With the hiring of former Canadiens, Canucks and Rangers head man Alain Vigneault on Monday, the Flyers answered the most pressing question of their summer before the 2018-19 season had been dead for even 10 days: Who would be chosen as head coach to lead the franchise back to relevancy?



Vigneault brings a track record of regular season and playoff success that apparently convinced Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher that he was the right choice to follow former head coach Dave Hakstol and interim coach Scott Gordon. That track record serves a secondary purpose as well, which wouldn’t be possible had a hire come absent extensive NHL experience: It gives fans a chance to dive into a detailed resume and make educated guesses as to how Vigneault will likely look to reshape the team identity.



Yet long track records don’t preclude disagreements over the quality and abilities of sports figures — just listen to the average Hall of Fame debate for...