hmm so we're on the hate the organization bandwagon again
- 2Real

If they make a run for the playoffs, the fans are outraged because they should be tanking for this thin draft. When the Flyers are tanking, losing and draft a stud at 7th overall, the fans are upset they haven’t seen playoffs in 4 years. Can’t win.

What does it say about a coaches ability to make adjustments where the team has played it's ass off for the entire season that he's willing to make this move? Reality is that he should be experienced to realize that with the injuries, the trade of Walker, that there is no lineup decision that can overcome that right now. That this was a bullet that should've been kept in the chamber.
- MJL

Totally agree.

I don't see this move doing anything good.

If Coots is REALLY being scratched due to performance issues it is a travesty. I still think this is cloak and dagger stuff covering up an injury. It just makes ZERO sense when you have no depth at center. However, Coots isn't the reason for the collapse. Their schedule has been brutal lately and they basically lost 4 defenseman (Walker, Seeler, Charmain man (Drysdale) and Risto). How many teams are gonna lose their best defense pairing (Seeler and Walker) and just keep chugging along?
- Phillywhiteout

Agreed. And another poster noted the lack of a stable goalies tandem, that was working all season until ended.

Here is something that should light a firestorm. I think Walker meant a lot more to this team than a regular defenseman. He gave them a lot of things that were missing. Speed, sound defensive play and a trailer. He provided a good bit of offense on the rush too. I always felt this was going to be the 800lb gorilla in the room. He was really what they needed from a matching perspective, this roster, this group. And there was his age, plus his salary requirements. This was the trade-off. Whoever comes up to play D for this team during this rebuild, they will be looking to replace these ingredients. A lot of teams look for it, in the draft, free agency, whatever. We had it for a while, and now it's gone. This is what it looks like without it. Not criticizing the decision, just merely stating that they will need someone else to provide the same qualities. I don't even think having Seeler back from injury will be all the difference.

Yes.

Because he needs to show a plan. All we heard is rebuild. Now the moves so far seem to be ok. Got value for Walker, did his best with the Cutter issue. But I think their could have been more to help with the rebuild and he kind of held off so this team could try and make the playoffs. Fair or not.

But now your captain is scratched and from the quotes, something seems like it is off. If they end of missing the playoffs and playing terrible hockey, you have to look at the coach to see if he is the guy to push this forward.

Briere will have questions if Torts is the right guy to keep building with and is his tactics having the intended effects for a rebuilding team.
- J35Bacher

Maybe Briere is keeping Tortorella employed while he rebuilds so he doesn’t waste one of his coaching hires with all the slop on the team right now. A GM has only so many coaching hires before the heat is turned up on them and this team isn’t going to be good for awhile.

If they make a run for the playoffs, the fans are outraged because they should be tanking for this thin draft. When the Flyers are tanking, losing and draft a stud at 7th overall, the fans are upset they haven’t seen playoffs in 4 years. Can’t win.
- roenick97

I don't think that is correct. I think everyone wanted a clear plan to rebuild. Playoffs are a bonus but I think the fans know this will take time.

Yes there are stooges who just complain. But the smart fans were always behind a clear path to rebuild.

What does it say about a coaches ability to make adjustments where the team has played it's ass off for the entire season that he's willing to make this move? Reality is that he should be experienced to realize that with the injuries, the trade of Walker, that there is no lineup decision that can overcome that right now. That this was a bullet that should've been kept in the chamber.
- MJL

Yes, it reeks of desperation and a disconnect from reality.

2021 bee had 34 points
2022 bed had 39 points

Yep he struggled.

Would he have produced more if he did not get injury, most likely.
He has 46 points this season. So maybe he would not have produced much more.
- WhiskeyMan

last year he played a full 82. previous two years 63 and 55 games. and its not so much of the points, just how he played as well imo

Maybe Briere is keeping Tortorella employed while he rebuilds so he doesn’t waste one of his coaching hires with all the slop on the team right now. A GM has only so many coaching hires before the heat is turned up on them and this team isn’t going to be good for awhile.
- psuhockey

And I get that.

I never thought Torts was the guys to take this team to the next level. But if you find the right coach I think you can rebuild together.

Maybe Briere is keeping Tortorella employed while he rebuilds so he doesn’t waste one of his coaching hires with all the slop on the team right now. A GM has only so many coaching hires before the heat is turned up on them and this team isn’t going to be good for awhile.
- psuhockey

Danny doesn't have the authority to fire Torts on his own. He'd have to get Jonesy and Hilferty on board to make a move like that and we know they (frank)ing love Torts.

Torts will ultimately be moving upstairs (maybe as soon as 2025). Coaches have a shelf life, VPs/Special Advisors/co-GMs do not. He can keep cultivating the team from a corner office.

Danny doesn't have the authority to fire Torts on his own. He'd have to get Jonesy and Hilferty on board to make a move like that and we know they (frank)ing love Torts.

Torts will ultimately be moving upstairs (maybe as soon as 2025). Coaches have a shelf life, VPs/Special Advisors/co-GMs do not. He can keep cultivating the team from a corner office.
- Tomahawk

That's a catastrophe for this franchise moving forward.

Yes, it reeks of desperation and a disconnect from reality.
- Tomahawk

That's why I think a big part of it is about him but I get your point. For his own ego, he desperately wants to be known as the miracle worker who coached this team to the playoffs.

"I can tell you one thing - with John Tortorella, it doesn’t matter who it is. That’s what he’s known for. He treats everybody the same way," Briere said.

That’s a (frank)ing lie.
- StepfordSam

Absolutely a (frank)ing JOKE of a lie.

Danny doesn't have the authority to fire Torts on his own. He'd have to get Jonesy and Hilferty on board to make a move like that and we know they (frank)ing love Torts.

Torts will ultimately be moving upstairs (maybe as soon as 2025). Coaches have a shelf life, VPs/Special Advisors/co-GMs do not. He can keep cultivating the team from a corner office.
- Tomahawk

I don’t believe anything these guys say. Cutter Gauthier was a big part of the teams future according to any interview by Jones and Hilferty this year all the while they were trying to trade him since last Junes draft. I don’t buy the Tortorella love affair. He ends upstairs but will just be another voice in the room.

I agree Torts has an ego, hell, I said that myself on the reg but I do think this move is distraction. The D is patchwork at best, the goalies are the same and the forwards have a lid that they can perform too. If Torts is not in the news, the losing streak and the team itself would be. I don't think it will make a difference, the D alone will crush their chances, you can't keep winning with a hard working, average team that had its 2nd D pair removed.

I don’t believe anything these guys say. Cutter Gauthier was a big part of the teams future according to any interview by Jones and Hilferty this year all the while they were trying to trade him since last Junes draft. I don’t buy the Tortorella love affair. He ends upstairs but will just be another voice in the room.
- psuhockey

I don't blame them for hiding the Gauthier situation. That was the right approach. As far as the rest, make no mistake about it. Right now, Tortorella is calling the shots. He is the main voice. He has Jones and Hilferty in his back pocket. Briere at worst is complicit and on board and at best is the dissenting red headed step child who is outvoted. It could change in the future but that's how I see it.

That's why I think a big part of it is about him but I get your point. For his own ego, he desperately wants to be known as the miracle worker who coached this team to the playoffs.
- MJL

I think he simply sees it as the right thing to do morally.

Winning is everything, losing is bad, no shades of gray.

I don’t believe anything these guys say. Cutter Gauthier was a big part of the teams future according to any interview by Jones and Hilferty this year all the while they were trying to trade him since last Junes draft. I don’t buy the Tortorella love affair. He ends upstairs but will just be another voice in the room.
- psuhockey

I actually don't think so.

I feel like that would be more of a distraction then. And if I am Briere, I have a ego as well. So far Torts is the the main thing associated with the Flyers. As you move forward you need to move from that and have the team the focus has hopefully the rebuild is working and Michkov comes over and your team is the focus.

I don't blame them for hiding the Gauthier situation. That was the right approach. As far as the rest, make no mistake about it. Right now, Tortorella is calling the shots. He is the main voice. He has Jones and Hilferty in his back pocket. Briere at best is complicit and on board and at worst is the dissenting red headed step child who is outvoted. It could change in the future but that's how I see it.
- MJL

I don’t think so but time will tell.

I don't blame them for hiding the Gauthier situation. That was the right approach. As far as the rest, make no mistake about it. Right now, Tortorella is calling the shots. He is the main voice. He has Jones and Hilferty in his back pocket. Briere at best is complicit and on board and at worst is the dissenting red headed step child who is outvoted. It could change in the future but that's how I see it.
- MJL

I'll be curious what happens in the offseason. If they move on from Laughton, a know Torts guy, then I'll be a little more optimistic about Briere moving forward. Now the trade needs to be a good one. Not something stupid.

Also the TK contract. Do they give him something over 9mil at 8 years. I think a smart GM would sell high to continue the rebuild and not be the guy to give him that next deal.

I don’t believe anything these guys say. Cutter Gauthier was a big part of the teams future according to any interview by Jones and Hilferty this year all the while they were trying to trade him since last Junes draft. I don’t buy the Tortorella love affair. He ends upstairs but will just be another voice in the room.
- psuhockey

Yes, you can't take everything the Flyers say at face value, but remember Torts was in meetings with ownership on setting the direction of the franchise before Jones and Briere were hired. He predates everybody. It's HIS vision and blueprint that they're all executing right now. He's the face of the franchise. He's QBing this thing.

They're not gonna suddenly deviate from that, barring him getting #metoo'd or something.

If you have an entire roster that should be sat at some point, it’s not a coach problem, it’s a talent problem. The fact that Tortorella has a team void of talent in a playoff spot right now is pretty impressive.
- PLindbergh31

Capitals in with a ➖️ 27 goal differential is impressive to. (Or is the East extremely watered-down)?

I'll be curious what happens in the offseason. If they move on from Laughton, a know Torts guy, then I'll be a little more optimistic about Briere moving forward. Now the trade needs to be a good one. Not something stupid.

Also the TK contract. Do they give him something over 9mil at 8 years. I think a smart GM would sell high to continue the rebuild and not be the guy to give him that next deal.
- J35Bacher

I personally believe that anyone who thinks this team is going to look at the competitiveness of this season and think that they need to go backwards. Is kidding themselves. I don't think they go all in but they're going to look at it as if they didn't get the injuries to the defense, they would've held serve and made the playoffs if they don't make it. They're not going to look at is as if that's nice if they make or barely miss but we have to think long term and sell off Laughton, Konecny, etc. I'll be surprised if they do that

In my opinion, well deserved. Couts has not played well for quite a while now. So which is it? Should Torts give Couts 20+ minutes a game so that he can work his game back to form, but of course risk running him into the ground, or give Couts less responsibility by demoting him in the lineup so he has more time to get his game back, and not be run into the ground? I see you and others blaming Torts for both at this point which is laughable.
- jd250

What is laughable is that Torts ALREADY ran Coots into the ground by playing him so much in the first half of the season. He is running on fumes after being away from the ice for 2 years.

Did you adopt a dog from Torts and have your pic taken with him? Honestly, no disrespect meant but your constant love slobbering over Torts is ridiculous.

Chris Simon RIP.

I personally believe that anyone who thinks this team is going to look at the competitiveness of this season and think that they need to go backwards. Is kidding themselves. I don't think they go all in but they're going to look at it as if they didn't get the injuries to the defense, they would've held serve and made the playoffs if they don't make it. They're not going to look at is as if that's nice if they make or barely miss but we have to think long term and sell off Laughton, Konecny, etc. I'll be surprised if they do that
- MJL

Yup
Coming up on 14 years since they last reached the SCF (if not for a shootout win, that number would be 27), and they haven’t reached the final four in back to back years since 1977 & 78.

They never rebuild
They never learn

They need to sell the team and start over from scratch. This organization is broken and beyond repair.