#who will walk into season 5 and be utterly flabbergasted when Will comes out as gay (let alone when Byler happens)

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It’s wild how so many people are fundamentally incapable of recognizing queer characters unless they explicitly say the words, “I’m gay” on screen

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Should the Flyers Trade Wayne Simmonds… and then Bring Him Back?

Wayne Simmonds was pissed off and rightfully so.

The Flyers were trying to furiously come back from another three-goal deficit against Tampa Bay when it seemed Sean Couturier had cut the lead to one with 47 seconds remaining in the game.

Referee Graham Skilliter called off the goal, however.

As a regular observer of hockey, I can tell you I’m not sure Skilliter initially knew why he was waiving off the goal. It wasn’t done emphatically, and as soon as the Flyers seemed to voice their complaints, he held them at bay saying he was going to discuss it with the other officials.

Then, the four zebras gathered near the scorer’s table in a huddle, talked for a moment and then decided to rule it was no goal because of goaltender interference.

An easy out would have been that Skilliter lost sight of the puck and was about to blow his whistle. But, considering the Flyers were burned last week in a game against the Penguins on a poorly timed ref’s whistle, you could see a moment of trepidation by Skilliter waiving it off. So, they had to find a different call. And they went with goaltender interference.

The reason? It’s a call that can be challenged. Knowing Flyers coach Scott Gordon would likely issue that challenge, the officials knew they could get another review of the play on video and then they could make the correct call.

Welcome to professional sports officiating in 2019, where the decisions being made on the field, court or ice aren’t necessarily what you saw or thought you saw, but rather a vague possibility that could elicit replay review so the officials can get a second look at a play they missed and don’t have to suffer the slings and arrows of a blown call.

The problem this time though was that even after looking at a replay, which was clear as day that this should have been a goal and there was no interference, the officials still got it wrong.

Can someone tell me where is Goalie Interference on the Flyers#Flyers #TBLvsPHI pic.twitter.com/cC8LN2IqG0

— David Malandra Jr (@David_Malandra) February 20, 2019

They said the call on the ice was “confirmed,” although there isn’t one person who can clearly identify what constitutes interfering with a goalie anymore.

Even Couturier was flabbergasted afterwards saying, “I don’t know what goalie interference is anymore.”

And he’s right. No one knows. The NHL has a problem much like the NFL did with determining what constitutes a catch before this past season, or what actually is roughing the passer, which is the latest rule that seems completely and utterly arbitrary and without any shred of common sense applied to it.

But this isn’t about that missed call. After all, the Flyers would have still needed another goal in the final 47 seconds just to tie Tampa, so there’s no guarantee there. And, to be fair, the eventual 5-2 loss to the Lightning was not the result of bad officiating, but rather a terrible first period for the Flyers that was littered with turnovers and mistakes – the same turnovers and mistakes they were able to get away with in games against a team like Detroit who they swept last weekend but that will kill you against the Stanley Cup favorites in Tampa.

No, this story is about the first guy I mentioned. Wayne Simmonds. Because Tuesday night very well could have been his final game at the Wells Fargo Center as a member of the Flyers – and if it was, it was not one for the photo albums.

Simmonds, who has been an emotional leader during the Flyers’ resurgent past month, had an off night.

His line, with Nolan Patrick and Scott Laughton that had been so good for the past several games, was mostly invisible. Simmonds was frustrated early – because the Flyers were behind 3-0 in a blink of an eye and couldn’t solve Lightning backup goalie Louis Domingue for the first two periods, including a second period in which the Flyers played a strong 20 minutes of hockey.

But in the third period, Simmonds was whistled for two minor penalties, first for roughing Tyler Johnson after not taking kindly to being interfered with – although if he controls his reaction there, maybe the Flyers get a power play.

After serving that penalty, Simmonds was quickly whistled for hooking Nikita Kucherov. It was an admittedly weak call, and Simmonds was hot. He stood at the door of the penalty box and screamed at the referee (I didn’t note if it was Skilliter or Jake Brenk) incessantly until the ref responded by blowing his whistle and pointing at Simmonds to close the door and get in the box. Simmonds still delayed and was lucky not to get an additional minor for unsportsmanlike conduct or even a 10-minute misconduct.

The Lightning went ahead and scored while Simmonds was in the box, which only ate at him further.

Then came the goalie interference call, and finally, with the net empty, the Lightning put the game away with one final goal. Simmonds let some verbiage fly that resulted in a game misconduct:

What could be the last time Simmonds steps off the ice at the WFC in a Flyers jersey. pic.twitter.com/9KxMbehL0h

— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) February 20, 2019

Oh, did I mention Simmonds was on the ice for three of the five Tampa goals as well?

His final stat line had 18:42 of ice time, 14 minutes in penalties and he was a minus-3.

Certainly not the way he wanted to go out.

But the question remains – is he on his way out?

I’m still hearing the answer to that is likely yes, that he will be traded before Monday’s deadline. This could mean there are two more opportunities to watch Simmonds play in a Flyers jersey – on television Thursday night when they are in Montreal or Saturday (maybe Sunday, depending on the weather) at the Stadium Series game against Pittsburgh at Lincoln Financial Field.

The Flyers were able to stay within six points of a playoff spot despite the loss to Tampa because Columbus lost in Montreal.

The target team continues to change for the Flyers – it’s been Pittsburgh, Columbus and Carolina at various times in the past week – and don’t forget Buffalo is in this mix as well. But for now, the final wild card spot belongs to the Blue Jackets – who also happen to have a game in hand on the Flyers and seven more regulation wins than the Flyers – which is the first tiebreaker.

So, in essence, the Flyers could be as many as nine points out of a playoff spot without even playing another game.

General Manager Chuck Fletcher is aware of that, which is why he will wait through the weekend to make any trades final, but realizes the Flyers need to win the next two game sand get some help to really think they have a shot to make a run to a playoff berth – and even that might not be enough to save Simmonds from being traded.

There is an abundance of teams interested in Simmonds. More names crop up almost daily. Whether all those reports are to be believed or its agents/teams using the media to drum up interest/better offers remains to be seen.

For what it’s worth, the latest I heard was Boston is really interested.

But, if there are that many teams interested, the Flyers should bring back a return that is better than could have been expected when the calendar flipped to 2019.

And yet, there are those who say there should be caution for any team trading for Simmonds.

Bob McKenzie of TSN tweeted out last week that several scouts are cautioning that Simmonds might no longer be what you expect when you hear his name:

Pro scouts have been cautious with their recent reviews on Simmonds. https://t.co/KTlEdYiESt

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 14, 2019

I texted with a pro scout after the Tampa game (who was not at the game, but who has seen Simmonds play a few times recently) and this is what he sent back:

“You can see he still has the motor, but I’m not sure all the cylinders are firing on every shift. There are times when you can see the Wayne Simmonds everyone knows, and then there are times where he’s more like a hologram – kind of there but really not.”

If these are the scouting reports other teams are getting, then maybe Fletcher won’t get the kind of return he thinks he will for Simmonds.

Either way, it’s pretty well accepted that Simmonds has two games to go as a member of the Flyers, and then he’ll be somewhere else – whether the Flyers are chasing the final wild card spot or not.

The big question then is, do you bring him back next season?

Russ and I talked about this a bit on the pre-game Press Row Show prior to the Lightning game. It’s a very real question without a very good answer.

There’s no questioning what Simmonds brings to the locker room, the team and the organization. Those intangibles alone are worth considering bringing him back in July.

But, at what price? And where does he fall on the list of priorities?

Those are the key questions.

It’s likely that Simmonds’ desire for a long-term deal will not be met. Maybe there’s a team out there willing to spend “stupid money” (©Middleton, John) on him and the Flyers just walk away and start planning the tribute video for when he returns.

But, in lieu of that, Simmonds could be an attractive addition to next season’s version of this team if it comes in the way of a two-or-three-year deal at a reasonable salary cap hit.

I say that because these Flyers are closer than you think, and if Simmonds is a part of a bigger re-tooling plan, then it could be a deft play by Fletcher – trade him away for value and then bring him back four months later.

However, Simmonds can not be a priority. That’s important. The timing of free agency is critical. If a player is willing to wait a couple days, great. But most players want to sign on July 1. That’s when all the big money is being doled out.

As such, depending on what the Flyers do between Monday and the draft in June, there could still be question marks entering July 1.

Will the Flyers have added speed and scoring to a forward lineup that lacks those traits? Will they have added a veteran and reliable defenseman to help stabilize an inconsistent core or rearguards?

Will there be a prospect who they feel can move into the lineup next season and have an impact?

All of those questions need to be answered before considering bringing back Simmonds.

If he’s the final piece of a puzzle that can give you 15-18 minutes a night and provide some power play scoring, some third line depth, his usual grit and sandpaper and stand out leadership in the locker room and is willing to take a shorter-term deal. Then yes, he checks off enough boxes, and you bring him back.

But if he’s being expected to bring more than that to the table and you are crossing your fingers and hoping, or you are forced to sign a longer-term deal, then you just have to walk away, unfortunately, no matter how popular a player Simmonds has been, is and always will be in Philadelphia.

And if that’s the case, then it’s a shame the last time he was seen in a Flyers jersey at Wells Fargo Center was under such sucky circumstances.

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