Angry Netminder to Calm Executive

In case you didn’t know, Ron Hextall the General Manager is much different from Ron Hextall the goalie. Gone is the fiery vigilante that stalked his crease, daring opposing players to come within arm’s (or usually stick’s) distance. His revenge on Chris Chelios for his blatant dirty board of Brian Propp will live forever in Flyers’ history.

GM Hextall is more in control of his emotions and urges. He said in the beginning of the preseason that he would not rush any of the organization’s top prospects, including the sudden depth of defensemen. True to his word, every prospect was sent down, despite strong showings from Scott Laughton, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Samuel Morin.

Laughton, Gostisbehere, and Robert Hagg were all sent down to the new Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Due to the agreement with the CHL, Morin is not eligible for the AHL; he must spend the season with the powerhouse Rimouski Oceanic. The timing was surprising. Morin could have played up to nine games with the Flyers and been returned to the Q, much like what happened with Laughton the last two seasons, without burning a year off of his entry level contract.

It is possible, even probable for Laughton to be called up. Ghost could also see some time with the Flyers if injuries strike the club. Offensively, he is ready for the NHL, however he is Danny Briere size, which could be dangerous if he puts himself in a bad situation.

Currently, there is no space in the Top 9 for Laughton. There is even more of a logjam keeping Ghost out. Bob Mackenzie reported (and GM Hextall quickly refuted) that the Flyers were looking to move a defenseman. This makes a lot of sense. If the Flyers believe that one or two of their defensemen is close to being ready, it makes sense to move one out soon. They have seven veterans on the roster now; next year, only one regular spot would open up with 6/7 defensemen Michael Del Zotto and Nick Schultz becoming unrestricted free agents at the end of the season.

The Los Angeles Kings, Hextall’s former employer, take a very slow development approach to their prospects. Slava Voynov, drafted 32^nd overall in 2008, played in the AHL for 3 full seasons, not coming up until the 2011-2012 season. Jonathan Quick was drafted in 2005, and did not make his debut in the end of the 2007-2008 season. He worked his way up from the ECHL, after spending two seasons at UMass-Amherst. Current King Tyler Toffoli was also brought along slowly. Ron Hextall is no stranger to waiting for talent to develop.

Last year, the Flyers were relatively healthy. It is not likely that they will luck out like that two years in a row. The most likely way that one of these prospects would see time in the NHL is as an injury call-up. Even then, Hextall could look to more seasoned players and keep those prospects in the minors, getting top minutes.