The Philadelphia Flyers continue to slide into oblivion, dropping another game—their 5th straight—last night to the Carolina Hurricanes, 5-3. There is nothing more to show on this team, they are what they are. With seven games in the next 15 days before the team gets a full week off, they don't have much time to decide on what to do.
I have three thoughts on what the Flyers need to do.
Send Carter Hart back to Lehigh
The team, as previously stated, is going nowhere fast. When they brought Hart up to the NHL roster in December, the thought was to let him play as the starter with Michael Neuvirth or whoever as the backup. With a team that is showing no signs of direction, it's not fair at all to have your 20-year-old goalie prospect develop in these conditions. It's exactly how he'll turn into an average goalie like Steve Mason for his career. Sending him back to Lehigh will allow him to continue to develop in an environment that is not turning toxic.
Trade the "Core"
When a team like the Flyers gets into the position it's in, you have to take drastic measures to either make a quick turnaround and compete, or sell the core of your current team and think about the next 15 years. In that mindset, the team has to trade their current core. That includes Wayne Simmonds, Jakub Voraeck and Claude Giroux.
Simmonds and Voracek can be moved at anytime this season. Giroux has a no movement clause attached to his contract, so he'll have to approve the team the Flyers strike a deal with. If the current Flyers' situation continuous to worsen, Giroux, at his age too, would have to have a small voice in his head telling him to go to a Stanley Cup contender and the Flyers should absolutely honor that.
Comcast-Spectator has to sell
This is my most drastic thought on the state of the team. The team has not been a true contender since it was in the Stanley Cup Final in 2010 against the Chicago Blackhawks. Since then they've appeared in the playoffs in all but two seasons, but haven't won a series since 2012.
It all goes back to the team having no true direction. Ron Hextall was brought in as the "savior" with his experience in Los Angeles and winning a Cup there. Obviously that did not work out as his predecessor, Paul Holmgren fired Hextall in November of last year. The problem here is the team's front office itself—it's stuck in the old ways of the late Ed Snider.
Paul Holmgren played for the Flyers and became the GM similar to Bobby Clarke and Ron Hextall. Chuck Fletcher, the new GM, is finally a general manager that has never played hokey for the Flyers. David Scott, the current CEO and President of the Flyers appears to just be there in name only. If the Flyers want any chance of a refresh and an update, NHL Comcast-Spectator needs to be a seller as well.
Follow Bill on Twitter @RadioBill1210 or email him bill.kornfeld@entercom.com
