Before Ron Hextall's Firing, Flyers And Wayne Simmonds Were Far Apart In Extension Talks
- Prior to Philadelphia relieving Ron Hextall of his duties as GM, the Flyers were in discussions regarding a contract extension for winger Wayne Simmonds, notes Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News (Twitter link). However, Hextall indicated that the two sides were not close. Simmonds is a pending unrestricted free agent but given his style of play and tendency to play through injuries, locking the 30-year-old up long-term will carry some risk.
Snapshots: Nylander, Hextall, Pilut
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock did nothing to curb his outspoken nature when asked about William Nylander again today, telling reporters including Jonas Siegel of The Athletic that he still believes that the young forward will be on the team but the organization won’t beg him to return. Meanwhile, Frank Seravalli of TSN tweeted this morning that the Philadelphia Flyers had been in touch with Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas in his recent “last call” for trade offers. TSN broadcaster Gord Miller also heard that from a source in Philadelphia, and detailed what those talks were about:
This was the previous regime that was contacted by the Leafs on the weekend, and the Leafs asked for—they wanted to tap into the Flyers’ young D. Right away the Flyers said “Ivan Provorov? Not touchable.” So Provorov, who scored 17 goals last year is not on the table. Now again, this is the old regime. So the focus turned to Shayne Gostisbehere.
When Miller references the “old regime” he is speaking about former Flyers GM Ron Hextall, who was let go this week along with assistant GM Chris Pryor. The conversation regarding a fit between the Flyers and Nylander continues, but is highly speculative at that point especially given the changes in the Philadelphia front office since this apparent negotiation happened. Still, it only lends credence to the idea that Dubas and the Maple Leafs have been doing their due diligence in preparation for the deadline tomorrow, when there will finally (hopefully) be a conclusion one way or the other regarding Nylander.
- Speaking of Hextall’s recent firing, the former Philadelphia GM spoke with the media today and expressed his shock at the entire situation. Hextall did not see his dismissal coming, and was “stunned” when team president Paul Holmgren delivered the news. Hextall is of course a legend in Philadelphia from his playing days, including being one of the rare players to ever win a Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP despite losing in the Stanley Cup Finals. Still, his tenure as GM had not yet resulted in any deep playoff success and upper management had grown tired of waiting.
- With all eyes still on the Buffalo Sabres as they continue their fight for the Atlantic Division crown just a year after finishing last in the NHL, a new face will be scrutinized under the lights. Lawrence Pilut will make his NHL debut according to Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News, despite the recent recall of Matt Tennyson. That gives Buffalo fans another highly anticipated Swedish defenseman to watch, and one that brings plenty of offensive upside. Pilut had 22 points in 16 games for the Rochester Americans before his call-up, and is still just 22 years old.
Philadelphia Flyers Granted Permission To Interview Bill Zito, Dave Nonis
Though several reports have now surfaced that list former Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher as the front runner, the Philadelphia Flyers will not rush the interview process for their vacant GM spot. Today, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that the Flyers have received permission to speak with Bill Zito, who currently serves as the assistant GM for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Bob McKenzie of TSN adds that the team has also received permission to speak with Dave Nonis, who is working with the Anaheim Ducks organization.
Zito, 54, has been around the NHL for decades, first as one of the most powerful player agents in the world and now in management with the Blue Jackets for the last several years. His work in both roles had been widely praised, and he has been a candidate for several job openings around the league the last few offseasons. He was GM of the Lake Erie Monsters (now Cleveland Monsters) when they won the Calder Cup in 2016, and has overseen the development of several key players for the Blue Jackets roster. There seems to be little doubt that he will eventually get an NHL team of his own to run. Zito will interview this weekend with Philadelphia president Paul Holmgren.
Nonis on the other hand is a veteran GM that has been given the keys to both the Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs in the past. While neither of those teams finished where Nonis was trying to push them, he still is a respected member of the hockey executive community and could very well be put into a GM role once again. The 52-year old may also be the most available of the three listed candidates, given that he is only serving as a consultant for Anaheim.
Calvin Pickard, Jean-Sebastien Dea Claimed Off Waivers
With the Arizona Coyotes dealing with some health concerns in net, they’ve decided to claim goaltender Calvin Pickard off waivers from the Philadelphia Flyers. The Pittsburgh Penguins meanwhile have reclaimed Jean-Sebastien Dea off waivers from the New Jersey Devils. Dea has been immediately sent to the minor leagues, meaning the Penguins were the only team who put in a claim.
Pickard is off to his fourth team since the end of the 2016-17 season, when he finished the year as the starting goaltender for the Colorado Avalanche. He was then selected in the expansion draft by the Vegas Golden Knights, only to be traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs before ever playing a regular season game for Vegas. In Toronto, he spent nearly the entire 2017-18 season in the minor leagues, winning a Calder Cup as a backup to Garret Sparks, before eventually being waived just prior to the start of this year.
In Philadelphia, his numbers have not been up to the level he showed in Colorado and was obviously not the long-term solution for the Flyers. He’s no more the solution in Arizona though, as he is an obvious short-term solution while Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper try to get healthy. Adin Hill will make the next start for Arizona, just his fifth of his career. That forced GM John Chayka to go out and acquire some more experience, something that Pickard brings even if there hasn’t been a lot of success lately.
Pittsburgh meanwhile will get Dea back after watching him score five points in 20 games for the Devils this year. The undrafted forward was a project of the Pittsburgh development system for the last few seasons, and will now re-enter that organization after getting his feet wet at the NHL level. Though it was obviously not planned, this was actually not the worst outcome for the Penguins if they felt they couldn’t afford to give Dea that short opportunity themselves. The 24-year old now has some additional NHL games under his belt, and can attempt to improve his game even further in the minor leagues.
Philadelphia Flyers Meeting With Chuck Fletcher Regarding GM Role
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
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.
Calvin Pickard, Jean-Sebastien Dea Placed On Waivers
Philadelphia Flyers president Paul Holmgren was clear that he would make a change to the team’s goaltending situation if he felt the need even as they continue their search for a new GM, and today did just that. The Flyers have placed Calvin Pickard on waivers, while also sending forward Tyrell Goulbourne back to the minor leagues. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the New Jersey Devils have also placed Jean-Sebastien Dea on waivers.
Pickard, 26, was claimed off of waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs just prior to the start of the season and ended up playing 11 games for the Flyers so far. His performance so far hasn’t been good despite a 4-2-2 record, as he has registered an .863 save percentage and is allowing more than four goals per game on average. Part of the problem may be the Flyers defensive structure given Pickard’s career .909 save percentage, but he hasn’t shown much NHL ability at this point.
That’s not to say he doesn’t have some value though, especially to the Maple Leafs who could very likely put in a claim for him. Should they be the only team to do so they would be able to send Pickard directly to the Toronto Marlies, who have had goaltending troubles for much of this season. Pickard won a Calder Cup with the Marlies last season, though he was the backup to Garret Sparks at the time. His contract carries an $800K cap hit, and would be completely buried in the minor leagues if he cleared waivers or ended up with the Marlies.
Dea meanwhile has been playing full-time with the Devils, recording five points in 20 games but became the odd man out when Marcus Johansson returned to practice. The 24-year old Dea has had a lot of success in the minor leagues with the Pittsburgh Penguins since signing out of the QMJHL as an undrafted free agent, but didn’t receive a qualifying offer from that organization in the summer. He then re-signed a one-year two-way deal with the Penguins, before being claimed by the Devils on waivers at the end of September.
Philadelphia Flyers Fire Chris Pryor, Gord Murphy
The changes continue for the Philadelphia Flyers, as the team announced today that assistant GM Chris Pryor and assistant coach Gord Murphy have both been fired. Pryor had been promoted to his current position by recently fired GM Ron Hextall in 2016, while Murphy was hired by Hextall in 2014. Team president Paul Holmgren released a statement on the changes:
The Flyers organization has relieved Chris Pryor of his duties as Director of Player Personnel and Assistant General Manager. In addition, in close consultation with Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol, Gord Murphy has been relieved of his duties as assistant coach. I would like to thank Chris for his dedication to the franchise and contributions over the last 20 years. Likewise, we thank Gord Murphy for serving behind the bench for the last five seasons and helping grow and develop our young core of defensemen. We do not anticipate any further personnel moves in the near term.
The fact that the team parted with Pryor is a legitimate surprise, given that he’d been with the club in various roles for two decades and was a huge part of their drafting and development programs. The Flyers have seemingly done quite well in the draft over the last few years, adding names like Nolan Patrick, Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim, Travis Konecny, Carter Hart, Morgan Frost and Isaac Ratcliffe. This past June their draft was lauded by many as the team added Joel Farabee, Jay O’Brien and Adam Ginning in the top 50 picks, leading their prospect pipeline to be ranked among the league’s best.
While it’s not clear why exactly these two were let go while Hakstol and others were retained, it certainly had an effect on the team. Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweeted that the Flyers locker room was “stunned” by the firing of Murphy, while many other media members expressed shock that Pryor was the one removed from the front office. There are likely more changes coming down the road for Philadelphia, but could be intending on hiring a new GM first. Chuck Fletcher, formerly GM of the Minnesota Wild, appears to be the front runner at this point according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic.
Morning Notes: Pronger, Matthews, Bean
We heard about another name that the Philadelphia Flyers have interest in this morning when Frank Seravalli of TSN put forward Steve Greeley‘s name, but we’re also learning about who won’t be a candidate for the vacant GM position. Paul Holmgren announced that the new GM would be coming from outside the organization and ruled out senior advisor and former Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi specifically.
Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer adds another name to the pile of those who won’t be interviewed, as he reports that Chris Pronger is not a candidate for the job. Pronger has been open with his desire to eventually become a GM in the league and has ties to the Philadelphia organization, but will not be given this opportunity. Pronger is currently working as an advisor in the Florida Panthers organization.
- It’s been quite a while since the Toronto Maple Leafs had star center Auston Matthews take part in a full practice, but that’s exactly what happened today when he joined the rest of the team. Shedding the non-contact sweater, Matthews looks poised to return soon from his recent shoulder injury and add another offensive weapon to the potent Maple Leafs attack. As Mark Masters of TSN points out though, the last time Matthews dealt with a shoulder injury he went through two full practices before returning to the lineup. That would put him on track for Saturday’s game in Minnesota, not tomorrow’s against the San Jose Sharks. We’ll have to wait and see how the Maple Leafs play it, but getting a player of his caliber back should only improve their chances in the tight Atlantic Division.
- While one player hopes for his return, another readies for his debut. Jake Bean is set to play in his first NHL game when the Carolina Hurricanes take on the Montreal Canadiens tonight, a long-awaited occurrence for the young defenseman. Bean, 20, was picked 13th overall in 2016 but was sent back to junior for two more years and has now been playing with the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL for the start of this season. He’s shown his offensive upside there, recording 11 points in 21 games as a rookie, and is just the latest to join an incredibly deep group of defensemen in Carolina.
Steve Greeley Latest To Be Linked To Flyers GM Search
Paul Holmgren and the Philadelphia Flyers are underway on their search for a new GM after the team fired Ron Hextall yesterday, and early indications were that Chuck Fletcher and Ron Francis were on the list of candidates for the job. Add Steve Greeley to that list, as Frank Seravalli of TSN reports that the Buffalo Sabres assistant GM is on the Flyers’ radar. The team has not reached out to the Sabres for permission to talk to him, but it’s easy to see why they would be interested.
Greeley, 38, is a former minor pro player who spent several years with the Los Angeles Kings as a scout under then-GM Dean Lombardi, who happens to now be a senior advisor with the Flyers. He then joined David Quinn‘s staff at Boston University as associate head coach, before moving to the New York Rangers’ player personnel department. Jason Botterill hired him after taking over in Buffalo, but it was easy to see that Greeley was on the fast track to run a team of his own one day. Whether that happens in Philadelphia is still obviously undecided.
At a press conference today to explain the Hextall firing, Holmgren explained that while the organization is still in a fine position going forward the upper management felt that a new voice was needed to take them “to the next level.” One has to wonder whether that will be someone without any experience in the GM role like Greeley, or a more veteran name like Fletcher or Francis. For what it’s worth, neither of those two could ever get their franchises—Minnesota and Carolina respectively—to that next level when in the GM position.