Ron Hextall’s Plan has Flyers Moving in the Right Direction

It’s not because Comcast closed the checkbook. It’s not because there were no impact players available.

July 1 used to be a day of fireworks for the Flyers, inking big expensive contracts to the most sought-after free agents.

Saturday, Flyers GM Ron Hextall signed a goalie and got him pretty cheap. Brian Elliott is in orange and black for two years at $2.75 million per season. He re-signed Mike Vecchione, got two more forwards for the minor-league Lehigh Valley Phantoms and that was the end of it.

“Three years ago we set a course and we’re staying with that course,” Hextall said on a conference call. “Part of that course is drafting and develop. Part of drafting and developing is, yes, making your players earn it, but not boxing them out with older veterans. We feel like there’s opportunity on our hockey team for young guys to step up and quite frankly we expect them to.”

The new players this season, aside from Elliott, will be recent draft picks. This is the concept Hextall sold to the team’s late chairman, Ed Snider, when he was promoted from assistant general manager.