The Philadelphia Flyers’ Coaching Situation is a Nightmare
Things are not good for the Philadelphia Flyers.
After trading captain Claude Giroux and finishing last in the Metropolitan Division in 2022, the Flyers elected to search for a new head coach ahead of the 2022-2023 season. That search is not going well.
It’s no surprise that the search for a new bench boss would be a struggle for the Flyers, as the situation in Philly is anything but appealing. This is a bad hockey team that has no immediate positive outlook.
With so many coaching positions available this offseason, why would any top coach want to take the job in Philadelphia?
The Flyers’ coaching situation is a disaster.
Two-time Jack Adams Award winner Barry Trotz must have asked himself that same question. Apparently, it’s not worth a $7 million salary, which was about what he was offered to come to the City of Brotherly Love.
The 2018 Stanley Cup Champion has turned down an offer from Philadelphia, which makes the job John Tortorella‘s to lose.
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This is probably even worse news than Trotz not wanting the job. Yes, Tortorella, like the former New York Islanders coach, is a two-time Coach of the Year and a Stanley Cup champion.
However, Tortorella’s success is not recent. His championship came back in 2004, and he did not coach during the 2021-2022 season. His most recent success of any kind was an upset sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Torts would bring an outdated philosophy to Philadelphia, should a deal be finalized. His old-school hockey is not what wins championships in today’s NHL, and it will not help the Flyers return to relevance.
To me, the best-case scenario is a Flyers team that is a less effective version of what Trotz was able to do with the Isles. That does not feel like a promising outlook in Philly.
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All indications are that Philadelphia will not land its first choice, and its second choice leaves a lot to be desired. From where I sit, this team may be poised for another last-place finish.