In a way it's interesting because the Oilers need defenders. Just not sure who you would move.

Probably unpopular but would you see if Gostisbehere for RNH get's it done?
- J35Bacher

I wouldn't move Ghost for him. Ghost has his warts, for sure, but he's our best point-producer from the back end. If it's Ghost for RNH, then I say wait it out. If it's true, I'd try like hell to interest them in Gudas (punishing hitter for the big WC teams) with a package of prospects and picks.

But I love Ghost, so I'm biased.

No. If I am giving up Ghost I want something better than RNH. He is a bust. Id prefer a winger tbh. I would really like to bring JVR back as a FA next season
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

Strong pass on JVR.

Here's a stat for how well this team is playing and has developed in the last year or so.

They have won a total of 24 games in their last 75 going back to December 14th 2016. do I see them getting better or making strides? no...no I don't.
- landros 2

How many new players are on the team now that weren't on that date?

I don't know in the long run but right now he is a young player and a rookie. Don't trade that for a minor at best upgrade for a player who is older and is going to be a UFA.
- MJL

I think you over value Weal. The guy isn't that young, he's 25. He was so good that no other team wanted to claim him off waivers. Weal can sail off into the sunset with Weise for all I care. They have enough under producing small forwards.

Hextall comments are absurd and he is basically saying he is happy with a nine game winless streak. This streak could easily get much bigger and it should cost him and his puppet coach their jobs

I wouldn't move Ghost for him. Ghost has his warts, for sure, but he's our best point-producer from the back end. If it's Ghost for RNH, then I say wait it out. If it's true, I'd try like hell to interest them in Gudas (punishing hitter for the big WC teams) with a package of prospects and picks.

But I love Ghost, so I'm biased.
- jmatchett383

Only because he plays the PP. Provorov is our best ES point producer...but he also logs a ton of minutes

I think Ghost could be more effective in a different system fwiw

How many new players are on the team now that weren't on that date?
- MJL

the date seems suspiciously close to the end of the Flyers 10 game win streak...

How many new players are on the team now that weren't on that date?
- MJL

What does that have to do with anything, bottom line Hextall and Hakstol have a very poor record and it is getting worse. Line combos to ridiculous trades are all part of the problem. Those blaming Elliot are not seeing the ice, the scoring chances and shots against are not routine, they are glorious opportunities. Team defence is non existant and this losing record seems to be acceptable. Not to me and after 40 years I am done with this team until Coma Man and his puppeteer are gone. Insulting to true Flyer fans who came to love this team for its character, now we have no character and probably the softest team in the nhl. Please trade Gost to Edmonton

I love Hexy, but I am really starting to question his decisions lately. I do agree, we have been competitive in some of our losses. We just blow leads, but that has been a trait of the team for the past 2-3 years now. Looking at Hextall's body of work though, I'm really starting to get nervous. I will try not to be impatient. We all knew we wouldn't be a contender for 2-3 more years anyway. Obviously once our cap problems come full circle, we really have to judge Hextall on his ability to sign quality FA. So far he has not had a single FA move to hang our hat on. I mean atleast Holmgren was able to sign Briere, Timonen, and Hartnell. It's frustrating to think we can't do anything to help this team.

Hextall has:
1. Traded Hartnell for Umberger. (I get the trade when it comes to the cap, but man.. we could sure use a vet presence like Hartnell right now)
2.Trade Coburn for Gudas + 1st. (The head chopper...)
3.Sign Dale Weise. (Hextall's blockbuster FA signing thus far...)
4.Trade Schenn. (I didn't mind the trade, but it sure is ugly right now)
5. Hire Hakstol (still scratching my head on this one, was hoping for the best, but clearly not the guy. Hope I get proved wrong.)

I know there have been other minor moves and signings, I know there have been cap issues, but so do other 32 teams. It's just hard to be happy with Hextall's moves right now. I mean, it's like the team has completely lost its identity. They are a shadow of the team I watched the first 5-10 games this season. Does it fall on Giroux & Voracek & Simmer? It's been their team, can they lead us to where we need to go. Same issues year after year.

Blasphemous. C'mon, rant and rave!

- MJL

It is so cute how many people on this site don't take the GM at his word and instead say what he meant or make up what they think he meant.

This is comical.

It is an alternate reality, Fake news if you will.

Here's a stat for how well this team is playing and has developed in the last year or so.

They have won a total of 24 games in their last 75 going back to December 14th 2016. do I see them getting better or making strides? no...no I don't.
- landros 2

Here's a stat for how well this team is playing and has developed in an arbitrary period pr so.

They have won a total of 3 games in their last 3 from November 4th 2017 to November 11th 2017. do I see them getting better or making strides? yes...yes I do.

the date seems suspiciously close to the end of the Flyers 10 game win streak...
- YuenglingJagr

Exactly and you are dead correct. Hextall's plan is working, even Vegas with all the left overs is a much better team and only because of coaching and management.

It is so cute how many people on this site don't take the GM at his word and instead say what he meant or make up what they think he meant.

This is comical.

It is an alternate reality, Fake news if you will.
- ggunky

Like bitcoin?

Hextall is truly blind, face the facts there is nothing to be excited about if you are a Flyers fan, nothing! Hex and Haks have ruined this team and are a disgrace to Flyers Hockey standards, they are soft and I mean really soft, easy to play against and a coach who continually puts players in postitions to fail. Having Lehtara or Weise on the pp is ridiculous, you lose in OT everytime because he has slow culls out instead of skaters. After 40 years of being a Flyer fan I am done this time around. I miss Schenn, JVR, Bobrovsky, Hartnell and can not take watching Simmonds struggle to skate, Voracek shoot wide mostly and not back check and half the bottom nine are minor leaguers.

Like bitcoin?
- jmatchett383

Exactly!

Hextall is truly blind, face the facts there is nothing to be excited about if you are a Flyers fan, nothing! Hex and Haks have ruined this team and are a disgrace to Flyers Hockey standards, they are soft and I mean really soft, easy to play against and a coach who continually puts players in postitions to fail. Having Lehtara or Weise on the pp is ridiculous, you lose in OT everytime because he has slow culls out instead of skaters. After 40 years of being a Flyer fan I am done this time around. I miss Schenn, JVR, Bobrovsky, Hartnell and can not take watching Simmonds struggle to skate, Voracek shoot wide mostly and not back check and half the bottom nine are minor leaguers.
- joegreif17

That's great, then please stop being a fan and posting here. Thank you.

Typical meaningless GM speak. Did you really expect him to say:

"Well, lets face it, except for Couturier and maybe Giroux, our vets are playing like crap right now. Voracek is playing like he recently had a lobotomy and Simmonds needs to just admit he's hurt and come out of the lineup for a game or 2. I wish I had never acquired Filppula or signed Weise because both of them are playing like crap too. The kids, other than Provorov, are all having the usual ups and downs and that is to be expected, it's up to the vets to pick them up and help the team win some games and they've failed miserably".

Hextall goes on,

"The coach certainly needs to do a better job too, especially in just settling this team down and with our PK which is simply atrocious right now. I love Lappy, but he's just about out of chances here. As far as our goaltending goes, Elliott has been fine but Neuvirth needs to get his head out of his ass. Look, it's not easy to win in this league when you are missing your only 2 legit veteran NHL dmen, hopefully AMac can get his game back to where it was prior to his injury soon and Gudas, well, if he can't stop being a (frank)ing moron when he gets back, I'll ship his ass out of here as soon as possible." So yeah, I'm (frank)ing frustrated right now, we may or may not be a playoff team, but there is no excuse for playing as bad as we played tonight and I don't even want to hear that they were tired."

Good luck ever hearing a GM say something like that.
- BiggE

Exactly. Blasting a team relying so much on youth now and in the future isn't going to help.

Hextall comments are absurd and he is basically saying he is happy with a nine game winless streak. This streak could easily get much bigger and it should cost him and his puppet coach their jobs
- joegreif17

sigh

I will just say that there is an area between blasting a team and trying to sugar coat things, which is what I think he did.
- jmatchett383

I am not saying he needed to come out with pitch forks and torches but to just chalk it up to hard luck is asinine.

I am not saying he needed to come out with pitch forks and torches but to just chalk it up to hard luck is asinine.
- ggunky

Would this have been acceptable:

"Well, lets face it, except for a few of our players, our vets aren't playing up to our standards right now. We've been making some bad decisions with the puck and I think that a few players may be battling some injuries to try to pull us out. The young players on this team are all having the usual ups and downs and that is to be expected, and we expect the veterans to pick them up and help the team win some games, and that hasn't been the case lately".

Hextall goes on,

"The coaching staff certainly needs to do a better job too, especially in just settling this team down. We have had some issues on the PK that we need to work out. Our goaltending has been generally solid, but of course we'd like to see it get even better. We've had some issues with players missing time due to injuries and other reasons, and we're hoping that we can get them back and up to speed.

Yes, I'm frustrated right now, but I still think we are a playoff team, but there is no excuse for playing as bad as we played tonight. We need to get back to playing better quickly, and I believe that we will"

That is basically what BiggE said, but without singling out any player and with less vitrol.

Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood afternoooooooooooooooooon everybooooooooooooddddddyyyyyy!!!!

Would this have been acceptable:

"Well, lets face it, except for a few of our players, our vets aren't playing up to our standards right now. We've been making some bad decisions with the puck and I think that a few players may be battling some injuries to try to pull us out. The young players on this team are all having the usual ups and downs and that is to be expected, and we expect the veterans to pick them up and help the team win some games, and that hasn't been the case lately".

Hextall goes on,

"The coaching staff certainly needs to do a better job too, especially in just settling this team down. We have had some issues on the PK that we need to work out. Our goaltending has been generally solid, but of course we'd like to see it get even better. We've had some issues with players missing time due to injuries and other reasons, and we're hoping that we can get them back and up to speed.

Yes, I'm frustrated right now, but I still think we are a playoff team, but there is no excuse for playing as bad as we played tonight. We need to get back to playing better quickly, and I believe that we will"

That is basically what BiggE said, but without singling out any player and with less vitrol.
- jmatchett383

Not bad actually. Except about the part of players battling injuries, I wouldnt want the media to start badgering Simmonds or any other player to find out if they are hurt.

Would this have been acceptable:

"Well, lets face it, except for a few of our players, our vets aren't playing up to our standards right now. We've been making some bad decisions with the puck and I think that a few players may be battling some injuries to try to pull us out. The young players on this team are all having the usual ups and downs and that is to be expected, and we expect the veterans to pick them up and help the team win some games, and that hasn't been the case lately".

Hextall goes on,

"The coaching staff certainly needs to do a better job too, especially in just settling this team down. We have had some issues on the PK that we need to work out. Our goaltending has been generally solid, but of course we'd like to see it get even better. We've had some issues with players missing time due to injuries and other reasons, and we're hoping that we can get them back and up to speed.

Yes, I'm frustrated right now, but I still think we are a playoff team, but there is no excuse for playing as bad as we played tonight. We need to get back to playing better quickly, and I believe that we will"

That is basically what BiggE said, but without singling out any player and with less vitrol.
- jmatchett383

I think that would have been OK. That i would chalk up to GM speak and from that i can take away that he knows they aren't playing good enough.

Again, he said they "aren't playing poorly"

That is were it all goes so wrong.

He made up a fake record about playing 5-4 hockey over the last nine games. It was almost like he is in denial that they have lost 9 in a row.

There's 800 pages of back reading to do and I wouldn't back read anything over 6, and I'd skim that at best. So keeping that in mind, apologies to anyone I (possibly) echo here.

Bill mentions the Timonen type and others have mentioned the Pronger type personality this team lacks. Timonen, as Bill pointed out, would say "we need to just calm down". Isn't that kind of what Hextall just said? That sentiment is there. Pronger would take the puck off the ice after a Cup loss so everyone would talk about him being a jackass instead of smoking a young Giroux or a timid Richards. Isn't that what Hextall just did? He just took some heat off some of his younger players and his young coach.

To keep it to the point, why does it have to be a player who pulls the media strings?

I'm not happy with the way they're playing and I'm sure Hextall isn't either, but tactically not saying that and taking the Timonen approach of "we can do this, just have to relax" combined with a Pronger "take some heat off" approach might not be the worst thing for a team with bottomed-out confidence right now.

I think they should trade Ghost, Jake, Giroux, and 3 firsts for McDavid and RNH. bLoW iT uP!!!

Exactly. Blasting a team relying so much on youth now and in the future isn't going to help.
- Giroux_Is_God