent watched him play but at 22 years old he should be pushing for a spot. Bonk is a player I heard that may not need to spend a lot of time in the AHL so he could be here at some point next season. As of right now theres just 1 spot which is Zamulas for 3 potential guys, 4 if you count Grans who was impressive during his stint.

Danny can say what he wants about Risto but it is clear that he does not fit the picture. Theres no room for a 30 year old RD on this team when you have guaranteed spots for Sanheim, York, Drysdale and Seeler.

I have said it before I did not like the Seeler signing. Maybe Seeler would waive to go to a contender, if not he only has 1 more year of trade protection so it isnt all bad news there.

but it's a "shallow" draft, so you shouldn't expect many of the picks to make the team, so nothing is going to help, right?
- TheFreak

It depends on what they do with the picks. I doubt the Flyers will select 6 players in the first two rounds. I expect some os these picks with be packaged in a trade or two.

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.
- Flyfly

Exactly...I have never seen a team run down a player like that on live TV.

If a team has a 1C they are not trading him, unless there is a contractual or other issue between the team and player, so I think the odds are extremely low. Getting a 1C in free agency means they are getting an older player and committing long term to that player. This could happen once the team clears cap space. Getting lucky with late 1st round pick or 2nd round pick is possible but obviously lower odds.
- jd250

The question was obviously rhetorical. What's most interesting is that despite all that you posted here. You still support their strategy.

Trade TK and a first to get into the top 5...TK is top 10 in scoring, is signed as long as they can be, and can be the face of the team he gets traded to.

Would that be enough to pry a top 5 pick back?
- TheFreak

Depends on the team. I think a team like Nashville would absolutely take that.

SJ seems like a team that might be ready to make the next step in their rebuild so maybe they might consider it.

DET may do it because Yzerman is trying to make the playoffs like PHI

I dont think CHI would.

BUF, NYI and SEA I think could go either way. Isles shouldnt but Lou doesnt always do the smart thing. SEA I really dont know what they are doing and BUF Is a team thats desperate to see some success that already has a bunch of good young pieces.

Buffalos issue is that I think they got too many redundant pieces. Thompson is a shoot first type C so he doesnt work well with shoot first type wingers like Peterka. It would be like Matthews playing with Ovechkin. Marner is a much better fit for Matthews because he can get Matthews the puck. They also went out and grabbed Byram who needs PP time to be affective and they already had guys like Dahlin and Powers who run the PP better.

Overall yes but somehow their playoff odds went up to 15% from 10% in the last few days.

I think Tortorella is going to win the Jack Adams. This is finally the year.
- MJL

He only got 7 points last season. Sullivan dead last with 1 point. Tocchet majestic with 483 points! Flyers was in a playoff spot for several months. The voters didn't buy that the spring collapse was based on weak goaltending.

Not every team builds through the draft.

Contenders and Retooling teams make trades to make the team better and fill holes.


- xShoot4WarAmpsx

It is extremely rare that a team doesn't build through the draft. A contending team has already done the building through the draft part. A retooling team is retooling around the core they built through the draft. The exception is a team like Vegas who used an expansion draft initially.

Not every team builds through the draft.

Contenders and Retooling teams make trades to make the team better and fill holes.

Teams that are rebuilding sell players they dont deel are part of the future and add young players andor picks.

The Flyers are selling. They dont have rentals to sell outside of EJ but they are very much open to moving players. The Flyers have the Leverage with guys like Risto because like Danny said, he doesnt have to move him. Danny can be patient and wait for a team to perhaps overpay or at least submit an acceptable offer. Realistically the Flyers could be better off not moving him at the deadline and waiting till the offseason. It would be much easier to move the full contract in the offseason.

I do expect Danny wants to move him because at the end of the day they do have a bunch of guys who they need to make room for. Andrae is NHL ready. MacDonald they really like. I havent watched him play but at 22 years old he should be pushing for a spot. Bonk is a player I heard that may not need to spend a lot of time in the AHL so he could be here at some point next season. As of right now theres just 1 spot which is Zamulas for 3 potential guys, 4 if you count Grans who was impressive during his stint.

Danny can say what he wants about Risto but it is clear that he does not fit the picture. Theres no room for a 30 year old RD on this team when you have guaranteed spots for Sanheim, York, Drysdale and Seeler.

I have said it before I did not like the Seeler signing. Maybe Seeler would waive to go to a contender, if not he only has 1 more year of trade protection so it isnt all bad news there.
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

Semantics and use some context. Every team uses the draft to build to some extent.

The Flyers are not selling. Not sure how anyone can say that at all. Who cares if they don’t have “rentals”. They have pieces that can be moved who they refuse to move. They don’t have rentals because they made the choice to re-sign fringe pieces to deals that make zero sense for a rebuilding team. Open to making moves. Wow that is very impressive yet again. Danny really earning his keep.

The defending the Danny is patient is pure nonsense. Not buying it all seeing his actions and what he says. I don’t think he wants to move him at all. Better chance they extend than move IMO. Trying to justify the Seller (and others) contract is what homer Flyers fans do. Do you see any team lining up to take on Seelers contract that is an overpayment for a 3rd pair dman.

MacDonald is in his first year of Pro Hockey. Do not agree that he should be pushing for a spot. He was a raw 6th rd pick. No need to rush him in any way. Grans was not impressive. He held his own. That is a positive though far from impressive.

I just don’t think you really grasp the Flyers philosophy and what they are about.

Exactly my point. I'm afraid they offer someone like him 8 million. A guy who has never scored 30 goals (and only scored over 20 goals twice) and never recorded 50 points in a season. Who will be 29 in the first year of his likely 7 year deal.


Bennett would be a solid 2C.
- MBFlyerfan

Frost type numbers

It will take a huge overpay to get these guys like him to sign IMO. 7 year?

Hell no, the Flyers will send a 4th rd pick for his rights to add that 8th year. Then the Flyers pat themselves on the back.
- furio16

Doesn't work that way. Has to be on the team the day after the trade deadline to offer an 8 year contract.

Doesn't work that way. Has to be on the team the day after the trade deadline to offer an 8 year contract.
- TheFreak

Guess that rule was changed.

The question was obviously rhetorical. What's most interesting is that despite all that you posted here. You still support their strategy.
- MJL

I don't believe in tanking. I will support what Briere is doing until I don't. For example, if we are heading into next season with pretty much the same team, I will no longer support Briere. I am not going to go crazy if Briere does not sell hard at this deadline or somehow the Flyers actually make the playoffs. But I will loose faith in Briere if he does not have a very good off season and make some significant changes.

The question was obviously rhetorical. What's most interesting is that despite all that you posted here. You still support their strategy.
- MJL

I don't believe in tanking. I will support what Briere is doing until I don't. For example, if the Flyers head into next season with pretty much the same team, I will no longer support Briere. I am not going to go crazy if Briere does not sell hard at this deadline or somehow the Flyers actually make the playoffs. But I will loose faith in Briere if he does not have a very good off season and make some significant changes.

I don't believe in tanking. I will support what Briere is doing until I don't. For example, if the Flyers head into next season with pretty much the same team, I will no longer support Briere. I am not going to go crazy if Briere does not sell hard at this deadline or somehow the Flyers actually make the playoffs. But I will loose faith in Briere if he does not have a very good off season and make some significant changes.
- jd250

What is a very good off-season?

It is extremely rare that a team doesn't build through the draft. A contending team has already done the building through the draft part. A retooling team is retooling around the core they built through the draft. The exception is a team like Vegas who used an expansion draft initially.
- MJL

Since the beginning of the cap era, almost every Cup winning team except maybe the '19 Blues built their team through the draft. They built their elite cores through the draft and when it came time to make the final step they added the support pieces they needed.

Ive said it once and I say it again, the Flyers plans seems to be the opposite. Draft the support pieces and sign the elite talent.

We will be lucky if 2 players end up being significant NHL contributors from this upcoming draft. The rest will be fringe players or AHLers. All 6 picks in the first 2 rounds means is more chances to get lucky. This team is rarely lucky.

Guess that rule was changed.
- furio16

It changed in 2013, but that is 12 years ago now.

https://www.nhl.com/nhl/e...12/NHL_NHLPA_2013_CBA.pdf

ARTICLE 50 50.8-50.8
(iii) Salary revisions.
(b) The following practices also shall not be permitted under this Agreement and may
not be included in any SPC, nor otherwise agreed to by any Club, any person or any entity:
(i) Salary reimbursement, except to the extent permitted by Section
50.5(e)(iii);
(ii) Cash transactions in connection with the Assignment of Player SPCs,
except to the extent permitted by Section 50.5(e)(iii);
(iii) Team Bonus Plans;
(iv) An SPC with a term of greater than seven (7) years, provided, however,
that a Club may sign a Player to an SPC with a term of up to eight (8)
years if that Player was on such Club's Reserve List as of and since the
most recent Trade Deadline. With respect to potential Unrestricted Free
Agents only, the ability to re-sign a Player to an SPC of eight (8) years
expires when the Player becomes an Unrestricted Free Agent. With
respect to a Player who becomes a Group 2 Restricted Free Agent, a Club
may sign such Player to an SPC with a term of up to eight (8) years
provided such Player was on such Club's Reserve List and/or Restricted
Free Agent List as of and since the most recent Trade Deadline.

It is extremely rare that a team doesn't build through the draft. A contending team has already done the building through the draft part. A retooling team is retooling around the core they built through the draft. The exception is a team like Vegas who used an expansion draft initially.
- MJL

Look, I wil admit it, you are spot on here. I don't believe a team has to strip it to the studs necessarily but a team that recognizes they have gone as far as they can go with a core group of players will break up the group, free up cap space, accumulate draft capital for 2 or 3 years, draft and develop, augment with FAs and compete again. My only explanation for the lack of significant moves so far from the Flyers was they have not been a good team with good players that other teams wanted bad enough to give the Flyers a good return in a trade. Briere has not been afraid to make moves, and other GMs have verified Briere has listened to all offers made to him. Briere moved Provorov and got a great return. Briere jettisoned Hayes which was also a good move. Briere traded Walker last year which was tough because it clearly cost the team a playoff birth. So I expect Briere to make moves this off season. I think we need to be patient and see how his plan plays out.

I don't believe in tanking. I will support what Briere is doing until I don't. For example, if the Flyers head into next season with pretty much the same team, I will no longer support Briere. I am not going to go crazy if Briere does not sell hard at this deadline or somehow the Flyers actually make the playoffs. But I will loose faith in Briere if he does not have a very good off season and make some significant changes.
- jd250

Just like you did with your previous position of if Briere doesn't make moves at the deadline, you will be critical, you will move off of this position also. That's what you do. You draw a red line and then when the time comes, you give a pass and spin it. As sure as the sun will rise.

Semantics and use some context. Every team uses the draft to build to some extent.

The Flyers are not selling. Not sure how anyone can say that at all. Who cares if they don’t have “rentals”. They have pieces that can be moved who they refuse to move. They don’t have rentals because they made the choice to re-sign fringe pieces to deals that make zero sense for a rebuilding team. Open to making moves. Wow that is very impressive yet again. Danny really earning his keep.

The defending the Danny is patient is pure nonsense. Not buying it all seeing his actions and what he says. I don’t think he wants to move him at all. Better chance they extend than move IMO. Trying to justify the Seller (and others) contract is what homer Flyers fans do. Do you see any team lining up to take on Seelers contract that is an overpayment for a 3rd pair dman.

MacDonald is in his first year of Pro Hockey. Do not agree that he should be pushing for a spot. He was a raw 6th rd pick. No need to rush him in any way. Grans was not impressive. He held his own. That is a positive though far from impressive.

I just don’t think you really grasp the Flyers philosophy and what they are about.
- furio16

Where did I defend the Seller signing. I flat out said I didnt like it.

My only explanation for the lack of significant moves so far from the Flyers was they have not been a good team with good players that other teams wanted bad enough to give the Flyers a good return in a trade.
- jd250

Again contradicting yourself and your previous statement that Ristolainen is a top 4 defenseman on *any* team in the league and is a player that all playoff teams will covet.