…and what about Coots? One day it’s all over the news that he’s skating and might play this season and then, poof, nothing.
- Dkos

chuckles took all the health info with him in his shiny new app

I don’t fully get the point that because Briere was under Fletcher for a period of time, he’s going to be a CF clone acting like some sort of robot. I’m fairly confident that Briere has his own set of views on how he’d like to operate. In addition, being in the front row for this debacle, I’d imagine he got good evidence of what not to do.
- Sublime55

I don't think it's fair to label Briere as a robot but how did he learn and who did he learn from? He was around when a lot of this happened. Did he voice opposition to much of what went on? That's rhetorical and I know you can't answer that. What did Briere think about the Deslauriers signing? The Angelo trade? Again, rhetorical.

That's the problem. He's a one trick pony. He indeed cleared up cap space as I said, but he acquired no elite talent and his drafting was average at best. Then his big signing was a 5 year contract to JVR? Again, very pedestrian if you ask me. Then he goes to western PA where they have elite aging talent in place and he can't build a supporting group around them. Very average and if he gets canned in Pittsburgh he may find it very hard to get another GM job similar to Chuckles. Wait, that's wrong. Chuckles will NEVER get hired as an NHL GM again.
- Phillywhiteout

I don't care about what happens in Pittsburgh. He's made a few bad moves there either and had no choice but to resign Malkin and Letang. He is smart not to give up high picks for rentals.

As far as being a one trick pony in Philly. I'm not sure what that means.

I don’t fully get the point that because Briere was under Fletcher for a period of time, he’s going to be a CF clone acting like some sort of robot. I’m fairly confident that Briere has his own set of views on how he’d like to operate. In addition, being in the front row for this debacle, I’d imagine he got good evidence of what not to do.
- Sublime55

I agree. Let's hope Briere is a smart guy and his own man. He seemed like a thinking man's hockey player when he played the game and other ex players that were that type of player on the ice have turned out to be very good GM's (Yzerman and Sakic). One can only hope at this point cause the truth is that none of us know at this point. We just know that the clown is FINALLY gone!!!

You can disagree but Hexy disliked Hartnell and wanted him gone (that much I know 100 percent for a fact, for the reasons I stated). For the next two years, Columbus got more out of Hartnell than the Flyers got out of Umberger for pretty much the same cap hit.
- bmeltzer

I don't deny that Hextall didn't like Hartnell but that's got nothing to do with the cap comparison. The move was made for the future cap gains and not for the immediate future. We knew the day the deal was made who was the better player. It wasn't a hockey trade. It was a cap trade.

I don't think it's fair to label Briere as a robot but how did he learn and who did he learn from? He was around when a lot of this happened. Did he voice opposition to much of what went on? That's rhetorical and I know you can't answer that. What did Briere think about the Deslauriers signing? The Angelo trade? Again, rhetorical.
- MJL

Wouldn’t being there first hand for the moves leading to a guy getting fired give you a pretty clear picture of what not to do?

I don't care about what happens in Pittsburgh. He's made a few bad moves there either and had no choice but to resign Malkin and Letang. He is smart not to give up high picks for rentals.

As far as being a one trick pony in Philly. I'm not sure what that means.
- MJL

Is he really smart in their situation though? They have aging stars and that window is going to close very soon. Might as well take one or two more kicks at the can cause they have no talent once their stars age out.

The one trick pony thing may have been a bit misguided, but what I meant is that Hexy can't seem to get teams to the finish line. He drafts and hoards draft picks, and then what? Your retort will probably be that he needed more time in Philly, but everyone's patience was running out.

chuckles took all the health info with him in his shiny new app
- corduroy

Ha ha, someone just texted me a little while ago about the APP that they used to decide if a trade offer was good or bad. They were actually using an APP versus their own instincts!! WTF!!! You can't make this crap up!

Is he really smart in their situation though? They have aging stars and that window is going to close very soon. Might as well take one or two more kicks at the can cause they have no talent once their stars age out.

The one trick pony thing may have been a bit misguided, but what I meant is that Hexy can't seem to get teams to the finish line. He drafts and hoards draft picks, and then what? Your retort will probably be that he needed more time in Philly, but everyone's patience was running out.
- Phillywhiteout

It’s just another indecisive Hextall situation, he doesn’t do nearly enough in Pitt to give them a chance to win and that’s what this is, the last hoorah. They are a first round exit, if they make it. He adds a guy like granland, not moving the needle at all, for term. He’s stuck in the mud. I’d say this would be a year to sit out due to the top teams in the east being significantly better than Pitt but he does dumb things like add Granland. The corpse of Carter is cemented on the roster, trading Marino, he’s just not a good GM.

I don't think it's fair to label Briere as a robot but how did he learn and who did he learn from? He was around when a lot of this happened. Did he voice opposition to much of what went on? That's rhetorical and I know you can't answer that. What did Briere think about the Deslauriers signing? The Angelo trade? Again, rhetorical.
- MJL

I get where you are coming from. I guess my response to CF’s most recent signings would be how much input would a new Assistant GM have or how much would Fletcher be willing to listen to opposing opinions in his orbit (assuming he was opposed to the moves). Also a rhetorical question, I know.

Wouldn’t being there first hand for the moves leading to a guy getting fired give you a pretty clear picture of what not to do?
- ClaudeFather

So you're saying he learned that while an understudy to Fletcher? Okay then how do we know he has the ability and knowledge to fix it? There's a big difference between looking in hindsight and planning the future.

Is he really smart in their situation though? They have aging stars and that window is going to close very soon. Might as well take one or two more kicks at the can cause they have no talent once their stars age out.

The one trick pony thing may have been a bit misguided, but what I meant is that Hexy can't seem to get teams to the finish line. He drafts and hoards draft picks, and then what? Your retort will probably be that he needed more time in Philly, but everyone's patience was running out.
- Phillywhiteout

In reality, yes. Were there moves to make that makes the Pens as good as Boston or the Canes? Those top players are still good but not the elite of the elite they used to be. The Pens realistically are not a cup contender. The need some draft picks to start restocking the team as everyone ages.

It's amazing to me that Hextall is still getting blame for this. This team would be in so much worse condition if not for what Hextall did.
-MJL

In hindsight I'll give Hextall credit for one thing, shutting out the alumni. He actually knew what he was doing when he did this.

So you're saying he learned that while an understudy to Fletcher? Okay then how do we know he has the ability and knowledge to fix it? There's a big difference between looking in hindsight and planning the future.
- MJL

How do we know he has the knowledge to fix it? Time will tell, how do we know he doesn’t have the knowledge to fix it? This is a very dumb question, something we could never answer either way. He has an opportunity, we will see what happens. Just because he was an understudy to Fletcher doesn’t mean they think the same way or have similar views on building a team.

I don't think Hextall did a good job here. We will have to agree to disagree as usual. He did a good job of eradicating their salary cap issues after Homer left them in a lurch, but after that he was very pedestrian as a GM. He seems to be doing the same thing with the Penwhines and will probably get canned from there in the not too distant future. Perhaps he needs to go work for the Coyotes cause he needs to build a team from the ground up in a market where people will be patient with his total rebuild.
- Phillywhiteout

Hextall has the Penguins right where he wants them, a mediocre playoff bubble team. While he restocks the system with mediocre talent.

How do we know he has the knowledge to fix it? Time will tell, how do we know he doesn’t have the knowledge to fix it? This is a very dumb question, something we could never answer either way. He has an opportunity, we will see what happens. Just because he was an understudy to Fletcher doesn’t mean they think the same way or have similar views on building a team.
- ClaudeFather

We don't know which is why I've said we have to keep an open mind. He may be a great GM. I just don't know why we would want or would be happy about elevating someone who has been learning and studying under dysfunctional and incompetent superiors. I realize that he is interim, and I hope that they're really going to look at a bunch of candidates before just giving the job to Briere.

How do we know he has the knowledge to fix it? Time will tell, how do we know he doesn’t have the knowledge to fix it? This is a very dumb question, something we could never answer either way. He has an opportunity, we will see what happens. Just because he was an understudy to Fletcher doesn’t mean they think the same way or have similar views on building a team.
- ClaudeFather

If the Flyers do remove the interim tag on Briere, there’s going to be a leap of faith element in that hire for sure. Elliot Friedman did say on his podcast that Danny has certainly put in the work to get to this point and has more or less earned the opportunity.

Hexy did an OK -- far from great -- job at cap management.

Umberger had less term left than Hartnell but they made about the same cap hit; Hartnell had two 20-goal seasons left in him. RJ was oft-injured by that point and in severe decline. The move was spun as cap management but was actually done because Hexy thought Hartnell was a bad influence on the team (didn't like his work ethic, his conditioning, his push-back to coaches). It was a bad trade.

The Voracek contract extension was understandable in context: entering his prime, coming off a season where he contended for the Art Ross Trophy. I never had a problem with it. But there was still quite a bit of term left by the time of the trade to Columbus.

Giroux contract aged fine, IMO.

Weise at four years w/ $2.3M AAV was a bad deal.

Considering his injury issues, extending Michal Neuvirth for two years at $2.5M was a terrible contract.

Hexy was the GM when JVR was signed. He legitimately believed the team was ready to take the next step after the 98-point season in 2017-18. And maybe they would have been with the right moves. But they had two injured goalies in Elliott and Neuvirth, ended up with the disastrous Cal Pickard waiver pickup and the goalie carousel was underway that year.
- bmeltzer

Oh .. talk about a severe female dog slap .. OUCH!

If the Flyers do remove the interim tag on Briere, there’s going to be a leap of faith element in that hire for sure. Elliot Friedman did say on his podcast that Danny has certainly put in the work to get to this point and has more or less earned the opportunity.
- Sublime55

Is this team in a position to take a chance on someone with little to no experience?

Oh .. talk about a severe female dog slap .. OUCH!
- jd250

The desperation is oozing. Good luck.

We don't know which is why I've said we have to keep an open mind. He may be a great GM. I just don't know why we would want or would be happy about elevating someone who has been learning and studying under dysfunctional and incompetent superiors. I realize that he is interim, and I hope that they're really going to look at a bunch of candidates before just giving the job to Briere.
- MJL

I’d be curious what the interim tag means in this situation, is he going to have full control in the off season? I have not read up on any post firing updates

Speaking of Hextall on this one instance in Pitt. He did what the players and fans wanted by resigning their aging players, Letang and Malkin. Probably had input from Sid as well. Funny, I remember a quote from Buddy Ryan saying, “if I listen to the fans, I’ll be sitting with them.”

Is this team in a position to take a chance on someone with little to no experience?
- MJL

Ideally you’d probably want a guy with a consistent track record of success, but is there going to be anyone like that available. They could go the route of a former GM, but then you run out he risk going down the same Fletcher route? All depends on who else will be out there and available to interview. I’m not saying Briere is the right choice, but even guys who’ve had recent success like Sakic and Yzerman were one-time rookie GMs. Lots of variables in play in that crucial decision.

At this point, I'd rather leave guys down in LHV and have them play meaningful games during a playoff push as opposed to meaningless games up here. Obviously a debatable choice either way. I'm sure we take advantage of the 4 call ups and get kids some minutes but right back to LHV for playoffs. A run long past Flyers season ends would be nice. But we've got Massive Headwound Ian running the team.

Ideally you’d probably want a guy with a consistent track record of success, but is there going to be anyone like that available. They could go the route of a former GM, but then you run out he risk going down the same Fletcher route? All depends on who else will be out there and available to interview. I’m not saying Briere is the right choice, but even guys who’ve had recent success like Sakic and Yzerman were one-time rookie GMs. Lots of variables in play in that crucial decision.
- Sublime55

We don't know if a team would grant anyone under contract permission to apply for a GM spot on another team but there are numerous highly regarded assistant GM's and personnel guys on very successful teams that have been suggested.