Your question lacks relevance. What's lethally relevant, for Read and the Flyers, is that you can't be guilty of a weak stick infraction. My God, even the homer-ish Morganti (when not on WIP) called out Read for the miscue. Neutral zone. Minor battle. Relatively safe area.

Now, all due respect, illuminate me as to how I have this wrong. Bad call? Coincidental minors in your opinion? How do I have it wrong?
- Brad Marsh Fan

The question doesn't lack relevance. Read no doubt held the Pens players stick but he was hooked before that. That's how the stick got around Read's waist. More importantly, hyper focusing on Read doesn't make a ton of sense. Far bigger issues with this team.

Yes thats what im saying.His FA signings are a joke. I want them to go after Tavares make a statement.If he doesnt sign here so be it but atleast you tried.
- flyeredup85

That's not the right move for the Flyers.

I think Hexy is a terrific evaluator of recognizing prospects to draft. However, now is the time for him to prove he can build a contending Cup team with free agent signings and smart hockey trades. We 're at the point where the retool has to be over and being a consistent contender should be starting. A very important summer.
- ravishingone

100% agree.

The Pens are just better, that’s no surprise. What is a surprise is how passive we are about it. We are an extremely easy team to play against, the hardest check of this series was in practice.

Overall, I am disappointed most with management and coaching this season. Not giving rookies more and bigger roles, the pk (again)and pp, Hex getting awful goalies, poor trades, mind boggling roster and lineup moves, and bad signings. There is no accountability in this organization.
- darkerens

The rookies need to earn the ice time. Plain and simple

I think Hexy is a terrific evaluator of recognizing prospects to draft. However, now is the time for him to prove he can build a contending Cup team with free agent signings and smart hockey trades. We 're at the point where the retool has to be over and being a consistent contender should be starting. A very important summer.
- ravishingone

Sorry, but the Flyers aren't at that point yet.

Is this better or worse than 2002?
- SuperSchennBros

2002...that was probably a little worse, to be honest. Because the league was slowly changing on them and they just couldn't get that defense right. Lot of pressure to win but they just weren't good enough

They had more talent in 2002 but they weren't really a team

Name one specific thing a forward thinking team in the NHL does?
- MJL

Leafs got creative in moving Kessell and Phaneuf in order to clear the money and maximize return. They also got creative in clearing Clarkson off their books.

Multiple teams like the Coyotes and Canes leveraged cap space to get young players/picks/move up in the draft.

Nashville moving Weber for Subban was pretty ballsy and progressive. I don't think many GMs would have done that.

“Crosby sucks” but I suppose giroux is in the lead at TPC San Antonio with -7
- RuutuRock’emLikeU2#37

Who are you?

Was that the Ottawa series where we scored 2 goals?
- Hextall271

You got it

Who are you?
- AllInForFlyers

"Guy with bad username"

100% agree.
- FlyerFan16

Hexy needs to show he can be closer to Stevie Y with savvy FA signings and trades. He s built up the prospect pool and now has cap flexibility to take the next step to real Cup contender. Waiting another 2 years for Frost and Hart to grow just isn't going to cut it this summer.

This is worse.In 2002 atleast they would fight and hit.This team pats crosby on the head and tells him how good he is.
- flyeredup85

I agree. There was at least hope in 2002 with the talent on the ice.

The question doesn't lack relevance. Read no doubt held the Pens players stick but he was hooked before that. That's how the stick got around Read's waist. More importantly, hyper focusing on Read doesn't make a ton of sense. Far bigger issues with this team.
- MJL

Really trying to understand your logic here.

You admit that Read held the players stick. Which was stupid. Guessing you'd agree to that. Guessing also you believe it's conceivable that it could have been coincidental or not called (due to preceding hook). Yet, Read gets called, which was absolutely brutal.

It's not a hyper focus, chief, it's the first penalty of the game that put them on the power play and opened the floodgates. Read stinks. Should have sat the rest of the game and that lame ass slash at the end was embarrassing...and that's coming from a guy that that would love to see some Pens carried out of there on a stretcher.

Final point: Read personifies the soft element of this team that has all too often reared it's ugly head.

"Guy with bad username"
- bighandsome91

Yeah. Let's go with that for that clown

Can we admit that this team just isn't that good now because from what I've seen even before getting to the playoffs has been pathetic...

Leafs got creative in moving Kessell and Phaneuf in order to clear the money and maximize return. They also got creative in clearing Clarkson off their books.

Multiple teams like the Coyotes and Canes leveraged cap space to get young players/picks/move up in the draft.

Nashville moving Weber for Subban was pretty ballsy and progressive. I don't think many GMs would have done that.
- PhillySportsGuy

Schenn for the picks: progressive or just a GM with buyer's remorse?

I think Hexy is a terrific evaluator of recognizing prospects to draft. However, now is the time for him to prove he can build a contending Cup team with free agent signings and smart hockey trades. We 're at the point where the retool has to be over and being a consistent contender should be starting. A very important summer.
- ravishingone

Agreed ....time for Hextall to ramp it up. It’s time to put up next year, and show at least an improvement in the on ice product...if not then it’s time for the organization to perhaps look else where....I love when guys point out that Hextall inherited all those bad contracts but fail to acknowledge that he also inherited Giroux, Vorecek, Simmonds and Schenn....he didn’t exactly start from scratch.

Leafs got creative in moving Kessell and Phaneuf in order to clear the money and maximize return. They also got creative in clearing Clarkson off their books.

Multiple teams like the Coyotes and Canes leveraged cap space to get young players/picks/move up in the draft.

Nashville moving Weber for Subban was pretty ballsy and progressive. I don't think many GMs would have done that.
- PhillySportsGuy

I'm literally laughing so hard I have tears coming down my face.

A few pages ago, you told me to paraphrase that doing something original is "practically the definition of forward thinking".

Teams made trades to get better! How orginal.



Has Hextall traded any players to clear cap space? How about trading a 20 goal 50 point player to get first round picks?

Schenn for the picks: progressive or just a GM with buyer's remorse?
- AllInForFlyers

Probably easier to answer in a couple more years.

I’m trying separate my inherent fandom reaction to a playoff disappointment from what the flyers are doing. But watching this year tells me they are closer to adding talent than waiting to do so. Especially in the bottom 4 d men. They have the kind of roster when a few players don’t produce that are supposed to, they are dead in the water. Need to digest this a bit

That's not the right move for the Flyers.
- MJL

Why is getting an elite talent in his prime a bad move?

1-They think forward. Yea, I win!!!
- Dkos

Really trying to understand your logic here.

You admit that Read held the players stick. Which was stupid. Guessing you'd agree to that. Guessing also you believe it's conceivable that it could have been coincidental or not called (due to preceding hook). Yet, Read gets called, which was absolutely brutal.

It's not a hyper focus, chief, it's the first penalty of the game that put them on the power play and opened the floodgates. Read stinks. Should have sat the rest of the game and that lame ass slash at the end was embarrassing...and that's coming from a guy that that would love to see some Pens carried out of there on a stretcher.

Final point: Read personifies the soft element of this team that has all too often reared it's ugly head.
- Brad Marsh Fan

Like I said, you have a hyper focus on Read. Way off base. At that point it was only 1-0. I agree giving up the first goal is not what you want to happen but it is a team game and giving up the first goal does not doom a team to be non competitive for the rest of the game. Read doesn't personify anything about this team. At this point he is a 4th line veteran who wasnt even with the team the entire season.

Agreed ....time for Hextall to ramp it up. It’s time to put up next year, and show at least an improvement in the on ice product...if not then it’s time for the organization to perhaps look else where....I love when guys point out that Hextall inherited all those bad contracts but fail to acknowledge that he also inherited Giroux, Vorecek, Simmonds and Schenn....he didn’t exactly start from scratch.
- landros 2

I made the TB reference not with the recent trades, but it started with drafting the core, then a savvy trade for Ben Bishop, the signing of Carle and Stralman at the time. It helped move the organization forward where eventually a McDonough trade is done. The Flyers at that point with some savvy moves this summer they can really contend for the division title. Go find the next Ben Bishop.

Probably easier to answer in a couple more years.
- landros 2

It feels like both to me, honestly. STL was aggressive but I never felt like Hextall loved that contract