Alright, so listen up, because the Flyers are straight up struggling, like, a *bad* 0-5-2 start to the season, and yet, the word out of Philly is they aren’t even thinking about firing head coach Rick Tocchet. It’s wild, man. Trevor Zegras, who’s usually lighting it up, is the first guy to stand up and say he’s “fully, fully behind” Tocchet, calling him an “amazing person” and an “amazing coach.”
The Players’ Corner
Zegras didn’t hold back, telling reporters that Tocchet does “so many little things for us behind the scenes.” He admitted the team’s “disappointed” with the start but swore they “got the guys in the room to turn this thing around.” For him, this ugly patch will be “a great learning experience in the future.” Tocchet himself has been preaching that they “got to stick together,” and Zegras is echoing that hard. He says they’re a “very close group,” and that’s why this start stings so much. Last year they all “love each other” and it’s “pretty much the same team.” That deep care for each other, he reckons, is “probably the worst part of the start,” but it’s also “the reason we turn it around, too.” Zegras, by the way, is one of those guys who hasn’t been living up to the hype through seven games, especially after signing that long-term extension. He definitely needs to step up.
What The Insiders Are Buzzing About
It’s not just Zegras talking either. One of the league’s most trusted reporters, Elliotte Friedman from Sportsnet, weighed in on his “32 Thoughts” podcast. Friedman “would be surprised” if the Flyers actually make a coaching change. He pointed out that while teams like Calgary were expected to be rough, and Chicago a bit less without Connor Bedard, the Flyers had “much higher hopes” this season. But even with that disappointment, Friedman doesn’t see GM Danny Briere “looking to run Rick Tocchet out of town,” though he admits Briere’s “frustrated.” The “wildcards,” according to Friedman? That’s ownership. Tocchet’s only in the second year of a five-year contract, and hey, he got them to the second round of the playoffs last season. Briere and the Flyers are in a tough spot, stuck “between a rock and a hard place.” Usually, you fire the coach because you can’t fire all the players, but they don’t want to give the players an “out” or bail on Tocchet so early.
So yeah, the Flyers are in a messy spot, but it sounds like they’re trying to gut it out with their coach, banking on that team chemistry. It’s a bold move when things are this rough, but sometimes, you gotta trust the process. Speaking of trust, our boys just did the damn thing! The Kraken rolled into Washington and put up a 5-3 W against the Capitals. Love to see it!
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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