Ideally, yes... but human beings being what they are... dressing room politics is a real and unavoidable thing.

Vinny, even though he looks like poop to us, still commands a lot of respect from people in the game. I'm sure nobody on that team would want to give up their roster spot to see him in, but neither are they comfortable watching their venerable companion get pushed out to sea on that proverbial ice floe.

I do kind of worry that Hak may be committing the rookie coach mistake of burning through his political capital too quickly while waving his sheriff's badge around.

Vinny, Simmer, Schenn... those are all pretty well-liked, well-respected guys.
- Tomahawk

Know what buys a lot of political capital?

5 year contracts.

Did Riley Cote ever keep us out of the playoffs?
- SuperSchennBros

I'll just agree to disagree, it's only going to get circular from here (or maybe has already).

You left out MacDonald...
- mayorofangrytown

(I'm guessing they put that more on Hexy, since he said it was a cap thing)

Know what buys a lot of political capital?

5 year contracts.
- johndewar

That is where I am. If Ed Snider hasn't fired Ron Hextall or made him make huge trades or deal youngsters or rush talented youngsters, and instead is allowing Ron Hextall to run this organization the way he sees fit, and Hextall just fired a coach who made the playoffs one year and finished above .500 the second year AND gave his successor a five-year contract...

Yeah. The players on this current roster are not, with two notable exceptions, in a position to dictate pretty much of anything right now

5 year contracts.
- johndewar

There's a lot of guys on this team that are already on their 3rd-coach here.

There's a lot of guys on this team that are already on their 3rd-coach here.
- Tomahawk

And I have a feeling that for a chunk of those guys, their next coach will be in another city

And I have a feeling that for a chunk of those guys, their next coach will be in another city
- AllInForFlyers

Dunno, job security on both sides of the equation is so tenuous these days -- not sure anybody's really scared of anybody anymore.

Unless it's Babcock, since he's a force of nature.

Dunno, job security on both sides of the equation is so tenuous these days -- not sure anybody's really scared of anybody anymore.

Unless it's Babcock, since he's a force of nature.
- Tomahawk

He gets two years, though -- Hextall is gonna give him the roster surgery that he couldn't or wouldn't give Berube

But look at the contracts on this team. Yes, Hakstol could go in a couple of years. But he won't be alone, and I seriously doubt he will be first

Sure he could be. I just saw Luke Schenn play two good road games and still get scratched for game 3.
- SuperSchennBros

I think it's a little different because there appears to be an open competition for that last D spot. And hakstol must have seen something he liked in practice to go with Gudas. His decisions aren't random and I don't see him putting in a guy just to prove the guy is getting a clean slate. I think it's earned. If we see vinny, it's because he worked his tail off and showed to the coaches that he can make an impact given the chance.

I'll just agree to disagree, it's only going to get circular from here (or maybe has already).
- BulliesPhan87

Dude, you've been nothing less than a gentleman here. We're good. Your not posting a condescending pictures. I just thibk it's crazy to believe one player can bring down one team in one game, every shift.

Dunno, job security on both sides of the equation is so tenuous these days -- not sure anybody's really scared of anybody anymore.

Unless it's Babcock, since he's a force of nature.
- Tomahawk

True, but Hextall went all in on Hakstol, from a length of contract perspective.

So, I think if these guys are gonna rebel, I think they are gonna be gone.

That said, I doubt he'll lose guys like Jake and G. And I think he's just making an example out of a guy (Simmer) who can clearly handle it.

Dude, you've been nothing less than a gentleman here. We're good. Your not posting a condescending pictures. I just thibk it's crazy to believe one player can bring down one team in one game, every shift.
- SuperSchennBros

Wait, people CAN disagree on here without it turning personal??

He gets two years, though -- Hextall is gonna give him the roster surgery that he couldn't or wouldn't give Berube

But look at the contracts on this team. Yes, Hakstol could go in a couple of years. But he won't be alone, and I seriously doubt he will be first
- AllInForFlyers

I realize the Hartnell deal was a bit of a cap move, but I kinda believe he traded Hartnell also as a way of throwing Berube a bone.

I realize the Hartnell deal was a bit of a cap move, but I kinda believe he traded Hartnell also as a way of throwing Berube a bone.
- johndewar

I'd agree -- some of both, there

I think it's a little different because there appears to be an open competition for that last D spot. And hakstol must have seen something he liked in practice to go with Gudas. His decisions aren't random and I don't see him putting in a guy just to prove the guy is getting a clean slate. I think it's earned. If we see vinny, it's because he worked his tail off and showed to the coaches that he can make an impact given the chance.
- funmaster18

I think Dave Hakstol does choose favourites. I thought Chris Porter had a solid game. Somehow Porter is waived in favour of Chris Vandevelde? I think Luke Schenn hasn't had a game where he was ditectly responsible for a goal but somehow he's scratched in favour of Gudas and Manning?

Wait, people CAN disagree on here without it turning personal??
- funmaster18

no they can't bumhole.

I think Dave Hakstol does choose favourites. I thought Chris Porter had a solid game. Somehow Porter is waived in favour of Chris Vandevelde? I think Luke Schenn hasn't had a game where he was ditectly responsible for a goal but somehow he's scratched in favour of Gudas and Manning?
- SuperSchennBros

Well....if Hak REALLY had favorites, he would have found a way to keep Porter.

I'll let you guess where Porter played college hockey.

Hint: It rhymes with Schmorth Schmakota.

I think Dave Hakstol does choose favourites. I thought Chris Porter had a solid game. Somehow Porter is waived in favour of Chris Vandevelde? I think Luke Schenn hasn't had a game where he was ditectly responsible for a goal but somehow he's scratched in favour of Gudas and Manning?
- SuperSchennBros

I think it's way too early to know whether he plays favorites. I think he's trying to figure out what his best line up is right now

no they can't bumhole.
- wilsonecho91

Oh (frank) you

I think it's way too early to know whether he plays favorites. I think he's trying to figure out what his best line up is right now
- funmaster18

It's in Tampa Bay

Looks like the Chara rumors are starting from Ek. Seems like most of the hockey minds on this site believe Chara has zero value, so as a Flyer fan would you accept this....

Chara for MacDonald and Read

- Cuts 2 years off of MacDonald contract
- Help growth with younger defensemen, especially Morin
- Worst case scenario, would upgrade top 6
- Makes backend tougher
- Increases the chance of younger defensemen to make team next year with expiring contract of Schenn and trading MacDonald

Thoughts? Would Boston want even more?

I like that they have been a lot more active and aggressive in the NZ. This isn't a perfect team, and they're going to need to gut out wins a lot of the time, but I like what I've seen overall thus far.

I feel games like tonight's and the opener will be more commonplace than blowouts. Saturday's game is more an outlier to me, due to the asinine score effects so early in the game.

Need to get the big guys going, and hopefully they get decent production from the secondary guys. Neuvirth showed he's a very solid backup at worst. Overall. Outside of Saturday, they've been a lot more fun to watch than last season.
- Jsaquella

Still have the need for shooters, it's good they have decent passers but somebody has to be the ones to shoot.

Looks like the Chara rumors are starting from Ek. Seems like most of the hockey minds on this site believe Chara has zero value, so as a Flyer fan would you accept this....

Chara for MacDonald and Read

- Cuts 2 years off of MacDonald contract
- Help growth with younger defensemen, especially Morin
- Worst case scenario, would upgrade top 6
- Makes backend tougher
- Increases the chance of younger defensemen to make team next year with expiring contract of Schenn and trading MacDonald

Thoughts? Would Boston want even more?
- Glak18

I'd do that. You're getting a nice vet presence who will be off the cap sooner rather than later. He's pretty gassed but let's be honest, he would be a pretty great bridge over the next few years. Think Jason Smith. It would be huge for Morin too.

The Bs might want MDZ over Read. Id still do it.

Seems like Hakstal felt that the team had a better chance of winning with Gudas instead of Schenn and Gagner (and the other forwards) instead of Lecavalier. I don't think he was using it as a "prove it" type of thing. He iced the team that he felt had the best chance to win, and that didn't include either Lecavalier or Schenn.
- jmatchett383

I think there is somewhat of an open competition between Schenn and Gudas for playing time, and Gudas already has an edge because of cap hit. I think the only reason Gudas didn't start right away, was to give him more time to get in game shape and get the rust off. I think they see them as similar players, and they favor Gudas moving forward.

Dude, you've been nothing less than a gentleman here. We're good. Your not posting a condescending pictures. I just thibk it's crazy to believe one player can bring down one team in one game, every shift.
- SuperSchennBros