There’s a scene in the fantasy television show Game of Thrones when the character Jon Snow, just after literally reviving from the dead after being murdered by his underlings, laments his plight to his friend and future advisor Davos Seaworth.
“I did what I thought was right,” he ruminates, “and they killed me for it. I failed.”
“Good,” Davos responds, reiterating the importance of continuing to fight for a better world. “Now go fail again.”
Philadelphia Flyers general manager Daniel Briere wasn’t killed on Thursday when the Anaheim Ducks matched the Flyers’ five-year, $90 million offer sheet for Leo Carlsson. But he did objectively fail, fail in his attempt to address the glaring 1C issue that remains his rebuild’s biggest missing piece, fail in his attempt to poach the 21-year Carlsson from the Ducks.
And now, he needs to go out and try — and potentially fail — again.
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6 Comments (3 conversations)
jimmyb
Great article Charlie, and love the GoT reference. Do you think the Zegras and Drysdale camps will now be asking for more in their negotiations, and does this increase the odds of one/both going to arbitration?
MarioD
They need elite talent.
They didn’t want to draft in the positions where they can get elite talent.
Very little elite talent gets traded and the elite players who have moved the Flyers couldn’t field an offer for.
Elite talent almost never goes to free agency so for the last two seasons the Flyers geared up to go “Big Game Hunting” in the summer and found only tumbleweeds waiting for them.
Now they’ve gone to well of last resort, Offer Sheets, and that didn’t work.
They’ve tried every option and failed.
This regime decided they were smarter than the rest of the league and going to get elite talent their own way, not through high draft picks. There’s been an awful lot of smirking but its been over three years now with no indication there is a plan that can work.
Randy
You’re in the gotta tank for the picks and there is no other path camp, clearly. So just say that.
And you’ve decided you are smarter than this regime. Fine.
When they inevitably fail and get fired, I’m sure you’ll get an interview for one if the vacant positions. Congrats. 👌🏾
ifollowcharlieo
A terrible take. They were one offer sheet away from getting a 1C to put themselves into a contention window.
And they’re still a bonafide bubble playoff team even if they just run back last year.
Relentless negativity once again on display.
MarioD
Woohoo! Let me know when they schedule the “playoff bubble team” parade.
They have squandered away assets (most notably TK) attempting to reinvent the wheel and put the franchise further away from winning a cup than it was when they got hired. Playoff bubble team is bread and circuses.
guadzilla
Jon Snow became king of the north?
Noooo. Spoilers, Charlie, spoilers!!!
(Says the guy waiting for the sellout to release the last effing book)