The '25-'26 Philadelphia Flyers thread

[zambonir]

Well that's annoying

[zambonir]

Also in this, Pelletier signs a three-year deal with Tampa, first season is still two-way, AAV is less than 850K.

Cal Petersen gets a one-way contract with Minnesota for $775, I assume that equates to "he can still clear waivers."

And Frost resigned for two years, $4.375 AAV with Calgary

Russian winger Maxim Shabanov snubs the Flyers for the Islanders

[Austinfan]

Put Shabanov in pespective, while people got all excited about him, compare him to another Russian forward:
Shabanov
20: MHL/VHL
21: VHL/KHLH 11g 1-1 2
22: KHL 67g 18-13 31
23: KHL 64g 25-25 50, PO 14g 3-8 11
Grebenkin
19: KHL 52g 9-17 26
20: KHL 67g 19-22 41, PO 23g 3-3 6
21: AHL 50g 12-16 28. PO 7g 1-3 4

Grebenkin is 6'2 209, agile, good shot and passer.
If 5'8 Shabanov can't stay at center, not sure he could beat out Grebenkin, Bump or Barkey.

Frost is getting almost as much as Dvorak, but for 2 years, and Farabee has 3x5 left on his deal.
Neither did much to get excited about after they were traded.

Pelletier was an odd decision, he showed enough that I'd have given him a 2 year deal just for depth.
Given they only have 10 NHL caliber forwards under contract, and Foerster may miss some time, Briere must either have an ace up his sleeve or is really high on the forward prospects, both Jett and Martone and the LHV forwards.

[Squire]

My disgust about Shabanov really isn't about the quality of Shabanov as a prospect although the Flyers front office fluffers sure did think it was a big deal when the Flyers were leaking to the media mouthpieces that he was going to be a Flyer. Its about a front office that overpromises and underdelivers and the media that covers the organization who think that their only job is to write down whatever the front office tells them to write down.

[bigegypt0417]

This makes sense if you assume that the actual player themselves makes the final decision on where they sign...Briere up until yesterday was optimistic.

Again...for the first time in a really long time it seems like the people making personnel decisions are running that show so i'm willing to give them time to show us what they can do.

[zambonir]

I thought the original reports about Shabanov all came out of Russia. That means it was probably the agent or his Russian team. Briere reallly doesn't seem like he's much of a leaker, or even a card-shower.

I feel like some people just assumed that Zabanov was another Michkov, despite the obviously very different path/age.

[bigegypt0417]

He's a 24 year old UDFA...i mean...he had an excellent year but he basically got the same as an NBA two way player...a one year contract.

[flyers19rw]

Shabanov was in the driver's seat in negotiating with the Flyers when the club was dreadfully short of talent at the center position. He's going to get paid with his bonuses and after a season can go back on the market if he chooses. It's a good deal for him.
However for the Flyers, after acquiring Zegras and Dvorak, to go along with Couturier and Cates, the Flyers need at center evaporated. It remains to be seen if Shabanov is a better player than Barkey or Dorwart at that position in the NHL. Pushing Shabanov too the wing where his size would be a detriment makes him less attractive of a player at a position where the Flyers have talent and depth.
Would it have been nice to acquire Shabanov? Sure. Now that they didn't do that, meh.

[zambonir]

Yeah but that was because he was only eligible for an ELC, so there couldn't be an actual bidding war. He's still going to be Islanders property - at least, restricted FA - for a good while.

By contrast Fedotov was drafted in 2015 and had already exhausted all his ELC and RFA years by the time he finished playing here for his first month, which is why the Flyers had to give him a two-year deal and more money than they just gave his replacement.

Not clear if bonuses were a deciding factor though certainly the Flyers could have competed on that front. I was just surprised it wasn't the Rangers.

[zambonir]

Now the Isles make more sense.

"The most important thing was ice time"

Maxim Shabanov Prioritized Ice Time And Fit In Choosing Islanders

[Austinfan]

Shabanov choose the weakest team. Smart, because he's still a marginal prospect.
AHL is similar to KHL these days, if a kid broke out at 23 in the AHL, no one would lift an eyebrow.
Tyler Johnson broke out at 21 and still needed a couple years to make the NHL as a fast, small forward.
Richards is a similar stye of player and has never been able to hold a NHL job.

He was worth signing for "free," but he'd struggle to break the Flyers top 9.