Bobby Clarke
After another case of organizational malpractice at the trade deadline, the choice is in the hands of the Flyers highest-appointed figures. You can accept this reality of being the laughing stock of the NHL and accept the growing distance between yourself and as loyal a fanbase as there is in sports or you can finally do something about it. Time’s yours.
From the front office to coaches to the players, there are plenty of areas of focus regarding the Flyers. Here are some takeaways.
One day prior to the four-year anniversary of Ron Hextall’s firing as Flyers GM, chants of “Fire Fletcher” could be heard at Wells Fargo Center. Chuck Fletcher’s time should be running out, but it’s not the only change that needs to be made.
On Wednesday, you saw that the current regime is incapable of handling a rebuild. They insisted upon an aggressive retool for a fast fix, not the necessary rebuild needed. Now it’s time to start that rebuild anyway, but focus on the front office that has so clearly set the Flyers back.
John Tortorella certainly knew all the right things to say, but doesn’t have much of a filter. What you see is what you get with him, there’s no gray area. That hardly appears to be the case with Flyers management. There’s a lot of gray area right now, in terms of making decisions, who is on board with what, and what the future may hold.
The offseason will present its challenges for a team in need of an overhaul and massive improvements at every level of the organization. There will be plenty of stories to come as next season’s team is constructed. For now, here’s one last look at the 2021-22 season with five takeaways from the season.
In the end, Giroux ultimately held the keys to his destination. Florida was where he wanted to be. That left the Flyers limited in what they could get in return. If nothing else, the return in the Giroux deal is more of a reality of what the state of the Flyers is and remains after this trade, and the result of years of shortcomings by the organization.
Claude Giroux has appeared in every game since Jan. 13 and will take the ice for his 1,000th game in the NHL and in a Flyers uniform on Thursday night against the Nashville Predators. Prior to the game, the Flyers will hold a ceremony to honor Giroux’s milestone.
The Flyers extension of Rasmus Ristolainen makes for a confusing message and sense of direction, just as the trade deadline starts to approach and a time to set the foundation for change draws near.
It seems fitting that Claude Giroux’s seventh trip to the NHL All-Star Game and possibly final one as a Flyer ended with the Metropolitan Division securing a victory with Giroux as captain. Giroux scored twice in the championship game against the Central Division after scoring a goal and adding an assist in the first game of Saturday afternoon’s event to take home MVP honors.
