The '25-'26 Philadelphia Flyers thread

[LegoDoom]

I think Michkov was handled fine though.

I won't use the word strongly, but I very much disagree. And Torts was done after this.

If Torts wants to talk, "conduct of a pro", then he very much needs to look in the mirror.

[zambonir]

Fletcher drafted him but Briere was already employed by the Flyers and is the one who would have refused to sign him to the earlier ELC. There was also some discussion about the wing vs. C thing. Could also be a conflict with his agent. Clearly the Flyers either covered up or were completely clueless when the issue first became public, during the '23 development camp that Gauthier didn't attend. The Worlds thing was after that, and then he was gone.

[VoteForKalas]

I suspect that Couturier is one. Could say Farabee and Frost but they're water over the dam. Tortorella was a poison for the club that was not worth the trouble. I'd bet that Gauthier would be a Flyer if he hadn't been here.

Couts was one probably not unhappy to see him go, but that does not mean his input to Couts was wrong. Couts is working his way back from multiple injuries and has struggled for several seasons to recapture the form we need for the money we are paying him. Hopefully, this year he can get closer because we really need it from him and his leadership benefits from being one of the most productive players on the team if possible.

Same with York; when a coach like Torts (but really any coach) holds players accountable for their play, that does not mean the coach does not like that player or is biased against him. Holding players accountable and working with them to address their weaknesses and leverage their strengths is literally the exact job description of a coach. York is not the perfect player nor is anyone else and no one is above criticism or being pushed to improve.

Farabee was a chronic underachiever who was overpaid and we needed to move the contract, plain and simple. Could be have tried more to develop him? Sure, but after many years it was clear to me he had plateaued and would stay there regardless. Freeing up that money was the right decision; having to throw Frost in to make CGY do the deal hurt, but I suspect Frost is not going to haunt us either. That had zero to do with Torts IMO.

Gauthier is even further removed from Torts; he never had him on the roster. That situation was clearly botched by Flyers mgmt and/or the player's agent or the player himself. Torts had nothing to do with that and him being the coach. If Cutter was so scared of playing for Torts, then good riddance because that is not a player I want on my team anyway.

Having high standards and expectations for players is not a negative thing. If that approach is poorly communicated or handled with X player, that is on Torts, but his philosophy is correct IMO for developing talent and trying to mold the best team possible in any sport.

[andyb]

Good to see you guys are focused on hockey:

Philadelphia Flyers hire UFC fighter and bare-knuckle boxer as fight coaches:...

[LegoDoom]

Having high standards and expectations for players is not a negative thing. If that approach is poorly communicated or handled with X player, that is on Torts, but his philosophy is correct IMO for developing talent and trying to mold the best team possible in any sport.

The difference is that I don't think Couts agreed to anything Torts was doing. As one of the smartest players in the game, I will listen to Couts over Torts 100% of the time.

Torts is terrible.

[Austinfan]

The Flyers have been top ten in xGF% and HDCF% the last two seasons, despite an obvious lack of talent and substantial personnel turnover. That's coaching! Anaheim, with top young talent and a handful of solid veteran FAs, have been at the bottom of the NHL the last two seasons.

Torts has his flaws, he's not a good communicator and is too competitive for a rebuilding team. Pushes too hard at times when he should pull back - but a team like Buffalo could use his hard ass attitude.
Tocchet has Tort's virtues from the same tree (he's Sullivan's protege, and Sullivan was Tort's protege), but from all reports gets along much better with players.
He's still going to have some conflicts, he's a demanding HC and won't tolerate lack of effort, cherry picking to pad stats, or other behavior that puts a player before team. But Briere has cleared out most of the problem players.

Couts fundamental problem is he's slowed down slightly, but the league has gotten substantially faster since he entered the NHL 15 years ago. At some point he needs to move to LW where his lack of speed will be less of an issue.

[zambonir]

Can we just have a separate thread to talk about the fired coach and a different one to talk about the Flyers?

[zambonir]

The brand is strong

[LegoDoom]

Couts fundamental problem is he's slowed down slightly, but the league has gotten substantially faster since he entered the NHL 15 years ago. At some point he needs to move to LW where his lack of speed will be less of an issue.

I'm really not sure where to begin with this. C is probably the best position for a good defensive forward without speed.

I suggest you go back and watch Forsberg footage and why footwork matters more than speed.

[zambonir]

Never too soon for a mock draft. What jumped out at me is there's a draft order, which is based on the betting lines. So, the bookies/public currently sees the Flyers as being one of the two teams to just miss the playoffs. Understandable based on last year's finish but also probably a decent bet to make

2026 NHL Mock Draft: Gavin McKenna is No. 1 in Corey Pronman’s way-too-early...

[LegoDoom]

Can we have a separate thread for a mock draft for a year from now?

[zambonir]

I really wouldn't have - certainly don't see us making a run at McKenna, and according to The Athletic today Dvorak was all but told he won't be traded in-season when they signed him - but for being mildly curious where and why the Flyers were picking, which is more about the season than the draft.

[LegoDoom]

It was a stupid joke. I also look forward to future drafts.

I did have a few ideas of undervalued trade targets, but they aren't centers and the team has kind of limited moves that can be made.

[Austinfan]

The league is significantly faster, and in a 3-2 zone, the center is more like a third D-man, which means he has to be able to get back to his own net, whereas at forward he can be more aggressive on offense b/c he's got 20 less feet to travel.

I see Couts in a Mark Stone kind of role, I think he'd excel at LW and it would allow him to age gracefully, much like Giroux.

[zambonir]

Certainly not stupid. I feel like there's nothing any of us can say about Torts at this point that hasn't been said but that's true of lots of things. It's the Internet.

Torts must be pretty bummed Peter DeBoer got canned. While I think it's a pretty small number of teams that would cast their lost with him regardless, he'd be clear second-choice for any in-season or off-season hire.

Jay Woodcroft now a Ducks assistant.

[LegoDoom]

Which is why the center cycles out high and has less ice to cover.

[phillychuck]

Depends on the system, doesn’t it?

[LegoDoom]

Depends on the system, doesn’t it?

I'll give the short answer.... Nope.

[Docs]

I'll give the short answer.... Nope

Well shorter answer would have been ‘no’

[bigegypt0417]

Chat GPT says this...

Yes, NHL centers generally cover more ice than other forwards.

Here’s why:

1. Defensive Responsibilities

Centers are expected to help down low in the defensive zone, often covering the area in front of the net and supporting defensemen in the corners.

They often act as the third defenseman when the puck is in their own zone.

1. Faceoffs and Transition Play

Centers take faceoffs and are responsible for distributing the puck once possession is gained.

They often drop deep to support puck retrieval and start breakouts, then push forward through the neutral zone—essentially skating end to end.

1. Offensive Zone Role

In the offensive zone, centers rotate with wingers and defensemen depending on puck movement.

They often support both boards and the slot, meaning a lot of lateral and vertical movement.

1. Special Teams

Many centers play on both the power play and the penalty kill, which increases their ice time and workload.

Compared to Wingers:

Wingers tend to stay more in their lanes (left/right) and usually have more defined roles (e.g., forecheck, board battles).

Centers roam more and are involved in more puck support situations.

Conclusion:

Centers usually skate more and cover more territory, making it one of the most demanding positions in hockey from a physical and mental standpoint.