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Ryan Gilbert and Jacob Russell discuss the state of the Philadelphia Flyers after another lackluster effort. What can Danny Briere and Keith Jones do the rest of the season? Are the Flyers stuck in purgatory?
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[music] [music]
0:12
Hello and welcome to Broad Street Hockey. I am your host Ryan Gilbert.
0:18
Joining me today is my co-host Jacob Russell. Russ, we were going to do postgame last night. I said no. Let's
0:25
talk this weekend instead. Yeah. Uh, I I'm feeling more energy to talk right now, but still just a very
0:32
very bad vibes right right now around Philadelphia. Yeah, it's it's just not good enough,
0:39
right? It's it's it hasn't been good enough for a long time and now you're starting to to enter the
0:45
the stage of where you accept that this year once again is not going to be good enough. Um,
0:51
that's just what it is, man. Like it's it's not going to be this team's not going to make the playoffs. They're not going to go in a mira miracle run. I'll
0:58
come on in April if they do and you know somehow they squeeze into the first round, but even then
1:05
yeah, what what is the endgame of of this? And it seems um on a game-by-ame basis that
1:12
there is nothing nothing to really be gleaned from this season until uh like like I said before we started uh like I
1:19
said to you until Porter Marone shows up it might just be a death march.
1:25
Yeah. Like Thursday night in Boston I likened it to like a preseason game.
1:30
Like you know they're going to lose. The result doesn't matter. Let's see if they can have some sort of positives to take
1:36
away from it, which they still did. Connectne Gorbankin was great, but like yeah, and I posted on social media, I
1:42
think the game before, the night before saying like as frustrating as it is, this team is just mediocre. And that's
1:49
kind of okay, right now where they're at in the rebuild. And like, yeah, right
1:55
now, shout out FanDuel, thanks to them for sponsoring us. The Flyers odds to make the playoffs are at plus 440, which
2:01
implies an 18.5% chance. Um, they are closer now to a top pick than a than a
2:08
lot than a uh the uh playoffs right now. Um, yeah, it's just like the the Flyers
2:16
are just putting their fans through the ringer this season. like that they they they they got some expectations first half of the season, but like even
2:22
looking back at it, their their longest winning streak was three games twice and once it was two wins in in a shootout,
2:30
other time there was one win in a shootout. Like they they rarely lost back-to-back games in regulation. They also rarely won
2:37
back-to-back games in regulation. And now we're seeing the injuries, the goalending, the special teams that we're
2:44
seeing what the Flyers are when they're not like fully healthy and at their best.
2:50
Yeah. When they're not rolling, the team just doesn't have enough to ek out wins.
2:55
Um, and that's it's so frustrating because you look at the game against the
3:01
Avalanche where they go out there and win on the road. the game against Anaheim where it's really emotionally
3:07
charged and and Zegris shows up and the team shows up behind him for Zegris and they get this, you know, massive um
3:14
emotional emotional victory. But, you know, over over a 10 game sample size,
3:21
five 10 game sample sizes, this team doesn't do enough to consistently win games in different ways. They have one
3:28
way to win the game. They need to get some solid goalending. They need to keep the high danger danger chances down and
3:35
they need to get something on either the power play or even like a short-handed goal, right? You need something from
3:41
that um to even have a chance. But it's it's primarily, you know, catching teams
3:48
uh on an off night. You know, that's that's what it's been. I don't think that they killed Colorado because they
3:54
played extraordinarily better than Colorado. I think Colorado just kind of
4:00
had an off night, right? And and that's the NHL. That's the parody we've been
4:05
seeing. That's how, you know, the game has evolved to where the Flyers I I the
4:11
Flyers could beat any team on any given night. Most teams can beat any team on any given night. Um, but that doesn't
4:18
get you anywhere. And the Flyers are just continuing to be one of those teams in the mushy middle in the, you know,
4:26
uh, just outside the playoff window. And it's not helping at all. It doesn't
4:31
do anything except give the organization and give the fan base false hope and
4:37
then in turn a lot of frustration uh, because they can't get it done. And yes,
4:43
it is early on in the rebuild and yes, you're waiting for Martone and and things like that. But when Martone
4:49
arrives, right, when when even maybe Oliver Bon arrives next year, you're
4:55
still going to be looking for that top flight center, either a first or a
5:00
second line center, you're still going to be looking for someone to uh ideally
5:05
bump York to like like a number three defense role and Dale to a number four
5:11
defense role where you can shelter him a little bit more. You'll still be looking for that type of guy. You'll be looking
5:16
for Ryan Ellis and and uh I don't know uh who's this pick a center that they've
5:22
had in trade rumors for years. Marco Rossy and Ryan Ellis. You'll be looking for Marco Rossi and Ryan Ellis until the sun dies at this point. And that's
5:29
what's frustrating. It's not that the team's going to be bad. It's that when you look at the system, when you look at
5:38
the um the prospects coming up, you don't see a a clear-cut answer to the
5:45
actual problems. You you'll see good players for sure. There are good players and who are Flyers prospects, but
5:51
they're not the answers to to the the the holes on the roster currently. Yeah. Charlie Oconor posted about that
5:57
earlier this week like if the Flyers prospects were having great seasons outside of Martell, maybe there's some sort of hope. But like we're we're
6:03
putting it on Porter Martone and fans have seen how we had high expectations from Mishkov and he hasn't quite met
6:09
them this season. Like he's going to be fine. He's been playing a lot better recently. Got the power play goal in um
6:15
Boston there last night. But like yeah, like you said, like we last talked a week ago after the Avalanche game. Huge
6:22
win. We got on here. We were pumped. We're like, "All right, coming home now. Got the Islanders. We can see what we're
6:27
doing the back toback. of Larback and Islanders. Just a a complete dud of a
6:33
game. Just one of the most boring hockey games I think you'll ever watch there. That's the Islanders and the classic Flyers Islanders. Yeah.
6:40
That's never been good. Yeah. And then you get Larback in Columbus. He makes those two amazing
6:46
saves. Two of the best five saves you'll see all season like like and earlier Travis Kknney puts the team on his back
6:52
on on one leg hat-tick earlier this season. They win that game. Yeah, even like earlier this season without
6:58
Forester, they get a point out of that game, but they're just having the defensive breakdowns. Boston, you have
7:04
Sam Ers get hurt as well after giving up two or three huge five hole goals for
7:09
for no reason. Like brutal. It's just go down three nothing in Boston and like connect gets one back, but it's like all
7:15
right, whatever. It's 3-1 now. It's you're not going to you're not going to get three in a row against this Boston
7:21
team. And yeah, the ABS are on a downswing now. They've lost two straight, four or five, six of their
7:26
past eight. Like the Flyers caught them at a good time. And
7:31
yeah, it's just once again, it's just this purgatory for the Flyers. Like I wrote about it yesterday for
7:37
broadrehockey.com. Like and subscribe there. The Flyers don't have anything to sell. Risto maybe if he's healthy and
7:43
teams want him, trade him for a pick. Haway. If someone wants Hathaway, get rid of him. If someone wants Deloreier,
7:50
get Noah Jules off my team. M I like I wouldn't even be I listen I I said it from the beginning.
7:56
This is what it's going to be. You will hate him. No one has ever liked not one team Noah Jules has played for in
8:02
professional hockey have they enjoyed having him on the team. So that's not even He's actually been better than I
8:08
thought he would have been. That's how little Oh, he's been garbage. But I thought he
8:14
would have been not the entire year. I thought he would have been ever a calamity every time he touched the ice. He's only a calamity now when he touches
8:20
the ice. at least a little bit before he was fine. But that's that's the thing, right, that also, you know, it it it
8:26
burns me specifically because you look at you get the the tippet performance,
8:32
he wins you the game, right, with that hattick. You get the connect performance, he wins you that game. Uh
8:37
he's he's trying to win you that game. Well, in the Vegas game, he won that. The Vegas game, he wins you that game like single-handedly. Literally, he was
8:44
the only two clear-cut chut chances in that game, and he buried both of them.
8:49
And then you see Var trying to win you a game and you just you're getting all these performances from guys who on a
8:56
night innight out basis Travis Kenkne is not able to take over an NHL game. That's a fact. That's just what it is.
9:01
He doesn't have the same requisite skill as a guy like McKinnon or McDavid or Macar or anyone with an M I guess. Um
9:08
but like he's doing it and Tippid's doing it. Tippid has played some fantastic hockey over the last month and
9:15
a half. It doesn't matter. Fladar has played even now uh after you know some
9:21
injuries and and and maybe taking a bit of a a downswing after his his amazing
9:26
start that you know basically made him the starter for the Olympics right for the Czech team um out of nowhere
9:33
like he's playing still so far above what you expected from him workload
9:39
especially as well and it's still not enough. It's still not close to enough. That's the problem. Yeah,
9:46
there's no guarantee if you get another 2C. If you got like say a Ryan O'Reilly
9:51
type guy randomly out of nowhere, if you got Robert Thomas, whose name is coming up actually in rumors uh as of recent,
9:58
Mhm. who's to say that's enough. Maybe it gets you to the second round. It's not It's not going to be enough for actually
10:04
to do something. It's enough to throw you in the parody lottery again.
10:10
Yes. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. And like Robert Thomas. Yeah. He's a good one. Thomas Williams on broad street hockey
10:16
wrote about it today on Friday saying the Flyers need to do what they can to get Robert Thomas. But like I don't think he's the answer. He's the answer
10:23
if Mishkov reaches his potential. Marton comes up and is good immediately and Ziggress and Connectne are still like
10:29
like he can be the good the the 1C with good wingers. But right now the Flyers don't have that top end talent like and
10:36
you feel for Kenkney. You see Kenki's quotes after the game last night like he said he just wants to make the playoffs
10:41
like he has not not made the playoffs since 2020. no home playoff game since since 2018. And like Vadar now has
10:49
reached his workload from last year, 29 starts, 30 games. He's down to 904 save
10:54
percentage, inching back down to that, you know, career average of 897. Um, so
11:00
yeah, he showed some showed some rust in uh in Columbus. Had a good showing in uh relief there of Arison in Boston. But
11:08
yeah, this team doesn't have the high-end talent. the team's depth isn't there as well. When you have Noah Jolson
11:13
playing, when you have Nick Deloreier playing, it felt like Nick Deloreier played 20 minutes last night.
11:19
He played he played as many he played as much as Mishkov and Hathway played more. Yeah, it's and and you like there was
11:25
that line was good though. Coots, Deloreier, and Hathaway was good, but they lost they were they lost 6-3.
11:32
Yeah, I don't care if they're good in a 6-3 loss. Of course, they're good because the team's not going to score anyways.
11:38
Nobody was scoring. Yeah. The good of that line is they cycle the puck and do nothing with it.
11:44
So you have to take into like the expected goals or whatever. None of those guys are putting one in. Garnet
11:51
Hathaway had to like sell his soul to get one this year. Couturier has played
11:56
the better part of two months without scoring. And Nick Deloreier, he might be the most likely one to score on the
12:02
whole damn line. He might just get in front, get a get a deflection or something. He had the best chance.
12:07
Yeah, he got robbed. So that's like, you know, I it's it's frustrating to me. I'm
12:13
starting to lose it because like I just like what are we what's the point? Like what's the point of playing the rest of
12:18
the season if if Forester goes down? And I I I know that's a big He's my He's one of my favorite players to watch on the
12:24
team. He's a fantastic player and he will be in the future. But if he goes down and that's the end of the season, like what?
12:30
He's not that good. What are we doing? No, the Panthers don't have Barov. And I know they're a lot better of a hockey
12:36
team, but you know, there are certain teams who have lost guys who are like their captains, you know, and kept it
12:43
above water and and and and there's enough I I still think there's enough
12:48
here for the Flyers to be playing better than they are, especially when the East is as garbage as it has been. And it's
12:55
it's frustrating to see um all of the the good stuff that that was um present,
13:02
you know, prior, I guess, to the new year and and into January just dissipate and now we're back at another spot where
13:07
we're not even going to contend, you know, into the Olympic break. But but the frustrating thing for fans
13:13
is f because right now everyone's like, "All right, not make the playoffs. Let's tank. Let's get a good pick." This
13:18
team's going to go on a run after the break. You know, they are you know they're going to have like a like a 63 in one stretch. get back like four
13:25
points out of 63 and one. What is 63 and one though? That's the thing. You need a six-game win streak. And I don't think these guys
13:32
have any chance of doing that. They can go on a good 10ame stretch. They can go six and four. They can go, you know,
13:39
five, three and two. Does that work? Yeah. Like they can do that, but I I
13:45
don't think that's enough. That's not even close to enough when you when you are so easily able to lose five games in
13:52
a row at any point. Like if if Vladar doesn't have a 910 or a 915esque week,
14:01
you're just getting pumped. Yeah. No, it's But like the East is so
14:07
bad. The East is so bad. It's terrible. They're just There's so many mid teams. There's so many mid teams. Um the Bruins like that team,
14:16
they played well last night and they they have an identity, but they're they're missing so much of what made
14:22
them um a a threatening a threatening team in the past, right? Like M Fraser
14:28
Mitten and and Pavle Zaka are their top two centers right now. And I love Fraser Mitten and I wanted the Flyers to draft
14:35
Paval Zaka, but they're not like stud centermen uh at the NHL level, right?
14:43
And you know, without Lynholm as well, the Bruins still able to to keep it to
14:48
keep it going. Um and that just goes to show like them being in a playoff spot
14:54
and and pretty clear right now. They've they've got some some distance now. They're starting to make some distance for themselves. Um,
15:02
it's not that hard to contend right now this year. It'll be a lot harder in the future again when Florida is more
15:09
healthy, right? That that team's going to be there for as long as they want to
15:15
be, it seems like. Same with Tampa Bay. They just keep turning it over and they have a culture. They bring guys in and
15:22
it's hard to beat them. And you look at teams like the Red Wings who are finally starting to turn it around. There's not
15:28
much space for the Flyers and going into the future there's not going to be either. It It doesn't seem like there's
15:34
a lot of bright futures in the East. Montreal. I still think the Flyers are have one of
15:40
the brightest futures in the metro. Like the Penguins will have another The Metro The Metro is good because
15:46
everyone sucks. The Islanders got those good picks. They have Schaefer. They're going to be good for a while. Like the Rangers, we'll see
15:52
what they do. The Jackets, who knows? But Columbus is never going to be relevant, I don't think. like John
15:57
Tortoella and Sergey Babrowski could barely make them relevant. Do you want me to do you want to counter
16:03
that though? Because I don't think the Penguins will ever be irrelevant, unfortunately. Well, no, they they they won't like they
16:08
won't. Teams are always going to the Penguins are always going to be be frustrating to play against. Like they'll they'll tank for and get a
16:14
generational talent. I'm sure. I like the Capitals. I like the Capitals. Uh they they they're they're
16:21
a lot worse for them. I like some of the guys they have. I like Mcichael. I like Proach. They're like like Ryan Leonard's been good.
16:28
Ry Leonard's a great you know a great a great winger but um like but like Mechoff and Martone should
16:34
be the best dynamic duo the best young dynamic duo in the Metro right now. Like maybe maybe Schaefer and umbody and well
16:43
they got Ecklland and uh Schaefer. Those are two great defenseman there. But
16:48
but like yeah this Flyers team right now down in the dumps. But look at the Buffalo Sabres. They were a
16:54
laughingstock for for years and now they're what second, third, third in the Atlantic. Like they're like a lock for
16:59
the playoffs now. Why can't the Flyers do that? Like why can't they don't they don't have a Tes Thompson? They don't have an Alex or whatever.
17:06
Ross Malene or Owen Power or Bill Byum. But they have they Buffalo has conservatively 25 top 15
17:15
picks in their lineup. Yeah. Like everybody in Buffalo's lineup is a top 15 selection. So, it it Buffalo,
17:22
it's interesting for Buffalo because it's almost like how has it taken you this long to do anything at all with how
17:28
many times they drafted high in in the in the lottery. Uh but yeah, like that's
17:34
kind of the thing though, like the Flyers should have enough to not get lapped by the Sabres who are just now
17:41
becoming um a team that knows how to win hockey games. And a lot of those guys
17:47
have been there throughout the uh stretch of bad Sabres hockey to where they don't really know how to be a
17:54
winning outfit either. That's the thing, right? So, it's not like they're in that much of a different scenario. It's just
18:00
the Sabres were really, really bad and just accumulated a bunch of really
18:06
talented players and now they're starting to come good. if the Flyers guys start to come good like I don't
18:13
think I can expect much more from Noah Kates in the future or Bobby Brink really or Emil Andre or
18:21
they are kind of what they are. Owen Tippet is what he is. Um that's the issue. There's no ceiling
18:28
to this team at all. Yeah, there's like no there's nobody right now I guess besides Bele
18:33
Beachchoff that can be like okay they they can take a big step up the rest of this year or or next year like for we'll
18:39
get him back we'll get Martone but like connect we know what Kknne is we know what Tippet is we know what Kates is now
18:47
Brink is probably near his ceiling um Gbankin's a good
18:53
is another guy who you can look at who is has a lot of runway left and Gbankin could maybe be a middle six guy but I
18:59
don't think it's like he's going to be um a top six, you know, top two line player. So, I think it's
19:06
it's kind of a moot point with him anyways. But Barky is a guy who comes out of nowhere and looks he looks very
19:11
good. He has NHL like processing skills and and playmaking is fantastic and he he has the legs, right?
19:18
So, that's something they need. Um then you look at the blue line like Sanheim isn't as great as he was last
19:25
year. still playing, you know, he's got he's ridden so hard, too. That's the thing. They need the two or
19:31
or a three. Like, that's that's the problem because York playing as a two,
19:37
I don't know if I believe in that at all. And and not having a third pair that you
19:42
can trust, you know, adds more to San's play. if they had a decent third pair. Like if they were healthy right now,
19:48
like they turned injuries off and they had Forester and Wristina was healthy and I don't know if Andre was healthy
19:54
last night, a healthy scratch or if he was held out due to some sort of illness. I think the broadcast speculated about that, but like even
20:02
like like yeah after the Ducks game they were missing Brink Dale and yeah, just
20:07
bring Dale like those two pieces shouldn't be detr like like you said with Forester like that should not kill
20:13
your team. Like those are two good middle depth pieces, but you should have the talent to make up for it with
20:19
Ziggris, with D'vorak, with with Kenkne, with these guys like to do that. And and they just simply haven't. And
20:27
what what is the state of the Flyers right now? Like this is just more more purgatory, more of the same of what we
20:35
saw I don't even know if we saw it last year because last year we're almost at the one-year anniversary of the Frost
20:41
Fairy trade. Like there's no one on the roster right now that you point to and you say, "Okay, I wouldn't mind getting
20:48
rid of him." Maybe Bobby Brink for some people, maybe Tippet for some people, but like you have to get a comparable
20:54
center back and then right now you don't have anyone to replace them on the roster. What are you going to do? Call
21:00
Phil Thomas? Call Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Yeah, Alex Bump is hurt. Like
21:05
the D as well. Merches not even there. And you're even bringing up Tai Merches. No offense to Ty Merchesen. I don't
21:11
expect him to turn into something that's a long-term piece in in like a top two pairs. Yeah. If he does, that's
21:17
fantastic, but I'm not going to put that on him right now as to like the the um how old is he? The 22-year-old
21:23
defenseman from the AHL is going to, you know, solve your depth problems. I mean, that's just not reasonable. And yeah,
21:31
the state of the Flyers is what I'm trying to like decipher right now
21:36
because I don't necessarily know what because it's it's been just a back and
21:42
forth between you look at guys like like talk and even Tortoella going back to when he was the coach and they were
21:48
always trying to make the playoffs. These guys are trying to win every single night. Meanwhile, you look across
21:54
at at the the management group at Briier and at the lineup and you you you see,
22:00
you know, um a bunch of guys and a bunch of of moves that that hint at a rebuild,
22:07
but we're caught in between the two realities to the point where I don't
22:12
even know I don't even know how much on the same page talk and the coaching
22:18
staff is with the management group at this point. Not to say that they disagree,
22:23
but I don't know if there is a shared plan between the two that really
22:29
I believe in to actually get the pieces and utilize or develop the pieces that
22:35
they need for the future. I don't even know. Are they just trying to like squeak into the playoffs with like
22:41
Marton next year and and they don't really make a trade this year? They don't really make a ton of moves in the
22:47
offseason because there's not really any free agents you would have wanted. No, no, there's there there's not. And
22:52
and the trademark doesn't look amazing. No, we can we'll get into I'm not I don't want to get into Paneran yet
22:57
because we still have a lot to talk about for that. But like Paneran's not it. I think there's not any No, I think the plan for a center is you
23:04
know, if Robert Thomas is available, maybe you give them give them a package for Robert Thomas. But it feels like we're the ones who are
23:11
saying that. Not like I don't know if that's something that the Flyers are necessarily like the the type of package
23:17
that it would take where you trade let's say Forester and a a couple picks maybe
23:22
a first and a second plus a defensive piece like I don't know like Forester J and a first or for or
23:30
yeah forester punk and a first I don't know if the front office is jumping at the bit to chomping at the bit to do that you know. No, no. I
23:37
that's what I I think I I want to get involved in the Robert Thomas like get excited about it. I just don't
23:44
He He's He's a one C that people don't think is a 1C that people would not get excited about that people would be like,
23:50
"Oh, Brier Jones going out trading for a second line center trying to sell us that it's their it's their first line
23:55
center." Like I I've I've been on the Ta Thompson train. He's not leaving Buffalo now. I'm now hitching my h itching my
24:02
wagon to Austin Matthews. I feel like that is the next big target. Austin Matthews loved Danny Breier as a kid. Uh
24:08
so I feel like Brriier could convince him to come to Philly. Sorry, Jacob. Jacob is not a not a fan of that idea
24:15
there. But I just go I just don't think I think that's like that
24:20
your your argument neither party is going to enjoy any of that. I don't even I don't think first I do
24:27
not think Austin Matthews would ever wave to come here and if he's a free agent. I don't think
24:33
Oh my. That's gonna take some convincing. I think he would much rather go play in like Anaheim or something.
24:38
Oh, I shouldn't say Anaheim. Uh San Jose. Um yeah, something like that. Like I that's that's what I feel like.
24:45
That's what I feel like because play in Utah or Seattle. Oh, he would be so good in Seattle. He'd be such a Seattle guy.
24:52
Yeah. Uh but but go back to what you were saying with with the management and coaching disconnect. Like it's obviously
24:59
hindsight's 2020 and saying what what like I I've been optimistic this whole season. I've been like all right the
25:05
Flyers can still make the playoffs. I wouldn't be shocked if they make the playoffs somehow. Like this team is stupid enough to do that in the in the
25:11
after the break. Like win two of these three at the home stand going to the break. I think Briier is going to trade
25:17
for some sort of depth piece even on this losing streak. Like get get somebody to put Jules back in the press
25:22
box. Get a fourth line. Get someone on the fourth line to help Aator. How about these other guys? But the big thing I I
25:29
think is going back to the Tocket hire is that like is Tocket a good enough coach where the Flyers were like, "All
25:34
right, we got to get Taket right now. Give him the five-year deal." Because looking back on it, I would have much
25:40
preferred having Brad Shaw as like a give him a one-year deal. See what he can do. See what this team can do. not
25:47
give Christian D'vorak a five-year extension like like and then see what coaches available this offseason like
25:54
head coaches besides Jared Bednar John Cooper is doing a fantastic job he has
26:00
uh Darren Radish is a point per game player right now down there like like Rick Tocket
26:06
he has his pros he also has his cons like people like him and that's the best
26:11
thing people say about him is people like they don't say like oh he has good he has good tactics he knows how to win
26:16
people like him. Yeah, it it it seems like and I I've been trying to avoid stuff like this um
26:24
this season because like you I was trying to be optimistic for a long time. It seems like there's too much people
26:32
like this guy on this hockey team now. It seems like there's a bit too much likability. The coach is everyone likes
26:38
the coach. Everyone likes the GM. They're all friends in the locker room. Guys, we all suck. We've sucked for 10
26:45
years. We've sucked for my entire adult life. I I I know we did just try to get the
26:52
guy that everybody hates um in Torella and everybody hated one
26:57
another. I I I there's got to be a happy medium here somewhere. Yeah. There. Yeah. Yeah. Cuz
27:04
I just don't you you can't have a locker room that cohesive as well when the team stinks. when Kenkne is going out in
27:11
interviews and saying like, "I just want to make the goddamn playoffs once, please, God." And then Couturier goes
27:17
out in that one in that one uh postgame availability. It got reported like he
27:22
said, "We suck tonight." He just said, "We suck. We suck." Yeah. Yeah. So, I I know it's semantics, but I never
27:29
got that out of my head. I think they generally think they suck and they all like each other and they're kind of okay
27:36
with it because it like I don't know if anyone can dream of something better
27:42
right now. I don't think anyone can think about like oh we I I think they they they can't delude themselves
27:48
obviously into thinking they're like a cup contender so they're just content being some sort of playoff
27:56
outfit. I think just the whole organization is just trying to get to the playoffs by any means necessary and
28:03
then from there they can start to move on. But until they make that one
28:09
appearance in the playoffs, we might be stuck in some sort of holding pattern right now cuz I don't know what's going on with some of these guys. the
28:15
decisions um and and some of the just the complacency with where they are um
28:23
is frustrating because yes, I do want them to trade guys and and try to, you
28:29
know, um get some better players on the roster. I like what Brier says about rebuilding
28:36
and things like that and and trying to get more assets and then you go out and you sign Christian D'vorak for five
28:42
years immediately when you sign into a one-year deal because you didn't want to
28:47
sign him for a longterm contract. I I didn't say it this time. I didn't say it this time. When when you when you extrapolate
28:53
everything when you look at everything in totality, everything seems to contradict
28:59
some other move in some way. And it's it's it's frustrating because you just got to pick a direction. If you wanted
29:06
to trade the picks and go get Thomas and try to go and do this, sure, I don't
29:12
think it's advisable. I don't think it's good. If you wanted to mount up for Quinn Hughes, I don't think it would
29:17
have been advisable or good, but at least it's a direction. if you want to trade D'vorak and trade uh find a way to
29:25
dump Courier if that was even possible which it's not or or try to trade Kknney be uh with his
29:32
extension you know now that he's been playing well or or tip it I I get that that's another direction right now they
29:38
are smack in the middle of the road and that's the way to continue doing that is to stay the course if you just
29:46
stay the course that's how it happens it's happened a very long time we lost a lot years have evaporated
29:52
doing the same thing. Yeah, I I've been a fan of the plan. I I still am I understand what Brier and
29:59
Jones are trying to do and like not everyone likes it or understands it. Some people don't think a rebuild is even happening which which is crazy, but
30:06
like the the D'vorak thing and it's not even a bit. It's not even made a bit. It's
30:12
just like that is like could be the turning point for the rebuild. It's like okay, you signed D'vorak to that
30:19
extension. this team goes on a huge losing streak and you have no one to sell at the deadline. If you didn't
30:25
extend D'vorak, you can trade. You can get a first round pick for him. You could get a young center for him plus an
30:31
asset. Like you could get a Scott Laden type package for Christian D'vorak. Instead, you just have
30:38
get better. Yeah. You have him the way he was playing. You have him, you have Noah Kates, you got Shan Gtoria, you got Jet Lucenko
30:44
coming up. like you got all these same two three C's at best that are in the
30:49
lineup for for the foreseeable future and like very little flexibility like I'm starting to think more maybe they
30:56
trade Kates in a package for for a 1C trade Kates and a winger for for a center but
31:02
what do you do about going back to the the whole locker room thing and talk saying like they're too buddy buddy like
31:08
like what's the move do you like do you trade York to break up the York Dale Ziggress thing and like show people that
31:13
like, you know, we can't all be friends. Do you do you trade Dale? Like he he's taken a step forward. He's going to be a
31:20
do a big contract. Um, do you go crazy and trade Ziggress because he's not a
31:25
center and try to get a center for Ziggress? Like, like what? Like, I'm trying to find a move. I'm trying to I'm
31:32
trying to not just be someone that says, "Do something. Fix this team." Like a Shane Wright trade. Like, go get a
31:37
backup goalie now that Harrison's hurt again. like they have to do something which will anger the fans cuz the fans
31:43
want them to tank and and get a better draft pick. But this team is trying to win. This team is trying to make the playoffs and the players need to learn
31:50
how to win. Like they need to play in these tough scenarios in must-win games
31:55
late in March, late early April. Like you have to get this this experience somehow. And they've appeared to find
32:02
their core and they're going with it. And I I think the plan to get a 1C or a
32:08
1D at some point is fine. Like you you have these assets, you have movable guys, go ahead. When they become
32:15
available, do it. But right now, for for people like me and you, for the diehard
32:20
fans out there, content creators that watch this team on a on a night in night out basis, it impacts our mental health
32:27
and emotional stability. Like this is rough. And even for the casuals, like they're like, "All right,
32:32
no, the casuals don't enjoy this either. Nothing's going on. the casuals. It's awful. They're like, "All right, let let me, you know, doing nothing tonight. Let
32:38
me throw in the fire. Who the [ __ ] is Christian D'vorak? Why game?" Yeah. Who's 30 points with the Habs? Weren't the
32:44
Habs bad? Exactly. It's It's And it's not good for the people that want to make the playoffs. It's not good for the Tankers.
32:50
They're doing nothing well right now for the fan base whatsoever. And And did you
32:56
see this week that the uh I don't know if it was Hilford or whoever, they they sent out the thing to season ticket
33:02
holders. Yeah. like about renewing and I'm pretty sure there's like a ticket a pretty
33:07
significant ticket price increase. So like that that's just just a horrible timing for that. Like the fans are
33:14
excited too. The building they had like four or five straight sellouts during the snowstorm on Monday. There were
33:19
still plenty of fans there. Like fans want the Flyers to be good. fans
33:24
desperately want the Flyers to be good and they don't have patience which I understand and patience is running thin
33:32
if Briier doesn't do something soon. I don't know when his next press availability is going to be but it feels
33:38
like it should be before the deadline like he has to get out in front of something. And this is the thing for me
33:45
too is you look you have a you have LA's third round pick next year as well as
33:51
your own, right? You can take that, go get something, you know, you can take
33:57
that. Yeah, it's a third round pick. It will be valued by somebody and you get some sort of down the roster player,
34:03
backup goalie, like you said, depth defenseman to keep Jules away from the actual team, right? That's you can do
34:10
that. You can, you know, dump
34:15
I Risto can't even be traded now. He can't stay healthy for more than 15 minutes. But you know, you can dump a
34:20
guy at the deadline, trade somebody away for future assets. Would you do Tippet for Shane Wright?
34:29
Yeah, probably. Okay. Probably. Um, I think that's a big that's a big uh
34:35
deal. That's a big risk where like Tippet can become a 30 goal scorer and writes like I I think Tippet Tippet Tippet if you
34:42
play him right now with a really really good line, he's going to be a 30 goal scorer. Like I don't he doesn't have to play that well. like that. He's at 18
34:48
right now. Yeah. So, I'm not surprised if he does that. You're just hoping you're taking the bet on Shane Wright, which I don't know if I trust that
34:55
really either, but I mean, you know, you need to do something at that point, but you you
35:01
either you're you're looking at a draft upcoming. You got picks, your own picks in the first, second, and third round.
35:07
Uh nothing in the fourth, nothing in the fifth, and then six and seven. Uh 2027
35:13
though is where you get the Leafs pick from the lot and trade if it isn't in the top 10, which it very well could be.
35:20
Um and you get the Kings third rounder and the Flyers have all their picks except for the sixth round. I feel like
35:28
I'm caught in between two things because you could trade roster pieces and really load up on draft picks,
35:36
but you have the draft picks already. It's kind of just the fact that you took guys
35:42
where the ceiling was never that high. Nesbbit's ceiling was never that high.
35:49
No. Um he could be he could be the first line center in four years. I have no idea. But I'm talking I was thinking
35:56
about this actually earlier today. I wanted to get to this. I'm glad that I stumbled onto it. But I was thinking about this earlier today because I was
36:02
watching the Flames last uh recently and I was watching Far and Frost and they still keep them together and everything
36:08
and they're not good. Obviously, the Flames suck and and those two guys aren't really doing all that much. It's not about that.
36:13
But I think about how I felt watching Far and Frost, especially Frost coming
36:18
out of junior versus someone like Luchenko. And Luchenko's playing in a much much weaker OHL than Morgan Frost
36:25
was. And I've seen Luchenko play in the NHL in the uh in stretches, right? And he
36:31
looked really good. But I I don't know how
36:39
Like, is that going to be a lot? Is there going to be a difference maker out of the bunch of guys that are coming
36:45
through besides Martone? Because Marton is great and I love Mart and I wanted them to draft Martone so badly and he
36:52
could be a winger that runs is the best player on your team and runs a line and everything and blah blah blah blah blah.
36:58
The the center is the center is the the thing that you need even more than a
37:03
defenseman. can build out a defensive core with, you know, a bunch of number threes or whatever, right? A bunch of
37:09
number TW's who are really good. You can do that. That's fine. But the center you need and you took two shots at it in the
37:16
first round. I don't think Jay Luchenko is an NHL center at all.
37:21
Jack Nesbbit, if he is, he reminds me of Tanner Jano.
37:26
Don't like that. So, like I like Tanner Jano at a time. I did. Um, but like I
37:34
That's also the problem. You've got to take if you're not gonna and I don't even think there were guys at that point
37:39
where they drafted necessarily besides Martone obviously you can take a shot on a Brady Martin. I don't believe that
37:45
Brady Martin's it either. I don't believe that the alternate choices the Flyers could have made. Look at the guys who drafted after was draft who were
37:51
drafted after Luchenko. I don't think that they are the answers either. I don't think that guys drafted necessarily after Nesbbit will be the
37:58
answer to that problem either. It's very hard to find those guys in the draft. So, while I want the Flyers to dump
38:05
assets and get picks back, I don't know if you're coming if if they're going to be in in the teens or in the back half
38:12
of even the uh the top 10. It's not always going to be you're not going to get the Schaers of the world there.
38:19
No. Every time you're still going to rely on some luck. And if the Flyers are going to be a decent enough team, their picks
38:26
are going to fall in the in the the 10 to 15 range, 10 to 20 range even, it's
38:33
going to be tough to see a world where they can find a guy in the draft. And that's not really going to be helped by
38:38
acquiring more picks. You have to make deals. Well, well, that's the thing about acquiring more picks is is ideally
38:44
you're acquiring more picks so you can trade them and not have to trade your own picks. Correct. And and that is the
38:50
way I would because like draft picks are the only like standard currency of the NHL. Like like teams value players
38:56
differently, but draft picks pretty much have a standard value. So like that's the thing. And like you were going
39:01
through the Flyers draft picks. Like yeah, they don't have a ton of extra picks this year. They only have what
39:06
five total picks. Next year they have the Leafs one that could be moved the year back in the Kings third rounder
39:13
plus their own. Like they don't have a they don't have a bunch of picks they can make. Like this year in the second
39:18
round, they got the bunch of guys. They shouldn't have traded up for Nesbit. Like maybe Nesbbit turned into
39:23
something. Um Jack Berglin maybe becomes the best center out of him, Lucenko, and
39:29
uh and there. Um yeah, it's getting the center is is is the thing.
39:36
And like it's it's usually done through the d through the the draft. It's very
39:41
rarely done via trade unless it's like a Jack Eel or a Tae Thompson who was
39:47
traded for Ryan O'Reilly who was a 1C at that point in his career. Like it's just
39:52
hard to get centers. It's it's like I agree with you. Cobble together a a good
39:58
blue line with you know three or four number threes like uh like Vegas does pretty much kind of like Florida does as
40:04
well. Uh but yeah, you still need that one C and like who like there's no one
40:11
obvious to move on this team. There's no one like all right there is no Frost. There is no Fabby. There's
40:17
it's it you like a Bobby Brink and like
40:22
one, what do you get for Bobby Brink? And two, do you really want to give up Bobby Brink? I don't I'm not thrilled
40:27
about the prospect of giving up Bobby Brink. I don't realistically do I care one way or the
40:33
other? Not a ton, but I like Bobby Brink as a player. He worked he was on the
40:39
best line on the team. Yeah. For a very extended period of time. Uh the the Brink Kates Forester line when
40:45
healthy and and fully firing was one of the best lines that the Flyers have had in quite a while. Uh they they were
40:51
literally a power play unit, right? So that's why are you trading Bobby Brink? Owen Tippet's never been on Oh, now he
40:58
is. Right. So, it's like Owen Tippet had up to this point had never been on a line like that, but you put them with
41:04
Barky and Couturi and randomly they were, right? Like expected goals-wise. Obviously, the scoring itself is
41:10
another thing. Uh, but that's all you, the Flyers can hope for. They don't have the talent to score a [ __ ] ton of goals
41:16
like that. That's just what it is. So, yeah, you could trade Brinkaway. What do you get back for him? Do you get back a
41:22
second and a fourth? You get back a comparable. You get back you get trade him for a center is what you do. You just trade him for the the
41:28
position they'll need. Like what type of center are you getting back for him though? Well, you like Brink Brink plus for for
41:34
right or someone less slightly lesser than right like like something like that. But
41:40
I I don't know like that that's not an option. That's why I think Brier is just going to go out get a solid fourth line
41:46
guy so you don't have to call up Lane Peterson. Get a third pair of defenseman so you're not playing Noah Jules. Like
41:53
you can't rely on Rasmus Ralinan at all. So, you need another NHL defenseman. So,
41:58
unless they like sell off Tippet, but like Tippet's
42:04
Tippet's contract is going to look great in a few years. Like, if he still puts up 2530 goals at 6.2 million, that's a
42:11
guy you're going to regret trading. Like maybe not massively because you can go out and get scorers, but like they have
42:18
their core. They have their core. They're they're finding their role pieces. like maybe they upgrade
42:24
Grundstrom and and Hathaway and like they they just build raise their floor a
42:30
little bit, but their ceiling is is still their ceiling right now. Yeah. And that's I think that's largely
42:37
the issue is that they're building a core full of guys who need a crown jewel
42:42
on top of them, right? Like Martone could score 80 points in his
42:49
first year in the NHL. he could be the rookie of the year. Um, I don't necessarily know
42:56
how much that alleviates the problems you have on forward because he's still going to be playing with D'vorak or
43:02
Cades or Couturier. Um, yeah. And and also for a guy in
43:07
Martone who you want to um develop his offensive game, make him more assertive
43:14
offensively, make him more comfortable offensively, he is going to be playing with Couturier D'vorak or Noah Kates. Um
43:23
and that's also the issue because D'vorak has shown a little bit this year, right? He's shown to be a a very
43:30
useful player. um and the other two have as well, but the offensive
43:37
ceilings of them and the team as a whole, it's clear that they're not good enough. Um, it's clear that
43:46
even if it's just the power play becoming an 18th in the league instead of a 31st, 32nd,
43:54
something needs to improve uh on the offensive side
44:00
through the middle more than likely to make this team much better um than it is currently because you have wingers like
44:07
if count Zagris as a winger. have Kenkne, Ziggress, Tippet, Mishkov, Bobby
44:12
Brink, and Forester when he's healthy. Like, that's a good crop. Add more tone to that. That's a great crop of wingers.
44:18
That's an NHL grouping of wingers, but the guys down the middle, the guys that maybe mean the most
44:24
are not there. That's the issue. And it's so hard to You can trade from the
44:29
surplus of wingers, but everybody wants that center that you're looking at, and you're going to be bidding against teams
44:36
every time you try and get them. And that's that's kind of the issue. Yeah. And having that bunch of wingers,
44:43
just to bring it up briefly here, the Paneran thing makes no sense. I wrote it up. I I'm seeing it. It is published
44:49
now. Like it just makes absolutely no sense. Like Elliot Freriedman very well connected. But like he's not Caro Capri
44:56
off. Carro Capri off is one of the best players in the league right now. Five years younger than Paneran. Like if
45:03
Capri off was out there, I guarantee the Flyers give him a blank check. But there's no need to trade assets in your
45:08
division for a 34 35 year old winger on the down side of his career. Still a
45:14
very good player. Still a point per game player. Kills the Flyers. Kills the Flyers. You have all those
45:19
wingers you just mentioned. Like there's there's just no point to it. So the Paneran stuff, I've been waiting on that
45:24
for a while to like to shoot it down and uh it's it's out there now. So no, it's
45:30
it's just not happening. It makes no sense. So, I I I don't know if you have like obviously not the full full quote,
45:37
but like is was it one of those where he just lists half the league and like says they're all interested in maybe getting
45:44
our Tammy Paneran. Uh I have the quote here transcribed on broad street hockey.com. I believe he listed some teams and he said, here's a
45:51
quote. Uh I put Philly in here, too. I'll say this, if Capri off had got into the open market, I think Philly was
45:56
going to make a big for him. Uh and I could see Philly Philly doing this, too. like I've been watching them a lot
46:02
lately because they're in a bit of a tough stretch and connecting showed a bit of his frustration after they got beat Thursday night and you know I look
46:08
at Philly right now and they're falling back between now and season blah blah blah uh blah blah blah uh how are we how
46:14
are we getting Mishkov going how are we making sure that he finished finish the season feeling good about himself because right now that's not happening
46:20
and I think that's your only priority I think that's your biggest priority Mishkov finishing strong to me I wonder
46:25
can Philly make this deal and if not are they hoping that somehow Paneran gets to the open market seems unlikely But I put
46:31
Philly in there because they would have gone after Capri off and maybe they feel they need Paneran. So no,
46:37
it's Western's that's Western University's finest right there. Um yeah, I don't I don't exactly know. He
46:45
made a pretty good argument in the first bit there and to why you should not trade for our Tammy Paneran. Um and then
46:51
immediately said that they may trade for our Tammy Paneran. Yeah, it's one of those things that they it makes absolutely no sense. And if they do it,
46:59
we're gonna have to have a two-hour podcast and just talk about it and because there's there's no future if you do that.
47:04
No. And that's you're you're just you're you're throwing the Rangers a life preserver for no reason. And you're also making it
47:11
so you you bring on another guy who as soon as he figures out that the team
47:18
does not have a center to play him with. Uh his first uh 15 games playing 18
47:24
minutes alongside Sean Coutur at five on five and on the power play with uh the power play quarterback of Rasmus Ralin.
47:31
I think he's going to get a little upset again. So, uh, yeah, maybe not maybe not our Tammy right now.
47:37
Yeah. The only maybe 10 years ago that would have been good. Only thing that might make sense if he does make free agency, give him a one or
47:44
two year deal. Like just raise the team ceiling, but like I I would still be against I would still be very much
47:51
against it there. Um, let's let's talk about the lines we saw most recently on
47:56
Thursday night. I'm sure they'll be switched up for Saturday, but primarily uh Trevor Zris being moved to center
48:02
with Matt Vichkov and Bobby Brink. And I was thinking about this last night watching the game like should the rest
48:09
of the season be about putting Ziggress at center to see what type of player he
48:14
is there. Like put I I don't like him with Mkov and Brink. I would like him with someone bigger like maybe like
48:19
Tippet Tippet and Mkov. Something like that. There's not really anyone huge to put him with on the wings to be honest. No,
48:26
Tippet and Rebankin, but like that's not that's not a well well put together
48:31
line. But I did like Couttori on the fourth line. Obviously, I would like Grundstrom
48:36
instead of Deloreier. Like like that was a good line. That's what Couture does. He plays well defensively. He He drives
48:43
play. Uh it's just tough. It's tough. It's going to be tough. It's going to be
48:48
tough um to see that. Like he's he's one of my favorite players. He was one of my first like favorite players like like 15 years ago. It's
48:55
it's it's it's really tough. It's really tough to see him on the fourth line, but like the fact that Tak was willing to do
49:02
it and I you know maybe Couttori was upset about it, but like Couture is just out of gas right now and you can clearly
49:09
see that. Yeah. Um Yeah. But for me, I think the other priority beyond uh making sure
49:15
Mishkov finishes strong is Yeah. to see what Zegris is like down the middle. I think that makes sense. Now you're
49:22
fading away and even if you weren't, it's not like the center options that you have have been fantastic as of
49:27
recent. So, it makes sense stickers in the middle of the ice and and see what he can do. He had some good defensive
49:33
plays last night. I mean, I I thought he looked energetic, at least defensively. I never thought that his work I never
49:39
thought watching him uh once he came to uh Philly that his his work rate on
49:45
defense was anything to be questioned. I thought he he tried his best. And I think, you know, it's hard for a guy
49:50
like him to maybe be a center at the NHL level, especially when he's not playing with massive wingers. Um, but,
49:56
uh, he can he can do it. Uh, and I think it's time to see. I like Mishkov Ziggress as an idea, but yeah, I think
50:02
Mishkov Ziggress and maybe Tippet. Tippet. Yeah, that's what I was probably the line. And then you probably
50:07
go Barky Kate's Brink. Um, that's too small. Probably.
50:13
Yeah. Is that too small? Gbankin. Gbankin Kates Brink maybe. And then Barky D'vorak. Yeah,
50:19
I know. I like that. You got Grundstrom, Couturier, and Haway.
50:24
I like I like Grundstrom with Couturier like as a actual fourth line that you
50:30
can play. Yeah. You know that that's a fourth line you can play regular shift and I would like to see them maybe try and do that. Like
50:36
I don't want to see um just I know Coots is gas, but I don't want to see him like be relegated to like 10 minutes a night
50:42
like a regular fourth would. So, if you get Grunstrom on his left, I think that that'll help him out. That'll that'll
50:49
make him uh that'll make that line a bit quicker. And then you have Hathaway over there banging and crashing. He's looked a bit
50:55
more engaged since he finally scored. Um, so yeah, I I like the So, what do we
51:02
have like Barky Barky Kates, Barky, D'vorak, Kknney, Gbankin, Kates, Brink,
51:09
and then Mishkov, Ziggress, Tippet. Yeah, that's that I I think that's why I like the top top nine. Yeah, that's
51:14
good. I feel like that's good. I feel like you have to see if you can play Ziggler at center. I think if you're not making the
51:20
playoffs, he's not putting up points right now anyway on the wing. You have three home games coming up. You can get
51:27
the matchups out there. Obviously, right now with every every player pretty much being gassed isn't great.
51:33
Yeah. Uh you want to see Zagris put on some muscle though. He he definitely needs to to uh play the center. But yeah,
51:39
you and me both. [ __ ] Yeah, I can't say anything. No, me either. Me either.
51:44
I got the physique. I got the same physique as him. I think I think we're like the same size, which is also not that's probably You should
51:50
get a bit bigger, but they have him listed at 185. I don't really believe that. Yeah, that that that's about that's
51:56
about what I'm at. And I'm uh 8 inches taller than he is. So, I I I have nowhere to talk.
52:01
Um so, besides, I also want to quickly touch on um the D pairings. I'm on Daily
52:08
Face Off. I'm I'm pretty sure they got mixed up a little bit um heading into that game.
52:14
Uh but they had Stanheim Risto. Mhm. But there was five Were there five guys
52:19
out there for a bit? Risto was Well, that was Wednesday night in Col. Yeah. So, I don't know if they have
52:25
it they they messed up. Risto then last Thursday night in Boston. Risto did not take line rushes,
52:33
but then was on the he played. He played after not being able to turn right
52:38
before. He's such a freak. Like, what? He's so weird. Like, why would you just not play
52:44
then? I don't uh it's not a I guess it's a big, but it's second half of back to back. I mean, you
52:50
get fresh legs, but I don't know, man. It was for a guy that you also want to ideally
52:55
would want to trade. Yeah. Yeah. But like Yeah. and he has the Olympics coming up. Like, yeah, if
53:02
he can stay if he can stay healthy and the team wants him, trade him. But yeah, the the defensive pairs, uh,
53:07
Sanheim did play with Risto, uh, 1722 of his time there. Uh, York and Dale played
53:15
1543 together and then Seer and Jules played 1110.
53:21
Uh, obviously none of the pairings were I hate all of those that good. Um, I think they were all bad.
53:27
I don't mind. All pairings are bad. I I I don't mind York and Dale. I think
53:32
I think I'd prefer to see Sanheim Dale, but I also like Sanheim on the right side. Like I like Sanheim on the right
53:38
side. Like and I want Andre back in there. Like I'm hoping it was not a coach's decision and was more of a
53:44
health thing, especially on a backto-back playing Noah Jolen in both games when you were playing with five
53:50
defenseman for most of the games. Most of the game, but I don't know. See, it's hard because
53:58
Emil Andre is the type of defenseman that when he starts making turnovers, NHL coaches, he's out and it's hard for
54:06
him to get back in because you you get that third pair. Sometimes they'll get into coaches will get intoxicated with
54:11
that third pair, Sealer Jules and be like, "Oh, these are the steady hands. Generate generate some defense out
54:17
there." Yeah. Just generate defensive zone time. just when they when when we have a defensive zone draw and
54:24
we lose it, those guys will block shots. Hopefully, that's that's the plan. So, I
54:30
hopefully Andre comes back in. You're going to need to see what you have in him and then hopefully, you know, maybe
54:35
you can trade him also in the future if if you don't believe in him. Um that that that seems likely. It seems
54:41
like Andre could be a guy moved for probably a similar defenseman, but like
54:47
a big a big defenseman that has experience that Tak will trust. Like fans will hate it, but the defense
54:54
will overall improve because Noah Jules will be playing. Yeah. Well, yeah, that's Yeah, but yeah,
55:01
I I did want to because I looked at the pairs before before we started and I just was like this is like they're all
55:07
bad. I don't like any of them. Risto with Sanheim I think is just water uh milk and like orange juice. Like that's
55:14
just not good at all. Um and then York and Dale I just don't I think that's two
55:20
guys who when they're running around when they kind of get a little scrambly in the D
55:25
zone. I don't know if they're necessarily um great, especially with Zagris playing
55:31
center. Like a a a DZone shift of Cam York, Ddale, Zegris, Mishkov is not
55:37
something that I want to see. I I'm kind of surprised that talk could even put him together to be honest with you. Like
55:44
that seems like something that he would not even want to do. But yeah, I think you need to try Dale with Sanheim, put
55:50
York with Risto, and the third pair is going to stink. So whatever. Do whatever you want. Who
55:56
cares anymore? Doesn't matter. Put Caler out there with Andre. That's what I would do. But again,
56:03
Andre Andre's had a tough time of it. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, looking at money
56:09
puck here, like Sealer Dale has been the Flyers best pair in terms of expected
56:14
goals. I do like that in theory. Like I did I did like that in theory. If Dale was to kick down to the third pair, like if
56:20
they in a world um got an upgrade, like oh, replace Jules with an actually good
56:26
like if they were able to clone York. Yeah. Um to replace Jules, I I think Dale
56:31
Sealer is a third pair and then you give Dale some PP time. I think that's not a bad place to work Dale into the game.
56:38
But um I don't know if it works right now. I think you need Dale to play more
56:44
up the up the defensive lineup. Yeah. And like Andre Risto is a pairing that I would love to see. Just get the
56:50
bash Scandinavian Bash Brothers there. But like that's a they've they've played 21 minutes together. 72%
56:57
expected goal share in that time. But it makes sense that that that is another pairing that makes sense together. And
57:04
um again though that's like ideally I don't know if that can be a second pair.
57:09
That's that's a third pair. Dry Sailor is a third pair and Sanheim New York is a second pair. like you're just missing
57:16
the first pair. Like you're missing a first line, you're missing a first pair. I I think if you got somebody just a
57:22
touch better than Cam York, like just a little bit better than Cam York, you could do that guy and Sanheim as a first
57:30
pair and get away with it as long as as long as York bumped down to the second pair. Right. If you're
57:35
trading York in that deal, it is a moot point. I think you're still kind of left with the same problems. um York or Ddale
57:43
um I guess would would be the case if you trade either of those guys. You kind of have the same issue. But yeah, um
57:48
Douggee Hamilton, I just feel like again that would just be one of those things that
57:53
is that going to pay off in time to actually help winning? Probably not.
57:59
No, that's like a guy like Zack Whitecloud. I would have been into like a Zack Whitecloud. I would have been into that.
58:05
I would have been totally fine with that with the uh Anderson trade. Um, obviously the Flyers didn't have an
58:10
Anderson to trade. They Risto [clears throat] maybe could have at his peak gotten something resembling
58:18
that. Yeah. Um, but now another thing I wanted to touch on with Risto is I think that I
58:24
was upset with just how the the rumors were coming out that they
58:30
were looking for like a Carloesque return for wristline and like if we're
58:35
going to look for maximizing 100% steals every time like that with a guy
58:43
like Risto who has had some debilitating debilitating injuries and even when he
58:49
is playing is very frustrating to watch and has very mixed results and has never
58:56
been on a good hockey team. You kind of got to get what you can get. If you're getting offered a first for Christo,
59:02
that's kind of what we're going to have to do because that Brendon No, but that Brandon Carlo package was a first to
59:08
second and I I believe it's a first to second. I don't know, but first, second, and Fraser Mitten. Fraser Mitten was a
59:13
hell of a prospect. I mean, I guess not to the Leafs, but he was a hell of a prospect coming out of out of the draft.
59:20
He was an actual legit center, and that's the type of guy that you need. So, yeah, you're looking for that sort
59:26
of return um for Risto, but if you're trying to squeeze all the value you can out of a guy who can who can barely stay
59:33
healthy, I mean, come on. Like, that's that's frustrating me. like if they don't end up trading Risto because they
59:38
they and they come out and say that they didn't get a a good enough offer, they weren't blown away by the offers and
59:44
they rather were just was just keep the veteran or whatever. Um the the sort of
59:50
uh justification would be I I can't get behind that. Like you got to pick you got to you got to the buck stops
59:56
somewhere. You got to do something with somebody. Yeah. Yeah, if you can get a first if you can get a second round pick for
1:00:02
Risto, I would I would trade him because like now it's probably second start of the year. Honestly, it could have been a first.
1:00:07
Yeah, you you can't even like pencil in Risto in your lineup. You can you can maybe write it in chalk while there's
1:00:13
like a like a rainstorm coming so it's there for like a second but it but then then it goes away like and so I'm
1:00:19
looking at the Canucks cap wages page. Do you know who the Flyer is going to trade for?
1:00:25
The Canucks cap trade page? I'm looking at the I'm looking at the Canucks because you know Rick Tocket loves the
1:00:32
guys that he that he already knows. No JSON. Uh Lane Peterson now now three times.
1:00:38
Christian D'vorak. Prepare yourself. Oh god. Tyler Tyler Myers.
1:00:46
Oh no no no no. You Google search Tyler Myers Rick Tocket. There's an article from Ben
1:00:51
Koosma this uh last April. Kucks. Tyler Myers knows Rick Tocket is vital for maintaining grind to improve. There is a
1:00:58
quote from Tyler Meyers in the article saying, "My experience with TAC has been unbelievable. We have a great
1:01:04
relationship. He holds guys accountable, including myself. And what I have really respected and grown to learn more, even
1:01:10
in my later years, is the feeling of never being satisfied." So, Flyers fans,
1:01:15
prepare to never be satisfied with Tyler Myers on your blue line.
1:01:22
We can't even get Logan Stanley. No. No. We had to get the old freak tall
1:01:27
guy, not even the younger one. Yeah. 35-year-old Tyler Myers, uh, $3
1:01:32
million cap hit through the end of next season. Maybe they dump Risto and and
1:01:38
get him instead at a lower cap hit. But that is, um, a nice, uh, waking nightmare to be thinking about until the
1:01:44
trade. Why did you have to bring that up? I just wanted to end the show with a bang here. You know,
1:01:50
like [clears throat] you found one of probably
1:01:56
15 guys in the league I'd rather keep Risto over acquiring.
1:02:01
15 defenseman in the league like like Ben Sherat's on the list and he got good news. Apparently Tyler Myers is not
1:02:08
willing to wave his no trade clause. His family is well centered in Vancouver and it's hard to imagine him welcoming a
1:02:15
move away from the West Coast. Yeah. So, he just made me upset for no reason. Why does he have a no move clause still?
1:02:20
Everybody Everyone has a no move clause in the NHL. Everybody's got a no move clause. The Nick Deloreier no trade clause still.
1:02:27
Yeah. I don't know what I mean the guy the guy from Vancouver I would love to get and I'm seeing it mentioned here in the chat is Philip
1:02:33
Ronic, but he also has a no move clause and he has already said he doesn't want to move. So yeah, they got they got him for not too
1:02:41
long ago and they got him for a reason. Like they they actually really like him. The the Conucks really like him. So yeah, I mean the one guy on the Conucks
1:02:48
you could trade for uh is not coming and I don't even know that if the fan base
1:02:53
would be that excited about that anyways. Um to be honest with you, I I
1:02:58
don't know if that's the answer either. But talking you talking about EP EP4. Yeah, EP is EP40 is not
1:03:04
Yeah. is not pulling up to the uh what do they call it now? Exfinity.
1:03:11
Yeah, the Exfinity Mobile Arena. The Xfinity Mobile Arena. The Wakovia Center. Yeah. Um
1:03:17
Philip Pedle. You want another uh injury prone? Oh god. No, I don't want Philip Heedle. Jesus, man. What the hell is this? This
1:03:23
is garbage. That's what I'm saying. There's not really any free agents or anybody on the trade market who I feel
1:03:28
like would excite anybody in the fan base beyond like a an interest, you
1:03:36
know, like it's like I'm interested in in in what he can do. Yeah. Let's see what he can do. Yeah. Like like all of the guys that you can
1:03:42
get I think would elicit the same reaction as like just bringing up Philip
1:03:48
Thomasino and putting him in the lineup. Yeah. I think people would be like, "Oh, hey, look,
1:03:55
he's got some skill." I'm just speaking I'm just speaking for myself, but I would prefer that. I know I know how much could Thomas Get Thomas
1:04:02
time up here. Yeah. I like it was always kind of weird to me that
1:04:09
like he didn't get a he hasn't been brought up at all. Um, I don't know what
1:04:14
he's been doing in the AHL necessarily, but at a time where Lane Peterson's in
1:04:20
the league, and I know he's not a center really. I don't think Philip Thomas is playing center like that, but where
1:04:26
Deloreier was playing with Hathaway and Peterson was in the lineup and Ables
1:04:32
went down and Grundstrom has been scratched and things like that are happening. I mean, it seems like it's a
1:04:37
matter of time before Thomasino gets a shot. I don't know. you know, he's
1:04:43
interesting to me. I always thought he had talent, but I just, you know, I just has never really
1:04:49
fully realized itself at the NHL level unless he was playing on the Penguins with like Genny Malikin or something.
1:04:55
So, um, you know, that's that that's the what we're looking at. There is no moves
1:05:01
coming that will excite you. The games will be boring and they will lose most
1:05:06
of them probably. Uh, and then we will go watch ski jumping.
1:05:12
Curling. Curling as well. I'm looking forward to curling. Yeah. I I'm a big um I'm also
1:05:17
very big um into the mogul. I think the moguls are really cool. What is that? Um it's like the the the alpine skiing
1:05:25
where they have the bumps. You see that? Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. They go down. They go boop boop.
1:05:31
Yeah. And then there there's actually jumps. There's jumps, too. Like they're doing like uh flips on the on the mogul.
1:05:37
Absolutely insane. Uh that and ski jumping. That's that's that's fun. Big into that. That'll be fun. Yeah.
1:05:42
I always love turning on my TV at like 8:00 in the morning and seeing the bialon people like they're just skiing
1:05:48
with they're like walking along with the guns on them and then they just stop and start shooting at things and then they
1:05:54
get up and keep skiing very slowly. It's one of my favorite things like just to see randomly come on.
1:06:01
Yeah, that's what you have to look forward to is ski jumping, guys. Yeah, that's a uh that's a good way to to end us out here. Hopefully everyone
1:06:08
feels a lot a lot worse about the Flyers after this uh this hour of hopefully entertaining. Hopefully this was uh
1:06:15
enjoyable for you guys. Um make sure you follow Bruss Hockey on YouTube. Uh read
1:06:21
the website. All the money on subscriptions on super chats goes to the people that write that you see here
1:06:27
talking about the Flyers. We're forced to talk about the Flyers, you know. Help us out here. Some super chats go straight to us. Like all that good
1:06:33
stuff. Of course, follow Broad Street Hockey on Instagram at uh Broadst
1:06:38
Hockey. Jacob has been killing it this past week. I need to pick it up a little bit, but uh we'll get something going
1:06:44
here. Yeah, we're we're always cooking. I mean, it's going to get a lot more
1:06:49
depressing probably. I'm doing a nostalgia bait now. Uh so,
1:06:56
that's the part of the season we're at. Um, you know, maybe maybe there'll be
1:07:03
something to talk about soon that is positive. Maybe I just want something to talk about,
1:07:08
honestly. Like even it's just like a I would like if it was positive. Well, yeah. I obviously prefer But give
1:07:14
me just like a a mid trade. Pick up this the sixth defenseman that we can talk about or
1:07:19
is that really going to like No, it's not. It's not. No, it's not even changing. I'm not even
1:07:24
talking about changing. It's like is that going to excite you? Dude, you want me to come on me and Joe and talk about like Jeff Petri like you know or like I
1:07:32
don't know who else is around? Uh Justin Justin Faulk is out there. Oh my god. Why? Why? What are we doing,
1:07:38
man? This I feel like I'm going to lose my mind. I'm going to turn We're going to turn off the stream. I'm going to lose my goddamn [ __ ] because I feel like
1:07:45
we're doing the same thing again. I remember when I was in high school doing this originally
1:07:51
before I even met any of you guys. was in high school just on my own trying to
1:07:56
run a website that Idonald writing about a guy who I for a guy who I never met or seen and my editor didn't
1:08:03
have a profile picture so I didn't know what he looked like or his name. So like that's what I feel like now. It does not
1:08:08
feel any different at all. Um, but like you know uh hopefully you know maybe we
1:08:14
can watch some Brford Bulldogs action or something or I'll go watch Jack Merrtag
1:08:20
highlights or something and eat a pint of ice cream. We'll we'll we'll watch something. Flyers got three games before the break.
1:08:27
We'll be back sometime next week with the podcast. Uh keep an eye out for maybe postgame or something coming up as
1:08:33
well. Uh appreciate all you guys joining us in the chat. Appreciate you guys listening on the podcast feed as well.
1:08:39
Uh once again, thanks to FanDuel for sponsoring the show. And until next time, thanks for watching. See you guys.