By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Typically, assistant coach hirings around the NHL aren't much of a news story. When they are, a good portion of the time is because it is a widely recognizable NHL veteran or former star who graced the ice as a player and has turned to the teaching and coaching end of things.
The Flyers turned heads in a different way with their latest hire, Erie Otters head coach Kris Knoblauch.
Knoblauch had a track record of success with Erie in the OHL and brings that to the Flyers. For an assistant coach hiring, this one caused quite a stir around the hockey world, particularly for those who got to see Knoblauch on a regular basis behind the Erie bench.
Tremendous coach. One of the best and brightest outside the NHL. Great step for Kris and the Flyers. Congrats. https://t.co/vcTa8gIdfW
— Craig Button (@CraigJButton) June 7, 2017
Great seeing Kris Knoblauch added to the @NHLFlyers coaching staff. Very dedicated and passionate coach. The Flyers got better today!
— Jay McKee (@JayMcKee74) June 7, 2017
Kris Knoblauch will be the next head coach of the Flyers, whenever they next make a change. https://t.co/2Maq69Gqex
— steve simmons (@simmonssteve) June 7, 2017
It may be premature to look at the hiring this way, but the Flyers opting to bring in a coach considered a "rising star" may not be a good thing for Dave Hakstol down the road. For now, however, it goes along with the Flyers blueprint for the future, especially as new prospects start to arrive.
Knoblauch was brought in to replace Joe Mullen, who in particular assisted with the power play and forwards. The Flyers had their woes when it came to scoring depth, so this should help address that.
Knoblauch joined Erie at a time when they experienced minimal success. With Knoblauch behind the bench and a few future stars on the ice — like Connor McDavid, Connor Brown, Dylan Strome and Andre Burakovsky — Erie suddenly became a better team in scoring, on the power play and in the standings.
The hope would be for Knoblauch to come in and have similar results with the Flyers. The Flyers power play last season was successful at times, even ranking at the top of the league in the early going before fizzling out to finish right in the middle of the pack. The problem was the setup. If the Flyers could get set up, they would generate quality scoring chances for a majority of the man-advantage or cash in with a goal. But if they couldn't, it was a trainwreck where they could barely get across the blue line. And it happened more frequently down the stretch.
Another issue the Flyers had was their second power play unit. The team was decimated by injuries at times, so having a consistent second unit wasn't a luxury, but if the first unit couldn't score a goal in the first minute or so of a power play, it usually resulted in a successful kill for the opposition without much of a push from the second unit.
Throw in the Flyers even-strength scoring being average to mediocre and the need for improvement is a must. Enter Knoblauch.
The Flyers may not have Connor McDavid, but they do have a formidable first unit and good players coming to make up a second unit. Which is where Knoblauch's other area of expertise comes in.
"He is a teacher by trade and the perfect teacher-turned-coach would be Kris Knoblauch," Erie Otters GM Dave Brown said to CSN Philly. "At first, he comes across pretty quiet. He's that Saskatchewan guy with great core values and always transferring those over to his players to learn, not just what is on the ice but what is off the ice."
Brown raved about Knoblauch as a head coach and it's hard not to considering the success he brought the Otters in the last four seasons. So what does this move mean for the Flyers future?
In the present, this is a move designed to make the current group better and provide another teacher to the development of the many prospects brought into the system over recent years. Given the number of prospects that could be ready for the NHL like Sam Morin, Robert Hagg, Oskar Lindblom and the player the Flyers select second overall, a new voice that has such success in the Canadian junior ranks can only be a bonus.
But what about the future beyond that?
It is certainly a crucial season for Dave Hakstol behind the bench. He is in his third season as head coach. After making the playoffs, somewhat unexpectedly, in his first season, the Flyers took a step back in his second season and Hakstol faced a lot of scrutiny.
Is this a warning? No, the Flyers wouldn't make this move and acknowledge such a storyline. But if the Flyers continue trending the wrong way under Hakstol, make no mistake about it, the most suitable on the Flyers staff at the moment to jump in would be Knoblauch and perhaps GM Ron Hextall is trying to have a backup plan.
Knoblauch is the youngest member of the coaching staff at age 38. His experience with junior level players and the overall camaraderie he's formed with his players in Erie show he is suitable for molding and grooming young talent, something Hakstol appeared to struggle with last season.
TSN's Craig Button, who as seen above praised the hiring, noted that his age is a plus when dealing with younger players.
"Kris relates to this generation of player," Button said to CSN Philly. "He is absolutely loved by his players, but they also know he will hold them accountable."
The Flyers took the road less traveled by pulling Hakstol out of college instead of opting for some experienced coaches that were available. In this case, they went to the Canadian junior level to find another coach with progressive thinking, competitive spirit and who can form good relationships with young players.
Sound familiar? It was the same qualities that were notable when Hakstol was hired two offseasons ago.
So even if the pressure isn't on Hakstol and Knoblauch is here to get his feet wet in the NHL and start by focusing on forwards, the power play and offense, the underlying tones are there for him to potentially become a head coach at the NHL level someday, which makes his presence with the Flyers a key part to their future on the ice and behind the bench.
