Hexy or Homer?

[The Burdened]

If only there was an extended period last season where Provorov and Ghost played together and were a fantastic top pairing.

You do realize that is literally the same attitude Hextall has for our coach... right? Giving passes based on prior built up equity.

"I don't care that things are bad. 0-10? He's the guy. We've made the playoffs with Hak & he's a very good coach and the hardest working man I've ever seen. He's a done a great job developing the kids."

I know that just because Provy & Ghost suck right now obv doesn't mean they will always suck.

But nobody on this is above reproach and they need to be better... but they're not gonna get better sitting under Dave Hakstol's learning tree. That, once again, falls on the genius of Ron Hextall.

 

[Amorgus]

I don’t know what that is. Nothing a bit of antibiotics won’t cure

I've heard of the dreaded swab. They take one of those long throat culture q-tips and jam it down your peehole. Sounds like Taliban torture to me.

 

[Jtown]

I've heard of the dreaded swab. They take one of those long throat culture q-tips and jam it down your peehole. Sounds like Taliban torture to me.

f*** that

 

[Curufinwe]

You do realize that is literally the same attitude Hextall has for our coach... right? Giving passes based on prior built up equity.

If you can't see the difference between the performance of Provy & Ghost and freaking Hakstol over the past three years then you've clearly gone round the bend.

 

[The Burdened]

My problem is with blanket statements without substantiation.

"We never play our prospects" - we have 7 starters under 25 (6 if Misha is sent down, but maybe 8-9 by April)

"We marinate our prospects too long" - our rookies as a whole are no older than most teams around the league, only a few players make the NHL between ages 18-20, most who aren't top 20 picks don't make it until 22-24 years old.

"They're killing the progress of our prospects" - who?

These are all fair points... which ties into the bigger overall questions:

Maybe the kids not as good as we thought they were? Have we grossly overvalued & over hyped our own prospects?

 

[hatcher]

These are all fair points... which ties into the bigger overall questions:

Maybe the kids not as good as we thought they were? Have we grossly overvalued & over hyped our own prospects?

Jeff woywitka was awesome in the dub but want shit. We got the same garbage here right now.

 

[Striiker]

You do realize that is literally the same attitude Hextall has for our coach... right? Giving passes based on prior built up equity.

"I don't care that things are bad. 0-10? He's the guy. We've made the playoffs with Hak & he's a very good coach and the hardest working man I've ever seen. He's a done a great job developing the kids."

I know that just because Provy & Ghost suck right now obv doesn't mean they will always suck.

But nobody on this is above reproach and they need to be better... but they're not gonna get better sitting under Dave Hakstol's learning tree. That, once again, falls on the genius of Ron Hextall.

Except that’s not true at all.

Hakstol has no built up equity. Nobody is saying to fire him based on 7 games. He should be fired based on 260+ games.

 

[wankstifier]

Like when he made Homer get Bryz.

It’s hard to compare the two. Hextall hasn’t been under as much pressure to succeed. He sold Snider on the 5 year plan at the beginning. Snider’s not here around year 5 when the plan seems to be falling apart

 

[hatcher]

It’s hard to compare the two. Hextall hasn’t been under as much pressure to succeed. He sold Snider on the 5 year plan at the beginning. Snider’s not here around year 5 when the plan seems to be falling apart

Totally falling apart.

 

[deadhead]

These are all fair points... which ties into the bigger overall questions:

Maybe the kids not as good as we thought they were? Have we grossly overvalued & over hyped our own prospects?

No, maybe our expectations for when they'd arrive are skewed by a few players on other teams, mostly high draft picks, who arrived quickly. Look at the Pens and Domoulin (24), Sheary (23), Rust (23), Geuntzel (22). Sometimes you have to wait for good things. Look at Sanheim at 21 v Sanheim at 22.

But when you have Frost, Ratcliffe and Strome playing at a high level in their D+2 season, Hogberg (20), Ginning (18), Lycksell (19), all starting in the 3rd best league in the world, Allison, Laczynski, Kalynuk, Farabee, O'Brien in the NCAA, you have some talent in the pipeline. And Rubtsov, Kase, Twarynski, Myers, Friedman, Hart are all legitimate top prospects in the AHL. Yes, we'll whiff on a few, maybe NAK lacks the Hockey IQ, Laberge never gets healthy . . .

 

[deadhead]

The other thing to remember is the kids are the bright spot so far this season, other than Vorobyev, and that's not uncommon on the first exposure to NHL speed, the other six are fine, Hagg has shown significant improvement, Provorov is struggling at a very high level (as a 1st pair D-man), Lindblom, TK, Sanheim are much improved this year (TK has really bulked up without losing speed, he's not getting bumped off the puck anymore), and Patrick just needs to get on the ice and shake the cobwebs.

It's the top veterans who've been the disappointments so far, they' just not playing at a high level, especially when it comes to taking care of the puck and back checking.

I don't lose sleep over Lehtera, Weise, AMac or Folin, because there's a good chance they'll all be buried in the pressbox or gone by April.

 

[Cootsfanclub]

Like when he made Homer get Bryz.

100% worth it just for his screen time on 24/7

 

[tucson83]

Totally falling apart.

and it wont be long when wells fargo center seats is going to be citizens bank park empty.

it's like what exactly is exciting about this team? that's i feel the same with the phillies, there's no excitement, that's no carson wentz or emiid type of player excitement on the flyers.

i mean, if there's a new gm/coach and getting jack hughes will definitively something to be excited about since eric lindros.

 

[Striiker]

and it wont be long when wells fargo center seats is going to be citizens bank park empty.

How would you know? You don’t watch the games.

 

[Cootsfanclub]

Homer is gonna mortgage the future for a run every year while Hexy is gonna wait things out and let chips fall where they may. I think Hexy's fate clearly hinges on Hart and Sandstorm. People always talk about the goaltensing situation not being improved from last season, but the best goalie moved in the offseason went for a second and a cap dump, and he's no sure shot improvement here given our defense.
My biggest issue is the coaching situation, and that's the only big one right now.

 

[Striiker]

Hextalls fate depends on his next coaching hire.

Pick right and we’re all set up to be a contending team.

Pick wrong and everything’s been wasted.

 

[Rebels57]

Hextalls fate depends on his next coaching hire.

Pick right and we’re all set up to be a contending team.

Pick wrong and everything’s been wasted.

Well said but you have to add, "and WHEN he makes his next coaching hire." The timing is also important.

 

[Striiker]

Well said but you have to add, "and WHEN he makes his next coaching hire." The timing is also important.

If I had to guess, Hakstol is gone after this year if we don’t win a playoff series.

At some point Hextall will make a move for the sake of changing what isn’t working, and he cant/won’t change the roster he spent all this time building, even if he’s doesn’t recognize how bad Hakstol is.

Kinda like pulling the goalie. You have to make a change to send a message, even if you don’t think it’s all his fault.

 

[Rebels57]

If I had to guess, Hakstol is gone after this year if we don’t win a playoff series.

At some point Hextall will make a move for the sake of changing what isn’t working, and he cant/won’t change the roster he spent all this time building, even if he’s doesn’t recognize how bad Hakstol is.

Kinda like pulling the goalie. You have to make a change to send a message, even if you don’t think it’s all his fault.

That feels like a strong possibility, but knowing how stubborn Hextall has been, it's anything but a foregone conclussion.

 

[Striiker]

That feels like a strong possibility, but knowing how stubborn Hextall has been, it's anything but a foregone conclussion.

Sure, it's both a hope and something that feels possible, based on how other things got handled and the typical mentality of GM's.

I'd say 60/40, if I had to put a number on it.

The only thing that could be a problem would be if there is some massive excuse that pops up before the end of this year. Like if Giroux goes down with a season ending injury or something. But at that point I'd probably shoot myself anyway so either way no more Hakstol for me!

 

[Beef Invictus]

I mean he should've been fired after the last PO loss, but here we are.

 

[Rebels57]

I mean he should've been fired after the last PO loss, but here we are.

Exactly. Embarassed badly in the Playoffs for the 2nd time in 3 seasons and clearly no upwards trajectory in either the teams on-ice performance or his on-bench performance.

 

[deadhead]

Hextalls fate depends on his next coaching hire.

Pick right and we’re all set up to be a contending team.

Pick wrong and everything’s been wasted.

With the talent we might have in two years, even YOU could coach (or just sit back and watch) that team.

 

[Beef Invictus]

With the talent we might have in two years, even YOU could coach (or just sit back and watch) that team.

Without a generational player that's flat-out not true. Coaching matters.


Hakstol sucks. You are incorrect to believe he is flawless.

 

[hatcher]

and it wont be long when wells fargo center seats is going to be citizens bank park empty.

it's like what exactly is exciting about this team? that's i feel the same with the phillies, there's no excitement, that's no carson wentz or emiid type of player excitement on the flyers.

i mean, if there's a new gm/coach and getting jack hughes will definitively something to be excited about since eric lindros.

Not one star to watch at all.