Yes.....I have been saying this for a while...Hextall was an overrated talent evaluator.
2014 picks Sanheim over Pastrnak
2016 picks Rubstov over DeBrincat
2017 picks Patrick over Heiskanen, Makar and Suzuki
And gives Voracek and JVR...contracts for several more years at a combined 15.25 million per year.
Fletcher won a playoff series in his first full year as GM..something Hextall couldn't do in four full years.
- ClutchFlyer

No one has a hind sight in real time.

In fairness, if you look at almost every draft you can play what if with every team.
- PLindbergh31

Agree with that...but let's say you have Pastrnak, Makar and Debrincat instead of Sanheim, Patrick and Rubstov. You probably beat the Habs in 5. You do not wake up this morning with a 4-0 loss in Game 1...you still may have lost but a 4-2, 3-2 loss looks better than the actual outcome.

If Hextall made the former picks rather than the latter picks, he may still have the Flyers GM job.

Ciao
- matman31

May the sheet of ice rise to meet you.
May the other team's defenders be always at your back.
May the rival's goal light shine warm upon your face.
And the shots fall soft upon your goalie.
And until we meet again,
May the hockey gods hold you in the bowls of their athletic cups.

No one has a hind sight in real time.
- missingmike

Absolutely agree....but the narrative that was shoved down our throats for years that Hextall was this great talent evaluator.....the results are showing he was average.

Agree with that...but let's say you have Pastrnak, Makar and Debrincat instead of Sanheim, Patrick and Rubstov. You probably beat the Habs in 5. You do not wake up this morning with a 4-0 loss in Game 1...you still may have lost but a 4-2, 3-2 loss looks better than the actual outcome.

If Hextall made the former picks rather than the latter picks, he may still have the Flyers GM job.
- ClutchFlyer

Of course they'd be better with Pastrnak, Makar, and Debrincat. How many teams passed on Pastrnak and Debrincat though? Drafting is an inexact science. Tom Brady got passed on 198 times. The best player in the history of the NFL.

Don't remind me.


The Islanders are a though bunch though.... And their best players are on fire.

I don't think the Flyers's big guns are lacking in effort but something is obviously lacking in execution because they don't make plays like they can.

This being said, they should adopt the same strategy they did vs Montreal. Try and score the first goal with a bounce through traffic and then close the middle of the ice so Hart can stop shots coming from far away.
- Scabeh

Scabeh, welcome back. Glad you decided to stick around, at least for now.

Penguins trading for Kasperi Kapanen.
Word is Jack Johnson is part of the deal. I mean the Leafs can't be this stupid can they? Johnson is a bum.

Of course they'd be better with Pastrnak, Makar, and Debrincat. How many teams passed on Pastrnak and Debrincat though? Drafting is an inexact science. Tom Brady got passed on 198 times. The best player in the history of the NFL.
- PLindbergh31

Stop, you are ruining his silly narrative.

In fairness, if you look at almost every draft you can play what if with every team.
- PLindbergh31

Exactly..hindsight is a wonderful thing

"not trolling here" said the obvious troll. Go back to your hole. The Flyers beat the Canadiens without getting a goal from the top 5 regular season goal scorers. That's how far away your team is.
- mickel25

He's not trolling. He's just giving his opinion.

Penguins trading for Kasperi Kapanen.
Word is Jack Johnson is part of the deal. I mean the Leafs can't be this stupid can they? Johnson is a bum.
- PLindbergh31

Yes, Dubas can be that stupid. I hate the Leafs but I would hope they got something else back.

Exactly..hindsight is a wonderful thing
- mattstake

When they drafted Morin I don't think it was hindsight. That was fair criticism. A ton of people at the time hated that pick. You can't draft a project with that premium draft slot. That is going to be a wasted pick.

Penguins trading for Kasperi Kapanen.
Word is Jack Johnson is part of the deal. I mean the Leafs can't be this stupid can they? Johnson is a bum.
- PLindbergh31

I will be furious is someone helps the Pens out of that contract without making them pay through the nose.

Jack Johnson is awful. His contract is only slightly less awful than him as a player.

Yes, Dubas can be that stupid. I hate the Leafs but I would hope they got something else back.
- 3flyerkids

well depending on what else Toronto gets back. I'm pretty sure it's not Johnson for Kapanen straight up.

Giroux last 22 playoff games: 2015-2016, 2017-2018 and this season.

22 games
1g
7a
-13

That isn't pathetic, it's non competitive. If these were the numbers of the 4th line center I'd be disappointed.
- PLindbergh31

I am getting tired of defending him. Bottom line G, Couturier , and TK will be the end of this team at their current production . No other place to look for blame. D, and goaltending have been good enough and so far they have not

As I mentioned in the previous series, this Flyers team looks slow, and they play the game slow. Against fast teams like Montreal and Islanders they are going to have a tone of problems. The Islanders, unlike the Montreal, has the skill up front to bury their chances as you saw last night. Carter Hart played a great game and kept the score 1-0 after 1 period when the score could and should have been 5-0. What bothers me more than anything else is the young players we have been told are so good are just not that good and you are seeing it in this series. TK, Provorov, Haag, Ghost, NAK don't look very good against fast teams like the Islanders. And I'm sorry to bring this up, but how good would Elias Pettersson look on this team instead of the sidelined Nolan Patrick? Hextall's picks were over-rated IMO, many teams have drafted and promoted better prospects in the same period of time. When you drafted an injured player, why would you expect that the player is magically going to be injury free? This to me has to be the biggest thing to address this off-season, the Flyers must get faster and play faster! They need to re-evaluate their prospect pool and start making adjustments to how to draft.
- jd250

Were the Flyers a slow team in the 2nd period last night when they were all over the Isles on the forecheck, breaking pucks loose, winning battles and completely controlling the play?

When they drafted Morin I don't think it was hindsight. That was fair criticism. A ton of people at the time hated that pick. You can't draft a project with that premium draft slot. That is going to be a wasted pick.
- PLindbergh31

I agree. Morin was a miss and Patrick looks like a miss. Morin was Holmer.

Hextall also selected Carter Hart in the second round. The rest of the GM's in the league should get a good lashing for that one.

Hextall got Linblom in the fifth round and Myers as a FA. I would say that Hextall did an excellent job of drafting and developing. He brought in Provy, Myers and Sanheim. That is an impressive set of young stud defensemen.

Hextall needed to focus a little more on the big club though.

Exactly..hindsight is a wonderful thing
- mattstake

It’s ridiculous to look back and say he should’ve taken this kid or that kid, unless he was ranked around the same spot and was taken within two picks of yours. I could make a Olympic squad that could beat Canada if you give me hindsight and seven years of drafting.

The only pick I didn’t like of Hexy’s was Patrick, I know he was ranked by everyone in the world 2nd overall, except Vancouver from what I’ve read regarding a newspaper guy in Vancouver who spoke with Trevor Linden, I never liked his game despite his junior production.

When they drafted Morin I don't think it was hindsight. That was fair criticism. A ton of people at the time hated that pick. You can't draft a project with that premium draft slot. That is going to be a wasted pick.
- PLindbergh31

I remember being very disappointed that Nichushkin was drafted just before Morin.

Agree that pick was a flat out miss, even if Morin didnt get hurt.

He's not trolling. He's just giving his opinion.
- MJL

You are entitled to that opinion.

When they drafted Morin I don't think it was hindsight. That was fair criticism. A ton of people at the time hated that pick. You can't draft a project with that premium draft slot. That is going to be a wasted pick.
- PLindbergh31

Holmgren drafted Morin.

I agree. Morin was a miss and Patrick looks like a miss. Morin was Holmer.

Hextall also selected Carter Hart in the second round. The rest of the GM's in the league should get a good lashing for that one.

Hextall got Linblom in the fifth round and Myers as a FA. I would say that Hextall did an excellent job of drafting and developing. He brought in Provy, Myers and Sanheim. That is an impressive set of young stud defensemen.

Hextall needed to focus a little more on the big club though.
- mickel25

I don't agree about Patrick at all. He obviously has the skill to play in this league, and I think his Migraine issues will be solved and he will have a long career.

I am getting tired of defending him. Bottom line G, Couturier , and TK will be the end of this team at their current production . No other place to look for blame. D, and goaltending have been good enough and so far they have not


- 3flyerkids

Yep. Pretty much. Voracek and Hayes have provided the secondary scoring. Giroux and Couturier have to be much better. And it has to start tomorrow. Losing game 1 isn't the end of the world, it just seems like a bigger hole because their top two players are doing nothing. Say Giroux and Couturier both have a goal and assist tomorrow and the Flyers win 4-2. All of a sudden things are looking much better.

Konecny I'm going to give a pass to right now. He's still dangerous out there. He also got smoked in the foot in the Montreal series. I'm sure he's playing with a good amount of pain.

I don't agree about Patrick at all. He obviously has the skill to play in this league, and I think his Migraine issues will be solved and he will have a long career.
- MBFlyerfan

I agree he is capable of playing in this league. They knew about his possible issues and still took him. If he does come back then I would reevaluate my statement. As it stands right now he is a miss with an unclear future.

I agree. Morin was a miss and Patrick looks like a miss. Morin was Holmer.

Hextall also selected Carter Hart in the second round. The rest of the GM's in the league should get a good lashing for that one.

Hextall got Linblom in the fifth round and Myers as a FA. I would say that Hextall did an excellent job of drafting and developing. He brought in Provy, Myers and Sanheim. That is an impressive set of young stud defensemen.

Hextall needed to focus a little more on the big club though.
- mickel25

Patrick was consensus # 2 everywhere. I mean can the Flyers think outside the box and go away from the consensus? Yes, but if they are wrong I'm sure they would get crucified.