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What are the Philadelphia Flyers doing?
Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic (mailbag): August is often when the NHL wilderness gets to be more and more apparent. Philadelphia Flyers and their fans have many, many concerns after this offseason from Chuck Fletcher so far.
As mentioned on a multitude of avenues, missing out on Johnny Gaudreau combined with a lackluster level of activity has caused much pessimism amongst the fanbase and arguably the media too.
Then, things go astray as they say. What is a rebuild anyway?
One of the first and last questions is what kind of rebuild is this? The answer is not simple because the Flyers’ organization has attempted a plan riddled with inconsistencies. It is hard to draft and develop plus be competitive at the same time. Philadelphia found that out last year and appears down the same path again.
Fletcher has a lot of faith in the roster but few else seem to be in agreement. Anthony DeAngelo is not moving the needle and neither is Rasmus Ristolainen. Nicolas Deslauriers probably was not the right signing either for Philadelphia. Again, it speaks to the disconnect.
Philadelphia could be a bottom four or so team which would put Fletcher on the chopping block. His seat is hot but will only get hotter if the Flyers do not show tangible progress. Some argue there is nowhere to go but up. However, things can change.
Sean Couturier and Kevin Hayes need to be healthy along with improved years from Carter Hart and Morgan Frost. If DeAngelo fits in well, Philadelphia will fare better. John Tortorella should be able to get more out of this squad if they can stay healthy.
Hello Edmonton Oilers
Allen Lowetide of The Athletic: The Edmonton Oilers cannot be forgotten here. Late free-agency targets could be something Ken Holland looks at.
With their defensive six mostly set, Edmonton still has options for depth. Could they go with Michael Stone, Kris Russell, or even Michal Kempny?
As for forwards, Phil Kessel is an intriguing swing on the man advantage. However, players like Evan Rodrigues and even Evgeni Svechnikov carry a bit more intrigue. They also come cheaper and cheaper is good.