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Chuck Fletcher

Poll: Will Chuck Fletcher Make A Coaching Change Before The Season Ends?

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The Philadelphia Flyers were supposed to be better than this. With a captain coming off his best season as a professional, a top line center worthy of Selke consideration, and a pair of young defensemen who could each challenge for the blue line scoring lead, things were supposed to be headed in the right direction. Philadelphia was jam packed with top prospects, and had pushed hard against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round last season. Unfortunately, things haven’t gone to plan.

In fact that plan, the one that Ron Hextall had put in place by accumulating young talent slowly over the years, was thrown out completely. After struggling out of the gate this season Hextall was fired, along with assistant GM Chris Pryor. You couldn’t shake up the front office more than that, and team president Paul Holmgren didn’t take long to find a new boss for the hockey operations, hiring former Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher to run the Flyers. Before that though, Holmgren made another firing: assistant coach Gord Murphy. Instead of changing the entire coaching staff, Holmgren fired Murphy and made sure to include in the press release that the decision was made “in consultation with head coach Dave Hakstol.” It seemed then that Hakstol was safe, somehow, from the regime change at the top of the Flyers.

So in came Fletcher, whose first order of business was to replace the outgoing Murphy with long-time NHL assistant coach Rick Wilson. Wilson had been with Fletcher previously in Minnesota, and has been on one bench or another around the league since 1988. Usually when a coach with that much experience is brought in to a struggling team he’s a potential threat to current head man, but with Wilson it may very well be another story entirely. The 68-year old has been an assistant for nearly his entire career, only taking over for Ken Hitchcock in 2001-02 for a 32-game stretch. Again, it seems that Hakstol is safe for now and the new management has put their faith behind him.

The Flyers though lost another heartbreaking game last night when they fell to the Columbus Blue Jackets in overtime after coming back to tie it late in the third period. That loss combined with the New Jersey Devils’ win, put the Flyers tied for last place in the Metropolitan Division with a 11-12-3 record. It also tied them with New Jersey for the worst goal differential in the division at -13, a far cry from the team’s expectations before the season began.

So what will Fletcher do to turn things around? Does he wait out the season before making a major move, or try to get things moving in the right direction over the next two months? Is it a personnel change on the ice, or behind the bench that’s needed? Something is surely going to happen to spark the Flyers at some point, but will Hakstol face the same fate that others like John Stevens, Todd McLellan and Joel Quenneville have already suffered this season?

Vote below on how you think the situation will turn out, and make sure to leave a comment down below.

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Snapshots: Luongo, Wilson, AHL

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The Florida Panthers have sent Michael Hutchinson back to the minor leagues, indicating that Roberto Luongo is ready to get back into the crease. The veteran goaltender has been dealing with a lower-body injury, and is a huge part of the Panthers’ chances of competing for a playoff spot this year. When he’s healthy and on the ice the team looks almost completely different, despite his .902 save percentage.

Luongo is just 19 games behind Patrick Roy for second on the all-time games played list, and just nine behind Ed Belfour for third on the wins list. Those kind of numbers are going to make him a lock for the Hall of Fame, but it’s the Stanley Cup that remains just out of reach. Luongo will turn 40 in April, but has amazingly only been to the playoffs seven times and has just 70 postseason appearances under his belt. If that number is to increase the Panthers are going to have to put it together in the second two-thirds of the season.

  • As expected, the Philadelphia Flyers have hired Rick Wilson as an assistant coach for the remainder of the season. Wilson, a long-time NHL assistant, had previously been hired by new GM Chuck Fletcher in his previous job for Minnesota. Head coach Dave Hakstol’s job appears to be safe for now, but it seems likely that Fletcher will re-evaluate the entire staff after the season.
  • Two players have earned suspensions in the AHL. Dennis Gilbert of the Rockford IceHogs has been suspended three games for an illegal check to the head, while Alex Gallant of the Chicago Wolves is out for the next two games after earning a match penalty in Sunday’s game. Gallant, a 25-year old undrafted forward, has been suspended multiple times in the past by the AHL and doesn’t have a single point yet this season. Gilbert on the other hand is a third-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in his first professional season.

Chuck Fletcher Named Philadelphia Flyers GM

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The Philadelphia Flyers made quick work of their hiring process after letting Ron Hextall go recently, as the team has hired Chuck Fletcher as their next General Manager.

Fletcher was immediately linked to the Flyers search once Hextall had been relieved of his duties, and would be coming to an organization that is at a crossroads. Philadelphia was expected to compete for a playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division and perhaps even the Stanley Cup, but have been plagued once again by inconsistent goaltending and find themselves sitting 15th in the Eastern Conference with a 11-12-2 record. That, combined with Hextall’s notoriously slow developing plan, forced team president Paul Holmgren to make a change.

Bringing in Fletcher makes sense after the report that the Flyers were looking for plenty of experience in their next GM, as he previously ran the Minnesota Wild for nearly a decade. That was the culmination of a lifetime of hockey experience, given that Fletcher’s father Cliff’s legendary history as an executive. Cliff Fletcher was the man behind the 1989 Stanley Cup-winning Calgary Flames team, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004. Chuck meanwhile has lifted the Stanley Cup himself, as an assistant GM of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009.

Already there are reports of how Fletcher will quickly put his stamp on the team, as Frank Seravalli of TSN tweets that Rick Wilson will be joining head coach Dave Hakstol behind the Philadelphia bench. Wilson has more experience behind a bench than several NHL coaching staffs combined, and worked for Fletcher in Minnesota from 2010-2016. He last worked as an assistant for Ken Hitchcock in Dallas last season, but is currently a free agent.

When Fletcher does take over, it will be interesting to see what kind of changes he implements with regard to the Flyers roster. Best known for his signing of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter in Minnesota, he’ll have to deal with a pair of new extremely large contracts in Philadelphia with Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. He’ll also have plenty of tough decisions to make in regards to pending unrestricted free agents, as Wayne Simmonds, Jordan Weal, Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth are all in their final year under contract. It’s hard to expect anything other than big changes coming in Philadelphia, through perhaps they’ll wait until after the season to really shake things up.

Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer broke the news earlier today.

Philadelphia Flyers Meeting With Chuck Fletcher Regarding GM Role

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The Philadelphia Flyers have worked quickly to replace their outgoing General Manager after firing Ron Hextall earlier this week, and will meet today with Chuck Fletcher to discuss the role. Darren Dreger of TSN tweets that it “sounds like it’s Fletcher’s job to lose” and notes that the goaltender and center positions will be first on the agenda with whoever is given the job. Fletcher was let go by the Minnesota Wild in the spring after nearly a decade as the team’s GM, and is currently serving as an advisor for the New Jersey Devils.

Fletcher brought a lot of regular season success to the Wild during his tenure there, but is perhaps best remembered by the fact that the team was unable to progress past the second round of the playoffs. Part of that was blamed on never having a true superstar to lead them to the Stanley Cup, though they did have a pair of superstar-level contracts. Fletcher’s biggest move in Minnesota was signing Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to matching 13-year, $98MM contracts in July of 2012, deals that wouldn’t even be allowed under the new CBA. Those contracts, while given to very good players, have essentially hamstrung the organization in terms of what they are able to do in free agency and on the trade market, and tied their fates directly to Parise and Suter’s health and production.

In Philadelphia, it could be argued that they too have a pair of contracts that are limiting the organization. Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek take up a combined $16.525MM in cap room, and again while very good players—or perhaps in Giroux’s case, superstar indeed—they haven’t been able to push the Flyers over the top. James van Riemsdyk was signed to another massive contract this summer but has been limited offensively, and the team has not been able to find a goaltender anywhere.

If Fletcher does come in, finding an answer down the middle and in net is an obvious first task. But whether he would attempt to solve that problem this season or wait for the summer is unclear. The Flyers are currently tied for last place in the Eastern Conference, but aren’t so far away from a playoff spot that they need to throw in the towel just yet.

Snapshots: Team Canada, Fletcher, Kovar

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Held in the middle of the NHL season, the Spengler Cup in Switzerland is often an afterthought among international events. Yet, Team Canada has put together quite the formidable group to lead their entry into the late December tournament, in pursuit of a fourth consecutive title. Hockey Canada has announced that Sean Burke and Ron Francis will put the Spengler Cup team together as co-GM’s, while Kevin Dineen will lead the selections as the head coach. Not only does that trio have extensive NHL playing careers on their resumes, but each have had success in their off-ice roles as well. Dineen has spent 14 seasons behind an NHL bench, including three as the head coach of the Florida Panthers, and has international coaching experience as well. His assistants, Gordie Dwyer and Mike Kitchen, are no strangers to the job either. Burke, currently a scout for the Montreal Canadiens, is familiar with Team Canada, having served as GM for the 2018 Olympic team, part of the management group for past four IIHF World Championship entries, as well as the GM of the past two Spengler Cup teams. However, it is Francis that sticks out the most. The former Carolina Hurricanes GM is currently considered a candidate for the Philadelphia Flyers’ new vacancy and, should the position remain open through the end of the calendar year, Francis’ efforts to put together a winning Spengler Cup team could be seen as part of his case for the job.

  • Another candidate for the Flyers’ GM vacancy – and perhaps the favorite – is former Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher. Fletcher was let go by the Wild this off-season and joined the New Jersey Devils as an executive, but is still held in high esteem by most in the game. Many pundits have suggested that he is the front runner for the job and now TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the wheels appear to be in motion. The Devils have given the Flyers permission to speak with Fletcher, McKenzie says, and reiterates the sentiment that he would be the preferred hire. Although Minnesota was unable to reach the ultimate goal, Fletcher had the team on a six-season postseason streak when he was dismissed and the Wild, currently with the third-best record in the Western Conference, have a core of veteran and young contributors that was by and large put together by Fletcher. The experienced executive would be a more than capable GM for Philadelphia.
  • The Boston Bruins front office may soon be facing a decision, albeit to a much smaller extent. After he appeared to be weighing a return to Europe, Jan Kovar instead finds himself one step closer to his desired destination – another shot at the NHL. The Bruins announced this morning that Kovar, who has been playing with their AHL affiliate in Providence, was up practicing in Boston today. The question remains whether or not Kovar earns a contract with the Bruins, something that Lee Stempniak was unable to do despite ample practice time with the team. Boston is without Patrice Bergeron, but still has David Krejci and has been getting admirable efforts from rookie Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and veteran Joakim Nordstrom in his unnatural position. Yet, the team scratched Sean Kuraly in their last game and is still struggling to get secondary scoring. It may be the exact scenario that Kovar needed to get a second chance after quickly flaming out with the New York Islanders earlier this season.

Paul Fenton To Meet With Kirill Kaprizov In Russia

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One of the biggest question marks surrounding the Minnesota Wild after they fired former GM Chuck Fletcher, was what would happen with prized—but distant—prospect Kirill Kaprizov. Kaprizov has been playing in the KHL since being drafted by the Wild in 2015, but had recently made contact with Fletcher and begun to discuss a potential future in the NHL. That progress seemed to have gone out the window and little was reported about the relationship between new GM Paul Fenton and their young Russian star, something that is set to change over the next few days.

According to several reporters including Michael Russo of The Athletic, Fenton will travel tomorrow to Russia to meet with Kaprizov in person, have dinner and watch him play. Obviously this doesn’t mean Kaprizov will be coming to North America right away, given his contract runs until 2020 with CSKA Moscow, but it does at least initiate contact once again between the two sides. There are ways out of KHL contracts, and though that is certainly not imminent, the Wild do see Kaprizov as part of their future. The 21-year old forward is off to another outstanding start in Russia, scoring 10 goals and 17 points in his first 22 games.

Drafting Russian-born players without any prior contact is always a risk given the existence of the KHL, and for Kaprizov it was no different. He fell all the way to the fifth round in the 2015 draft given his small stature and relative obscurity, and infamously didn’t even speak with the Wild for quite some time. It didn’t take long for the whole world to see how talented he was though, as he broke out in the KHL and took home a World Junior silver medal in the 2015-16 season. The U20 captaincy was next for him, as was a 42-point KHL campaign in 2016-17. Last season saw Kaprizov make the move to the more powerful CSKA squad, while also winning an Olympic gold medal and suiting up for Russia at the World Championship.

It’s obvious to see that the undersized forward is one of the most talented players not in the NHL at the moment, and many believe he could be a game-changing talent in the NHL. That’s exactly the kind of player the Wild have been looking for, in order to move them away from a slower defensively-minded team and towards the quicker, skill-based NHL. There’s still lots of work to do, but the fact that Fenton is sitting down with Kaprizov is a start.

East Notes: Koekkoek, Grabner, Jarry, Anderson, Fletcher

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The Bruins have expressed an interest in Lightning pending RFA defenseman Slater Koekkoek, NBC Sports Boston’s Joe Haggerty reports (Twitter link).  The tenth overall pick in 2012 has yet to progress beyond the level of a depth defenseman and could be a candidate for a change of scenery.  However, Tampa Bay has been in contract talks with Koekkoek, per Joe Smith of The Athletic (via Twitter).  Given that the two teams are division rivals, both Haggerty and Smith think a trade is unlikely although Haggerty suggests that the Oilers could be a landing spot for the 24-year-old if he winds up being dealt.

More from the East:

  • Also from Haggerty, the Bruins have checked in on UFA winger Michael Grabner. Boston had shown interest in the speedster back at the trade deadline before they ultimately wound up acquiring Rick Nash.  Grabner scored 27 goals in 2017-18 (the third-most among all unrestricted free agents) and is believed to have interest from several teams already.
  • The Penguins are open to dealing RFA goaltender Tristan Jarry, TSN’s Darren Dreger noted in an appearance on TSN 690 (audio link). The 23-year-old is believed by some to have starter upside but with Matt Murray in the fold ahead of him, that opportunity isn’t likely to come in Pittsburgh.  This doesn’t appear to be a situation where the team is shopping him but if a team decides to ignore the veteran free agent options out there in the hopes of acquiring someone that could fit for the longer-term, Jarry would be one player to watch for.
  • The Islanders are among the teams that have kicked the tires on Senators goaltender Craig Anderson, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (video link). The 37-year-old requested a trade earlier this month but with free agency being so close, it’s hard to imagine teams will want to give up anything of significance when they can simply sign a similar goalie for free on the open market.  Anderson is set to start his new two-year contract on Sunday, one that carries a $4.75MM cap hit but a $5.5MM salary.
  • Former Wild GM Chuck Fletcher has joined the Devils as the team announced that he has been hired as a senior advisor to GM Ray Shero. This won’t be the first time the two work together as Fletcher was Shero’s assistant GM for three years with the Penguins from 2006-07 to 2008-09.

Western Notes: Niederreiter, Dumba, Golden Knights, Gusev

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The Minnesota Wild were expected to shake things up after another disappointing playoff run and made that clear when they replaced general manager Chuck Fletcher with Paul Fenton. One forgets that Fenton as the assistant to David Poile in Nashville for the past 20 years, has been involved in many blockbuster trades in that time. So, don’t be surprised to see the team make several big moves this offseason.

The Athletic’s Mike Russo (subscription required) delves into several potential trade candidates and what the chances are that Fenton might move them. At the top of the list is winger Nino Niederreiter, who might be the perfect trade candidate. After three 20-goal seasons, Niederreiter came up two goals short this year, but also missed 19 games this year with a high ankle sprain and a broken fibula. Unfortunately, Niederreiter also has struggled in the playoffs recently combining for just one assist in 10 playoff games over the past two seasons. However, the fact that he’s 25 years old and is locked in for another four years at $5.25MM AAV could make him the team’s biggest trade chip. Throw in the fact that Jason Zucker and Zach Parise are listed as the top two left wings on the team, he is expendable.

While he analyzes a number of trade candidates in the article, Russo suggests that despite going well out of their way to protect Mathew Dumba at the expansion draft last season (that cost them Erik Haula and Alex Tuch), Dumba rewarded the team with a career highs in goals and assists with 14 goals and 36 assists. Now a restricted free agent, the team must decide whether Dumba is worth a long-term deal and if not, the Wild might want to move him while his value is high.

  • With the team’s success this year, Vegas Golden Knights general manager George McPhee refers to their 2017 first-round picks, Cody Glass, Nick Suzuki and Erik Brannstrom as “long shots” to making the team next season, according to SinBinVegas. If one of those picks were to make the Golden Knights roster out of training camp, they would have to be “really, really good.” McPhee also said he doesn’t believe teenagers belong in the NHL and the team must take more responsibility to develop their prospects properly. “Smartest thing we can do is take our time and develop them,” McPhee said.
  • Sticking with the Vegas Golden Knights, David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that McPhee said the team continues to pursue Russian winger Nikita Gusev, who the team acquired in an expansion-day deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning last year. The 25-year-old has scored 46 goals and tallied 133 points over the past two seasons in the KHL. He still has one more year remaining on a two-year deal he signed last summer, so the Golden Knights have to wait a while longer. “He’s got another year on his deal and then we’ll see what we can do. He’s a talented guy and we’ll do what we can to get him here. We’ve talked to him, and we’ll continue to talk to him,” McPhee said.

Minnesota Notes: GM, Free Agents, Whitecaps

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The Minnesota Wild are closing in on their next GM, as Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) reports that team owner Craig Leipold will sit down with Paul Fenton today and Tom Fitzgerald on Thursday before making a final decision. Fenton, the Nashville Predators assistant GM, has been a candidate for countless jobs over the past decade but stayed with his current organization as the right hand of David Poile. Fitzgerald, a rising star in the New Jersey Devils front office, apparently “thoroughly impressed Leipold” in his first interview and is now a legitimate finalist for the job.

Minnesota let long-time GM Chuck Fletcher go after a disappointing first-round exit at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets, and are looking for something of a new direction under their next executive. The team has routinely made the playoffs in recent years, only to quickly bow out and try again the following season.

  • When CapFriendly released their offer sheet compensation yesterday, one couldn’t fault a Minnesota fan from feeling fearful when reading the list of restricted free agents. Two of the very best—Jason Zucker and Mathew Dumba—belong to the Wild, and could potentially draw offer sheet interest. Zucker is coming off a breakout 64-point season and is already 26, while Dumba lived up to his seventh-overall draft position with a 50-point season from the blue line. Both players are integral parts of the Minnesota team, and key negotiations for whoever becomes the next GM. If someone were to sign either to a big-money offer sheet, it may be hard to turn down what would be an expansive compensation package.
  • The NWHL has expanded to the state of hockey for the 2018-19 season, as the Minnesota Whitecaps will become the league’s fifth team. Joining the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale and Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota will be the league’s first foray outside of the north east. The Whitecaps have operated independently for several years, playing exhibition games against NWHL teams but never being an official part of the league. The organization will initially be owned by the league.

Front Office Updates: Hurricanes, Wild, Islanders

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When last the Carolina Hurricanes’ GM search was updated, it was a distressing situation with several candidates reporting that they were not interested in the position. At least one initial candidate has remained in conversation with new owner Tom Dundon, though. Buffalo Sabres Assistant GM Steve Greeley will be in Raleigh again tomorrow, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger. Greeley will have his follow-up interview for the ’Canes GM job, which right now puts him two interviews ahead of most other potential candidates. Since his last interview, Carolina has added finding a new head coach to the top of the list of duties for whoever fills their GM role. Bill Peters opted out of his position as Carolina’s coach last week, leaving the team with two major vacancies to fill. Despite a strong and eclectic resume – in addition to the Sabres’ AGM, Greeley has been the New York Rangers’ Assistant Director of Player Personnel, an associate head coach at Boston University, and a pro scout for the Los Angeles Kings – hiring a coach is something Greeley does not have experience with. Although, neither does Dundon, so perhaps Greeley’s lack of background in that one area won’t affect his candidacy.

  • One of the first people to back out of Carolina’s search last month was Nashville Predators Assistant GM Paul Fenton. It now appears that Fenton simply wasn’t interested in that particular job, as he is clearly focused on another opening. Earlier today, Fenton was tabbed as one of the favorites for the newly-open Minnesota Wild GM job. Now it had been confirmed (subscription required) by The Athletic’s Michael Russo that Fenton was actually in Minneapolis all day today to have his initial interview for the Wild position. Per Russo, Fenton spent the day with Wild owner Craig Leipold and team president Matt Majka. By all accounts, this is the first interview for Minnesota’s GM vacancy, which firmly places Fenton as the leading candidate.
  • The man who Fenton would be replacing is Chuck Fletcher, whose successful albeit unspectacular run in Minnesota came to end on Monday. However, Fletcher did build a perennial playoff team and is well-respected across the league. For that reason, it would be a surprise to see him unemployed for very long. One possible fit is with the New York Islanders, who are seeking a “top executive” to work with Garth Snow. Fenton was considered a candidate for this job as well, but now that Fletcher is available, he could be the top option. Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal even thinks that Fletcher is a strong enough hockey mind to not only assist Snow, but supplant him.

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