Bill Meltzer: Flyers Gameday: 2/22/17 vs. WSH

This one will be interesting. Washington's lackluster road performance this year is the silver lining for tonight.

Wiese from a routine healthy scratch, to playing on the second line.
2 goals in 47 games. Is this franchise serious with this personnel?

they won so there is no way AMac gets back in the lineup

Wiese from a routine healthy scratch, to playing on the second line.
2 goals in 47 games. Is this franchise serious with this personnel?
- PLindbergh31

He can only shuffle the deck chairs that he's given.

KHL's season is over. Voroybov's team is in the playoffs but once their eliminated good chance he comes over on a PTO for the Phantoms. Voroybov is not signed in the KHL next year

Washington has struggled a bit recently and now the Pens are only 3 points behind them. Considering that Washington would likely much rather play the 2nd wild card team over Columbus or the Rangers in the first round, I expect them to come out with their "A" game tonight.

This is not good news for the Flyers.

He can only shuffle the deck chairs that he's given.
- Scoob

Exactly.

So many 4th liners, so little talent.

I have a bad feeling that Hextall's process will be much longer than anyone thinks. It is great for Ron Hextall ensuring he has a job for years to come but bad for Flyers fans. I think I could tell everyone to be patient, do NOTHING, and collect a massive salary too.

Washington has struggled a bit recently and now the Pens are only 3 points behind them. Considering that Washington would likely much rather play the 2nd wild card team over Columbus or the Rangers in the first round, I expect them to come out with their "A" game tonight.

This is not good news for the Flyers.
- BiggE

Sure it is

I have a bad feeling that Hextall's process will be much longer than anyone thinks. It is great for Ron Hextall ensuring he has a job for years to come but bad for Flyers fans. I think I could tell everyone to be patient, do NOTHING, and collect a massive salary too.
- redcoat75

Amen. I've had enough of these HIGH PAID GM's just sitting on their hands and selling hope while they do nothing but draft an incredibly talented prospect pool. He could've signed Stamkos, Ladd, Backes, SOMEBODY that actually does something. Egg on our faces for believing this guy would be different. I bet he orders double meat at Chipotle with all that cash he rakes in

Amen. I've had enough of these HIGH PAID GM's just sitting on their hands and selling hope while they do nothing but draft an incredibly talented prospect pool. He could've signed Stamkos, Ladd, Backes, SOMEBODY that actually does something. Egg on our faces for believing this guy would be different. I bet he orders double meat at Chipotle with all that cash he rakes in
- YuenglingJagr

I hope it's not cooked egg on our faces because that could cause mild burns.

KHL's season is over. Voroybov's team is in the playoffs but once their eliminated good chance he comes over on a PTO for the Phantoms. Voroybov is not signed in the KHL next year

I've read that it's a strong possibility that he comes over and stays. Read he wants to be in north America now.

He can only shuffle the deck chairs that he's given.
- Scoob

7 of the 12 forwards have less than 15 points. That is unbelievable.

Sure it is
- Just5

I have a bad feeling that Hextall's process will be much longer than anyone thinks. It is great for Ron Hextall ensuring he has a job for years to come but bad for Flyers fans. I think I could tell everyone to be patient, do NOTHING, and collect a massive salary too.
- redcoat75

Amen. I've had enough of these HIGH PAID GM's just sitting on their hands and selling hope while they do nothing but draft an incredibly talented prospect pool. He could've signed Stamkos, Ladd, Backes, SOMEBODY that actually does something. Egg on our faces for believing this guy would be different. I bet he orders double meat at Chipotle with all that cash he rakes in
- YuenglingJagr

Stamkos wanted to stay in Tampa and Ladd and Backes were vets looking for one last pay day and chance to win.

In free agency guys have to want to sign with you.

Also there is a cap. Hextall could just do what people on Hockeybuzz want but he also is trying to get the team out of some of the veteran contracts that they are tied to.

I have a bad feeling that Hextall's process will be much longer than anyone thinks. It is great for Ron Hextall ensuring he has a job for years to come but bad for Flyers fans. I think I could tell everyone to be patient, do NOTHING, and collect a massive salary too.
- redcoat75

lol, okay, terrific

I have a bad feeling that Hextall's process will be much longer than anyone thinks. It is great for Ron Hextall ensuring he has a job for years to come but bad for Flyers fans. I think I could tell everyone to be patient, do NOTHING, and collect a massive salary too.
- redcoat75

Pretty sure Hextall flunked Snidernomics class. On day 1 everyone practices this...

Amen. I've had enough of these HIGH PAID GM's just sitting on their hands and selling hope while they do nothing but draft an incredibly talented prospect pool. He could've signed Stamkos, Ladd, Backes, SOMEBODY that actually does something. Egg on our faces for believing this guy would be different. I bet he orders double meat at Chipotle with all that cash he rakes in
- YuenglingJagr

lol ballah!

7 of the 12 forwards have less than 15 points. That is unbelievable.
- PLindbergh31

He should go out and get guys with more points

7 of the 12 forwards have less than 15 points. That is unbelievable.
- PLindbergh31

Seems like yesterday we had that many 20+ goal scorers.

Seems like yesterday we had that many 20+ goal scorers.
- JFlyers00

They're all past their primes now

Amen. I've had enough of these HIGH PAID GM's just sitting on their hands and selling hope while they do nothing but draft an incredibly talented prospect pool. He could've signed Stamkos, Ladd, Backes, SOMEBODY that actually does something. Egg on our faces for believing this guy would be different. I bet he orders double meat at Chipotle with all that cash he rakes in
- YuenglingJagr

Okay lets look at what he HAS done, re-signed Zac Rinaldo to an extension (which fortunately there was a dumber GM out there to correct that for him), sign Dale Weise for 4 years, and made Voracek the $66 million dollar man. So far he has been bad when doing "something" so I guess we should be thankful that he keeps this team in the mushy middle. BLow this garbage up and rebuild properly. The one thing he is great at is acquiring young assets. Imagine if he put himself in better position to do so. Instead his team is too bad to win and too good to get better.

7 of the 12 forwards have less than 15 points. That is unbelievable.
- PLindbergh31

He has so little to work with, I almost feel bad for Hak

Looking objectively:
Vandevelde is a borderline 4th liner
PEB, Lyubimov are average 4th line players.
Raffl and Weise might be signed to 3rd line contracts, but they are playing like 4th liners.
Cousins hustles and draws penalties, but he is a 3rd line player at best.
Read is barely a 3rd liner at this point.

That leaves all of 5 forwards
Simmonds is great on the pp and brings toughness which this team sorely lacks, but at ES, he is a 2nd line guy at best
Schenn is great on the pp, but just flat out bad at ES, he really should be on the 3rd line.
Couturier is an ok 2nd line center who is never going to be a big scorer

and now we are down to 2:
Giroux is a mess right now, hell he's even somewhat struggling on the pp. The way he is playing right now, he has no business playing in the top 6 at ES

Jake is pretty much it for a legit threat at ES, if you shut him down, they aren't going score except on the pp.

Now add that to a D where your top guy just turned 20 and goalies who have been woefully inconsistent and I'm not sure what Hak can really do.

I don't like some of Hak's line combos and certainly often disagree with his lineups, but at the end of the day, I really can't judge him as a head coach. He just doesn't have enough talent to work with.