Interview with Hextall

[Curufinwe]

A four part interview by Timmy P. Part four will come tomorrow.

http://www.csnphilly.com/hockey-philadelphia-flyers/hextall-no-need-sweeping-changes-flyers
http://www.csnphilly.com/hockey-phi...flyers-aim-win-now-without-sacrificing-future
http://www.csnphilly.com/hockey-philadelphia-flyers/hextall-flyers-are-headed-right-direction
http://www.csnphilly.com/hockey-philadelphia-flyers/hextall-flyers-must-be-better-physical-shape

Does Lecavalier have to mentally accept he will not play center?

Hextall: I don’t know where that is going to shake out. I really don’t know where he’s going to play – center, left or right wing. I know he’s not going to play defense and he’s not going to play goal. But I can say the same thing about Brayden Schenn -- whether he will play the middle or the wing, we don’t have that resolved yet. That is going to be a work in progress. And we’re going to have to monitor where we have chemistry.

The one thing from last year ... We had Simmer [Wayne Simmonds], Schenn and Vinny or Raffl or whoever else was on that line, there wasn’t great chemistry. We've got to find a way to get some chemistry there. Whether a player or two has to change on that line, we have to find some chemistry, some guys who fit together better.

Click to read more...

 

[flyersfan018]

That last part of the quote is music to my ears.

 

[sa cyred]

Ha just posted in the lineup thread, but they seem to like PEB alot. He would have to fall flat on his face to not make it.

 

[RJ8812*]

Ha just posted in the lineup thread, but they seem to like PEB alot. He would have to fall flat on his face to not make it.

Hextall just said what any other GM would say about a new player

 

[Curufinwe]

I believe that if PEB is called up and plays in one game, he has to clear waivers to go back down. So if he comes up and does well, then he'll stay up for the rest of the season like Raffl did.

 

[BillDineen]

This was interesting:

Sean Couturier could someday be a legit Selke candidate because of his defensive, shutdown ability. Yet a Selke candidate has to show some offense too, and he seems content with “defense first.” Do you feel you are getting enough offense out of a guy who had back-to-back 96-point seasons in junior? He’s capable of a lot more.

Hextall: I agree 100 percent. I’ve talked about that this summer. Our biggest upside is up front with Brayden [Schenn] and Sean. Sean, you love what he does, the unselfishness, the team first, loving the challenge of playing against the other team’s top line. That’s awesome stuff.

Typically, a young player learns the defensive part after the offensive part. Coots in juniors was equally good on offense as defense, but up here, obviously, his defensive game is ahead of his offensive game. There’s another level. A couple of levels for Coots and you’re damn right, we expect it. He needs to push harder north. It’s a little bit of a mentality, a little bit of an attitude, but there’s going to be expectations placed on him that haven’t been [there] up to this point. He’s a young player and rightfully so, there has not been expectations from him to produce at a high level, but he’s been in the league long enough now where he needs to push the bar, offensively.

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

This was interesting:

Sean Couturier could someday be a legit Selke candidate because of his defensive, shutdown ability. Yet a Selke candidate has to show some offense too, and he seems content with “defense first.†Do you feel you are getting enough offense out of a guy who had back-to-back 96-point seasons in junior? He’s capable of a lot more.

Hextall: I agree 100 percent. I’ve talked about that this summer. Our biggest upside is up front with Brayden [Schenn] and Sean. Sean, you love what he does, the unselfishness, the team first, loving the challenge of playing against the other team’s top line. That’s awesome stuff.

Typically, a young player learns the defensive part after the offensive part. Coots in juniors was equally good on offense as defense, but up here, obviously, his defensive game is ahead of his offensive game. There’s another level. A couple of levels for Coots and you’re damn right, we expect it. He needs to push harder north. It’s a little bit of a mentality, a little bit of an attitude, but there’s going to be expectations placed on him that haven’t been [there] up to this point. He’s a young player and rightfully so, there has not been expectations from him to produce at a high level, but he’s been in the league long enough now where he needs to push the bar, offensively.

To

Sean Couturier

To

Matt Frattin
4th Round Pick 2015
6th Round Pick 2017

 

[sa cyred]

Hextall just said what any other GM would say about a new player

GM's usually say how everyone likes him, names all his pros as a player and says he thinks he will be a good player? Especially to players that come from overseas?

Interesting.

 

[ILoveStephanieBrown]

To

Sean Couturier

To

Matt Frattin
4th Round Pick 2015
6th Round Pick 2017

????

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

????

Hextall says his offensive game hasn't developed! Clearly he will be traded for peanuts!


It was an attempt to poke fun at TML trade proposals. Not a good attempt, apparently.

 

[Coffe]

Hextall says his offensive game hasn't developed! Clearly he will be traded for peanuts!


It was an attempt to poke fun at TML trade proposals. Not a good attempt, apparently.

You're missing Kadri and Gardiner - they're in every propsal. It's obviously going to be Couts + Voracek/Simmonds for Kadri and a 2nd.


Nice read (even for a Timmy P piece).

 

[ILoveStephanieBrown]

Hextall says his offensive game hasn't developed! Clearly he will be traded for peanuts!


It was an attempt to poke fun at TML trade proposals. Not a good attempt, apparently.

Ah, ok. I figured it may have been a joke but I didn't quite get why you were making it. Makes sense.

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

You're missing Kadri and Gardiner - they're in every propsal. It's obviously going to be Couts + Voracek/Simmonds for Kadri and a 2nd.


Nice read (even for a Timmy P piece).

That's true, but I was just thinking they'd target a guy the organization has so clearly soured on in Couturier that they can get for dirt cheap (though, in reality, even before these quotes Matt Frattin likely held more value than Couturier, and the draft picks are just icing on the cake).

 

[The Rage Kage]

Based on those comments I think hextall also wants couturier to be put in a better position to score, he doesn't want to waste him as a .5 ppg third line penalty killing center

 

[Stizzle]

To

Sean Couturier

To

Matt Frattin
4th Round Pick 2015
6th Round Pick 2017

 

[Curufinwe]

Based on those comments I think hextall also wants couturier to be put in a better position to score, he doesn't want to waste him as a .5 ppg third line penalty killing center

That's why we need a 4th line that's strong defensively. So Couturier doesn't get stuck with every tough matchup.

 

[Random Forest]

That's why we need a 4th line that's strong defensively. So Couturier doesn't get stuck with every tough matchup.

Yup. And so Giroux doesn't have to supplement Couturier's defensive load. Giroux's line should have minimal non-offensive responsibility at even strength.

Whenever Laughton finally makes the team, we should soon after have this, though, so I am optimistic.

 

[Embiid]

These interviews from Hextall have been very insightful. Always enjoy analyzing how somebody thinks. Hextall to me from all the interviews including today's installment about the team needing to be in shape exhibits some real progressive thinking. He is leaps and bounds more forward thinking and measured in his approach than Holmgren. So far I'm very impressed and I think we are on the right path. Hextall is actually a "fresh perspective."

Hextall: No, my way of thinking hasn’t changed even though you would never know it from the way I played. I have always been a patient guy, a visionary guy. I don’t have a great memory, but all my focus goes to a vision of what’s ahead, rather than history. Don’t get me wrong. I know you have to learn from history because you can learn a lot. But that is how I am wired. In my mind, I pencil my team out in two or three years and look for the progress that we’re going to make in the next 2-3 years. It’s a vision. That’s all it is. Work has got to go in between now and then. That didn’t change. I’ve always been an analytical guy. Maybe I think too much sometimes. I think a lot, sometimes in the middle of the night.

 

[Embiid]

That last part of the quote is music to my ears.

So was this quote from Hextall

Vinny has to come back and play better 200 feet of hockey than he did last year

 

[Embiid]

Nice...from today's installment.

Getting rid of Hartnell was a good message....."We got to fricking go!" so Hartnell had to go since he would always come into camp out of shape except that season when Jagr and G had a talk with him.

I hope Voracek is ready to go as well...he is typically a laggard come camp as well.

If you don’t get better from within, your chances of moving too far ahead are slim. That’s where we focused this summer. Getting better from within. Not just on the ice, but some of our staff and minor league team. Little things we can improve in here like the analytical part or coaching part. There’s things we can get better. It’s not just the product on the ice which is a byproduct of all the little things that you improve on, whether it’s medical devices or training programs. Our team was very diligent about training [this summer]. Our team last year? I don’t think was in great shape. I really don’t, for whatever reason. We better be in better shape this year. 1 and 7 [start]? We can’t do that again. We got to be ready to go on opening night. We gotta fricking go! That type of thing far outweighs signing a decent free agent.

http://www.csnphilly.com/hockey-philadelphia-flyers/hextall-flyers-must-be-better-physical-shape

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

That's why we need a 4th line that's strong defensively. So Couturier doesn't get stuck with every tough matchup.

Eh, I don't know. Regardless of whether or not we have a defensively strong 4th line, I think Couturier still would get those minutes. Our offense is fine (tied for 10th). I'd love for Couturier to be the shut-down guy and a point producer, but with the way this team can produce on offense, I'd still give him the toughest minutes. A better defensive 4th line would be more beneficial for a guy like Giroux.

 

[Larry44]

Eh, I don't know. Regardless of whether or not we have a defensively strong 4th line, I think Couturier still would get those minutes. Our offense is fine (tied for 10th). I'd love for Couturier to be the shut-down guy and a point producer, but with the way this team can produce on offense, I'd still give him the toughest minutes. A better defensive 4th line would be more beneficial for a guy like Giroux.

Exactly. What is Berube going to do, play Vinny vs. Malkin just so Couts can match up vs. Sutter?

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

Exactly. What is Berube going to do, play Vinny vs. Malkin just so Couts can match up vs. Sutter?

Yeah, unless it is a truly elite defensive fourth line (which seems unlikely as most elite defensive players are going to be playing above the 4th line), Coots will get those minutes. If you have a defensive shut down line, you use it to shut down the best players. If we have 4th liners who are that good defensively, they should be playing with Couturier to make that line all the more effective in shutting down the best line of the other team. Having a better defensive 4th line shouldn't cut into his minutes against tougher competition. That makes him less effective and give an advantage to the other team's best lines.

 

[CanadianFlyer88]

The more I see of Hexy in interviews, the more I like.

 

[Random Forest]

Yeah, unless it is a truly elite defensive fourth line (which seems unlikely as most elite defensive players are going to be playing above the 4th line), Coots will get those minutes. If you have a defensive shut down line, you use it to shut down the best players. If we have 4th liners who are that good defensively, they should be playing with Couturier to make that line all the more effective in shutting down the best line of the other team. Having a better defensive 4th line shouldn't cut into his minutes against tougher competition. That makes him less effective and give an advantage to the other team's best lines.

Couturier will obviously always get the toughest matchups, but that doesn't mean his workload can't be reduced.

Having three centers capable of taking consistent D zone draws is obviously easier on Couturier than just having Giroux and Couturier capable of taking those deployments.

There were lots of times last year where we had to send Couturier for a D zone draw against an opposing second line just because we didn't have the confidence in either of the other two lines to take it. If a fourth line can be trusted with that assignment, it means Couturier can get an additional shift against an easier matchup every handful of times he's on the ice.