Photo Credit: Zack Hill
What an off-season Chuck Fletcher and the Flyers had this past season. Gone are the Scott Gordon’s (Interim Head Coach reassigned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms) Jori Lehtera’s, Andrew MacDonald’s, Cam Talbot’s, Radko Gudas’s, Ryan Hartman’s, Christian Folin’s, and Michal Neuvirth’s.
Fletcher had a busy off-season to say the least. It appeared he never put down his phone, unless he was sleeping. Fletcher had to make the locker room vibrant again, and make it less toxic, as well as, hiring the right Coach to right the ship. How did he do this? Well, he signed the most important person this past off-season in Head Coach Alain Vigneault.
Vigneault said he was inspired by how young the Flyers were, and he was determined to win the Stanley Cup. This team is night and day from last season, and Vigneault has done a tremendous job with this group (The best part is his personality). Vigneault then hired Mike Yeo to coach the Penalty Kill and Defense, and Michel Therrien to coach the Forwards and the Power Play. Yeo has done a phenomenal job with the once bottom feeder PK, as it sits 12th in the NHL with a success rate of 81.2%. The Defense has also been solid for the most part, and the Flyers have allowed the lowest shots in the league with 1,853 to date.
Therrien also gets credit for allowing the lowest shots in the league, as the Forwards have bought in to a Defensive first system. Jakub Voracek is a solid Defensive Forward, and JVR has bought in, as well. Therrien has struggled at times figuring out a PP Unit that works, but they have been good as of late. The puck movement is noticeably better on the PP, as they own the 11th best PP with a success rate of 21.6%. Overall, Therrien has grown as the season has wore on, and really has the PP Units clicking on all cylinders (3 PPG against the New York Rangers).
The second most important signing was a heavily criticized one in Kevin Hayes (Hollywood). Hayes was criticized because of the term and money surrounding his contract (7yrs-$7.14 million per), and Hayes not being able to fulfill his contract in the end.
What has become known now is that without the addition of Hayes, this young Flyers team would be in some trouble minus Nolan Patrick all season, Oskar Lindblom’s excellent work on the Penalty Kill, and leadership in the locker room. Hayes has had a calming effect on the youth off the ice, and is always a threat in scoring while being short-handed (Four short-handed goals on the year). He has earned his contract this season for sure.
Fletcher also made some trades. Justin Braun, and Matt Niskanen were both moved from their respective clubs for salary cap moves. Niskanen has been phenomenal while being paired with Ivan Provorov. Provorov stated to me, “Nisky has been great, we have a great relationship,” while Niskanen says, “Provorov is great, and good it makes me look good.” Braun has been fantastic since being paired with Robert Hagg, and Braun has done a phenomenal job on the PK. He is always in the right position, as well as, displaying an active stick. Simply put, these two additions of Niskanen and Braun have paid off big time, especially during this playoff push.
The final assessment if Fletcher is GM of the year worthy is how he acted at the trade deadline. Fletcher did not panic, or make a pressure move with how teams throughout the Metropolitan Division were plucking high end players from teams. For instance, the Pittsburgh Penguins added Conor Sheary, Jason Zucker, and Patrick Marleau, while the New York Islanders added Jean-Gabriel Pageau. What Fletcher did was add depth in two Centers, who play a two-way game in Nate Thompson and Derek Grant. Fletcher did not want to mess with the overall makeup of the team, and possibly mess the chemistry the team has.
These two depth additions play a strong defensive game, can score big goals, play the PK and PP, but provide Cup experience to a young Flyers team that can use that guidance. Grant and Thompson provide depth that is needed in case Nolan Patrick does not return this season. These two big bodied Centers can play the Wing, as well, in the event Patrick returns.
Who would have thought that Fletcher would be able to transform a Flyers team that was near the basement last season, into a contender at the moment!!! A lot of pundits didn’t think the Flyers would be a playoff tram, let alone contending with 17 games left to play. Fletcher deserves this award, as he has plugged gaping holes throughout the lineup this past off-season, added a new coaching staff, has this team overcoming adversity with losing Lindblom and Patrick this season, and finally has made this locker room vibrant and full of believers again. Fletcher sir, you should be GM of the year, and it’s not even close.
How about Ron Hextall for GM of the year. He put this great young Flyers team together. Fletcher just spent all that cap space Hextall built up over time. Fletcher also blew last year’s Flyer draft by trading away draft picks and picking smaller guys with first two picks. (Cam York and Bobby Brink are way too small to ever play in NHL). In other words, Fletcher is good because he inherited all the great assets Ron Hextall left him. -Gregg Lorenz, Morrisville Pa
PS, I know you’ll never post my above thoughts. It’s not pro Flyers/Comcast
I knew you were afraid to publish my post. I guess you’ve never heard of a thing called “Freedom of speech”. I posted nothing that wasn’t true, but With your site, it’s print the company line, or else. Isn’t that how it works in China, or Russia? Shame on you Flyers Nitty Gritty. You lack ethics and are afraid to rock the boat. Freedom of the press is not a part of your site. Shame on you. -Gregg Lorenz, Morrisville Pa
Gregg,
I’m sorry I have been in meetings all day, setting up my interview with Bobby Brink later at 330. Also, I just put in a request for Tanner Laczynski. I have been busy. This is Chuck Fletchers stamp on this team, like Hexy. I don’t understand. Fletcher made all the right moves, and Hexy did a great job with the youth. Thanks for the read.
I think unfortunately for Hextall timing just wasn’t on his side. Fletcher’s move to bring in the coaching staff and give the young players there bumps and bruises with the Flyers rather the Phantoms was as it turns out the right move. Bringing in veteran calm to the defense was a necessity. Hayes was a terrific signing and lastly Carter Hart was really the key to the transformation of this franchise. Hextall has a phenomenal eye for talent and knows how to draft. You build from the goalie out. I don’t know if Fletcher didn’t have these young players already on a platter for him; if this was a possibility? Taking it at face value the turn around has both Fletcher and Hextalls fingerprints all over it. Since they both cannot win the award I agree Fletcher deserves at the very least consideration. I think the clear cut coach of the year is for sure behind the bench. If you look at every player on the team, every one of them are collectively having their best years. So to me this article should’ve been more about Vignault, and not Fletcher.
We Are forgetting something here. How many coaches could have survived what happened to the Flyer’s goaltending last year. I will give Chuck Fletcher credit for bringing in a great new coach (and assistant coaches too), but I believe the team would have made the playoffs last year if Carter Hart and Brian Elliott had been healthy. Eight goalies, some not that good, made winning extremely difficult.
Here’s what worries me. The Flyers have a lot of key players coming up for new contracts. There is little cap space left because Mr Fletcher went on a spending spree last summer, leaving himself desperately short on cash, for all the players he needs to get signed at the end of this, season and next. Phillippe Myers, Carter Hart, Travis Sanheim, Nolan Patrick, Michel Raffl, Tyler Pitlick, Nickolas Aube Kubel, Scott Laughton, Robert Hagg, Mikhail Vorobeyev, Matt Niskanen, Brian Elliott and Oskar Lindblom all need to be signed At the end of this season or by the beginning of 2021.. It’s not going to happen. Fletcher drained the cap space dry. It is going to be painful to lose some of these outstanding players. Ron Hextall had a plan. It wasn’t quick enough for Comcast’s liking, but it was working.
Gregg,
Both Fletcher and Hextall has made this team a contender right now. Could they have done it without Hayes? Could they have done it without Matt niskanen? These are the players that Fletcher brought in here. These were some really good additions to include Braun. These two defensemen have stabilized the youth on the back end. This is what everyone wanted to include myself. There are some tough decisions at year’s end, but trust me there will be cap space, as some of these players leave for free agency