Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2021 14:04:10 GMT -6
Pre-season Primer
The Philadelphia Flyers made a big change during the off-season packing Chuck Fletcher’s bags and bringing in an unknown GM from a small town in Northern Ireland, Tommy Barr.
Mr Barr’s first task was bringing together a new squad of players through the league’s dispersal draft. Based on early discussions with the new GM we were left with the impression that the GM would build a challenging squad with a key focus on youth at the top of the line-up.
Things looked to be track as the first few rounds progressed with the team selecting Jack Eichel, Joel Farabee and Quinn Hughes. However, the plan seemed to take a large deviation from there – maybe too much Guinness or Whiskey – we didn’t appear to get that team capable of competing for the Stanley Cup this season. Instead, it looks like this team will be built for the future with the GM focussing on young talent and 1st round prospects.
When asked about the change of direction GM Barr provided the following insights, “As we progressed through the draft plans changed, the quality of players available wasn’t what we expected – particularly with so many guys attached to shorter term contracts. The management team determined that it was better to focus on future talent and build long-term. Once we got to the later rounds we agreed that the roster talent available likely weren’t worth the value of a 1st round prospect and as a result we decided to go down that route. It’s obviously a big risk and may hinder our short term results but we have complete confidence that this is the best approach for the long-term success of the club.”
The GM made a few interesting moves in the free agency period – taking advantage of the other teams decisions to buyout players and leveraging their significant cap space – signing Kevin Hayes, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Valtteri Filppula and Frans Nielsen.
We may see a more competitive team with those signings … but it looks like a tough year for Flyers fans.
Only time will tell but I’ll be with you all throughout and look forward to getting pre season underway.
G. Ritty
