Don’t look now Philadelphia Flyers fans, but the sky is falling. After coming into 2018-19 with a great deal of promise and hope, the franchise has completely fallen on its face a quarter of the way into the season. The lack of success led to the firing of Ron Hextall, Chris Pryor, and Gord Murphy. The organization now finds itself in shambles, closer to obtaining an opportunity at drafting Jack Hughes than clinching a playoff berth this year.
It was apparent that the Flyers needed some changes. They took the first step when they decided to part ways with Hextall after he refused to see the writing on the wall and act. Philadelphia will now look to put a general manager in place that can improve the NHL roster. Hopefully, whoever gets the position will not completely gut the farm system in the process.
The reality is that this roster has a lot of holes. It is difficult to imagine anyone coming in and making Philadelphia’s roster strong enough to not only make the playoffs but also win a round or two. Attempting to turn this season around will likely result in some reactionary moves that will hurt the organization long-term.
The best approach for the Flyers future GM is to come in, get his staff in place, and look ahead to next season. Part of this process will include assessing the current talent on the roster, deciding who does not fit into the plan, and seeing what kinds of trades can be made. Yes, at first glance this may look like the beginning of a rebuild. However, in the case of the Flyers, it is not. It is just cutting your losses and looking to construct a contender for 2019-20 and beyond. Philadelphia has plenty of cap space and young players with an abundance of potential to make that happen.
Unfortunately, that approach calls for a bumpy remainder to the 2018-19 season, spending most of it in the NHL’s basement. On the bright side, that places Philadelphia right into the discussion of which team will get the opportunity to select Jack Hughes with the first-overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
Hughes is the consensus top prospect available in 2019 with the potential of becoming a generational talent. In a scouting report from 2017 ISS Hockey described the young forward as an electrifying and dynamic player that can be a difference maker. Additionally, the scouting organization highlighted Hughes’s allusiveness and intelligence.
Honestly, all of the junk from this season would be forgiven if the Flyers left the 2019 draft with Hughes on the roster. Not only would the future of the franchise look even brighter, but he could also make an immediate impact on the team. You can also bet that Philadelphia would become an attractive destination for top-tier free agents with a prospect the caliber of Jack Hughes.
Listen, nobody wanted this season to become a failure, especially this early. However, it’s not easy to look at it as anything different. Not only is the product on the ice awful, but the front office is also a complete mess. It’s time to realize that the Flyers are a part of the Jack Hughes sweepstakes. Hopefully, they can come away winners.
Photo by Rena Laverty/USA Hockey
