All of the above is largely besides the point, I think. They need to sell the team! Without that, Scott isn't going anywhere, and the organization's goals are part of a larger corporate and media asset strategy, not just about winning. A passionate, committed owner that cares about winning more than anything else still makes plenty of mistakes, including the same ones Fletcher and Comcast have the past five years. But at least the fans know somebody cares. There is a reason Torts has become the face of the franchise. It can't be Comcast, it can't be Fletcher, and there isn't even a player filling that role (or wearing a C).
Fletcher is spinning but I read his comments as, he didn't have an offer for JVR, period. Detroit fell apart, perhaps that was the team offering a 4th (thus, not "firm") and nobody else was even offering a 5th or 6th. The other teams didn't like him better than anyone else they could get or anyone else they already had. Ditto Braun, understandably. Not that different from the Phillies and Didi and Herrera really.
Fletcher also said the trade fell apart because the Wings had to move another player to clear a roster spot for him.
"They had a concept that if they were able to move a forward off of their team, then they had interest in acquiring JVR," said Fletcher, who said he was told the deal was off 20 minutes before the trade deadline. "All along, it was conditional on the other trade going through and eventually the other trade fell through."
"The one offer that I did get for JVR was at 1:40 this afternoon, and it was a conditional offer," he said. "I didn't know what the market might be, but I thought there would be at least some offers that we had to consider."
Fletcher said he spoke with every team in the NHL about potentially acquiring van Riemsdyk, not only so the Flyers could pick up assets for him but in the hopes of getting the veteran winger on a playoff team. But he said "every team told us 'no' several times" before the Red Wings came to the table.