Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Hextall's View on Analytics and Roster Building

That's pretty much how I see this hockey club.

Tremendous work, Bill. Not the best team in the NHL, definitely not the worst.

But: With the right moves and some luck, this club COULD be the best in the NHL. I truly believe that.

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Hextall's View on Analytics and Roster Building
- bmeltzer

This is certainly going to be an interesting off season. Add to this the draft being in Philly, I am very excited about it.

Not buying it. If Hextall is so analytical, why didn't he do his best to stop Holmgren from sabotaging the team with all of these horrible contracts of late.

Not buying it. If Hextall is so analytical, why didn't he do his best to stop Holmgren from sabotaging the team with all of these horrible contracts of late.
- redcoat75

Which ones?

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Hextall's View on Analytics and Roster Building
- bmeltzer

I like what I hear from Hextall. I like the fact that he spent some time in LA before coming here.

Which ones?
- PhillySportsGuy

Correct me if I'm wrong, but was Hextall even in-house when Lecavalier signed?

If he wasn't -- and I'm not certain, either way -- then isn't the only deal that the Flyers have cut since Hextall got here was MacDonald's?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but was Hextall even in-house when Lecavalier signed?

If he wasn't -- and I'm not certain, either way -- then isn't the only deal that the Flyers have cut since Hextall got here was MacDonald's?
- AllInForFlyers

Hextall should have called Homer from his LA office and advised him not to sign VL. Utter failure on Hextall's part.

Not buying it. If Hextall is so analytical, why didn't he do his best to stop Holmgren from sabotaging the team with all of these horrible contracts of late.
- redcoat75

1) There are still bosses upstairs to deal with, the demands of the marketplace and the pressure to win now (i.e., being an almost perennial playoff team). Ed Snider's main question to his hockey ops people has always been about whether this guy or that is the best choice to help the team win.

2) It is NOT the Flyers general manager who does the capology. They have an assistant GM (Barry Hanrahan) who deals specifically with the contracting stuff. Of course, the buck stops with the GM to say that it's too many years, too much cap hit for his liking but then you have to go back to point one.

3) Most of Hextall input thus far both in LA and Philly has been from the hockey assessment side. He's gotten involved to a degree in contracts, especially for those signed primarily to help the AHL team, but his main concerns were in working with the pro and amateur scouts, doing his own assessments, etc.

From listening to quotes I think there are two guys they try to move. Hartnell and Vinny. They way he talks about fit and speed I just think they look to move those two to creat some cap space and manipulate the roster better. I could be totally wrong but just reading the quotes makes me think that. Also I know he said he wants kimmo back but I don't think h is banging on the door to bring him back and it has to be on the flyers term ie depending on money

Analytics.......


All these GM's are just saying this so they don't have to get badgered about it by the media.

Analytics.......


All these GM's are just saying this so they don't have to get badgered about it by the media.
- The-O-G

It's fair to say that nobody on this board can confirm or refute that statement, so...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but was Hextall even in-house when Lecavalier signed?

If he wasn't -- and I'm not certain, either way -- then isn't the only deal that the Flyers have cut since Hextall got here was MacDonald's?
- AllInForFlyers

Touche.
He was not here for Lecavalier. My apologies. But the team has given us all more than ample reason to be skeptical over the years. Let's hope he is able to stand up to Ed.

Hextall should have called Homer from his LA office and advised him not to sign VL. Utter failure on Hextall's part.
- PhillySportsGuy

Clearly -- not entirely sure contracts are being referred to, but it's early yet. Maybe there's a few that I've forgotten.

1) There are still bosses upstairs to deal with, the demands of the marketplace and the pressure to win now (i.e., being an almost perennial playoff team). Ed Snider's main question to his hockey ops people has always been about whether this guy or that is the best choice to help the team win.

2) It is NOT the Flyers general manager who does the capology. They have an assistant GM (Barry Hanrahan) who deals specifically with the contracting stuff. Of course, the buck stops with the GM to say that it's too many years, too much cap hit for his liking but then you have to go back to point one.

3) Most of Hextall input thus far both in LA and Philly has been from the hockey assessment side. He's gotten involved to a degree in contracts, especially for those signed primarily to help the AHL team, but his main concerns were in working with the pro and amateur scouts, doing his own assessments, etc.
- bmeltzer

Yeah, it's not like Hextall had veto power over contract decisions over the past 7-8 months... he was in a supplemental, support role, not an executive one.

With that said, he did admit that AMac was making too much money for his liking, which was interesting. He also revealed that AMac's agent thought they left money on the table... we'll see this summer.

Hopefully he's more of a pennypincher than Homer... cap efficiency does have a lot of room for improvement here.

Touche.
He was not here for Lecavalier. My apologies. But the team has given us all more than ample reason to be skeptical over the years. Let's hope he is able to stand up to Ed.
- redcoat75

Fair enough -- skepticism is always healthy. Absolutely nothing wrong with it.

hextall is handcuffed by the awful contracts to hartnell, lecavalier, streit and grossmann

Hextall in LA: Yes, please, get rid of Schenn.

Hextall in Philly: (frank).

Analytics.......


All these GM's are just saying this so they don't have to get badgered about it by the media.
- The-O-G

For the most part, I don't think the traditional media cares -- nor should they, because it is not something their target audience focuses on -- about whether a team uses analytics and to what extent.

The Howard Eskin and Michael Barkanns out there care about "Was Paul Holmgren pressured to kick himself upstairs to team president so Hextall could become GM". They don't care (nor should they) on how much weight, if any, Hextall will give to things like Corsi or Fenwick when he's assessing his roster and whether that differs greatly from Holmgren's methods.

Fair enough -- skepticism is always healthy. Absolutely nothing wrong with it.
- AllInForFlyers

Skepticism is sometimes healthy, but not always. Never question Bruce Dickenson.

Fair enough -- skepticism is always healthy. Absolutely nothing wrong with it.
- AllInForFlyers

I'm skeptical of your take on skepticism.

Yeah, it's not like Hextall had veto power over contract decisions over the past 7-8 months... he was in a supplemental, support role, not an executive one.

With that said, he did admit that AMac was making too much money for his liking, which was interesting. He also revealed that AMac's agent thought they left money on the table... we'll see this summer.

Hopefully he's more of a pennypincher than Homer... cap efficiency does have a lot of room for improvement here.
- Tomahawk

This league is funky right now. MacDonald is a test case for a lot of things about the NHL of the 2010s.

Because both sides are right. A 27-year-old MacDonald who has the skating ability he does, with the level of hockey sense that he does, was going to score a long-term contract, for those dollars, with someone.

That doesn't mean it's a good contract. It means that someone was going to pay it.

I'm...uneasy about it, as I've said before. Because MacDonald gets exposed as a top pairing defenseman. I'd need to see a bit more to know if he can totally handle second-pairing minutes without being exposed.

To me, it's a poor deal if he plays on the third-pairing, at that salary, because of exposure concerns. But as uneasy as I am right now...I guess I still need to see a few more games.

For the most part, I don't think the traditional media cares -- nor should they, because it is not something their target audience focuses on -- about whether a team uses analytics and to what extent.

The Howard Eskin and Michael Barkanns out there care about "Was Paul Holmgren pressured to kick himself upstairs to team president so Hextall could become GM". They don't care (nor should they) on how much weight, if any, Hextall will give to things like Corsi or Fenwick when he's assessing his roster and whether that differs greatly from Holmgren's methods.
- bmeltzer

1 part analytics, 3 parts eyeballs.

I'm skeptical of your take on skepticism.
- wolfhounds

Ha!

Mind: Blown.

1 part analytics, 3 parts eyeballs.
- wolfhounds

Yes I agree.