And so the offseason begins. Chuck Fletcher will be a busy man from now until November at the very least with the hopes of improving the team. The Flyers went from a pretender to a contender in just one season, so let’s hope that Fletcher continues to improve this team to make them a contender once again next season. Withouts further delay, here’s are our answers to your questions.
Good question, and this one was a head scratcher for me, as well. Micheal Raffl was hot as he tallied four goals in nine games played in the playoffs. Even Derek Grant saw some time on PP2 in Game 5, as he registered :42 of PP time. Grant did not play well offensively in the playoffs to garner some Power Play time. It was just mind boggling with the Power Play being that bad, why not give some time to a player that was hot in Raffl.
Personally, I think the top unit is too predictable. Passes seem to go through Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek, I just think the top unit could see some changes next season. Voracek is so good with clean zone entries, but something has to give. To make this Power Play less predictable the top unit should be broken up.
Claude Giroux is the second best Captain in Flyers history. He has accomplished so much, and is arguably the player of this past decade for the orange and black. Stripping the “C” from Giroux could do more harm than good.
Carter Hart, Scott Laughton, and Travis Konecny have all said Giroux is a good leader, “G competes more than anyone I’ve ever seen,” Konecny said yesterday, “Not just on the ice.” Did he press in the playoffs? Absolutely, however stripping the “C” from him would damage this locker room, more than it would help. This team is known as Giroux’s team, and to be quite frank the “C” has nothing to do with him pressing this past playoffs. He just didn’t put points on the stat sheet, but he did play well Defensively.
The locker room would be in influx if Giroux was stripped of the “C”. It would be embarrassing to be known as a great player, and then you’re no longer the Captain of the team. At the end of the day this is just my opinion, and you are entitled to yours, as well. Good question though.
After Nicolas Aube-Kubel just re-signed the Flyers only have approximately $6.2 million of cap space left. This number does include Oskar Lindblom’s new contract, but there are three RFA’s left to re-sign in Philippe Myers, Robert Hagg, and Nolan Patrick. Unfortunately, after re-signing Brian Elliott (I believe), the Flyers will have practically no cap space.
In order to add, Chuck Fletcher will have to go down the trade route to do such. Fletcher may add a player for $900,000 in free agency that is physical and can play the Power Play, but even that is a stretch. The Flyers unfortunately do not have enough cap space to re-sign Tyler Pitlick at the moment. Let’s see what Fletcher is able to do at the draft, and beyond. These next few weeks will be interesting in terms of trades and organizing their cap situation.
I would love to do this. This request would have to come next season due to Covid, but none I will entertain next season for sure. Thanks for the suggestion, and please stay safe as well.
All three types are needed by the Flyers. Limiting it to just one area I would go with a sniper with the hopes this player has speed as well. Will the Flyers be able to obtain a sniper this offseason? Most likely not, but the Flyers have lacked a pure goal scorer since Jeff Carter was traded, and I would even throw Simon Gagne in that mix, as well. It would be nice to finally have a player just rip it.
The Flyers would be more than interested in Brock Boeser, now the question is would they put together a package for his services? Most likely it will not happen. I’m just being realistic and honest. The Flyers most likely will not snag a top six Forward this offseason. I’m not being a Debbie downer by any means, but I will not lie to Flyers fans and get their hopes up.
Vancouver will look for Cam York that’s for certain, and possibly Morgan Frost or Bobby Brink, as well. In order to receive in this business you have to give. A package could look like Ghost, Frost/Brink and York, and a first/second. Vancouver could look for more, this is just a guess.
One thing that had annoyed over the course of the past few seasons are the “Sling shot” passes. More often than not it fails, and gives the opposition more puck possession time, especially in the playoffs.
The stretch passes should be a thing of the past. I like the players spreading out to open up the ice, but it has become too predictable when the going gets tough in the playoffs. Hopefully, Alain Vigneault addresses this in the offseason.
This could be an exciting year for the Phantoms. Good gosh they are loaded with some nice prospects:
Ratcliffe, Frost, Sushko
Kase, Rubtsov, Sandin
Strome, Laczynski, Allison
Twarnyski, Andreoff, Laberge
Kurtis Gabriel (Extra)
Zamula, Wylie
Hogberg, Prosser
Witherspoon, Bigras
Kirill Ustimenko
??????
With Fletcher shoring up the bottom six this offseason I think it forces Frost, Kase, Laczynski, and Sandin to the AHL. I’m high on all four prospects, so it will be interesting. Any ones of these three could force their way onto the Flyers roster out of training camp. Alex Lyon is looking for a starting role, but Ustimenko has proven he is worthy of a starting role. Felix Sandstorm could use a starting role, so I think the Reading Royals suits him for that. Let’s just hope there is an AHL season.
I would have liked to have seen the Flyers add more physicality this past offseason. Some players were pushed off the puck in the playoffs, especially against the New York Islanders. This was a concern for me before the playoffs started. The playoffs are a different type of intensity, as opposed to the Regular Season. Teams have to be physical enough to withstand a seven game series. Hopefully, this area of need gets addressed this offseason by Fletcher.
If you would like to see your questions submitted in our weekly mailbag. Just submit your question on our Twitter page @flyersknitty using #Flyersmail, or @JameyBaskow. Thanks to all the fans for another great mailbag, and Let’s go Flyers.
Sniper. We could try Patrik Laine from Winnipeg, but it will be really hard and also costly operation!
Yes, the Flyers need a sniper. Yes, the Flyers need a physical guy banging on the wing. No, the Flyers skate well and don’t need a skater. What the Flyers need is a dominant center. You can’t win the Cup without one. The Flyers have two outstanding 200 foot centers in Couturier and Hayes. Had Nolan Patrick not suffered those nasty concussions, he was the Big center the Flyers needed. Thus, Patrick is the key to the Cup. Let’s hope the year off is the charm and he comes in a little bigger and a lot stronger. He could be the answer to the whole ball of wax, It will take time for him to get his game back after not playing for a year, so we can only hope. . -Gregg Lorenz. Bucks County Pa
I think the only thing missing from our team, is that either Frost or Patrick can take second line center position with great success, and thus moving Hayes to be a great third-line center!Until that happens, our championship window will be closed or stays the same as it is now!