97.5 The Fanatic Flyers Roundup: Cam York Scratch, Tortorella’s Future
The Philadelphia Flyers breathed a sigh of relief when Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov’s shootout goals against the Tampa Bay Lightning snapped their five-game losing streak.
Subtraction from the roster, a controversial decision by John Tortorella to sit Cam York, and the mounting losses have worn down most of the realistic optimism about the 2024-25 Flyers.
- Saturday 3/8: Seattle Kraken 4, Flyers 1
- Sunday 3/9: New Jersey Devils 3, Flyers 1
- Tuesday 3/11: Ottawa Senators 5, Flyers 2
- Thursday 3/13: Flyers 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 3 (SO)
Losses Mounting on Homestand
The Flyers will almost certainly tie a franchise record missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.
They entered 2024-25 with a roster that didn’t look like primed for contention, and the front office subtracted a full forward line of NHL players by moving Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost, and Scott Laughton ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline.
Their current homestand has gotten ugly, and ugly losses usually blow over much more smoothly on the road. The Wells Fargo Center crowd let the Flyers hear it in five losses to begin the homestand.
The Flyers have a -13 goal differential in during the homestand. Their 0/15 power play most appropriately represents the futility of the franchise’s most recent era.
“It was the right thing to do with the situation that we’re in, but it puts us in a spot where there’s a lot of moving pieces here (and) a lot of people playing out of position. But the message is the same. We’re trying to be as positive as we can and play with as much energy as we can.” -John Tortorella
Sean Couturier spoke with frustration after a tough 3-1 loss to New Jersey on Sunday.
“Last year, we were in the playoffs. This year, we’re out of the picture right now. We’re losing. It’s different I guess. Last year, we lost what – eight, nine in a row at the end there? Right now, we lost four. We can’t find a way to win, but last year we were in full control the whole time I feel. This year, we’re chasing. It’s almost a little more pressure on us to kind of get it going, but we’ve just got to keep fighting.” -Sean Couturier
Such a rough homestand will inevitably drive down team morale. Losing a respected veteran like Laughton doesn’t make it any easier. However, the Flyers have no choice but to accept the hardships of a rebuild that forces a team to play with talent deficiencies.
“You know what’s challenging for me? I feel bad for those guys (the players). I feel for my team, especially the guys that have been here for the three years – I’m speaking from my years being here – the guys that have gone through this for three years. They’ve done their work. They’ve pushed. I think guys have developed. They’ve hung together. They’ve stuck together. This is the first time, at least in the last two years, that it’s a tough hill to climb. So I feel for them, and I feel for my coaching staff.” -John Tortorella
Disconnect Between John Tortorella & Cam York?
Cam York sat out as a healthy scratch against the Kraken. Another chapter in the seemingly endless saga of Tortorella’s demanding lineup decisions took a new turn when York told the Philadelphia media he’s not sure what kind of improvement Tortorella is looking for.
Couturier similarly spoke last March about a lack of communication from his head coach after Tortorella sat the newly-named captain and (then)12-year veteran as a healthy scratch during a tight playoff race.
The two-time Jack Adams winner unexpectedly chose not to include York on the opening night roster in 2022-23.
York spent 20 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms that season and later returned to the NHL with the spark that Tortorella wanted to see. Tortorella spoke about the young defenseman’s development over the past three seasons. .
“I’ll admit when I sent him down, I tried to pick a fight with him when I sent him down. I was so upset with his camp. I think he went to Lehigh, (and) he put the time in. I felt he had a chip on his shoulder coming back here, mainly (angry) at me… I was so proud of him as far as where he brought his game to. There is no reason why I can’t still look for that, and I’m going to continue to look for that.” -John Tortorella
However, Charlie O’Connor mentioned that York has carefully chosen his words to avoid giving Tortorella credit for his personal development on the ice.
Chris Pronger also emphasized the need for coaches to communicate with players. The Hall of Famer has recently spoken with good measure and insightful honesty about the Flyers and the rest of the NHL.
The Flyers have financial flexibility and draft capital to expedite their rebuild past a period of improving the organizational culture and focusing on internal player development.
John Tortorella’s demanding style has played a major role in substantiating the subjective idea of culture throughout his three seasons in Philadelphia.
However, will the next phase of the rebuild push him to another role in the organization? Briere and Jones must assess the state of Tortorella’s relationship with his players.
York’s comments don’t reflect well on Tortorella’s overall impact on the current dressing room as the Flyers consider their offseason plans.
New Flyers With Something To Prove
Emil Andrae, Rodrigo Abols, and Olle Lycksell joined the NHL club after the trade deadline roster shuffle. Flyers veterans have spoken about the impact of losing Laughton and other teammates, but the roster openings also create the opportunity for AHL call-ups to control their own future.
The Flyers haven’t seen much from the younger group yet with 14 games remaining. The expected return of Garnet Hathaway could force one forward out of the lineup.
While Andrae sparked the Flyers with aggressive puck movement during a 20-game stint early in the season, he’s been underwhelming in three NHL games since the deadline.
Briere spoke excitedly about Jakob Pelletier after acquiring the former first-round winger from the Calgary Flames in January. However Pelletier also hasn’t provided the aggressive bite that a fourth-liner fighting for his NHL life often needs to justify a roster spot.
The Flyers acquired AHL winger Nikita Grebenkin from the Toronto Maple Leafs along with the 2027 first-rounder in the Laughton deal.
“He seems very energetic. (Grebenkin has a) big body that is strong on the puck. (He) can make plays. What I was told is that he needs to work within a structure… but there’s a lot there, the size, the energy, the competitiveness is what I was told is high-end.” -Danny Briere
Briere gave credit to scouts watching Grebenkin more than he has time for. The power forward played seven games for the Maple Leafs earlier this season, but the Flyers haven’t announced plans to give him a shot at the NHL level.
Journeyman tough guy Givani Smith has joined the Lehigh Valley Phantoms after coming to the organization in the Erik Johnson trade. The Flyers haven’t indicated any immediate plans to call him up.
“Class Organization”
The micro-level analysis paints a grim picture in the middle of rough stretch in Philadelphia. However, Tim Saunders and Todd Fedoruk spoke optimistically on the team’s first game broadcast following the NHL Trade Deadline.
The dynamic 97.5 The Fanatic broadcast duo complimented Briere for consideration to the personal lives of Laughton and Johnson before the respective trades.
“In hockey, that’s what you define as a class organization – when you take those accounts of the player’s life, their livelihood, where they’re at in their career, and what they’ve done for that organization.” -Todd Fedoruk
Laughton outlasted veteran players with more talent and offensive production because of his contributions to the organization’s culture after the Flyers drafted him in 2012. When the time to trade him finally came, Briere didn’t ignore the respected veteran’s life circumstances.
Laughton lost his father-in-law suddenly in January and took a short leave of absence from the team. He’s also the father of a newborn baby. Picking up and moving to a new team is a harsh reality of life in the NHL, but Briere lightened the burden.
Related Content: Have Danny Briere, Flyers Adjusted Rebuilding Timeline?
Oakville, Ontario, Laughton’s hometown, is about an hour drive from Scotiabank Arena. Briere’s choice to send Laughton to Toronto when other offers were almost certainly on the table provides the former OHL star with some convenience in his family life.
Johnson had very little trade value. Givani Smith might never suit up for the Flyers. Sending the 36-year-old Johnson in potentially the last of his 17 NHL seasons to the Colorado Avalanche, where he won his only Stanley Cup, is a personal favor more than a hockey move.
Recent Stanley Cup winners like the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Vegas Golden Knights have benefitted from signing free agents looking to dodge state income tax on their salaries. The lifestyle in certain NHL cities also naturally outweighs the appeal of playing in Philadelphia.
How can the Flyers become an attractive free agent destination without those advantages? They can restore the reputation that Ed Snider established of a class organization that takes care of its people for life.
“It’s going to become more attractive to be here for free agents, the guys that are on the upswing. That comes from the culture shift. That comes from the change that Danny (Briere), Jonesy (Keith Jones), and Dan Hilferty implemented from day one. Coach Tortorella also followed suit.” -Todd Fedoruk
The idea of the Flyers family might fall on deaf ears to fans tired of seeing the Broad Street Bullies celebrated 50 years later. However, the organization’s willingness to keep players around after retirement carries weight in NHL circles.
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