That’s what homer said.
- JoeRussomanno

I...don't disagree?

Hextall didn't just want to build a contending team. He wanted to build a contending team that was sustainable over a considerable amount of time.
I have no doubt that Hextall or another GM could make trades to make the team better now and escalate the teams growth. That normally comes with older players and higher contracts. They may even catch lightening in a bottle like the Hurricanes team did or to a lesser extent the 2010 Flyers team did. As we saw, that was not sustainable. This organization tried that under Holmgren for a lot of years. They were good but not good enough. They'll be more exciting to watch and the ticket sales will be better.
When they hired Hextall they knew what he wanted to do. What his plan was. What his philosophy was. I don't think a GM should be given an indefinite amount of time but I think they lost patience too soon. If you're able to draft players like Matthews, Laine that jump right in and become top players, the team can advance quicker. Most young players take considerable time to develop. Players like Patrick and Sanheim are still in their infancy of NHL development.
- MJL

And I get it and I was totally for it. But you can't expect your bosses to be ok with it AND your current team is looking like an inconsistent embarrassment.

You also had some older players that you maybe could have moved. Either last year or at the draft to maybe help your current roster going into this year. One thing we won't know is were there things offered like maybe a deal for Simmonds that could have helped this team without deviating from hextalls initial plan.

The GM himself stated the goal was to make the playoffs and win a round. they have regressed to last place. To me that doesn't seem to show any growth for a team i keep asking patience for.

Hextall said he had a 5 year plan. This was year 5 and there was little to no improvement. He had his quarter season review with Homer and Scott and was asked to make changes like any employee would be asked. He refused. GOOD BYE!
- dragonoffrost

I don't recall Hextall putting a time period on it.

Hextall said he had a 5 year plan. This was year 5 and there was little to not improvement. He had his quarter season review with Homer and Scott and was asked to make changes like any employee would be asked. He refused. GOOD BYE!
- dragonoffrost

Yup, it's the way the real world works. You give him the first 3 years to put his coach in place and start laying the foundation for the future and clearing out of the bad contracts. Mission accomplished. The fact that they managed to give a dying Ed Snyder one last playoff team was a bonus and I give the coach and that team props for how they played down the stretch, it was a helluva run.

By year 4, you want to see some of the youth making an impact and you want to see a team that can at least challenge for a playoff spot. Again, mission accomplished. Provorov and Ghost were impact players, TK took a big step forward in his development, Patrick got stronger as the season went on and Lindblom cracked the roster during the stretch drive and was solid. You also saw some encouraging signs in guys like Sanheim and Hagg.

Up to this point, Hextall could absolutely get away with a "my way or the highway attitude". Sadly, here's where it starts to unravel.

By year 5, your bosses are expecting to see legit on ice improvement. No one expects you to be contending for a Cup, but you're expected to be a playoff team and have the potential to at least win a round. You finished the previous season with 3 main issues:

1. Your #1 goalie is 33 and coming off a serious injury and major surgery. Certainly not a reason not to bring him back, but still reason for concern. Your backup is having serious core muscle issues and is notoriously injury prone. This needed to be addressed. It was not

2. Your PK has been bad for 4 seasons running. You probably should allow your head coach to bring in a new assistant to take it over and/or bring in another good pk forward to help out. You did neither

3. Your 3C wore down as the season went on and is in his mid 30s and his contract is up. You're not going to bring him back and no one argues with that decision. But you now have a hole at a key position, especially if your 20 year old center has any kind of sophomore slump and struggles as the 2C. You have no one in house that is any more of a long shot at best to fill this role, but you fail to bring in anyone to fill it.

So with all that in mind, you publicly state that it's time for the team to take the next step forward, but instead of addressing the key issues and weaknesses on the club, you go out and sign a soon to be 30 year old winger to a 5 year, 35 million dollar deal. Odd move to say the least.

And now, 23 games your team is last in the Eastern conference. You were approached by your boss and asked to be a little more flexible with your plan and make some moves to improve the current product. You refuse. No one should be surprised that an exec in that position just lost his job. It was the right call too. Hextall has no one to blame but himself for being out of work today.

Then you would be out on your ass with your convictions still in tact.
- Sinisalo4vr

With millions in my pocket and a strong resume and a certainty that I would get another job with another NHL team.

That's assuming he is willing. At this point of his career he is choosing a team, not the other way around.
He is also under contract for another year and might be considering spending it with the family.
But I truly wish Flyers would get him.
- missingmike

Well everyone keeps saying the Flyers are a great opportunity. Good farm system, lot of NHL talent. I assume the Flyers can compete with anyone in giving Quenneville a top salary. What teams that are legit contenders are going to be firing their coach anytime soon?

Yup, it's the way the real world works. You give him the first 3 years to put his coach in place and start laying the foundation for the future and clearing out of the bad contracts. Mission accomplished. The fact that they managed to give a dying Ed Snyder one last playoff team was a bonus and I give the coach and that team props for how they played down the stretch, it was a helluva run.

By year 4, you want to see some of the youth making an impact and you want to see a team that can at least challenge for a playoff spot. Again, mission accomplished. Provorov and Ghost were impact players, TK took a big step forward in his development, Patrick got stronger as the season went on and Lindblom cracked the roster during the stretch drive and was solid. You also saw some encouraging signs in guys like Sanheim and Hagg.

Up to this point, Hextall could absolutely get away with a "my way or the highway attitude". Sadly, here's where it starts to unravel.

By year 5, your bosses are expecting to see legit on ice improvement. No one expects you to be contending for a Cup, but you're expected to be a playoff team and have the potential to at least win a round. You finished the previous season with 3 main issues:

1. Your #1 goalie is 33 and coming off a serious injury and major surgery. Certainly not a reason not to bring him back, but still reason for concern. Your backup is having serious core muscle issues and is notoriously injury prone. This needed to be addressed. It was not

2. Your PK has been bad for 4 seasons running. You probably should allow your head coach to bring in a new assistant to take it over and/or bring in another good pk forward to help out. You did neither

3. Your 3C wore down as the season went on and is in his mid 30s and his contract is up. You're not going to bring him back and no one argues with that decision. But you now have a hole at a key position, especially if your 20 year old center has any kind of sophomore slump and struggles as the 2C. You have no one in house that is any more of a long shot at best to fill this role, but you fail to bring in anyone to fill it.

So with all that in mind, you publicly state that it's time for the team to take the next step forward, but instead of addressing the key issues and weaknesses on the club, you go out and sign a soon to be 30 year old winger to a 5 year, 35 million dollar deal. Odd move to say the least.

And now, 23 games your team is last in the Eastern conference. You were approached by your boss and asked to be a little more flexible with your plan and make some moves to improve the current product. You refuse. No one should be surprised that an exec in that position just lost his job. It was the right call too. Hextall has no one to blame but himself for being out of work today.
- BiggE

Great post!

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

I'm sorry but I don't agree. They weren't at the point where they knew what the long term holes were. They could be trading players who could fill a spot for a decade and the advantage of EL and cheaper deals for a player that would fill a hole now for a short period and a higher cap hit. It's timing. The timing was not right to start making trades in connection with Hextall's plan. If they want to speed it up and win now, get another GM. That's what they did.

Well everyone keeps saying the Flyers are a great opportunity. Good farm system, lot of NHL talent. I assume the Flyers can compete with anyone in giving Quenneville a top salary. What teams that are legit contenders are going to be firing their coach anytime soon?
- PLindbergh31

It is absolutely worth kicking his tires (even if it nets 0 result).

Coach hiring killed him. The situation in net is worse than ever. Can remain patient and do certain things to put a respectable product on the ice. Should have brought in Joel Q when he got axed.
- JoeRussomanno

I said it was a strange hire to begin with. A college coach with zero time behind an NHL bench. Didn't make much sense.

I said it was a strange hire to begin with. A college coach with zero time behind an NHL bench. Didn't make much sense.
- PLindbergh31

I actually don't think it was strange.

i think the strange thing was Hextall hired his assistants and didn't let Hakstol pick his own staff.

I actually don't think it was strange.

i think the strange thing was Hextall hired his assistants and didn't let Hakstol pick his own staff.
- J35Bacher

If it was strange then why did two jobs get filled by college coaches (Dallas and NYR) lol. Quinn seems to be doing a good job. Maybe Hextall was a control freak.

I said it was a strange hire to begin with. A college coach with zero time behind an NHL bench. Didn't make much sense.
- PLindbergh31

If this whole long term thing was gonna work, then they should have moved bigger names on the roster. Unfortunately the organization as a whole overvalues players and never seems in sync with what it’s trying to do. It’s sad they wasted prime years of a lot of players. I really think Holmgren should’ve stepped down along with hextall. Until they prove to me they can bring in a legit GM and coach I’m contently apathetic.

The point of sports is to entertain. Yes winning a cup is the goal but obviously that doesn’t happen very often and if that was the only thing that mattered we certainly wouldn’t be Flyers fans anymore. Anyone feel entertained by the Flyers the last few years? That was why Hextall was fired. This team is boring and mediocre and has been for years. People stop showing up and buying stuff when they aren’t entertained.

I'm sorry but I don't agree. They weren't at the point where they knew what the long term holes were. They could be trading players who could fill a spot for a decade and the advantage of EL and cheaper deals for a player that would fill a hole now for a short period and a higher cap hit. It's timing. The timing was not right to start making trades in connection with Hextall's plan. If they want to speed it up and win now, get another GM. That's what they did.
- MJL

Are you suggesting that more than 5 years is an acceptable turn around timeline? Because that seems unlikely.

If it was strange then why did two jobs get filled by college coaches (Dallas and NYR) lol. Quinn seems to be doing a good job. Maybe Hextall was a control freak.
- ClaudeFather

That's what I mean. I wasn't against bringing in Hakstol.

I thought the strange part was Hextall hired the staff, not Hakstol.

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.

I have a feeling that Gordon is telling his guys, if you don't play better we're gonna ship your ass to Philly!

Hextall was right in my opinion.
- MJL

A GM can’t look at this team and think I have time the prospects will trickle in and we will start winning.

1. Your #1 goalie is 33 and coming off a serious injury and major surgery. Certainly not a reason not to bring him back, but still reason for concern. Your backup is having serious core muscle issues and is notoriously injury prone. This needed to be addressed. It was not

2. Your PK has been bad for 4 seasons running. You probably should allow your head coach to bring in a new assistant to take it over and/or bring in another good pk forward to help out. You did neither

- BiggE

Good post. Those are the two that I think ultimately did him in. Had he addressed those situations in the off-season we wouldn't be having this conversation today.

Are you suggesting that more than 5 years is an acceptable turn around timeline? Because that seems unlikely.
- shekkie

I think they bailed on the plan too soon.

I actually don't think it was strange.

i think the strange thing was Hextall hired his assistants and didn't let Hakstol pick his own staff.
- J35Bacher

Agreed.

The pick of Hakstol definitely broke with NHL "tradition" but I don't have a problem with it. It's not like he came here to HB and hired one of us dumdums to coach.

I'm sorry but I don't agree. They weren't at the point where they knew what the long term holes were. They could be trading players who could fill a spot for a decade and the advantage of EL and cheaper deals for a player that would fill a hole now for a short period and a higher cap hit. It's timing. The timing was not right to start making trades in connection with Hextall's plan. If they want to speed it up and win now, get another GM. That's what they did.
- MJL

But you can't be banking on a decade.

And I don't think people are asking or wanting the Flyers to trade a prospect for a 30 year old vet.

But you can't tell me that maybe you could have used a prospect to get a 24 year old vet?

Could you have used Simmonds to maybe help fill a need, considering he is a UFA after this year and doesn't seem to be part of the future?


I think that's where the flexibility comes in. No plan runs completely without having some built in options. From what I heard and read is Hextall had no flexibility in his plan.

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

It took a good 4 seasons just to (mostly) dig out of the salary cap and prospect holes.

Hextall didn't just want to build a contending team. He wanted to build a contending team that was sustainable over a considerable amount of time.
I have no doubt that Hextall or another GM could make trades to make the team better now and escalate the teams growth. That normally comes with older players and higher contracts. They may even catch lightening in a bottle like the Hurricanes team did or to a lesser extent the 2010 Flyers team did. As we saw, that was not sustainable. This organization tried that under Holmgren for a lot of years. They were good but not good enough. They'll be more exciting to watch and the ticket sales will be better.
When they hired Hextall they knew what he wanted to do. What his plan was. What his philosophy was. I don't think a GM should be given an indefinite amount of time but I think they lost patience too soon. If you're able to draft players like Matthews, Laine that jump right in and become top players, the team can advance quicker. Most young players take considerable time to develop. Players like Patrick and Sanheim are still in their infancy of NHL development.
- MJL