His plans and the plans of those above him should have been clear prior to his taking the job. If he wasn’t happy with the arrangement he shouldn’t have taken the job. Being bullheaded and locking everyone out was childish behavior and ultimately not successful.
- Dkos

There's a lot here that you don't have correct in my opinion. Hextall did make his plan clear when he took the job. That the franchise needed to completely change. When upper management lot patience and started to mettle in, he locked everyone out. He should've done that right from the start. It wasn't childish. It was completely necessary. It was not successful due to the country club interference.

So Brad Shaw never talks directly to Fletch about how the players are doing? I find that hard to believe.
- Tomahawk

What was said isn’t about a casual spontaneous conversation. It is fine to me if you don’t believe what was said, but what was said is odd. The key points that make it odd are that it was a regular, routine/planned occurrence and that Hak was completely unaware of it happening (not told by Murphy or Hextall).

I did not care for that. I don't think anyone is comparing him to Keith Allen. While he certainly made mistakes and failed to add any elite talent. He did position the team well for the future and did a decent job in fixing the cap issues and adding NHL talent.
- MJL

No he didn't. His cap fixing is very overrated.

Any thoughts to the job he is doing in Pitt?

There's a lot here that you don't have correct in my opinion. Hextall did make his plan clear when he took the job. That the franchise needed to completely change. When upper management lot patience and started to mettle in, he locked everyone out. He should've done that right from the start. It wasn't childish. It was completely necessary. It was not successful due to the country club interference.
- MJL

Yep. Nothing to do with the GM's decisions at all. Nothing to do with his average drafting and poor development process. Nothing to do with the moves he made at the NHL level player wise. Nothing to do with having hap hazard non plan. Hextall gets a complete pass.

Need a new blog. The Hextall talk is nauseating. How he still gets defended is to much.

I was talking more about the nutrition, development and fitness kind of stuff lol.

But yeah, Risto and Sanny both got too many years for too much money. Ditto almost all the multi-year deals Chuck signs. But that's a separate critical issue.
- Tomahawk

Another thing Fletcher seems to do is give away no trade clauses without any sort of discount. Almost like he caves in any negotiation. No reason for Deslauriers to have a partial no trade and if Sanheim is making over $6 mil for 8 years there's no reason he should get a partial NMC either.

Worse teams are mostly a product of poor drafting by previous GM. After this season 12 million comes off books, the following season another 14 million, then another 20.

Clearly you are sadly misinformed & just a drum beater because you heard someone else say Fletcher is to blame. He’s made some questionable moves no doubt & he is far from HOF status but he was left a huge prospect pool of poop from St Ronnie & not being able to replenish your team from within is the biggest factor for failure.

I think most people will agree or have positive things to say about Cutter, Andrea, Forester, Brink, Zamula, Attard, Desnoyers etc

Ronnie left us with Myers, Patrick, Frost, Sanheim, Cates, Alison, Ratcliff
- Fopa21

Most the 12 million is JVR while the rest are minimum contracts that have to be replaced. And 1.5 million of the JVR's 7 is eaten by Sanhiem, so really only 4.4 million is coming off next year

Joke flyers of the day….

What has 44 legs and sucks?






A- the flyers
- Just5

How about ND. He is #44 and has legs. At least I think that's what they are. Hard to tell as he can't skate for poop

What was said isn’t about a casual spontaneous conversation. It is fine to me if you don’t believe what was said, but what was said is odd. The key points that make it odd are that it was a regular, routine/planned occurrence and that Hak was completely unaware of it happening (not told by Murphy or Hextall).
- NC Flyers Fan

Ask yourself this fundamental question:

What would Hextall have to gain by "going around the coach's back" with regards to standards, nutrition and fitness?

I don't blame Fletcher for the Giroux trade, his hands were tied. That was totally on the fraud Giroux, who apparently only wanted Florida until a more comfortable spot opened up on the last place Senators!
- jd250

Correct. That was a Hextall contract. However, where he failed is his inability to learn from it. He was handcuffed because of the NMC. You just do not give them out, yet he hands them out like candy at halloween. If the NMC is a dela breaker then you move on because, as we have seen on multiple occasions, nothing good can come of it

If a train leaves Philly with Hextall on board at 3:30 on 11/17 2016
but Fletcher boards motorcycle with a sidecar at 3:30 on 11/17 2020
what year do we end the discussion of which one sucked more and how long will the Flyers continue to suck?

Team will suck till 2064 discussion ends 2065.

Another thing Fletcher seems to do is give away no trade clauses without any sort of discount. Almost like he caves in any negotiation. No reason for Deslauriers to have a partial no trade and if Sanheim is making over $6 mil for 8 years there's no reason he should get a partial NMC either.
- TobyFlenderson

If Fletch ever gets divorced his wife is gonna get everything.

Most the 12 million is JVR while the rest are minimum contracts that have to be replaced. And 1.5 million of the JVR's 7 is eaten by Sanhiem, so really only 4.4 million is coming off next year
- mr4tno

If Fletcher survives this season, I guarantee Jason Zucker is signed with whatever cap money is leftover

Correct. That was a HOLMGREN contract. However, where he failed is his inability to learn from it. He was handcuffed because of the NMC. You just do not give them out, yet he hands them out like candy at halloween. If the NMC is a dela breaker then you move on because, as we have seen on multiple occasions, nothing good can come of it
- mr4tno

FTFY

If Fletch ever gets divorced his wife is gonna get everything.
- Tomahawk

Sad but true

Ask yourself this fundamental question:

What would Hextall have to gain by "going around the coach's back" with regards to standards, nutrition and fitness?
- Tomahawk

It’s fine if you don’t think it happened the way it has been said. I think it is odd behavior to do something like this. Things like this do occur and to an outsider, the motive isn’t clear, but it often has to do with control of information and limited trust of others. Again maybe you don’t think it happened the way it has been said. Fine.

It’s fine if you don’t think it happened the way it has been said. I think it is odd behavior to do something like this. Things like this do occur and to an outsider, the motive isn’t clear, but it often has to do with control of information and limited trust of others. Again maybe you don’t think it happened the way it has been said. Fine.
- NC Flyers Fan

So no obvious, apparent motive right?

Now ask yourself this question:

What would ASF have to gain by penning a piece that ginned up maximum drama, and made Gord Murphy out to look like Deep Throat?

Another thing Fletcher seems to do is give away no trade clauses without any sort of discount. Almost like he caves in any negotiation. No reason for Deslauriers to have a partial no trade and if Sanheim is making over $6 mil for 8 years there's no reason he should get a partial NMC either.
- TobyFlenderson

Even more so with Sanheim. Where is the AAV discount for getting max term? Contract negotiations should be give and take. Sanheim should not be a max term player. That should be reserved for star level players. He's overpaid on almost every contract.

So no obvious, apparent motive right?

Now ask yourself this question:

What would ASF have to gain by penning a piece that ginned up maximum drama, and made Gord Murphy out to look like Deep Throat?


- Tomahawk

I am not trying to convince you or anyone that it is true. I only remarked on what was said happened. You will not be able to convince me to ignore everything that happened. Murphy was hired by Hextall only, without input from Hak. The things were said after Hextall was fired. Murphy getting fired immediately and Fletcher saying (paraphrasing) that Hak was in a tough spot, he thought he was a good guy and wanted to get to know him. Of course later, Hak wanted to know if he would be given the rest of the season to coach and because Fletcher would not promise that, Hak was fired. All circumstantial and hearsay, and because I personally have nothing against any of the parties, I can see why folks could come down on either side of this one. No one thinks it would make sense to say this about Murphy within the workplace if untrue also. Did his colleagues come to his defense? It’s easy to see the conclusion made differently.

Correct. That was a Hextall contract. However, where he failed is his inability to learn from it. He was handcuffed because of the NMC. You just do not give them out, yet he hands them out like candy at halloween. If the NMC is a dela breaker then you move on because, as we have seen on multiple occasions, nothing good can come of it
- mr4tno

Giroux's last contract was signed when Holmgren was the GM.

I’m going to take this post and respond in agreement.

There's a lot here that you don't have correct in my opinion. Hextall did make his plan clear when he took the job. That the franchise needed to completely change. When upper management lot patience and started to mettle in, he locked everyone out. He should've done that right from the start. It wasn't childish. It was completely necessary. It was not successful due to the country club interference.
- MJL

I think Hextall tried to do what most of you even today asked for. Hextall was clear about his vision and direction from day one. Trying and failing at a goal is better than not having one at all. We currently do not have a direction, which is the problem.

I am not trying to convince you or anyone that it is true. I only remarked on what was said happened. You will not be able to convince me to ignore everything that happened. Murphy was hired by Hextall only, without input from Hak. The things were said after Hextall was fired. Murphy getting fired immediately and Fletcher saying (paraphrasing) that Hak was in a tough spot, he thought he was a good guy and wanted to get to know him. Of course later, Hak wanted to know if he would be given the rest of the season to coach and because Fletcher would not promise that, Hak was fired. All circumstantial and hearsay, and because I personally have nothing against any of the parties, I can see why folks could come down on either side of this one. No one thinks it would make sense to say this about Murphy within the workplace if untrue also. Did his colleagues come to his defense? It’s easy to see the conclusion made differently.
- NC Flyers Fan

Here's what I think most likely happened:

Murph and Hak were both close to Hexy. Both had direct channels to the big boss. Murph used that access to directly report player violations of standards. That pissed some players off.

ASF got wind of that and put the "spy" slant on the entire thing. Flyers fans, being starved of drama and turmoil during the Hexy years, ate that up. Now it's become an urban legend.

Here's what I think most likely happened:

Murph and Hak were both close to Hexy. Both had direct channels to the big boss. Murph used that access to directly report player violations of standards. That pissed some players off.

ASF got wind of that and put the "spy" slant on the entire thing. Flyers fans, being starved of drama and turmoil during the Hexy years, ate that up. Now it's become an urban legend.
- Tomahawk

Fine.

Not that it matters, but here is what I think:

The Murphy—Hextall communication did occur without Hak knowing. Instead of believing this to be nefarious, I think it was a rookie management mistake by Hextall. He took a position on control of information to an extreme without realizing how this particular activity could breed distrust and suspicion within his team’s locker room.

And still we could both be wrong! I am sure there is a wide variety of variation to believing or not believing the report and the opinions in interpretation.

Fine.

Not that it matters, but here is what I think:

The Murphy—Hextall communication did occur without Hak knowing. Instead of believing this to be nefarious, I think it was a rookie management mistake by Hextall. He took a position on control of information to an extreme without realizing how this particular activity could breed distrust and suspicion within his team’s locker room.

And still we could both be wrong! I am sure there is a wide variety of variation to believing or not believing the report and the opinions in interpretation.


- NC Flyers Fan

Hakstol was Hextall's guy who many say he refused to remove. So, he went behind his back to spy? Doesn't add up. More likely that it was delegated to Murphy. Hextall has been around hockey a long time. A player, and a hockey exec on multiple teams. You think that he didn't realize that it might breed distrust and suspicion? Far more likely that he didn't care if it did. Management always has tools to use to see if players are doing what is asked of them to see who is part of the future and who isn't.