Philadelphia Flyers
Carchidi: Flyers Need to Take Lesson from Chicago’s Rebuild
Some NHL teams know how to rebuild.
The Philadelphia Flyers are not one of them.
Chicago is.
The Blackhawks have accumulated high draft picks, tons of them, while being in strong contention in the Connor Bedard Sweepstakes.
That’s the way it’s done.
Last year, the Blackhawks had three first-round picks and two seconds. This June, in a very strong draft, they will have two first-rounders and four second-rounders.
In a four-year span starting in 2022, they will have had nine first-round selections and 10 second-rounders.
Again, that’s the way a rebuild is done.
In the next three years, Chicago will have six first-round selections and eight second-rounders, while the Flyers will have four first-rounders and one second-rounder.
Chicago is 21-35-5 this season and has the league’s second-fewest points, but it is looking to the future, not the present.
The Flyers, on the other hand, are 23-28-11 and have the eighth-fewest points. They wanted to go on an “aggressive retool,” and gave up three draft picks (second-, third-, and fourth-rounders) to Carolina for Tony DeAngelo. That was a year after they traded Robert Hagg and first- and second-round picks to Buffalo for Rasmus Ristolainen.
That is not how a rebuild is done.
In this year’s deep draft, the Flyers have just one pick in the first two rounds. No NHL team in the bottom 12 has fewer picks in that span.
Emulate this guy
Philadelphia Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher, 55, needs to take a page out of the book of his Chicago counterpart, GM Kyle Davidson, 34.
The Blackhawks have 10 picks in the first five rounds this June. Since Feb. 22, he has made nine trades and added seven draft picks, including four first- or second-rounders. Chicago has a whopping 24 picks in the first five rounds of the next three drafts.
Leading up to Friday’s trade deadline, Fletcher made two deals of NHL players and got pick a fifth- and sixth-rounder.
Sigh. Deep breath. Sigh.
At his media availability Friday, Fletcher said he was creative in trying to deal James van Riemsdyk, but there were just no takers.
Obviously, he wasn’t creative enough.
Look at the players traded around the NHL up to the deadline, and you will find several who offer less than what van Riemsdyk brings: experience, power-play skill, a big body in front who creates havoc.
Yet, he’s still here and will walk to free agency in the summer.
The Flyers missed a chance to add some much-needed draft capital.
“I didn’t know what the market would be, but I thought there would at least be some offers that we would have to consider or not consider,” Fletcher said. “So it’s the nature of the business, I guess. It is what it is.”
Dave Scott, Fletcher’s boss, couldn’t be happy with the unsettling developments. Scott did not immediately respond to a request to talk about deadline day
Fletcher was also unable to deal Nick Seeler — the GM said he got lots of calls from teams who were interested in him — or Justin Braun.
So the Flyers’ Great Rebuilding Project didn’t exactly start the way fans had hoped.
Fletcher goes back to the drawing board. He might want to make a phone call to Chicago’s Davidson.
After Dismaying Day, Flyers’ GM Points Finger at Himself
Sam to rebuild you have to commit to it. Committing to it isn’t giving 8 year contracts to a 29 year old center with back issues who has 10 years of NHL mileage on him. Or a non physical 2nd pair defenseman who has been scratched this year for underperforming.Also trading for contracts with significant term is something the Flyers continue to do. Fletcher commented that he was willing to pick up more term in a JVR trade but there was still no interest. Why would this team want to pick up term? The best thing they could do right now is trade any of their 5 million dollar plus players that will not be here when the core nucleus of Gauthier, Foerster and this years pick reach the NHL. That’s how Chicago got what they got. The Flyers haven’t made a good trade since they fleeced Chicago for 2 2nd round picks for a washed up Kimmo Timonen. Why do the Flyers fall in love with mediocre players? What is really needed here is a General Manager with a vision. An assistant who is a Cap genius. This is at least 5 years before the Flyers can be relevant again. They have to move the contracts of Hayes, Couturier, and Ellis. What will happen though is Fletcher will sign more mediocre players to 5-8 year deals for more than they are worth. The only players that should have 8 year contracts are superstars who are under 27. We don’t have any.
Buzz: You make a lot of very good points, and I agree with most of them. But as far as Fletcher saying he would have added a contract to entice someone to take JVR, I’m fairly certain it wouldn’t have been for a long-term pact. Maybe an expiring deal that had $1M or $2M left. That’s my educated guess, anyway.
Thanks, Sam but even mentioning pick up term, even if it is just one year convinces me that Fletcher doesn’t see the cap problems the Flyers will always have, The one thing I can say is finally a plus is that he got rid of two fourth liners. When your team stinks anyone can play fourth line, yet this genius still went out and gave a ridiculous deal to DesLauriers. I would think there’s a guy in minors who can’t score but can forecheck and start fights just like him for less money.TK is having a career year he better be traded at the draft this summer and not be signed to an eight year extension. Also, Provorov is our top defenseman but is also due an extension that you can’t afford to give because our defense makes too much money (Sanheim, Ristolainen). I just think whatever salary dumps he does will only end up with him taking on more salary and years in a trade.Sorry to rant.
WTF, Provorov has 2 years left (after this one) on his contract, and is by far the best defensemen on the Flyers. Have you even looked at what other NHL defensemen are getting paid? I think not. I’m just glad most of the critiques on here aren’t the current GM.
Keep drinking the Kool aid. There should have been a clean sweep off all assets while the team can get good value. This includes Provorov and TK. You, just like Fletcher are delusional.
Hey Sam – just curious if you are familiar with the drama behind the hawks the past few years? . One can only assume you are not aware If you were you surely would not center your article around emulating that wretched franchise. We will look forward to your apology as this is a bit of a disgrace. Also look at the hawks trades the past two or three years. They got rooked time and time again.
Btw only a village idiot thought signing jg was an intelligent idea this summer. Let’s stop tracing the history on that one shall we..
That is all.
Getting Lafferty for Nylander was a steal. Getting Dickinson and a second round pick for Stillman was highway robbery, and that Hagel trade was amazing. Outstanding trades by Davidson.
You’re an idiot Joe
Defending anything with this regime makes YOU a disgrace- worst team/direction of any team in the NHL.
Hey, Joe:
My story was only referring to hockey moves. I don’t think that was so difficult to understand. That is all.
This math is painful. The Blackhawks were better than the Flyers before 2020 and they’ll be much better than the Flyers sooner. Right now, in the best of circumstances, the Flyers won’t really be able to do a rebuild until…2024? They’re going to put a lot of hope in Cutter Gauthier and whoever they end up with in 2023, and they’re going to have to move Hayes, Konecny, Provorov, and anyone over 25 and of value.
Two problems: the organization is remains clueless and is largely incompetent when it comes to player valuation: they don’t grasp where they are as a franchise or what their players are worth in terms of trade value.
There’s not really much of a reason to follow them anymore.
Fletcher’s draft picks are just starting to hit the AHL/NHL ranks. The experts praised Hextall for his drafts but apparently the experts were wrong.
There’s just one word for Fletcher…… incompetent
The writers in this town need to call for the gm to be replaced . If he can’t manage a trade deadline he can’t manage a non rebuild rebuild . I still don’t believe that fletcher is committed to doing things the right way .There is no one on this team that sb untradeable.I just don’t feel he is competent in his job and will do the moves needed to turn this around .
For decades the Flyers front office has given away cap space and drafts picks to sign aging or mediocre players on the downsides of their careers, trying to excite the fan base into thinking that this is the last piece needed to win the Stanley Cup. Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twice, shame on us. Every bad contract adds a year to the rebuild process. The sad reality is that the vaunted Flyers hockey culture of the past 20 plus years has created a roster of players and contracts that other teams do not want. This result is not the sole fault of Fletcher. Torts is spot on right about needing to sweep away the culture of entitlement.
The Flyers will soon announce a 5- year contract extension for Flecher.
It’s the infestation of Sniderism. Constant retreads and you know Clark and Holmgren can’t keep their failed openion out of it. Almost 50 yrs without a CUP. Change name to Philadelphia Tires.