Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Not implying any correlation one way or the other, but it should also be pointed out that 3 months after the Flyers trade Claude Giroux, “culture change” became the franchise’s message of choice.
“If you have the facts on your side, pound the facts; if you have the law on your side, pound the law; if you have neither the facts nor the law, pound the table.”
The Flyers have neither the skill nor the front office so all they can do is pound the table.
Unless he blows the doors off everyone at camp, he should go back to Juniors. He did NOT accomplish this last preseason. What I saw was a kid who started to get overwhelmed towards the end of camp as teams started to ramp up their intensity, then I saw a kid who was completely overmatched at the NHL level before being benched and ultimately sent down when the team couldn’t hide it anymore. Torts either got entranced by his obvious speed and it blinded him to all the other shortcomings, or the team was trying to save face when they didnt pick Zeev Buium because Andrae was already on the roster.
He produced 6 assists in the AHL playoffs, though for the most part completely disappeared against Hershey. One would think that a high pick who is supposedly NHL ready would look a lot better than he did when, once again, the intensity ramped up.
My hope for his is that he somehow gets traded out of Guelph to a team that can contend, where he doesn’t have to be the sole decent player on his roster. This is one of those instances where the 19 year old rule hurts a player. I wonder if Europe is an option?
One thing for sure is that I don’t think he is NHL ready. Hopefully he surprises everyone and makes me eat my words.
That was such a bullshit excuse by Briere and if he truly thinks that way, pure incompetence. Andrae was never looked at as a future franchise defenseman, Buium was and is projected to be that. They weren’t competing for the same roster spot. Buium is also 6′ despite the size comment.
Flyers were drafting for perceived need, instead of BPA. As it is, both #1 center and #1 defense still need to be desperately addressed.
It felt like to me they were trying to save face because if anyone truly thought Jett was ready for the NHL last year, they were incompetent talent evaluators but that is possible. Remember Torts wanted TDA because he passed the “eye test”, until he played for the Flyers. Torts was instrumental in Drysdale also because he also passed the “eye test” until he came to the Flyers. I think we’re seeing a theme behind the Flyers poor roster decisions over the last few years. Meanwhile the analytics department are collecting checks on the beach.
It’s also true some top rated players in the league haven’t won Cups either. The Flyers clearly need another Top 4 Dman. No question about that. Willing to find out what Zegras can do as the offensive 1C which he clearly will be. It’s a team game. The Flyers will be noticeably better this year.
True. It takes more than just talent but it can’t be done without it. The Flyers tend to forget that.
Every team has their own version of culture, it’s just nobody cares because they aren’t the reigning Stanley Cup winner.
Like the Avalanche who won a few years ago have their culture if you google it : hard work and winning mentality. lol. Who knew? who cares? Turns out the Panthers aren’t unique in having culture or in how they define it. You win you get the puff pieces.
Same google search changing one word.
Skill, coaching, execution. Without the skill and the coaching they are the Buffalo Sabres no matter how much everyone loves each other. Without Barkov, Ekblad, Tkachuk, Bob, and even Maurice are they successful no matter how often they have group hugs and hit people? No.
Winning the Stanley cup takes a lot of different things coming together at the right time, Skill (the cornerstones and supporting players), coaching, execution, and sacrificing for the team.
Let’s get our MacKinnon/Makar, Barkov/Ekblad, etc before putting the culture cart before the horse because without that, the rest is just something that comes out of the other end of the horse.
Bill, I generally love your work but c’mon.
At just 19 years old, Luchanko has already shown flashes of brilliance. He earned an NHL opening night roster spot last season. Later, he held his own during the Calder Cup playoffs.
..
Morever, Luchanko’s late-season assignment to the Phantoms proved transformative.
..
This could be the season that helps solidify Luchanko as the franchise’s next cornerstone along with fellow prospect Porter Martone.I’d have to go back to look at what you wrote last year but I don’t think even you thought he forced his way onto the NHL the roster and he was an absolute, unqualified disaster who ended up watching more games from the press box than the ice in his brief 10 game stint. Also, if you thought he earned it last year why would you bring up the possibility him not making it this year? It was a PR stunt from the triumvirate that backfired.
Nobody in the NHL has projected Jett to be a franchise center or a prospect on the level of Martone.
Could he be the next Scott Laughton who is with the team 10 years and whose legend exceeds his actual impact because he plays the right way and was born to be a Flyer? Sure.
As mentioned by previous posters there is no good answer on where to play Jett this year but it would be a bad look for the front office if Jett, who “earned” a spot last year, didn’t make the team this year. Let’s hope he “forces” his way onto the roster, for real this time.
– There’s no denying the impact Rick Tocchet will have on the 2025–26 Flyers. His arrival marks a new era for a franchise that has spent the last few seasons searching for stability, identity, and a consistent path forward.
– But make no mistake: this wasn’t a “feel-good” hire. It was a calculated decision to bring in someone who can reconnect the Flyers with their identity while pushing the team back toward playoff contention.
Hahahahaha. The NEW new era of orange. Wasn’t Torts the guy bringing stability, reconnecting the Flyers with their identity, and leading them into the future?
::facepalm::
I would like to see Tocchet succeed but PR diarrhea like this just poisons the well. He was the feel good ex-Flyer hire that they can market the shit out of for aging fanbase who long for the good old days.
I’m predicting the Flyers will be noticeably better this year. Individually and as a team. There were teams out west that were more than a level below the Flyers last year. Starting to hear a bit how truly awful things were in ANA, even though they had 4 more points, for example. That makes things a little difficult to compare points over conferences. Everybody out west feasted on NSH, SJ and CHI. 91 points wouldn’t have gotten you into the playoffs out west and it was a fluke it did in the east. Vancouver has way better goaltending! Lankinen or Demko, if healthy, are both better than anything the Flyers have. Ideally, Vladar is our Lankinen.
“Everyone” is not pessimistic about the job Tocchet will do. Zegras wins them a couple or more games. Vladar over the two Russian catastrophes wins them a couple or more games. Tocchet’s coaching wins them a couple or more games. Five points for each upgrade gets them a 15 point increase.
Who isn’t pessimistic that Tocchet can lead them to the promised land that isn’t part of the Comcast family? Regardless, at least you are giving a reason behind your optimism. Personally i think more than Torts but not the bump you envision which will, once again, leave them in no mans land without a path forward to get those cornerstones they need. We shall see how the games play out.
I love that the Flyers are at the point where every roster, coaching, and front office move suddenly fits this description.
The living embodiment of the “hold my beer” meme?
So DB said some nice things about Torts on the way out? So what? Torts is not the coach any more. Again with the needle moving. More specifics please. This team is good for an extra 15 points this year. Roadkill Rick Tocchet will see to that. How is that a problem? How many points does a team need to improve to move their needle? What’s more important: Needle moving or difference making?
Never said Tocchet was roadkill, I compared roadkill as an improvement to what Torts was doing. 15 points takes the Flyers from last in the division to making the playoffs (using last year’s numbers). Are you predicting the Flyers make the playoffs? That would also be more points than Vancouver had last year, do you view the Flyers as having a better roster than Vancouver?
I posted an article earlier which talked about Tocchet’s coaching history and reasons for concern which came to the conclusion that Tocchet being the catalyst you want him to be is more wishful thinking than proven track record. You never really addressed the points made in that article. Until you do, it sounds more like you want to believe rather than having an actual reason to believe.
Maybe he’ll prove everyone wrong and again he can’t do any worse than the last guy. He’s supposed to be a great communicator with the players which is a world of difference from the coach who would bench the captain of the team without telling him why.
“No, he’s not a power play regular or a 40-plus point player like he was in Buffalo. He won’t rank first or second in credited hits anymore among NHL defensemen. “
He’s being asked to do less. What he was traded to be, what he was extended to be, what the Flyers wanted him to be, that player doesn’t exist. The Flyers trying to salvage something from a player they overpaid for in both draft picks and 5 year contract is what this is. It’s not like they could bury him in the minors with that contract so at least they’ve extracted some value from him when he’s not in the hot tub.
What’s sad is that his best year in 4 years with the Flyers would still rank as his worst year with the Sabres.
I listed 16 horrible facts from last season. None of which is in dispute including the general consensus that Tocchet’s hiring is more wishful thinking by the Flyers and that’s all you got out of it?
Five of your horrible facts mention Torts specifically and a lot of the rest were a direct result of HIS tenure. THIS JUST IN: Torts is gone. How can anyone in their right mind claim Tocchet isn’t an upgrade over Torts? And I don’t care that Torts won a cup in 2004. A general consensus over what they think will happen and not what actually will happen? That’s all you got. Last season was last season. Even I’m saying Drysdale needs to clean it up on D or hope he can hold onto a 3rd pairing role and Brink will be pushed out by somebody bigger sooner rather than later. Do you disagree with that in terms of this coming season? Who else is the problem?
Does it bother you at all that despite all the “Torts facts”, DB said that he still preferred to bring Torts back if there had been any way possible and remains a strong Torts supporter through everything? This is not a franchise that’s learned one thing from it’s past mistakes.
I think Tocchet is an upgrade over Torts, I think roadkill is an upgrade over Torts so low bar. I doubt anyone would disagree with that but does he move the needle? I’m having trouble finding anyone who believes Tocchet moves the needle based on his track record.
Informed opinions are all any of us have, using all available information. Do I necessarily disagree with your evaluations of the individual players above? No, they seem reasonable but it’s also not seeing the forest for the trees. The Flyers can add more depth players until the cows come home and continue to turn over the bottom of the roster, it won’t change a thing with this franchise. The Flyers love “born to be a flyer” and quantity over quality. It’s easy mode for them.
Still no cornerstone players. A true franchise center affects the entire team, allowing every other center to slot further down the lineup, putting them in better situations, improving every line despite only being one player.. The same with the #1 defenseman. That’s why they are so valuable. That’s why the Flyers are overwhelmed, they have players that are being asked to be to much.
That was last year and that’s just off the top of my head but they showed you something?
Most of the forwards looked good to me and Sanheim, Risto and Seeler filled their roles well. Which forwards and Dmen looked especially bad to you?
I listed 16 horrible facts from last season. None of which is in dispute including the general consensus that Tocchet’s hiring is more wishful thinking by the Flyers and that’s all you got out of it?
This is an unserious franchise that hired unserious people to run it. The incompetence is being rebranded as an intentional plan. Get those butts in the seats.
The Flyers defensively, as a team, were ranked 29th overall. Scoring 24th overall. Puck possession in the toilet. The team quit on the coach. The coach quit on the team. The worst PP coach in the entire league was untouchable for years. The only way things would’ve been worse is if the Flyers didn’t walk away from it with a cornerstone #1C or #D for the future. Oh wait, they didn’t.
The Flyers had very little money in the offseason and DB still spent it. Can’t wait until the checkbook is more open next year.
Am i wrong on any of this?
Did 1 or 2 players not look quite as bad as some of the others, who gives a crap? Historically speaking, can you name a worse GM and/or coaching year?
no they get judged on an individual basis. not a package.
facts hurt for flyers fans. it is a fact they stink. how can one argue otherwsie.
Based on all publicly available information. Pedigree, traits, track record, projections, etc. The Flyers chose poorly. Is that future 100% written in stone? No, but for the love of god I wish some fans would have a basis of opinion that’s more than just wishful thinking.
“Remember how hard the Flyers/Comcast media pushed Torts “fictional” accountability and being “hard to play against” (old time Flyers hockey!). Get ready for the same, the savior has arrived, media push. Pushing Tocchet’s openness and accessibility just as hard as they promoted Torts combativeness and disregard for modern hockey with the same level of realistic analysis, none. Remember how much we were told the players loved Torts and to not look behind the curtain. Tocchet’s going to be promoted as the Dali Lama. They have a product to sell, it’s entertainment to make money, hockey is what happens during the commercials.”
I stopped following the Flyers Torts’ first two seasons. The franchise was clearly in the toilet. He kept the doors open, I suppose. That’s the best I can say about him. Watched last year and the team was still bad in most respects but there were players who showed something and I like the off season changes. Maybe if you had taken time away from the Flyers at their truly incompetent bottom, you wouldn’t be so bitter, angry and irrational. Pro tip: Zegras is going to deliver the goods and his presence in the Top 6 is going to help every line.
Pretty sure that was last year.
Coming off of 3 straight last place finishes in the PP (in the NHL record books).
Started the season shorthanded on defense due to dB/Torts refusal to call anyone up.
Everything related to Jett making/playing with the big club including the embarrassing 4 games he played out of 10 before getting sent down.
Record number of line shuffling at the beginning of the season that became an internet meme.
Torts crossing the line with York
DB supporting Torts by suspending York for Torts being out of line
The team quitting on Torts for the 2nd season in a row
Torts publicly trashing the team
DB publicly stating he wanted Torts back anyway (despite the team quitting on torts and torts quitting on the team).
Flyers ranking close to the bottom in just about every major metric.
DB’s big “get” Fedotov who he gave a 2 year way above market contract to, proving he belongs in the AHL, not the NHL.
No accountability for anyone in the FO or coaching staff until Torts forced the issue
Rocky Thompson
Player regression
Despite multiple 1st rnd draft picks and the horrible horrible season, not coming away from the draft with the top 3 pick.
National media stating the Tocchet hire is more wishful thinking than proven track record.That was last year and that’s just off the top of my head but they showed you something? I have a solid foundation and facts behind my opinions, yours tend to mostly be wishful thinking. You discount anything that disagrees with your preferred opinion.
How was that not rock bottom? Even DB who was the proud papa said it was rock bottom.Then, we have the actual facts of the matter. If you care more about results than intent, let’s just say Tocchet’s résumé isn’t as colorful.
Despite being an NHL head coach for nine seasons, Tocchet has only appeared in the playoffs twice, with just one series victory to his name (excluding the 2020 Qualifying Round). He might’ve won the Jack Adams Award in 2023–24, but he’s suffered the same fate behind the bench that the Flyers have as a team over the past decade-plus— being stuck in the murky middle.
Furthermore, most of the league’s bench bosses have had a tremendous single-season success as a head coach at some level. Whether it be in juniors, college, or a professional league, most of these guys have led a team the distance, or close to it. However, that’s not the case for Tocchet—it makes him an outlier. He won back-to-back Stanley Cups as a n assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but that’s just not the same.
Tocchet’s teams haven’t been statistically dominant under the hood, either. He’s taken on tough jobs with the aforementioned Canucks, Arizona Coyotes, and Tampa Bay Lightning, but the Flyers won’t be much easier, will they?
At this stage, fans are left hoping Tocchet is the guy. There’s no hard evidence to say he is.
Remember how hard the Flyers/Comcast media pushed Torts “fictional” accountability and being “hard to play against” (old time Flyers hockey!). Get ready for the same, the savior has arrived, media push. Pushing Tocchet’s openness and accessibility just as hard as they promoted Torts combativeness and disregard for modern hockey with the same level of realistic analysis, none. Remember how much we were told the players loved Torts and to not look behind the curtain. Tocchet’s going to be promoted as the Dali Lama.
They have a product to sell, it’s entertainment to make money, hockey is what happens during the commercials.
