Ron Hextall didn't see it coming.

Fired by the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday, to say the former general manager was caught off guard by his dismissal may be an understatement.

"I was shocked," Hextall told Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I was hoping to finish my career here."

Hextall had been on the job since 2014, a tenure which saw him reshape the team's salary cap situation and twice qualify for the playoffs.

He believes internal pressure to take the team to the next level - before it was ready - was ultimately his undoing. The team described Hextall's approach as "unyielding" upon his dismissal.

"I didn't feel we were at go-time," Hextall added. "I didn't feel (like) the Winnipegs and Nashvilles and the Tampas, that we were quite there."

While Hextall was methodical in his attempt to rebuild the Flyers, he rejected the idea that he didn't look at bigger moves to help the team climb the ladder. In fact, those discussions were happening as recently as the days leading up to his firing.

"Was I open to moving prospects and/or young players who could help us this season and beyond? Absolutely," Hextall said. "We had some talks in the works at the time. Whether something would have happened, I don't know. I can assure you I was being aggressive."

With Hextall ousted, the Flyers have begun an extensive search to find his replacement. Former GMs Chuck Fletcher, Ron Francis, and Dave Nonis are reportedly among the candidates.

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