{cue “Stuck In The Middle With You” by Stealers Wheel}
Yes. Direct and to the point. Don’t overthink it. It’s bad. But the mantra for Flyers fandom over this past season (think the “bag era”) is misery loves company. So here I am, coping with all of you.
If we are looking for any silver lining here, I have never seen Flyers fans so united in order to come together in harmony to express deep aggressive hatred on the organization as a whole. Its kind of angelic in a way. Like a mellifluous whistle.
But seriously, it really doesn’t mater who you are or who you choose to follow. Whether that be analytics, eye test, old school, new age, from Broad Street Bullies to JJ Daigneault, to the Legion of Doom to the Legion of Poon, to 2010 to the 2020 bubble. If you’re a Flyers fan right now, you have most likely already violently thrown up at least once so far this offseason.
Let’s not waste time analyzing all of these moves. We know them. We also know which ones didn’t happen. I’m not going to list them. It’s tiring to even think about. I’m merely using this as a journal to express my feelings. I know many of you feel the same way.
Okay let me start off by saying that I’m a liar:
Tortorella *decent start* DeAngelo ”oy” *Lindblom* starts aggressively sobbing and panting* Anti-Gaudreau *kicks a fucking trash can* Deslauriers *throws up in the kicked trash can* Braun *dives into the Schuykill hoping to catch a disease*
Okay now that we got that out of the way…It begs the question: What the hell are we, man?
I know this may seem as an over-exaggeration and it probably is but in terms of worst organizational operations & structure (not based on market, size, fanbase, etc.)….Buffalo…Arizona…the…the Flyers? Let’s just face some facts shall we?
The Philadelphia Flyers finished the 2021-2022 season with a record of 25-46-11 (4th worst in the NHL).
The Flyers finished the 2021-2022 season with 211 Goals For (2nd worst in the NHL) and 298 Goals Agains (6th worst in the NHL).
The Flyers finished the 2021-2022 season with a 12.55% success rate on the Powerplay (worst in the NHL) and 75.74% on the Penalty Kill (7th Worst in the NHL)
There was not one thing that this team did well in 2021-2022. Actually, that’s not at all true. They finished 5th in the NHL in most man-games lost with 508. Shoutout Ryan Ellis (I’m not even going to go into this), Sean Couturier, Kevin Hayes.
With Ryan Ellis reportedly not making any strides in rehab this summer, coupled with Flyers Forwards’ Joel Farabee (3-4 months) and Bobby Brink (5 months) both out an extended period of time, maybe this is the year we can finally rely on Wade Allison to stay healthy.
Now…logically after a season like this you would think a team would pick a direction, right? No no no…not our Chucky.
…”RUN IT BACK” – Chuck Fletcher, evidently.
In addition to the Flyers’ poor performance last season, coupled with other directional issues that are plaguing the franchise, the Flyers are seemingly…stuck in the middle.
You can make the argument that the Flyers have several exciting prospects in their pool. They currently rank 13th in the Athletic’s NHL Farm System Rankings. This aided by the likes of Cutter Gauthier, Cam York, Bobby Brink, Tyson Forester, 35-year old Morgan Frost and Egor Zamula. However, do any of these guys scream “game changer”? Are any of these guys blue chip? Are they most likely middle six/middle pair guys that *could* develop?
In addition to a middling pack of prospects, the Flyers haven’t exactly garnered and accrued an excessive amount of valuable draft capital over the next several drafts.
In 2023 they have a first round pick (Philadelphia Flyers), no second round pic, and 2 third round picks (New York Rangers and Florida Panthers).
In 2024 they have 2 first round picks (Philadelphia Flyers and Florida Panthers), no second round pick, and a third round pick (Philadelphia Flyers).
In 2025 they have a 1st, 2nd and 3rd (all their own).
This isn’t *that* bad. In fact, its pretty normal. However when you take into account where the team is, what their future prospects look like, and the horrible and treacherous displays of asset management in the Ristolainen, Gostisbehere, and D’Angelo trades…Yep, pretty bad.
To further ruin your lives, we can now look at the roster as currently constructed. When you look at this roster, what do you find? Any superstars? Any game changers? Obviously subjective, but I would argue no.
You have 1-2 guys who are elite in Couturier and maybe Provorov (from 2 years ago). Maybe guys like Farabee, Sanheim and Hart who could reach that in a couple of seasons but outside of that, it’s the common theme of what we’ve been dating with over the past decade. A team full of middle six talent.
If you’re thinking that this can’t get any worse, I am here to tell you that it can. With all of the above facts being considered, the Flyers are still Salary Cap strapped. Just ask Johnny Gaudreau. Yikes, too soon?
The Flyers are *actually* OVER the salary cap right now at $82,303,107 (according to Spotrac), which is roughly $100k over their adjusted salary cap of $82,205,000. This team is the gift that keeps on giving.
We needed to address goal scoring? Okay fine. Gaudreau and Debrincat were available. You didn’t try for either. Makes sense.
We needed to address defense? 35 year old Justin Braun and some of the worst statistical and analytical defensive numbers in the NHL with Tony DeAngelo. Glad we invested all of that “Blank Check” in the analytics department. Awesome, we’re doing good.
You wanted to give up picks for DeAngelo but then you drew the line at not making them available to move salary for Johnny Gaudreau? Sick.
You buyout Lindblom to clear cap space but then you immediately give Nicolas Deslauriers 4 years, $1.75m and a NMC. I can’t make this up.
You say Ryan Ellis *could* be ready to play next season but he’s also been out for over a year and you just added a fourth RHD to the defense core? I’m done.
CONTRADICTION EVERYWHERE. IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE. PICK A LANE.
Well, at least the Flyers are set at the goalie position, right?!
Actually, it turns out that the Flyers most promising goalie prospect, Ivan Fedotov, is headed to war in Russia. Yes, you read every single word of that sentence correctly. War. At a frozen tundra army base in Northern Russia.
Well at least we got a franchise goaltender in Carter Hart. Or do we? Well for now. Hart has yet to be affirmatively cleared from the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal.
There have been 11 players from the team that have not come forth to make a statement. I obviously don’t want to speculate in a situation like this but if the worst does occur, Carter Hart would be released from the team, I would assume.
So, in summary… we obviously aren’t a contender…but its also not a “rebuild”… but you also didn’t “aggressively retool” anything…wut.
“We’re retooling, Charlie.”
— Philly is Flyer (@PhillyisFlyer) July 26, 2022
Ah, okay got it. Thanks for clarifying, Chuck.
Honestly, really good stuff from Charlie O’Conner, who was the only media member with boots on the ground to ask questions in front of Chuck Fletcher for this press conference on July 13th. Charlie slammed his twig and berries on the table, flexed his brass ones, and asked the pressing questions.
Flyers General Manager Chuck Fletcher meets with the media from @FlyersTCenter to discuss free agency and the acquisitions of Justin Braun and Nicolas Deslauriers. https://t.co/Tb2AThro7d
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) July 13, 2022
I swear to God if someone says the word “retooling” to me, I’m hopping on I-76, driving down to the Wells Fargo Center and kicking my own ass in the empty parking lot just to feel something.
You have people on the Hockey Operations side making negligent & incompetent decisions that are bordering the lines of malpractice.
You have people on the Business side who are so catastrophically tone-deaf and out of touch with the fanbase that you have decades-long season ticket holders giving up their seats. Have you seen that new Gritty plush toy though?
No direction.
No plan.
No nothing.
The tradition, the history, the proud culture just feels gone. It’s empty. The packed sea of orange during playoffs has now turned to an empty black hell hole filled with disappointment and shame.
Well let’s end this with a positive. Maybe we can all snag $20 tickets to one of these shit shows and enjoy a $14 tall boy Yuengling together. Cheers.
Johnny M is a writing contributor at HW Hockey and cohost of the Tie My Skates Podcast
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