The '25-'26 Philadelphia Flyers thread

[Austinfan]

Teams giving ridiculous contracts to 30+ year old players.
Tuch got 8 year deal at $10M, might be worth it the first couple, but the back end is going to be uglier than Nola.
Rule of thumb, basic starters fade after 30, good starters 32, elite players 35.

Briere making the right move sitting the feeding frenzy out so far. I'm sure he'd move Risto for the right offer, but he probably feels anything less than a 1 (and plus if the 1st is in the 20s), he'd rather keep Risto and see how the season plays out. As far as a big move, I don't see it right now, just aren't a lot of young centers available who are better than what they have (Zegras is a better center than McTavish, so is Cates for that matter and probably Barkey). Same on defense, Byram is a 2nd pair guy who is being projected (given the trade value) and paid like a 1D.

Briere is both patient and value oriented, and he's clear that they're still rebuilding. So I'm skeptical when 30 year old players are considered Flyer trade targets.

[zambonir]

(Zegras is a better center than McTavish, so is Cates for that matter and probably Barkey).

You could have written that Bobby Brink was better than Zegras last year and therefore the Flyers didn't need Zegras. That's the point of McTavish, he's a reclamation project. But is he available at a reclamation price?

[bigegypt0417]

Briere is both patient and value oriented, and he's clear that they're still rebuilding. So I'm skeptical when 30 year old players are considered Flyer trade targets.

This is where i think you may need a rethink...

Briere has to be aware that the Flyers have entered a different phase of their rebuild...they have assets, they have cap money and they now have a near 100 point season under their belts. Briere may still stay away from players on the wrong side of 30 but we have no idea what he'll do now.

They aren't going to follow a clock and waste good years of good players because of the calendar. The flyers are in a unique position to do two things at the same time...trade those guys they don't think are part of that future(RIsto) while looking to add the RIGHT pieces.

Briere...so far...has shown he's capable of clearing the deck...now we'll get to see if he can make the next step.

[andyb]

Teams giving ridiculous contracts to 30+ year old players.

As in baseball, it is not your money. The cap is probably going to be in the $150-$175 million range in 8 years. The Caps actually have a bunch of players in their prime on reasonable contracts. Sometimes you plan your dead cap years in the future in ways that don't hurt you that much - while enhancing your team in the short term.

The Caps have questions. Do they have enough depth with Sandin hurt on defense? Are Ilya Protos and Cole Hutson mid lineup players as rookies? Do they have a big scorer with Ovi in decline? All valid questions. But they might have the deepest 1-9 set of forwards in the league now with a bunch of guys that will score 25-30 goals and play good 2-way hockey. It is a Carolina model and a win now model.

The Tuch contract will end poorly like the Harper and Turner contracts will probably end for the Phillies. But it is not your money and it puts a better team on the ice/field now. It is a pretty good tradeoff and there really was not much to go for in free agency and the Caps did this without touching their better prospects. They basically took a Carlson rental trade and money and turned it into Kyrou and Tuch.

[zambonir]

There's not really much evidence of the full rebuild working in the NHL (just as the Phillies were unable to replicate the Houston/Chicago tank model, partly due to poor execution). It may yet pay off for Chicago and San Jose but it never really did for New Jersey, Detroit or Buffalo (at least not until this year). The fact that teams are jumping over themselves to give the max 8-years (and I assume the same no-trade clauses that have forced some of the either activity) tells you they all have the money in this new cap environment.

[Austinfan]

There is also the insecure GM effect - if I'm going to be fired in 2 years, why should I care about 6 years from now?
This is why 1st rd picks are discounted by many GMs - because they may not be around to draft that player.
And in hockey, only the top ten picks are likely to play in a year or two, the rest take 3-5 years to arrive.

The reason the cap matters is depth, if you give too many big contracts or have too much dead money, it's hard to field a solid bottom six or third D-pair, and that's 15-20 minutes a game where you can be dominated.

[andyb]

The Caps GM is the furthest thing from insecure. You kind of make up these narratives. He is trying to put a winning team out there and he has constructed one with relatively good cap contracts through long term planning. An insecure GM does not trade John Carlson (a local hero married to a local girl) to set himself up for this free agency period.

The Caps actually have lots of depth up front. Their prospect pool is above average. Outside of Ovi their stars are all in their prime. Guys like Protas and Strome and Sandin have bargain long term deals. Chychrun and Dubois and Roy are all fairly valued. Their all star goalie is a bargain. Everyone can agree that the cap matters in long term contracts. But then you just apply logic to your conclusion that is a one set fits all type of logic. The Caps got Tuch in part because the contract was overpriced because they set themselves up to afford a contract like that.

[Squire]

Flyers Trade

To Florida:
RW Garnet Hathaway
2026 6th Round Draft Pick

To Philadelphia
2026 5th Round Pick
2027 4th Round Pick

Love it.

[zambonir]

Very nice for him too. Probably increases the odds of them bringing the much cheaper Glendinning back.

I do wonder if they'll get someone who can drop 'em, besides Garrett Wilson. It's increasingly unimportant but it's not nothing. High point of Hathaway's season besides the very rare goals might have been that Ducks game when Cates also fought.

[bigegypt0417]

I wonder if this is a trade to get assets for trading up...especially if they do move Risto and add another one.

[Pat_Burrell]

FYI Flyers are retaining 50% of his 2.4 mill salary

[zambonir]

That's easy enough. They had all.three slots again right?

[Pat_Burrell]

Yes all 3 were available.

[flyers19rw]

Hathaway has had a concussion problem

[Austinfan]

It's a win now move.
In 2028-29: Tuch (32), Dubois (30), Kyrou (30), Wilson (34), Strome (31-FA)
Unless Leonard, Sourdif and the Protas brothers step up, they could age out quickly.
They have a good young defense,

Given they lost out to the rebuilding Flyers, I'm not sold that adding Kyrou and Tuch while subtracting McMichael is enough to propel them into the NHL elite.

[bigegypt0417]

It's a win now move.
Given they lost out to the rebuilding Flyers, I'm not sold that adding Kyrou and Tuch while subtracting McMichael is enough to propel them into the NHL elite.

You've watched sports long enough to know that this isn't how the playoffs work. This is why you always build because once the postseason starts...the rules are out the window.

I know you have narratives to sell but the Flyers winning the series doesn't indicate what you want it to.

[andyb]

n 2028-29: Tuch (32), Dubois (30), Kyrou (30), Wilson (34), Strome (31-FA)

Quoting ages 3 years from now to show a team is too old seems - nonsensical?

All of those players are currently in their prime. Tuch is the only one with an expensive contract. The cap is going up 5%-10% a year. There is just nothing to suggest they could age out quickly and their prospect base is very good. Little Protas, Hutson, Leonard, probably Cristall next year, Lakovic the year after. They went from an old team to a relatively young one is a few years without sacrificing their good prospects. Yes the Flyers are improved. Nobody said they were not. Of course after about 50 high picks they were bound to hit on a few.

The reason the Caps have a decently bright future is that they found a few really good players for little cost as distressed assets. Strome came for almost nothing. Chychrun came underpriced and needed the right situation. Thompson was a steal for less than $6 million in goal (after being traded for a 3rd round pick). Dubois came for a goalie they did not need and again just needed a coach to put him in the right position.

The Caps are no guarantee to be great. But your post implying they are too old by quoting their ages 3 years from now is kind of laughable.

[bigegypt0417]

n 2028-29: Tuch (32), Dubois (30), Kyrou (30), Wilson (34), Strome (31-FA)

Quoting ages 3 years from now to show a team is too old seems - nonsensical?

He wants to continue to sell the idea the Flyers need to be mediocre because he put a magical year when the rebuild will be over.

the Flyers have to wait to try to contend for 2 or 3 more years because...7 years?

[andyb]

It does seem the point where the Flyers need to consolidate some younger assets and turn them into mid-career veteran players. The trick is picking which young players to keep and which to deal of course.

[flyers19rw]

The Caps season all revolves around Ovechkin. Is obtaining these guys an attempt to lure him back or an admission that he’s not returning?