Why We as Fans should be Unhappy

[wbon22]

Okay, we are fans of the Philadelphia Flyers. This is a team that always spends. This is a team that has the open check book. Big name...no problem, the check book is there. Oh, there is a cap...does that apply? Defense? don't you get travel points when you sign them? Goalies? do they still have them in this league? Skating? isn't that what the girls do at the Olympics?

A bit hyperbolic? yeah. Completely off the mark? No.

The Flyers are over the cap as I type. They have spent their way into a corner. No time or thought has been spent over the last ten years in developing players internally. Draft picks and young prospects are traded like bubble gum cards at the whim of whoever is really pulling the strings.

Think about it. If the Flyers don't sign Vinny, or don't extend MacDonald they have some question marks, but they have money to maneuver. Both were knee jerk moves. So was signing Bryz and trading JvR.
Of all of these, trading JvR was the least horrible at the time. You could make a hockey case for trading a 2nd/3rd line LW for a 2nd pair right handed shot defenseman.

We the fans are left on the outside...ticket prices go up, fan loyalty and fervor is stronger than ever.

I love this team. I love this sport. But this franchise has been so horribly mismanaged in the last few seasons under the cap (and further back when dealing with prospects and picks). Frustration will be the norm. Until the cap situation is resolved and some kind of sanity in prioritizing prospect development the norm will be frustration.

I think Hexy has a vision that could move the team forward....if he is allowed to follow through. Time will tell. In the mean time...frustration and frustration and...yup, frustration.

 

[Progeriakid]

Rant over?

 

[Cobiemonster]

Flyers could be the Leafs or the Oilers

Enough said

 

[FlyerFinFan]

I think that they sometimes try to hard because the owner wants to win a cup. The motive is honorable compared to Toronto where they just take the money and don't give a shit about the fans. Same can be said about many other franchises....we don't have it that bad.

 

[Cobiemonster]

I think that they sometimes try to hard because the owner wants to win a cup. The motive is honorable compared to Toronto where they just take the money and don't give a shit about the fans. Same can be said about many other franchises....we don't have it that bad.

The key is for the owner to get out of the way and let the team do what they have to do - you can't win the Cup every year, look at all the great teams in the league, they have stretches where they go without winning the Cup too - the problem is trying to go for it all every year and it shows in FA when they overspend - the chances of winning the Cup by doing that don't go up big time

This team is actually in a pretty good position - a lot of solid forward depth, a top end number one center, a boatload of defensive prospects in which if 2 or 3 can become pretty good, then that's great + a number one goalie - we have 2/3rd's of the key pieces a team needs in order to win, just get that number one d-man and we'll be good

 

[wbon22]

In slightly less rant mode...
yes, the problem is the owner...let us call him, the Crypt Keeper.

He wants to win NOW. ... and that is fine. But sometimes spending lots of money isn't the answer. Sometimes you need to take a page out of the late great Frank Tanner's book and know that to win tomorrow you may need to loose today. Play the kids, stay in the hunt, but don't always shoot for the moon....let the kids develop. Then, get the brass ring and go for it.

Too often the moves are made with little or no concern for the following season or seasons. Quotes like "we'll deal with that then" follow. Well, now is then.

Don't get me wrong...I am a Flyer fan through and through...but it is so frustrating that the team is driven into the curb constantly trying to make a blockbuster signing when a couple little side moves here and there would have possibly paid greater dividends.

here endeth the rant.

 

[wbon22]

...Chuck Tanner...don't know where Frank Tanner came from. Probably needed more coffee.

 

[FlyerFinFan]

You guys aren't wrong the Vinny signing for instance wasn't needed. But at least they're trying to win some teams owners don't care they just take your money.

 

[raptorlife4]

We were a game 7 win away from probably making the cup. I love that this team always tries.

 

[lasgop8]

You guys aren't wrong the Vinny signing for instance wasn't needed. But at least they're trying to win some teams owners don't care they just take your money.

 

[Cobiemonster]

You guys aren't wrong the Vinny signing for instance wasn't needed. But at least they're trying to win some teams owners don't care they just take your money.

We get that, but I'd rather be smart than dumb - being smart goes a long way to winning long term

 

[Retroram52]

Most of us agreed that for the Flyers to eventually win a cup again, they would have to dump the bad contracts, get younger, faster, and hopefully better on defense while retaining their good offense and netminder. We also agreed that it was going to take some time to generate that team and I think Holmgren and Hextall are off to a decent start even though we probably won't see drastic results for another couple of years.

 

[4thstreet]

We were a game 7 win away from probably making the cup. I love that this team always tries.

They're always interesting-have been since their Cup years.Yes,it's frustrating as hell,how close they've come numerous times,but IMO as long as Snider's around,it'll be the same scenario year after year.

For years,they,ve should have been patient with a lot of their young players,and held on to their draft picks,only to trade them away for a quick fix that never materialized.

IMO,they should have gotten away with giving all their former players positions, that even when they fucked up royally,they stayed on.

Don't get me wrong,I like Hextall,but it's a former player replacing a former player all over again.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

I think much of your frustrations stem from the pressure they put on themselves to recapture the Cup. Although this keeps the Flyers competitive virtually every season, sometimes you have to take the time to rebuild, which often prevents the Flyers from taking their game to the next level (although 2009-10 was an exception).

I think Hextall understands that & so far he seems to have focused his attention on getting those missing pieces from the draft instead of free agency. As a result, the Flyers have hope for the future & might have the cap space to add missing pieces thru free agency when the time comes.

I think the Flyers & Penguins are sort of in the same boat right now. Both of us have given out outrageous contracts recently & now we're both paying for it. At the same time we have some nice pieces in our minor league system which should develop into solid dmen once they mature. Good luck to you guys, I got a feeling we'll both be frustrated with the upcoming season but I also believe that both our teams will rise again

 

[4thstreet]

I think much of your frustrations stem from the pressure they put on themselves to recapture the Cup. Although this keeps the Flyers competitive virtually every season, sometimes you have to take the time to rebuild, which often prevents the Flyers from taking their game to the next level (although 2009-10 was an exception).

I think Hextall understands that & so far he seems to have focused his attention on getting those missing pieces from the draft instead of free agency. As a result, the Flyers have hope for the future & might have the cap space to add missing pieces thru free agency when the time comes.

I think the Flyers & Penguins are sort of in the same boat right now. Both of us have given out outrageous contracts recently & now we're both paying for it. At the same time we have some nice pieces in our minor league system which should develop into solid dmen once they mature. Good luck to you guys, I got a feeling we'll both be frustrated with the upcoming season but I also believe that both our teams will rise again

Been thinking this for 40 years.

Yes,I'd love another Cup,but I can honestly say that I've been entertained and happy with their effort year after year.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

[/B]

Been thinking this for 40 years.

Yes,I'd love another Cup,but I can honestly say that I've been entertained and happy with their effort year after year.

That's the main thing that the team is interesting to watch. Even if both our teams are disappointing next season I don't doubt that they'll be fun to watch.

 

[sanfrand]

Fun, but ultimately disappointing.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

Fun, but ultimately disappointing.

That's why I'm keeping my hopes as low as possible for this upcoming season.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

I think the Flyers will be decent this year tho. They have a good goalie, good scoring depth at forward, some good dmen (although this is probably still their greatest weakness). I think you guys will make the playoffs and possibly win a round or 2. My Pens will probably be a bubble team (too good to get a good draft pick, too bad to matter come playoff time).