Certainly possible, but Briere will probably not do it- and I agree. For me, Briere really is doing the Hextall plan. His belief is his plan for drafting and developing will be the team build. What if all these prospects just are not good enough? Is the coaching staff in the AHL good enough to develop players? Very debatable at this point. IIRC, the toughest personnel trade Hextall made was trading Brayden Schenn. Did the Flyers win that trade? In the end, Hextall's prospects were not good enough and not used to trade for others assets to help the team. To this point, the toughest personnel decision Briere made was trading Provy. Actually it was rather an easy decision because the player wanted out and Provy would be the example why "culture" is so important. Believe me, I am not impressed with this focus on "culture".
- Trox88

The Hextall plan was to try and rebuild as much as upper management would let him. This current management group is on record. They're just waiting for the cap to clear up and then they're going to spend. Culture is for the most part, BS. You don't build a team by building culture. You build with talent, skill and speed with the right mix and that builds culture. If you focus on culture first, you have the cart before the horse.

York should go nowhere. Despite the gloom and doom, I think the Flyers are on their to building a respectable blue line. Hopefully it’s Sullivan who takes over for Tortorella and Shaw is kept around.

I like Foerster but something has to give a wing especially in the right side. I wish they would move Tippett instead but that’s probably wishful thinking. I think Foerster is having a sophomore slump and will become a valuable middle six two way winger but he has to be on the table for an upgrade at center.
- psuhockey

York and Sanheim is all right now.

Risto, EJ, Seeler, and IMO Zamula will all be gone if/when they contend.

We don't know what Andrae at this time. JD looks like a bust so far.

Don't see all that respectable blueline.

As another poster commented, the best we can hope for is an inadvertent tank due to incompetence.

I still think they fail in that regard however and have a mid teens pick.

The Hextall plan was to try and rebuild as much as upper management would let him. This current management group is on record. They're just waiting for the cap to clear up and then they're going to spend. Culture is for the most part, BS. You don't build a team by building culture. You build with talent, skill and speed with the right mix and that builds culture. If you focus on culture first, you have the cart before the horse.
- MJL

Hextall had no plan. Much like the current group.

York and Sanheim is all right now.

Risto, EJ, Seeler, and IMO Zamula will all be gone if/when they contend.

We don't know what Andrae at this time. JD looks like a bust so far.

Don't see all that respectable blueline.
- login

How long until Sanheim’s legs fall off as he is being rode into the ground ala Couturier last year.

The Flyers have three players that are top line or will become top line players in their career.

TK, Sanheim and Michkov.

After that you have some good complimentary pieces if the roster gets built properly. They seem to have a good goalie pipeline. Long way to go before they are regular stanley cup contenders.

York and Sanheim is all right now.

Risto, EJ, Seeler, and IMO Zamula will all be gone if/when they contend.

We don't know what Andrae at this time. JD looks like a bust so far.

Don't see all that respectable blueline.
- login

Andrae has performed well at every level and looked good so far in the NHL. Gill impressed this past camp and there is also Bonk. Drysdale is struggling but I wouldn’t write him off yet. They have a ton of picks in the next draft and the one position a team can hit home runs later in the draft is at defense.

The other thing to remember is that no team has a completely home grown defense. If one of Gill or Bonk hits as in being a good top 4 defenseman and Andrae maintains his trajectory that’s 4. The team than can add one at the deadline or through free agency.

The Flyers have three players that are top line or will become top line players in their career.

TK, Sanheim and Michkov.

After that you have some good complimentary pieces if the roster gets built properly. They seem to have a good goalie pipeline. Long way to go before they are regular stanley cup contenders.
- mickel25

The problem as you stated is slotting. Push some of these guys down the lineup and it will look a lot better.
4 players IMO and then they may have something: 2 centers, a scoring left wing and another top 2-3 defenseman. It’s all going to have to be through the draft because I doubt Briere can make a big deal.

Frost's issue is not a lack of competitive desire.
- MJL

Yeah it’s a short leash coupled with a lack of playing time as handed out by a coach who just doesn’t seem to know how to get the most out of young players.

It has everything to do with it. I say he wouldn't be as productive playing with this roster as he is playing with Carolina's roster. And therefore, signing another wing to that contract wouldn't have been the right time to do so by the Flyers.
- MBFlyerfan

Guy's point per game at ES playing with KK and Robinson. He hasn't exactly been riding anybody's coattails.

His PP numbers would take a hit with the Flyers but he'd still likely be in the mid-20 point range.

Andrae has performed well at every level and looked good so far in the NHL. Gill impressed this past camp and there is also Bonk. Drysdale is struggling but I wouldn’t write him off yet. They have a ton of picks in the next draft and the one position a team can hit home runs later in the draft is at defense.

The other thing to remember is that no team has a completely home grown defense. If one of Gill or Bonk hits as in being a good top 4 defenseman and Andrae maintains his trajectory that’s 4. The team than can add one at the deadline or through free agency.
- psuhockey

Andrae has been up and down. As I said still don't know what he will become.

Gill and Bonk complete unknowns. The Flyers history of drafting/developing dman is very poor.

The future D is a total question mark outside of the top 2.

Guy's point per game at ES playing with KK and Robinson. He hasn't exactly been riding anybody's coattails.

His PP numbers would take a hit with the Flyers but he'd still likely be in the mid-20 point range.
- Tomahawk

Are you saying that "Career High of 27 Points" Eric Robinson isn't elite?!?

The problem as you stated is slotting. Push some of these guys down the lineup and it will look a lot better.
4 players IMO and then they may have something: 2 centers, a scoring left wing and another top 2-3 defenseman. It’s all going to have to be through the draft because I doubt Briere can make a big deal.
- psuhockey

real easy to get. They need 2 top 4 D. 2 Top 6 centers. That should be the priority. Goalie also a question mark.

real easy to get. They need 2 top 4 D. 2 Top 6 centers. That should be the priority. Goalie also a question mark.
- login

If everyone busts then yes the team will suck forever but one can be a little positive on the development of Zavragin and Bjarnason.

If everyone busts then yes the team will suck forever but one can be a little positive on the development of Zavragin and Bjarnason.
- psuhockey

How many years away do you think those 2 are if they pan out.

Carson I think will not make it. The 19 year old Russian have no idea as only know what I read.

I think most fans, are ready for a true, real, full tank which the organization has really never been WILLING to try and embrace. They missed the playoffs for five years, barely really tanked and lucked out with Lindros. Pride and ego before anything else. They overpay players, give them NTCs, and then wonder why they are where they are. Tortorella isn't the right guy for the rebuild, though he's done a good job with not much. I want a decade of Hagens and Michkov.

How many years away do you think those 2 are if they pan out.

Carson I think will not make it. The 19 year old Russian have no idea as only know what I read.
- login

Zavragin had two more years after this on this contract so he won’t be even be in North America until then. After that a couple of years as a backup/split starter. If he’s as good as his development arc says so far, 4 years after this one.

That's fine, so another young asset is kept on the roster that has not made the playoffs. Not suggesting this is the wrong move, so you would move Foerster first? What about Andrae? I'm not going to include Drysdale in this post because Briere gave up a significant asset to acquire. In the short term, Briere will not move him. York, Foerster and possibly Andrae have the highest potential trade value currently on the roster. They are young, cheap and theory much more room to grow. We all agree the roster needs vast improvement. Trading players like Brink, Zamula, and Farabee won't get the return of York and/or Foerster.
- Trox88

candidly, if Andrae comes back and plays well, shows more potential and someone offered a homerun package for York, I would listen really hard. They have to get a young center or position to get one, if that is York, so be it.

The Flyers have three players that are top line or will become top line players in their career.

TK, Sanheim and Michkov.

After that you have some good complimentary pieces if the roster gets built properly. They seem to have a good goalie pipeline. Long way to go before they are regular stanley cup contenders.
- mickel25

It's amazing how far Sanheim has come. He is night and day from the player he was just 2 years ago.

candidly, if Andrae comes back and plays well, shows more potential and someone offered a homerun package for York, I would listen really hard. They have to get a young center or position to get one, if that is York, so be it.
- wcorvette

Definitely possible. York is a solid top 4 defenseman that has proven he can play in the top pairing if asked to. The Flyers might want to spend the money for York's next contract on a center.

Do you think Torts is getting the most out of these players?
- login

We have a interesting case in William Karlsson. He went from 6 goals in 81 games for Torts BJ to 43 in 82 games for Vegas. But i do not think a anti Torts ideology player like Frost would have done the same.

Risto is never getting moved. Seeler's value was at a peak and teams were interested in paying a fortune for the Walker-Seeler pair. Refusal to trade Laughton. Refusal to trade Hathaway, extended him instead.

Didn't want to trade Walker and only reluctantly did so when they couldn't afford him.

Sanheim wasn't being traded because it was a rebuild, he was being traded to appease the coach's ego.

The amount of revisionist history required to believe this team is doing a thing they blatantly aren't doing could fill an entire encyclopedia set. That's the amount of convoluted fantasy and nonsense that has to be dreamed up to twist and hide plain straightforward facts.
- Striiker

What a bunch of BS. Risto will be traded this deadline. Seeler's contract is trivial and he is fine as a 3rd pairing defenseman that can provide veteran leadership and example.

Hathaway is a fine bottom 6 forward and if the Flyers wanted to trade him they could in a heartbeat. His contract will not be a hinderance. I am fine with Hathaway on this team.

Walker was playing well and any team would have liked to keep him. The Flyers could have traded other players if they wanted and kept Walker, but they wanted a 1st round pick and got it.

Sanheim was getting traded because he was playing like dog poop. He couldn't defend, couldn't finish offensively. All he could do was skate and little else. I'm glad they couldn't get the trade done for obvious reasons. Clearly Torts and Shaw have developed Sanheim properly and deserve a lot of credit.

The past is the past. Let's judge Briere and Jones based on what they do, not what Fletcher, Hextall or Homer did.

Then what is his issue and why do the Canes keep failing in the playoffs if they have grit and high end talent? My opinions have been stated.
- Phillywhiteout

Frost is fragile mentally. He loses his confidence too often and too easily. When he is playing confidently Frost is a good player, though I would still like him to shoot more. He is unfortunately up and down like a toilet seat mentally, and that is why ultimately the Flyers need to move him. He may put it all together for anothe team but I for one am tired of waiting.

Frost is fragile mentally. He loses his confidence too often and too easily. When he is playing confidently Frost is a good player, though I would still like him to shoot more. He is unfortunately up and down like a toilet seat mentally, and that is why ultimately the Flyers need to move him. He may put it all together for anothe team but I for one am tired of waiting.
- jd250

Ha, I KNEW this was Torts' burner account!!!

What a bunch of BS. Risto will be traded this deadline. Seeler's contract is trivial and he is fine as a 3rd pairing defenseman that can provide veteran leadership and example.

Hathaway is a fine bottom 6 forward and if the Flyers wanted to trade him they could in a heartbeat. His contract will not be a hinderance. I am fine with Hathaway on this team.

Walker was playing well and any team would have liked to keep him. The Flyers could have traded other players if they wanted and kept Walker, but they wanted a 1st round pick and got it.

Sanheim was getting traded because he was playing like dog poop. He couldn't defend, couldn't finish offensively. All he could do was skate and little else. I'm glad they couldn't get the trade done for obvious reasons. Clearly Torts and Shaw have developed Sanheim properly and deserve a lot of credit.

The past is the past. Let's judge Briere and Jones based on what they do, not what Fletcher, Hextall or Homer did.
- jd250

Risto will have to have some type of retained money if they can get a trade partner.

Walker was not just a first round pick - RYJO came back in the deal b/c the contract was bad and his teammates hated him, which in reality, it just created another side show for the Flyers organization.

Sanheim handled the "trade" perfectly. Your God (Torts) gave him credit for coming into camp physically changed. He took that offseason to gain strength. I am sure Shaw has helped but Sanheim rose to the occasion and the player deserves a ton of credit.

Last, what has GMDB done to give you such confidence? They punted this year and did not improve the roster w the exception of MM39. We will see how this last draft turns out... Jett is not a lock to be a 2C and other picks were "meh" at best. They need elite talent.