More changes as the Flyers’ purge continues

In preparation for a new general manager, Flyers president Paul Holmgren continued to clear the decks Wednesday by dismissing longtime front office fixture and assistant general manager Chris Pryor. He had also served as the organization’s director of player personnel.

Also let go was assistant coach Gord Murphy, a former Flyers defenseman who had overseen this club’s always struggling blue line corps for the past four-plus seasons.

In a statement, Holmgren curiously included the notation that the Murphy firing was “in close consultation with Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol.”

“I would like to thank Chris for his dedication to the franchise and contributions over the last 20 years,” Holmgren said in the statement. “Likewise, we thank Gord Murphy for serving behind the bench for the last five seasons and helping grow and develop our young core of defensemen. We do not anticipate any further personnel moves in the near term.”

That’s curious, too, since Comcast-Spectacor CEO Dave Scott had said the next general manager to replace Ron Hextall, fired Monday, would likely be in place in a matter of “weeks, not months.”

Pryor began in the scouting department and was promoted to director of player personnel under Holmgren in Aug. 2013. Hextall added assistant GM duties in 2016.

With the Murphy dismissal, it will be interesting to see if Holmgren finally allows Hakstol to hire one of his own assistant coaches. Still in place behind the bench are Ian Laperriere, a holdover from Craig Berube’s staff preceding Hakstol, and Kris Knoblauch, who was brought in by Hextall last year.

In roster moves, the Flyers put goalie Calvin Pickard on waivers. Forward Tyler Goulbourne was sent down to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

SUBMITTED PHOTO — ZACK HILL Flyers’ front office veteran Chris Pryor, sitting as ex-GM Ron Hextall’s left-hand man on Team Picture Day four years ago, was let go by the club Wednesday along with assistant coach Gord Murphy.