damn first page

i hear you, but what if hes thinking, Im busting my ass, knowing we are only a few pieces away from being much much better, and my GM is playing a card game dreaming of building the 85 Oilers.
and the pride & passion my GM showed as a player is read into a stoic manaquin behind the bench, benching the same youth the organization is ramming down the throats of the veterans who give a poop. i hear you, hes getting paid $8m to play hard, but players arent stupid, they know they have to work that much harder because the GM wants to play an all or nothing "marinate the youth" game. How hard would you bust your ass knowing full well your GM will not back you with any help??
- puckhead17

You may think that, but I doubt any of the players feel that way.

i hear you, but what if hes thinking, Im busting my ass, knowing we are only a few pieces away from being much much better, and my GM is playing a card game dreaming of building the 85 Oilers.
and the pride & passion my GM showed as a player is read into a stoic manaquin behind the bench, benching the same youth the organization is ramming down the throats of the veterans who give a poop. i hear you, hes getting paid $8m to play hard, but players arent stupid, they know they have to work that much harder because the GM wants to play an all or nothing "marinate the youth" game. How hard would you bust your ass knowing full well your GM will not back you with any help??
- puckhead17

If Claude is doing that the C needs to be ripped off his jersey.

As frustrating as that was considering it was the third or fourth time Giroux did that last week, that play is primarily on Provorov.

I hate to call out a rookie who has far exceeded already high expectations but he looked his age on that play. It's not even the turnover on a bouncing puck that bothered me. He follows his man to the goal line instead of keeping his eye on the play which he could've interrupted if he stops chasing and squares up.

Giroux's lack of effort is unacceptable but I think he's anticipating the puck coming back out on a rebound and looking to pounce with support. Something that's been wrong with his game all over the ice. He's watching far too much instead of getting involved.
- Baxter27

Good post imo

Also, as far as the alumni game goes...if you gave Lindros a full offseason to train, I think he could (theoretically) play in at least a 4th line role. His skill is still there, and while the body isn't nearly what it was 20 years ago, he's still got a spark left when he's out there.
- jmatchett383

Wasn't it said that Holmgren offered Lindros a contract after the winter classic alumni game?

damn first page
- nastyflyergirl

That's the answer to that crappy site bug we should all post:

/dfp

I'd talk Briere into training for a comeback, he's a better 3C option right now than Cousins or Laughton

- BiggE

Laughton is never going to amount to anything is he?

Well said Hextall I think, imho needs to show the veterans a little bit more of support by getting some help maybe a small twik to spark the team? A energy type player?not sure if ones available, but something to push for the playoffs, what says you? 😨
- MR.Hunter

im tired of hearing sbout his (frank)ing riches in blueline youth, moving one or two for a mid 20's guy who can play now still leaves you with a few young pieces.
no one is saying get adam oates for christs sake, you try and do something.
a team capable of winning 10 in a row doesnt stay in a full blown stubborn rebuild. that tells me as a veteran player he doesnt give a poop about what Im doing now.

Laughton is never going to amount to anything is he?
- PLindbergh31

I'd be surprised if the ship hasn't sailed on his NHL career. At the very least, I don't expect to ever see him being a contributor on this team.

You may think that, but I doubt any of the players feel that way.
- Scoob

yeah Im the only one thinking that, dont need to think it, its on the ice genius

yeah Im the only one thinking that, dont need to think it, its on the ice genius
- puckhead17

lol

If Claude is doing that the C needs to be ripped off his jersey.
- dragonoffrost

you think the GM is backing the players on the ice right now???
remember, its a stubborn all out rebuild.

Bon voyage, Scott Laughton!

im tired of hearing sbout his (frank)ing riches in blueline youth, moving one or two for a mid 20's guy who can play now still leaves you with a few young pieces.
no one is saying get adam oates for christs sake, you try and do something.
a team capable of winning 10 in a row doesnt stay in a full blown stubborn rebuild. that tells me as a veteran player he doesnt give a poop about what Im doing now.
- puckhead17

Go back and listen to Saturday's post game comments by Hextall. It's on the Flyers web site under multimedia. He sure does care what today's team is doing. But he doesn't want another Sharp, JvR, you name the rest of the player who were traded and turned into what we needed down the road and didn't have. Yes we got an embarrassment of riches in D prospects right now. Guess what, that's all they are is prospects. Not one is ready for the NHL in managements eyes. Provorov came in this year and is making mistakes. I'm willing to wait. So should all the guys on contracts through 2022 or so cause if the process continues we should be the Blackhawk and Kings recently. Not playing for a cup. Winning a few.

Bon voyage, Scott Laughton!


- YuenglingJagr

this chart is accurate

you think the GM is backing the players on the ice right now???
remember, its a stubborn all out rebuild.
- puckhead17

it's not working fast enough! go back to what got us in the mess in the first place!!!!!

you think the GM is backing the players on the ice right now???
remember, its a stubborn all out rebuild.
- puckhead17

G is signed until when? He'll be here when the prospects get here. But he should still be working his ass off every game. It's called pride.

By the way I've plunked down enough of my hard earned money and sat in the arena all season watching the crap play from this team. My seats are behind the Flyers goalie during the first and third period. I've enough lazy back checks this year to make a long tape that most coaches would use as a not to do this tape.

it's not working fast enough! go back to what got us in the mess in the first place!!!!!
- YuenglingJagr

I agree with a lot of people on here. I am mad at the players. That third period yesterday looked like they were ready for vacation and did not care about competing.

I defend Giroux all of the time. He is a perimeter player. He does not go to the net. I am done defending him. If he gets going the team gets going. If not, they are not going to the playoffs. Plain and simple.

The perceived effort level is unacceptable. You win battles, support your teammates and get production from your top players you win games.

im tired of hearing sbout his (frank)ing riches in blueline youth, moving one or two for a mid 20's guy who can play now still leaves you with a few young pieces.
no one is saying get adam oates for christs sake, you try and do something.
a team capable of winning 10 in a row doesnt stay in a full blown stubborn rebuild. that tells me as a veteran player he doesnt give a poop about what Im doing now.
- puckhead17

Ya no way I'd be willing to trade one of those young dmen! Unless? ... its a blow me away trade,cause philly should have one of ,if not the best d in the league, in a few years

im tired of hearing sbout his (frank)ing riches in blueline youth, moving one or two for a mid 20's guy who can play now still leaves you with a few young pieces.
no one is saying get adam oates for christs sake, you try and do something.
a team capable of winning 10 in a row doesnt stay in a full blown stubborn rebuild. that tells me as a veteran player he doesnt give a poop about what Im doing now.
- puckhead17

I'm with you on that. For one thing, if all of them pan out, there are not enough spots for them anyway.

Eventually, accumulating all these riches in d prospects need to be used to shore up the forward corps. Young D prospect for young forward prospect plus.

I understand Hexstall wants to be patient and not make any rash moves, but as you said, its not like we are screaming for him to trade Hagg and Ghost for Gary Roberts.

Go back and listen to Saturday's post game comments by Hextall. It's on the Flyers web site under multimedia. He sure does care what today's team is doing. But he doesn't want another Sharp, JvR, you name the rest of the player who were traded and turned into what we needed down the road and didn't have. Yes we got an embarrassment of riches in D prospects right now. Guess what, that's all they are is prospects. Not one is ready for the NHL in managements eyes. Provorov came in this year and is making mistakes. I'm willing to wait. So should all the guys on contracts through 2022 or so cause if the process continues we should be the Blackhawk and Kings recently. Not playing for a cup. Winning a few.
- dragonoffrost

disagree, being the blackhawks or kings will take a lot longer than 2 more years the way they did it.
theres solid pieces here, a solid team that needs some help.
he can say what he wants, (Hextall), he wants things done one way only.
he will have nothing left up front in 3 years, and then his process continues.

On the topic of how long before Hextall and Hakstol feel the heat, my take is this:

1) If the team does a complete collapse that has them in the bottom 5, it means Hakstol's leadership and adjustments failed. He could be canned. I think, though, Hextall would look at the bigger picture and see where was the team failing. How much of it could be attributed to the system vs. the system playing in a larger bubble where the teams they were competing against had bona fide superior goalies (Caps, Pens, Rangers, and Bluejackets) and those generational talents, or simply a stacked roster.

Tied to that, Hextall has about a month and a half to determine where the team stands. He could make moves to deplete the roster of desirable pending free agents, which will contribute to the team's poor performance. If that's the case, Hakstol can't be blamed if they throw in the towel.

2) As for Hextall, I'm a supporter of his efforts and philosophy, but not some of his decisions. He's trying to play smart by fostering a team loaded with talent. It was a 4-5 year plan. Problem is, he's playing in a market and city that expects immediate results and gratification.

It's not entirely dissimilar from what Hinkie endured with the Sixers...He had a roster filled with toxic players and bad contracts, so he began trading them away to free up cap space and also tank to get talent the team could never afford to pay or trade for (because no free agent was going to touch that mess). Then after he was fired, people were saying the Sixers team would be a coach's dream, what with the level of talent in the roster, 2 top 10 (maybe even top 5) picks in next years draft, and cap space. It would be comparable to the Coyotes or Maple Leafs.

But Hextall walks a fine line, because while he's banking on the future, he needs to appease people and owners who want immediate or semi-immediate results.

My guess is he's going to trade 2-3 players by the deadline, look to stockpile draft picks, and try for a draft similar to the last two years. I think ownership would be patient with him next year--so long as there was evidence in the farm system and NHL stats of younger players that the future did indeed offer reason to be optimistic.

But. If he goes through another two years which play out like this one, ownership will show him the door (again, like Hinkie), and his replacement will inherit a really good situation where he has a blank slate, loads of talent in the system, and the only pressing issues of trading Giroux (early 30s at that point) and re-signing Simmonds.

it's not working fast enough! go back to what got us in the mess in the first place!!!!!
- YuenglingJagr

lol

it's not working fast enough! go back to what got us in the mess in the first place!!!!!
- YuenglingJagr

theres an in between method you know, homer. in between. hextall.