With just over 48 hours remaining until the 2026 NHL trade deadline, Inquirer Flyers reporter Jackie Spiegel hopped on r/Flyers to field some fan questions in a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) Wednesday afternoon. Here are a few highlights …
(Questions have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.)
Q. There’s been a lot of talk about selling at the deadline, with guys like Owen Tippett and Rasmus Ristolainen as top candidates. Is there anyone else who might be on the block and could be a ‘surprise’ player dealt at the deadline?
A. It’s a good chance that Ristolainen is gone with how he’s been playing, his friendly contract, the farm system, and that he’s a right-shot defenseman. Tippett is less of a sure bet as he brings elements — size, speed, goal-scoring ability — that any team, including the Flyers, would want. However, Tippett does have a modified no-trade clause that begins on July 1, so if they’re going to do it, time is ticking.
The Flyers do have a logjam on the wings, and one surprise, at least for this week, could be Bobby Brink, who has long been rumored to be on the way out because of who is waiting in the wings. There’s always a chance Danny Brière could do right by some veterans like Noah Juulsen and Nic Deslauriers, each on expiring contracts, and trade them to a contender looking for depth.
Owen Tippett is a potential trade candidate for the Flyers
Q. At what point do we finally trade away some of our right wings to fix the log jam we have? And why is it taking so long?
A. The expectation was always that this process would begin over the summer, but it could come sooner. Names like Brink and Tippett have popped up in recent trade-deadline chatter. The only crux of trading Brink now is his size, as playoff teams are always looking to get bigger this time of year, but he is a pending restricted free agent. … But there is no denying that the Flyers need to make room for right winger Porter Martone.
As to why it has taken this long — you can’t trade someone if you don’t have someone ready to take the spot. Some of the wait was the hope of reeling in a big fish during this summer’s free agency — that is gone — but more recently, the wait has been on Martone, with all signs pointing to him inking his entry-level contract once Michigan State’s season is over.
Q. Where do you see us getting an actual top-line center option from and what would it realistically take?
A. This is a great question. I think part of the issue for the Flyers is that they were banking on this upcoming offseason to get that No. 1 center and all those guys inked extensions. Could Trevor Zegras be that guy? Maybe. Could they swing for a Robert Thomas? Maybe, but from what I’ve been told, that deal would require sending at least one of the Flyers’ young centers in the system the other way. I’m starting to wonder if a true No. 1 center is needed, because if you have enough talented high-end wingers — like Tyson Foerster, Martone, Travis Konecny, Matvei Michkov, Tippett — maybe a less elite center works too?
Sean Couturier has been the Flyers captain for a little over two years.
Q. What do the Flyers plan to do about Sean Couturier? Having the captain of the team be the guy farthest from living up to his contract and visibly frustrated seems like a less-than-ideal leadership situation. Not to mention he’s signed for four more seasons after this one and his contract is buyout proof.
A. From what I can tell, there are zero plans for Couturier. From the outside, yes, his production is down, but a lot of that, in my opinion, has to do with his focus on defense as he lets his younger, more skilled wingers take charge offensively. And heading into the return from the Olympic break, his analytics were actually some of the best on the team. There’s also the leadership in the room that fans do not see. As assistant coach Todd Reirden mentioned, while he was taking over media responsibilities with Rick Tocchet at the Olympics, Couturier’s “voice carries a lot of weight. He’s not [a captain] that’s rah rah, but when he does talk, no one’s not listening. I can tell you that much. So he’s the leader of our team for a reason.”
Q. If you had to look for a funny quote for a story after a win who would be your best bet on the team this year?
A. This is a great question. Funny is good, but what we call money bites (at least that was the term when I worked in TV) are always better. Dan Vladař is always good for that and usually has a funny quote or two. Zegras is always on with a quick, funny response. And Garnet Hathaway is always insightful, but brings a good quote too.
WASHINGTON ― It feels like it’s been 84 years since the Flyers last played an NHL game.
On Wednesday night against the Washington Capitals, they kicked off the final 26 games of the season. Entering the night, Philly sat four points back of Washington — with three games in hand — and eight points back of a playoff spot.
By the end of the night, the Flyers were six points back of Washington, after losing 3-1 at the Capital One Arena. They remain eight points back of the idle New York Islanders and Boston Bruins, and have a game in hand on the Islanders.
Trevor van Riemsdyk scored the decisive goal, giving the Capitals a 2-1 lead with 5 minutes, 52 seconds left in regulation. Off the rush, Declan Chisholm dropped the puck to Aliaksei Protas and got it back near the left post. He then hit van Riemsdyk, the brother of former Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk, as he crashed the net.
As coach Rick Tocchet noted postgame, the Flyers came out with some pep in their step to start the game. “The first nine minutes we were dominating,” he said. But they were unable to capitalize until the third period, when Noah Cates deflected a shot by Travis Sanheim 29 seconds in.
Rasmus Ristolainen applied pressure, creating a turnover to Matvei Michkov, who found Bobby Brink. The winger carried it down into the left face-off circle before hitting Sanheim for the quick shot, which Cates deflected past goalie Logan Thompson. Cates tied the game at one — and ended an 18-game goal drought.
“I didn’t like my January,” said Cates, whose last goal came Dec. 30. “I thought the team struggled as well, and I feel like when I struggle, the team struggles. You just want to get out of it and get going.
“So to get that goal and feel good about our line, we were making some plays and just playing the right way, playing how we can play with Bobby [Brink] and [Michkov]. So, yeah, good to get going.”
The trio had several other chances, notably in the third period when Brink, while under pressure, sent a cross-crease pass to Michkov alone at the right post. Thompson robbed him of a sure goal as he stretched across and made a toe save. According to Natural Stat Trick, when they were on the ice at five-on-five, the Flyers had 10 shot attempts, a game-high 1.05 expected Goals For, and nine scoring chances.
Philly did put 24 shots on Thompson, with 18 coming in the first two periods, but couldn’t find the back of the net. Dan Vladař kept them in the game all night.
The goaltender told The Inquirer on Sunday that he “wasn’t the best” in his one game at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, a 6-3 win against France, when he allowed the trio of goals on 12 shots for Czechia. So maybe he had something to prove.
Vladař faced seven shots in the first period, and robbed the owner of 919 NHL goals, Alex Ovechkin, of his 920th. “The Great 8″ was left wide-open in front after Ristolainen had the puck poked away from him in the corner by Dylan Strome, who fed Ovechkin. Vladař then stopped Strome’s point shot as Travis Konecny’s clearing attempt went right to him.
“He gives us a lot of confidence. He was making huge saves out there for us,” center Christian Dvorak said. “He’s been doing that all year, and it would have been nice to get him a win tonight. He definitely deserved it. He’s been big for us, and we just got to work on being better for our goalies.”
In the second period, the Capitals outshot the Flyers 12-9 and seemed to have the ice tilted their way. Although they broke through once — and missed the net a few more times — Vladař came up big again to keep the score close.
He stopped a point shot by Ethan Frank off a face-off win, kicked out a Ryan Leonard shot to the boards, and then seconds later made a masterful stop on another shot by Leonard.
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (bottom) was a bit shaken up after defenseman Nick Seeler (24) fell over him late in the second period.
Later, Vladař made a save on a Brandon Duhaime shot from nine feet out, and Nick Seeler pushed it back for him to cover. But there was a bit of a scramble, and Seeler fell over him, and the goalie seemed a bit stung. He flexed his right arm at the next whistle but stayed in the game.
Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin scored the Capitals’ opening goal in the period. Philly regrouped and reset after a three-on-two by Washington — and Michkov broke up a pass in front, but then allowed the blueliner to skate down from the point behind him. Hendrix Lapierre found him for the 1-0 goal.
And while he again allowed a goal in the third period, Vladař kept his team in the game. With the Flyers on the penalty kill, Pierre-Luc Dubois got the puck near the net and turned to take a shot, but Vladař was aggressive with the stick and poked it away. He was tracking the puck well all night and seconds later squared up to snare a Strome tip-in attempt on a point shot.
With the game tied, he robbed Lapierre, who got a return touch pass from Duhaime in the slot after the Flyers couldn’t break out of their own end.
“He’s a battler,” Tocchet said. “He’s done it all year for us. But the lateral goals are the tough ones; we don’t want to give those up. That’s the one thing. Vladdy’s played really well for us, but if we eliminate those that will really help. It’ll help Vladdy, too, [because] those laterals are tough to save.”
Protas added a short-handed empty-net goal with 25.6 seconds left in the game. … Defenseman Emil Andrae and forward Nic Deslauriers were the Flyers’ healthy scratches. What does Andrae, who hasn’t played since Jan. 26, need to do to get back into the lineup? “He’s not a PK guy,” said Tocchet pregame. “So actually, this week, he’s worked on his penalty killing. That’s really what it’s going to come down to.“ … Forward Carl Grundström, who has been playing wing all season, centered the fourth line. … The Flyers went 1-for-1 on the penalty kill and 0-for-2 on the power play.
Up next
The Flyers’ restart is already grinding away as they face the New York Rangers on Thursday at Madison Square Garden (8 p.m., ESPN).
It’s been three years since the Flyers fired Chuck Fletcher and replaced him with Danny Brière. Here’s a look back at everything that’s happened since.
Flyers president Keith Jones (left), governor Dan Hilferty (center), and GM Danny Brière (right) have been overseeing the team's years-long rebuild.Anton Klusener/ Staff illustration. Photos: Tyger Williams, Yong Kim/ Staff Photographers; Miguel Martinez
Wednesday marks exactly 1,083 days since Danny Brière grabbed the wheel of the rudderless ship that the Flyers had become under previous captain Chuck Fletcher, and a lot has happened since.
From Brière’s use of the previously taboo term “rebuild” at his introductory news conference to the dawning of “New Era of Orange” to the arrival of Matvei Michkov to the team’s ongoing search for a No. 1 center, where do the Flyers stand three years into their process — and are they close to turning the corner?
story continues after advertisement
Ahead of the upcoming March 6 trade deadline, here’s a look at all the key moments and moves from Brière’s first three years as general manager of the Flyers.
The Flyers fire general manager Chuck Fletcher less than a week after the NHL trade deadline and name Danny Brière as interim GM. At his introductory news conference, Brière notably uses the word “rebuild” to define the Flyers’ situation.
May 11-12, 2023
‘New Era of Orange’ begins
The Flyers make the Brière hire permanent and hire former Flyer Keith Jones, who was then covering the NHL on TV, as the team’s president of hockey operations. The moves are unveiled as part of the team’s “New Era of Orange” ceremony as the organization’s leaders lay out a broad vision and plan for the team’s future.
June 6, 2023
‘Trader Danny’ announces himself
MIGUEL MARTINEZ / For the Inquirer
Brière makes his first major move as GM, trading top defenseman Ivan Provorov to Columbus in a three-team deal. The Flyers land the No. 22 overall pick in 2023 (Oliver Bonk), defenseman Sean Walker, goalie Cal Petersen, defensive prospect Helge Grans, and two future second-round picks (from the Kings and Blue Jackets). The Flyers later traded the two second-rounders in deals to move up and select Carson Bjarnason and to acquire Trevor Zegras.
More on the Flyers
From trade bait to untouchables, here’s where the Flyers roster stands less than two weeks before the deadline
The Flyers haven't committed to being buyers or sellers, but they have some pieces they could move for the right price by March 6.
June 24, 2023
Sanheim trade falls through
Brière gets close on a trade involving defenseman Travis Sanheim and center Kevin Hayes, but it is nixed after St. Louis defenseman Torey Krug exercises his no-trade clause. Sanheim’s full no-trade kicks in the following week.
June 27, 2023
Offloading Hayes
After the larger trade with the Blues falls through, Brière ships the 31-year-old Hayes to St. Louis for a 2024 sixth-round pick. Hayes’ relationship with coach John Tortorella had deteriorated to the point where a trade seemed unavoidable.
story continues after advertisement
June 28-29, 2023
Michkov falls to the Flyers
With his first draft pick as Flyers GM, Brière takes winger Matvei Michkov with the seventh overall selection. The Flyers draft Bonk later in the first round (No. 22), as well as Bjarnason, Denver Barkey, and Yegor Zavragin on Day 2.
July 1, 2023
A quiet free agency
As expected, the Flyers are relatively quiet as free agency opens, with Brière signing only depth players Ryan Poehling and Garnet Hathaway. Later they add veteran blueliner Marc Staal.
More on the Flyers
Flyers hit the Olympic break at a crossroads. Will they sell for the future or try to push for the playoffs?
The Flyers are eight points out of a playoff spot but have games in hand with 26 remaining. Is it time to stick or twist for GM Danny Brière ahead of the March 6 trade deadline?
July 15, 2023
The subtraction continues
Brière continues to clean house as the Flyers place defenseman Tony DeAngelo, whom Fletcher traded three picks for the previous summer, on waivers for a buyout. The Sewell native had been benched by Tortorella to end the season.
Jan. 8, 2024
The Gauthier-Drysdale shocker
Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Brière trades No. 2 prospect Cutter Gauthier, then playing at Boston College, to Anaheim for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick. Brière soon reveals that Gauthier’s camp had demanded a trade for unspecified reasons and that his camp had cut off all communication. Days earlier, Gauthier had been named the best forward at the World Junior Championship as Team USA won gold. Gauthier has never confirmed the exact reason he forced a trade, whether it was because of Tortorella, the team’s decision to send him back to college for a second year, or the Flyers’ overall direction.
Jan. 26, 2024
Tippett signs eight-year extension
The Flyers hand 24-year-old winger Owen Tippett a lucrative eight-year, $49.6 million contract extension ($6.2 average annual value). Tippett, who was acquired in the Claude Giroux trade, had 18 goals in 46 games at the time of the extension, and had tallied a career-high 27 the year before.
Jan. 30, 2024
Hart charged with sexual assault
Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
A week after taking a leave of absence, franchise goaltender Carter Hart is charged alongside four other professional hockey players in connection with an alleged sexual assault in 2014 in Canada. Hart is acquitted in July 2025 but never plays for the Flyers again.
March 6, 2024
Flyers land first-rounder for Walker
The Flyers flip Sean Walker, a salary dump by Los Angeles in the Provorov trade, to Colorado with a fifth-round pick, for a first-round pick and half of Ryan Johansen’s contract. The Flyers, who were in a playoff spot at the time of the trade, prioritize the long term in moving the thriving pending free-agent defenseman for future assets. On the same day, the Flyers extended veteran defenseman Nick Seeler, another potential trade chip, with a four-year, $10.8 million contract.
story continues after advertisement
March 23, 2024
A surprise playoff push
Having punched above their weight all season, the Flyers enter their final 11 games with a 36-26-9 record and four points above the playoff cut. According to hockey analytics company Stathletes, they have an 88% chance of making the postseason.
March 24-April 9, 2024
Colossal collapse
Steven M. Falk / Staff Photographer
The Flyers lose eight straight games to fall below the playoff cut, culminating with a 9-3 embarrassment in Montreal. They win their next two to push their slim playoff odds to their final day of the season, but are officially eliminated on April 16 with a 2-1 loss to Washington. They finish four points out of a playoff spot.
June 28, 2024
Jumping for Jett
The Flyers go off the board to select center Jett Luchanko with the No. 13 overall pick in the draft. Brière and the Flyers had moved back one pick in a trade with Minnesota that netted them an additional third-rounder. Minnesota selects defenseman Zeev Buium. The Flyers then trade their second first-rounder — Pick No. 32 from the Giroux trade — to Edmonton in exchange for a 2025 first-rounder. Edmonton selects Sam O’Reilly with the pick.
July 1, 2024
Michkov arrives early
After much speculation, the Flyers sign Michkov to his entry-level contract, after reports circulated in late June that he would come over to North America two years earlier than expected. He arrives in Philly on July 23.
July 25, 2024
Flyers keep Konency
The Flyers sign 27-year-old winger Travis Konecny to a massive eight-year, $70 million extension ($8.75 million AAV). Konecny, who was coming off career highs in goals (33) and points (68) and was the team’s most valuable asset, had one year remaining on his contract.
story continues after advertisement
Jan. 30, 2025
Bye-bye, Beezer
The Flyers continue to subtract as they move Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee to Calgary for Andrei Kuzmenko, Jakob Pelletier, a second-round pick (Shane Vansaghi), and a 2028 seventh-round pick. The Flyers are five points out of a wild-card spot at the time; Farabee has 3½ years left on his contract at a $5 million cap hit.
March 7, 2025
Laughton to the Leafs
Sitting five points out of a playoff spot with 19 games to play, the Flyers trade beloved glue guy Scott Laughton and two late-round picks to Toronto for a package that includes a protected 2027 first-round pick and forward prospect Nikita Grebenkin. Laughton has one year remaining on his deal. On the same day, the Flyers flip Kuzmenko, whom they acquired a month and a half earlier, to Los Angeles for a third-rounder.
March 27, 2025
Tortorella fired
Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
With the Flyers losing 11 of 12 games, Tortorella is fired after almost three seasons. The firing comes a day after the coach said, “I’m not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season, where we’re at right now.” It later leaks out that Tortorella and Cam York had a heated verbal exchange during the Toronto game a night earlier. Tortorella, who was hired by the Fletcher regime, leaves with a 97-107-33 record with the Flyers.
April 17, 2025
Playing out the string
After winning five of interim coach Brad Shaw’s first six games in charge and seeing several young players thrive, the Flyers lose their final three games to ensure they will have the fourth-best draft lottery odds. They finish with a 33-39-10 record.
May 5, 2025
Bad bounce
The Flyers drop the maximum two spots in the lottery and learn they will pick sixth in June’s NHL draft.
May 14, 2025
Flyers name Tocchet head coach
Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Flyers Hall of Famer Rick Tocchet is named the 25th head coach in franchise history, becoming the sixth former Flyer to hold the post. The 61-year-old arrives with a 286-265-87 career record and is a year removed from winning the Jack Adams Award as Coach of the Year with Vancouver. Brière cites Tocchet’s passion for the Flyers and his communication and teaching skills as reasons he is the right fit to oversee the next stage of the rebuild.
More on the Flyers
The Flyers are in Rick Tocchet’s ‘blood.’ Now he’s tasked with returning the once-proud organization to prominence.
Tocchet, who was beloved as a player in Philly for his combination of toughness, heart, and goal-scoring ability, believes he can be "part of the solution of bringing the Flyers back to dominance."
May 29-June 3, 2025
Keeping the kids
Brière extends two homegrown pieces of the Flyers’ young core, signing winger Tyson Foerster to a two-year bridge deal ($3.75 million AAV) and center Noah Cates to a four-year contract ($4 million AAV).
June 10, 2025
Michkov Mania
Charles Fox / Staff Photographer
After leading all rookies with 26 goals and tying for second in points (63) with Macklin Celebrini, Michkov finishes fourth in Calder Trophy voting. Brière calls Michkov’s rookie campaign “exciting” and says the Russian surpassed all expectations.
June 23, 2025
‘Z’ is for Zegras
After years of speculation, the Flyers acquire Trevor Zegras from Anaheim in exchange for Ryan Poehling and second- and fourth-round draft picks. Zegras goes on to post 20 goals and 49 points in his first 56 games with the Flyers.
June 27-28, 2025
Porter’s house
The Flyers draft power forward Porter Martone with the sixth overall pick, then send their other two first-rounders (Nos. 22 and 31) to Pittsburgh, moving up to take center Jack Nesbitt with pick No 12. On Day 2, the Flyers select seven players, highlighted by second-rounders Carter Amico, Jack Murtagh, Vansaghi, and Matthew Gard.
Subscribe to The Philadelphia Inquirer
Our reporting is directly supported by reader subscriptions. If you want more in-depth stories like this, please subscribe today.
The Flyers sign goaltender Dan Vladař, depth center Christian Dvorak, and defenseman Noah Juulsen on the first day of free agency. Brière reiterates that the Flyers are focused on “flexibility” and “short-term” deals with an eye on the 2026 free-agent class. As expected, the star-studded 2026 class that included Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, and Kirill Kaprizov dries up in the months that follow as all of the top players sign extensions.
July 7, 2025
York extended
The Flyers sign the 24-year-old York to a five-year extension that carries a $5.15 million cap hit. Brière says York has untapped potential and says the organization views him as “a main piece on our blue line.”
Sept. 10, 2025
‘Not moving back’
Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Jones and governor Dan Hilferty won’t commit to making the playoffs but tell the media that the Flyers are done making “changes in order to get better for the future,” adding that “now, it would be about staying on course, which is advancing. It’s not about moving back.” Jones says they owe it to the players to add to the team after years of subtracting.
Oct. 5, 2025
Exiting the Ellis contract
The Flyers get out of the final two years of the injured Ryan Ellis’ contract by trading it to San Jose. The blueliner, who played only four games in 4½ years for the Flyers, had a $6.25 million cap hit for this season and next. The move, which cost only a sixth-round pick, frees up significant cap space for the Flyers.
Jan. 5, 2026
Dvorak’s new deal
Months after they signed Dvorak to a one-year, $5.4 million deal, the Flyers extend the center for five years and $25.75 million ($5.15 million AAV). After citing “flexibility” and the importance of “short-term” deals in the summer, Brière reverses course by signing Dvorak through his 35-year-old season, while also handing him full trade protection in the first two years of the deal. Dvorak, who was having a career season and was on pace for 53 points at the time, would have been an attractive trade chip as a rental at the deadline.
More on the Flyers
Contract grades: Was signing Christian Dvorak for the long haul the right move for the Flyers?
Dvorak turns 30 next month and is now signed with the Flyers through age 35. Here's what our writers think of the team's decision to lock up the center, who is enjoying a career year.
Jan. 6, 2026
Flying high
The Flyers hit the halfway mark in style with a 5-2 beatdown of Gauthier and the Ducks at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Zegras scores two goals as the Flyers improve to 22-12-7 and climb to ninth overall in the league standings.
Jan. 8-Feb. 5, 2026
Hitting the wall
The Flyers win just three of their next 15 games entering the Olympic break and go from two points above the playoff cut line to eight points below it. Injuries also strike as Drysdale, Vladař, and Bobby Brink all miss time.
Feb. 3, 2026
Tocchet-Michkov saga comes to a head
Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Days after Tocchet reiterates on several podcasts that Michkov came to camp out of shape, contributing to his sophomore slump, Brière calls a news conference, trying to quell speculation about the relationship between player and coach. Brière says the two “have a good relationship” and that “Matvei Michkov is not going anywhere. Let’s make that clear. … Matvei is going to be here for a long time.” He confirms that Michkov was out of shape and says this situation will be a learning moment for the young player.
Feb. 25, 2026
Stick or twist?
Sitting eight points out of a playoff spot, albeit with two games in hand, the Flyers return to game action against Washington. With just 10 days and five games until the March 6 trade deadline, the Flyers have one last chance to impress Brière. Will the Flyers be buyers, sellers, or stand pat? Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is among the players who could generate a significant return on the trade market.
So are the Flyers in a better place than they were three years ago when Brière took charge? In short, yes. The prospect pool is now top 10 leaguewide and much deeper than before, a product of several savvy long-term-view trades that netted a haul of first- and second-round draft picks. They have also added three star-level talents to the organization in Michkov, Martone, and Zegras, and may have finally solved their longstanding goalie riddle with Vladař.
On the other hand, the Flyers haven’t fully bottomed out and thus have missed out on landing top-5 picks — where teams usually land stars at premium positions like center and defense — and also were forced to trade a high-end prospect in Gauthier. With those gaping holes still to fill, Brière will need to get creative both in the draft and the trade market over the next six months if the Flyers are to truly shift their rebuild into the next gear in 2026-27.
The ones that tie a skate or hold up hockey pants. And the ones that some jerseys have near the neck.
But then there are the invisible ones that matter all the same — maybe even more. For Flyers coach Rick Tocchet, there’s an invisible string pulling him across the ocean.
“My parents emigrated from Italy, and I’m really excited to go back there,” said Tocchet, who understands poco, or a little, Italian. “I love the food. … I’m excited to go over there and see a beautiful country.”
Tocchet’s late parents, Norma and Fortunato ‘Nato’ Tocchet, immigrated to Canada from outside Venice. They settled in Scarborough, Ontario, bringing a blue-collar work ethic — Norma was a seamstress, and Nato a mechanic — that Tocchet carried with him across his 621 games with the Flyers and 1,144 in the NHL.
A member of the Flyers Hall of Fame, he accumulated 232 goals,508 points, and a franchise-record 1,815 penalty minutes across two stints in Philly while being beloved and revered by the fans for his grit and in-your-face style.
It is the same work ethic he has carried with him as a coach, including the first 56 games of his tenure behind the Flyers’ bench. And the same one he will carry 173 miles west of Venice, as an assistant coach for Canada’s men’s team at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.
“Yeah, an unbelievable moment. To be a part of that, to coach for your country, with the talent that we have, it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Tocchet told The Inquirer in Utah after a recent Flyers practice. “So it’s a great honor, and I’m really excited.”
‘Sense of pride’
Across his 61 years, Tocchet has always watched the Olympics. He remembers Sidney Crosby’s golden goal at the 2010 Vancouver Games and captain Mario Lemieux leading Canada to its first gold in 50 years at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. And, for the dual citizen, he’ll pop on Miracle, about the 1980 U.S. Olympic team that stunned the Soviet Union before winning gold in Lake Placid, to get motivated.
But the most impactful Canadian hockey moment for the Scarborough kid wasn’t on the Olympic stage. In the 1972 Summit Series, as the Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie would sing in Fireworks, Paul Henderson scored “a goal that everyone remembers.”
In Game 8 of an eight-game series, pitting Canada’s best against the Soviets’ best, Henderson clinched the series. The Flyers’ Bobby Clarke — who infamously slashed Valeri Kharlamov during the series — was linemates with Henderson, but was not on the ice because Phil Esposito stayed on for an elongated shift.
“So I was 8 or 9 years old and in school, and they actually brought a TV into our classroom to watch that; that’s how the whole country’s eyes were on that series,” Tocchet recalled.
Rick Tocchet is renowned around the league for his one-on-one instruction with players.
“But when he scored the goal, the sense of pride — the whole country went crazy, obviously. But what a series. … You go down the list of great players and it impacted my life, because I loved hockey even more when I saw that, and I started to train and wanted to be an NHL player.”
Fast forward to the present, and on Thursday, like many of his players, including Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim, Tocchet will make his Olympic debut when Canada plays Dan Vladař and Czechia (10:40 a.m. ET, USA Network). But like all of his players, he has worn the maple leaf before. The forward played in a World Championship and two Canada Cups, winning gold each time.
“It wasn’t about money. It wasn’t about status. It was about playing for your country,” he said. “To be part of that, I was very lucky as a young kid to play with Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Paul Coffey, guys that I idolized and learned a lot from.
“And then playing in front of the Canada crowd, how loud it was. Just the sense of pride, it was incredible. Had nothing to do with anything, it wasn’t about individual goals, it was about playing for your country.”
Tocc-eye
Tocchet is no stranger to coaching for his country, either. Last February, he was part of Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper’s staff at the 4 Nations Face-Off. The Canadians, which included Sanheim and Flyers forward Travis Konecny, won gold by beating the U.S. in overtime.
Rick Tocchet hasn’t coached any of the current #Flyers in the NHL but he did coach Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. Canada won the title. pic.twitter.com/BcYl3NbRI1
At that tournament, Tocchet was a jack-of-all-trades, focusing on the structure, faceoff planning, and in-game adjustments. But what impressed Cooper the most was how he would often meet with players one-on-one or in small groups to watch videos — over a garbage can.
As Tocchet explained, he would put his laptop on a garbage can and go over things, as he did when he was an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins and his Flyers’ assistant coaches do now.
“I couldn’t have surrounded myself with a better guy,” Cooper told The Inquirer in late November. “I will tell you this, because his eye for the game and what happens in real time, having that talent is a real thing. And Tocc has that. He sees it, he processes it, and then gives you the information.
“And there were countless times at the 4 Nations that he made me think of things, or I saw things in a different light, or I missed something, and he caught it. And so many little adjustments we made in between periods, because of what Tocc did.”
He’ll have the same role in Italy with Cooper rolling over the same staff in Tocchet, Vegas Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy, former NHL coach Pete DeBoer, and former NHL assistant coach Misha Donskov.
After winning last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, Canada enters this year’s Olympics as the favorites.
Tocchet will assuredly have one eye on the Flyers, who get back to work on Feb. 17 at 2 p.m. in Voorhees, five days before the men’s gold medal game is scheduled. But he may not have his eyes on the Flyers, outside of Sanheim, in Milan. As Vladař said with a laugh, he’s blocking numbers right now.
He’ll also be taking in other events like speedskating, Canada’s women’s hockey team, and figure skating, which includes South Jersey’s Isabeau Levito, who is co-coached by Slava Kuznetsov, the Flyers’ Russian translator.
But, with it being 12 years since Canada last won gold in Sochi, Russia, Tocchet’s whole focus will be finishing with a string around his neck and a gold medal hanging from the end. After all, as the winningest country in men’s hockey at the Olympics with nine triumphs, it is the Canadian way: Gold or bust.
Flyers general manager Danny Brière stood in the Gene Hart press box at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Tuesday and stated that he “wanted to address a little bit of the noise that is going around.”
Although he first spoke on the team’s recent “rocky patch,” the main objective was to — obviously — discuss the recent discourse swirling around his coach, Rick Tocchet, and one of the franchise’s rising stars, Matvei Michkov.
“We’ve never hidden anywhere. We’ve been up front with our fans. We have nothing to hide. So I don’t have a problem with that,” he said of the comments recently and the information divulged publicly.
“We’ve been up-front. That’s why I’m talking here. We have nothing to hide.”
Are Michkov’s days in Philly numbered? The short — and long — answers are no. After posting 26 goals and 63 points in 80 games as a rookie, Michkov has struggled to find that form. Entering Tuesday against the Washington Capitals, he had 13 goals and 28 points in 53 games, putting him on pace for 20 goals and 43 points.
“One thing I can tell you, first of all, is: Matvei Michkov is not going anywhere. Let’s make that clear. OK,” the GM said. “Matvei is going to be here for a long time. He’s going to be a good player here for the Flyers, and what he’s going through right now is all part of the learning process. So that’s out of the way. He’s not going anywhere. He’ll be here. He’ll be a good player.”
On reports Michkov wasn’t in shape for camp
In mid-October, the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast reported that sources told them Michkov was “out of shape” and when asked the same day, Tocchet revealed that the Russian winger suffered an ankle injury this offseason — which the coach said he “didn’t even know about” — which impacted the winger’s training and put him ”a little bit behind the eight ball.“
“One thing I know about Matvei is how driven he is. He wants to be the best player he can be,” Brière said Tuesday. “He admitted himself that he wasn’t in the best physical condition coming in. It’s going to be tough to catch up now. He’s in better shape than he was when he arrived this season.
“Unfortunately, everybody is in better shape than they were in training camp. So it’s really tough for him to catch up with the amount of games that we have, the amount of travel that we have; it’s just tough for him to catch up in season. He’s going to do that in the offseason. It was a good lesson for him, and just going to make him a better hockey player coming next year.”
Matvei Michkov has endured a sophomore slump, as he has just 13 goals and 28 points in 54 games.
Michkov said in early December he would spend the time during the upcoming Olympic break training to get ready for the rest of the season. “If you’re going to have good physical form, everything else will come along,” he said through a team translator.
But as Brière said, it is a short window.
The winger also said at the time he would start training in Voorhees at the Flyers Training Center over the summer.
“We hope so,” Brière said when asked specifically about that. “Yeah, he said that, and we hope that’s true. Again, being around Matvei the last few years, I know how driven he is, so I have no worry about the future. I think this is just a little hiccup.”
There’s been some conjecture that Tocchet is not happy with Michkov. It was the same when John Tortorella was here as the team’s head coach. As he did last season, Brière tried to temper that on Tuesday.
“I said it a couple of years ago, when Matvei arrived earlier than expected, we knew there would be some bumps along the way, and that’s kind of what is happening,” Brière said. “The other thing I can tell you, and I talk to Rick Tocchet on a daily basis, he wants Matvei to succeed. He wants to develop him to be the best player he can be, and along the way, there are tough lessons that come with that. That’s like raising a child.
“There’s tough lessons that he’s learning. It doesn’t matter if he’s playing 12, 14, 16, or even if he was playing 52 minutes a night; he’s learning along the way. It’s part of the process, and it’s going to make him a better player along the way.
“And Rick Tocchet wants that. He wants to be here for the long haul to lead this team. Him and Matvei, they have a good relationship. Sometimes they’re fiery. Sometimes when you’re not winning, things are done and said, but they always come back to the table. And they want the best for this team, and Rick wants the best for Matvei.
Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet and winger Matvei Michkov have not seen eye-to-eye on everything this season.
At the Flyers Charities Carnival on Sunday, Tocchet was a guest on the PHLY podcast and was asked about Michkov’s minutes.
“Matvei did not come into camp in shape. It’s hard to play your way into shape. I have not told him, or any of our players, to [not] take a guy one-on-one, come out of the corner with the puck, make a play through the rush. Right now, he’s having a tough time in these situations,” Tocchet said.
“So, you could say other players try. Maybe they don’t have [the same] skill set, but we’re trying to get [Michkov] to that level, how to develop him. [That is] practice, making sure you are on time for treatments and stuff like that. There is so much that goes into [your development], the way you eat.”
Some would say these comments, especially about missed treatments, should have been kept in-house. Brière said the comments were not directed at Michkov, per se, saying it was about all the youngsters on the team learning how to be a pro from treatments, massages, workouts, and proper nutrition.
Totally not concerned about the answer from Rick Tocchet about Michkov’s ice time from PHLY pic.twitter.com/8j5KTdn0AU
“He showed up, he wasn’t in the best physical condition. That’s true. And Matvei was the first one to admit it. But Rick knows how important he is to the future of this organization. He wants to make it work,” the GM said Tuesday.
“The coaching staff has probably spent more time with him, trying to help him out. So there’s no problem with the relationship there. … I don’t see any issues between the two of them. They are both very critical of themselves, and they both have that inner drive. I played with Rick Tocchet, I see how Matvei is. They’re both very driven individuals, and they want the best for the team and for the Flyers.”
Flyers president Keith Jones went on the PHLY podcast, too, and said: “It’s important we keep reminding them [the coaching staff] to play our young players and involve them in the process of getting better, I mean that’s the only way they do get better.”
It was an interesting comment considering Michkov is the second-youngest player on the team and is averaging 14 minutes, 32 seconds a night, the ninth-most among Flyers forwards.
"It's important that we keep reminding them [the coaches] to play our young players and involve them in the process of getting better" 👀
“Those are always discussions that we always have within the staff. We always talk about that. And that’s part of the rebuild, right?” Brière said. “Everybody’s aware that we’re trying to build a team that’s going to be good and contend for Stanley Cups down the road, not just to make one appearance in the playoffs and then miss out the following year.
“We’re trying to create a team here that’s going to be good for years to come, so that’s kind of the direction that it was meant for.”
DENVER ― There’s been a lot of discourse regarding Matvei Michkov.
It ranges from his ice time to his spot on the power play to his deployment at certain times during the game. The latest one is about which wing he plays on.
When he was drafted to the NHL, and for most of his first season with the Flyers, Michkov played on the right wing. This year, like at the end of last season when he played on a line with Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny, he’s largely been skating on the left.
“Yeah, I mean, listen, he’s struggling, so you’re looking for all different things,” coach Rick Tocchet said about moving him across the ice. “But the bottom line is, we got him to play with some pace. That’s it. I know everybody wants him to score and all that stuff. You’ve got to be [in] positions to score.”
Traditionalists will tell you that Michkov should be playing on the left side anyway as a left-handed shot. A lot of it is more about where to line up on faceoffs and in defensive-zone coverage, as a left-handed stick will be able to use the walls and protect the puck to get it out on the left side.
A left-handed left wing is preferable to many coaches in the defensive zone because it typically pits a lefty against a right-shot defenseman, so they have their stick on the same side — and in the shooting lane — as the defenseman when they try to close them down.
“Whether it’s right or left, it really doesn’t matter. It’s just to line up,” Tocchet said. “When you’re in the offensive zone, it doesn’t matter where you [start]. So I think everybody makes a big deal. But through the neutral zone, for me, the faster you can go on your forehand is the better [side]. But that doesn’t mean you can’t go to the other side.”
Across the first 14 games of the season, Michkov lined up on the right side. He had two goals and seven points while averaging 14 minutes, 52 seconds a night. The first of those goals came in Game 4 of the season, and his second came in Game 14 on Nov. 6 against the Nashville Predators.
The next game, on Nov. 8 at home against the Ottawa Senators, he lined up on the left side with Couturier and Bobby Brink. He has stayed on that side of the ice since, regardless of his linemates — although he is back with Brink, but now with Noah Cates as the center.
Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet and winger Matvei Michkov have had there disagreements about deployment and responsibilities this season.
At the onset of the switch, it seemed to be working too, as the 21-year-old winger had five goals at five-on-five in the first 10 games and six overall. But over the next 24 contests, he managed just two. Across the past 34 games since switching to left wing, Michkov has 17 points (eight goals, nine assists). He missed one game in January after taking a puck off his foot and has been skating on average 14:30 a night.
“I think there’s been some [better] pace in his game, but I think there’s more,” said Tocchet. “I know he had like [seven] shots last game, but a lot of them are just from the outside, just thrown on the goalie. I want more from him. I want him to do a deep delay, get out of there, move your feet, things like that.”
Matve Michkov’s event map during five-on-five from Wednesday’s loss to the Utah Mammoth.
When delving into the analytics, he is producing at the same 0.50 points per game clip when on the left and right, but he has gone from 0.14 goals per game to 0.24 goals per game since the shift. His shooting percentage has also risen from 7.7% to 11.1%, while his shots per game have risen from 1.86 to 2.12.
According to Natural Stat Trick, at five-on-five, he has also seen his individual shot attempts rise from 2.43 to 3.41 per game, his individual high-danger shot attempts go from 0.71 to 1.03, and his individual scoring chances from 1.5 to 1.82.
Although there are several factors to look at aside from shifting right to left — e.g., linemates, time on ice, the fact that he’sprobablyin better shape now that he’s further removedfrom his offseason ankle injury — statistically, he seems to have been slightly better on the left.
But regardless of side, Michkov’s production hasn’t been anywhere near as good as last year, when the talented youngster averaged 0.79 points per game and led all rookies with 26 goals. The Flyers will hope that starts to change as they close in on the Olympic break (Feb. 6-24).
Breakaways
Nicolas Deslauriers and Hunter McDonald stayed on the ice late, with the veteran showing the youngster some fighting techniques. … Dan Vladař shared a net with Aleksei Kolosov at morning skate as he inches closer to a return from an undisclosed injury. … Sam Ersson (7-8-5, .858 save percentage) was to start in goal against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night.
The Flyers have been one of the NHL’s biggest surprises this season with a 22-13-8 record and are seeking a first postseason appearance since 2019-20. With the midway point of the season having just passed, Jackie Spiegel recently caught up with Flyers president Keith Jones to discuss the team’s strong start, timeline for contention, Matvei Michkov’s development, and more.
While Jones says the Flyers are still focused on building something “sustainable,” he did say the players deserve to be rewarded for their strong start and that the team needs to “enhance what they’ve done” as they push for the playoffs.
Jones called Denver Barkey one of the organization’s biggest bright spots in the prospect pool, and also mentioned Porter Martone, Oliver Bonk, Alex Bump, Jack Berglund, and Heikki Ruohonen as others who are making strides.
While Matvei Michkov’s decreased usage and lack of production have been hotly debated, Jones believes this season and the lessons he is learning will be invaluable to his ultimate ceiling in the future.
Note: This interview, which was conducted on Dec. 31, has been edited for brevity.
The Flyers have been one of the NHL’s biggest surprises this season with a 22-13-8 record and are seeking a first postseason appearance since 2019-20. With the midway point of the season having just passed, Jackie Spiegel recently caught up with Flyers president Keith Jones to discuss the team’s strong start, timeline for contention, Matvei Michkov’s development, and more.
Note: This interview, which was conducted on Dec. 31, has been edited for brevity.
Q: Close to the midway point. How would you assess things so far?
A:It’s been a really good, basically, first half of the season for us. Players have advanced, and have kind of fit in and found chemistry, which you figured would take a little bit of time with the number of new faces that we added. The coaching staff has done an excellent job of trying a few different combinations and then figuring out what worked and sticking with it. I think it’s been, from that perspective, a really good beginning to this season.
Q: What have you liked so far about Rick Tocchet as a head coach with the Flyers?
A: A lot. I like the way he communicates with his players. I like the way that he is straightforward, honest, doesn’t allow things to fester, addresses things immediately, and then works really hard to, from a game-to-game basis, improve on things that we may have struggled with in the previous game. His practices or his video [work] with his assistant coaches are very focused on correcting and encouraging, and I think that’s really important, especially with a young team.
Q: When someone is writing a TV script for a series, they sometimes write the ending in advance. Outside of winning the Stanley Cup, what does the end goal look like?
A: The only plan would be to create something that’s sustainable. And there are all kinds of variables, with any professional sport; injuries play a major part. So you can plan all you want and have things that just kind of change those plans, but overall, our goal is to become a playoff team that is a sustainable one. Not just a one-and-done.
So you build that through the foundation of your team, and I’m really pleased with what Danny [Brière] has done, along with Brent Flahr, in starting to really build up our prospect pool. We’re starting to see a couple of those guys arrive, and others getting closer to arriving. And it’s always good when you can have players develop together, build those relationships that can last them a decade or more, playing in the same organization, and that’s what we envision.
Keith Jones believes this season of learning will be good for Matvei Michkov in the long run.
Q: So you prefer to hold on to the assets right now?
A: Yes. In general, we’re not going to mortgage the future in order to have one year and say, ‘Oh, we figured this out. We’re a playoff team.’ So that’s still something that I know Danny’s very focused on and [governor Dan Hilferty] and I will encourage him to stay on that path.
Q: Is there anyone in the prospect pool who stands out to you?
A: I would have liked to tell you it was Denver Barkey, but he’s already arrived on the scene. We’re obviously very happy with the way that he’s progressed. And Oliver Bonk has started to get into form now with the American League team in Lehigh, and it’s been fun to see that team have some success as well.
Alex Bump continues to push and develop … And then we have Jack Berglund, watching him perform extremely well, which we expected at the World Junior tournament. … [With] his size, he has the ability to play in front of the opposition’s net, so he’s very good on the power play in that regard. So, as you build a team, you’re looking for pieces that can take over roles that you feel are necessary in order for you to advance. And he’s one of those guys.
Porter Martone, obviously, is very similar in that regard. He’s an outstanding playmaker for a player of his size, great set of hands. Another leadership type personality. … Heikki Ruohonen is doing an outstanding job for Finland, learning his way at Harvard, which is awesome.
Keith Jones believes Jack Berglund can be a big part of the Flyers’ future.
Q: Matvei Michkov is always a hot topic. How would you evaluate his season thus far?
A: I think it’s going to be a very important year in his career. I think that there’s going to be a lot of development. I think he’s doing a great job of working on the things that he’s being asked to work on. I love his level of compete. I love his ability to stay in there, stay in the fight, and I’m really pleased with the way he’s started to pick things up lately.
His attitude’s been outstanding, and I think when he looks back on his career in 15 years, he’s going to be pretty happy about some of the things that he went through this year in order to get to where he needs to go.
Q: The free agency market is so different today, with so many players already locked up. And you’ve previously discussed the need to upgrade at center. Is it more via trades now?
A: Yeah, there’s a lot that goes into it. You can see what Danny did this offseason, really calculated, smart additions to the team. And then you get to know the players even better when they’re under your watch. So a lot that has to do with internal growth and then also having the ability, whether it’s cap space, whether it’s prospects, whether it’s draft choices, to jump and go after something that’s really enticing. So we’re always looking.
Q: Can you just take us quickly through the Trevor Zegras trade and how you think his season is going thus far?
A: He’s done a great job. And it’s really proof of Danny’s willingness to wait for the right time, and he was really patient on this one with Anaheim. It’s been well documented that it was a long process. Trevor kind of fit what we were looking for, and he has been all that and more with what he’s done for us. So I give Danny a lot of credit on that one as well as he waited for the right time to find the right deal that worked for both teams at that time, and we’ve been able to really see the benefits of that in our lineup.
The Flyers have been one of the NHL’s biggest surprises this season with a 22-13-8 record and are seeking a first postseason appearance since 2019-20. With the midway point of the season having just passed, Jackie Spiegel recently caught up with Flyers president Keith Jones to discuss the team’s strong start, timeline for contention, Matvei Michkov’s development, and more.
Note: This interview, which was conducted on Dec. 31, has been edited for brevity.
Q: Close to the midway point. How would you assess things so far?
A:It’s been a really good, basically, first half of the season for us. Players have advanced, and have kind of fit in and found chemistry, which you figured would take a little bit of time with the number of new faces that we added. The coaching staff has done an excellent job of kind of trying a few different combinations and then figuring out what worked and sticking with it. I think it’s been, from that perspective, a really good beginning to this season.
Q: What have you liked so far about Rick Tocchet as a head coach with the Flyers?
A: A lot. I like the way he communicates with his players. I like the way that he is straightforward, honest, doesn’t allow things to fester, addresses things immediately, and then works really hard to, from a game-to-game basis, improve on things that we may have struggled with in the previous game. His practices or his video [work] with his assistant coaches are very focused on correcting and encouraging, and I think that’s really important, especially with a young team.
Q: You talk about staying in the moment, but you are sitting in a playoff spot. Are you still looking at things through the glass, that this is still a rebuild?
A: I think we’ve been clear that the players will decide. So obviously, it’s a very important stretch over the next six to eight weeks of play. And the players have done a really good job of putting themselves in a position where we’re going to look to enhance what they’ve done. Previously, that was not the approach. It’s really important that we reward our players for playing so hard for one another and for us.
Keith Jones and Danny Brière say that the team’s rebuild and no upward trajectory has been a collaborative effort.
Q: Two years ago, management had a similar statement about the players deciding the approach. But then Sean Walker was traded, and things kind of fell apart. Do you use that as a warning now?
A: I think it’s just a different time for us now in our development. So I think it’s a combination of things. I think looking back on what we did there was the right thing to do, and that’s why we did it. Same as last year. But this year feels different. And we’re a couple more years into what we’re trying to eventually accomplish. So it’s just about being there for one another to remind each other where we’re at in this process, and having the support of [governor] Dan Hilferty and [Comcast CEO] Brian Roberts on top of that, really makes it a job that we want to get right.
Q: When someone is writing a TV script for a series, they sometimes write the ending in advance Beyond winning a Stanley Cup, what’s the end goal here look like?
A: The only plan would be to create something that’s sustainable. And there are all kinds of variables, with any professional sport; injuries play a major part. So you can plan all you want and have things that just kind of change those plans, but overall, our goal is to become a playoff team that is a sustainable one. Not just a one-and-done.
So you build that through the foundation of your team, and I’m really pleased with what Danny [Brière] has done, along with Brent Flahr, in starting to really build up our prospect pool. We’re starting to see a couple of those guys arrive, and others getting closer to arriving. And it’s always good when you can have players develop together, build those relationships that can last them a decade or more, playing in the same organization, and that’s what we envision.
Q: Do you look at things from the perspective that the first step is playoffs, and then being a sustainable playoff team, and then, after all that, building a Stanley Cup contender? Or does it all happen at once?
A: If you’re a consistent playoff team, you’re a contender in my eyes. There are always tweaks that can take place when you’re in that position. You’ll see teams that are there right now; they’ll trade some of their draft equity and younger players in order to really enhance their opportunity of winning. So eventually we’ll get to that place. We’re not there right now, but I look forward to when we are there.
Q: So you prefer to hold on to the assets right now.
A: Yes. In general. We’re not going to mortgage the future in order to have one year and say, ‘Oh, we figured this out. We’re a playoff team.’ So that’s still something that I know Danny’s very focused on and [Hilferty] and I will encourage him to stay on that path.
Could St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas be the type of player the Flyers cash in some of their future chips for?
Q: In working with Brière, how much is it his vision or is it a team vision with you, Hilferty, and him?
A: Well, he’s the general manager. When it comes to players and acquisitions, that’s Danny’s job. My job is to help him with that, enhance that, give him the resources that he needs to make that happen. But Danny’s a general manager, and he’s a really good one.
Q: Is there anyone in the prospect pool who stands out to you?
A: Yeah, I would have liked to tell you it was Denver Barkey, but he’s already arrived on the scene. We’re obviously very happy with the way that he’s progressed. And Oliver Bonk has started to get into form now with the American League team in Lehigh, and it’s been fun to see that team have some success as well.
Alex Bump continues to push and develop … And then we have Jack Berglund, [we’ve been] watching him perform extremely well, which we expected at the World Junior tournament. He’s the captain of Team Sweden, and he’s producing at a high rate. That’s really exciting for us. With his size, he has the ability to play in front of the opposition’s net, so he’s very good on the power play in that regard. So, as you build a team, you’re looking for pieces that can take over roles that you feel are necessary in order for you to advance. And he’s one of those guys.
Porter Martone, obviously, is very similar in that regard. He’s an outstanding playmaker for a player of his size, great set of hands. Another leadership type personality. He is the captain of the Canadian team. It’s a great honor for him, and we’re thrilled about that.
Just like Denver Barkey, he was the captain of the London Knights that won the Memorial Cup. Oliver Bonk was an assistant captain. These are the type of players that we want in our organization. That’s a handful of them. Heikki Ruohonen is doing an outstanding job for Finland, learning his way at Harvard, which is awesome.
Q: Max Westergård has also looked impressive at World Juniors. What have you seen from him?
A: Yeah, he can fly. Brent Flahr shines in the fifth round. He’s had some great fifth-round picks.
Q: Speaking of the fifth round, let’s talk Alex Bump. Why wasn’t he the one to get the call-up recently?
A: He just needs more seasoning, that’s all. There are just little parts of the game that he’s going to figure out, and it’s much easier to figure out down there before you come up here. He’s doing everything we’re asking him to do. He continues to improve. He’s done some amazing things offensively, which we know he can do, and he’s not far off. But he’s an exciting prospect for us.
He’s showing great patience as well. He demonstrated that last year at the end of his college season, not burning a year on his entry-level contract and electing to go down and play in the American Hockey League. He’s sharp. He gets it. And he’s going to be rewarded for his patience, and we will be for ours as well.
Rookie Alex Bump, who is second on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms with 20 points in 28 games, could be close to earning an NHL debut.
Q: How do you balance development then? Using Alex Bump as an example. He’s building his game, and maybe he is finally ready to make the next step, but there’s no room. How do you balance that?
A: You want the player to force you to make room, so that’s affecting his game in the minors to the point where you can’t keep them down there anymore. So they’ll let you know, just like our team up here lets us know where they’re at. Just by observing and watching, and paying attention, the players will tell you when it’s time to come up.
Q: Matvei Michkov is always a hot topic. How would you evaluate his season thus far?
A: I think it’s going to be a very important year in his career. I think that there’s going to be a lot of development. I think he’s doing a great job of working on the things that he’s being asked to work on. I love his level of compete. I love his ability to stay in there, stay in the fight, and I’m really pleased with the way he started to pick things up lately.
His attitude’s been outstanding, and I think when he looks back on his career in 15 years, he’s going to be pretty happy about some of the things that he went through this year in order to get to where he needs to go.
Q: How would you gauge your defense now with Rasmus Ristolainen back?
A: Solid’s a good word. Underrated is probably another good word too. There’s a really good mix of intelligence and athleticism, size. I like the balance that’s there.
And I like having the option of Noah Juulsen there as well; I like that he brings physicality, has a tremendous attitude, and doesn’t change whether he’s in the lineup or not. He’s a really good team guy, and those are important parts of the puzzle, too, because there are not enough chairs when the music stops on a nightly basis. So you need players who are not so much accepting of that, but are willing to do whatever it takes to get back in the lineup.
Q: Are there any areas you want to improve on with the roster?
A: As it jumps out to me right now, there’s nothing immediately. We’re always looking to get better. If something’s there, we’re going to do it to get better.
Q: The free agency market is so different today, with so many players already locked up. And you’ve previously discussed the need to upgrade at center. Is it more via trades now?
A: Yeah, there’s a lot that goes into it. You can see what Danny did this offseason, really calculated, smart additions to the team. And then you get to know the players even better when they’re under your watch. So a lot that has to do with internal growth and then also having the ability, whether it’s cap space, whether it’s prospects, whether it’s draft choices, to jump and go after something that’s really enticing. So we’re always looking.
Q: How do you handle the salary cap rising? Does it change things?
A: We love it. We think it’s great. I wish it would go up another 50 million. But we’re lucky, because we have great ownership, that’s the one huge advantage that we have. So we welcome it.
Flyers forward Trevor Zegras has been a revelation in his first season with the team.
Q: You were the team’s president when Travis Sanheim almost got traded to the St Louis Blues. He was just named to Hockey Canada’s roster for the Olympics. What’s it been like watching his development and growth, and looking back, are you happy you didn’t make that trade?
A: It’s been awesome. The only reason you would ever make a trade like that is because you’re getting a boatload back, and depending on where you’re at in your evolution, those trades sometimes do happen. But are we surprised that Travis is doing the things that he’s doing? No. So we’re really pleased for him. He’s obviously a huge minute-muncher for us on the back end. It’s a joy to watch him skate and come barreling up the ice. He’s just a super good kid, and we’re all really proud of him.
Q: Brière seems to be finding diamonds in the rough. For example, there was Walker, Ryan Poehling, and now Carl Grundström. Can you explain what Danny Brière is doing?
A: He’s very patient and methodical, thoughtful, and there are 1,000 phone calls a day that he’s making. So it’s from a relentless work ethic and a really high level of intelligence in the hockey world. Yeah, not surprised that he’s doing as well as he is.
Q: Can you just take us quickly through the Trevor Zegras trade and how you think his season is going thus far?
A: He’s done a great job. And it’s really proof of Danny’s willingness to wait for the right time, and he was really patient on this one with Anaheim. It’s been well documented that it was a long process. Trevor kind of fit what we were looking for, and he has been all that and more with what he’s done for us. So I give Danny a lot of credit on that one as well as he waited for the right time to find the right deal that worked for both teams at that time, and we’ve been able to really see the benefits of that in our lineup.
Q: Can you just expand on what you mean by he fit what we were looking for?
A: You’re always looking for high skill level, talented players, and at the time, he was a distressed asset. So that’s what you have to do. You have to be thoughtful and a little bit lucky, and provide an environment where the player can shine. Our players help in that regard, too. So it’s a full organizational effort, starting at the top.
Q: What would be your message to the fans right now?
A: First of all, thank you. I see our fans all the time, and I appreciate them supporting us. I think that we’re trying to get it right for them. We’ve [Danny and I] played in front of them, in playoff positions, and we want our guys to experience that as well because I know they’re just terrific hockey fans that can really bring you to another level when you play in front of a packed house, and that’s what we’re working towards.
I thank them for continuing to come out to games, follow the team, and I just would let them know that, which we do often when we see them, we’re going to do everything we can to try to get this right.
The Flyers are the fourth-youngest team in the NHL, with an average age of just under 27. Just 11 of the Flyers’ 23 roster players have played in the NHL playoffs. Of those 11, only six have played more than six postseason games.
The Eastern Conference and Metropolitan Division standings are extremely tight. The Flyers currently sit third in the division with 52 points in 44 games. The last-place Columbus Blue Jackets are just seven points back, with 45 points, which is why it’s key for the Flyers not to let their three-game losing streak snowball further on their upcoming road trip.
The back-to-back against Buffalo and Pittsburgh pits them against two teams that are right on their heels in the fight for a playoff spot. Coach Rick Tocchet said Tuesday after an optional practice that he thinks guys are “squeezing their sticks a little bit,” and it’s contributing to their lack of success on the power play and over the last three games.
“Early on, [Tampa Bay’s] first goal [in the Lightning’s 5-1 win on Monday] … there’s four or five mistakes,” he said. “You can’t have four or five mistakes on a shift, and it’s in the net, then you’re behind the eight ball, then guys squeeze the stick, and then they get frustrated.”
Tocchet pointed to the success of players like Tampa Bay superstar Nikita Kucherov, who cuts to the middle of the ice on the power play instead of sticking along the boards, as someone he wants players like Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras to emulate.
But right now, the Flyers are not making the right reads, and it’s preventing them from loosening up and being aggressive. Tocchet mentioned Brandon Hagel’s power-play goal in Monday’s loss as an example of something he wants to see more from the Flyers, instead of deferring to find the perfect one-timer opportunity with the man advantage.
“He tried to cross ice pass, doesn’t connect, the puck comes right back up, he sees an opening to shoot it, scores a goal,” Tocchet said. “We get it, we see an opening, but for some reason, we have a tough time pulling that trigger.”
Travis Sanheim credited the Flyers’ lack of power play success to poor communication, leading to players being out of sync on their reads away from the puck.
The Flyers’ power play is tied for second worst in the NHL this season, converting on just 15.3% of opportunities.
Rick Tocchet mentioned Nikita Kucherov as someone Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras should emulate when it comes to getting to the middle of the ice.
“The stuff that I get frustrated with is how [do] you not retain it,” Tocchet said. “We have to think of a way for players to retain some of the information we give them, because we’re not giving them a lot. Maybe early in the season we did, which wasn’t bad, but now we’re going to have to really dummy it down a little bit.”
As one of the more experienced players in the locker room, Sanheim is trying to lead by example as the Flyers enter this pivotal stretch, to keep everyone on the same page and moving in the right direction.
“Games are going to continue to get harder as we go along here,” Sanheim said. “It doesn’t get any easier. The race gets tighter, it already is tight, and just understanding that every play matters, and every battle matters, and it’s just a lot harder to win hockey games. You have to do the hard things to be successful in this league, and you have to do it on a consistent basis.”
Rasmus Ristolainen, Bobby Brink, Adam Ginning, Nic Deslauriers, and Sam Ersson took the ice for the optional skate on Tuesday. … Brink and Jamie Drysdale are both a “possibility” to play on the road trip, Tocchet said. After practice, the Flyers loaned Ginning back to Lehigh Valley in a move that might hint that Drysdale is good to go on Wednesday. … The Colorado Avalanche’s ECHL affiliate will move from Utah to Trenton, and be renamed the Trenton Ironhawks, starting in the 2026-27 season.
Typically, our second-day stories on games include two positives sandwiched around a negative. It’s built that way to soften the blow of the negative.
But while coach Rick Tocchet said he liked parts of the Flyers’ game, after a 7-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, it’s hard to focus on positives. So, this is a reverse. Here are two negatives with a big positive in the middle.
Negative: Sloppy play
As Garnet Hathaway said, the team is going to have to watch a lot of tape on Sunday because, in an odd twist of the schedule, the Flyers get another crack at the Lightning on Monday.
“We’re maybe making plays at the blue line that we shouldn’t make,” Hathaway said. “Their east-west game is a lot of their offense. They know when they have time and space, and they’ve got elite skill to make those passes through guys. So, some self-inflicted, some tip your cap. Either way, it doesn’t matter.”
Pretty much every single goal the Lightning scored came off a breakdown by the Flyers. Whether it was a turnover at the Tampa Bay blue line that sent the puck the other way — i.e., Matvei Michkov’s turnover that led to Gage Goncalves’ first goal of the night, or Trevor Zegras’ that led to Yanni Gourde’s tally — or backing up in the defensive zone, or leaving guys all alone to have their way with Sam Ersson, the Flyers struggled on Saturday.
While Tocchet had no problem with his team’s effort through the first 30 minutes, he thought some of his players lost focus and “half-hustled.” He noted that several players made mistakes backchecking and let the Lightning get inside.
You can only put so much blame on not having three of your best players, but the Flyers fell apart, notably in the third period. They were outshot 8-4 and, according to Natural Stat Trick, they had 30% of the shot attempts at five-on-five. The Lightning scored four times.
“Just an awful third period,” captain Sean Couturier said. “We’ll just move on. It’s one of those games you’ve got to forget quick.”
Flyers right wing Garnet Hathaway notched his first point of the season in Saturday’s loss to the Lightning.
Positive: Garnet Hathaway
Although the majority of players struggled, guys like Nikita Grebenkin, Owen Tippett, who scored his 14th goal on the season, and Hathaway stood out.
For Hathaway, it was a moment 36 games in the making, because in Game 37, he notched his first goal of the season. It was also his first point.
“A little overdue,” he said. “I keep thinking about, I can’t go back and change anything that’s happened so far. It doesn’t help me to think about. It doesn’t help me look back and wish I, you know, woulda, coulda, shoulda. It’s nice to get one. It’s nice to help the team on the score sheet.”
The goal was a deserved one with how he and Rodrigo Ābols played along the end boards — actually being the ones to create the turnover as they stole the puck from Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak. Hathaway then went right to the slot and deflected in the point shot. It is the gritty, blue-collar style of game that Hathaway needs to play to be successful.
Negative: Sam Ersson
Through 16 starts this season, Ersson is 6-6-4 with a 3.33 goals-against average and .858 save percentage. According to Money Puck, he is fifth-worst in goals saved above average (-9.5), and among goalies who have played at least 12 games, he ranks sixth in percentage of expected goals (-21.01).
On Saturday, Ersson allowed seven goals on 23 shots, giving him his worst save percentage of the season (.696).
Flyers goaltender Sam Ersson allowed four goals on eight third-period shots.
Was every goal his fault? No. The first goal saw the Flyers completely ignore Nikita Kucherov — something you should never do — allowing him to sit all alone in front for a slam-dunk goal.
“We’ve got to be better in front of him. Those are tough games to play. Obviously, I think he deserved better,” Tippett said. “And I don’t know if the sarcastic cheers [are] really appreciated, but we’ve got to do a better job in front of him and not put him in some of those situations.” Ersson was on the receiving end of sarcastic cheers after his saves throughout the night, including on his first save after allowing two goals on the first three shots of the third period.
“Keep his head up,” Hathaway said about the message to Ersson. “Yeah, I don’t think we played as defensively sound as we needed to against a very offensive-minded team, and that’s not on him. He’s played great all year, so forget it, it’s in the past” ”
According to Natural Stat Trick, Ersson faced seven high-danger shots and allowed four goals. But he did allow two from mid-range and one low-danger goal. Is he a goalie struggling with confidence?
“Yeah, he’s struggling a little bit,” Tocchet said when asked. “… You’re going to have tough nights. It’s a tough night. To have an NHL career, sometimes you’re going to be in the mud, and you’ve got to get yourself out of it, got to work harder.
“You’ve got to analyze things, not just him, anybody, when you’re having a tough, tough night or something, or tough couple of weeks or something, whatever you’re having, you’ve got to really just dig down and then get the support of the team too. That helps too.”
VANCOUVER, British Columbia ― The terms “abandoned” and “quit” have been thrown about in the Pacific Northwest when it comes to Rick Tocchet’s departure from the Vancouver Canucks.
After 2½ seasons, Tocchet’s contract expired, and he opted to move on, linking up with the Flyers two weeks later in May. Now, months later, the bench boss, who won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 2024 while at the helm in Vancouver, returns for the first time.
How does he think fans will react?
“I don’t know, honestly, don’t know. It is what it is. I’ll have my business mode anyway,” Tocchet said, standing in an empty locker room near his team’s room — and down the hall from his old stomping ground — while donning a black long-sleeve shirt with Philadelphia Flyers emboldened on it.
“Trust me, I played 18 years in the league, I’ve been booed a lot of places. It’s all right.”
The Flyers coach has bigger things on his mind these days anyway. Despite coming off a 4-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Sunday, he has the team he once starred for playing well. Entering Monday night’s action, the Orange and Black have a 19-11-7 record and are sitting in third place in the Metropolitan Division, just four points behind the leaders, the Carolina Hurricanes.
On Tuesday (10 p.m., NBCSP), the Flyers will face a Canucks team they beat handily a week ago, 5-2. Vancouver will also be playing a back-to-back after facing the Kraken in Seattle on Monday night. Tocchet wants his team to keep a foot on the gas and make the hometown team play an uncomfortable game.
He does acknowledge it was a little weird seeing the Canucks — the players, like Brock Boeser, Thatcher Demko, and Conor Garland, and the coaches, especially head coach Adam Foote, whom Tocchet hired as his assistant coach with Vancouver despite not having NHL experience — last week from the home bench in Philly.
Rick Tocchet still has strong relationships with several members of the Canucks, including new head coach Adam Foote (left) and winger Conor Garland.
It’ll be even weirder at Rogers Arena.
“I loved it,” he said of his time in British Columbia. “Obviously, we had a really good year the year before. Then last year, even though there were a lot of issues and injuries, I thought we were only a couple of points out of a playoff spot.
“I thought the core guys there hung together, and I really appreciated that, and respect those guys. … Those guys, really, I still root for those guys.”
Vancouver wasn’t Tocchet’s first stop on the coaching carousel, but he certainly learned a lot that he carried back to Philly.
“A wealth of experience of different things, the highs and lows, situational stuff. You learn different things … and then trying to just build a winning culture,” explained Tocchet, who said he had a good relationship working with the general manager Patrik Allvin, president Jim Rutherford, and owner Francesco Aquilini, too.
After taking over midway through the 2022-23 season, Tocchet led the Canucks to Game 7 of the second round in 2024, falling to the Edmonton Oilers, who have made the Stanley Cup Final the last two years. That run represented the first time Vancouver made the postseason since the 2020 bubble.
He is now working on building a winning culture with a Flyers team that has not made the postseason since that same summer.
“We’re lucky to have him,” forward Sean Couturier said. “He’s got tons of experience as an ex-player and a coach, so he can relate in different situations.
“We have a young team, though, so I think he’s given us older guys a voice to kind of lead,” the captain added. “But I think we’re all in this together. We’re all buying into what the style of play he wants us to play. It’s been working so far. So it’s been fun.”
Breakaways
It looks like Sam Ersson will start in goal for the Flyers on Tuesday night, as he took the majority of the reps Monday in the starter’s net during practice. If that is the case, it all but assures that Dan Vladař will start on New Year’s Eve against his old club, the Calgary Flames.
