Hextall doesn’t believe Flyers are in ‘elite group’ of teams

Ron Hextall first offseason as Flyers GM has been quiet. Hextall said on Thursday that the Flyers must be patient in the process to win a championship. (Photo by Amy Irvin/38Photography)

The days have turned to weeks since free agency opened on July 1 and the Flyers were forced to make minimal moves due to a tight amount of money available given the salary cap. As other teams have been making moves and improvements, the Flyers are essentially returning with the same team as they had in the previous season.

GM Ron Hextall is faced with the challenge of putting this team over the top. His hands were tied this season with hefty contracts to players like the recently-traded Scott Hartnell and 2013 free-agent splash Vincent Lecavalier.

Hextall doesn't see the lack of moves hurting the team.

"I don't envision us taking a step back," Hextall said in an interview with 6ABC. "We've got virtually the same team as last year and we lost to the Rangers by a goal in Game 7 and they went to the Final. We're a good hockey club."

Hextall was honest in the approach of the Flyers upcoming seasons. When asked about where the Flyers are in terms of a Stanley Cup win, he admitted they don't rank as high as they should. But as the Rangers proved this season, and as he learned with the Kings in 2012, anything can happen when you make the playoffs.

"I think you've got a group of a few elite teams. I wouldn't say we're in that group," Hextall said. "I'd say we're just below it.

"The gap between the good and the middle teams and the bottom teams isn't very big. So anybody can win. Do I think we have a chance to do something big next year? Yeah, I do."

The first step to any postseason success is getting to the playoffs. Hextall believes that won't be a problem for the Flyers regardless of how the offseason has gone.

"We're excited about this year. We believe we're a playoff team and we're excited about the future as well," Hextall said. "I don't think anybody questions that. I certainly hope they don't. I know our players don't and that's the main thing. They have belief in each other and themselves."

The future plays into the Flyers upcoming season and beyond. There is a chance several prospects could be available to play for the Orange and Black this season or in the near future. Even if the Flyers didn't change much during the offseason for the 2014-15 season, Hextall says patience is the key to future success.

"Unless I'm patience, you're not going to see a championship here," Hextall said. "I have to be patient. There's no other option. We've got to develop our own players. We've got to be patient. We've got to be diligent. We've also got to look to make the right moves to make our team better. I'm not going to do something just for today."

Kevin Durso is the lead beat writer for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @KDursoPhilsNet.