Fire Hextall

[whatthef]

What a ridiculous over reaction. Am I happy with a 9 game losing streak? No not at all. But most level head fans looking at the roster coming in to the season would say this is a bubble play off team and that's ok. There is a good amount of talent on the roster but a lot of it is young and still developing. A lot of promising talent in the system isn't even NHL ready yet. The goal for me is to win the cup. Could a more talented roster be put together today? Probably but at the expense of future cap flexibility and potentially taking away time from our young player developing, but it still wouldn't be a roster you would expect to compete for the Cup. Is it some times frustrating seeing Manning get time over Morin? Yes but don't kind yourselves this is what pretty much all NHL coaches do. If you asked fans from every team what are the things that annoy them about the head coach of their team most of them would probably say playing vets over talent. They almost all do it. It's annoying but most coaches are going to do this. Why would any sane fan want to fire a GM who has put together a very good (among the best potential in the league) collection of young players/prospects because a mediocre team that isn't expected to do too much isn't very good. Again I don't like it, but what were you expecting or would you have done differently? The only decent answer is maybe a coaching change but even that I don't think will change much. We're in a painful building period but you can see the promise of players on the team and coming through the ranks, but it's not their time yet. Just maybe try not to get too bent out of shape about something you probably should have expected.

 

[deadhead]

There's a very simple reason not to fire Hakstol, who you gonna replace him with?
An underachieving veteran team could bring in a retread to get a quick burst and make the playoffs, then make an offseason decision.
Is that what you want, a retread who will do what it takes to make the playoffs and screw player development because it doesn't help his career?

 

[Lindberg]

There's a very simple reason not to fire Hakstol, who you gonna replace him with?
An underachieving veteran team could bring in a retread to get a quick burst and make the playoffs, then make an offseason decision.
Is that what you want, a retread who will do what it takes to make the playoffs and screw player development because it doesn't help his career?

Literally anybody, this team went on a 9 game losing streak or is everything never Hakstols fault?

 

[dats81]

Hextall has done more good than bad. His drafting and cap managment are grade A.

But if he holds onto Hakstol until the end of the season and keeps adding crippling cap dumps like Lehtera to this roster again at the TDL or before the draft I'm officially on the fire Hextall bandwaggon. Enough is enough.

 

[Lurch]

You guys are pretty short sighted.

Short sighted? This is his 4th season as GM and we are regressing. If we are being short sighted, what is the long view? Another 4 years until this is a playoff team? Sorry, but that is unacceptable. Why should fans spend time and money on a team that isn't trying very hard to win. The organization has obviously written off the year already. If they don't care we shouldn't either. At least with Homer there was a chance every year. Hextal and his draft picks are getting us nowhere. If he truly is in total 10 year rebuild as it appears, get rid of G and Simmer. They will be 40 before Hextall is ready to compete so we may as well get some picks for them.

 

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

There's a very simple reason not to fire Hakstol, who you gonna replace him with?
An underachieving veteran team could bring in a retread to get a quick burst and make the playoffs, then make an offseason decision.
Is that what you want, a retread who will do what it takes to make the playoffs and screw player development because it doesn't help his career?

Yeah because it's not as if Hakstol isn't screwing with player development....

 

[whitstifier]

He might just be buying time to find a suitable replacement for Hakstol.

As much as I'd like to see Hextall whip out a chainsaw to fell the dying tree, we'll have to wait as he does yeoman's work with his ax. He's more of a whacker as evidenced by his use of his stick as a goalie.

 

[deadhead]

Short sighted? This is his 4th season as GM and we are regressing. If we are being short sighted, what is the long view? Another 4 years until this is a playoff team? Sorry, but that is unacceptable. Why should fans spend time and money on a team that isn't trying very hard to win. The organization has obviously written off the year already. If they don't care we shouldn't either. At least with Homer there was a chance every year. Hextal and his draft picks are getting us nowhere. If he truly is in total 10 year rebuild as it appears, get rid of G and Simmer. They will be 40 before Hextall is ready to compete so we may as well get some picks for them.

So you expected a finished product in year 4 of a 5 year rebuild.

 

[Curufinwe]

I think if we kept Schenn, and re signed Mason, signed a decent back up goalie... HELL even Elliott. And had Lindblom / Del Zotto here. We would be be better. No Manning, no Lehtera.

Giroux--Couturier--Schenn
Konecny--Patrick--Voracek
Weal--Fillpula--Simmonds
Lindblom--Laughton--Leier

Provorov--Gostisbehere
Del Zotto--Gudas
Hagg--Macdonald
(Sanheim/Manning) call up / #7

Mason
Elliott



And this still keeps us around the same salary wise. That way we kept chemistry and still had depth. And a winning enviournment in the minors.

Mason got $1.6 more than Neuvirth, and Del Zotto got $2m more than a ELC dman, so they would be well over the cap with that roster.

 

[Beef Invictus]

So you expected a finished product in year 4 of a 5 year rebuild.

Progress would be nice. An NHL caliber coach would be good too. Guy has done nothing to redeem himself since Nashville.


Or do you think the Nashville game was well coached?

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

I am not on the fire Hextall bandwagon yet. It doesn't make much sense to me. He was brought in to sculpt this team, which he is clearly doing. Things take time. I love that when Homer was here it was all about patience and he sucks because he has no patience. Now Hextall is here and he sucks because his players are not developing fast enough and this team is not competitive enough. Most of you know I was a fan of Homer and a defender until the bitter end, and I can easily say that Hextall's "transgressions" are far less impactful and far less frequent than any of Homer's. I really wonder sometimes what you folks think it is that a good GM really does.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Not so much that they aren't developing fast enough, as Hextall is standing by a coach actively detrimental to player development.

 

[Les Averman]

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about Hextall anymore, and while I think Hakstol is a bigger problem than him, the next week will determine Hextall's future as GM. It's clear that the fans have turned on them and with how well the Eagles and Sixers are playing, their attendance and ratings will likely suffer while the team does nothing about it. If he doesn't fire Hak and the team continues to flounder, whether they win a game in the next week or not, ownership will take it into their own hands and Hextall will end up being the guy to go.

I think he's making an extremely risky decision if he holds onto Hakstol and he's going to put himself on the bullseye if so.

 

[Striiker]

Short sighted? This is his 4th season as GM and we are regressing. If we are being short sighted, what is the long view? Another 4 years until this is a playoff team? Sorry, but that is unacceptable. Why should fans spend time and money on a team that isn't trying very hard to win. The organization has obviously written off the year already. If they don't care we shouldn't either. At least with Homer there was a chance every year. Hextal and his draft picks are getting us nowhere. If he truly is in total 10 year rebuild as it appears, get rid of G and Simmer. They will be 40 before Hextall is ready to compete so we may as well get some picks for them.

They aren't regressing.

They're in far better shape now then when he started.

 

[BillDineen]

I am not in the fire Hextall camp. He has overall done well. There are a lot of steps though until this team is a contender (Hakstol, Simmonds, finding a goalie etc.). There are some red flags though.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

I am not in the fire Hextall camp. He has overall done well. There are a lot of steps though until this team is a contender (Hakstol, Simmonds, finding a goalie etc.). There are some red flags though.

Same for me, Bill. I'm nowhere near close to wanting him fired, but as you said, there are some things to worry about.

 

[WIP CALLER]

4 years as gm, 1 year barely making the playoffs. team has not progressed at all in 4 years. appreciate him restocking the farm but I think we are going to need a gm to put everything together. hextalls "we 'll be ready by 2025" plan isn't going to cut it and the team is going to be bleeding money next year if things stay status quo. I'm pretty pissed at myself that I fell for the "we're going to focus on the future and get rid of the dead weight " line and got a partial plan after dropping my full season tickets. definitely won't make that mistake again and I'm sure im not the only one. I hope that the stadium series game receives temple football level attendance.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about Hextall anymore, and while I think Hakstol is a bigger problem than him, the next week will determine Hextall's future as GM. It's clear that the fans have turned on them and with how well the Eagles and Sixers are playing, their attendance and ratings will likely suffer while the team does nothing about it. If he doesn't fire Hak and the team continues to flounder, whether they win a game in the next week or not, ownership will take it into their own hands and Hextall will end up being the guy to go.

That's just an arbitrary timeline that you have put on things. I think it's important to keep everything in perspective. I'm the wrong one to be saying that, since I flare up as bad as anyone and worse than most, and while there's nothing wrong with venting, in our serious, calm fireside chats like this, we have to keep perspective. This season isn't going to determine anything - his next coaching hire might, but how we do this season (provided the kids grow) isn't really a lynchpin to any trapdoor. None of us knows that for sure, but I can't see them (whoever they are) blasting Hexy out the door anytime soon. They have known all along that this is a long-term process.

 

[wuf]

Definitely not on the fire Hextall wagon. If he wasn't going to fire Hakstol right now, he should defend his coach (even if he knows he's wrong). I want other coaches to want to come here and want to fix this team, and knowing you can have a supportive GM would encourage that.

 

[Les Averman]

That's just an arbitrary timeline that you have put on things. I think it's important to keep everything in perspective. I'm the wrong one to be saying that, since I flare up as bad as anyone and worse than most, and while there's nothing wrong with venting, in our serious, calm fireside chats like this, we have to keep perspective. This season isn't going to determine anything - his next coaching hire might, but how we do this season (provided the kids grow) isn't really a lynchpin to any trapdoor. None of us knows that for sure, but I can't see them (whoever they are) blasting Hexy out the door anytime soon. They have known all along that this is a long-term process.

I get what you're saying and yes, the week is an arbitrary number, but there is no Ed Snider with direct ties to Hextall and you have a new managing partner. If he does nothing and the fanbase continues to react as they are now, they will see drops in attendance and television ratings, and increases in public outrage. If they decide to take matters into their own hands, Hextall is going to be the guy to go.

I'm not saying I want Hextall gone and I've been a big supporter of his throughout his tenure but he's putting a target on his back if he chooses not to make any sort of a move in the near future.

 

[kelmitchell]

This is a comedy. Manning, MacDonald, Flip, Weisse, Lehetera should not touch the ice. We have the prospects to replace them. Weirdest rebuild I have ever seen.

This isnt a rebuild anymore.....he actually likes this team and coach.....he needs to go

 

[hatcher]

hextall took konecny over aho and he took laberge over debrincat. he passed on arvidsson, point and dvorak when he took NAK. Not great drafting at all really.

 

[NYCFlyer]

I get what you're saying and yes, the week is an arbitrary number, but there is no Ed Snider with direct ties to Hextall and you have a new managing partner. If he does nothing and the fanbase continues to react as they are now, they will see drops in attendance and television ratings, and increases in public outrage. If they decide to take matters into their own hands, Hextall is going to be the guy to go.

I'm not saying I want Hextall gone and I've been a big supporter of his throughout his tenure but he's putting a target on his back if he chooses not to make any sort of a move in the near future.

So you think the public should decide what players play, who we draft, who the coach is, who the gm is?
Hextall has done what he said all along he would do. Build a winner through draft and develop and that there would be difficult times but to be patient. Thats not to say there haven't been or won't be some mistakes but we have a very deep pipeline that will get deeper after this year. Was Hak the right hire? Doesn't appear so based on the premise he was hired on ..the growth of young players, but on wins/losses he was given a pretty poor D and G to work with. Those who think we should just add all the young players to the lineup and just let them grow imo couldn't be more wrong. Young players need vets to show them the way and shield them until they are ready. Seasoning them helps but Gudas, MacDonald and Manning as your vets on D to help the young guys this year was a really poor idea imo as none of them are the type of stalwart needed. The Schenn trade was another really hard to figure move that probably involved a miscalculation on Patrick/Lindblom and a pretty mediocre return. Finally although Elliot has played really well of late, Goaltending is a huge issue (Neuvy could have had all three SJS goals).

 

[Curufinwe]

Tripod came up with 12/8 as the likely firing date for Hakstol and it makes sense. Their next four games are Boston, at Calgary, at Edmonton, at Vancouver and they couldn't even beat Calgary and Vancouver at home.

 

[Lindberg]

Tripod came up with 12/8 as the likely firing date for Hakstol and it makes sense. Their next four games are Boston, at Calgary, at Edmonton, at Vancouver and they couldn't even beat Calgary and Vancouver at home.

I'll disagree with that. If Hextall isn't going to fire him after a nine 9 losing streak I don't think he'll get canned until the end of the year if he does.