Philadelphia Flyers: The Hakstol Evolution Begins

By Marc Naples | Oct 9, 2015

Revolutions are dramatic, jarring, or even violent. They bring about change suddenly, throwing out the old with the express goal of bringing about comprehensive change as quickly as possible.

On the other hand, evolution is a slow, gradual process. The changes are often subtle and nuanced. Sometimes you hardly noticing them occurring, but they accumulate over time. When evolutionary processes work best, the affected subject has been carefully rebuilt. It is ultimately changed just as much as a revolutionary subject, but while revolutions burn themselves out, evolutionary changes tend to be more permanent.

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The hiring of Dave Hakstol by the Philadelphia Flyers certainly qualifies as an evolutionary project. He ushers in a new era of Hextall/Hakstol Flyers hockey, although the team that will hit the ice tonight will look an awful lot like former coach Craig Berube’s teams.

The first hints of only nuanced change came in the first few days of training camp. On day two, Wayne Simmonds described changes to the breakout system as subtle. Maybe things move a little quicker, maybe the center sees more touches, but it’s not a dramatic change.

The neutral zone sees a few more changes, but still not dramatic. Veteran defensemen Nick Schultz described it this way: “[Hakstol] wants the defenseman over the top in the middle instead of a forward there. It’s a little bit different. So, the D’s got to get up and make sure you’re in position. It’s the responsibility of the winger on the wide guy.”

Another sure sign that big changes were not coming was revealed in the last few days. Hakstol will enter the season using lines that look nearly identical to Craig Berube:

Furthermore, the much discussed Hakstol clean slate for players out of favor with Craig Berube yielded little benefit for Vincent Lecavalier and Luke Schenn. These players remain on the fringe of the lineup.

This lack of tangible change may leave some Philadelphia Flyers fans scratching their heads. It seems to me, however, this fits quite well with Ron Hextall’s larger goals.

Hextall strives to rebuild this team, but must do so with one hand tied behind his back. Tight against the salary cap and saddled with untradeable, veteran contracts, Hextall has little choice but to wait the contracts out.

Sep 21, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Flyers center Vincent Lecavalier (40) during a preseason game against the New York Islanders at PPL Center. The Flyers defeated the Islanders, 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Hextall also must wait for his rising young players to mature. Hextall’s developmental philosophy favors extended seasoning of prospects. Even presuming the Flyers had the open roster spots to plug-in the young guns, Hextall would prefer they continue growing in lesser leagues. In short, Hextall’s plan requires time and patience. It too is an evolutionary process for the roster.

Hakstol is not a clone of Berube. Berube was something of players coach, handling the players with a light touch. Hakstol will be more meticulous and stern. Nonetheless, the greatest fingerprints Hakstol will leave on the team will only emerge in time. About that, he and Hextall should be on the same page.

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