Flyers Fans Already Failing To Understand What A Rebuild Is
I enjoyed attending the Flyers home opener on Saturday night despite the awful showing by the men in orange. The 3-0 defeat did little to spoil my overall optimism that the plan for a long-term rebuild “done right” is well underway. I’m not looking for a quick fix because after 50 years the numerous quick fixes landed this organization where they were a few years back.
They brought in Keith Jones and Danny Briere to slow-burn this thing. This isn’t a tear-down to the studs project. This is a bulldozing of the existing property and starting from the very foundation endeavor. Yet here we are with a large segment of the fan base already grousing over the slow start to the season. Let me share a few thoughts and I’ll try to be kind as many don’t seem to understand what a true rebuild entails.
Stop worrying about the Flyers record
I know many fans want a playoff berth as soon as possible and expect young players to immediately emerge as budding stars. It’s great to want that but it makes little sense if you have followed this league for a long time. It takes time and patience. It’s been 87 games of this “process” and the nonsense panic has set in with a segment of the fan base.
To the “Torts isn’t the guy crowd”
The man is a record holder for coaches in longest stretch of longevity with three franchises. I believe he will add a fourth to it here. Speak to others around the league (one in which I worked in over twelve seasons) and to people around the Flyers organization it’s clear that building a foundation is what Tortorella does best. He’s old school, but he’s also legendary at it. In three previous stops, he left the organizations far better than where he found them. This will be his fourth.
A few rebuild facts
Just a few pointers that will help you get through this time without losing your mind and sounding silly on social media.
- Catering to cherished veterans is not part of the agenda. In a true rebuild, they become coveted assets to deal. Playing them more is for nothing more than building up their value.
- The goaltending situation isn’t good enough for this team to “win” anything. It’s a talent issue and there are goaltenders in the pipeline that are higher rated than Ersson and Fedotov. Until they are ready, you can’t expect a team to accomplish much.
- The Flyers already would hold five picks in the first 70 players drafted in the 2025 NHL Draft, including two first-rounders and two second-rounders. They also will have lots of cap space opening this summer and next. I’ll read the tea leaves for you. It’s not about “winning” in 2024-25. In fact I expect them to unload some more veteran talent along the way to add more draft capital and financial flexibility.
- When they return Jett Luchanko to the Juniors understand what Tortorella did. They sent a message to all of their organization that hard work will be recognized and rewarded. Luchanko never expected to be a Flyer this season. This was a great pat on the back. Now go play with kids your age and hone your skill set. This kid will be a piece later.
As Aaron Rodgers famously said…R-E-L-A-X
Just a public service announcement so the dialogue on a rebuild can be more patient, thoughtful and informed. If you want to just be angry, the Flyers are going to provide you with plenty of ammo!