Philadelphia Flyers: Is Dave Hakstol’s Job in Jeopardy?

Dave Hakstol is in his fourth season as head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers. During his tenure, the team has not made it out of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and has missed the postseason play once. Is his job in jeopardy?

Philadelphia Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol made an unusually emotional challenge to his players on Friday. The response to that challenge was a 6-1 embarrassment on home ice to the New York Islanders. General Manager Ron Hextall has continued to voice his support for Hakstol, but I would have to believe that even his patience is wearing thin.

The Philadelphia Flyers were on a two-game losing streak headed into a Saturday afternoon home game against the Islanders. It is early in the season, but Flyers fans and management have never been patient when the team is not doing well. The team has plenty of talent, including All-Stars like Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds, as well as Selke Trophy finalist Sean Couturier.

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Promising youngsters, talented veterans and a plethora of goalies, yet the Flyers went into Saturday’s game with a record of 4-6-0. I attended Monday night’s loss to the Colorado Avalanche, sitting two rows behind the opposing penalty bench. At ice level, the frustration of the Flyers players was evident. The team seemed lost and ill-prepared to face the highest scoring line currently in the NHL.

When a team is unprepared, thoughts go almost immediately to the coaching staff. I have been a very vocal supporter of Dave Hakstol; I feel he has a very high hockey IQ, and seems very even tempered. He is not a screamer, rarely showing emotion even after a bad loss, a bad call, a bad shift. That calming demeanor is a plus with a very young team, and the Flyers have a on of youth especially on the blue line. Hakstol’s record as a college coach is outstanding and his program has produced a ton of NHL talent, including T.J. Oshie.

Dave Hakstol: Too Aloof?

There is, however, an issue with Hakstol that I feel is strange. My family and I traveled to New York last year to see the Flyers play the Islanders. We were directly behind the Flyers bench for that game, and I was fascinated to be that close to the team and watch the intricacies of the game. What I found odd was that Dave Hakstol did not appear to talk to the team during the game. When there was feedback to be delivered, he would speak to one of the assistant coaches, and that coach would speak to the player or players in question.

That dynamic has been in the back of my mind since the game last spring. Why doesn’t Hakstol talk to his players during the game? Was it a one time occurrence?

I don’t have a lot of answers to these questions. What I do know is that the Flyers have more talent than what is being displayed on the ice in the early weeks of this season. My mind continues to go to Dave Hakstol….has he lost this team? Did he ever “have” it? The best coach in the world cannot effectively coach players that aren’t dialed in to his message. While I feel Hakstol has made some bad decisions, player wise,  I think his disconnect from the team is far more alarming.