The Philadelphia Flyers are in desperate need of a shootout overhaul, especially when their all-time leader in shootout goals, Claude Giroux with 30, hasn’t laced ’em up for Philly since March 2022. His long-time linemate Jakub Voracek, second with 15 goals, left way back at the end of the 2020-21 season. Danny Briere, now the GM, last played for them in 2012-13, and Mike Richards, with 11 goals? That was 15 years ago, after the 2010-11 season wrapped. When two of your top five shootout scorers haven’t been on the team for over a decade, you know things have been deity-awful in those extra sessions.
The Old Guard is Gone, And The Numbers Show It
Think about it: the biggest shootout win for this team, before last year, was against the Rangers in 2010, clinching a playoff spot. That was the high water mark for what feels like forever. Change wasn’t just needed, it was long overdue. Thankfully, that change arrived last summer when Trevor Zegras rolled into town. And this guy has been a game-changer in the shootout, an absolute beast going 7 for 13, a ridiculous 53.8 percent success rate!
His insane performance immediately rocketed him up the franchise leaderboard, putting him ninth all-time in shootout goals. He’s tied with Matvei Michkov, Travis Konecny, and Wayne Simmonds, all with seven goals. But here’s the wild, crucial difference: Michkov needed 20 chances, and Konecny took 34 attempts over a decade with Philadelphia. Zegras equaled Konecny’s career total of seven shootout goals in just one season. That’s not just good, that’s clutch!
It’s Time To Let The Kids Cook In The Shootout
Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet needs to seriously consider shuffling his shootout lineup, especially when it comes to his third or fourth choices. Last season, 2025-26, the Flyers only rolled out six players for their 37 shootout attempts: Zegras, Michkov, Konecny, Tyson Foerster, Christian Dvorak, and Bobby Brink. Zegras and Michkov combined for 11 goals on 13 attempts each. Foerster scored on his lone chance, and Dvorak missed his. Brink, now with the Wild, managed one goal on three tries. Konecny, meanwhile, was at just 28.6 percent, scoring twice in seven attempts. The big takeaway is glaring: 11 of the 13 goals the Flyers scored in the shootout came from guys 25 years old or younger. You can’t ignore that trend.
While Tocchet got some flak for Michkov’s usage, you gotta give him props for giving the kid as many shootout attempts as Zegras. It’s clear Konecny needs to slide down the depth chart to a fourth or even fifth shooter. Porter Martone, Denver Barkey, and Alex Bump have all made strong first impressions in their short stints and half-seasons with the club. It’s tough to gauge how they’d handle the high-pressure, all-eyes-on-you shootout, where a critical extra point hangs in the balance. But based on who’s actually scoring, it’s a gamble the Flyers need to take. Get those young guns in there and let them compete for that extra point!
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.
Leave a Reply