The Flyers Are Exceeding Expectations and It Isn’t a Good Thing
If you told Flyers fans a few months ago that the Flyers would actually look competitive, they would have laughed in your face. While some fans haven't fully given up hope, like it or not, this team is in rebuild mode. But what does that mean exactly if they aren't tanking for a lottery pick? Well, let's just say it isn't exactly a positive. The Flyers have some solid, promising prospects in their system. Most will point to Cutter Gauthier or Matvei Michkov. There are a few others to keep your eye on as well, but to say they're in "good shape" for the future is just wrong.
As I write this, the Flyers sit as the 16th best team in the league, leading the Penguins by a single point. Now, don't get me wrong, there are positives to winning, even in a "lost year" like this one. Winning builds a winning culture. Losing all the time would just make players feel disenchanted, or maybe even look to jump ship. It's important for the younger guys to experience "big" wins. I credit much of this newfound culture to John Tortorella, who I've said many times should have been here a decade ago. But what's in the past is in the past. He's here NOW. So why is it a bad thing that the Flyers are winning, and exceeding expectations? Simple. Draft capital.
While it's great to see a patchwork team play well, this has ALWAYS been an issue for the Flyers. When Ed Snider still ran the show, he refused to let Philly be anything less than a playoff contender, so much that he would give up just about anything to stay competitive. That included parting with picks often. People lambasted Holmgren for throwing away our future, yet he didn't operate much differently than Ed Snider would have anyway. Unfortunately, trading away so many picks eventually leaves the cupboard bare, and eventually you find yourself in cap hell with no future. We have all witnessed this by now. Because of this, lines have been drawn, and fans cannot agree on what is best for the team. Some will argue winning is most important, and as I said before -- it is. But without draft picks, especially quality ones, you're just asking for a future of misery.
DECEMBER 14: Cam Atkinson #89 of the Philadelphia Flyers celebrates after scoring his third goal of the game for the hat trick during the third period against the New Jersey Devils at Wells Fargo Center on December 14, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
The Flyers have done a good job recently of holding onto their picks and even acquiring some. They'll certainly be looking to offload more veterans as the trade deadline approaches, which will leave them with some extra draft picks. But what is most important is the QUALITY of those picks. Right now, the Flyers aren't even in the lottery conversation, and for a team that is just beginning their rebuild, Philly will need as many quality picks as they can get. The Flyers have had a history of shooting themselves in the foot, especially when it comes to this specific scenario. Fans are divided. Some just want to watch good hockey, but don't think of the future. Some don't even watch and just look at numbers to form an opinion. Neither is a great way of evaluation.
So, what do I think the Flyers should do?
Trade. Trade just about anybody you can get value for. Obviously, you want to keep certain younger players around, but if the Flyers keep playing like this, they're not going to get another quality prospect like Gauthier or Michkov. They'll end up with another guy who will spend years in the AHL before even cracking the lineup, if at all. I've seen it too many times now to just dismiss it. There absolutely needs to be certain players that are untouchable, and I'm sure there are, but I'd listen on just about anybody if I'm Danny Briere. The Flyers are very clearly not going to intentionally tank like the Sixers did, so the next best thing you can do is acquire as many picks as humanly possible in the hopes that you'll still land a gem in the rough, even if it was a lower pick.
The biggest issue they'll face will come after the trade deadline, when some of the veterans will inevitably be moved. We should EXPECT them to fall off, but with Tortorella coaching, I'm not sure that will ever be a sure thing. As I said earlier, you have to walk a fine line between staying competitive and keeping yourself in the race for quality players. The Flyers have still not seemed to find a way to just completely suck. It's almost as if they're doomed to mediocrity, stuck in perpetual draft hell where we're always picking right in the middle of the draft. I'm not sure what the Flyers have to do, but they need to find themselves in the lottery, one way or another. If that means trading a good player for a lottery pick, I'm all ears. Remember, this is a rebuild. Many of your current favorite players will not factor into this team once they are ready to contend. I advise you not to get to attached to any player at this stage, you'll end up with a broken heart.
Former Head Coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets John Tortorella watches a play develop from the bench against the Philadelphia Flyers on October 26, 2019 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)
Do I WANT the Flyers to lose? Not really. I want them to acquire young talent. The draft is the best way to do that. If they want another Gauthier or Michkov, they NEED to lose. They need to have a few "irrelevant" years. It is necessary to the future of this team. I know I'm not the only one tired of hearing about how great these young guys are only to find out years later they're already gone. Prospects are never a sure thing, but when you draft high, you certainly have better odds of landing a star instead of another "two way forward" that the Flyers love so much.
If you care about the future of the Philadelphia Flyers, and you want to see them become a juggernaut of a team, you HAVE to root for their downfall right now. Their success now will only make the front office reevaluate their rebuild, and possibly destroy it entirely. They need to stay the course here, and maybe start losing a little. I can't believe I even have to hope they do. But it's just the honest truth. We need to be miserable for a few years before we can truly stand tall and talk that talk. I want to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals before I die, don't you? Bringing the Cup back where it belongs would bring me to tears, but right now, we need this team to collapse.
-The Negadelphian/ Olde City Sports Network