flyercanuck

No...but I've drank at Princes bar in Minneapolis and I like the Dandy Warhols. And I fish.

I scored 5.

I think Fletcher would be more interested if he was from Minnesotsk.

Their colours are the best part about the franchise. But, ya...they suck.

And we have the architect!

Well he just brought Stewart in...he only needs 9 more players to make us the Minnesota Wild. Cause why wouldn't you want to be the Wild.

It means...he loves you too. Enjoy the cross-pollination of macho-amore'!

I LOVE when a gm has a plan to buyout the player he just signed for 7 years before he even plays a game for them. That's good gee emming!

Well his tenure in St. Louis ended pretty good. But you'd have been hard pressed to find ANYONE who wanted him retained as coach in Philly. Definitely not his finest moment. I liked the idea of bringing in someone who wasn't a Flyer alumni for a change, but we all know now it was a bad choice. No, I agree with you. But again, it's a lot easier to do when you're not trying to rebuild what had become one of the worst farm systems in all of hockey and trying to get rid of several boat anchor contracts. Hextalls hands were tied. Fletcher is taking on caphits in trades that Hextall never had the luxury of. Agreed and sure. Yes.

Sure...I know they aren't just going to win a cup on their first run. What I want is a team built to win a cup. Not just built to make the playoffs. I'm pretty sure Hextall could have traded Provorov/Ghost/Sanheim/Farabee/Myers/Hart and draft picks for some 30 something players who'd have given us an exciting couple of rounds of playoff hockey. And then Fletcher could be left with no farm and a bunch of bad contracts to get rid of. Groundhog day.

I agree the hockey hasn't been exciting. But that's what happens eventually when the previous gm keeps trading away draft picks/youth for win now...it's going to catch up. It did, and Hextall was left to clean up the mess. Fletcher walks into an almost perfect dream...Goalie? Check (heck...GOALIES!) Defence? Check. Forwards? Check. Farm system? Filled beyond capacity. Draft picks? All there. Capspace? Yes sir. The guy only has to tweak a couple things. We'll never know what Hextall could have done if he'd walked into that scenario...but I doubt he misses the playoffs as often if he isn't trying to rebuild a depleted farm system and trying to get rid of practically immoveable cap killing contracts. Maybe I'd be more excited about merely making the playoffs if I hadn't been a fan for so long. But playing a round or two just doesn't do it for me anymore. I want a cup. And I think Hextalls way of building up a full farm system to replace the big contract guys on a yearly basis is the way to go. We'll see over the next few years. But he's the first GM in decades who got us real goaltending AND defence who are on their way up instead of on the decline. Maybe the on-ice product hasn't been great...but I'm more excited about the next decade of Flyer hockey with all those picks Hextall made than I've been able to look forward to for a long time. They won't all pan out of course...that's the nature of the draft. And the beauty of having so many picks.

Mmmm.....does the McDud signing scream Homer to you or Hextall?

well we haven't seen the results of Hextalls built since he went with youth.

Ha....Holmgren left Hextall practically zero in the prospect pool and a crapload in the "overpaid over-the-hill" pool. Hextall couldn't sell the farm like Homer to acquire veterans because there wasn't one. And he spent years digging the Flyers out of the cap-hell Homer buried them in. Heck Fletcher bought out the last of Homers dumb signings. Hextall left Fletcher one of the best young defences in hockey to go with one of the best young goaltenders and goaltending pool and a wack of young forwards/prospects and in great shape cap-wise. What Hextall left is built to last a lot longer than what he walked into...at least in a good way. And Homers 2010 team was closer to missing the playoffs altogether than winning the cup....though I agree a healthy Emery might have had a better ending. Like a healthy Flyers org. handed to Hextall might have. Hextall tried to build a sustainable team that could constantly refill talent with cheap youngsters. An actual plan. Homer acted like a drunken sailor on shore leave at a brothel.

ONE overpayment is not a big deal. Neither is throwing in a pick once. A couple times...don't like it, but whatever. But when you consistently do it, there's your problem.