Vandevelde is a very good player defensively that can be trusted by the coach to go out and do what he is told. If he isn't any good, why would an NHL coach play him for 82 games per year? I can prove this on an abacus.
- StepfordSam

Id be extremely surprised if he plays 40 games in the NHL next year.

Babcock was available. Flyers couldn't compete with the Leafs for his services though.
- PLindbergh31

I think Babs wanted Toronto, and everything else was just media nonsense.

asdf

Posted this in the other blog, and then immediately this one popped up sooooooo...

I'll just drop this here and leave:

http://stats.hockeyanalys...p=1&sort=PCT&sortdir=DESC
- JFlyers00



So saw this a bunch of pages back...

Notice Couts 5v5GF% and look at his OZFO%...

Insane.
- jak521

+/-?

Who's a top 5 coach out there you want?

Everyone starts somewhere. It's only season 2. You would think this was season 10 like Andy Reid.
- J35Bacher

The pickings at this point are slim. I personally would have gone hard after Julien and released all the boys behind the bench.

Would have pushed for DeBoer, McLellan and Boudreau in that order. Hindsight and all though... Right now? Outside of MacLean and Gallant you don't have much.

Stevens, Hak and Berube. Again, give me a top 5 NHL coach with some (gasp) NHL experience. Enough of this bargain bin nonsense. Gotta raise your standards brah.

Berube, Hak, Stevens. Gordon and Cote waiting in line.

On a team with as much financial resources, and generally being an attractive destination thats just sad.

Is it too much to ask for a top 5 NHL coach?
- flyer_nutter

Like, say, Lavy or Hitch? I recall a multitude of unsolved problems in their own latter days coaching the Flyers, too. Above all else, it's the personnel that makes the coach look good or bad.

I don't agree with everything Hakstol has done, but I think he's a competent NHL coach and can get better. Must also say this: When team had 2nd-best record in the NHL over the 2016 calendar year -- basically the equiv of one full season but spanning the second half of last season and up through the beginning of their post-Christmas nosedive -- he was seeming a lot "smarter" than in first half of last season or 2nd half of this one.

I think Babs wanted Toronto, and everything else was just media nonsense.
- flyer_nutter

It seemed like the Flyers didn't even show interest in him though.

Berube, Hak, Stevens. Gordon and Cote waiting in line.

On a team with as much financial resources, and generally being an attractive destination thats just sad.

Is it too much to ask for a top 5 NHL coach?
- flyer_nutter

who do you think are the top 5 coaches in the NHL?

Like, say, Lavy or Hitch? I recall a multitude of unsolved problems in their own latter days coaching the Flyers, too. Above all else, it's the personnel that makes the coach look good or bad.

I don't agree with everything Hakstol has done, but I think he's a competent NHL coach and can get better. Must also so this: When team had 2nd-best record in the NHL over the 2016 calendar year -- basically the equiv of one full season but spanning the second half of last season and up through the beginning of their post-Christmas nosedive -- he was seeming a lot "smarter" than in first half of last season or 2nd half of this one.
- bmeltzer

In your opinion Bill, where would you rank Hak out of the NHL coaches?

It's not as if coaches were not available.

DeBoer, Julien, McLellan, Boudreau...

Hell you could even throw Boucher and Torts in that if you really wanted to.

Frustrating to be picking from the garbage bin. If Lappy is back next season I am starting to question Hex.
- flyer_nutter

I wouldn't say that hiring Hak was choosing from the garbage bin. I have no problem with Hexy trying out an unorthodox move and hiring a college coach, and I'm not ready to pull the plug on Hak yet. That being said, he should be under some heavy scrutiny going into next season, and if he's not, shame on Hextall.

In your opinion Bill, where would you rank Hak out of the NHL coaches?
- flyer_nutter

I would say he is 6th hottest

I would say he is 6th hottest
- YuenglingJagr

The pickings at this point are slim. I personally would have gone hard after Julien and released all the boys behind the bench.

Would have pushed for DeBoer, McLellan and Boudreau in that order. Hindsight and all though... Right now? Outside of MacLean and Gallant you don't have much.

Stevens, Hak and Berube. Again, give me a top 5 NHL coach with some (gasp) NHL experience. Enough of this bargain bin nonsense. Gotta raise your standards brah.
- flyer_nutter

So what was the problem with Hitchcock, Roger Nielsen, Lavy? How comes there was no cup then?

The Flyers are on a different path right now. They are getting younger and Hakstol wasn't just some schmuck picked off the garbage pile. He led a huge program to sustained success. He made the playoffs with an incomplete roster last year. this year they took a step back, which was stated could happen by the GM before the season. I think I can spare some patience considering we tried to use money to solve problems before.

Like, say, Lavy or Hitch? I recall a multitude of unsolved problems in their own latter days coaching the Flyers, too. Above all else, it's the personnel that makes the coach look good or bad.

I don't agree with everything Hakstol has done, but I think he's a competent NHL coach and can get better. Must also so this: When team had 2nd-best record in the NHL over the 2016 calendar year -- basically the equiv of one full season but spanning the second half of last season and up through the beginning of their post-Christmas nosedive -- he was seeming a lot "smarter" than in first half of last season or 2nd half of this one.
- bmeltzer

Well said, and for the most part I agree. My 2 biggest issues with Hak are basically his usage of his goalies and his overuse of the PEB/VdV pairing on the PK. I like his overall system, but a major part of coaching pros, much more than coaching college kids, is handling the egos and personalities of highly paid professionals. I think it's a fair statement to say that the jury is still out on judging Hak as an NHL coach.

I wouldn't say that hiring Hak was choosing from the garbage bin. I have no problem with Hexy trying out an unorthodox move and hiring a college coach, and I'm not ready to pull the plug on Hak yet. That being said, he should be under some heavy scrutiny going into next season, and if he's not, shame on Hextall.
- BiggE

I don't think it was a terrible move. I just think that when you had McLellan and DeBoer available around the same time I would have gone there. Who knows, maybe those guys didn't want to come here. Thats a very valid point.

It's not as if coaches were not available.

DeBoer, Julien, McLellan, Boudreau...

Hell you could even throw Boucher and Torts in that if you really wanted to.

Frustrating to be picking from the garbage bin. If Lappy is back next season I am starting to question Hex.
- flyer_nutter

lol! Puh-leez....the frankers here would've gone ballistic had he been hired here.

I would say he is 6th hottest
- YuenglingJagr

His hair is perfect.

I don't think it was a terrible move. I just think that when you had McLellan and DeBoer available around the same time I would have gone there. Who knows, maybe those guys didn't want to come here. Thats a very valid point.
- flyer_nutter

Yup, none of us are ever going to know what really went on behind the scenes. Also, if Hextall's thinking was that a lot of young kids are going be coming onboard over the next few years, than maybe a guy out of the college ranks makes more sense.

His hair is perfect.
- MJL

Yup, saw him drinking a pina colada at Trader Vics, it sure was.

So what was the problem with Hitchcock, Roger Nielsen, Lavy? How comes there was no cup then?
- J35Bacher

Even Iron Mike couldn't get them the Cup.

lol! Puh-leez....the frankers here would've gone ballistic had he been hired here.
- Scoob

For sure, though the press conferences would be much more entertaining.

Well said, and for the most part I agree. My 2 biggest issues with Hak are basically his usage of his goalies and his overuse of the PEB/VdV pairing on the PK. I like his overall system, but a major part of coaching pros, much more than coaching college kids, is handling the egos and personalities of highly paid professionals. I think it's a fair statement to say that the jury is still out on judging Hak as an NHL coach.
- BiggE

Goalie usage shouldn't be anywhere near the top. The goalies didn't play well last year and play badly this year based on usage.

In your opinion Bill, where would you rank Hak out of the NHL coaches?
- flyer_nutter

Haven't ranked them numerically. Not ducking the question, but I just tend to think more qualitatively than quantitatively in those sorts of debates.

From a qualitative standpoint, I'd say he is among the large glut of coaches who could do just fine with a stacked roster and who could push whatever buttons he wanted to with a flawed roster and other teams would still exploit those flaws. Also, like most ever NHL coach, he has a shelf life.

I'll give you an example. Over the years, Lindy Ruff has had stacked rosters that have done very, very well (at least in the regular season), teams that overachieved, touted teams that have underachieved (like his 2016-17 Stars), so-so rosters that have been dormats. He's had teams that have racked up the goals, but struggled to keep the puck out of their own net. He had one year in Buffalo where there was modest firepower but the team GAA was among the best. Yet Ruff's coaching style never varies and the system he employs may have been tweaked to his rosters a few times yet is basically the same.

I would say he is 6th hottest
- YuenglingJagr

What if he had a Boucher-esque scar?

Even Iron Mike couldn't get them the Cup.
- Scoob

If those teams could have just stayed healthy for one damn playoff run.