While most likely not true, I do this deal. Lapierre has looked very good in the AHL and looked good in a VERY short PO appearance in the NHL last year. He almost certainly isn’t the 1C they need but TK probably isn't getting them that. They need to suck and draft very high which this trade would help them do. Bear and Oshie are just cap casualties and not going to move the needle. I have to say yes to this deal as it:

1. Keeps them from signing TK long term
2. Increases their draft position
3. Adds a solid C prospect (2C potential)
4. Gets another 1st rounder
5. All of that extra cap comes off next year and this year is a punt anyways
- coffee junkie

I like Hendrix too. He seems a little inconsistent to be a 2C. His multiple concussions are what concern me most.

It's not about giving the kid a chance. It's about they passed up a chance to get a player rated in the top 5 for a lower rated prospect and the flawed reasoning behind the decision
- MJL

I agree that the Flyers took a risk in passing on Buium and picking Luchenko. But to the Flyers' scouts, Luchenko had a the higher upside in a position they wanted to build up in their organization so they took a chance. Buium was picked in the top 5 but went 12th, so there were other teams that apparently didn't think Buium was a top 5 prospect either. He wouldn't be the first top 5 ranked prospect that slipped down in the draft, or worse was a bust, and we have seen prospects ranked later in the 1st round who in a redraft would be a top 5 pick. So we will see how this looks 2 years from now.

Thanks, I don't have X(twitter)
- WhiskeyMan

If true, why can’t this team have nice things? They are fing cursed!

I agree that the Flyers took a risk in passing on Buium and picking Luchenko. But to the Flyers' scouts, Luchenko had a the higher upside in a position they wanted to build up in their organization so they took a chance. Buium was picked in the top 5 but went 12th, so there were other teams that apparently didn't think Buium was a top 5 prospect either. He wouldn't be the first top 5 ranked prospect that slipped down in the draft, or worse was a bust, and we have seen prospects ranked later in the 1st round who in a redraft would be a top 5 pick. So we will see how this looks 2 years from now.
- jd250

What would you want for your 1st round pick a first pairing dman or 2c/3c?


That is the only question that you should be asking yourself.

I agree that the Flyers took a risk in passing on Buium and picking Luchenko. But to the Flyers' scouts, Luchenko had a the higher upside in a position they wanted to build up in their organization so they took a chance. Buium was picked in the top 5 but went 12th, so there were other teams that apparently didn't think Buium was a top 5 prospect either. He wouldn't be the first top 5 ranked prospect that slipped down in the draft, or worse was a bust, and we have seen prospects ranked later in the 1st round who in a redraft would be a top 5 pick. So we will see how this looks 2 years from now.
- jd250

Buium has great offensive skills and a high hockey IQ. Any reservations GMs had probably revolved around defending and to a lesser degree size. He has to improve defending in his own end breaking up plays and get better in transition. I expect that to be his focus in Denver next year.

does this really need to be answered. What's funny is if that guy had several flyers ranked high you would be slobbering over his knob.

why does or should flahr get the benefit of the doubt? how many drafts has he been involved in during his time with the flyers? you happy with those results in terms those players graduating to the nhl?
- hello it's me 2050

Has Flahr been perfect? Not even close. But I think he has been very good. The measure of a good draft is if a team gets two players that play 200+ NHL games. A great draft is 3+ players that play 200+ games. So lets go through it.

2019, the Flyers got York and Brink, and it maybe Attard in the future. York is developing into a solid top 4 defenseman, maybe even top pairing. Right now, I rate this a subpar draft but if Brink develops this can be a good draft.

2020, Tyson Foerster is developing into a very good NHL player. I think we will see Andrae make the team this year. If so will be a good draft.

2021, Samu Tuomaala is starting to develop into a good pro and has a chance to be an NHL player. We'll see how Kolosov develops (goalies take even longer to develop). This was the Covid year and the Flyers lacked a 1st round pick, but thus far this draft looks to be a subpar draft overall.

2022, Gauthier, Bump, Kaplan and McDonald are all great prospects. Gauthier is already an NHL player and McDonald is very close according to Briere and Jones. Bump had a great freshman college season and I get to watch Kaplan play a lot. This has the potential to be a great draft.

2023, Michkov will be an NHL player, and then you have Bonk and Barkey who had great +1 seasons, and the two goalies also. This has the potential to also be a great draft.

2024, too early to call.

So in 6 drafts, two potential great drafts, 1 subpar draft, 2 potential good drafts and the most recent one too early to call. IMO, the good outweighs the bad and thus I have faith in Flahr and his team.

What would you want for your 1st round pick a first pairing dman or 2c/3c?


That is the only question that you should be asking yourself.
- Flyerloon

There is no guarantee that Buium will be a top pairing NHL defenseman, and there also no guarantee Luchenko's ceiling is a 2c/3c. Drafting 17 and 18 year old kids is like rolling dice, there is a lot of risk involved.

Has Flahr been perfect? Not even close. But I think he has been very good. The measure of a good draft is if a team gets two players that play 200+ NHL games. A great draft is 3+ players that play 200+ games. So lets go through it.

2019, the Flyers got York and Brink, and it maybe Attard in the future. York is developing into a solid top 4 defenseman, maybe even top pairing. Right now, I rate this a subpar draft but if Brink develops this can be a good draft.

2020, Tyson Foerster is developing into a very good NHL player. I think we will see Andrae make the team this year. If so will be a good draft.

2021, Samu Tuomaala who is starting develop well in the AHL and has a chance to be an NHL player. We''ll see how Kolosov develops (goalies take even longer to develop). This was the Covid year and the Flyers lacked a 1st round pick, but this draft looks to be a subpar draft overall.

2022, Gauthier, Bump, Kaplan and McDonald are all great prospects. Gauthier is already an NHL player and McDonald is very close according to Briere and Jones. Bump had a great freshman college season and I get to watch Kaplan play a lot. This has the potential to be a great draft.

2023, Michkov will be an NHL player, and then you have Bonk and Barkey who had great +1 seasons, and the two goalies also. This has the potential to also be a great draft.

2024, too early to call.

So in 6 drafts, two potential great drafts, 1 subpar draft, 2 potential good drafts and the most recent one too early to call. IMO, the good outweighs the bad and thus I have faith in Flahr and his team.
- jd250

He hasnt been very good and the available facts support that as of today. love the covid and a subpar draft excuse. 23 and 24 cant grade yet.

flyers have soured on Kaplan.

Not sure how you can say he has been very good, even with your biased summary. So how many current full time NHL out of that group so far?

There is no guarantee that Buium will be a top pairing NHL defenseman, and there also no guarantee Luchenko's ceiling is a 2c/3c. Drafting 17 and 18 year old kids is like rolling dice, there is a lot of risk involved.
- jd250

Check the reports on both players, he does project to be a top pairing dman, heck as a freshman he only scored the most points by defenseman ever in NCAA. You pass on a guy like that for positional draft for center and he would've been available at 20.

You need to do some research.........

Has Flahr been perfect? Not even close. But I think he has been very good. The measure of a good draft is if a team gets two players that play 200+ NHL games. A great draft is 3+ players that play 200+ games. So lets go through it.
- jd250

Based on that criteria the Flyers had a good draft in 2017 (Patrick, Frost), a great draft in 2014 (Sanheim, NAK, Oskar) and another good one in 2008 (Sbisa, Rinaldo)?

flyers have soured on Kaplan.

Not sure how you can say he has been very good, even with your biased summary. So how many current full time NHL out of that group so far?
- hello it's me 2050

Hunter McDonald listed as a great prospect too 💀💀💀

Hunter McDonald listed as a great prospect too 💀💀💀
- Tomahawk

they are pushing him to the moon. I will gladly admit I am wrong if he pans out. still dont see it.

There is no guarantee that Buium will be a top pairing NHL defenseman, and there also no guarantee Luchenko's ceiling is a 2c/3c. Drafting 17 and 18 year old kids is like rolling dice, there is a lot of risk involved.
- jd250

That’s why you draft BPA because of that uncertainty and that the players are in most cases a few years away. The Flyers drafted for need or more accurately fit. His style is a fit for the hard working 200 foot player they want. Just like Laughton and Poehling.

The day Clarke signed Beezer over Cujo...
- daddytc

The worst UFA signing in league history.

Elite goalies Curits Joseph and Mike Richter was right there and they chose option c.

I agree that the Flyers took a risk in passing on Buium and picking Luchenko. But to the Flyers' scouts, Luchenko had a the higher upside in a position they wanted to build up in their organization so they took a chance. Buium was picked in the top 5 but went 12th, so there were other teams that apparently didn't think Buium was a top 5 prospect either. He wouldn't be the first top 5 ranked prospect that slipped down in the draft, or worse was a bust, and we have seen prospects ranked later in the 1st round who in a redraft would be a top 5 pick. So we will see how this looks 2 years from now.
- jd250

Aren't you even a little bit concerned that they were the only one of 32 teams that thought that? I don't know how you can even start to label a guy a bust 3 weeks after the draft.

The general thought pattern was that Buium is the better player, right now with higher upside. This draft was so uncertain that I saw some mock drafts were the Flyers got Demidov...but 100% of the mock drafts, NHL specialists and every single public ranking had Buium ranked higher than Luchenko.
Their draft record doesn't indicate that they are able to find that special player that no one else sees, draft and develop them. At year 12 of the rebuild, they needed to take the better player, and that was Buium.

He hasnt been very good and the available facts support that as of today. love the covid and a subpar draft excuse. 23 and 24 cant grade yet.

flyers have soured on Kaplan.

Not sure how you can say he has been very good, even with your biased summary. So how many current full time NHL out of that group so far?
- hello it's me 2050

Three so far, Foerster, York and Brink, and if you want to count Gauthier and Michkov this year that would make it five NHL players. Compare this to other teams and tell me if Flahr has been below standard. I don't think he has.

Three so far, Foerster, York and Brink, and if you want to count Gauthier and Michkov this year that would make it five NHL players. Compare this to other teams and tell me if Flahr has been below standard. I don't think he has.
- jd250

brink isnt a full-time player yet. So at best you have 3. not a great job.

do not care about other teams. only stone cold homer would say he has done a great job

Aren't you even a little bit concerned that they were the only one of 32 teams that thought that? I don't know how you can even start to label a guy a bust 3 weeks after the draft.

The general thought pattern was that Buium is the better player, right now with higher upside. This draft was so uncertain that I saw some mock drafts were the Flyers got Demidov...but 100% of the mock drafts, NHL specialists and every single public ranking had Buium ranked higher than Luchenko.
Their draft record doesn't indicate that they are able to find that special player that no one else sees, draft and develop them. At year 12 of the rebuild, they needed to take the better player, and that was Buium.
- TheFreak

I think this statement is flawed. How do you know the Flyers were the only team that thought Luchenko had a higher upside than Buium? Just because the Wild wanted Buium doesn't mean your statement is accurate. From what I have read, Luchenko was rapidly rising on many team's draft boards and most likely would have been picked by 16. Some mocks actually had the Flyers picking Luchenko at one point.

Just consider this. Luchenko was rising rapidly on many team's boards, while Buium was projected to go in the top 5 and dropped to 12. Could it be after the combine and interviews of both players, teams soured on Buium a bit and really liked Luchenko? I think the lesson that should be learned here is that rankings and mock drafts are for our amusement, nothing more.

Aren't you even a little bit concerned that they were the only one of 32 teams that thought that? I don't know how you can even start to label a guy a bust 3 weeks after the draft.

The general thought pattern was that Buium is the better player, right now with higher upside. This draft was so uncertain that I saw some mock drafts were the Flyers got Demidov...but 100% of the mock drafts, NHL specialists and every single public ranking had Buium ranked higher than Luchenko.
Their draft record doesn't indicate that they are able to find that special player that no one else sees, draft and develop them. At year 12 of the rebuild, they needed to take the better player, and that was Buium.
- TheFreak

How in the world do know that the other 31 teams had Luchenko ranked lower?

brink isnt a full-time player yet. So at best you have 3. not a great job.

do not care about other teams. only stone cold homer would say he has done a great job
- hello it's me 2050

Its not like the Flyers are the Sabres and picking in the top 10 every year, with a couple of top overall picks. The draft is a roll of the dice, nothing more. If a team drafts 8 or 9 players and gets 2 to 3 NHL players, that is a great draft. That is the only standard you can use.

That’s why you draft BPA because of that uncertainty and that the players are in most cases a few years away. The Flyers drafted for need or more accurately fit. His style is a fit for the hard working 200 foot player they want. Just like Laughton and Poehling.
- Minnyhock

I think your perception of Luchenko is inaccurate. Your reading scouting reports from the first part of last year, before Luchenko was given more responsiblities on his Guelf team. By the end of this past season, many scouts saw Luchenko as having a much higher ceiling.

Has Flahr been perfect? Not even close. But I think he has been very good. The measure of a good draft is if a team gets two players that play 200+ NHL games. A great draft is 3+ players that play 200+ games. So lets go through it.

2019, the Flyers got York and Brink, and it maybe Attard in the future. York is developing into a solid top 4 defenseman, maybe even top pairing. Right now, I rate this a subpar draft but if Brink develops this can be a good draft.

2020, Tyson Foerster is developing into a very good NHL player. I think we will see Andrae make the team this year. If so will be a good draft.

2021, Samu Tuomaala is starting to develop into a good pro and has a chance to be an NHL player. We'll see how Kolosov develops (goalies take even longer to develop). This was the Covid year and the Flyers lacked a 1st round pick, but thus far this draft looks to be a subpar draft overall.

2022, Gauthier, Bump, Kaplan and McDonald are all great prospects. Gauthier is already an NHL player and McDonald is very close according to Briere and Jones. Bump had a great freshman college season and I get to watch Kaplan play a lot. This has the potential to be a great draft.

2023, Michkov will be an NHL player, and then you have Bonk and Barkey who had great +1 seasons, and the two goalies also. This has the potential to also be a great draft.

2024, too early to call.

So in 6 drafts, two potential great drafts, 1 subpar draft, 2 potential good drafts and the most recent one too early to call. IMO, the good outweighs the bad and thus I have faith in Flahr and his team.
- jd250

Ok, so I get what you are trying to say, but I see holes.

You start with the premise of a good draft is 2 players playing 200+ games....

2019 York and Brink...just over 200 games combined 5 yers after their draft...

2020 you say it is a good draft year, but the players combined have played less than 100 games, not 200+ games each.

2021 Toumaala was a fringe AHLer before a strong first half in the AHL last year was followed by a subpar second half. Kolosov, another highly rated Flyers prospect, wants out of the organization apparantly.

2022 draft..Bump and Kaplan are huge question marks, and Mcdonald has hardly even played in the AHL. Combined for only 1 game of NHL hockey..but it's a good draft.

Under the 200 games per for 2 players, so far none of these drafts are good. Some have the potential to be, Flahr is anything but a draft wizpin.

Hunter McDonald listed as a great prospect too 💀💀💀
- Tomahawk

And how many games have you watched Hunter play? I have been watching this kid for the past two seasons at Northeastern and all he has done is improve. He already had the size, physicality and skating ability to be an NHL player, but he improved so much, plus he has great leadership qualities. The Flyers may have found themselves a real diamond in the rough here. He will not score 50+ points in a season, but he has top 4 potential and can provide the size and physical play all NHL teams covet on the back end.

Three so far, Foerster, York and Brink, and if you want to count Gauthier and Michkov this year that would make it five NHL players. Compare this to other teams and tell me if Flahr has been below standard. I don't think he has.
- jd250

Brink is not a full time NHLer...he played only 57 games last year

One of that front offices biggest mistakes was continuing to stand behind the incompetent bastards who make up the Flyers scouting department.

Giroux 2006.
Couturier 2011.

Yet the fanbase should trust them for Luchanko?

Should trust a pro scouting team that’s given us gifts like Ristolainen?

Fire them all, and look outside the brain dead family, or their recommendation for replacements. For one damn time.