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Rumor: Hextall looking to acquire a forward after nine straight losses.
Matt Rourke / AP

Rumor: Hextall looking to acquire a forward after nine straight losses.

Hextall looking to shake up team chemistry.

HockeyFeed

HockeyFeed

The buzz in Philadelphia has been around Flyers' head coach Dave Hakstol, and more specifically whether or not general manager Ron Hextall will fire him. 

On Tuesday night after the Flyers' ninth straight loss Hextall spoke to the media and made it abundantly clear that he would be standing behind his head coach, although that does not mean he is sitting on his hands.

On Wednesday TSN insider Bob McKenzie revealed that he believes the Flyers GM is currently making calls as he attempts to acquire a forward to shake up his offense. 

"I think he’s making calls, but it’s not a seismic deal,” indicated McKenzie as per Fanrag's Chris Nichols.

McKenzie believes that while Hextall isn't looking to blow the doors off with a blockbuster trade, he is hoping to acquire a top 9 type of player that would allow head coach Dave Hakstol to change up the chemistry on his second and third lines.

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"The one area where maybe there’s been a little bit of lack of chemistry is on the second and third lines. The first line has been great. They’ve liked what they’ve gotten from their fourth line. They’ve got good players, they believe, on the second and third line – guys like Nolan Patrick and Travis Konecny and Wayne Simmonds. And none of those guys are getting traded, but it might be a case where Hextall would look for somebody to come in and play on that second or third line and maybe change up the chemistry a little bit."

McKenzie also made it clear that both the Flyers top veterans, including Claude Giroux, Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek, as well as young talents like Travis Konecny and Nolan Patrick are all players that are off limits in terms of any trade talk, so don't expect monumental changes. 

No word from McKenzie in what the Flyers would be interested in giving up to make a deal, and no information regarding what teams Hextall may have been speaking with about a trade.