What a week of Flyers hockey it was, unreal. The Flyers (18 games played) currently sit in fourth place in the East Division (25 points) with games in hand on teams in front of them: New York Islanders (21 games played), Boston Burins (19 games played), and the Washington Capitals (21 games played). Without further delay, here are our answers to your questions.
Kimmo Timonen definitely has plans on returning to the Flyers organization in some way shape or form. He did say that back in 2015, and I would surmise that nothing has changed since. He owns restaurants and nightclubs in Kuopio, Finland, so maybe he could return as a scout even. He did it attend some games in the Flyers Press box in 2018-19, but he does love this organization.
A trade for Jack Eichel would take at the very least Sean Couturier. For a deal to work for the Flyers, Buffalo would have to take some salary as well, to include one big contract like James van Riemsdyk or Jake Voracek. Moreover, Buffalo would like a stable defenseman so this would take one of Travis Sanheim or Philippe Myers, and one to two prospects/Pick(s).
Flyers Add- Jack Eichel, pick/Prospect
Sabres Add- Coots, van Riemsdyk/Voracek, Sanheim/Myers, one-two prospects, pick(s)
You have to give to receive, that’s the hard part. Parting with good assets for a generational type player that Eichel is.
The one area of need the Flyers are lacking big time is sandpaper/grit. Chuck Fletcher is well aware of this, as he added Nate Thompson last year at the trade deadline. This year is no different, and Fletcher will add a player like this by the trade deadline.
I really thought Travis Konecny would have a huge year, and have a huge impact on this young Flyers team that has an average age of 27-years-old. There is still time for that, as he started off well. Hopefully he was able to reset his mind and his body with this abbreviated time off due to being in Covid protocol for the rigors that lie ahead.
The Flyers are Stanley Cup contenders this year, so either this year or in 2022. Claude Giroux will win a Cup with the Flyers.
Chuck Fletcher will add some beef/physicality by the trade deadline like he did last year with Nate Thompson. Thompson was acquired for physicality/Penalty Killing/Faceoffs last year, and the same will occur this year. It’s inevitable, the Flyers lack some sandpaper and grit, and a good General Manager that Fletcher knows this. As the Flyers roster is currently constructed there is absolutely no reason why they couldn’t make the Eastern Conference Finals. The orange and black have good goaltending, and can score goals with the best of them.
Both the Penalty Kill and Power Play have to be better in order for the Flyers to have an extended playoff run. I do like a more traditional 3F/2D unit on the Power Play that Michel Therrien is currently running. Moreover, I wrote a few articles on this last year for the Flyers to switch from the 4F/1D unit they were running to the 3F/2D unit. The Flyers power play is currently 18th best in the league with a success rate of 19.0% with improvements to make. One can only imagine what would this unit be like without the success that James van Riemsdyk is having (7 power play goals).
The Penalty Kill is inconsistent. It is mind boggling how good this unit was last year, as compared to this year. Now let’s take into account Sean Couturier missing 10 games. The unit definitely suffered without his services and that has to be taken into account. Couturier is just so darn good. It is good to see the penalty killing unit on a high after this past weekend’s success, while going 6-6 with killing penalties against the league’s best power play unit in the Buffalo Sabres. Hopefully the Flyers continue to improve, as they sit 27th in the league at killing penalties with a success rate of 73.0%.
I think Philly Joel is dropping his mixtape now, boy does he look good. Joel Farabee just continues to kill it, proving he will not enter a sophomore slump as he is tied for 54th in the league in scoring with 17 points (8g,9a). He is tied in points with Alex Ovechkin and Dustin Brown, and has more points than Phil Kessel, Mike Hoffman, Matthew Tkachuk, and Brady Tkachuk.
I do not think the Pittsburgh Penguins have the capital to pull something like this off, unless Ron Hextall pulls rabbits out of his hat by the trade deadline. Let’s say hypothetically the Penguins offer Carter Hart a three-year deal worth $18 million ($6 million AAV). The draft compensation for such would be one first round pick and a third round pick. I do not believe the Penguins would be able to make this type of acquisition with losing draft capital and taking on cap in the same token.
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.
