In this breakdown, I will be comparing how the Flyers have built their team to how their same-city counterpart, the Philadelphia Eagles, have built their squad. I’m looking at specific trades, signings/re-signings, and what each team has done through the draft to help them get to where they are now. I have only mentioned Eagles’ players under Doug Pederson’s tenure, and only mentioned Flyers’ players under the Hextall regime (Chuck Fletcher has not been in Philadelphia long enough to really examine his moves yet).
Trades
The Flyers have done well by making trades that have given them flexibility with cap space while not giving away any major pieces. The last time the Flyers made a trade that gave away a big asset was the Wayne Simmonds deal. Since then, the Wayne Train has played for the Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, and the Buffalo Sabres while not lasting more than half a season. He recently signed a one-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Flyers got a fourth round pick out of the trade, which they used to trade up and take Zayde Wisdom in this past draft. They also got Ryan Hartman out of that trade who was traded to the Dallas Stars before the 2019-20 season in exchange for Tyler Pitlick. Pitlick was a solid bottom-six player for the orange and black this season and one of their best players in the playoffs. Essentially, Wayne Simmonds for Tyler Pitlick and Zayde Wisdom is a fair trade that will most likely work out better for the Flyers. Getting rid of older players for cheap young players and draft picks is the smart way to go.
The Philadelphia Eagles, on the other hand, have not done what the Flyers have done. They traded a third-round pick to get Golden Tate, a receiver they got almost nothing out of because the coaching staff couldn’t figure out a way to get him involved in the offense. They also traded for Michael Bennet, an aging defensive end that was still productive but known for having a big personality in the locker room, for better or worse. Neither of these players lasted more than a year in the organization and the Eagles lost two valuable draft picks that could have replaced either of those players. The Eagles have continued to value older players enough that they are willing to give up significant draft capital to get them in the building. You can’t build a team like that and expect to be successful for many years.
Signings (Free Agency and Re-Signings)
Ever since the NHL instituted the salary cap in 2005, the Flyers have been in almost every single elite free agent to hit the open market. They signed Shea Weber to an offer sheet (though it was matched) in 2012. They were in on Steven Stamkos. Former General Manager Ron Hextall, now with the Los Angeles Kings, wanted to be in on John Tavares a few off-seasons ago, but couldn’t be all in. However, the signing of James van Riemsdyk in the 2018 offseason signified their readiness to contend again, hence signing Kevin Hayes to a seven-year deal, as Nolan Patrick missed the entire 2019-20 season with a migraine disorder. They brought in Erik Gustafsson this offseason on a one year deal to help shore up the defense after the surprising retirement of Matt Niskanen. Other than that, the only money the Flyers have spent this offseason was to re-sign their restricted free agents and bring back Brian Elliott. Since Hextall was hired in May of 2014, he made it clear he had a plan that required patience. He wanted to get the team out of their bad cap situation when he first took over (Luke Schenn and Vinny Lecavalier trade), then rebuild the farm (Brayden Schenn trade), to which it would be go-time shortly thereafter. Hextall didn’t make splash signings because he knew the Flyers were not in a good enough position as a franchise to bring in more veterans when the organizational focus had clearly shifted toward drafting and developing young talent.
Howie Roseman has always been known as a contracts guru. He can move money around and create cap space faster than you can read this article. He’s done it with many of the current Eagles, and will continue to do it for as long as he stays in his current role. That’s about where the good news stops. Howie let go of Malcolm Jenkins in the offseason. Obviously, there is more input than just his, but Jenkins was the best player on a defense that didn’t look pretty but got the job done. Since Roseman was brought back after the Eagles let go of Chip Kelly, they have been right up against the cap with virtually the same roster except for a few retirees and draft picks from 2016-2019. Players who get old get hurt more frequently and that’s been extremely evident ever since the Super Bowl LII win over New England. I can think of no better example than bringing Jason Peters back again for this season. I love Jason Peters. He’s been arguably the best left-tackle in the NFL for over a decade. I also know that while bringing back a 38- year-old lineman with years of wear and tear would not end well. The Eagles roster is old and breaking down seemingly week in and week out. Roseman admitted to having a hard time saying goodbye to the core group of players that played the 2017 season. The Alshon Jeffery extension is a perfect example of that. Jeffery was a great player with the Bears and was still serviceable here, but there was no reason for him to get that lucrative of an extension. DeSean Jackson, who basically willed his way back to Philadelphia has missed more games than he has played. He was signed to a three year extension right after being traded here. Roseman’s roster moves leave the Eagles vulnerable because he fails to build depth at the most important positions. This has been clear at the end of each of the last three seasons with multiple players finishing the seasons on injured reserve.
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Having said all of that, Roseman has somehow found players in places no one would think to look. The best receiver on the team, Travis Fulgham, was a sixth-round pick by the Detroit Lions in 2019. Roseman got him here after the Green Bay Packers waived him. He is the Eagles’ best wideout since Jeremy Maclin. Cre’Von Leblanc has stuck on the roster for three years now. Aside from being on waivers for about ten hours in August, he has become a leader in the secondary. Roseman got him off waivers from the Lions. Roseman and his staff have become better at finding young players in free agency than they are at drafting them in early rounds.
Drafting
It is no secret that the Flyers are one of the best teams at scouting and drafting in the NHL. They find talent everywhere. Philippe Myers went undrafted in 2017 and has made huge contributions to the team. Oskar Lindblom, the team’s leading goal-scorer until he diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, was a fifth-round pick. Scott Laughton took time to develop, and he may not live up to the first round expectations, but if plays each year as well as he did last year, he’ll always have a spot in the lineup. Ivan Provorov and Travis Sanheim were both first-rounders, and both are going to be here for a long time. Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost are only just getting started. Travis Konecny and Sean Couturier are the best two players on the team and they were both homegrown. Nolan Patrick is still young and can very easily still find his footing with this group. Shayne Gostisbehere, whether you believe in him or not, was a third-rounder that put up a 60 point season in his third year as a pro and was a Calder finalist. That cannot be ignored. Carter Hart was a second-round pick. He is the goalie of the future. There are no longer goaltender problems in Philadelphia. The scouting staff deserves so much credit for finding the players that already have, but will, even more, turned this franchise around. This team is built for sustained success and there is no reason for it to not be a serious contender in the future.
The Eagles have not been as successful or as consistent as the Flyers have finding talent in the draft. Carson Wentz was supposed to be the guy. He probably still is the guy, but Jalen Hurts is sitting on the bench right now with only two passing attempts. Carson had a decent rookie year. He started out 3-0 and looked amazing. Things unraveled and the team fell off as the season wore on, it happens. The schedule got harder and having a rookie quarterback paired with a first-year head coach is not guaranteed success. He was going to be the MVP in 2017 until he got hurt. He became the single-season passing touchdown record holder in Eagles history with 33. The next season, he wasn’t totally healthy and missed the first two games and the final three with a separate injury. Last season was his first complete 16 game season since 2016 and he looked good. He finished the season incredibly strong, carrying the Eagles to the playoffs. Halfway through this season, Wentz has been awful. In each of his last three seasons, he had only thrown seven interceptions. He has 12 now in eight games. He holds onto the ball too long and fumbles more than anyone in the league. Jalen Hurts, who the Eagles spent a second-round pick on, and is also a Heisman finalist, deserves to get a shot as more than a gadget play specialist. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside has been very disappointing for a second-round pick. It also adds insult to injury when D.K. Metcalf, another wide receiver, was picked after him and is on his way to a Pro-Bowl season. Ignoring the linebacker position was not smart, especially with the Eagles’ injury history. Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas are now both starters for different teams. Jordan Hicks was one of the best linebackers in football before the Eagles let him walk, and has continued to play very well. Derek Barnett’s career has been inconsistent and injury-plagued.
All of the missed draft picks are players that have to be replaced. Obviously, not every player is going to live up to his potential, and there are also players that are absolute steals for teams. Miles Sanders was a steal for the Eagles in the second round. Dallas Goedert, another second-rounder, is a top ten tight end in the league. Corey Clement, though he hasn’t been productive this year, played a huge part in helping the Eagles win SB LII.
Who Built the Better Team?
The Flyers and Eagles have been built in two different ways. The Flyers had a slow, methodical rebuild focused on developing young players. The Eagles drafted a franchise quarterback and built the team around him. Their strategy worked because they won a championship. Their method has also led them to the playoffs in each of the last three years. The Eagles method is similar to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Step one is finding your stars. Tampa’s Steven Stamkos is the Eagles’ Carson Wentz. Step two is finding complementary pieces that you can afford to keep and you know will be productive for years. These are the Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov, and Brayden Point’s of the Lightning, and Zach Ertz, Jason Kelce, and Miles Sanders for the Eagles. The core stays the same until age, ability, or free agency forces change. When you identify your tier one and tier two guys, you find players that can help the team in any way possible. Those are the bottom six forwards, the second and third pair defensemen, and sometimes the goalie. In football, those players are the rotational receivers, running backs, extra linemen, and players on the back end in the secondary. The only two real differences are the Lightning have found younger players and they stay healthy. The Eagles have been hit almost as hard as any team in the NFL over the last three to four years by injuries.
The Flyers have built their team the safest way possible. They built through the draft. Building through the draft takes time and requires total commitment from the entire organization. When it works, it is amazing to watch. It also builds a winning culture for the young players. As they learn to win, the team becomes more successful. The current state of the Flyers should be a Stanley Cup contender. They have all the right pieces in place, and maybe add one or two more at the trade deadline, but they are set up long-term.
The Edge: Flyers
If Wentz finds his form again and the Eagles’ young players step up, I’d be tempted to pick them. The Flyers have a chance to win not just one, but multiple championships in the next decade.
