Starting tonight, the Flyers have 46 games still to play this season. It’s very likely that none will have any meaning to them.

That’s pretty incredible.

But, the fact is, they are now 11 points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and the team they are chasing, the Boston Bruins – the same team who defeated them 3-2 Thursday – also has two games in hand, meaning they can stretch that gap to 15 points without the Flyers even taking to the ice.

This marks just the fourth time in Flyers history that they find themselves at least 11 points out of a playoff spot following games played on Jan. 14.

Sadly, three of those four times have occurred in the past eight seasons.

The lowlights in history:

  • 2018-19 – 17-23-6, 40 points; 14 points out
  • 2014-15 – 17-20-7, 41 points; 11 points out
  • 2006-07 – 11-30-4, 26 points; 18 points out

Here’s the thing, in each instance, the Flyers had played either 44, 45, or 46 games. This season’s Flyers have plummeted that far out of contention after just 36 games (13-16-7, 33 points). Hell, it’s possible that after nine more games they can be further out of a playoff spot than the 2006-07 team, which is widely considered to be the worst team in franchise history.

That’s saying something.

Now, with there being more games remaining than usual, an optimist can tell you that there’s still time to make up an 11-point gap, which is the same as being 5 1/2 games out with 46 to play. Daunting, but not irrational to to say there is a possibility.

But have you watched these Flyers?

There’s no St. Louis Blues-type turnaround here. The Flyers in-game presentation folks could blast “Gloria” in the arena while The Office screensaver video continues to play on the video board, and it wouldn’t matter.

The Flyers can’t get out of their own way right now. They are a fragile team. So much so that they come into every game with trepidation. They are so worried about screwing up, that they make bigger mistakes and fall behind, and once they fall behind, forget about it. Everyone who does live, in-game betting should automatically throw money on the Flyers opponent if the Flyers let up the first goal.

The Flyers are now 2-14-2 after letting up the first goal of the game following David Pastrnak scoring 1:51 into the first period Thursday.

It’s amazing that the Flyers have actually only allowed the first goal 18 times. They have scored first in the other 18, and while they aren’t as dominant as they are succumbing when they get behind, the Flyers do boast an 11-2-5 record when they score first.

Even still, losing 7-of-18 when scoring first is not ideal.

But the kicker is, even last season, which was a lost season in so many ways, the Flyers did fight back several times – often led by their veteran players – to either force overtime or outright win the game. They showed some resilience, some never-say-die attitude. Some chutzpah.

This team, seems to get worse as the game goes on.

When trailing after one period, the Flyers are 1-11-2. When trailing after two periods, the Flyers are 1-15-3. That fighting spirit, that spunk, that no-quit approach just hasn’t been there this season.

Both interim coach Mike Yeo and defenseman Justin Braun both questioned the team’s leadership and desire in recent games. Of course, these took place during games when all three primary leaders – at least the ones who wear letters on their sweaters – were out of action with either injury (Sean Couturier) or COVID (Claude Giroux and Ivan Provorov) and no one really seemed to want to step up and claim their mantle.

They’ve now lost six straight games. This after losing 10 straight last month. There was a seven-game point streak in between, but overall, in the last 22 games, which dates back to before Thanksgiving, the Flyers have won just five times (5-12-5) and of those five wins, only three have come in regulation, and none since Dec. 14.

The Rangers are in town tonight, and they pose a major problem, as they are a team that tends to score ad nauseam against the Flyers. Especially Mika Zibanijad and Chris Kreider, who each had two hat tricks against them last season.

The Flyers have allowed nine hat tricks by their opponents in a calendar year (between Jan. 13, 2021 and Jan. 13-2022). That’s a lot. That’s nine in 101 games.

The schedule does lighten up a tad after tonight, as the next eight games are against four, non-playoff, Eastern Conference teams, two non-playoff Western Conference teams, and the suddenly resurgent L.A. Kings, who will be in the middle of a six-game in 11 nights road trip.

That gets the Flyers, and the NHL, to the original Olympic break when the league plans to reschedule most, if not all of the games that have been postponed by COVID-19. Without knowing what that schedule is going to look like, it’s probable that the Feb. 1 game against Winnipeg is the one the Flyers have circled as the date when they’ll decide for certain what to do moving forward the rest of the season.

But let’s be honest, even with a strong eight games (let’s say, 5-2-1) they would need Boston to have a rough stretch in the same time frame (nine games, six at home, five against teams in playoff spots, four not) to get back into the chase. So, let’s put Boston at 3-5-1 in those games, the Flyers would still be seven points back and Boston would still have a game in hand.

And with the way Boston is playing right now, asking for them to suddenly go cold and be under .500 in the next nine games is asking a lot.

So, the Flyers, for all intents and purposes, are done for this season, on ice. I know, you aren’t surprised.

But what does that mean? Where do they go from here? Let’s look into the crystal ball….

1. They won’t blow it up and declare a rebuild

While the Ron Hextall era as GM wasn’t a full-on rebuild, like some teams have tried, it was an era when fans were asked for a little patience as he got out from under some bad contracts, and re-stocked the cupboard with quality draft picks who would develop together and bring about the next wave of great Flyers players.

Except, that didn’t happen at all.

The Flyers never got back past mediocrity. Hextall made some mistakes (you heard Bob Clarke talk about them with some venom this week) and now find themselves where they are for many reasons, including those that Clarke outlined as a result of the rebuild.

Without good young talent to build around, a total rebuild would have to be born in dumb luck. Not only would the Flyers have to suck so bad that they had a shot at the NO. 11 pick in the draft, but they’d have to do it next season, more than this season.

While there is a clear-cut, No. 1 pick coming in the 2022 draft in Shane Wright, he’s being compared to Patrice Bergeron. That’s not a bad player to have, but we already sort of have one of those in Sean Couturier. Not that there would be anything wrong with having another, it’s just that Wright isn’t one of those generational talents who comes around every 10-15 years and puts the game on its ear.

No, that player is coming in the 2023 draft. His name is Connor Bedard. Bedard is one of only eight players to be granted an exceptional player exemption to play Canadian major junior hockey before he turned 16. The last player to get that exemption? Connor McDavid.

Bedard is expected to be that level of talent.

So, you can tear it down, piss away another season, and then hope you hit the lottery and land Bedard. But what if you don’t? Then what? Do you keep waiting? Do you become the Buffalo Sabres? Does the rebuild take seven years? Ten? This isn’t the NFL or NBA where drafted players come right into the league and start playing. With only very few exceptions, who play in the NHL at 18, rookies usually need to finish up with another year or two of Junior hockey and then at least a season, or most of one, in the AHL.

Bedard would be a different animal, but aside from him, you’re probably looking at the 2025-26 season before your high draft pick player is considered for the NHL. And that’s just one guy.

Tanking may have better outcomes in other sports, but not in hockey. It’s not worth it, especially for a team with a fan base that is growing more and more despondent and apathetic each day.

2. Time to get creative

If they aren’t going to rebuild, then what? Re-tooling hasn’t worked either. GM Chuck Fletcher overhauled the roster last offseason and replaced 45 percent of his lineup. It hasn’t worked. For various reasons. So what else is there possibly left to do?

Chuck has to try to execute a plan that accomplishes three things almost simultaneously – creates cap space, acquires assets that are for the future – like prospects and draft capital – and at the same time, make hockey trades where you trade current NHL talent for a different kind of NHL talent.

That’s not going to be easy, but is truly the only path out of the mess the Flyers are in that can be accomplished in a reasonable amount of time without crossing fingers and praying that they hit the lottery in 2023.

How do you do that? Here are some thoughts.

3. Convince Claude Giroux to waive his no movement clause

This might not take all that much convincing. Giroux, who was named to the All-Star team for the seventh time in his illustrious career, is a free agent at the end of the season, and just turned 34-years-old. His chances of winning a Stanley Cup are narrowing. The chance to do it here, at least while he’s still a productive player and leader of the team, is all but gone.

But, he is having a very good season, and there’s no doubt, even though he is a pending free agent, that he is the type of star-quality talent that can put a team over the top to win a Stanley Cup. There are probably 15 teams that would be interested in him. With control of his no movement clause, Giroux can likely narrow the list down to a handful of teams he’d be willing to give it a go with, and the Flyers could pit them against each other for a nice return.

Washington’s power play has struggled without Nicklas Backstrom for much of the year. Can you see Giroux setting up Alex Ovechkin? Vegas and Calgary could use a power play boost as well. The West is wide open this year, how about reuniting with Craig Berube and Brayden Schenn in St. Louis? Tampa and Florida could both see Giroux as a missing piece. Hell, Colorado could have the most dangerous offense in the sport in years with him.

There are so many possibilities, and the Flyers will get good value.

4. Trade away salaries that go beyond this season

I know what you are thinking, easier said than done, right? It’s not like any one is going to want to take on James van Riemsdyk’s contract or Kevin Hayes’ contract – or even Ryan Ellis’ contract considering he can’t get on the ice.

No. Those guys are staying. If Chuck moves one of those contracts, without having to promise to keep like 50 percent of it, he’s a wizard.

Instead, the Flyers can move on from players who are still young, but not inexperienced with bigger money deals.

I’m pretty confident teams would be interested in both Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim. Hell, teams would be interested in Ivan Provorov too, and we know Chuck considered moving him before in a trade for Patrick Laine, but decided against it. I believe the Flyers still feel they owe it to themselves to see the player Provorov is with a steady and reliable partner by his side. They may ultimately be willing to move him, but this just seems too soon.

Sanheim, on the other hand, has had a decent season, and will likely also fetch a very good return.

Konecny is having a down year… again… but still plays the game in such a way that he intrigues teams. He’s the kind of guy you can make a hockey trade with. Player for player. It wouldn’t be a salary dump then, but there’s another way to accomplish that if you get NHL quality in return…

5. Trade Cam Atkinson

This might seem crazy because he’s having such a good year so far, but that’s just it – his value may never be higher. Teams looking for a player with a nose for the net as they enter the playoffs could pay a pretty penny for him. If Konecny brings you NHL talent, then Atkinson can bring you draft capital.

6. Move Morgan Frost now for another NHL player

The Flyers have not been happy with Frost since the end of last season. They didn’t like that he wouldn’t stick around and rehab and train here in the summertime coming off of last season’s injury. They didn’t like his play in training camp. He’s only in the NHL right now because of injuries and COVID. He’s close to being a healthy scratch or being sent down. Don’t let his value as a prospect completely go away.

Frank Seravalli, now with The Daily Faceoff, wrote recently that the Flyers have shown interest in Lawson Crouse from Arizona. They could well be interested in Jacob Chycrun as well. You aren’t getting either one, let alone both, for Morgan Frost, but if you do these trades in a certain order and accrue assets that would be appealing to the Coyotes, why not put together a package to get both players, and include Frost as part of it?

7. There are other players you could move because they are free agents to be that will get you something…

Justin Braun, Derick Brassard, Martin Jones, heck someone might even take a a low cost risk on Keith Yandle (7th rounder, anyone?). The only unrestricted free agent I wouldn’t look to trade and instead would look to sign is Rasmus Ristolainen. He’s been the second-best puck possession defenseman behind Sanheim (still only 48.9% CF, but that’s not too bad, especially for a defensive-minded defenseman). And brings a physical aspect tot he game that is sorely lacking elsewhere for this team.

8. Wait a minute, didn’t you say you can’t blow it up and rebuild? Then you suggest trading as many as nine players? How is that not blowing it up?

OK… fair question. Here’s how I’ll answer it:

  1. Not all these trades have to happen at the deadline. the pending free agent guys? Yes. Atkinson? Yes. Other than that, the rest of the plan can be pushed to the summer.
  2. If they trade all these players and all they get are prospects and draft picks, that doesn’t work. There has to be hockey trades – meaning getting NHL players back, and not just as throw ins – as centerpieces to the deals. Players who can help the Flyers beyond this season.

And while we would be moving on from a bunch of guys here, you still have a roster that is going to be made up of predominantly current Flyers players. Couturier, Carter Hart, Scott Laughton, Hayes, van Riemsdyk, Oskar Lindblom, Joel Farabee, Provorov, Ristolainen, Ellis (if he ever gets healthy), Wade Allison (if he can stay healthy), plus you get a good look at young players who have been here a bit now like Cam York. Maybe see Egor Zamula a bit more and evaluate him. The fourth line is always going to be like it is now, with players like Zach MacEwen, Jackson Cates, Patrick Brown (whose hurt) etc. As such, despite moving all the players I suggested, about 75% of your roster remains in tact, and you’ll be adding new NHL pieces. That’s not a rebuild at all.

Still, semantics aside, this is really the only way for the Flyers to become relevant again in the near future. Otherwise, the long, dark, lonely winter of hockey in Philadelphia will continue well into another decade.

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