Post-Game Talk: #74 | FLYERS 4 at Red Wings 5 (1-0 shootout) | Tue., Mar. 20, 2018, 7:30 pm ET

[flyershockey]

We are not anywhere close to being ahead of schedule. Hextall has been in charge of 4 drafts, Hakstol has been here for 3 seasons. We made the playoffs under Berube and Hakstol with less talent than we have now. We have a superstar core in the prime of their careers.

A rebuild ahead of schedule would be Colorado or New Jersey, not us. A rebuilding plan that takes 6 years to be competitive isn't acceptable.

Especially when Hextall himself said this wasn't a full rebuild situation when he took over. A tidbit Deadhead likes to conveniently ignore whenever it's brought up to him.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

How I have felt the entire last two years. Terribly run franchise but I'm from Philly so who else am I gonna root for? Some are just so in love with the fact hextall has had a couple good draft that they're willing to turn a blind eye that he has been below average in nearly every other aspect of being a gm. How anyone can have such strong faith in the guy who thought Dale Weise was worthy of a long term deal to be able to make the moves needed to put the team over the top is beyond me... he's had 4 years now to make the bottom 6 respectable, arguably one of the easiest areas to improve, and it's as much of a garbage fire as when he arrived. But yeah this is the guy thats going to make the right moves to bring home a cup...

I don't think there is much of that going on, to be honest. I wouldn't hear any criticism of him for a long time, because of the hero worship I had for Hextall the player, but I'm over that now and I can admit he has made plenty of mistakes and has some problems. I think that's the most common opinion of him and I don't see many people (any, really) saying he is flawless. It's just that he is getting the most important thing very, very right - the drafting. We needed to build up our cupboard and he has done that in spades.

We are getting to the point where that isn't enough, though. The thing is, that point isn't this season - the window isn't open yet. I'm not going to go over why, because we have been through it ad nauseum, but it's clearly not the time to go for it. And just for the record, if there is anyone more sick of the sight of Weise than me, I'll eat my hat.

 

[deadhead]

I'd like to see Hextall make some minor deals this summer, but the only way I deal the 1st rd picks or even the 2nd rd pick is for an established young starter with the "right stuff" who can be signed to a long-term RFA extension.

I'd also look at 1-2 year rentals that would be upgrades over our current scrubs.

And if Simmonds is traded, I want a bottom six forward as part of the deal.

Really, all this team needs to add next year is bottom six depth, the top two lines are set, the defense is set, with Morin, Hagg and Gudas fighting it out for the bottom three and Myers pushing from behind (and MacDonald bought out in the summer of 2019 if he's not moved before then). Elliott/Neuvirth with Stolarz, Lyon and Hart behind them.

So Laughton, NAK, Raffl, so we need three more. Move Laughton to LW, maybe Frost, Vorobyev and/or a rental at C, NAK and ??? (MV, Knight) at RW.
Move out Filppula, Lehtera, Read, Weise, Weal and Leier.

 

[Beef Invictus]

I'd like to see Hextall make some minor deals this summer, but the only way I deal the 1st rd picks or even the 2nd rd pick is for an established young starter with the "right stuff" who can be signed to a long-term RFA extension.

I'd also look at 1-2 year rentals that would be upgrades over our current scrubs.

And if Simmonds is traded, I want a bottom six forward as part of the deal.

Really, all this team needs to add next year is bottom six depth, the top two lines are set, the defense is set, with Morin, Hagg and Gudas fighting it out for the bottom three and Myers pushing from behind (and MacDonald bought out in the summer of 2019 if he's not moved before then). Elliott/Neuvirth with Stolarz, Lyon and Hart behind them.

So Laughton, NAK, Raffl, so we need three more. Move Laughton to LW, maybe Frost, Vorobyev and/or a rental at C, NAK and ??? (MV, Knight) at RW.
Move out Filppula, Lehtera, Read, Weise, Weal and Leier.

Why minor deals? You've written manifestos going on about how minor upgrades aren't worthwhile and don't matter.

Why waste time on something you have staunchly argued is irrelevant?

 

[Lindberg]

Why minor deals? You've written manifestos going on about how minor upgrades aren't worthwhile and don't matter.

Why waste time on something you have staunchly argued is irrelevant?

Well said. He flip flops more than any politician in washington.

 

[deadhead]

Upgrades matter, Read v Lehtera v Leier is just shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic.

I'm not looking for miracle acquisitions, I'd be happy with some solid bottom six guys, like I hope NAK can be as a rookie.
Say a couple more guys like Raffl, who can give you 20 points, solid fore checking and good PK play.

For one thing, given our top two lines, how many minutes will be available for the bottom two.
And if Frost makes the team, with Raffl and NAK, the 4th line will play 8-10 minutes a night.
So you're not going to invest a whole lot, unless maybe for a 1 year 3C rental, and in that case, only money.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Upgrades matter, Read v Lehtera v Leier is just shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic.

I'm not looking for miracle acquisitions, I'd be happy with some solid bottom six guys, like I hope NAK can be as a rookie.
Say a couple more guys like Raffl, who can give you 20 points, solid fore checking and good PK play.

For one thing, given our top two lines, how many minutes will be available for the bottom two.
And if Frost makes the team, with Raffl and NAK, the 4th line will play 8-10 minutes a night.
So you're not going to invest a whole lot, unless maybe for a 1 year 3C rental, and in that case, only money.

Ah so upgrades don't matter if they are upgrades Hakstol ignored.

I see how this works.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

And if Simmonds is traded, I want a bottom six forward as part of the deal.

You're choosing the moment you trade Simmonds because you have to re-sign him to be the time to no longer be patient?

 

[deadhead]

Read is not an upgrade, he's a deck chair.

I want real upgrades, guys who won't trigger a whine fest every time they dress.

I can't see Hextall giving Simmonds a big money extension, and while he could just let him play out his current deal, Hextall hates wasting assets.

 

[Lindberg]

Upgrades matter, Read v Lehtera v Leier is just shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic.

I'm not looking for miracle acquisitions, I'd be happy with some solid bottom six guys, like I hope NAK can be as a rookie.
Say a couple more guys like Raffl, who can give you 20 points, solid fore checking and good PK play.

For one thing, given our top two lines, how many minutes will be available for the bottom two.
And if Frost makes the team, with Raffl and NAK, the 4th line will play 8-10 minutes a night.
So you're not going to invest a whole lot, unless maybe for a 1 year 3C rental, and in that case, only money.

You do realize a guy like Matt Read put up ~20 points last year? He's a solid 4th liner compared to Lehtera or Weise. Replacing Filppula will make the team much better down the middle. Not allowing Hakstol to deploy Filppula, Weise or Lehtera on the #2 PP would help.

 

[deadhead]

Read did that last year, and he was in decline.
This year he was probably the 5th best forward on the Phantoms, similar to Knight.
He, along with Weal, typifies what's wrong with the bottom six, they're not horrible, just average speed, below average size.

A lot of the complaints about the "Hakshell" are really complaints about the bottom six, they're too small and slow to win board battles in their D-zone, so when teams press, they struggle to get the puck out as they lose races to the puck and battles along the boards.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

I want real upgrades, guys who won't trigger a whine fest every time they dress.

I am going to say this one time, even though I know for sure that you will ignore it, because ... let's just say I am in love with the sound of my own voice, because I can't think of any other reason I would bother.

Anyf***, the reason the Hive "whines" about this ... well, the first reason is that it is in the nature of a Hive to whine, with all the buzzing going on, if you can dig my metaphor. But as far as the whining about player deployment and who he chooses to play, no one is saying that it is the disease - we all know that this roster isn't the finished article, we aren't anywhere near as stupid as you think we are, even though we do share one brain amongst us - the player deployment and who he chooses to play is a symptom, a huge tell that this guy lacks the basic, fundamental judgment, not to mention common ****ing sense, to be an NHL head coach. He willfully chooses to put Flip out there in situations when he doesn't have to - same with Manning, Haggar, the Farmer, etc. It's not that he can avoid playing them at all - as you have rightly said over and over in chapters 3-49 of your novel, we have too many scrubs and not enough NHL-ready players to make up a full functioning roster. But his decisions exacerbate all of our problems, over and over and over. That's why he has to go - not because we lack patience, but because he eats bag after bag of dicks, mentally.

My proverbial Hive celly is blowing up with telepathic messages telling me to shut up and leave you to your devices, so that's what I am going to do. Have a blessed day, and remember - don't smoke a bowl and drive.

 

[Lindberg]

Like Lehtera has been any better with his above average size.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

Read is a superior PKer over Lehtera. It really isnt a debate.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Read is not an upgrade, he's a deck chair.

I want real upgrades, guys who won't trigger a whine fest every time they dress.

I can't see Hextall giving Simmonds a big money extension, and while he could just let him play out his current deal, Hextall hates wasting assets.

Read is objectively better than Lehtera.

 

[Rebels57]

Speaking of Lehtera..

Why was he skating fast last night?

That was confusing.

 

[deadhead]

He's been doing it for a couple weeks, at least relative to earlier in the season (not to other players).
I think he's good for a couple good shifts a period, then the battery runs low.

 

[BernieParent]

I don't think there is much of that going on, to be honest. I wouldn't hear any criticism of him for a long time, because of the hero worship I had for Hextall the player, but I'm over that now and I can admit he has made plenty of mistakes and has some problems. I think that's the most common opinion of him and I don't see many people (any, really) saying he is flawless. It's just that he is getting the most important thing very, very right - the drafting. We needed to build up our cupboard and he has done that in spades.

We are getting to the point where that isn't enough, though. The thing is, that point isn't this season - the window isn't open yet. I'm not going to go over why, because we have been through it ad nauseum, but it's clearly not the time to go for it. And just for the record, if there is anyone more sick of the sight of Weise than me, I'll eat my hat.

Weise would eat your hat.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

Weise would eat your hat.

Nayyyy, Wilbur!

 

[1865]

We are in Year 4 of the hextall


How I have felt the entire last two years. Terribly run franchise but I'm from Philly so who else am I gonna root for? Some are just so in love with the fact hextall has had a couple good draft that they're willing to turn a blind eye that he has been below average in nearly every other aspect of being a gm. How anyone can have such strong faith in the guy who thought Dale Weise was worthy of a long term deal to be able to make the moves needed to put the team over the top is beyond me... he's had 4 years now to make the bottom 6 respectable, arguably one of the easiest areas to improve, and it's as much of a garbage fire as when he arrived. But yeah this is the guy thats going to make the right moves to bring home a cup...

I personally feel Hex has been a solid GM in drafting, cap management and trading. I even think we'll end up winning the Schenn trade.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

We’ll find out more about Hextall when he finally has to start doing things to improve the current roster. That’s the hard part of being a GM.

 

[Curufinwe]

The Proburn stuff is so dumb.

 

[Amorgus]

That's why he has to go - not because we lack patience, but because he eats bag after bag of dicks, mentally.

This is one of the greatest mental images I've had in quite a while. It's like the I Love Lucy episode at the chocolate factory, but with fellatio.

EDIT: Well I guess even using the scientific name for a sex act can still be censored!

 

[Beef Invictus]

We’ll find out more about Hextall when he finally has to start doing things to improve the current roster. That’s the hard part of being a GM.

Yep. Fixing the mistakes of the previous guy is the easy part. Fixing your own shortcomings is where it's tricky.

 

[gertbfrobe16]

I've said 4-6 to compete for a Stanley Cup but it's not just about the drafting of players....
The Islanders in their heyday drafted well but it was management's big trade or a missing piece of their puzzle( Goring) to start their dynasty!
And a whole lot of LUCK!

it was leon stickel