Flyers Future Assets Preserved After Fletcher’s Overhaul
By Colin Newby
Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher has turned some heads over the course of the past few weeks. His major roster overhaul included the acquisitions of six players expected to make significant contributions at the NHL level in 2021-22.
The dangers of a major roster overhaul in the NHL lie within the unavoidable reality that teams need to give up something if they want to acquire something in return. Considering what Fletcher brought in, Flyers fans should be pleased with the relatively manageable amount of organizational assets he gave up.
Offseason additions Ryan Ellis, Cam Atkinson, Rasmus Ristolainen, Keith Yandle, Martin Jones, and Nate Thompson have combined for nine career NHL All-Star appearances. They bring proven track records of NHL success and transform the Flyers into a team that is ready to compete right now.
The resources used to acquire these players did not leave the Flyers decimated in terms of young talent, prospect depth, or draft capital.
Flyers Shuffle Roster
While both Nolan Patrick and Philippe Myers are both young developing players who will not return to Philadelphia next season, they were not integral to the Flyers plans moving forward. They were not as valuable as Travis Konecny, Joel Farabee, or Travis Sanheim, who were all retained after being mentioned in trade rumors by credible sources leading into the month of July.
The Flyers retained all ten names on the Philadelphia Inquirer’s list of the top organizational prospects. This was an admirable feat considering the high value around the NHL for Cam York, Egor Zamula, and Morgan Frost in particular.
Fletcher most notably moved his first round pick in this year’s NHL Entry Draft and his second round picks in each of the next two drafts. While it is important for NHL organizations to maintain drafting talent as a priority, the losses of these picks shouldn’t be considered an overaggressive pursuit of acquisitions with a “win now” mentality.
Following the challenges faced by junior hockey players during the COVID-19 pandemic, executives across the league were forced to make their selections in this year’s draft based on limited familiarity. The fluky nature of the situation made the draft even more unpredictable than in past years, and the likelihood of some of the top talent sliding out of the first round significantly increased. Only time will tell how the Flyers picks develop.
The players taken with the two second round picks that the Flyers traded away to the Arizona Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres will not reasonably be expected to make contributions at the NHL level until at least 2025.
The Flyers are still in possession of the remainder of their own picks in the next three drafts. The possibility of acquiring additional picks before these drafts take place also still exists.
The roster turnover and the infusion of proven NHL talent should excite Flyers fans heading into the 2021-22 season, but what makes it even more impressive is the maneuvering that Fletcher used to make sure his future assets stayed intact.