Who pairs with ghost with Schenn and manning parked?
- Just5

I'd go:

MDZ-Gudas
Streit-Schultz
Medvedev-Gostisbehere

To start. And yeah that third pair gives me a lot of pause, because Medvedev has struggled.

It is hard pressed to imagine a scenario where they trade Simmonds right now given how many things he contributes to the team.

It would have to be an obvious overpayment which I dont think happens.
- opeth_pa

That's always been my condition to trading Simmonds-getting a team to be overpay.

Schultz actually looked like their best defenseman last night. Manning was horrible.

In fact if Streit comes back, to me it's an easy decision to send ManDog up the Northeast Extension to Allentown.
- Jsaquella

Agreed, I'd waive Manning and would be shocked if another NHL team bothered to take him.

I'd go:

MDZ-Gudas
Streit-Schultz
Medvedev-Gostisbehere

To start. And yeah that third pair gives me a lot of pause, because Medvedev has struggled.
- Jsaquella

I pretty much feel the same. I'd have Medvedev on a short leash though and would have no problem replacing him with L Schenn if his D game doesn't improve.

Agreed, I'd waive Manning and would be shocked if another NHL team bothered to take him.
- BiggE

since he is cheap one slim possibility is the black hawks as they may need a bottom pairing guy, that's if they view manning that way of course

since he is cheap one slim possibility is the black hawks as they may need a bottom pairing guy, that's if they view manning that way of course
- rinaldo

A contender like Chicago would probably see Manning as a 7/8 guy at best.

A contender like Chicago would probably see Manning as a 7/8 guy at best.
- BiggE

Then lets trade them 2nd-pairing defenseman Andrew MacDonald

Outside of buyouts, Umberger, VLC, and MacDonald are here for the duration of their contracts. Absolute dead (frank)ing wood. There isn't a single team in the NHL with anywhere close to having 3 contracts like that on complete garbage.
- PLindbergh31

Ppl female dog anout us female doging about holmgren still being around. But they really fail to realize the problem, and that being, what good is it, if your gm can utterly screw up so badly and the only thing he has to worry about is a promotion? For me it all goes back to what i find as a real fault in this organization; the good ol' boys club. It's fine when you're winning but this team is strangled with lousy contracts, especially after two amnesty buyouts were gifted to them and now this team is a bottom feeder. The culture of the front office needs to change. So yes female doging about holmgren being here, completely warranted.

Ppl female dog anout us female doging about holmgren still being around. But they really fail to realize the problem, and that being, what good is it, if your gm can utterly screw up so badly and the only thing he has to worry about is a promotion? For me it all goes back to what i find as a real fault in this organization; the good ol' boys club. It's fine when you're winning but this team is strangled with lousy contracts, especially after two amnesty buyouts were gifted to them and now this team is a bottom feeder. The culture if the front office needs to change. So yes female doging about holmgren being here, completely warranted.
- JoeRussomanno

IMO, the front office culture already started to change when Hextall took over. He is moving this team forward much differently than Holmgren did and is actually attempting to build a team with youth through the draft. Do you disagree?

The culture of the front office needs to change. So yes female doging about holmgren being here, completely warranted.
- JoeRussomanno

Because the way the current GM , Hextall , is building the team is how everyone in the Good Old Boy network has previously done it.

The culture in the front office changed, which has been showing by building via the draft from the d out, when Hexy took over.

A contender like Chicago would probably see Manning as a 7/8 guy at best.
- BiggE

I was thinking more like janitor but ok

A contender like Chicago would probably see Manning as a 7/8 guy at best.
- BiggE

probably though they are always looking to fill that bottom pair cheaply...maybe in their system he looks better..

Then lets trade them 2nd-pairing defenseman Andrew MacDonald
- funmaster18

I was thinking more like janitor but ok
- JoeRussomanno

Could be a new spot for Vinny though.

I'd go:

MDZ-Gudas
Streit-Schultz
Medvedev-Gostisbehere

To start. And yeah that third pair gives me a lot of pause, because Medvedev has struggled.
- Jsaquella

Agreed. Medvedev wasn't really struggling before last night though. I think they can be fine

IMO, the front office culture already started to change when Hextall took over. He is moving this team forward much differently than Holmgren did and is actually attempting to build a team with youth through the draft. Do you disagree?
- funmaster18

Time will tell and while i respect your opinion, I personally don't feel it. Building through the draft is great but to me it's deeper than that. I'm talking about the boneheaded stubbornness to insist on "their" ppl. Look at the coaching change, the whole staff should've been dismissed and a new one brought in, instead hakstoll gets saddled with the sane guys from berube's tenure. I find that a poor management decision, especially bringing in a college level guy like hakstoll. How is he to turn it around with the same old regime still there? Furthermore, the picks and prospects are nice but hexstall can't get any credit until those players actually play and play well at the NHL level. So he's bought himself some time but not all these kids are gonna pan out, that u can almost be sure of. So at some point he's going to have to go out and get free agents. So no, I'm not sold yet.

Could be a new spot for Vinny though.

- BiggE

He has a nmc

He has a nmc
- JoeRussomanno

no maintenance clause

Time will tell and while i respect your opinion, I personally don't feel it. Building through the draft is great but to me it's deeper than that. I'm talking about the boneheaded stubbornness to insist on "their" ppl. Look at the coaching change, the whole staff should've been dismissed and a new one brought in, instead hakstoll gets saddled with the sane guys from berube's tenure. I find that a poor management decision, especially bringing in a college level guy like hakstoll. How is he to turn it around with the same old regime still there? Furthermore, the picks and prospects are nice but hexstall can't get any credit until those players actually play and play well at the NHL level. So he's bought himself some time but not all these kids are gonna pan out, that u can almost be sure of. So at some point he's going to have to go out and get free agents. So no, I'm not sold yet.
- JoeRussomanno

I viewed the hold over of Lappy and Murphy as just offering continuity and stability for a coach that is already facing a drastic change in how things are done at the NHL vs the college level. If this was a proven NHL coach and the assistants were kept around then too me that would be a bad thing but given the unique hire, which is a culture change in the front office, of a Hakstol then i dont have an issue with it.

Additionally if people are going to point to the lack of focusing on defense via the draft as an indication of the shortcomings of the front office then how can you not hold the stocking up on high end defensive prospects as a positive for this front office?

- BulliesPhan87

its unreal


the roller coaster that goes on in here continues to shock me even after all these years of posting

Agreed, I'd waive Manning and would be shocked if another NHL team bothered to take him.
- BiggE

And if they did, so what.

I viewed the hold over of Lappy and Murphy as just offering continuity and stability for a coach that is already facing a drastic change in how things are done at the NHL vs the college level. If this was a proven NHL coach and the assistants were kept around then too me that would be a bad thing but given the unique hire, which is a culture change in the front office, of a Hakstol then i dont have an issue with it.

Additionally if people are going to point to the lack of focusing on defense via the draft as an indication of the shortcomings of the front office then how can you not hold the stocking up on high end defensive prospects as a positive for this front office?
- opeth_pa

I agree.

I think you could see some changes to the assistants if they miss the playoffs this year. Hakstol will have a year of experience.

Also in regards to people thinking Holmgren got a "promotion". Yes he did in a sense. So did Howie for the eagles. I saw the move as inserting Hextall into the GM role sooner rather then later. When he came back to Philly as an assistant GM role almost everyone had said he was going to take over for Holmgren some time. I think once they missed the playoffs they wanted to get this moving forward with Hextall as GM.

its unreal


the roller coaster that goes on in here continues to shock me even after all these years of posting
- Crimsoninja

Should just play it smooth like the flyers

Pretty much every organization in hockey uses the old boys club approach to some extent. Holmgren is a member of that club, and if people are too blind to realize that, then it's on them.

Hextall has changed many things. First the culture of quick fixes and using free agency to address perceived weaknesses. Shifting to an emphasis on drafting and building from the ground up, rather than trades and free agency. They're focusing on skill and skating in the draft, rather than grit & heart. That's a big swing in and of itself.

As far as coaching goes, you have a NHL neophyte who has no experience in the league. Giving him experienced veteran coaches, already in place helps him. He can also evaluate them and decide on them moving forward, rather than rashly firing and replacing them off the bat. if they are an issue, then Hakstol should be able to figure it out.

Time will tell and while i respect your opinion, I personally don't feel it. Building through the draft is great but to me it's deeper than that. I'm talking about the boneheaded stubbornness to insist on "their" ppl. Look at the coaching change, the whole staff should've been dismissed and a new one brought in, instead hakstoll gets saddled with the sane guys from berube's tenure. I find that a poor management decision, especially bringing in a college level guy like hakstoll. How is he to turn it around with the same old regime still there? Furthermore, the picks and prospects are nice but hexstall can't get any credit until those players actually play and play well at the NHL level. So he's bought himself some time but not all these kids are gonna pan out, that u can almost be sure of. So at some point he's going to have to go out and get free agents. So no, I'm not sold yet.
- JoeRussomanno

Dude you have to open up your mind a bit. Regardless of what you think about the prospects and how good they will be, the bottom line is that it needs to happen. There are not any competitive teams that are built through free agency anymore. The talent has to come from the draft and prospects. What reason do they have to not try to maximize the value of their assets on the team right now and try to stockpile talent? Hextall deserves credit because he has recognized this and is taking the steps necessary to build a competitive team that is sustainable.