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Prospect Watch: Kai Uchacz
A player eligible for the upcoming 2023 NHL Entry Draft that most scouts and fans alike have been sleeping on this season is 19-year-old center Kai Uchacz of the Western Hockey Leagues (WHL’s) Red Deer Rebels.
Now, listen, I get it. The WHL this season is chalked so full of talent you may have been too preoccupied with watching amazing players like Connor Bedard breaking records for the Regina Pats. Zach Benson, who has been freezing defenseman in place, up in Winnipeg while playing for the Ice. Andrew Cristall who has been busy making highlight reel plays every night for the Kelowna Rockets. Riley Heidt, who leaves Prince George Cougars fans roaring most nights after a big win. Or perhaps you’ve been tuning into Moosejaw Warrior games to catch a glimpse of the very enticing Brayden Yager. Nevertheless, whichever team or player you’ve seemed to have grown a devotion to this season, I assure you by the time you’re done reading this article about Uchacz, there’s a chance that you might have gained an admiration for him as well.
For example, you may be surprised to know that up to very recently, Kai led the entire league in goals this season. That is until Bedard returned from playing in the World Juniors to regain the lead. But even with Connor coming back, Uchacz has been able to keep pace with him trailing Bedard currently by just one goal (Bedard 39, Uchacz 38)! This feat is something that no other player in the league has even come close to achieving, and yes, that includes the other players listed above who will most likely all go in the first round of the draft this summer.
So, by now, hopefully, I have caught your attention enough so that you’re contemplating to yourself, who is this Kai Uchacz, and how is it that I haven’t heard of him if he can keep up with a generational talent such as Connor Bedard? As I stated earlier, he is 19 years old, which means he is a bit of a late bloomer. Last season for the Rebels, Kai put up just 14 goals and 19 assists for 33 points in his first year of draft eligibility. A decent season, but by no means one that should have gotten him drafted. So, what’s changed this year? If I had to take a guess, it would be that Kai has figured out how to utilize his size better. Uchacz now stands at 6’1 and 192 pounds giving him not only the size and physicality it takes to get into the dirty areas to win puck battles or jockey for position in front of the net, but his attributes make it easier for him to guard the puck when he skates through the oppositions’ defense on his way to the net as well. However, while his newfound size and strength have proved beneficial, it’s not all Uchacz has to hang his hat on. Kai also possesses a great hockey sense and an innate ability to play off the puck. What do I mean by this? Uchacz commonly finds ways to wander away from the masses and await a nice saucer pass from a teammate for an uncontested shot on goal. To go along with that, when a teammate is breaking into the offensive zone and is able to rip a nice shot on net, Kai always wands up instinctively in the exact position for the puck to rebound right onto the blade of his stick for an easy put-back.
Uchacz is currently scoring at a 1.40 points-per-game pace this season, totaling 38 goals and 25 assists for 63 points in just 45 games played. If he keeps up this pace, he is projected to finish the season with 57 goals and 38 assists for 95 points. What a difference a year makes, right? That’s why it would seem that being forced to take another year to continue to grow and refine his skills may not have been such a bad idea after all. While his age will see to it that he may not get the acclaim some others listed in this article will get from being selected in the first round this summer, his play this season should at least afford him the opportunity of an NHL team taking a chance on him during the latter part of day two down in Nashville.
The Flyers: Too Good to be Bad, Too Bad to be Good
Over the last ten games, the Philadelphia Flyers have given their fans something to finally get excited about by delivering a record of 8-2-0 during that time. But sadly, their recent stretch of wins didn’t manage to see them move out of the Metropolitan Divisions cellar seeing that even with the recent win streak, they still find themselves in 7th place with only 19 wins in 45 games played, which leaves them with a total of 45 points on the season.
So, to dive further into why the Flyers latest run didn’t advance them in the standings, let’s put the Flyers’ last ten games under a microscope. Ten games ago, the Flyers played the San Jose Sharks and beat them 4-3 in OT. A team who currently finds themselves seated in the 7th position in the Pacific Division, only achieving 13 wins and 35 points on the season to date. Meaning if the season ended today, they would be drafting 5th overall. Then the Flyers traveled to LA, where they took on the Kings on December 31st, where they were able to pull out a win by the score of 4-2. This win was quite impressive, seeing that the Kings presently find themselves among the playoff hopefuls ranked third in the Pacific Division. Now on a roll out in Cali., Philly then journeyed to Anaheim to take on the Ducks on January 2nd. Where once again, they were able to cash in on the success of their young goaltender Samuel Ersson earning themselves a 4-1 victory against a team who, if the season ended today, would be drafting 3rd overall. This is because the Ducks are, and have been for most of the season, ranked dead last in the Pacific Division. Moving on to Jan. 5th, some seven games ago now, the Flyers found relief (for some reason) in Carter Hart’s return and were able to gain yet another victory against the Arizona Coyotes, who have won just one game in their last ten which explains why they are currently positioned 7th in the Central Division with them only totaling 33 points on the season—making them now on pace to draft 4th overall. Then came an actual test when the Flyers faced off against the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 8th, where their star goalie (sarcasm) Carter Hart let in six goals with the Flyers only able to score two. Now while this loss should have given most fans a hard dose of reality on how their team compares to a true playoff contender, most just brushed it off. So, let’s continue; five games ago, Philadelphia lined up against the Buffalo Sabers on January 9th, and with Ersson back in net, the Flyers beat an improving Sabers team by a total of 4-0. Speeding it up now, the Flyers then went on to face the Washington Capitals in back-to-back games on Jan. 11th and 14th, resulting in Philly being able to win one of those contests against one of the oldest teams in the league. This brings us to Monday’s 6-0 thrashing dealt out by the Atlantic Division’s 1st-place team, the Boston Bruins, an outing that once again proves the Flyers cannot compete against the upper echelon of the NHL. Finally, we’ve reached their latest game, where the Flyers defeated the struggling Ducks again by a score of 5-2.
So, when you look at these last ten games with a bit of scrutiny, you’ll begin to see that these wins are not that impressive. Don’t get me wrong; I applaud the team for winning the games they played against opponents they should have beaten! But I’m not going to go on record and say I’m satisfied with how the team has played. Sure, there are bright spots like the way Konecny, Hayes, and Owen Tippett are on pace to have career years, and who could not get excited about the early success that the young Sam Ersson has had; but what is concerning is the fan bases willingness to buy into the teams’ propaganda (or selling of these players achievements and the teams’ recent success) in order to hide the franchises ongoing battle with mediocrity.
Let’s face it, when was the last time you truley felt the Flyers put together a roster that could compete for a Stanley Cup? I hope you didn’t say 2010 when the Flyers lucked out and squeaked into the playoffs as the seventh seed. Only then to somehow make it to the Finals with Michael Leighton in-between the pipes to take on the Blackhawks, who had Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, and Patrick Sharp gunning for him, with guys like Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, Brian Campbell, and Niklas Hjalmarsson standing guard for Corey Crawford and Marty Turco.
No, I’m thinking more like the 1997 Flyers roster that the Legion of Doom Line of Eric Lindros, John LeClair, and Mikael Renberg led. With a supporting cast of Rod Brind’Amour, Eric Desjardins, Paul Coffey, and Ron Hextall. Sure, they went on to be swept by an incredible Detroit team that had SEVEN now Hall of Famers, then playing on their roster. But be honest; wasn’t that the last time you truly believed the Flyers had a shot at winning it all? It was for me.
That’s why since then, I think the Flyers have been Too Good to be Bad, and Too Bad to be Good. What I mean by that is the way the Flyers were able to stay so competitive over the years was by throwing their checkbook around. Today is different, though; no team has been able to buy a championship in the salary cap era. Instead, the successful ones have had to endure years of hardships to gain the nucleus of what would then become their dynasties.
Take, for instance, the Penguins. After Lemieux retired and Jagr moved on, their fans had to suffer through several brutal seasons to get the chance to draft Marc Andre Fleury with the 1st overall pick in 2003. Then again, to be able to select Evgeni Malkin with the second overall pick in 2004. Only to finish fifth in the Atlantic Division once more to take Sidney Crosby 1st overall in 2005 and Kris Letang in the third round that same year. Then and only then were they able to return to their winning ways, winning cups in ’09, ’16, and again in ’17.
Or how about the aforementioned Chicago Blackhawks, who it took drafting Brent Seabrook in the first round of 2003, Jonathan Toews third overall in 2006, and who could forget them lucking out and getting what was supposed to be the Flyers 1st overall pick in 2007 only to draft arguably the best American born player ever to play the game, Patrick Kane. (Let’s squash this argument before it happens-Remember Brett Hull may have always played for Team USA, but he was born in Ontario, Canada) Anyway, it took the Blackhawks drafting these three players before they could go on to raise banners in ’10, ’13, and ’15.
Or a more recent example would be the Tampa Lightning, whom it took drafting Steven Stamkos 1st overall in ’08, Victor Hedman 2nd overall in ’09, and selecting Andrei Vasilevskiy as the first goalie off the board in ’12 before they could win it all in ’20, ’21, and lose in the cup finals in ’22.
Now I don’t want to put this kind of pressure on the kid, but the Flyers may already have gotten a jump start building their own future dynasty when they selected Cutter Gauthier 5th overall this past off-season. He’s already scored 19 points in just 15 games played for Boston College this year. Along with scoring 10 points in seven games played for Team USA at the recent World Junior Championships. So why not continue on that trend for a year or two and get players like:
Andrew Cristall- in the upcoming draft from the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL, who currently has 62 points in 36 games played this season.
Then maybe grab a defenseman like Finland’s Aron Kiviharju in the 2024 draft.
In 2025 maybe the Flyers will try and take either American sniper Cooper Dennis
Or a goalie Gabriel D’Aigle who is already shining at only 16 years of age playing for the Victoriaville Tigres of the QMJHL. I mean, he only spends his summers training with Marc Andre Fleury.
I could go on, but I think if Philadelphia just accepted how bad they really are and made sure they are in a position to draft these players in the coming years. Then a couple of seasons down the road, when these prospects join the group of talented youth they already have in place. The Flyers would then be able to at least spark the interest of some enticing free agents enough to make Philadelphia a place where talented players once again consider to come and play. Thus, they then, might have the makings of a successful NHL franchise. It’s worth a shot, right? I mean, everything they have tried since winning the 1975 Stanley Cup up to this point hasn’t, so why not give it a shot?
The Flyers would be wise to Trade Ivan Provorov to this NHL team ASAP
When the Flyers selected defenseman Ivan Provorov back in 2015 with the seventh overall pick in the NHL’s Entry Draft, they thought they might have just found their franchise’s next great blueliner. However, despite Provorov being able to log a ton of minutes for the orange and black over the last seven NHL seasons, I think most fans would agree he still is a far cry from the likes of Kimmo Timonen, Eric Desjardins, or Mark Howe.
With that being said, Philadelphia currently finds themselves in quite a conundrum. In the midst of their third straight losing season, the Flyers clearly can longer be considered the perennial playoff contenders they once were, and to add insult to injury, they are again up against the cap ceiling. So, with no clear answer in sight and far too many bad contracts currently on the books. The team must now look to unload what they can in order to acquire future assets that will help them moving forward.
Now it should go without saying that the team would love to rid themselves of the injury-prone defenseman Ryan Ellis’s contract that has the Flyers on the hook for $6.25 million for not only the rest of this season but the next four. But the likelihood that Chuck Fletcher will be able to find a fellow NHL general manager as gullible as he was when he accepted a trade for Ellis from the Nashville Predators is slim to none. So that should be considered but a pipe dream.
Instead, a more feasible option would be to try and trade away the aforementioned Ivan Provorov, who Chuck Fletcher overpaid a few seasons ago when he inked Ivan to a six-year $40.5 million deal with a cap hit of $6,750,000 a year. While this deal, on its face, does not seem that bad considering what other defensemen are getting paid nowadays, it does cause a problem when you take into consideration that the Flyers also just handed out an eight-year $50 million contract to fellow left-hand shot defender Travis Sanheim. If you do the math, Sanheim will be getting paid a cap hit of $6.25 million through the end of the 2031 season. That means the Flyers now have $19.25 million tied up into two left-hand shot defenders and a broken-down Ryan Ellis, who will most likely milk his injury until his contract runs out in 2027. Giving the team the earliest chance at any cap relief from these three players coming when Provorov is off the books after yet another two seasons.
However, if the team were to trade Provorov, who is still in his prime at just 26 years of age with term still left on his contract, they could not only get back quite the return but free up space in the top pairing for their 2019 first-round pick defenseman Cam York; which would finally give him the ice time he not only deserves but needs to have in order to continue to develop his game.
But then comes the question of what team might potentially be a buyer if the Flyers were willing to move on from Provorov? Well, if I were in Chuck’s position, I would call Rob Blake, the Los Angeles Kings general manager, and here’s why. The Kings are currently in second place in the Pacific Division, and this season may be their last real chance at hoisting another cup with the aging trio of Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, and Jonathan Quick, who were previously able to hang Championship banners for their club back in 2012, and 2014. Why might they make this trade, you may be asking? Well, as good as LA has been this season, they still have needs. One of those needs is a left-hand shot defenseman. The team has only substantiated these claims by forcing their right-hand shot defenseman Sean Durzi to play his offside as well as kicking the tires on Arizona’s Jakob Chychrun. So why not try and offer them, Ivan?
The Kings are ideal trade partners for the Flyers because, besides the fact that LA’s window of winning a championship with their current roster may be closing, they have a plethora of promising prospects in their system that should be considered ripe for the picking.
Such as:
Right-hand defenders:
Brandt Clarke is a 6’2 185 pound, 19-year-old who was taken eighth overall back in ’21
Helge Grans is a 6’3, 205-pound 20-year-old who was taken back in the ’20 draft in the second round.
Or Jordan Spence, a 5’10 181 pound 21-year-old who the Kings drafted back in 2019 with their fourth-round pick.
Forwards:
Samuel Fagemo, a 6’0, 201-pound Swedish winger LA, picked in the second round of the ’19 draft.
Arthur Kaliyev, a 6’2, 209-pound sharpshooter who the Kings took back in the second round of 2019
Alex Turcotte a 21-year-old forward who stands at 5’11 and 185 pounds. That LA took with their fifth overall pick back in 2019.
Or Rasmus Kupari, a 6’2, 201-pound 22-year-old Finnish player that the Kings were able to acquire back in the first round of the 2018 draft.
If the Flyers could acquire a couple of these young and talented prospects in a trade for Provorov, they should not think twice before sending Ivan packing. For if they did, they would be not only giving themselves some breathing room financially but would be setting themselves up in the future as well, as most of these promising prospects have already started to show some success at the professional level in both the American Hockey League as well as the National Hockey League.
Prospect Watch: Avery Hayes
Prospect Watch is back once again with another name that you, the fan, should have on your radar. This week that name is non-other than the latest member of Peterborough Petes, forward Avery Hayes. Who was acquired in a recent trade from the reigning Ontario Hockey League (OHL) champions, the Hamilton Bulldogs. A very successful franchise in which Hayes played a big part in over the past few seasons.
So much so that it has left, this writer perplexed as to why no NHL team to date has thought to sign this now 20-year-old undrafted free agent. Far too often, professional clubs focus solely on building their team from the draft, which to their credit, does play a massive part in the development of their future, but it is not the only way to stay competitive. For example, the true contenders who are forced to select at the tail end of the draft year in and year out have found ways like signing late bloomers such as Hayes (and players like him) to entry-level deals to compensate for their lack of draft capital.
While this type of thinking may be considered innovative, when you think about it, it is nothing more than common sense. I mean, why would any prospecting club not want to add a player who is a threat to score each and every time he touches the ice? Who cares that Hayes is 20 years old when he possesses such a quick and accurate one-timer that it has allowed him to pile up goals on the power play? Not to mention the fact that he has been blessed with the patience of a seasoned NHL veteran that has allowed him to buckle the knees of goaltenders in the OHL for the last few seasons when on a breakaway. With that being said, it is this writer’s opinion that Avery would instantly become a top prospect for whatever club is smart enough to offer him a contract after this season. Don’t believe me? Just look at these stats. Last season, while playing for the Bulldogs, Avery scored 41 goals and 38 assists for 79 points over the course of 66 games played during the regular season. Folks, that means he was able to score at a 1.19-point-per-game pace. What may be equally impressive to NHL clubs, though, is that as dominant as Hayes was able to be in the offensive zone last season, he was able to match that defensively with him being able to maintain a +43 average. A feat that he sought out to best come playoff time when he scored 14 goals and 20 assists for 34 points in just 16 games played, which, again, if you do the math, averages out to an astounding 2.12 points per game. This kind of production led to Hamilton winning the aforementioned Ontario Hockey League Championship. But because of the NHL franchises’ inattentiveness to anyone not in their first year of draft eligibility, Hayes’ historic run last season was all for naught.
That’s why once again, this Michigan native was forced to set out this season with the intent to open the eyes of any scouts that may be attending their games. Which, so far, I think he has done. In 33 games played for the Bulldogs this season (before being traded), Avery maintained a 1.24-point-per-game pace scoring 27 goals and 14 assists for 41 points. In addition, since being traded to the Peterborough Petes just a short time ago, Hayes has been able to instantaneously step into an unfamiliar offense and produce, scoring two goals in his first game with his new club. To put into perspective just what type of year Avery is currently on pace for, here are his projected end-of-the-season totals: 55 goals, 27 assists for 82 points.
I don’t know about you, but if Hayes can finish the year with these stats, he at least deserves a camp invite from somebody for his troubles, if not a 2-way contract.
Flyers Players that should be considered the Foundation for their Future
Today, the Philadelphia Flyers find themselves seventh in the Metropolitan Division, only managing to total 14 wins in 38 games played. Three of those wins, mind you, have come in the last three games after rookie goaltender Samuel Ersson took control of the crease after starter Carter Hart had been placed into concussion protocol. With that being said, the team is well on its way to their third straight losing season and, therefore, should start to embark on a full fledge rebuild. Yes, I know the team is on a three-game winning streak, but let’s be honest two of the teams they defeated during their current winning streak were the Anaheim Ducks, who currently sit in last place in the Pacific Division with just 24 points on the season. The other team being the San Jose Sharks, who find themselves right above the Ducks in seventh place in the Pacific with 31 points, both being worse off than the Flyers. Now in case you suffer from short-term memory loss like this writer has pretended to suffer from when it comes to the Flyers the past three seasons. Let us not forget the outcome of the teams’ games right before Christmas break when the Flyers were forced to face actual playoff contenders like the Hurricanes, Maple Leafs, Rangers, and Avalanche, which all resulted in losses for Philadelphia. When you factor in those L’s, it only further substantiates my claim of why this team should now look to whom they should consider as the foundation of their future and part ways with anyone they deem not on that concise list.
Travis Konecny
For example, one person that should be considered a part of that new foundation for this franchise moving forward is the still-youthful 25-year-old winger Travis Konecny. The Flyers 2015 1st-round pick, who this season while playing under the tutelage of head coach John Tortorella has not only been able to revitalize his career but compete at such a breakneck pace that he is projected to have a career year. Konecny (who is signed for two more years after this season at just $5.5 million) is currently playing at a 1.15 points-per-game pace, scoring 19 goals and 18 assists for 37 points in just 32 games played, which if you do the math that has him projected to score 45 goals and 43 assists for 88 points this season. A feat that would mean that he would not only meet but surpass his previous career highs of 24 goals and 61 points by scoring an additional 21 lamplighters and 27 apples on the score sheet!
With Travis still being relatively young and thriving in his coach’s new system, the Flyers should not view him as a tradeable asset if other teams come calling in the next few months, but rather, they should reward him for elevating his play. How might they do that, you might be asking? Well, I’m no general manager, but if I were in charge, I would liquidize as many of Chuck’s bad contracts and players that aren’t viewed to be in the team’s future plans as possible leading up to the trade deadline so that I could acquire the Vancouver Canucks 27-year-old captain Bo Horvat who is in the last year of his contract that only pays him a very reasonable $5.5 million a season. Now hear me out. I know the Flyers are in no possession to be buyers, but if they are looking for a move that can help the current roster both now and in the future, here’s their guy. To start, Bo is Travis’s second cousin, so you know there would be instant chemistry there if he was to be acquired. Not to mention upon his arrival they would have the makings of two-thirds of a respectable NHL first line, seeing that Bo is a 6’0, 216-pound center-ice man who has scored 28 goals and 14 assists for 42 points so far this season. I would rate a trade of this magnitude of extreme need and importance for the Flyers, with Sean Couturier being out with multiple extended injuries the last couple of seasons and Kevin Hayes currently finding himself in Tort’s doghouse.
Now before you jump to conclusions NO, I am not saying that I think that Philadelphia should trade away their coveted 1st round pick to make this happen. I honestly don’t think it will take that much to get a deal done. Every team in the NHL knows Bo is unhappy and probably won’t re-sign there, and therefore should balk on a deal if Vancouver tries to ask for too much. So in order for both the Cauncks and the Flyers to ensure they get the most out of this trade I would want it to a be a sign and trade scenario where only then should the Flyers be willing to offer up a couple of their more promising prospects, such as the diminutive 5’9 defenseman Emil Andrae and their other, former second round pick Samu Tuomaala with the Flyers then throwing in say a 3rd or 4th round pick this year seeing that the team has multiples of each. This would be possible because, as I stated before, Horvat is an unrestricted free agent after this season and the reports coming out of Vancouver are that the Canucks low ball offers when attempting to re-sign Horvat have all but seen to it that Bo will have his suitcases all packed and ready to go before even heading to the rink for the Cauncks’ last game of the season. Once the two teams agree to a trade, the Flyers should then work on signing Horvat to no more than a five-year deal that would have him be a free agent again at 32 years of age. Only then would I agree to a deal.
Owen Tippett
Another player who should be viewed as a part of their future foundation is their recently acquired sharp-shooting winger, Owen Tippett. Tippett (who we all know was acquired in the trade with the Panthers last season that sent Claude Giroux packing) has been on a tear this year. Scoring 12 goals and eight assists for 20 points in just 33 games played, Owen is well on his way to setting new personal best in every statistical category. In fact, if his play continues at this rate, he is projected to score 28 goals and 19 assists for 47 points this season. Not too bad for a 23-year-old who is only making $1.5 million through the end of next year, eh?
What could this team do to ensure Tippetts’ production continues on an upward trend? Easy, lock him into a top-six role and make sure whoever is on the line with him can place the puck on the tape of his stick; if they manage to do that, Owen will do the rest. Don’t believe me? Think about it; look at what he has been able to do with the Hodge podge group of players that this year’s Flyers roster has been made up of. Then imagine what he could do playing on a consistent line with players who aren’t named Morgan Frost or Noah Cates. I like Cates and all, but I don’t think you’ll find Frost or Cates currently on anybody’s Fantasy Hockey Team, do you?
Cam York
The last player on the Flyers’ current roster that I think the team should solidify as part of their foundation moving forward is defenseman Cam York. While I know he is still just 21 years of age, York has previously exhibited the ability to win at many different levels. It didn’t matter if it was junior hockey, where he led team U.S.A. to a gold medal at the World Junior Championships back in 2021, or in the NCAA, where he was able to develop into a dominant force on the Wolverines’ blue line. York has been able to make whatever team he is playing on better. Take, for instance, the Flyers; since he joined the team some 11 games ago, he has scored one goal and six assists for seven points. But his point production and ability to become an asset on the power play in such a short amount of time isn’t even the best part. He already possesses a team-best +6 average, which is more than any of the other overpaid defenders on the team can say. With Provorov being a -10, DeAngelo a -9, Risto. a -5 and Sanheim being -3; someone tell me why this kid is still playing third-pairing minutes?
What the team can do to ensure they continue to facilitate York’s development would be to utilize him correctly and evaluate who they can get rid of ahead of him on the depth chart to enable him to get the kind of ice time he deserves. For example, Cam is a left-hand shot defender who, previously to this year, has not been able to excel his game on the world’s largest stage. Because last season, he was forced to play on his unnatural side due to injuries that occurred to other Flyer defenders; this being a task that (in this writer’s opinion) should have been delegated to one of the team’s more experienced veterans that were still in the lineup. I mean, with Ryan Ellis going down, wouldn’t it have made more sense to slide Ivan (who at the time was already playing in his sixth NHL season) over to the right side rather than force a 20-year-old prospect to do it? And, as far as the depth chart issue goes, the team has Provorov, who is a career -21 player signed for $6.75 million until the end of 2025, and Sanheim, who is a career -22 player who they just inked until the end of the 2031 season for $6.25 million a year. So, in saying that, I guess my question is, who is staying and who is going? With $13 million already wrapped up into two left-hand shot defenders, does management really expect York to play third line minutes for the next two to three seasons? Or do they try and move Ivan’s inflated contract in a trade, even if it means retaining some of his salary to free up cap space and allow York to slide into a more prominent spot in the lineup? I don’t know about you, but I know which choice I would make if I had a say in things.
If management were to take my advice and start the demolition process of this team with these easy steps in mind, they would not only be solidifying the foundation for their future, but they would be making sure to safeguard the development of star prospects like Cutter Gauthier, Elliot Desnoyers, Bobby Brink, and Alexis Gendron in ensuring that when they make the jump to the NHL that they will have someone on their level, they can play alongside.
Prospect Watch: Zaccharya Wisdom
The latest name I have for you to keep an eye out for is 18-year-old Zaccharya Wisdom, a 6’1, 172-pound right winger who currently plays for the Cedar Rapids Rough Riders of the United States Hockey League (USHL).
Yes, before you can even ask, he is the younger brother of the Philadelphia Flyers’ 2020 4th-round pick Zayde Wisdom. Let me assure you though I am not writing about this young man because he’s a prospect who shares the same surname as a professional athlete. On the contrary, Zaccharya’s play this season has earned him this acclaim all on its own.
That said, if I had to describe his game in one word, it would be aggressive. Never missing the opportunity to make contact with the opposition, Wisdom has shown the ability this season to produce some of the most mind-erasing hits the USHL has seen in quite some time. Wisdom is far from a goon, though. He chooses to deliver these filling rattlers in order to create turnovers and regain puck possession. Hence, the reason why he has been so successful on the forecheck and his team has been able to create/capitalize on so many offensive chances this season.
In addition, Zaccharya has also been known to utilize his physical aggressiveness to stand out on the Rough Riders’ power play by not only crashing the crease but also establishing a net-front presence. In fact, Wisdom spends so much time parked in front of the opposition’s goaltender he should get his mail forwarded there! Moreover, while his willingness to take the physical abuse that comes with setting up shop there should be enough to earn him the respect of anyone who has played the game before. It is Zaccharya’s veteran-like ability (once there) to position his body in a way that prevents his opposition’s defenseman from being able to hinder his chances to deflect a shot or gain control of a rebound that sets him apart from others in his age group.
Given all of these traits listed above, it should come as no surprise when I tell you that Wisdom has posted 14 goals and 12 assists for 26 points in just 23 games played so far this season, which, if you do the math, is a 1.13 point per game average. A feat. that currently sees Zaccharya as not only the highest-scoring player on his team but among the USHL’s top ten in both goals and points scored as well.
Keep an eye on #26
Now, since we all know everyone will try to compare him to his brother in the months leading up to the draft, I’ll save you the trouble. While Zayde and Zaccharya both play the game as it should be, PHYSICAL. There are some areas where they are different. One main difference is their skating ability. While his older brother (who stands at only 5’10) has to rely on a lot of short choppy strides to gain momentum, the younger/taller Zaccharya tends to get up to speed faster with fewer, more powerful strides. These extended strides assist the younger of the two brothers in leading the offensive zone rush, or if he doesn’t have the puck, allows him to arrive right on time to put a nice juicy rebound in the back of the net.
Don’t get me wrong, by no means does all of this praise suggest that I think Zaccharya is a perfect prospect and, thus, will be taken along with the upper echelon of this year’s draft class. Wisdom (like most young players) should be viewed as a project (who will likely be taken in the later rounds) because he has a couple of things he will still need to work on before turning pro. One of which is his defensive game. While he is still a plus player this season, at times, I have seen him lose or fail to pick up his man when the opposition’s offense is set up in the Rough Riders’ defensive zone. Don’t fret, though; this is not because Wisdom is solely out to score goals, but rather that he has been caught unsuccessfully trying to pick off a pass or wipe a player of the puck entirely. I don’t know about you, but I much rather have to teach a player to dial it back a little who is pressing too hard rather than be stuck coaching one who isn’t trying hard enough!
With the Holiday’s & Chuck’s Imminent Dismissal now upon us, here are some Objectives his Successor must look to Achieve.
With the team in the midst of their third straight losing season, the Flyers’ General Manager (GM) Chuck Fletcher’s dismissal seems imminent. What is sad, though, is despite how bad of a job Fletcher has done during his tenure here in Philadelphia, Dave Scott, who holds the title of Chairman & CEO of Comcast Spectacor as well as the self-appointed title of “Governor” over the Flyers will likely, not outright fire his beloved Chuck, but rather “promote” him to the title of “Senior Advisor” a job the aging 67-year-old Paul Holmgren currently holds.
Now Chuck’s firing/possible promotion should mean the team will go out and look to fill Chuck’s impending vacancy with a proven young initiative thinker like Chris MacFarland, the Colorado Avalanche’s assistant general manager, Eric Tulsky, the Carolina Hurricanes Ast. GM who is an analytics genius and holds a master’s degree from Harvard and a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley. Or perhaps even the highly decorated Brooks Bandits head coach and general manager Ryan Papaioannou, who discovered and developed both Cale Makar and the NCAA’s current point leader Ryan McAllister to name a few. However, that search is likely not even to begin because the Flyers have already been grooming their next man up for some time now, and that, of course, is former Flyer, Danny Briere.
The Grooming Process
It all started with a not so gently push from the team’s “Alternate Governor”/ President and CEO of Spectacor Sports and Entertainment, Valerie Camillo. She suggested that Danny go back to school and get a degree. So Briere decided to attend and graduate from the prestigious Wharton School of Finance. To further this push, upon Danny finishing school, he was gifted the job of running another Comcast-owned team, the ECHL’s Maine Mariners, for a couple of years. Then when the powers at be thought he was good and ready to assist with the big club, ownership created his current job with the Flyers: Special Assistant to the General Manager so he could be under the tutelage of the floundering Chuck Fletcher.
So, seeing that the plans are already in place for not if, but when Chuck Fletcher is relieved from his current duties, let’s focus on what Danny should be assessing the minute he moves into Chuck’s old office.
Tradeable Assets:
With the season nearing the halfway point and the team currently seated in the 7th spot in the Metropolitan Division, Danny (or whomever the new gm may be) should be thinking about his tradeable assets, especially since this draft is projected to be one of the best in quite some time. Who should they look to be getting rid of, you may be asking? Of course, the popular name floating about the rumor mill right now is Kevin Hayes, whose chances of being traded are being quantified as we speak because of his current disagreement with his head coach John Tortorella. While most feel Hayes would bring a decent return, I think the possibility of finding another gm who is willing and or able to take on his $7,142,857 in salary (which he gets paid until the end of the 2025-2026 season) during the middle of the season is a bit of a pipedream, primarily, because Kevin holds a modified no-movement clause.
Instead, a player who is more likely to get moved by the end of the year would be James van Riemsdyk a 33-year-old impending free agent who was the Flyers’ top goal scorer last year and currently has 12 points in 13 games played this season. While James is no longer the competitor he once was when playing for the Maple Leafs, he is still an effective net-front presence who could help any contenders power play unit. Plus, Philadelphia could easily retain half his salary for the rest of this season in exchange for a potential 1st or 2nd round draft pick.
Another tradeable asset is their 23-year-old impending restricted free Morgan Frost, who, despite playing in 109 NHL games over four seasons, has only begun to show a smidgen of what the Flyers thought he would be. In my opinion, his career 0.119 goals per game average, along with his 0.321 points per game average, does not warrant the team turning down an offer full of future assets. And yes, I know he has scored a goal in each of the last two games, but remember, the Flyers are playing against teams’ backups most nights now. For example, against the Rangers, Frost did not score on Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin. He scored on 37-year-old Jaroslav Halak. Against Columbus, he was not facing starter Elvis Merzlik; he scored on prospect Danil Tarasov.
Moving up in Draft:
Another thing Chuck’s successor should look to do once they are named the tenth general manager in team history is to move up in the draft. The Flyers do not possess a second-round pick in this upcoming draft or the following year. However, they hold two third-rounders and two fourth-round picks this summer. When paired together in a draft day trade proposal, Philadelphia could acquire another first or second-round pick. Something this struggling starless franchise so desperately needs. Think about it. This current roster is not set to win now. Still, they could be considered a contender sooner rather than later if they manage to pick up a couple more high-end prospects with any combination of players like Will Smith, Calum Ritchie, Brayden Yager, Andrew Cristall, Riley Heidt, or Cameron Allen from this year’s draft to go along with their 5th overall pick from last season Cutter Gauthier.
Assess the Goaltending Situation:
If there is one particular position that has plagued the Flyers franchise over the years, it would be goaltending. Since Ron Hextall played his last game for Philadelphia in 1999, the team has had an unfathomable 29 different goalies start a game for them. Still, despite Hextall drafting the highly coveted Carter Hart back in 2016. The team still has questions and concerns about who they have standing guard in the blue paint. While Hart is still well-liked in Philadelphia, his career numbers leave a lot to be desired. Defend him all you want, but Carter is now in his fifth year in the NHL. At what point is he going to have a breakout season? Sure, he has shown glimpses at times, but he has yet to put together a solid FULL SEASON of work. To date, he has played in 171 regular season games. He has just three career shutouts to his credit and only 72 wins. Folks that means he has only won 42% of his starts! Shocked? You shouldn’t be, considering his career averages are a 2.94 goals against and a .906 save percentage. Hell, in what was considered to be his best season, he only won 24 games. Those kinds of numbers will get you fired if you’re a backup, let alone if you are now considered the face of the franchise.
What about the guys in the system? Felix Sandstrom is a year older than Hart and has only managed to win one game in the NHL! That’s with him playing in 14 games thus far, and if you do the math, that equates to him winning a laughable 7% of the games he has played in.
Ivan Fedotov would have been an impressive addition this season, but his future is still unknown after being forced into military service in Siberia after signing with the Flyers.
The Troy Grosenick signing was a joke. He currently holds a 3.93 goals-against average while only managing to play in three games for the Phantoms this season, and we won’t even mention Samuel Ersson or Alexei Kolosov, who are struggling in their respected leagues just to maintain a .500 record.
Therefore, this team’s next general manager must take a long, hard look at this position moving forward and ask himself. If Hart continues to struggle and no goaltending prospect steps up to take his place. At what point should we cut our losses with him? And if the new gm isn’t willing to do so, he must ask himself, is it worth being forced to resign Carter after next season just because we have no one better in the system?
If the rumors are true and Chuck is on his way out, seemingly leaving this team in shambles. These previously stated issues are the first of many objectives whatever poor sap that ownership can con into taking the job of general manager of the Flyers should look to achieve. For if they don’t, they will no doubt have a short tenure on South Broad Street.
Prospect Watch: Calvin Vachon
If you have glanced at an NHL Mock Draft lately, you would have seen that this upcoming draft looks to be chalked full of offensive talents, especially down the center of the ice. However, what you won’t find is a lot of quality goaltenders on those lists. That doesn’t mean that they’re not out there, though. Merely that they have just fell victim to NHL clubs narrowing their parameters when searching for their next goaltender of the future. Those parameters in question are that of a goalie’s height. Over the years, the league as a whole has developed the thought process of “the taller a goalie is, the better he must be.” Hence why the league’s average height of an NHL goalie today has climbed to 6’3, compared to that of a forward or defenseman playing in this league that has a mean of just 6’1.
Now, while I understand the game is a lot different than it used to be, I don’t believe a goalie’s height should define his career’s ceiling! Plenty of great goaltenders from the past were of diminutive stature. Take Hockey Hall of Famer Rogie Vachon for insistence. He was able to win a Vezina Trophy and raise the Stanley Cup on three separate occasions with Montreal despite him only standing at only 5’8, and that’s before he ever went on to don the purple and gold in LA, where he became thought of as one of the premier netminders of his time.
For these reasons mentioned above, I think Rogie’s grandson Calvin, who is a 6’0 tall draft-eligible goaltender, has not yet received the acclaim and/or respect he thus deserves. Calvin is a classically trained goaltender who, (like his grandfather) is aggressive in the net, challenging the shooter on every play by coming out well past the top of the crease to cut off the shooter’s angles. On top of that, Calvin follows the puck very well, and when he has to drop to the ice, he tends to keep his hands high to cover the top of the net.
Now, I already know what you’re thinking, but I assure you while being born with a famous surname may have helped to get Calvin some early media exposure while he was playing for the Los Angeles Jr Kings in his early teens. It has been this young guardian of the blue paints’ skill set that has gotten him to the point of possibly being drafted by an NHL team this summer. For example, Vachon has been on this path of greatest for some time. At just 13 years of age, Calvin posted an unheard-of 0.59 goals-against-average (G.A.A.) over 57 games played that season.
If we transition our focus to the current season, we can see that not much has changed. So much so that Calvin got the chance to represent Team USA in this year’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup and is now playing his third season up in Minnesota for the Shattuck St. Mary’s 18U Preparatory High School team (a club that has such alums as Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, and Zach Parise, just to name a few) where he has played in parts of 14 games this season and currently holds an 11-0-0 record on the year with four of those wins coming by way of a shutout. All of which while averaging a 1.86 G.A.A. and a .932 save percentage.
But sadly, because Calvin is not 6’6, he is only being projected to go in the 7th round of this year’s draft. This reminds me of a 6’0 goaltender in Devon Levi, who was a 7th-round draft choice from the 2020 entry draft that I said would prove to be one of the best goaltenders coming out that season. Ergo Levi being named both a Hobey Baker Award Finalist and receiving the honor of being named the Mike Richter Award recipient (award given to the top collegiate goaltender) last year in just his first year competing in the NCAA.
So, I guess what I’m saying is if you’re an NHL team this off-season that is in the market for a goaltending prospect, don’t follow the league norm and pass up the chance to select this excellent young goaltender with an exceptional NHL pedigree just because he is a little shorter than you would like. Because if you do, he is bound to make you regret it!
Back up Options for the Flyers in case; they can’t land Bedard or Fantilli
Photo Credit: @Kelowna_Rockets/Twitter
With the Philadelphia Flyers in the midst of their third consecutive losing season, it would appear as though the orange and black will be drafting once again from within the Draft Lottery. However, this may not be such a bad thing, considering this year’s draft class is stacked with high-end talent.
Now the real prizes of this draft are, of course, Connor Bedard of the Western Hockey Leagues (WHL), Regina Pats, and Adam Fantilli of the Michigan Wolverines of the NCAA. Both of these players will no doubt make a significant impact on their respected clubs the moment they step on the ice in their new teams’ sweaters, but what if the Flyers aren’t one of those lucky teams who get to call out one of these two players’ names come draft day?
Well, I’m here to tell you there are other prospects in this draft class who I think will develop into top-line talent as well, but for Philadelphia to make the most out of their pick, they will have to ensure they do more than just take a “good player.” They will need to find a new face of their franchise, someone who not only will be a real threat to score every time they touch the ice but who every fan in the tri-state area will be willing to go out and spend a couple of hundred dollars on a jersey with their name on it as well.
Brayden Yager
Now, that may be a tall order to ask of the Flyers GM (whoever that may be, come draft day), but it’s a task they should indeed try to ascertain. For example, one player who could grow to fit that need over time from this draft class is Brayden Yager of the WHL’s Moosejaw Warriors. Brayden has one of the most incredible shots in this draft class. He is what they call a finisher, a pure sniper whom every one of his teammates out on the ice looks to in key situations. Last season in the WHL, Brayden scored an impressive 34 goals and 25 assists for 59 points in 63 games played in his inaugural campaign, winning him the honor of being named the CHL’s Rookie of the Year, but somehow, he was still overshadowed by his teammate Jagger Firkus who the Seattle Kraken took in the 2nd round of last years draft. This year though, he and Firkus are being viewed as equals as Yager has managed to light the lamp 16 times and assisted on 18 others totaling 34 points in 28 games played thus far. Folks, that averages out to 1.21 points per game.
Calum Ritchie
My next suggestion comes from a position of need for the Flyers, which is down the middle of the ice. Calum Ritchie is a 6’2, 187-pound center who currently plays for the Ontario Hockey Leagues (OHL) Oshawa Generals. Simply put, Ritchie possesses all the intangibles it takes to be great. Sure, his clean shot and rapid release are nice, but what really makes him stand out from the crowd, in this writer’s opinion, is his on-ice vision which allows Calum to skate through the opposition while making a no-look pass to an awaiting teammate at the mouth of the goal with ease. So far this season, Ritchie has been able to score eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points in 24 games played. I got to tell you, if the Flyers were to end up with this kid, I would not be mad because not only could Calum be trusted to produce offensively, but he would also be sure to make everyone else who plays with him better as well.
Andrew Cristall
If I had to pick one impact player out of this draft that I think the Flyers would benefit most from drafting after Bedard and Fantilli were both off the board, it would have to be Andrew Cristall. This explosive winger who plays for the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL has had me memorized all season long. Why, you may be asking? Well, Andrew plays the game with so much charisma that you just can’t wait to see what he does next. Whether he’s celebrating after scoring an impossible goal, passing the puck right to the tape of an awaiting teammates stick for an assist, or stick handling through the other team’s defense like a warm knife through butter, Cristall manages to appear as though he is performing these acts with little to no effort at all. This season Andrew has been able to score at a rate of 1.87 points per game, posting 18 goals and 27 assists for 45 points in just 24 games played! With those numbers only being bested by Connor Bedard himself this season in the WHL.
While other draft experts in the coming weeks and months may begin to suggest other prospects that the Flyers should take, based on that player being viewed as the next best available talent according to where the team ends up selecting. Remember, these are my suggestions based on who I think would help to address the Flyers most immediate needs moving forward. Which of these players would you like to see playing on South Broad Street in the near future?
It’s Nice to see Kevin Hayes Finally Living up to his Contract
With the Flyers franchise currently in shambles and its general manager Chuck Fletcher appearing to suffer from delusional ideations when speaking to the media a few days ago about how he thought the team still had the chance to make the playoffs this year. It should come as no surprise when I tell you it’s been hard to find something positive to write about this team again this season.
Now, although a lot of their misfortunes have been brought on by their previously mentioned general manager, whose actions may, in fact, be the cause for his imminent demise, there has been one bright spot this season, and that is the play of center Kevin Hayes.
With Chuck desperate to make his first big acquisition upon being appointed to his current role with the team late in 2018, he thought it would be wise to bring in someone who could help integrate his new head coach (Alain Vigneault’s) systems. Ergo, the decision to make a trade with Winnipeg for the then 6’5, 220-pound impending free agent Kevin Hayes, who had played for Vigneault during their time with the New York Rangers.
Once acquired, in true Fletcher fashion, Chuck decided to pay Hayes, not for the player he was currently, but rather for the player he hoped he would be. What I mean by that is Fletcher had the bright idea to hand out an inflated seven-year $50 million contract, which carries a $7,142,857 cap hit until 2026 (with no movement clauses built-in), to a player who, to this day, has never even managed to score 50 points in a single season despite him playing the last decade in the NHL.
Since coming to Philly, Kevin has found himself on the injury list more often than not, managing to play in just 172 games over the course of the last three seasons. Where over that same time span Hayes only succeeded in scoring 41 points in the ‘19- ‘20 season and 31 points in each of the last two seasons, which, if you do the math, comes out to him scoring at a rate of only 0.59 points per game. When you have those kinds of stats coming from one of your highest-paid players, it isn’t exactly conducive to your team winning games. For comparison, the Avalanche’s Captain Gabriel Landeskog (who made only $7 million last season) scored darn near double Hayes’ regular season point totals from last year despite him suffering a knee injury that caused him to miss the last 23 games of the Av’s regular season and required surgery to repair. However, Landeskog was able to battle back from the injury earlier than expected to not only play in the postseason but to lead his team to a Stanley Cup victory scoring 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points in 20 games played.
This season thankfully has been a different story for Kevin, who the Flyers are stuck paying for the next three years. Hayes has managed to keep his name off of the Injury Report list (knock on wood) and be productive at the same time. However, I would contribute much of that newfound success to his now head coach John Tortorella, reinforcing that he expects a lot out of Hayes this season. To prove this, Torts even went to the extreme of sitting him the entire third period of a game the Flyers were losing against the San Jose Sharks earlier in the year simply because he was not happy with his play. Tortorella’s tough love must be working, though, because as of right now, Hayes is scoring at a point-per-game pace, which, if he continues on this path, would make this season easily the best of his career.
Now, we all know a lot can change over the course of a long NHL season, but with the way things have turned out for the Flyers over the past couple of years, Hayes scoring eight goals and 16 assists for 24 points in 24 games played so far this season should be viewed as nothing short of a Christmas miracle, and who knows it is also Flu season, so maybe we will get lucky, and his play will turn out to be contagious so he can pass it along to some of his teammates!
Prospect Watch: Luca Di Pasquo
Back again with another exciting prospect in mind to explain why his play this season for the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) should not only have your attention as a fan of the game but that of prospecting NHL general managers as well.
That player is none other than the 6’0 201 pound undrafted 19-year-old goaltender Luca Di Pasquo. Now, I know what you’re thinking; here we go again, someone hyping up another overager still playing in juniors, right? Well, I would agree with you if I were talking about a 20-year-old forward who was racking up over 120 points in a league he has no business still playing in, but we’re talking about a goalie here. Netminders generally take longer to develop, and even the best don’t usually hit their full potential until they are 23 or 24 years old.
The Michigan State University Spartans of the NCAA clearly know this, seeing that they convinced the Livonia, Michigan native to commit to playing for them next season, and my oh my, what a player they got indeed! This season while strapping on the pads for the Vees, Luca finds himself holding onto an undefeated record of 16-0-0 that he pairs with a league-leading 1.67 goals-against-average and a .927 save percentage.
So, besides his incredible stats this season, what makes Luca’s game worthy of the attention of NHL scouts and executives, you may be asking? Well, this old goaltender would say, above everything else, it would have to be his stick-handling ability. Where this trait has recently become a bit of a dying art form, with so few goaltenders in the NHL even feeling the need to attempt anything more than coming out and stopping the puck directly behind the net since the league implemented the trapezoid rule back in 2005. Di Pasquo still somehow has shown the confidence to showcase on a nightly basis his ability to channel some of the best puck-moving goalies from the days of old, like Martin Brodeur, Ron Hextall, and Marty Turco in order to eliminate his opponent’s ability to either dump and chase, or dump and change. Because if they do either of those things, Luca will be quick to jump out and send a long outlet pass to his high-hanging wingers along the boards to create a breakaway attempt which often results in one of the very talented Nadeau brothers on his team scoring a goal. A feat. that Di Pasquo is no stranger to himself, seeing that he was able to net a goal a few years back while playing AAA U16 Hockey for a team called Honeybaked out of Detroit, Michigan.
Now, will Luca go on to have the type of success next season that former Spartan goalie Ryan Miller had while playing for Michigan State? Time will only tell, but one thing is for sure, Di Pasquo is opening a lot of eyes right now in the BCHL, and if he continues playing the rest of this season the way he has started out, I guarantee the MSU student body will be packing themselves into the Munn Ice Arena on a nightly basis next year to catch a glimpse of him in-between the pipes wearing their historic green and white.
What do the Devils have that the Flyers Don’t?
With Philadelphia Flyers fans not having too much to be thankful for this holiday season, as far as their favorite team goes, some enthusiasts have become jealous, if not downright spiteful, about a particular surrounding area’s teams’ success this season. That team is the New Jersey Devils. A fellow Metropolitan Division club who happens to play their home games a mere 78 miles away from the Flyers at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Now, both of these teams finished last season among the worst in not only their division but the entire league resulting in them drafting from within the lottery. Here is where Philly fans will really begin to get spiteful. Despite, the Flyers finishing last season as the fourth worst team in the league, with them only being able to achieve 61 points (because of their bad luck and the NHL implementing the Draft Lottery back in 1995), the Devils who finished the season with 63 points and entered into the lottery seated as the fifth worst team in the league ended up winning the right to make the second selection overall forcing the Flyers back to drafting in the fifth position. This resulted in the Devils being able to select right-hand shot defenseman Simon Nemec, a player positionally that the Flyers so desperately needed (who has already turned pro and playing currently for New Jersey’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Utica Comets) and Philadelphia having to settle for power forward Cutter Gauthier who while he looks to be an excellent player in his own right is currently playing in the NCAA for Boston College.
Since draft day, these two struggling teams have become polar opposites of each other. While the Devils currently find themselves in first place in the Metro, accruing 32 points in 20 games played. Thanks mainly to them just coming off a 13-game winning streak that came to a questionable end recently in a 2-1 loss to Toronto, where NJ had three goals disallowed or overturned. In Philadelphia, the Flyers are in the middle of an eight-game losing streak that finds them once again amongst the bottom dwellers of their division.
This raises the question, what do the Devils have that the Flyers Don’t?
Health
Well, the obvious reason would be health! The Devils may be playing right now without their significant free agent acquisition from this summer Ondrej Palat, but for the most part, the team as a whole is healthy. The same, however, cannot be said for the Flyers. Once again, this season, Philadelphia is among the league’s leaders in man-games lost to injury or health protocols. With such players as Scott Laughton, and Travis Konecny, recently joining the lengthy list of mangled Flyers players that already consisted of Cam Atkinson, Bobby Brink, Wade Allison, James van Riemsdyk, Sean Couturier, and Ryan Ellis. There’s no doubt in most fans’ minds here in south Philly that with over $32 million in players not currently suiting up for the Flyers, the losses will only continue to pile up.
Competent Management:
But health is not the only thing the Devils have over the Flyers right now. New Jersey has a competent/knowledgeable front office that includes a general manager (GM) in Tom Fitzgerald. Who was previously under the tutelage of Stanley Cup-winning GM Ray Shero (son of Fred, who coached the Broad Street Bullies to two Stanley Cup championships in the 70’s). To gain some guidance along the way, Fitzgerald just offered Hockey Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur a promotion from being an adviser to the team to being named their new Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations. An opportunity that Brodeur was very graciously quick to set ink to paper. The Flyers, of course, have something similar in that regard, with their former player Danny Briere recently being gifted the made-up title of Special Assistant to the General Manager by the Flyers. Still, the two really don’t compare, do they? Brodeur has a REAL job with REAL responsibilities for the Devils, where his three-time Stanley Cup-winning experience has resulted in New Jersey making the right moves this off-season to turn his team around rather quickly. Where Briere, although being more than qualified for the job with him holding a master’s degree in business administration from the very prestigious Wharton School of Finance, is being groomed by someone in Chuck Fletcher whose failures in both Minnesota and in Philadelphia to date can be contributed to his choice to operate under total heterodoxy as far as business decisions go.
Solid Drafting and Development:
You tend to reap the rewards rather quickly when you have the luxury of having competent management like New Jersey does right now. Just take their draft haul from this past summer. The Devils took the previously mentioned Simon Nemec with the number two overall pick. They then selected this writer’s favorite defenseman from last year’s draft class, right-hander Seamus Casey with their 2nd round pick, who has been a points-per-game player this season for the University of Michigan Wolverines scoring 14 points in 14 games played so far. Then the Devils followed that up by taking the top-ranked goalie in the draft, Tyler Brennan, in the fourth round. But this is not the only draft they have seen success in. Of their current forward 12-man roster that suited up for them in their last game, the Devils drafted 10 of those players! Now it’s true New Jersey has been a less-than-stellar group since Brodeur retired. Still, their fanbase at least had the memories of them raising the cup in 1995, 2000, and 2003 to hang on to until ownership could find the right people to place in a management role with the wherewithal to draft key players like Nico Hischier, Dawson Mercer, Jack Hughes, and Jesper Bratt (all of which who are 24 years or younger right now) to bring them back to the point of contention. Not to mention the fact that the Devils currently have prospects like Luke Hughes, Alexander Holtz, and Nico Daws in the system as well. What has Chuck done for the Flyers as far as the draft goes, you may be asking? Well, even though he has been in charge of the teams’ selection process for the last four draft classes, he has yet to have a player who he has taken, directly impact the Flyers lineup. That doesn’t say much about his picks and/or the Flyers’ development program, now does it?
Smart Choices in Free Agency/and the Trade Market
Now let’s look at the other off-season happenings from these two clubs over the past couple of seasons. Set out to make significant changes to the Devils roster for 2021 New Jersey, who had been wisely saving up their cap space for some time, managed to steal defenseman Dougie Hamilton in free agency from the Hurricanes, who is one of the league’s premiere defenders when they signed him to a seven-year $63 million contract. That same year, they went out and traded for defenseman Ryan Graves from the Colorado Avalanche. A player that used to be partnered up with Cale Makar and who led the league in plus-minus in the 2019-2020 season averaging a +40. Then this off-season, their gm, Tom Fitzgerald, was able to not only orchestrate but carry out the perfect plan. While other teams like the Flyers waited until the last minute to try and clear cap space for their shot to obtain one of the big fish of the off-season Johnny Gaudreau (who later signed with Columbus). The Devils took it upon themselves to bring in the two-time Stanley Cup winner Ondrej Palat. Then they went out and traded for goaltender Vintek Vanecek from the Capitals, veteran Erik Haula from the Bruins, and most recently, they just managed to pull off a trade for Penguins defenseman John Marino. None of these moves may have been of the flashy variety that would immediately boost jersey sales, but they are the underrated moves that other teams ’GMs are now wishing they had the hockey sense to make. Then there’s the Flyers, who, after missing out on a big-name target, had to settle for signing defenseman Tony DeAngelo who the team had to shell out $5 million a season to in order to cover up Chuck’s blunder of a trade for Ryan Ellis. A player who, after only suiting up in four games for the Flyers, Philadelphia now finds themselves stuck paying him $6.25 million a season until 2027 simply because Fletcher failed to do his homework before trading for such an injury-prone player.
So, while the Flyers have spent their time trying to rebuild by overpaying the same players that couldn’t get them over the hump before, IE: Couturier, Sanheim, Provorov, Ristolainen, and Braun. As well as following the ideology that failed prospects like Morgan Frost and Isaac Ratcliffe still deserve a second and third chance to prove themselves. The Devils have been able to make a bunch of intelligent draft selections, free agent signings, and trades over the past few years that have allowed them to construct a solid core group of talented youthful players that should bring them success for years to come. All I can say, Flyers fans, is let’s all tell Santa that the only thing we want for Christmas this year is a new general manager!