Hextall's Moves

[Tripod]

I was updating this a bit today. Please let me know of any changes I should make....and of course discuss as you wish.

Since Hextall took over:

Year 1&2

Traded Hartnell for Umberger+4th(Wagner flipped for Vorobyev+Salintri)

Traded McGinn for a 3rd(Sandstrom)…McGinn waived by SJ months later

Signed MDZ

Signed Schultz

Signed White

Signed Bellemare

Signed VDV

Traded Coburn for 1st, 3rd(Tomek) + Gudas=Got Konecky by moving up+ Gudas has been great.

Traded Timonen for 2 2nd rounders=fantastic value, used 1 pick to move up for Konecny, the other for Allison

Signed Danick Martel for free=QMJHL 2nd leading scorer...worth a shot

Traded Rinaldo for 3rd(Ustimenko) Rinaldo later waived

Traded Grossmann + Pronger for Gagner + 4th(traded to NYI for 4th in 2017…then used in package for Ratcliffe)

Signed Medvedev=a good KHL player for free…didn't work out

Signed Neuvirth for free=shored up the backup G situation for the next 2 years then resigned for 2 more years

Fired Berube…Flyers fans rejoice

Hired Hakstol

Signed Marti

Signed Bardreau

Signed undrafted 6'5 RHD Philip Myers for free…QMJHL All Star 2016, WJC as well

Traded Vinny and LSchenn for Weal + 3rd(Twarynski)

Got us into the playoffs 2016

Signed top College FA G Lyon for free

Added Goalie Coach Brady Robinson

Added AHL coach Scott Gordon

Oversaw 2 drafts and had these 7 guys at the WJC this year(2015/16):

Provorov: named CHL Dman of the year…now in NHL

Sanheim: highest PPG in the WHL in 20 years for a Dman, Now in NHL

Konecny: great draft+1 season…now in NHL

Lindblom: highest scoring U20 in SHL, SHL Forward of the year, now in AHL

Fazleev: over PPG in WHL, now in AHL

Sandstrom: made WJC multiple times, Named top Goalie at WJC…still in SHL

Kase: Over PPG in MH...made WJC multiple times…now in SHL

Plus drafted:

Aube Kubel: over PPG in QMJHL…now in AHL

Friedman: WCHA All Star Dman…now in AHL

Tomek: injured all season, made WJC…now in USHL

Dove McFalls: poor pick...not signed

Vorobyov: Was #1C at WJC for Russia….now in AHL

Marody: great rookie season in college, issues in season 2, great start to 3rd season

Fedotov: long term G prospect…in VHL

Pettersson: played in AHL, then back to SHL

Year 3

Drafted in 2016:

Rubstov: made WJC….now in CHL

Laberge: CHL All Star Game MVP…not playing to expectations

Hart: CHL goalie of the Year….WJC goalie

Allison: USHL Playoff MVP, great start to season

Twarynski: great start to season

Bunnaman: Captain Dave Poulin's obsession

Hogberg: SHL regular, WJC hopeful

Laczynski: Made WJC, having great season

Salinitri: good start to season

Bernhardt: Made WJC, SHL regular

Signed Weise for free…has played below expectations

Signed Gordon for free…has played below expectations…waived

Added Huffman to handle the D in AHL

Signed talented AHL players in Brennan, O'Neill, and Miele

Signed Lyubimov for free…did not work out

Traded Streit for Filppula+4th(Sushko)+7th(Kalynuk)

Signed Vecchione as a UFA College player, in AHL doing well

Named Kris Knoblauch assistant coach

Year 4 Traded Cousins+Madsen for Warren+5th in 2018

Traded B Schenn for 2 1st rounders-Frost+?

Re-Signed Weal

Signed Elliott

Signed Varone for AHL

Signed Irving then traded him for Tokarski

Drafted in 2017:

Patrick: Now in NHL

Frost

Ratcliffe: Traded 3 picks for him: Westerlund+Schnarr+Hoefenmayer

Ustimenko

Strome

Sushko

Cates

Lycksell

Kalynuk

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Click to read more...

 

[deadhead]

What stands out is how little value went the other way in all these deals and moves.
B Schenn, Coburn and Hartnell are the only legitimate players we've lost (Hartnell bought out, Coburn while extended is basically a 3rd pair D-man), Cousins is a scrub, Rinaldo and McGinn waived, LA let Schenn walk, Streit waived, Kimmo retired.
He's had one draft miss in McFalls (a knee injury contributed), maybe one in Tomek (injuries again), one bad signing in Weise (overpay).
Gordon was a body, Lehtera and Umberger were salary dumps.

One shudders to think how this team could have ended up without Hextall, strung out against the cap as older veterans aged out of the league.
While his conservative approach to prospects may be frustrating, we haven't see the players brought up underperform so far.
He's gotten maximum production out of Cousins, Leier, Laughton, etc.

The next stage in his GM development is to make the deals the next two years to reshape the roster and build a cup contender.
But I think you'll be blue in the face, holding your breath until he signs an overpaid free agent.
Hextall has a plan, and I think he's going to stick with it, accumulate draft picks, develop your own talent, and build through trades.
Use your cap room to resign your own players and to "help" out other teams by taking on bad contracts in exchange for assets.

 

[MacDonald4MVP]

Great thread dude. I think you could add protected Laughton over PEB in expansion draft, which worked great as well.

 

[Brayden Fattison]

Nice job so far. Maybe add some of the bigger strategic non-signings(Mase, MDZ, etc.).

 

[Flyerfan4life]

the only thing missing is:

Fires Hakstol, realizes getting a non NHL HC coach was a bad idea... fans rejoice..

 

[Magua]

the only thing missing is:

Fires Hakstol, realizes getting a non NHL HC coach was a bad idea... fans rejoice..

 

[Lindberg]

Hextall needs to get out of his own way. He is all about youth but is obsessed with them being in the minors until they are overly ready.

 

[NYCFlyer]

Hextall needs to get out of his own way. He is all about youth but is obsessed with them being in the minors until they are overly ready.

Maybe with some of the lesser skilled prospects but not with the best three under 22. Patrick, Provorov or Konecny. Zero time in minors.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Maybe with some of the lesser skilled prospects but not with the best three under 22. Patrick, Provorov or Konecny. Zero time in minors.

None of them were eligible for the AHL. So far no one under Hextall’s watch has skipped the AHL if they were eligible. It looked like Lindblom was going to break the trend but he did not. Maybe Allison or a Frost in 2 years could do it.

 

[NYCFlyer]

None of them were eligible for the AHL. So far no one under Hextall’s watch has skipped the AHL if they were eligible. It looked like Lindblom was going to break the trend but he did not. Maybe Allison or a Frost in 2 years could do it.

He could've easily sent any of them back to junior and then the AHL.

 

[FLYguy3911]

He could've easily sent any of them back to junior and then the AHL.

Big difference between sending a guy back to junior and sending a guy to the AHL.

 

[bennysflyers16]

All the moves in the world, we shouldn't be regressing if G, Jake and Simmer are still on the roster.

Haks just isn't the guy to develop kids and still try and be competitive. This middle ground doesn't seem to be working, maybe completely blowing it up is the answer. Our depth is so bad at fwd and isn't about to change in a year or 2.

 

[Tripod]

Schenns replacement is sitting in LHV.

 

[bennysflyers16]

Schenns replacement is sitting in LHV.

Maybe next year he will have a shot to bump Weal off the third line. Assuming G stays at LW and TK isnt completly ruined by Haks. But he will no way be trusted for at least another year after his rookie season.

 

[bennysflyers16]

If one was to bet, Flip will be resigned and be the 2nd line center next year as well.

 

[Hurricane28]

There's no way Flippula is getting re-signed

 

[BillDineen]

It wouldn't surprise me at all if Filppula was signed to be the 3C. Hextall loves slow-cooking the prospects. Depends on how Vorobyev finishes the year.

Overall Hextall has been very good when you look at the "body of work". He has been "reliable". Hakstolisms aside, Hextall is miles better than some of the bottom GMs out there. If we had a Benning or Bergevin it would be driving us all nuts.

 

[Prongo]

In the off-season I️ think he is going to make a splash and trade for a youngish top 6 forward. We have the assets and now we have a rejuvenated top line, we lack depth.

Who that player is I️ have no clue.

First time the iPhone has done this I️ thing to me. Stupid apple.

 

[Lindberg]

In the off-season I️ think he is going to make a splash and trade for a youngish top 6 forward. We have the assets and now we have a rejuvenated top line, we lack depth.

Who that player is I️ have no clue.

First time the iPhone has done this I️ thing to me. Stupid apple.

Try updating your phone. Seemed to fix it for me yesterday.

 

[Jtown]

I can not believe we have 1 more year of Letera. This guy is terrible.

 

[deadhead]

Outside of a few elite players, how many NHL players hit their strike at 20? 21? 22? 23?
Point is fans want to see prospects right away because of the novelty factor, but Hextall been around the game for 3 decades, he's seen a lot of talent young players crash and burn because they were rushed to the NHL.
The Flyer prospects who skipped a year of junior - Provorv (#7), Konency (#24), Patrick (#2).
Laughton (#20) played a half season in the AHL at 20 years old, came up, played at 21, struggled, went down at age 22, back at age 23.

Most of the Flyer prospects aren't 1st rd picks, so they're likely to take longer to develop (since if they were that talented and polished, they would have been drafted higher).

Look at some drafts:
2015:
1st rd, Strom #3 (AHL), Meier #9 (half year AHL at 20), Gurianov #12 (KHL), Zboril #13 (AHL), Debursk #14 (full AHL at 20), Sensyhyn #15 (AHL), Barzal #16 (2 years junior), Conner #17 (50 AHL games at 20), Chabot #18 (2yr jun, 10 games AHL), Svechnikov #19 (2nd year AHL), Ek #20 (SHL/NHL 19), White #21 (2yr BC, now AHL), Samsonov #22 (KHL), Boeser #23 (2yr ND, NHL at 20), Roslovic #25 (2nd AHL), Juulsen #26 (AHL inj), Larsson #27 (AHL), Beauvillier #28 (1 jun), Carlsson #29 (NHL at 20), Merkley #30 (AHL)
So most of the top 10 make it early, a few after that skip their junior season, the rest either hit the NHL at 20+, with some still in the AHL.
And those are 1st rd picks.

2nd rd, only 2 players made it early, Aho #35, Carlo #37, a few this season, Fischer #32, Greer #39, Sprong #46, Dunn #56
Notice only two players in the NHL from 41-100
Others, Malgin, #102, Nutivaara #189

2014:
top 10 picks, 7 have played over 100 games. 4 of the next 20.
After the 1st rd, Barbashev #33, (1 1/2 in AHL), Montour #55 (1 1/2 in AHL), Dvorak #58 (2yr jun then NHL), Tryamkin #61 (KHL to NHL at 21), Point #79 (2 yr jun), Arvidsson #112 (1 yr + AHL), LaBanc #171 (19 AHL games)

So it's very rare for players outside of the 1st rd to make the NHL in three years, and even then many spend a year or more in the AHL.
So it's really no surprise that almost all our prospects outside the 1st rd spend a year in the AHL, it's pretty normal for prospects who aren't elite to spend 1-2 years in the AHL.

 

[bennysflyers16]

I can not believe we have 1 more year of Letera. This guy is terrible.

Some reports say Blues were on the verge of a buyout till Hexy came a calling. This just screams Hexy panicked for Frost. Lehtera may actually be one of the worst Fwds we have had in a long while. He's worse than the twins.

 

[deadhead]

Doesn't scream panic at all.
A buyout sticks the Blues with the cap hit, so they would have probably offered only a 1st and 3rd for Schenn.
A trade is far preferable to a buyout, so taking Lehtera sweetened the take.

 

[TheKingPin]

You have to like what Hextall has been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time. I personally thought wiese was a good signing at the time. The thing I didn’t get was trading schenn and then not starting Lindblom and then starting lehtera. I mean of course it’s going to suck to start lehtera over schenn.

I know they like frost and he looks good. I know there has been talk that they knew his production would dip with new players coming in. But look now at the shot first players we have at forward. In the top 9 there are only a few maybes in Couts, simmer, TK. I know schenn often shot it right into the chest, but you have to replace that with an upgrade. This and the morin demotion are a little puzzling, but I get they are being patient.

We have seen Hexy be good at rebuilding. I am interested to see what happens next with two firsts, and overload at fwd, and an overload at D. I would think they either try and move up in the draft or trade assets for a young top 6 player. It’s clear they need another game changer.

 

[Rebels57]

The most important move has been his worst one.

Dave Hakstol.