John Tortorella never fails to draw up some excitement. The Philadelphia Flyers have lost in regulation four times in six days, and most of the fan base has eyes on the NHL Draft Lottery rather than the four remaining games left to play in the 2022-23 season. However, an unusual decision by the veteran head coach kept the hockey world talking about the Flyers as a forgettable season winds down.
Tortorella Passing Off Duties
Tortorella doesn’t think the same way as most other NHL coaches, and he operates with very little concern for outside perception. He surprisingly chose not to coach behind the bench for three of the past five games to give his assistant coaches a chance to run the team.
“I just think it gives them a chance to develop and see the bench at that spectrum. I think it’s my responsibility, and I think players need a different voice,” Tortorella said on April 1. “Guys aspire to be head coaches. I think it’s my responsibility to help develop and let them see and go through it.”
Brad Shaw, who usually handles the defensemen and the penalty kill, coached the team in losses against the Ottawa Senators on March 30 and the Buffalo Sabres on April 1. Rocky Thompson, who usually handles the forwards and the power play, coached them to a loss against the St. Louis Blues on April 4. The Flyers were brutally outplayed in both of Shaw’s games and only started showing better energy in the third period in St. Louis under Thompson. Assistant coach Darryl Williams will also get a chance to lead the bench before the 2022-23 season ends.
Related: Flyers Offseason Trade Candidates: Kevin Hayes
Tortorella wrote off the notion of any benefit from watching games from “Answer Alley” (the press box), and Jim Jackson said on the team’s local broadcast that he believes the head coach watched the game against the Sabres from his own office. Tortorella also brushed off the theory that his decision is an indicator of future plans to move upstairs into management. However, he did mention useful conversations with interim general manager Danny Brière.
“It was really good for Danny and I. We got to converse on style of play and what’s going on in certain plays. We got to converse on personnel. It’s the most him and I were able to sit down and talk about the future of the team.”
Morgan Frost Hot Streak
Morgan Frost has caught fire with six goals and six assists in his past 10 games. He looks like a legitimate threat as a puck carrier in the offensive zone. The former first-round pick logged a career-high 23:25 of ice time in a regulation loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 2, and additional work on the penalty kill could add another element to his game if he reaches a better comfort level.
Tortorella spoke three games after the stretch began about Frost’s inconsistencies and how his young center still needs to show that he can be a part of the future in Philadelphia.
“He drove me crazy early in the year (with) some of his habits, and he’s corrected those. I just want more time,” Tortorella said. “A lot of players that I’m really interested in being here are inconsistent also. That’s what I’ve got to watch myself at.”
Frost echoed the same sentiment about how he can develop a well-rounded game to add more value to the Flyers.
“I know the situation I’m in. I’m just trying to do the right things. Like I said, whether it’s making more plays or being a little bit more reliable defensively. I think even faceoffs too. My faceoffs have been pretty terrible all year. I just really try to hone in on that now and show that I can play a complete game.”
He also acknowledged his own inconsistency. Frost has gone through short stretches in 2022-23 when he looks like he can generate scoring chances as well as anyone on the Flyers. He has spoken repeatedly about how confidence feeds his success, but the standout performances have faded in the past. The former Ontario Hockey League star should be able to maintain a certain level of confidence as a professional after 154 NHL games.
“That’s one of the things I can almost work on too is not needing something to happen for me to kind of get going. Like I said, I think that’s kind of how it is when you make a play early or your first couple shifts are good. I think players like that kind of get it going for the rest of the night,” he said.
The 2022-23 season is winding down, and the Flyers need to finalize their evaluations of players given the opportunity for expanded roles in a season when the team was unlikely to compete for a playoff spot. Frost is an impending restricted free agent (RFA), and the hot streak is helping make his case to Brière and the front office.
NHL Draft Lottery Breeds Optimism
The Flyers will officially miss the playoffs in three consecutive seasons for the first time since 1991-92 through 1993-94. While the majority of the fan base is supremely frustrated by the lack of success in recent years, most fans didn’t set high expectations for the 2022-23 season. Their focus has been on building for the future.
The lack of potential top-end talent within the organization separates the Flyers from other rebuilding NHL organizations on their way back into playoff contention. However, that could change with one lucky bounce in the NHL Draft Lottery on May 8. The constant pessimism in Philadelphia could improve just as fast as it soured if the Flyers stumble onto the chance to select Connor Bedard with the first-overall pick. Their lottery odds currently sit at just 6.5%, but the fan base will keep their fingers crossed for a franchise-changing moment.
Loose Pucks
Ronnie Attard has finally gotten his shot at the NHL level in 2022-23. The 24-year-old defenseman showed flashes of talent during a 15-game stint in 2021-22, but he spent 64 games in the American Hockey League (AHL) this season before his call-up earlier this week. He played 14:30 in his first game and 18:58 in his second. Tony DeAngelo sat as a healthy scratch in a loss against the Dallas Stars to give Attard more opportunity with a regular rotation of six defensemen.
Anthony SanFilippo reported that former Philadelphia 76ers general manager Billy King is involved in the search for the Flyers’ new President of Hockey Operations. Neil Glasberg of PBI Sports and Entertainment has also offered consultation to Dan Hilferty and Comcast Spectacor, per the report. The organization used the same agency when they hired Tortorella during the 2022 offseason.
The Flyers celebrated the broadcasting career of Steve Coates on Saturday, April 1 at the Wells Fargo Center. “Coatsey” will retire after the 2022-23 season after 43 years with the organization. Former and current players, friends, and virtually anybody who ever interacted with Coates wished him a farewell.