Here is exactly what he said.

"last year was supposed to be the step forward year, and he did nothing to address existing holes."

Stating he did nothing is inaccurate.
- MJL

You are correct, but the rest of us humans got his meaning.
It's always semantics with you...

Also you avoided the question I asked...

Someone tell me about Ryan Dzingel.

UFA center from Columbus. 1,800,000 was hit last cap hit.

Columbus says they want to resign but plenty of articles questioning if the trade was a bust.

26 years old.

23 and 26 goals the last two seasons.
- MBFlyerfan

Decent hockey player riding elevated shooting %'s.

High-end third liner on a good team.

The ability to put the most competitive team on the ice while not sacrificing the future.

A GM is a high reward, high risk position. While Hex did a lot of good things, I am sure he had reflected on his missteps, just like we reflect on them.
- wcorvette

I think that's vague. I personally doubt that Hextall looks back with any regret. He did exactly what he said he was going to do the entire time he was the GM.

Decent hockey player riding elevated shooting %'s.

High-end third liner on a good team.
- Tomahawk

If he has maintained that % over two seasons and two teams, is that considered an anomaly or a trend?

Serious question.

You are correct, but the rest of us humans got his meaning.
It's always semantics with you...

Also you avoided the question I asked...
- BadCowboyDan

This couldn't be more weaker on your part. If you want to come at me, you're going to need to do a lot better. Nothing simply means nothing. There is no semantics there and to suggest that's what I did, is asinine. What I did is call out a statement that was not accurate.

Your question was a bad one because you are assuming something that is not there. I did not ignore it, I dismissed it as a silly question.

If he has maintained that % over two seasons and two teams, is that considered an anomaly or a trend?

Serious question.
- MBFlyerfan

He's actually got really good hands in close, and can score from distance too... but ~16% is Stamkos territory.

My money would be on anomaly.

Many others dont realize that this was not going to be an overnight thing. It took him three seasons just to get to the point where they could start to really implement the plan.

Bottom line is that they took a step back last season. No way around it. But if Patrick, Provorov, and Ghost don't slump, and the goalie stayed even reasonably healthy, I think Hextall still has a job.

Now I just hope Fletcher understands. So far it seems he does, as he hasn't made any crazy youth for vets deals. Mind you I said crazy, there is always a good deal to be had depending on what is going where.
- MBFlyerfan

Don’t worry, it was a step back to take a gigantic leap into a silver cup full of orange koolaid

Speaking of the Blue Jackets, if they decide to move on from Alex Wennberg (scratched for most of the PO's), he's kind of the perfect buy-low candidate to fill the 2C/3C spot.

Kid's only 24, is a really good puck distributor (Lindblom, JvR, TK would benefit), and plays the kind of strong 200-foot Scandinavian hockey that Chucky loves.

Speaking of the Blue Jackets, if they decide to move on from Alex Wennberg (scratched for most of the PO's), he's kind of the perfect buy-low candidate to fill the 2C/3C spot.

Kid's only 24, is a really good puck distributor (Lindblom, JvR, TK would benefit), and plays the kind of strong 200-foot Scandinavian hockey that Chucky loves.
- Tomahawk

I read somewhere this spring that the flyers had interest in him. Why do you think he couldn’t get in the lineup. Too Soft a style for torts?

Hopefully he comes dirt cheap. I would take a stab at the kid for sure

https://www.google.com/am...ns-shooting-passing-trade

I read somewhere this spring that the flyers had interest in him. Why do you think he couldn’t get in the lineup. Too Soft a style for torts?

Hopefully he comes dirt cheap. I would take a stab at the kid for sure

https://www.google.com/am...ns-shooting-passing-trade
- Just5

Tortorella definitely was not pleased with his play this season. I think they moved him up and down the roster and he still continued to struggle, I'm not exactly sure why. He is still young so I don't think the jackets will just give up on him and trade him, but given the right pieces they might who knows.

Why do you think he couldn’t get in the lineup. Too Soft a style for torts?
- Just5

Alexandre Texier, basically.

Torts kept him in the lineup during the regular season, even though he wasn't scoring, because he could still play solid D.

Hopefully he comes dirt cheap. I would take a stab at the kid for sure.
- Just5

People are talking like he could go at the draft for nothing but pick(s). At that price, he's worth the gamble.

Speaking of the Blue Jackets, if they decide to move on from Alex Wennberg (scratched for most of the PO's), he's kind of the perfect buy-low candidate to fill the 2C/3C spot.

Kid's only 24, is a really good puck distributor (Lindblom, JvR, TK would benefit), and plays the kind of strong 200-foot Scandinavian hockey that Chucky loves.
- Tomahawk

Seems to be an awfully lucrative contract (4.9 for four more seasons) for a guy who has only scored double digit goals (13) once and only scored 2 last season.

But then again he could just need a change of scenery as he is a young player and sometimes it takes longer to find your game. But he has never been any kind of scorer even back in his "junior aged" days.

Seems to be an awfully lucrative contract (4.9 for four more seasons) for a guy who has only scored double digit goals (13) once and only scored 2 last season.

But then again he could just need a change of scenery as he is a young player and sometimes it takes longer to find your game. But he has never been any kind of scorer even back in his "junior aged" days.
- MBFlyerfan

Goal scoring is definitely something you're not gonna get from him.

The hope is that his playmaking creates more goals for whoever lines up with him and he plays better defensively than Patrick has.

FYI, he's showing well at the WC's right now (3G, 5A, 5GP), so there's signs of life.

Goal scoring is definitely something you're not gonna get from him.

The hope is that his playmaking creates more goals for whoever lines up with him and he plays better defensively than Patrick has.

FYI, he's showing well at the WC's right now (3G, 5A, 5GP), so there's signs of life.
- Tomahawk

2 2nds and Laberge at the draft get er done fletch

Im going to argue that with Hart on the horizon Hextall really shouldn't have done much more than what he did at the start of last season.

If Hart wasn't approaching then you take a different approach.
- opeth_pa

Again, Hextall did make some signings/trades that were made to strengthen the team in the present (JvR being a great example). I just feel that, overall, he neglected the present in favor of the future. And yes, the 2 main holes on this team that many people agreed on was getting at least one healthy, reliable goalie to replace Neuvirth, and bringing in one middle-6 center.

I'm not saying give Holtby 1 zillion dollars, but you had 2 goalies coming off injuries, including one with a comprehensive list of multiple injuries per season. Assuming you're going to stake a step forward with those 2 in net seemed like wishful thinking to me. When they both played poorly and got injured, was anyone really surprised?

Also, counting on 82 games with Vorobyov as your 3C and Patrick as your 2C was not a very solid idea. Not getting a more seasoned 2/3C was a problem everyone knew we had, and all we could do was hope that Patrick and Vorobyov could handle the roles. I can't say for sure that Hextall tried or didn't try to fill that need, but at the end of the day, whether he tried to or not, he didn't.

So did he do nothing (do or do not do , there is no try) to address the goaltending and middle-6 center holes? From my perspective, yes, he did nothing.

Also, keeping Myers in the AHL for 3/4 of the season in favor of the likes of (frank)ing Christian Folin didn't make much sense. I got starting him in the AHL due to his injury last year, but I would have called him up much, much sooner. But that's a separate issue.

I'm not saying give Holtby 1 zillion dollars, but you had 2 goalies coming off injuries, including one with a comprehensive list of multiple injuries per season. Assuming you're going to stake a step forward with those 2 in net seemed like wishful thinking to me. When they both played poorly and got injured, was anyone really surprised?

Also, there were more holes than goaltending., Counting on 82 games with Vorobyov as your 3C and Patrick as your 2C was not a very solid idea. Not getting a more seasoned 2/3C was a problem everyone knew we had, and all we could do was hope that Patrick and Vorobyov could handle the roles. I can't say for sure that Hextall tried or didn't try to fill that need, but at the end of the day, whether he tried to or not, he didn't.


- jmatchett383

We know from reports that Hextall attempted to sign Stastny so he was certainly aware of the need and I think it's safe to assume that he also tested other avenues to improve. Again it falls back on the fact that he was not going to make a move just to make a move. It had to be the right move for the right price and the future was more important than the immediate need. Again, I agree with that completely.

Keeping Myers in the AHL for 3/4 of the season in favor of the likes of (frank)ing Christian Folin didn't make much sense. I got starting him in the AHL due to his injury last year, but I would have called him up much, much sooner.

Again, Hextall did make some signings/trades that were made to strengthen the team in the present. I just feel that, overall, he neglected the present in favor of the future.
- jmatchett383

Actually it did make sense. When Hextall was fired and Fletcher hired, did he immediately rush to recall Myers. The players development and what is best for the player takes precedence. It's a mistake to think that calling up Myers sooner would have made much of an impact. His plan was to always favor the future over the present in his decision making and he said so on a regular basis. He did exactly what he said he was going to do.

We know from reports that Hextall attempted to sign Stastny so he was certainly aware of the need and I think it's safe to assume that he also tested other avenues to improve. Again it falls back on the fact that he was not going to make a move just to make a move. It had to be the right move for the right price and the future was more important than the immediate need. Again, I agree with that completely.



Actually it did make sense. When Hextall was fired and Fletcher hired, did he immediately rush to recall Myers. The players development and what is best for the player takes precedence. It's a mistake to think that calling up Myers sooner would have made much of an impact. His plan was to always favor the future over the present in his decision making and he said so on a regular basis. He did exactly what he said he was going to do.
- MJL

Thanks, I'll make sure I note this in my weekly. Can you please forward this to Jim as well?

I think that's vague. I personally doubt that Hextall looks back with any regret. He did exactly what he said he was going to do the entire time he was the GM.
- MJL

this is naive in my opinion, part of the process after any major event in life is to reflect, second guess yourself and have regret over what you should have done.

I am a big Hextall fan but I don't wear blinders

this is naive in my opinion, part of the process after any major event in life is to reflect, second guess yourself and have regret over what you should have done.

I am a big Hextall fan but I don't wear blinders
- wcorvette

There is nothing naïve about it and it's ridiculous to say so. Hextall laid out his plan and his philosophy immediately and repeatedly. He didn't waiver from that philosophy. It was not a short term plan, it was a long term plan and it involved having to change the culture of the team and it's position in terms of prospect development and cap management. That took time. To look at one season that was a major setback and base it all on that is foolish. I seriously doubt that Hextall regrets not spending assets both in term of player and cap to immediately improve the team just to be a better bubble playoff team. That wasn't his goal.

I'm not saying give Holtby 1 zillion dollars, but you had 2 goalies coming off injuries, including one with a comprehensive list of multiple injuries per season. Assuming you're going to stake a step forward with those 2 in net seemed like wishful thinking to me. When they both played poorly and got injured, was anyone really surprised?

Also, there were more holes than goaltending., Counting on 82 games with Vorobyov as your 3C and Patrick as your 2C was not a very solid idea. Not getting a more seasoned 2/3C was a problem everyone knew we had, and all we could do was hope that Patrick and Vorobyov could handle the roles. I can't say for sure that Hextall tried or didn't try to fill that need, but at the end of the day, whether he tried to or not, he didn't.

Keeping Myers in the AHL for 3/4 of the season in favor of the likes of (frank)ing Christian Folin didn't make much sense. I got starting him in the AHL due to his injury last year, but I would have called him up much, much sooner.

Again, Hextall did make some signings/trades that were made to strengthen the team in the present. I just feel that, overall, he neglected the present in favor of the future.
- jmatchett383

Hextall did many things very well. NHL GM and head coach are results-driven positions. People point to the waning interest from the fan base or make many excuses with roster holes and injuries, but the fact is both the Flyers and Phantoms failed to make the postseason. That is completely unacceptable at this stage of building a contender for the long haul. It is dramatically backwards and very far from the promised step forward. The whole complaint of mediocrity and being stuck in neutral is valid. Whether that stems from GM or coaching failures, bad luck, underperformance, or a little of everything—it still happened.

There is nothing naïve about it and it's ridiculous to say so. Hextall laid out his plan and his philosophy immediately and repeatedly. He didn't waiver from that philosophy. It was not a short term plan, it was a long term plan and it involved having to change the culture of the team and it's position in terms of prospect development and cap management. That took time. To look at one season that was a major setback and base it all on that is foolish. I seriously doubt that Hextall regrets not spending assets both in term of player and cap to immediately improve the team just to be a better bubble playoff team. That wasn't his goal.
- MJL

I agree with most of what you say but it was about more than HIS goal and that attitude would be a primary driver in letting him go.

The idea that you doubt he looks back with no regret just isn't reasonable. I do appreciate your passion to defend Hextall

FYI, the most recent Jets blog discusses the Trouba situation, and mentions Philly as a potential trade partner. Specifically Ghost. It's an interesting read. Also interesting to check out the comments to see what Jets' fans expect in return for him. Spoiler alert, it's a ton...

FYI, the most recent Jets blog discusses the Trouba situation, and mentions Philly as a potential trade partner. Specifically Ghost. It's an interesting read. Also interesting to check out the comments to see what Jets' fans expect in return for him. Spoiler alert, it's a ton...
- Big_E_88

saw yesterday where they wanted a 1st and a top 2 D, what??? Is he a ture top 2 D or a for sure top 3. Why trade Ghost with his contract for him, plus kick in a 1st.

Hextall would never let that happen

saw yesterday where they wanted a 1st and a top 2 D, what??? Is he a ture top 2 D or a for sure top 3. Why trade Ghost with his contract for him, plus kick in a 1st.

Hextall would never let that happen
- wcorvette

the 6th overall and a top player was the most egregious suggestion

also a suggestion of Patrick+ a 1st lol


i would maybe do 11th overall for Trouba straight up. maybe.

the 6th overall and a top player was the most egregious suggestion

also a suggestion of Patrick+ a 1st lol
- Mordecai

Most fans overvalue their own players and prospects, not just Flyers fans.