Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

The Issues With The Philadelphia Flyers

11/22/2017 at 1:23pm EST

from Sam Donnellon of the Philadelphia Daily News,

When Ron Hextall tabbed Dave Hakstol to replace Craig Berube as his head coach three Junes ago, he lauded the “culture” that Hakstol had instilled at North Dakota, and spoke optimistically of it translating at the pro level.

Amid the Flyers’ roster upheaval and youth infusion, that has proved much more difficult for him to establish at the pro level so far. Holding the puck too long, hurrying shots unnecessarily, bad line changes: these are many of the things that led Hextall to replace Berube.

Which leads to the obvious debate. Is this the offshoot of a bad coaching choice the general manager is reluctant to own up to? Is it the offshoot of too much youth infused in too little time?

Or is it — and given the Flyers’ rich recent history in this department, this is the most unnerving doubt — evidence that the young, lauded talent has been overvalued?

read on

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About Kukla's Korner Hockey

Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.

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