Kevin Hayes Proof of Why John Tortorella is Wrong Coach for Flyers

For the first time in his NHL career, Philadelphia Flyers forward Kevin Hayes is an All-Star.

The 30-year-old has played in nearly 600 games over the course of nine seasons while in the league. He began his career with the New York Rangers before spending 20 games with the Winnipeg Jets. He has been a member of the Flyers since 2019.

Hayes has never been one to mesmerize fans with his scoring ability, though he has been a consistent contributor while in the NHL. This year, however, he’s posted ten goals and 25 assists for 35 points in 38 games.

He leads the Flyers in assists this season and is second on the team in points behind Travis Konecny. It’s been a good offensive season without a doubt, and it’s even more impressive when considering his team’s 15-17-7 record.

The Flyers aren’t on the same page when it comes to Hayes as an All-Star.

While common sense tells you that Hayes has been one of Philadelphia’s most important players this season, head coach John Tortorella may see things a little differently.

The Flyers bench boss surprised people last month when he made Hayes a healthy scratch against the Rangers on December 17. Hayes only missed one game, but seeing him become the Flyers’ All-Star Game representative is a fun turn of events.

To me, this is an example of Tortorella being out of touch with modern NHL hockey. I was against the Flyers (or any team) hiring him from the get-go, and I will continue to question his ability to lead an NHL team to success in 2023.

Yes, a player has to do more than simply score to be effective, but pulling a top player from the lineup is a move that few other coaches would make, and I would argue that it hasn’t helped some of Tortorella’s offensive assets in the past (Patrik Laine comes to mind).

I do have to give him some credit, as the Flyers are 5-2 since he re-inserted Kevin Hayes into the lineup and are on a four-game winning streak.

Still, his team is 26th in the NHL entering play on Saturday, and benching a leading scorer does not help a team that tallies 2.8 goals per game win (they lost 6-3 to the Rangers without Hayes).

Say what you want about Tortorella as a coach or Hayes as an All-Star, but this speaks to the dysfunctional state of Flyers hockey. It’s funny the way that things work out sometimes.