I'm sure that's part of it, but if they expected this to be a playoff team...that doesn't really excite me.

It's got good parts and cornerstones, but it's missing talent in key areas and the mix is bad.
- Jsaquella

Several years of neglect will do that to a roster.

The ACC?
- Jsaquella

The long hard argument to keep him with the big club smells like a trash fire to me.

I just hope that Hextall's comments were notebook filler. Because I disagree that this is just an underperforming team.

I think it's a bad team.
- Jsaquella

Actions speak louder than words.

If he thought they were any good, he would have tried to jolt them w/ a splash and not been seeking trade protection on his 1st-rounders in trades.

Several years of neglect will do that to a roster.
- ob18

It's the 25 to 30 year olds that never got drafted here that makes the talent gap so significant. The few picks they had have all been traded.

Here's an interesting question I saw on Twitter:

How many Flyers players would you say are performing well below your expectations?

I came up with two. Read and Coburn. There's a handful of others that are below expectations, but not playing so badly that I could say, "Wow, I'm stunned at how awful he looks"
- Jsaquella

Read, McDonald, and coburn

I prefer to be an optimist but from July 1 until the end of camp there was just no good reason to do anything but stare losing in the face.
- mayorofangrytown

The summer was underwhelming. I just hope they can get some solid assets before the 2105 draft. The first two rounds are pretty solid, and they would be picking 6th & 75th if the season ended today. Got to get more picks.

Offensive hero and goaltender as the seconds tick down.

Actions speak louder than words.

If he thought they were any good, he would have tried to jolt them w/ a splash and not been seeking trade protection on his 1st-rounders in trades.
- Tomahawk

True. He hasn't made a splash deal or fired Berube. I really want Hextall to succeed.

Actions speak louder than words.

If he thought they were any good, he would have tried to jolt them w/ a splash and not been seeking trade protection on his 1st-rounders in trades.
- Tomahawk

He knew exactly what he was doing and all the fools who thought this wasn't a bit of a tank job by management are probably still waiting for this to turn around. In a way I'm glad Timmonen didn't have to suffer through this. He deserves to go out on a better team than this atrocity.

The summer was underwhelming. I just hope they can get some solid assets before the 2105 draft. The first two rounds are pretty solid, and they would be picking 6th & 75th if the season ended today. Got to get more picks.
- Jsaquella

There has to be a second or two with our names on it at the deadline.

Read, McDonald, and coburn
- Just5

You had higher expectations for MacDonald than I did. Once Timonen went down & it was pretty clear that MacDonald would end up having to fill the same role he couldn't adequately fill as an Islander, I figured it was going to be ugly.

The summer was underwhelming. I just hope they can get some solid assets before the 2105 draft. The first two rounds are pretty solid, and they would be picking 6th & 75th if the season ended today. Got to get more picks.
- Jsaquella

Rantanen looked good this tournament. As did Crouse imo. My picks if they are outside the top 5.

Actions speak louder than words.

If he thought they were any good, he would have tried to jolt them w/ a splash and not been seeking trade protection on his 1st-rounders in trades.
- Tomahawk

Bingo

Actions speak louder than words.

If he thought they were any good, he would have tried to jolt them w/ a splash, or not been seeking trade protection on his 1st-rounders in trades.
- Tomahawk

I don't see that as being the case. From day 1, Hextall repeated his philosophy on how he was going to run the team. He wasn't going to give up any part of the future for now. He wasn't just going to ignore the team, but we're looking at moves without risk, that were low cost, or no cost, such as signing Colaiacovo, and calling up Laughton. Those moves were made for now. That he hasn't made any other significant moves isn't really an indication that he doesn't think they are any good, or that he didn't think they were at any point. That's more about his agenda then anything. Which may change now, in that the timeline for some moves that he may want to make, may be moved up.

i missed the boat on all of those celeb nudes going around.
- stayinthefnnet

What a time that was to be alive.

Rantanen looked good this tournament. As did Crouse imo. My picks if they are outside the top 5.
- flyer_nutter

I still have them behind Marner, Strome, Kylington, Zacha and maybe Werenski.

You had higher expectations for MacDonald than I did. Once Timonen went down & it was pretty clear that MacDonald would end up having to fill the same role he couldn't adequately fill as an Islander, I figured it was going to be ugly.
- Jsaquella

I probably did. I thought he at least could be the guy he was in nyi. Now we're not even seeing that

Actions speak louder than words.

If he thought they were any good, he would have tried to jolt them w/ a splash and not been seeking trade protection on his 1st-rounders in trades.
- Tomahawk

Then why is the pen mightier than the sword?

I still have them behind Marner, Strome, Kylington, Zacha and maybe Werenski.
- Jsaquella

I don't see Zacha outside top 5.

Kylington is cool. Not a fan of Marner.

He knew exactly what he was doing and all the fools who thought this wasn't a bit of a tank job by management are probably still waiting for this to turn around. In a way I'm glad Timmonen didn't have to suffer through this. He deserves to go out on a better team than this atrocity.
- mayorofangrytown

IMO, these quotes that are coming out are just kabuki for the STH's and so ticket sales don't die out.

I probably did. I thought he at least could be the guy he was in nyi. Now we're not even seeing that
- Just5

That's fair. He's been overmatched here, thus far.

I don't see Zacha outside top 5.

Kylington is cool. Not a fan of Marner.
- flyer_nutter

We can no longer be friends

I don't see Zacha outside top 5.

Kylington is cool. Not a fan of Marner.
- flyer_nutter

I love Marner. You want skill, he's got buckets of it. Only concern is size.

Then why is the pen mightier than the sword?
- Giroux_Is_God

Philosoraptor, is that you?

Philosoraptor, is that you?
- Tomahawk

I'm a philosophizer.