The Philadelphia Flyers are shaking things up on the blue line for their Wednesday night game against the host Buffalo Sabres, and it’s a head-scratcher. Defenseman David Jiricek, a former sixth-overall pick from 2022, will be a healthy scratch, while Simon Benoit, who saw action Saturday against Ottawa but sat Monday against the Avs, is back in. Benoit is set to pair with Hunter McDonald on the third defensive unit, with McDonald, a Western New York native, playing in front of family. Flyers coach Rick Tocchet confirmed Dan Vladař will get the start in net, and Tyson Foerster is a game-time decision.
Jiricek’s Icy Bench Time and Power Play Puzzles
This move on the back end feels, well, a bit strange, especially considering how Jiricek was starting to find his rhythm, even in limited minutes. He played a decent 14:08 in the win against Ottawa, but his ice time took a dive to just 9:20 against a tough Colorado club. Digging into his shift chart from that Colorado game, Jiricek had four shifts in the third period, three of those within the first nine minutes. After one 40-second shift with just over six minutes left in the final frame, he never saw the ice again. Before that Colorado game, Jiricek was averaging between 13 to 15 minutes, a bump from the nine minutes against Colorado, but still less than the 17 to 18 minutes he was seeing earlier in the season, and honestly, he looked a bit out of sorts then too.
Jiricek’s absence won’t just impact even-strength play. It’s definitely going to alter the Flyers’ power play units. This likely means more quarterback time for Jamie Drysdale, Oliver Bonk, or both. It seems doubtful Tocchet would lean on Travis Sanheim for power play duties, especially with the heavy minutes he’s expected to log tonight. But hey, with a two-day break coming after Saturday’s Anaheim game, maybe Tocchet might surprise us and give Sanheim a bit more man-advantage time than usual.
The Numbers Don’t Lie, But Do They Justify The Scratch?
The decision to sit Jiricek in favor of Benoit is an interesting one, especially when you look at the stats. Jiricek is a young guy, a former sixth-overall pick with huge promise, and certainly seen as a future cornerstone for the Flyers. Benoit, on the other hand, is a one-year free agent who’s had his struggles, sometimes looking slow in his own zone or missing reads.
Yet, when you stack their numbers through nine games this year, they’re surprisingly close. Benoit has a slight edge in five-on-five time, 112 minutes to Jiricek’s 111. But here’s where it gets wild: Jiricek has blocked twice as many shots, 12 to six. And Benoit? He’s given away the puck twice as often as Jiricek, with 12 giveaways compared to Jiricek’s six. Nine of those 12 giveaways from Benoit were in Philadelphia. So, yeah, the numbers on those giveaways especially make you scratch your head about this healthy scratch.
Tonight, the Flyers are taking on the Sabres on the road. It’ll be key to see if this defensive shuffle, particularly bringing Benoit in over Jiricek, pays off or if those giveaway numbers come back to bite them. All eyes will be on McDonald and Benoit as they hit the ice in Buffalo.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Broad Street Hockey.
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