Ron Hextall doesn't want to use the R-word.
The Philadelphia Flyers general manager admitted to the Courier-Post's Dave Isaac on Saturday that his club is "methodically getting younger," but refused to classify it as rebuilding.
"Yeah, we're getting younger. A rebuild, absolutely not," Hextall said from the NHL Draft in Chicago.
After taking Nolan Patrick second overall Friday night, the Flyers traded 25-goal scorer Brayden Schenn to the St. Louis Blues for Jori Lehtera and a pair of picks, using the 2017 selection on center Morgan Frost at No. 27.
The Flyers had the 11th-youngest roster in the league this past season at 27.006 years of age, according to NHL Numbers, and they'll once again be complementing their veteran core with a bit of a youth movement next season.
"We have young players," Hextall said Saturday. "At some point here we have to open up opportunity. We'll let them play when we feel they're ready to play. Unlike what people think about our philosophy, we do not want to hold players back. When they're ready to take that next step we'll allow them to take that next step. In saying that, we feel like we've got some young players who, if they're not ready they're close.”
Travis Konecny showed flashes of skill in his rookie season, and the 2017-18 Flyers will also likely feature 23-year-old college free-agent signing Michael Vecchione as well as 19-year-old defenseman Ivan Provorov and 23-year-old blue-liner Shayne Gostisbehere.
The biggest concern for Philadelphia, though, will be compensating for the loss of Schenn's offense. Patrick should be able to contribute relatively soon, but head coach Dave Hakstol said the top prospect's teammates might have to raise their games, too.
"It's a lot (to make up), but I think that's where some of it has to come from," Hakstol said. "Some of the quality minutes that Brayden Schenn has been in, not necessarily all, some of those minutes could go to young players. Not only a couple guys that may be new to the roster this year but a guy like Travis Konecny, guys like that that can benefit from more minutes in more situations."
Call it a rebuild, a refresh, or whatever R-word is more applicable, but only Wayne Simmonds scored more goals for Philadelphia than Schenn did in 2016-17, so the Flyers are going to need to match that lost production somehow.
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