de Haan (4 years was too much term. PLEASE!), could have made a deal for Karlsson, but didn't follow up (because TERM). They could have signed others but those were do-able and within reach.

Also, am I the only one who thinks that Provorov looks off his game? He seems either nicked, or tired.
- hockeyal

Ive seen signs of Provy coming out of it but his puck handling has been far below his standards. His passing is usually pin point and he hasnt been able to give or receive one with any degree of difficulty. Hes rarely using his slap shot, I cant recall him taking one this season.

They keep saying he's healthy but I wonder if he has lingering effects from the shoulder injury. Though that massive hit he threw yesterday says something else.

Where are our 1st round picks of last draft? When is the time table for them to show up in the nhl and get scratched for not scoring on the first shift? I have nothing else to look forward to with this team so yah, when will that happen. Thanks.

de Haan (4 years was too much term. PLEASE!), could have made a deal for Karlsson, but didn't follow up (because TERM). They could have signed others but those were do-able and within reach.

Also, am I the only one who thinks that Provorov looks off his game? He seems either nicked, or tired.
- hockeyal

So you're just speculating here which isn't very solid ground. de Haan is not a difference maker.

Everyone can see that Provorov has not been playing at his normal level.

Ek saying the Flyers are talking to Calgary re Mike Smith....then again, Ek.
- BiggE

I guess the oddities with Leier can be explained by injury as well. A Minor league deal involving him would make sense if he's healthy. Not being a primary call up option for a 4th line/13th fwrd role seems like the kiss of death for his time with the Flyers

So you're just speculating here which isn't very solid ground. de Haan is not a difference maker.

Everyone can see that Provorov has not been playing at his normal level.
- MJL

Everyone equates "difference maker" with offensive star. The Flyers need defensive stability. They lead the league in goals against. They would be better if AMac was healthy. They would be better if Gudas wasn't looking over his shoulder. They owuld be better if Hagg found some confidence. None of those guys are "difference makers". But they can make a difference. de Haan would make Provorov or Gostisbehere or Sanheim better.

Ek saying the Flyers are talking to Calgary re Mike Smith....then again, Ek.
- BiggE

Smith has been awful this year, and not good last year. I don't see him as an upgrade


I would like Hak gone ,with Hexy interim coach. Let him get close to these players and determine next steps

Smith has been awful this year, and not good last year. I don't see him as an upgrade


I would like Hak gone ,with Hexy interim coach. Let him get close to these players and determine next steps
- flyhoc

Hextall doesnt have any coaching experience. If its an interm solution theyre looking for I think the best option is Gordon.

Smith has been awful this year, and not good last year. I don't see him as an upgrade


I would like Hak gone ,with Hexy interim coach. Let him get close to these players and determine next steps
- flyhoc

I don't think Hextall has a lick of coaching experience. Could be wrong tho.

If Hak goes one of Lappy, Murphy or Knoblach will likely fill in as interim coach. My choice would be Knoblach.

I don't think Hextall has a lick of coaching experience. Could be wrong tho.

If Hak goes one of Lappy, Murphy or Knoblach will likely fill in as interim coach. My choice would be Knoblach.
- hereticpride

I agree no coaching experience for Hexy
1. can he be worse
2. I want him close to the players, know who cares etc
3. Interim for 6-10 games then go with Gordon or someone else

Everyone equates "difference maker" with offensive star. The Flyers need defensive stability. They lead the league in goals against. They would be better if AMac was healthy. They would be better if Gudas wasn't looking over his shoulder. They owuld be better if Hagg found some confidence. None of those guys are "difference makers". But they can make a difference. de Haan would make Provorov or Gostisbehere or Sanheim better.
- hockeyal

You're using hindsight and looking at the context of adding de Haan now instead of the context of what Hextall's mindset was in the off season and the UFA period.
I think Gudas has improved from last season and I don't see confidence as an issue for Hagg. MacDonald playing well would help but that's not going to be enough. The team as a whole including the forwards have to clean things up.

I agree no coaching experience for Hexy
1. can he be worse
2. I want him close to the players, know who cares etc
3. Interim for 6-10 games then go with Gordon or someone else
- flyhoc

So make a coaching change then in 6-10 games make another coaching change. Good plan.

So make a coaching change then in 6-10 games make another coaching change. Good plan.
- MJL

Thank you for your comment
Yes a short term interim followed by another coach. You know it might be a good plan
It could be nor worse than we are seeing now from this team

So make a coaching change then in 6-10 games make another coaching change. Good plan.
- MJL

I believe we may see Knoblauch as a long term option. I reread some of the articles when he was hired and he is thought of as the next great coach. Has done wonders with a few young NHLers. I know nothing about him but, hell, give him a shot.

Thank you for your comment
Yes a short term interim followed by another coach. You know it might be a good plan
It could be nor worse than we are seeing now from this team
- flyhoc

I believe it has been done before but I don't see it as a good plan. I also don't see it could be worse as justification for it. They need to turn things around pretty quickly or a chance at the playoffs might be long gone.

You're using hindsight and looking at the context of adding de Haan now instead of the context of what Hextall's mindset was in the off season and the UFA period.
I think Gudas has improved from last season and I don't see confidence as an issue for Hagg.
- MJL

If you paid attention while you were arguing with every post I made this summer, I said this team would struggle if they didn't sign a solid defenseman, and I proposed Green and de Haan. Green resigned with Detroit, so. How is this "hindsight"? I dind't predict that AMac would be even slower than he was last year, and clearly far from 100%, but I said that Folin for Manning was a downgrade. Gudas and Hagg are reacting instead of initiating. That is all about confidence. Ask any player.

I believe it has been done before but I don't see it as a good plan. I also don't see it could be worse as justification for it. They need to turn things around pretty quickly or a chance at the playoffs might be long gone.
- MJL

OK whatever
as I said, thanks for your comment

I believe we may see Knoblauch as a long term option. I reread some of the articles when he was hired and he is thought of as the next great coach. Has done wonders with a few young NHLers. I know nothing about him but, hell, give him a shot.
- cdearth23

I'm in the same boat. I know very little about Knoblauch.

Here is how I see it right now. In terms of Hakstol, I think he is a very good development coach. He is very sound in the strategy of the game. Where I think the issue is his command of players and pushing the right buttons to get them to respond. I just don't think he has the pedigree and weight behind him to demand enough from his players. Will Knoblauch be any different? I think this team is at a crossroads here. At a point where some decisions on some players need to be made. If they're going to fire Hakstol, I'd prefer a more experienced NHL coach be brought in that has more experience handling an NHL bench and locker room.

NAK can play two-way hockey, at least at the AHL level.

If you are going to "develop" at teh NHL level,, you have to show up every night. If he was struggling but playing hard in all three zones (Lindblom, Sanheim) I would be criticizing this move.
- hockeyal

I say that because NAK also led the team in PIM and had a few suspensions

If you paid attention while you were arguing with every post I made this summer, I said this team would struggle if they didn't sign a solid defenseman, and I proposed Green and de Haan. Green resigned with Detroit, so. How is this "hindsight"? I dind't predict that AMac would be even slower than he was last year, and clearly far from 100%, but I said that Folin for Manning was a downgrade. Gudas and Hagg are reacting instead of initiating. That is all about confidence. Ask any player.
- hockeyal

Every player has a piece in this but I think you're off base in singling out Gudas and Hagg as having anymore of it than any other player. Signing a UFA defenseman to a deal with significant term was not what the Flyers should've done. The Flyers were one of the better 5 on 5 defensive teams in the league last year. They simply need to get back to that. deHaan or Green wouldn't change what is happening now single handily. They aren't that good. Folin was brought in to be the 7th defenseman.

Feel free to provide the link to the post you made that all that is happening now would be happening if the Flyers don't sign deHaan or Green.

I'm in the same boat. I know very little about Knoblauch.

Here is how I see it right now. In terms of Hakstol, I think he is a very good development coach. He is very sound in the strategy of the game. Where I think the issue is his command of players and pushing the right buttons to get them to respond. I just don't think he has the pedigree and weight behind him to demand enough from his players. Will Knoblauch be any different? I think this team is at a crossroads here. At a point where some decisions on some players need to be made. If they're going to fire Hakstol, I'd prefer a more experienced NHL coach be brought in that has more experience handling an NHL bench and locker room.
- MJL

I couldn’t agree more. That’s the problem with bringing a college coach into an nhl locker room. Hes automatically written off by the players and Haxstol just doesn’t of the force of personality to overcome it.

Hextall doesnt have any coaching experience. If its an interm solution theyre looking for I think the best option is Gordon.
- Baxter27

I think the best option would be Knoblauch or at least the option the Flyers are more likely to go.

The Phantoms are often criticized about their lack of structure under Gordon which is pretty true when you watch them.

I believe we may see Knoblauch as a long term option. I reread some of the articles when he was hired and he is thought of as the next great coach. Has done wonders with a few young NHLers. I know nothing about him but, hell, give him a shot.
- cdearth23

If there was a change, history tells us that the team would play better, maybe even make the playoffs and make an early exit. See Lavy, Chief, etc. But its not the long term solution, because its not the problem. The roster is the problem.

Is the coaching of the PK in need of improvement? I think so. But the PK was respectable at the end of the season last year, without a coaching change. That happened because 1) they took fewer penalties so the PK players were more rested, and 2) because the following players took a lot of ice time: MacDonald, Filppula, Read, Manning.

I couldn’t agree more. That’s the problem with bringing a college coach into an nhl locker room. Hes automatically written off by the players and Haxstol just doesn’t of the force of personality to overcome it.
- Dkos

I won't go as far as saying he's automatically written off. I don't believe that happened. I believe that the players don't feel that he can lead them out of this. I also feel that Hakstol just doesn't have to experience to keep this from happening in the first place.

The Phantoms are often criticized about their lack of structure under Gordon which is pretty true when you watch them.
- VladDrag

I watch the Phantoms play and I don't see that. I think the sources of criticism towards Gordon wouldn't know team structure if it landed on top of them. Same as the sources who claim that the Flyers offensive system is built around point shots. One of the dumbest comments I've ever read.

I am rarely for a mid season coaching change, but if they don't pull it together this road trip then it may be time.
I am with the mindset of a trotz/torts here. You can't teach scoring prowess, but you can teach team D. Right now, this team doesn't have a work hard team D mentality. This is a team problem. Some may want to point at individuals poor play, but the problem is that they are playing like a team of individuals. it looks like no one is playing of something more than themselves and if you have that in a team sport, you are doomed.
And that is a coaching issue.