I wouldn’t. I don’t know how Sanheim managed 44 points and still a -20, while doing little damage on the power play and while having a capable defense partner. I doubt Sanheim repeats the season he just had.
- roenick97

The same way Provorov managed 27 points and a -17...AND 31 points and a -20 his final two seasons as a Flyer.

Both Provorov and Sanheim are great top 4 defensemen, but neither should be THE GUY. I'm still taking Sanheim over Provorov if I had to choose.

Columbus was shopping Provorov last year and wouldn't shocked one bit to see him traded this coming season and that's him with LA retaining some salary and less pressure with Werenski playing the hard minutes.

Luchenko is one of the best conditioned guys at the draft. He took first or second in 4 catagories and came in at 5 in another. His Size isn't the issue. His dedication mirrors Michkov's. I can see them playing not only well together but becoming buds off the ice as well.
The Flyers are not going to rush him this year at least, they are not looking to make a push until they have more dead money off the cap. Meaning giving the kid time to play his game in juniors is a better plan. It also gives them time to identify the older tweeners and see who develops and who goes.

Luchenko is one of the best conditioned guys at the draft. He took first or second in 4 catagories and came in at 5 in another. His Size isn't the issue. His dedication mirrors Michkov's. I can see them playing not only well together but becoming buds off the ice as well.
The Flyers are not going to rush him this year at least, they are not looking to make a push until they have more dead money off the cap. Meaning giving the kid time to play his game in juniors is a better plan. It also gives them time to identify the older tweeners and see who develops and who goes.
- flylerid

I'm not sure why, but when I read this the name that kept popping in my head was...Barrett Hayton.

Oh BTW here are 2018's draft combine results, the results really prove who succeeds in the NHL....

https://www.topendsports....-combine-results-2018.htm

Some interesting names in the tops....

I hope Luchanko proves EVERYONE wrong and becomes an incredible player, but for the umpteenth time my problem is nothing to do with the player...

My issue is with the decisions the franchise makes. Until the ORGANIZATION shows better consistency with their decisions I will continue to criticize them. I want every player to prove me wrong, but so far my track record is leaps and bounds above the ones who actually get paid for it.

Just remember when people are frustrated with a player, it's not the player it's directed at...IT'S THE DECISION.
- Glak18

Spot on. We can only deal with the information available at the time. I don't doubt that Luchanko is going to be a good player. Ultimately, the only thing that matters is what he becomes. However right now, we know that the Flyers passed on a player with 1D potential and a much higher rated prospect than Luchanko currently is. At a position the Flyers desperately need. It's not a knock on Luchanko. It's wanting the Flyers to pick the player with elite potential.

What is wrong with the decision? People constantly complain the flyers need to take risks/ swing for the fences and that is what they dod with this pick. Luchenko likely maxes out at a good #2 C but he has the upside to potentially be a #1 guy. While it is unlikely those are the guys you need to take chances on. Biuim imo will not be a top pair D and the fact he dropped suggests many teams believe the same thing. 5 Defenceman where taken before Biuim. I think in a world where Gauthier doesnt refuse to sign Flyers take Biuim
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

Taking a lower rated player who likely maxes out at a good 2C is swinging for the fence? It can't be swinging for the fence if there is no elite upside potential. Taking Buium would've been swinging for the fences. That 5 defenseman were taken before Buium is irrelevant to me.

It's just another decision on top of MANY decisions. I'm ok with the Flyers doing things that I don't agree with, but in the end it has to work out...

Can you name any examples where the Flyers made a decision that was broadly disliked by the fans, media, NHL "experts", etc that worked in the favor of the Flyers?

I'm not talking about..."oh yeah that worked out ok or it worked out bad for the OTHER team". What are the decisions made the last 20 years where the Flyers got to put the finger up into the faces that doubted them?

I seriously would like to know.
- Glak18

I guess you’d have to go back to the Holmgren days for that. Trading away Carter and Richards after going to the finals? Trading for Pronger? Everything Fletcher tried crashed and burned.

I guess you’d have to go back to the Holmgren days for that. Trading away Carter and Richards after going to the finals? Trading for Pronger? Everything Fletcher tried crashed and burned.
- Dkos

Even those moves were limited in their success. I understand that Pronger got hurt but it just wasn't sustainable over a period of time. It was a one and done. The shortsightedness and inability to plan for the long haul along with their constant thirst to win right now, is still present. They don't rebuild, they only pause when their shortsightedness causes them to have to pause.

Even those moves were limited in their success. I understand that Pronger got hurt but it just wasn't sustainable over a period of time. It was a one and done. The shortsightedness and inability to plan for the long haul along with their constant thirst to win right now, is still present. They don't rebuild, they only pause when their shortsightedness causes them to have to pause.
- MJL

I don’t disagree with you.

Even those moves were limited in their success. I understand that Pronger got hurt but it just wasn't sustainable over a period of time. It was a one and done. The shortsightedness and inability to plan for the long haul along with their constant thirst to win right now, is still present. They don't rebuild, they only pause when their shortsightedness causes them to have to pause.
- MJL

Flyers never recovered from the Richards and Carter trades. G as good but never had any help for a sustainable time.

The same way Provorov managed 27 points and a -17...AND 31 points and a -20 his final two seasons as a Flyer.

Both Provorov and Sanheim are great top 4 defensemen, but neither should be THE GUY. I'm still taking Sanheim over Provorov if I had to choose.

Columbus was shopping Provorov last year and wouldn't shocked one bit to see him traded this coming season and that's him with LA retaining some salary and less pressure with Werenski playing the hard minutes.
- Glak18

You said you’d take this past season by Sanheim over anything Provorov ever did.

watching some of this game right now. It's obvious that MM had a big influence over the game yesterday. Different team today. Kind of what we expected.

watching some of this game right now. It's obvious that MM had a big influence over the game yesterday. Different team today. Kind of what we expected.
- Letterkenney

Powerplay sure could use his help. 5 minute powerplay; they give up a goal and I don’t think they got any shots on net.

watching some of this game right now. It's obvious that MM had a big influence over the game yesterday. Different team today. Kind of what we expected.
- Letterkenney

It’s on now? Damn!

Kids getting plenty of practice this week. First pre season game in a week.

Because of Jett’s mature build and obviously depending on how he looks in pre season, I think they should consider the 9 game look in regular season. It worked out for Coots.

Luchanko is a fast-tracker but I worried about a mistake being made to rush him at just-turned-18. I still think Rizzo is more of an NHL/AHL tweener and that Gendron can score at any level if nothing else.
- Bill Meltzer

I think Luchanko will play another season at Gaulf, and then I think he will have a real shot to make the Flyers next season. I think he needs at least another year of development. The player I was pleasantly surprised with was Spencer Gill. He really looks like he has a chance to be a good player for the Flyers. Hunter MacDonald was physical but I think he needs more development time, just too many turnovers especially at the o-zone blue line. I think a year in the AHL will do him good. IMO Andrae is ready. Really solid in all zones.

I hope Luchanko proves EVERYONE wrong and becomes an incredible player, but for the umpteenth time my problem is nothing to do with the player...

My issue is with the decisions the franchise makes. Until the ORGANIZATION shows better consistency with their decisions I will continue to criticize them. I want every player to prove me wrong, but so far my track record is leaps and bounds above the ones who actually get paid for it.

Just remember when people are frustrated with a player, it's not the player it's directed at...IT'S THE DECISION.
- Glak18

Several interesting posts today ...just to make things more precise though:
1. Which team has stiffed the expert consensus and done better with their pick than that consensus? Iotw, might your standards be too high? By focusing on Flyers failures, maybe you are missing that such misses happen with all teams (when they try to beat the market)and more often than not?
2. Can you provide some examples of your 1st round picks, as expressed around draft day, doing better than actual Flyers picks?

Several interesting posts today ...just to make things more precise though:
1. Which team has stiffed the expert consensus and done better with their pick than that consensus? Iotw, might your standards be too high? By focusing on Flyers failures, maybe you are missing that such misses happen with all teams (when they try to beat the market)and more often than not?
2. Can you provide some examples of your 1st round picks, as expressed around draft day, doing better than actual Flyers picks?
- PT21

They do happen with all teams. What you're not considering is the more swings you take, the more chances you have to hit. Far too often the Flyers have moved way too many picks. They also haven't had enough high picks. Then you have to bring development issues into the picture.

I think Luchanko will play another season at Gaulf, and then I think he will have a real shot to make the Flyers next season. I think he needs at least another year of development. The player I was pleasantly surprised with was Spencer Gill. He really looks like he has a chance to be a good player for the Flyers. Hunter MacDonald was physical but I think he needs more development time, just too many turnovers especially at the o-zone blue line. I think a year in the AHL will do him good. IMO Andrae is ready. Really solid in all zones.
- jd250

Andrae probably is ready. Flahr stated that he was ready last season. Will he get a legit shot at the roster? Maybe but I would lean towards not.

Spot on. We can only deal with the information available at the time. I don't doubt that Luchanko is going to be a good player. Ultimately, the only thing that matters is what he becomes. However right now, we know that the Flyers passed on a player with 1D potential and a much higher rated prospect than Luchanko currently is. At a position the Flyers desperately need. It's not a knock on Luchanko. It's wanting the Flyers to pick the player with elite potential.
- MJL

But we cannot legitimately criticize the decision based soley on what so-called draft experts rank players. Remember Buium was predicted to go between 3 and 7 from the rankings I saw, and he went 13th. You can criticize the Flyers if you want for passing on who some believe is a potential top pairing defenseman, but then you also have to criticize those teams picking 7-11 also which is just silly. The bottom line is we all need to take a breath and wait and see how these players develop. If Luchanko turns out to be a top 6 center while Buium turns out to be a top 4 defenseman, I think the Flyers did just fine. If however Buium develops and Luchanko does not, then its legitmate to criticze the Flyers decision based on actual fact. Right now, its just too early to say one way or the other. It's the draft after all, and its a crap shoot.

Andrae probably is ready. Flahr stated that he was ready last season. Will he get a legit shot at the roster? Maybe but I would lean towards not.
- MJL

Briere specifically mentioned Andrae when stating why they went with Luchanko over Buium, so I think the entire org thinks he ready. He will have to come to camp and win the job in pre-season, and this time stick. I don't think the Flyers are afraid to sit Risto or another vet if Andrae leaves them no choice.

But we cannot legitimately criticize the decision based soley on what so-called draft experts rank players. Remember Buium was predicted to go between 3 and 7 from the rankings I saw, and he went 13th. You can criticize the Flyers if you want for passing on who some believe is a potential top pairing defenseman, but then you also have to criticize those teams picking 7-11 also which is just silly. The bottom line is we all need to take a breath and wait and see how these players develop. If Luchanko turns out to be a top 6 center while Buium turns out to be a top 4 defenseman, I think the Flyers did just fine. If however Buium develops and Luchanko does not, then its legitmate to criticze the Flyers decision based on actual fact. Right now, its just too early to say one way or the other. It's the draft after all, and its a crap shoot.
- jd250

That's wrong, we absolutely can criticize the decision making based on consensus ranking and upside of players. The consensus with Buium is that he has 1D potential. The consensus for Luchanko is a 2/3C or winger.
Your premise that we also have to criticize the other teams is false. There was a larger group of players to choose from for teams that picked earlier. You keep forgetting that in this draft, after the first few players, most of the players were closely ranked.
it's also not about just doing fine. I think that Luchanko is going to be a good player for the Flyers. The Flyers have plenty of "fine" players. They need elite top players. They passed on a player who had the much higher rated potential. For what reason?

Briere specifically mentioned Andrae when stating why they went with Luchanko over Buium, so I think the entire org thinks he ready. He will have to come to camp and win the job in pre-season, and this time stick. I don't think the Flyers are afraid to sit Risto or another vet if Andrae leaves them no choice.
- jd250

That is evidence towards Briere's incompetence and poor decision making.

But we cannot legitimately criticize the decision based soley on what so-called draft experts rank players. Remember Buium was predicted to go between 3 and 7 from the rankings I saw, and he went 13th. You can criticize the Flyers if you want for passing on who some believe is a potential top pairing defenseman, but then you also have to criticize those teams picking 7-11 also which is just silly. The bottom line is we all need to take a breath and wait and see how these players develop. If Luchanko turns out to be a top 6 center while Buium turns out to be a top 4 defenseman, I think the Flyers did just fine. If however Buium develops and Luchanko does not, then its legitmate to criticze the Flyers decision based on actual fact. Right now, its just too early to say one way or the other. It's the draft after all, and its a crap shoot.
- jd250

What Glak is saying is that if Flyers take player X, when Y is available and ranked way higher in pre-draft rankings (say Central Scouting), how often has X outperformed Y significantly.

He says he doesn't remember any such player in the past 20 odd years

Powerplay sure could use his help. 5 minute powerplay; they give up a goal and I don’t think they got any shots on net.
- Dkos

Dude, really no practices and line lare thrown together and you are complaining!

Dude, really no practices and line lare thrown together and you are complaining!
- WhiskeyMan

Doesn't the same go for the other team? Did they practice the PK?