Changing the plan is different the adjusting the plan.

I get the impression that there was to be no deviation from the timeline he had in his mind. Current product on the ice be damned.

The higher ups, and rightfully so, were not willing to watch the fanbase rebel, and revenue go down, because Hexy didn't want to trade to upgrade the team NOW. When everyone and their mother in law saw that we had plenty of assets to do so without even coming remotely close to gutting the system.

What point is having the assets if you aren't going to use some to fix holes?

I agree with Hexy's overall vision. in year 1, 2, and even 3. Get rid of bad contracts, build up the system, clear the cap space. All great goals.

But now its year 5 and the team has clearly taken a step back. Only an incompetent commander sees his plan failing or faltering and refuses to make adjustments based on the current info at hand. His superiors (and I would venture to guess those under him as well) asked him to make some adjustments. And he failed to address the teams two most pressing needs. Goalie, and 3C.

The facts speak for themselves. There is patience, and then there is stubbornness.
- MBFlyerfan

This is a great post and I feel pretty much the same way.

I think Hakstol should have been canned last year during the 10 game losing streak. Something just isn’t right, be it with the coaching or the players. Do I think Hakstol is a bad coach ? Not at all. But coaches, even really good coaches have shelf lives, and Hakstol to me has passed his.
- landros 2

Hextall was too proud to admit his hire wasn't working out, and it cost him his job.

I wouldn't be surprised if the new GM is hired to be the President/GM and Holmgren steps aside into an advisory role after that. Homer looked like a guy tired of the day to day grind at the presser. Perhaps along with the new hire, a guy like Pryor is promoted to VP-Director of hockey operations and is clearly made the #2 man in the hockey operation side of things.
- BiggE

That's what I saw, too: Homer looked like a man his age, closer to retirement than he is to grinding out a deal with Doug Armstrong

I don't know who it's gonna be. No clue at all. But if yesterday was any indication, Homer didn't look like someone who was interested in getting back into that saddle

Need be tanking hard now

Someone brought up that this team reminds them of that stale Buffalo team that was kept together way too long circa 2010-2014. Man I think they nailed it
- Just5

well if the season ended now they would be drafting 3rd overall

I’m at the beginning stages or getting frustrated with Patrick. Yes, still young. But when you watch a game he just does t stand out and for much of a game is boring to watch. Is it possible we over valued some of our draft picks by Hextall? At this point I’m not sure who or how many will end up having decent nhl careers or become AHL lifers!!

Surely everyone posting here has enough experience as a fan to have seen plenty of other teams where the coach and the team were no longer on the same page and it was time to move on? It happens all the time in sports all over the world, but there's a still a fierce resistance from some quarters to admit it's happening here despite all the evidence.
- Feanor

Nah -- I don't think firing the coach will solve the problems, but even I can admit that it needs to be done

Every day this goes on will be worse and worse. It's toxic, because everyone knows it's coming

If they want to truly try to salvage this season, it needs to be done, and it needs to be done ASAP

I think they bailed on the plan too soon.
- MJL

I don't think they were bailing on the plan and that is the point. I think they saw a few different factors and believed they could adjust the plan. And Hexy was unwilling to do so. Hexy seemed to be all or nothing, black and white, no deviation.

Every plan needs to be able to be adjusted. He was unwilling to do so. Good or bad.

He will surely find another job, his reputation has been solidified as a guy who can rebuild a franchise in a cap world.

Where I disagree with Hexy is that I believe it was time to start using some of those assets. To step on the gas a bit. He didn't agree.

Not all of these assets are going to play for the Flyers. Its a numbers game. Holding on to them has good and bad points. But I feel that if you hold on to some of them too long they lose their value. They leave to go somewhere else to get a chance to play in the NHL simply because they aren't enough roster spots. Or they never crack the lineup because they aren't good enough.

You take some chances or the opportunities pass you by.

Kovalchuk is old, overpaid and crappy.
- Feanor

While that may be true, he is proven goal scorer in the NHL, playing for a team starved for offense. The COACH didnt feel he was accountable in all 3 zones, was careless with the puck, and what did he do? He took away the one thing all players want

Just blow it the (frank) up, I’ve had it. New GM-check

New coaching staff-coming soon

Trade Simmonds and Voracek, and since they’re going nowhere this year, might as well shop Gudas, Weal and Raffl too. Let Lehtera and Folin walk after the season. I’d trade AMac too, even if you retain half, assuming you can find someone to take him and Weise can spend his last year in LHV for all I care.

This team needs a (frank)ing heart transplant. I, like much of the fanbase, have been a loyal fan forever. We deserve better than this sh!t show!
- BiggE

the thing is based on what was said, the "we need to be better now, not just 2-3 years from now" comments, do you have confidence that they will blow it up and start over? i don't. sounds more like they want a GM that will add. I could be totally wrong because I am paranoid about the direction of the organization of course

Bill Meltzer: Wrap: Late Collapse Drops Flyers, 4-3; Post-Hextall Presser Transcript
- bmeltzer

I’m always going to vote for the idea of splitting G and Coots. What good is there of having dominant top line, if the rest of the team is failing miserably.

Does Patrick really look like they have chemistry? I mean, I guess Jake looks pretty good for a guy who just scored his first point in five games. Simmonds and van Riemsdyk do not have a center between them.

Giroux is going to be the straw that stirs the drink no matter who he plays with and Couturier is going to be the best option to shutdown top lines no matter who we face.

After the Flyers debacle I turned on some college hoops. In the second half of a game the score was something like 70-48 with about 6-7 minutes left. One of the coaches called a time-out because he didn't like what he was seeing. Post-game he said something along the lines of "it was just bleh, and I didn't like it." He said what he needed to say and the team picked up its game and started playing better.







Oh, one more thing...it was the coach of the team leading by 22 at the time.
- Scoob

Basketball is different you get many time outs. Hockey you get 1. That time out is also tied to your ability to challenge a play you think was called wrong. At no point last night was there a 100% time out here and I fix the issue with this team. THEY FLAT OUT QUIT once the score went to 3-2 with 10 minutes to go. They are so fragile mentally anymore that a two goal lead becoming a one goal lead will fold them like a house of cards.

I think the thing that bothers me most about this Hexy firing is this summer could be huge for our team. Aside from the ample cap space to pretty much sign whoever we want, we have a ton of prospects taking the next step who were likely turning pro such as Allison, Frost and Ratcliffe, plus the likelihood of Vorobyev pushing for a spot as well as Morin and Myers. This was the summer that the flux of youth was going to happen and the cap to sign the right complimentary or impact players. I can see why Hexy got fired but idk maybe we could have waited until the end of the season. I know reports suggested he was stubborn and closed off, but even if we finish horribly this year, I think Hextall was owed a management meeting asking what’s your plan this summer bc our patience is running thin. Idk man.

I think they bailed on the plan too soon.
- MJL

That's not the question that I asked. You're answering the wrong question.

Hextall was too proud to admit his hire wasn't working out, and it cost him his job.
- Feanor

Absolutely.

I don't think they were bailing on the plan and that is the point. I think they saw a few different factors and believed they could adjust the plan. And Hexy was unwilling to do so. Hexy seemed to be all or nothing, black and white, no deviation.

Every plan needs to be able to be adjusted. He was unwilling to do so. Good or bad.

He will surely find another job, his reputation has been solidified as a guy who can rebuild a franchise in a cap world.

Where I disagree with Hexy is that I believe it was time to start using some of those assets. To step on the gas a bit. He didn't agree.

Not all of these assets are going to play for the Flyers. Its a numbers game. Holding on to them has good and bad points. But I feel that if you hold on to some of them too long they lose their value. They leave to go somewhere else to get a chance to play in the NHL simply because they aren't enough roster spots. Or they never crack the lineup because they aren't good enough.

You take some chances or the opportunities pass you by.
- MBFlyerfan

That's where I am

There's no exact science to this. You do the best you can and try to draft well and hire well and sign good players in FA

The easiest thing to do is do nothing. Because at some point, your mistakes will be in your rearview mirror

But other teams aren't waiting for you. Some will try to get better and fail. But some will try to get better and succeed and then you're gonna be dealing with the Buffalos and Torontos sooner than your plan said you would

I don't disagree, but those guys are few and far between and hard to get. Maybe a guy that won't cost a ton would be Kronwall out of Detroit. He's not the player he was at his peak but I'll take him over AMac/Folin. He has a Cup ring and is a respected vet and lord knows, Detroit needs to shed salary. Perhaps you try and put a deal together to get him and Jimmy Howard?

Other than that, not really sure what's out there. No contender or even a team that has reasonable expectations of making the playoffs is moving that type of player right now. Want no part of Seabrooks horrid contract so you can scratch Chicago off the list. JayBo has been horrible in St. Louis and he's never been the leadership type.

Maybe Phaneuf, but unless LA eats at least a million of the cap hit, I'd stay away.

I just don't see much out there.
- BiggE

just throwing this out there but all the people complaining about the Defense and wanting a veteran are probably the same people who were ready to go with 3 rookies in the lineup last year along with 2nd year Provorov and under 25 Ghost. this is what you are going to get with young dmen. ups and downs. so what do people want, to live with the young players and mistakes or not?

I am bored and I was looking at this past offseason. Just to see if the Flyers really did miss on guys possibly.

Flyers add van Riemsdyk 29(5yrs@7per)on july 1.

Not bad.

But look at this.

Jeff Skinner for forward prospect Cliff Pu, a second-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, and a third-round and a sixth-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.

Skinner 26([email protected])

Now I am not saying the Flyers or Canes would have struck the exact same deal. But to me that seems like a deal that isn't deviating from your plan and still helps your now.

I wonder if that is something the top guys wondered. Why can't we use some of that draft capital and prospects on the farm to help our team now.

I think the thing that bothers me most about this Hexy firing is this summer could be huge for our team. Aside from the ample cap space to pretty much sign whoever we want, we have a ton of prospects taking the next step who were likely turning pro such as Allison, Frost and Ratcliffe, plus the likelihood of Vorobyev pushing for a spot as well as Morin and Myers. This was the summer that the flux of youth was going to happen and the cap to sign the right complimentary or impact players. I can see why Hexy got fired but idk maybe we could have waited until the end of the season. I know reports suggested he was stubborn and closed off, but even if we finish horribly this year, I think Hextall was owed a management meeting asking what’s your plan this summer bc our patience is running thin. Idk man.
- arichardson22

This summer can be even better than the last with all the bottom six forwards coming off the books. I think Hextall deserved the opportunity to right the ship but that was only going to begin with firing the coach.

Giroux and Couturier are doing everything from dominating at even strength, killing penalties by forcing offensive chances and PP. Not good.

Hey, the PK was pretty good last night.

Last night was so weird because they really dominated the game for about 45 minutes.

They were physical, skating, and winning puck battles everywhere.

Provorov looked confident as did Sanheim, both joining and leading attacks. Provy still had some gaffs with the puck and is not there yet, but maybe signs of turning things around?

The goalie was solid, controlling rebounds and looked good.

The 4th line was good, I would have pushed Raffl and Laughton’s ice time in the third and think that line will be good in the future. I’d have Weise on it too and it’s a pretty solid 4th line the coach could lean on in close games.

Then their wheels fell off. One goal and they become head cases. The coach has to be blamed a bit here. At 3-2 you have to call a time out and settle the team down.

On the GM thing, it’s not hard to see merits to Hexy’s plan. If he had upgraded the goalies this summer I think he’d still be there. But making one or two moves last summer, even if you have to give up something you might not want, would have gone a long way, and he could still been here and have maintained the overall goal of draft and develop.


Also I think there is a lot of merit in wondering why Simmonds wasn’t either signed here or traded to fill a hole. He is playing like a guy in limbo, not the 200% give everything take a puck to the teeth to score guy we all love. And you can’t blame him, he doesn’t have his next deal, why should he destroy himself and get hurt?

Changing the plan is different the adjusting the plan.

I get the impression that there was to be no deviation from the timeline he had in his mind. Current product on the ice be damned.

The higher ups, and rightfully so, were not willing to watch the fanbase rebel, and revenue go down, because Hexy didn't want to trade to upgrade the team NOW. When everyone and their mother in law saw that we had plenty of assets to do so without even coming remotely close to gutting the system.

What point is having the assets if you aren't going to use some to fix holes?

I agree with Hexy's overall vision. in year 1, 2, and even 3. Get rid of bad contracts, build up the system, clear the cap space. All great goals.

But now its year 5 and the team has clearly taken a step back. Only an incompetent commander sees his plan failing or faltering and refuses to make adjustments based on the current info at hand. His superiors (and I would venture to guess those under him as well) asked him to make some adjustments. And he failed to address the teams two most pressing needs. Goalie, and 3C.

The facts speak for themselves. There is patience, and then there is stubbornness.
- MBFlyerfan

Bold plus add stable veteran top 4 d-man and PK specialist. Perfect!

Any GM candidate interviews scheduled? I hope they do weekly updates.

Basketball is different you get many time outs. Hockey you get 1. That time out is also tied to your ability to challenge a play you think was called wrong. At no point last night was there a 100% time out here and I fix the issue with this team. THEY FLAT OUT QUIT once the score went to 3-2 with 10 minutes to go. They are so fragile mentally anymore that a two goal lead becoming a one goal lead will fold them like a house of cards.
- dragonoffrost

Yes, different game but that's not the point. Read it again. He used the time out specifically to re-set his team which was already walloping the competition. Nothing had gone wrong. He wasn't strategizing the final seconds of a game. The outcome wasn't at risk. He simply didn't like the way his team was playing and responding to what the opponent was doing. At that point in the game the outcome was all but cemented. But he was still coaching.

I only brought it up to show that there is more to coaching than Xs and Os.

Not taking a time-out when it was 3-2 because there might need to be a challenge later is a bad move, imho.

just throwing this out there but all the people complaining about the Defense and wanting a veteran are probably the same people who were ready to go with 3 rookies in the lineup last year along with 2nd year Provorov and under 25 Ghost. this is what you are going to get with young dmen. ups and downs. so what do people want, to live with the young players and mistakes or not?
- nastyflyergirl

I can totally live with the mistakes and growing pains of the young D. But they need two NHL caliber goalies to compete when you have young D. That’s where I think Hexy failed.

I don't understand why you play Dale Wiese and Jordan Weal 15:30 and 14:48 at even strength while you play Oskar Lindblom and Scott Laughton 5:18 and 5:58 at even strength.

I understand they may have been a part of the fourth line but both players are defensively responsible and Laughton already had two assists. Unless they were hurt they should have been out there more.
- ManCity

Laughton has earned playing time over freaking Weal. its infuriating to me. I wish someone would ask the damn coach about player usage. (frank)

This summer can be even better than the last with all the bottom six forwards coming off the books. I think Hextall deserved the opportunity to right the ship but that was only going to begin with firing the coach.

Giroux and Couturier are doing everything from dominating at even strength, killing penalties by forcing offensive chances and PP. Not good.
- SuperSchennBros

How's Colorado doing?