Ding dong the witch is dead! Well, ok, not dead. But the witch can go back to whatever circle of hell he came from and enjoy retirement. After an out of control spiral for the second consecutive season the Philadelphia Flyers have decided to parts ways with head coach John Tortorella after just shy of three full years. Closing the book on a lackluster chapter in Flyers history is certainly a good thing, but it does leave quite a few questions left unanswered as the organization once again has to pick a new leader.
Number 5: Who’s the Next Coach
Alright, let’s get the obvious out of the way first. With the Flyers at a strange crossroads, who they hire for their next head coach will be a pretty big sign of what their plans are for the 2025-26 season and beyond. Do they go with a younger, fresh voice to lead a young team? Do they go the veteran route and attempt to streamline their way back to competition? Whatever the case, hopefully they think it through and all the corresponding moves follow the same logic. Something that we haven’t seen much from this franchise lately.
Number 4: A Free Agent Destination?
One of the many intriguing reasons for potentially firing Torts was the idea that signing in Philly becomes far more palatable for potential free agents, restricted free agents or players that need to waive a trade clause to move. Considering the franchise needs to find a top center and potentially a solid stopgap in the crease, removing the barrier of the unfriendly face of Tortorella could go a long way to convince a top player to give Philly a chance.
Number 3: How Does it Affect the Front Office Structure?
When Chuck Fletcher was canned, the message from the new regime was that Danny Briere, Keith Jones and John Tortorella were equal partners in the decision making process as the “triumvirate of leadership.” Now, one of the three, arguably the most vocal of the trio, has bitten the dust. How does that effect Briere’s plans and ability to see through his own intentions rather than those of the coach? Briere gets to hire his own coach and gets a larger say over his team. If he has a couple aces up his sleeve this summer, he could turn his reputation around quickly after the last few years of struggle.
Number 2: Cam York’s Future
One of the more important players that struggled mightily under Tortorella was defenseman Cam York. The pending RFA was looking to be nicely compensated for his work as the team’s top blue liner, but that may be in limbo after the 2024-25 campaign. He may have also been the reason the team ultimately parted ways with Tortorella as well. Whether he re-signs or gets his rights dealt will be quite possibly the biggest in-house storyline to follow this summer, and with Tortorella out of the picture, there’s no predicting which path ultimately comes to fruition.
Number 1: How Good Can Matvei Michkov Get?
The fact that Michkov is in the Calder race with 58 points during his rookie season despite the fact that John Tortorella played him eight minutes a night for a large part of the middle of the season is pretty impressive. Now just imagine how good the Russian sensation can be if he gets deployed like a top guy rather than a fourth line grinder? Michkov freed from his chains and a worthwhile offseason addition or two and the Flyers may not only have their next superstar, but could capitalize with him as well.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: nhl.com
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