Bill Meltzer: Quick Hits: Flyers Back on Ice, Quarter Pole, Alumni

Bill, I have some questions for you if you have the time.

Should Ron Hextall be facing criticism for going into the season with a goalie tandem featuring one guy coming off a major surgery and another who never makes it through a season without spending time on IR? To me, its baffling that the GM on one hand, says it's time for this team to take the next step, then does nothing to shore up a critical component of the team.

Along the same lines, should Hextall also be facing criticism for doing nothing to address the 3C position during the offseason?

Should the Flyers be in the market for an experienced NHL goalie?

Should the Flyers be looking to acquire another center who can fill the 3C role in the short term?

At the very least, if not relieved of his duties all together, should Ian Lapperierre at least be relieved of his PK coaching duties?

And finally, if they miss the playoffs this year, can Hextall realistically bring back Dave Hakstol as head coach in what would be a lame duck situation?

Thanks and here's wishing you and your family a very happy Thanksgiving!

This team baffles me. They go out to get JVR which says hey... we are ready to compete, but then doesn't address things like PK and goalie, and still aren't. You cant wait till the deadline to address these issues or it will be too late.

Bill, I have some questions for you if you have the time.

Should Ron Hextall be facing criticism for going into the season with a goalie tandem featuring one guy coming off a major surgery and another who never makes it through a season without spending time on IR? To me, its baffling that the GM on one hand, says it's time for this team to take the next step, then does nothing to shore up a critical component of the team.

Along the same lines, should Hextall also be facing criticism for doing nothing to address the 3C position during the offseason?

Should the Flyers be in the market for an experienced NHL goalie?

Should the Flyers be looking to acquire another center who can fill the 3C role in the short term?

At the very least, if not relieved of his duties all together, should Ian Lapperierre at least be relieved of his PK coaching duties?

And finally, if they miss the playoffs this year, can Hextall realistically bring back Dave Hakstol as head coach in what would be a lame duck situation?

Thanks and here's wishing you and your family a very happy Thanksgiving!
- BiggE

Solid questions.

One thing I always look at is what is the identity of this team. Some teams rely on goaltending. Some play good d and transition. Some just try to outscore you.

I feel like this team is so vanilla and mediocre. Could the locker room be too comfortable? The main voices are all still the same.

Bill, I have some questions for you if you have the time.

Should Ron Hextall be facing criticism for going into the season with a goalie tandem featuring one guy coming off a major surgery and another who never makes it through a season without spending time on IR? To me, its baffling that the GM on one hand, says it's time for this team to take the next step, then does nothing to shore up a critical component of the team.

Along the same lines, should Hextall also be facing criticism for doing nothing to address the 3C position during the offseason?

Should the Flyers be in the market for an experienced NHL goalie?

Should the Flyers be looking to acquire another center who can fill the 3C role in the short term?

At the very least, if not relieved of his duties all together, should Ian Lapperierre at least be relieved of his PK coaching duties?

And finally, if they miss the playoffs this year, can Hextall realistically bring back Dave Hakstol as head coach in what would be a lame duck situation?

Thanks and here's wishing you and your family a very happy Thanksgiving!
- BiggE

I’m not Bill, but it was reported in the off-season we made an offer to Riley Nash. It’s tough because free agency Signings take two to tango. Our D also sucks still, but Hexy also tried for De Haan.

This team baffles me. They go out to get JVR which says hey... we are ready to compete, but then doesn't address things like PK and goalie, and still aren't. You cant wait till the deadline to address these issues or it will be too late.
- youarewrong

Thanks, I'm glad I'm not the only one. It makes no sense whatsover. Hey guys lets go out and sign a 30 goal scoring winger, but we'll just cross our fingers and hope our injury prone goalie can stay healthy, and that somehow we get lucky and someone steps up and becomes a solid 3C. The PK? Well, it can't get worse right? Right?? I'm sure Lappy will work things out so no need to actually bring in any new personnel that can help on the PK.

It just blows my mind.

Solid questions.

One thing I always look at is what is the identity of this team. Some teams rely on goaltending. Some play good d and transition. Some just try to outscore you.

I feel like this team is so vanilla and mediocre. Could the locker room be too comfortable? The main voices are all still the same.
- J35Bacher

Quite possibly, hard to say. Something though is just off with this team, they are just so maddeningly inconsistent.

I’m not Bill, but it was reported in the off-season we made an offer to Riley Nash. It’s tough because free agency Signings take two to tango. Our D also sucks still, but Hexy also tried for De Haan.
- arichardson22

I'm not saying he could have fixed everything in one offseason, but to have addressed none of those issues is a major fail in my book.

I can’t believe Craig Berube has another coaching job.

Quite possibly, hard to say. Something though is just off with this team, they are just so maddeningly inconsistent.
- BiggE

Here is something we have to ask. Are our top guys good enough? I like Giroux. I like Patrick, Couturier, Konecny. But look at Voracek. Yes I know his skills and he can put up points. But for what he is paid don't you want more?

I guess I just look at other players and wonder would I like Voracek and what he brings or would i be better of with maybe a more well rounded type of player who maybe isn't as dynamic but more solid.

I don't know anymore. This team is just so bland right now that I am not sure what the correct path is

To me, I think there's a pretty clear line between what most people would acknowledge as fair criticism and irrational criticism. We all have opinions about stuff like trading assets to address concerns, stuff like that, that's pretty subjective.

To me, that means there are basically two legitimate criticisms that simply cannot be refuted for Ron Hextall. Everything else, to me, is our opinion -- which we are absolutely allowed to have an express, don't get me wrong -- but sometimes we just have differing views.

But I don't see how anyone can look at Michal Neuvirth still being on this roster, and the failure to hold anyone accountable -- either players or coach -- for this PK.

That's not me saying that Ron Hextall hasn't done an overall good job or that he needs to be fired. That's just me saying that you could literally know very, very little about this sport and realize that Michal Neuvirth is unreliable and that the PK has been borderline, if not outright, unacceptable for years

To me, I think there's a pretty clear line between what most people would acknowledge as fair criticism and irrational criticism. We all have opinions about stuff like trading assets to address concerns, stuff like that, that's pretty subjective.

To me, that means there are basically two legitimate criticisms that simply cannot be refuted for Ron Hextall. Everything else, to me, is our opinion -- which we are absolutely allowed to have an express, don't get me wrong -- but sometimes we just have differing views.

But I don't see how anyone can look at Michal Neuvirth still being on this roster, and the failure to hold anyone accountable -- either players or coach -- for this PK.

That's not me saying that Ron Hextall hasn't done an overall good job or that he needs to be fired. That's just me saying that you could literally know very, very little about this sport and realize that Michal Neuvirth is unreliable and that the PK has been borderline, if not outright, unacceptable for years
- AllInForFlyers

What's weird is they held the PP guy accountable when they let Mullen go. But the PK has been allowed to be bad for multiple years now.

I can’t beli Craig Berube has another coaching job.
- SuperSchennBros

I love it just because it means the usual suspects are going to lose their minds today.

Quite possibly, hard to say. Something though is just off with this team, they are just so maddeningly inconsistent.
- BiggE

Believe it or not, I don't think there's anything wrong with the team mentality -- I honestly don't.

They play like a team that simply cannot kill penalties and with a goaltending situation where sometimes goals go in that shouldn't.

I truly believe what I said over this summer: When you continually give up goals and are behind, it makes it almost impossible to truly evaluate what you have.

For whatever reason -- talent, coaching, combination of the two -- they know they can't kill penalties. Players aren't stupid. They know what the deal is. Sometimes they can overcome it, and sometimes you have to score four goals in the third period just to salvage a point at home because you simply cannot figure out how to stop getting gashed on the PK

Here is something we have to ask. Are our top guys good enough? I like Giroux. I like Patrick, Couturier, Konecny. But look at Voracek. Yes I know his skills and he can put up points. But for what he is paid don't you want more?

I guess I just look at other players and wonder would I like Voracek and what he brings or would i be better of with maybe a more well rounded type of player who maybe isn't as dynamic but more solid.

I don't know anymore. This team is just so bland right now that I am not sure what the correct path is
- J35Bacher

I don't think it's a question of if they are good enough, but more it's that they are being expected to carry this team to an extent that is just not realistic. Claude Giroux is currently playing nearly 21 a game, and in all situations. That's a lot to ask of a 30 year old player with a lot of mileage under his hood. Coots is averaging around 22 minutes a night, and in close games, it's often more like 24. That's extremely high minutes for any forward. Ivan Provorov, and yeah, I know some here consider him a vet, but last time I checked he's still a 21 year old player with less than 200 NHL games under his belt, is being asked to play 25 minutes a night, face the other teams best players pretty much all the time and play huge minutes on the PK too.

The lack of quality depth, coupled with the injuries to the goalies has really put this team behind the 8ball. Until they find a 3rd quality center, another Dman or 2 who can excel defensively in a top 4 role and on the PK, find some PK forwards who can take some of those minutes from Giroux and Couturier, and are able to run a legit capable NHL goalie in the net every game, this team will continue to struggle.

I'm not saying he could have fixed everything in one offseason, but to have addressed none of those issues is a major fail in my book.
- BiggE

Yeah I agree, I just find it slightly frustrating when fans say Hexy doesn’t care or didn’t even try to adress some of these holes.

Believe it or not, I don't think there's anything wrong with the team mentality -- I honestly don't.

They play like a team that simply cannot kill penalties and with a goaltending situation where sometimes goals go in that shouldn't.

I truly believe what I said over this summer: When you continually give up goals and are behind, it makes it almost impossible to truly evaluate what you have.

For whatever reason -- talent, coaching, combination of the two -- they know they can't kill penalties. Players aren't stupid. They know what the deal is. Sometimes they can overcome it, and sometimes you have to score four goals in the third period just to salvage a point at home because you simply cannot figure out how to stop getting gashed on the PK
- AllInForFlyers

Yes and no. I'd buy this more if I didn't constantly see this team look lethargic for huge stretches of time and then, when down a couple goals, throw a switch and start playing well.

Solid questions.

One thing I always look at is what is the identity of this team. Some teams rely on goaltending. Some play good d and transition. Some just try to outscore you.

I feel like this team is so vanilla and mediocre. Could the locker room be too comfortable? The main voices are all still the same.
- J35Bacher

I understand why people might want to see change out some pieces, but I am just not there yet -- they aren't the slowest team in the league, aren't too old. They play hard enough. They have enough talent.

Elliott's good enough when he's healthy -- maybe can't go deep in the playoffs with him, but clearly you can get there with him.

But this damn PK needed to be addressed two seasons ago, and while it was fine for the Flyers to move on from Mason if that's what they wanted to do, extending Neuvirth, to me, was a bad call

What's weird is they held the PP guy accountable when they let Mullen go. But the PK has been allowed to be bad for multiple years now.


- J35Bacher

I think there was more to it behind the scenes than that.

The Flyers need to clean up the detail in their game. If they can do that, they're a solid team. There is a lot of talent on this team. Too much doom and gloom. There is no reason why they can't improve the PK. They're at rock bottom already. Hasn't happened in years and it's mind boggling.

I understand why people might want to see change out some pieces, but I am just not there yet -- they aren't the slowest team in the league, aren't too old. They play hard enough. They have enough talent.

Elliott's good enough when he's healthy -- maybe can't go deep in the playoffs with him, but clearly you can get there with him.

But this damn PK needed to be addressed two seasons ago, and while it was fine for the Flyers to move on from Mason if that's what they wanted to do, extending Neuvirth, to me, was a bad call
- AllInForFlyers

When the Flyers decided to move on from Mason, Neuvirth was also a UFA. Hextall was right not to go into the off season without a single NHL goaltender signed. So he re-upped Neuvirth to a two year deal.

Yes and no. I'd buy this more if I didn't constantly see this team look lethargic for huge stretches of time and then, when down a couple goals, throw a switch and start playing well.
- BiggE

I just think there peaks and valleys in every game -- take Saturday, for instance. I'm sure the Lightning were thinking, "FFS. Is Domingue gonna make one save here?" and while the Flyers had outplayed them for, to my mind, a majority of that game, there were some score effects in play when they were up 5-1.

My point being this: I don't think the Flyers played harder when they were down a couple of goals on Saturday, or even say, against Florida earlier in the week. I honestly think that their effort has been decent, but sometimes when they give up some goals, the other team settles back and score effects creep in because the Flyers were always playing with the necessary effort

When the Flyers decided to move on from Mason, Neuvirth was also a UFA. Hextall was right not to go into the off season without a single NHL goaltender signed. So he re-upped Neuvirth to a two year deal.
- MJL

I just think that's what they should have done. Take your chances -- you'd have two goaltenders by opening night.

Yeah I agree, I just find it slightly frustrating when fans say Hexy doesn’t care or didn’t even try to adress some of these holes.
- arichardson22

But what does he see? If you go out an sign van Reimsdyk that is a now move. I see teams right now who were expected be playoff teams struggling and they seem to at least make a small move to try and change the look of the roster or fix holes.

Edmonton just moved Strome for Spooner. Sexy? No but trying something to get out of their hole.

Pittsburgh sent Haglin to LA for Pearson. Again not sexy but a small change to get a new look.

I just think that's what they should have done. Take your chances -- you'd have two goaltenders by opening night.
- AllInForFlyers

I don't. Think about it. That forces you into to doing things that you don't want to do. I guarantee that Hextall is looking every day for ways to improve this team. I guarantee he looked for ways in the past off season. He is not going to make a trade or sign a player just to sign someone if it hurts the future