Speculation: Martin McGuire on Hextall firing - Carey Price

[HockeyDBspecialist]

Philly is in a weird state where they have a core of older people, but also a core of younger pieces.

you have the Voracek/Simmonds/Giroux
and you have the Konecky/Patrick/Ghost/

give them 2 more years with a #1 goalie like Rinne and they are automatically in finals.

 

[StoneHands]

That's the real catch that got Hextall fired. There's really not a lot to do there...they've got Hart, and a handful of other promising goaltending prospects in the pipeline...but there's really nothing you can do to accelerate that. You're just waiting...and in the meantime, bad goaltending can absolutely sink a team, and it can be really embarrassing.

Seems like the patience of ownership just sorta hit a breaking point. They want somebody who can do something to fix the goaltending in the meantime, to at least make good on some of these prime years of Giroux and a collection of other good players who aren't getting any younger. I mean, you've got this star player in Giroux who is gonna be like 32+ by the time Carter Harter is really ready to take the mantle? And they've already done plenty of waiting on a number of these defence prospects coming to bear fruit at the NHL level.

Obviously there's something to be said for patience and staying the course, but there's also gotta be an element of frustration when you've got a really good group of forwards...and are starting to get a decent group of defencemen together, who should be able to compete for a playoff spot. But you're still just sorta having "patience" preached at you waiting for the goaltending to come around.

This is a very good take from a non-Flyers fan. Pretty much sums up how I and a lot of Flyers fans have felt.

We get it, the Flyers are rebuilding. They were shedding salary and building through the draft. That's fine, its actually great. The problem is, you confuse your fanbase when you preach the future but then you trade away Schenn for more future pieces but keep guys like Voracek and Simmonds. When you keep an aging core you're telling your fanbase that you're not giving up on winning now which is fine but don't half ass it. Maybe they wouldn't have won the Cup but when you have a solid core of players you at least give yourself a shot at a bit of a run each year if you can fill in the roster with other solid pieces without giving out long term contracts. If Hexy would have traded Simmonds (a couple years ago his value was sky high) and Voracek and maybe even Giroux he could have preached a full rebuild and people would have understood a few years at the bottom of the standings. When you keep an older core but you don't sign a decent goalie to a length that makes sense to bridge to Hart, you're absolutely wasting time.

I feel for a guy like Giroux. He essentially came into the league and was on a contender but as soon as he hit his peak they decided to tear it down and start over but not fully tear it down. Now that it's building back up he's past his peak and by the time the team is a contender he may be a complimentary piece. Age 26-32 was wasted for Giroux and that sucks because people on a national stage will never understand how truly great he is. What he did in the playoffs from '10-'12 was no fluke and with the right pieces around him he could have continued that. I just hope he gets at least one or two shots at a Cup run before he retires.

 

[Scintillating10]

No one in Philadelphia from fans to media wants anything to do with Price.

Sounds about right. Flyers wanted nothing to do with Patrick Roy. When we had him on trade market.

 

[StreetHawk]

This is a very good take from a non-Flyers fan. Pretty much sums up how I and a lot of Flyers fans have felt.

We get it, the Flyers are rebuilding. They were shedding salary and building through the draft. That's fine, its actually great. The problem is, you confuse your fanbase when you preach the future but then you trade away Schenn for more future pieces but keep guys like Voracek and Simmonds. When you keep an aging core you're telling your fanbase that you're not giving up on winning now which is fine but don't half ass it. Maybe they wouldn't have won the Cup but when you have a solid core of players you at least give yourself a shot at a bit of a run each year if you can fill in the roster with other solid pieces without giving out long term contracts. If Hexy would have traded Simmonds (a couple years ago his value was sky high) and Voracek and maybe even Giroux he could have preached a full rebuild and people would have understood a few years at the bottom of the standings. When you keep an older core but you don't sign a decent goalie to a length that makes sense to bridge to Hart, you're absolutely wasting time.

I feel for a guy like Giroux. He essentially came into the league and was on a contender but as soon as he hit his peak they decided to tear it down and start over but not fully tear it down. Now that it's building back up he's past his peak and by the time the team is a contender he may be a complimentary piece. Age 26-32 was wasted for Giroux and that sucks because people on a national stage will never understand how truly great he is. What he did in the playoffs from '10-'12 was no fluke and with the right pieces around him he could have continued that. I just hope he gets at least one or two shots at a Cup run before he retires.

At any point over the past 3 seasons you would have expected on the exit interviews that both Philly and Giroux talk about his future. Hextall lays out his plan and asks if Giroux wants to be a part of it or whether he wants to leave.

I get that you can’t blow it all up. I would have moved Giroux and Vorachek and kept Schenn. I would have kept Simmonds and be prepared to move him last year or this year. Still need a couple of vets around who can mentor the kids.

The goalie situation, either make the move for Bishop to bridge to Hart unless he felt Storlarz could run with it with Elliott as his veteran guy and former 1 goalie to help him along. But that blown knee last season ended that.

 

[CanuckistanFlyerfan]

Sounds about right. Flyers wanted nothing to do with Patrick Roy. When we had him on trade market.

Says who?

Was Roy offered up around the league, or was he shipped off to the first team with a french goalie after he insulted the team that insulted him?

 

[Don Nachbaur 26]

Sounds about right. Flyers wanted nothing to do with Patrick Roy. When we had him on trade market.

Wow. I don't ever remember hearing anything about Roy to Philly and I was into hockey a lot more back then than I am now. I'm gonna say you pulled that out your posterior.

 

[BrindamoursNose]

The rumor I've read that makes more sense to me is that the higher ups wanted Hextall to fire Hakstol and hire Quenneville, Hextall wouldn't do it, and that was the "unyielding" hill that Hextall died on.

Then why isn't Hakstol fired right now?

False rumor

 

[Scintillating10]

Wow. I don't ever remember hearing anything about Roy to Philly and I was into hockey a lot more back then than I am now. I'm gonna say you pulled that out your posterior.

No way, during the Rejean Houle era. Roy wanted out on the Habs. After an embarassing loss to Detroit. Ended up going to Colorado for pennies on the dollar

 

[Iceman]

Who has managed to get a no. 1 goalie to Philly anyway?

 

[A Loyal Dog]

Honestly, we can all crap on Price as much as we want, but the defense in front of him is absolutely putrid. He literally plays in front of a bunch of #6-7-8 defensemen. No shit his stats looks horrible. Ship him to the Flyers or the Blues, and watch those teams cruise to the playoffs.

 

[Jim Bob]

Then why isn't Hakstol fired right now?

False rumor

They probably want the next GM to hire the next coach.

And if they really want Q, he isn't going to sign a contract without knowing who the GM is going to be.

 

[BrindamoursNose]

They probably want the next GM to hire the next coach.

And if they really want Q, he isn't going to sign a contract without knowing who the GM is going to be.

They can assign Interim coaches. If they really wanted Hakstol gone, he'd be gone already.

 

[BrindamoursNose]

Who has managed to get a no. 1 goalie to Philly anyway?

Holmgren did. Mason was quite good until the end.

 

[Curufinwe]

They can assign Interim coaches. If they really wanted Hakstol gone, he'd be gone already.

Makes zero sense to go with an interim coach unless he’s going to last the rest of the season.

 

[Curufinwe]

Flyers fans are the best when it comes to goalies.

Hard to forget "top 10 NHL goalie" Steve Mason's reign of brilliance down in Philly.

Or was that Neuvirth?

Sorry, no, it was Stolarz.

Hey, is that Brian Elliott?

Oh look, Petr Mrazek!

My bad, that's Calvin Pickard.

That Alex Lyon kid is looking pretty good!

You are probably the only team in the league that runs a legitimate chance of ruining Carter Hart, who is easily the best goalie prospect from the WHL since Price.

$10,500,000 for an .897 goalie.

 

[HockeyDBspecialist]

Giroux should have been traded for Price long ago

Quebecois and media LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE Giroux here in Quebec

 

[Starat327]

Giroux should have been traded for Price long ago

Quebecois and media LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE Giroux here in Quebec

It must be nice to live in a world where only you and your needs matter.

 

[HockeyDBspecialist]

It must be nice to live in a world where only you and your needs matter.

ya because Philly never needed a #1 elite goaltender.
stay bottom with an elite lineup, it feels good right ?

 

[Starat327]

ya because Philly never needed a #1 elite goaltender.
stay bottom with an elite lineup, it feels good right ?

About as good as it feels to have an elite goalie and be at the bottom, i imagine.

 

[HockeyDBspecialist]

About as good as it feels to have an elite goalie and be at the bottom, i imagine.

only problem, we aren't bottom like Philly.
Giroux, Voracek, Simmonds, Ghost, Patrick, Konecny, Provorov, Sanheim

and still bottom last.

 

[Starat327]

only problem, we aren't bottom like Philly.
Giroux, Voracek, Simmonds, Ghost, Patrick, Konecny, Provorov, Sanheim

and still bottom last.

Remind me where the habs finished last year again with "best goalie in the world" Carey price?

 

[Habs Halifax]

So much this.

I think Philly is trending up. They have Carter Hart who may very well be their Goaltender of the future. If I was philly I would do a lot of sitting on my hands and continue to build the system for when Hart is ready, then look out.

Yeah but Hart is struggling in the AHL after 12 games. 3.61 GAA an a .884 Sv%. It's early yet but it's not the first time a very good goalie from the CHL struggles in the AHL.

Now, don't confuse this with me saying the Flyers need to be in on Price and because they were apparently not, they fired Hextall. I'm not on this bandwagon. Price has a NMC people. He's not going anywhere unless he wants out. It's possible but it's premature to think so in year 1 of 8 of his contract.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Remind me where the habs finished last year again with "best goalie in the world" Carey price?

Remind me how many games Price played and if he had an injury or not?

The truth is this. Most believe in Price (Habs fans or not) but popular trends is a cheap conversation. Yeah, Price is overpaid cause he is one of the best, not the undisputed best and worth the 5 highest paid player in the league.

It's the same treatment Giroux got in 2016/2017. Of all fan base, the Flyers should understand this in terms of attempts in devaluing Price

 

[Starat327]

Remind me how many games Price played and if he had an injury or not?

49 games and his stats are basically identical to this year.

Nevermind that we already have a rotating crop of injured goalies. We're all good here. Price for Giroux is a terrible deal for the Flyers now, and it would have been in the past as well. That's all that needs to be said.

 

[HockeyDBspecialist]

49 games and his stats are basically identical to this year.

Nevermind that we already have a rotating crop of injured goalies. We're all good here. Price for Giroux is a terrible deal for the Flyers now, and it would have been in the past as well. That's all that needs to be said.

we know for a fact that Giroux was an asset our GM was trying to trade for.