Philadelphia Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher and assistant GM/ vice president Brent Flahr held a press conference yesterday to address the beginning of the NHL offseason.
As front offices executives typically do, both strategically avoided showing their hand to the rest of the league while also trying to give the media pertinent information about the direction that hockey operations will take in the coming months.
On the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft- Voracek on the Move?
Fletcher took questions about his approach to the upcoming 2021 NHL Expansion Draft, set for July 21. Although he revealed that the team had not officially informed the players who would be exposed, he openly stated that “a few of them are aware of what our position is.”
He also acknowledged the possibility of side deals that would incentivize Seattle to take on the contracts of highly paid players.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported over the weekend that the Flyers had informed winger Jakub Voracek that he will be exposed to Seattle. Voracek, the 10th leading scorer in franchise history, carries an $8.25 million over the next three seasons. Both of Fletcher’s admissions seem to apply to the 31-year-old Czech playmaker’s situation in particular.
Fletcher revealed more detail about Voracek’s situation in an interview with the Snow the Goalie podcast.
Breaking: @NHLFlyers President Chuck Fletcher confirms to me and @AntSanPhilly that he's discussed leaving Jakub Voracek unprotected ahead of the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft. "There's been no ultimatums either way. It's just 'Jake, we gotta get better...' and he gets it." pic.twitter.com/Ovf8eunj2Z
— Russ Joy (@JoyOnBroad) July 13, 2021
2021 NHL Entry Draft- Trading First-Round Pick?
Fletcher and Flahr offered subtle indicators that there is a strong possibility the Flyers will trade the 13th overall selection in the NHL Entry Draft, scheduled for July 23-24.
In possibly his most revealing quote yesterday, Fletcher stated, “this offseason, in particular, I think I’m more willing to look at moving it,” in reference to the 13th pick. The logic behind the statement likely confirms the aggressive approach that the Flyers are rumored to be taking in the trade market.
Flahr also brought up the unique variances of this year’s draft due to the pandemic, most notably the cancellations of junior hockey seasons for many top prospects. His assertion about the lack of “generational players” also points to a belief in potentially increased value later in the draft.
Neither denied the possibility of using an early pick to select a goaltender, despite their confidence in 22-year-old Carter Hart.
Fletcher Deals with Flat Salary Cap
It’s no secret that the flat salary cap, set at $81.5 million, will affect the NHL offseason. In almost all realms of questioning throughout the press conference, Fletcher pointed to the flat cap as a major deterrent to the flexibility of GMs around the league.
In regard to the expansion draft strategy, he alluded to the general difficulty of moving players with high salaries affecting his protection strategies. When asked about the acquisition of Duncan Keith by the Edmonton Oilers providing a trickle down effect, he reverted to the fact many teams are in tight financial situations.
One of the chief concerns for the Flyers this offseason will be their limited financial flexibility.
Rumor Mill, Trade Strategies
Reading between the lines of statements made by GMs can be a tricky situation, but some of Fletcher’s statements did align with common discussions taking place among fans and media in recent weeks.
He emphasized the desire for a “really good player that can help you for a few years” rather than a rental, likely alluding to a potential move for Seth Jones of the Columbus Blue Jackets. His concern would presumably be the unwillingness of Jones, who has only one year remaining on his current contract, to commit to Philadelphia long-term.
Fletcher protected the reputations of many of his young players by calling (at least some of) them “better than how they performed” in 2020-21 and confirmed they are indeed “careful that you don’t change course and start moving by good young players.”
Both statements hint at recent hesitation to finalize deals based on uncertainty of evaluating assets discussed in trade packages.
Fletcher Confirmed the Obvious: “Last year was unacceptable.”
There were no excuses or cryptic messages. The disappointment of 2020-21 rang throughout the hockey operations staff, the team, the fan base, and the organization as a whole.
Fletcher called the goals against average, the worst in the NHL, “ridiculous” and promised to take a “holistic approach” to improve it. His emphasis was on team defense rather than just the struggles of the blueliners.
He pointed to higher expectations for offseason training without limited pandemic restrictions, something that was not handled well by the Flyers last offseason. He even hinted at upcoming announcements of changes within the hockey operations department.
The strength of his statements held all parties involved, including himself, accountable. However, the true value of his recognition of last year’s disaster will come when highly anticipated offseason moves are finally executed in the coming weeks.