Where to Go From Here: How the Flyers Can Find Their Reality Check

Story by

Story by
Where to Go From Here: How the Flyers Can Find Their Reality Check

NHL: Colorado Avalanche at Philadelphia Flyers — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

William James · Philly Hockey Now

Thu, Oct 29, 2026 ·

4 min read

About Our Ads

It's reality check time for the Philadelphia Flyers. 15 games into the young season, and things already look quite bleak. Especially following the postgame comments from head coach Rick Tocchet, Sean Couturier , and Nick Seeler on Wednesday.

Couturier and Seeler were in no way wrong. In fact, they were 100% in line to say what was said. Someone had to say it. But when the team captain calls his team soft, that is a sign that something has to give.

Tocchet has tried putting lines in the blender. He's deployed multiple variations of forward groups, changing up the defensive pairs. GM Danny Briere tried lighting a spark by signing Michael Bunting , who has just 1 point in 8 games and has been a healthy scratch for 3 of the last 4 games. While it's been due to injury reasons, the Flyers have made call-ups from Lehigh Valley as well.

Still, it's become clear that none of that is working. The same issues are still at hand. Philly still cannot start on time. The Flyers find constant struggles with clean play and staying connected. They've been weaker defensively, but don't have enough offense to balance it out.

Something has to give for the Flyers before this season gets out of hand. It's time for a reality check. How can the Flyers find it?

Make the Difficult Decision to Bench Someone

One of the first ways the Flyers can find their reality check is in the hands of head coach Rick Tocchet. The Flyers simply need to make the difficult decision to make someone a healthy scratch. Tocchet can send a message to his team, saying it hasn't been good enough, and you will come out of the lineup if you can't compete.

The loudest message, in most scenarios, starts with the captain. In this instance, it cannot be Sean Couturier. Couturier has been a vocal leader during this stretch, pushing for more effort from his guys. It's the same reason why veterans like Travis Sanheim and Nick Seeler are not options.

Still, it has to be a big name. It cannot be just rotating Michael Bunting and Jacob Gaucher in and out of the press box.

At this point, getting the message across should be important. 15 games into the season, and the Flyers still cannot put together even a decent first period. Tocchet should not be afraid to make the bold decision and send the message to his team.

Flyers Shake Up the Room by Making a Trade

Since Danny Briere took over as general manager of the Flyers, the "culture" in the locker room has been an important factor while constructing the roster. Every good team has a strong culture as its foundation. Winning starts there. That is true.

However, the Flyers' "culture" has not translated to success. Not yet, anyway. Since Briere took over as GM in March of 2023, the Flyers are 124-115-39, with a -110 goal differential and a 14.5% power play, which is 25th in the league in that time frame.

Briere has been loyal to the rebuild and to the players that have been loyal to the team through it all. But it might be time to shake things up.

If the Flyers want to send a message that they haven't been good enough, a trade is the perfect way to do it. Things have simply not worked out the way they wanted them to. Now, they look more desperate than ever before.

In order to find difference makers, Briere is going to have to be willing to make the uncomfortable trade of a core player. However, it's clear that things aren't working out right now. The Flyers have players that can land future "difference makers", but it starts with Briere being willing to make that difficult decision.

Make a Change Behind the Flyers Bench

Before I get into this part, no, this is not calling for the immediate firing of Rick Tocchet.

Oftentimes, success starts with the coaching staff. We are in Year 2 of Rick Tocchet, Todd Reirden, Yogi Svejkovsky, and Jay Varady. Outside of that incredible late-season push that put the Flyers in the playoffs during the 2025-26 season, it has not quite worked out.

If Briere does not want to make a trade, he can send a message by shaking up the coaching staff.

No, it does not have to be firing Tocchet. There are other ways to shake up the coaching staff and send a message other than firing the head coach after 97 regular-season games into a 5-year deal. Instead, the Flyers could look to their assistants.

Reirden is in charge of the defensemen. Tocchet openly criticized the team's defensive effort this season following Wednesday's loss to the Capitals. Despite the improved power play numbers, the Flyers' power play still ranks in the bottom-10 in the league. Svejkovsky has been in charge of that.

The message currently sent by the Flyers is clearly not landing. It's time for a reality check.