Flyers Weekly Mailbag: With no time to waste, is change on the horizon?

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This just appears to be who the Flyers are this season. Up and down with some highs and many lows. After they were dropped 6-5 in overtime to the Calgary Flames. The Flyers have to get back to basics, as the Defense is leakier than a leaking faucet.

Inconsistent Goaltending has been a common theme for this Flyers team since President Reagan was in office. This has held the orange and black from obtaining a Stanley Cup, and it is something that has eluded them since the 1974-75 season. The Flyers need a Goaltender to step up, now more than ever. Without further delay here are our answers to your questions.

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The Flyers definitely have interest in Sergei Bobrovsky’s services. He is a free agent at year’s end, and the Flyers appear to be willing at least inquire about his services. I personally hope the Flyers steer clear of Bobrovsky, as he is looking for a long-term deal. With our future in Carter Hart waiting in the Wings, it does not make sense to sign Bobrovsky to a long-term deal. It will hinder Hart’s chances of starting when he is ready to do such. With Hart possibly up with the Flyers full-time next season at the earliest. The Flyers could use a stop-gap Goaltender until Hart proves he can take the reins on a nightly basis. Here are some Goaltenders who are available in 2019:

Semyon Varlamov

Sergei Bobrovsky

Jimmy Howard

West Coast thanks so much for your support. Happy holidays to you and your family. God bless.

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I don’t know the exact day this happening, but I will say sooner rather than later. Chuck Fletcher will not sit around and do nothing if the Flyers continue their free fall. Fletcher is a go getter, and he will tolerate losing. Especially for a team that he knows was supposed to take the next step in their rebuild this season. I’d be surprised if there wasn’t a move before January. Here’s what Fletcher said last week in his press conference about making a move:

Short-term can be defined different ways. Certainly, I’m not making a trade today- well I don’t know about today or tomorrow, but I can’t imagine I’d make one in the next couple days. Next week we get on the road, we go through Western Canada. Within about ten days I’ll have watched the team five or six times. I’ve watched them a few times live this year when I was working with New Jersey. I believe I can get up to speed pretty quickly. More importantly, there’s a great group of people surrounding me. Scouts, people that know the game. There’s a great resource obviously in Paul Holmgren. I spoke to Bob Clarke last night, my first boss, a long-time mentor. He watches every game. Dean Lombardi, very bright men. All three of these men have been general managers with more experience than me, so there’s a lot of people I can lean on. Scouts, front office people, Barry Hanrahan. There’s a lot of people that I utilize. When I make the decision, I make the decision because somebody has to pull the trigger, but it’s with a lot of inputs that go into the decision making, a lot of people that have an opinion. I’ve made decisions before, where at the beginning, I didn’t even agree with what we were going to do. But, you know you listen to people, you trust your people. I do have a pretty good trust already with many of the people that work here. Sorry for the long-winded answer, but the first order of business is to look for in-house solutions, I think you have to give people a chance. Players, staff, everybody. If we can get this thing going the right direction, maybe we don’t have to go out and be aggressive. But, if things aren’t working or we’re not getting traction, then I think you have to look at every angle.”

Michael thank you for your continued support. Happy holidays to you and your family. Your the man.

Chuck Fletcher should be given a chance to succeed (Or not) with the Flyers. Since former General Manager Ron Hextall was given five years to prove himself. I believe Fletcher should be given the same length. Rome wasn’t built-in a day, and Fletcher has his work cut out this season just to make the Playoffs. Things will get interesting here shortly, especially if the Flyers continue their free fall.

The Hockey Boys thanks so much for your support. Happy Holidays to you and your family.

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1. Brent Flahr will have some big shoes to fill with cutting ties with a drafting super star in Chris Pryor. Flahr will oversee the development of prospects throughout the Flyers system, will supervise all aspects of the Flyers scouting departments, and will be involved in some decisions regarding player personnel.

Flahr has run the Minnesota Wild’s draft since 2010, and drafted players such as Alex Tuch, Jason Zucker, Mikael Granlund, Matt Dumba, and Jonas Brodin. He can draft that’s for sure, but Flahr will have tons of pressure to perform well at the 2019 NHL Draft, since Chris Pryor is no longer with the club.

One of the Assistant General Manager’s in Flahr will do well with the orange and black. He was formerly Chuck Fletcher’s right hand man, so there’s familiarity there. Moreover, Flahr also has twenty years of experience in the NHL. Hopefully, Flahr does well, and fans should expect just that.

2. This is not overblown at all. After defeating the Buffalo Sabres last Saturday 6-2, some of the players from the Flyers twitter handle were filmed eating chicken wings. To me that was a direct hit to Ron Hextall to show other possible free agents in 2019 that there is no more control, and players can eat what they want. I understand limiting fatty foods to a certain extent, but occasional chicken wings or pizza following a big victory shouldn’t hurt.

Rob thank you very much for your continued support. Happy holidays to you and your family.

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Samuel Morin should fit into the Flyers future plans quite nicely. The Flyers Defense is missing his element of standing opponents up at the blue line. Moreover, the fighting aspect, clearing the porch. Geez I wish the young man was healthy now. Unfortunately, the Flyers Defense has been inconsistent, and is sometimes overwhelmed by bad line changes. Team Defense is about all five players on the ice. On some occasions some Forwards head to the bench at inappropriate times, thus creating odd man rushes the other way. Morin communicates effectively on the ice, and he will put some fear into opponents that dare go into the crease in front of our netminders. He will do a conditioning stint with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms when he returns in February. I will leave you with February can’t come soon enough.

Brandon thanks for your continued support. God bless you and your family throughout your holiday season.

After losing 6-5 in overtime to the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night in the last 1:43 of play to end the game, changes will be made sooner rather than later. Depending on how the Flyers respond to the Edmonton Oilers (Friday) and the Vancouver Canucks (Saturday), a change could be in the works in the form of a new Head Coach when the Flyers return home to Philadelphia early Sunday morning.

Fletcher would be wise to hire a new coach, or name Scott Gordon the Interim Head Coach. I mean The Flames and the Ottawa Senators came back, and beat the orange and black after having a 2 goal lead late in both games respectively, within a two-week span. What more can the Flyers do? The Head Coach gets blame here. Moreover, the Defense remains inconsistent, and the Goaltending, as well. The Flyers are in desperate need of a least a top 4 Defenseman, if a Goaltender isn’t available. ASAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP. The wheels on the bus are falling fast, and the Flyers can ill afford to lose critical points because the Defense has been leaky for years now.

Mr. Nice Guy God bless you and your family. Merry Christmas from the Baskow family to yours. Thanks for your support.

Brent Flahr will have some big shoes to fill with cutting ties with a drafting super star in Chris Pryor. Flahr will oversee the development of prospects throughout the Flyers system, will supervise all aspects of the Flyers scouting departments, and will be involved in some decisions regarding player personnel.

Flahr has run the Minnesota Wild’s draft since 2010, and drafted players such as Alex Tuch, Jason Zucker, Mikael Granlund, Matt Dumba, and Jonas Brodin. He can draft that’s for sure, but Flahr will have tons of pressure to perform well at the 2019 NHL Draft, since Chris Pryor is no longer with the club.

One of the Assistant General Manager’s in Flahr will do well with the orange and black. He was formerly Chuck Fletcher’s right hand man, so there’s familiarity there. Moreover, Flahr also has twenty years of experience in the NHL. Hopefully, Flahr does well, and fans should expect just that.

Flyers thanks a lot for your support. Happy holidays to you and your family. God bless.

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. 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: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports