Rick Tocchet is officially the 25th head coach in Philadelphia Flyers’ history. That has split the reaction from the fans positively and negatively. But wherever you personally fall on the spectrum, this hiring breeds far more questions than it does answers, so let’s go through and inquire about Rick Tocchet’s new gig.
Number 5: Who Will His Assistants Be?
Besides the almost guaranteed answer of “former Flyers,” who Rick Tocchet chooses to flank him will help decide how the perception how the perception of the new staff truly leans. The Flyers cleared out Brad Shaw and Rocky Thompson, while Tocchet’s assistants in Vancouver stayed with that organization, so there’s ample opportunity for a new cast of characters behind the bench. It may honestly be the best part of the hire, being the fact that he has to select new assistants and not rely on his usual suspects that clearly haven’t worked.
Number 4: Which Players Won’t Buy In?
Despite the fact that most can agree that Tocchet is essentially John Tortorella lite, the coaching change means that there will be some players thats don’t mix with the new staff. Guys like Ivan Provorov and Kevin Hayes were dealt in year one of Tortorella, while guys like Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee were eventually moved after a few seasons of struggle. Considering the Flyers’ roster desperately needs an overhaul, the honeymoon phase with Rick Tocchet could actually be the best way to spark that change.
Number 3: Will the Former Flyer Gimmick Actually Work?
The lack of overall experience and/or success within the Flyers’ front office is alarming, but it’s ok because they’re all former Flyers and know what it takes to make it here. Or that is their chosen storyline, anyway.
If it were to actually pan out, it has the potential to be really sexy outcome. A bunch of fan favorite former Flyers returning to the organization to lead the team back to glory is a great story. But Briere and Jones haven’t done much to move the needle in the last two years and Tocchet has only made the postseason twice in nine seasons as head coach. They’re putting a lot of eggs in the basket of a gimmick rather than proven track records. Will it work? Eh, probably not.
Number 2: Upcoming Roster Upgrades?
The reality is no matter who they hired as coach, this roster is just not built to win. Unfortunately, the 2025 offseason is not the most saturated free agent, trade or RFA market to find help, and the Flyers’ cap situation isn’t exactly great either. Briere is going to have to put on his big boy pants and do his job this summer if the front office actually wants Rick Tocchet to have a shot at any success. But lackluster offseason after lackluster offseason for much of the last decade really leaves the confidence low that they’ve got a big summer full of change in front of them.
Number 1: What is “The Plan?”
One of the things that was constantly brought up at Tocchet’s introductory press conference was the “plan” the Flyers have been operating under and that it won’t change with the new coach. The only problem is that “plan” is undefined at absolute best. Depending on the day, sometimes the stated goal is to rebuild, other times it is to compete, but the actions (or lack thereof) of the organization haven’t leaned favorably in either direction.
It’s not necessarily surprising that the Flyers tried to remain secretive with their organizational direction, but it is kind of disappointing that they didn’t take the opportunity to realign their stated goals with a new regime behind the bench. The new era of orange continues to feel like the same old shit.
Honorable mention
What Happens if Tocchet Doesn’t Work Out?
This isn’t a today problem, but whatever the outcome of this hire is falls directly on the shoulders of Danny Briere. If this change ends up being a disaster, the fact they defaulted to a former Flyer with underwhelming track record doesn’t really look great on Briere that he chose not to play the field and look for a legitimate option. Then what happens? This is a bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth with two outs situation for Briere. Did he hit that grand slam or was this a swing and a miss? Does the whole front office ship go down if this doesn’t work out?
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: Philadelphia Flyers
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