When Ron Hextall and Chris Pryor were dismissed last year from their respective positions atop the Philadelphia Flyers’ organizational food chain, it threw every aspect of the franchise’s future approaches into question. But perhaps more than any other branch of the club, the fate of the scouting department generated considerable conversation.



The consternation was understandable. While Hextall’s meticulous, long-term approach to team-building had yet to produce impressive on-ice results at the NHL level, the drafts engineered by the former general manager and his right-hand man, Pryor, were universally praised. Even those critical of Hextall generally acknowledged that his regime had rapidly replenished the team’s once-barren farm system through shrewd draft picks.



Actions, of course, speak louder than words, which means there will be heavy pressure on new general manager Chuck Fletcher and assistant GM Brent Flahr to match the prior...