Oh my, oh my. Waiting until June 22, 2018 for the NHL Draft is like watching paint dry. The anticipation of this event has people rocking and rolling up and down the Delaware Valley.
Who will General Manager Ron Hextall select with the Flyers first selection at 14? Well, who knows as Hextall is one of the most unpredictable General Managers in all of hockey in terms of drafting. Hextall is a drafting guru, so all Flyers fans have full faith in the guy to make the orange and black a better team in the future. Without further delay, here are our answers to your questions.
Mark Boehmer- Going to Phantoms game tonight looking for a series comeback. Do you see Morgan Frost making the Flyers next year? When we going fishing in Brigantine lol?
Mark you’re a passionate, die-hard Flyers and Phantoms fan. Your support is amazing, and your an amazing person. Unless, Morgan Frost blows the walls off training camp, and really excels in the short pre-season he will have, before possibly being sent back to Juniors. Frost will return to Juniors for conditioning (To fill out more), and the purpose of not having to protect him in the expansion draft in 2020. As a two-year pro or more a team has to protect those players, or they face exposure for the expansion draft. If Frost made the Flyers next season, they would have to protect him in 2020. With sending him back to the Junior level this would alleviate this process from taking place.
I’m always down for some fishing. Absolutely let’s go.
#FlyersMail Thoughts on pitching an Elliott + trade to Nashville for Rinne? Gives them a quality vet to support Saros that doesn’t guarantee he’ll be the backup for a 3rd straight yr. also gives them more money to fill holes while PHI can afford to take on Pekka’s cap hit
— Tim (@5_4FightingFire) May 23, 2018
Tim you’re a very dedicated Flyers fan, and it shows in this post. You’re awesome. I don’t believe Ron Hextall pulls off a deal for Pekka Rinne. His cap hit is $7 million, with a modified no trade clause. With that being said, if the Flyers had a deal in place for Rinne. There’s just no guarantee he would waive his no trade clause. Moreover, I think Nashville would want something solid in return, and rightfully so but I don’t think Hextall would trade assets for a player on the last year of his contract.
I think the Flyers have faith in a Brian Elliott, and Alex Lyon tandem to start the season. Carter Hart is not far off, as he will start for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms next season. The Flyers priorities this off-season should be adding a Veteran top pairing Defenseman, and a third line Center.
#Flyersmail I would LOVE to see Evander Kane in the Orange and Black what are the chances?
— Robert DeSandre (@carigi12) May 16, 2018
Rob your support is amazing. You know your Flyers hockey that’s for sure. Unfortunately, I forgot to include this question last week. I would really like to apologize once again for missing it. Evander Kane has agreed to a deal with the San Jose Sharks for 7 years-$49 million. The market for Kane before this apparent signing was at least in the 5-7 million per year. With the Flyers having a few other needs, such as a Top pairing Defenseman and a third line Center, it would have been highly unlikely Hextall would have made a run for Kane, but it makes you wonder if Wayne Simmonds would like the same contract.
#flyersmail Hi. Who do you think is most likely to be traded? Any chance Flyers try to trade for pacioretty. Think Montreal is desperate to get this thing of the ground fast…
— b86allday (@OrangeBlack12) May 23, 2018
Flyers… your knowledge of the Flyers is through the roof. You’re an amazing person to boot. Of all the players to be traded on the Flyers, I would have to go with Wayne Simmonds. After seeing the contract of Evander Kane, I wouldn’t like to go more than a four-year for a contract for Simmonds, if they decide to resign him. Simmonds is a warrior, and if he doesn’t get traded I think he will have a rebound season with the orange and black. Personally, I would love to see the Flyers move Gudas before Simmonds. Although, given Morin’s injury it may have an effect on the Flyers trading a Defenseman this off-season.
If you can't go out and get your guy Carlson (which I believe may be too rich, contract wise) what route do you take to help that top 4. I really like Dougie Hamilton, could that be in the cards and what would it cost? Or do you stand pat? Thanks!! #FlyersMail
— ? (@FlyersSkins) May 23, 2018
Jimmy you’re an amazing Flyers fan. A dedicated fan while sporting your orange clad gear, but you’re a great person to boot. I would love nothing more than the Flyers to take a run at John Carlson. Especially now given the injury news to Samuel Morin. However, like you said the amount of years and salary more in particular comes into question. If the Flyers cannot scoop up Carlson, then I would love to see them trade for Dougie Hamilton. A top pairing Defenseman is a glaring need on this team. This should be their top priority right now. Obtaining a top Defenseman and Right-Handed at that, would allow Philippe Myers, Travis Sanheim, Robert Hagg, or Shayne Gostisbehere evolve with no pressure to hopefully be that guy eventually. Plus, Hamilton would be an awesome mentorship for the young Defense.
Some people think Carter Hart is our future and is the real deal, which of course right now I believe he is. But, why throw Hart into the mix this year with a shaky Defense? You would want Hart to succeed at all costs, like Matt Murray did in Pittsburgh when he was first called up. With adding that top pairing Veteran Defenseman this helps stabilize the once shaky Defense.
With another expansion draft looming in a few years do you think Ron has that thought in the back of his head when it comes to roster spots considering you can't protect everyone and some good players will be exposed?
— ? (@FlyersSkins) May 23, 2018
Jimmy this is another blazing hot question. Absolutely, Ron Hextall is looking towards the future with the 2020 expansion draft in the back of his mind. He doesn’t want to be like the other NHL GM’s that made deals with General Manager George Mcphee of the Vegas Golden Knights, to keep certain players on their roster before the 2017 expansion draft took place. Take for instance young Flyers prospect Morgan Frost. Even if Frost was 100% ready next season, Hextall may hold out on him. Frost will be 19 years old at the start of next season, so this affords him one more year at the Junior Level, before he’s able to crack the Lehigh Valley Phantoms roster at age 20. This would save Frost from having to be protected. Remember two years or more as a Pro that player must be protected, or face exposure if they are not.
What do you think the Flyers take away from Vegas’ success and do they change their approach based on the Vegas model?
— Stevie V (@itsmesteviev) May 24, 2018
Stevie you’re a great Flyers fan. You know this team well that’s for sure. You’re a great person. One of the biggest things the Flyers can takeaway from the Vegas model of success is showing them how to win. Moreover, how to be a team that’s united, and one. They don’t have to have a team of stars to win on a nightly basis. The orange and black just need to know how to be a team, and win as a unit.
A team that is consistent, and does the right things on the ice to win a hockey game. Is it always pretty…no. Scoring a dirty goal, solid goaltending, having fun, and win or lose have each others’ backs. The Flyers have to become a more consistent hockey team next season. They can ill afford to lose 10 games, then win seven, then win three, lose five like the past few seasons. The division is just too strong to continue down this road inconsistency.
After seeing the tremendous success of Vegas using 4 lines w/ players with basic skills & buying into system utilizing speed and attack style is there any chance the Flyers adopt some of that and jettison guys like Weise/Lehtera & push youth/speed over veteran presence?
— Kevin Fortier (@ksfortier) May 24, 2018
Kevin this is a great question. Not only are you a great writer for phillyisflyer, but your a great person. The Flyers should have developed an attack playing style for the past few seasons. However, I don’t think they have had the players in prior years with speed to develop this style. With that being said, Dale Weise or Jori Lehtera shouldn’t be playing over speedier players such as Taylor Leier or Jordan Weal. The utilization of player usage at times is mind boggling. This off-season is a very critical one. They have to get faster somehow this off-season, so they can develop this much needed attack style of play.
it becomes hard to watch the Flyers while watching them sit back while being a man down, to let their opponents create while they are on the power play. This area must be cleaned up by the start of next season. The Flyers penalty kill needs to improve, and adopting this attack tactic should sure help.
Zone entries are huge in today’s NHL. The game has just gotten faster over the years. If we look at all the teams that made deep playoff runs. One area that most of these teams excel at is suffocating their opponents in the neutral zone. This forces their opponents to dump and chase the puck in more often than not, thus making that team a little more predictable. It can also wear the other team down. The Flyers sit back to much, and this gives their opponents time and space to create. The rink should be smaller, not larger.
Thanks to all our Men and Women in the United States Military past and present. Thank you for doing something that some of us are afraid to do. With Memorial Day looming on Monday. I’m forever grateful of your service and sacrifice. Your service for this great country is not forgotten in this household. May God Bless America.
If you would like to see your questions submitted in our weekly mailbag. Just submit your question on our Facebook page or on Twitter using #Flyersmail. This mailbag will continue throughout the off-season. Just because the season is over, we don’t stop here at this site. Thanks to all the fans for another great mailbag, and Let’s go Flyers. Without your support we wouldn’t be here today.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
