Latest news with #Briere
New York Times
31-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Flyers fan survey results: Solid support for Briere, Tocchet; Michkov will be a star
Many thanks to the more than 2,000 of you who took time to fill out a survey about a hockey team in late July. Let's get right to the results, with some brief analysis. These results should delight the people in charge of the organization. Briere earned high marks for the job he's done so far, with approximately 85 percent of respondents giving him an A or a B, while a vast majority of fans seem to trust him to see the rebuild through. I imagine Briere's strong offseason factored heavily in these results. He earned universal praise for prying Trevor Zegras out of Anaheim for a minimal return, oversaw a draft that earned solid grades from the people who judge those sorts of things, and seemingly improved the Flyers' roster with some depth moves while maintaining flexibility for the 2026 offseason. Fan sentiment seems to be much more positive now than it was at the conclusion of the disappointing 2024-25 season. Advertisement Briere has been up-front and honest about his plan from the start, too, which I'm guessing is something fans appreciate. That all said, the 2025-26 season will finally start to reveal whether Briere's plan is working. The Flyers are attempting to move forward on the rebuild for the first time since he took over. If that doesn't happen… well, we'll see what these results look like a year from now. Frankly, I thought the results would be much more pro-Torts. I know he is a polarizing figure, but I always got the sense Flyers fans thought much more positively about him than these results suggest. At the same time, there's probably been enough information that's come out since Tortorella was fired on March 27 to suggest it was time for the club to move on. Further, if the Flyers take another step under Rick Tocchet and meaningfully improve in 2025-26, Tortorella will be seen as having played an important role in establishing the foundation. Put another way, Tortorella's Flyers legacy has yet to be fully written. Admittedly, I thought this would be closer to 50-50, but the fact that this skews so much in Tocchet's favor strongly suggests (to me, anyway) that those who didn't want the club to hire him were much more vocal on social media than those that agreed with the move. Tocchet's many media appearances and his ability to communicate in front of a camera, coupled with the Flyers' marketing department deftly playing up his history with the team has a player, have probably helped his cause, too. This seems about right, and would probably be my answer, too. It's still a bit too ambitious to expect the Flyers to make the playoffs this season, but as long as they take another step, they'll be in a good position to make some major moves one year from now with their ample salary cap space and a cupboard full of prospects that could be dangled if there are any top players available on the trade market. Advertisement No surprises here. After Michkov led all NHL rookies in goals with 26, fans seem to believe the sky is the limit for the 20-year-old winger. Michkov will likely get more ice time under Tocchet this season than he did under Tortorella, and if the Flyers can somehow improve their power play, he could be primed for a true breakout campaign. Foerster has shown steady improvement in his two full seasons in the league, both offensively and defensively, establishing himself as a key part of the future. The others on this list have shown promise, but haven't been nearly as consistent. More than three-quarters of respondents gave the Flyers an A or a B here (I gave them a B+ when asked a few weeks ago). Obviously, this will be much easier to judge after we see how guys such as Zegras, Dan Vladar and Christian Dvorak perform in their new environs. These results seem about right. Vladar hasn't done enough in his career yet to consider him the antidote for the Flyers' persistent goaltending problems, but he's still a much better option than Ivan Fedotov or Aleksei Kolosov. Vladar posted an .898 save percentage last season, and if he's simply able to replicate that this season, it would be a tremendous boost for the club. Konecny's eight-year contract extension begins this season (and his full no-movement clause for the first six years of that deal has already kicked in). He led the Flyers in scoring again last season with a career-high 76 points, and although he suffered through a brutal late-season slump, he's still the heartbeat of the team. At 28 years old, Konecny is in the prime of his career and should still be an effective top-six winger for the next several seasons, at least. Advertisement Yeah, I'd lean Michkov here myself because I do think he could already be a point-per-game player, particularly if the power play improves. I kind of figured Jett Luchanko would get a few more votes, but really, this chart suggests to me that you all are paying attention. There's no question the organization loves Alex Bump, and he could very well start the season on the NHL roster. Egor Zavragin has impressed in the KHL, too, and even though he's still got two years left on his contract over there, he could be the goalie of the future if he continues to develop. Congrats, Gritty. You appear to be safe. For now. (Photo of Rick Tocchet: Bob Frid / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Grading Dan Vladar, Christian Dvorak contracts with Flyers
The post Grading Dan Vladar, Christian Dvorak contracts with Flyers appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Philadelphia Flyers, who have not been to the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2020, are banking on the latest moves from general manager Daniel Briere that their drought could soon come to an end. The Flyers have re-signed a handful of their current players, including Noah Cates and Cam York. Additionally, they acquired Trevor Zegras from the Anaheim Ducks in a trade while also signing goaltender Dan Vladar from the Calgary Flames and Christian Dvorak from the Montreal Canadiens. Vladar agreed to a two-year contract with a $3.35 million cap hit, while Dvorak signed a one-year pact worth $5.4 million. How are these players going to affect the Flyers moving forward, and can they help the franchise return to the playoffs? According to Briere, Vladar jumped at the chance to don the Flyers jersey and to compete with the franchise that has long been searching for a bona fide No. 1 goaltender since the days of Ron Hextall. 'Dan Vladar told us very early on that he saw an opportunity,' Briere explained via from the team practice facility located in Voorhees, New Jersey. 'He wanted to come in and compete in Philadelphia, so we jumped on it.' 'He has a chance to become our No. 1,' Briere said. 'Depending on how he plays, how our other guys play…The one thing, at the end of the year when I met with our group of goalies, I told them, 'You have to be ready at training camp.' 'I said, 'We're probably gonna go out. This wasn't good enough last season. We're probably gonna go out and bring in some reinforcements, and you're gonna be in a battle, all of you guys.' Vladar, who was a draft pick of the Boston Bruins in 2015, began his career with the franchise but would later be traded to the Calgary Flames, where he was a backup to starter Jacob Markstrom. He would eventually struggled with consistency despite a strong 13-6-2 record in his first season in Calgary, and upon the departure of Markstrom last offseason to the New Jersey Devils, Vladar wasn't able to seize the starting reins from Dustin Wolf, who emerged as the new starter with the Flames. This doesn't mean that Vladar can't be successful with his change of scenery, having relocated from Calgary to Philadelphia. At 27 years old, Vladar is still in the prime of his career and could easily bounce back under the system of new Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet. He'll form a tandem with Samuel Ersson, who needed someone to routinely compete with for starting time heading into his contract season. 'It looks that way,' Briere said of a goalie competition between Vladar and Ersson. 'The way they've played the last couple years, it's probably Ersson/Vladar, but how many teams go with only two goalies? Not too many of them. You need three, four goalies. 'My message to them is, it doesn't matter where you slot in right now. Come in, be ready, and when it's your turn, you've got to perform. I hope we can create that environment that every single night they're battling for their spot. We're going to need at least three goalies, maybe more. We know that, and I think Vladar helps us put us in a better position.' Additionally, Vladar is signed for two years. This means that if things were to ultimately go awry for him with the Flyers, they aren't locked into a long-term commitment with him. Overall Grade: B The Flyers picked up valuable center depth when they signed Dvorak from the Canadiens, a position that they are lacking in. 'I'm excited about him,' Briere said of Dvorak. 'I think one of the enticing parts for him is the opportunities that he's going to have. It's no secret that we're pretty thin in the middle. (Sean) Couturier and (Noah) Cates really are the only two, for sure. 'We hope that Zegras can play center as well, but there's opportunities there for him, probably more than he would have seen somewhere else. I feel that, that was probably very enticing for him. So to get a big body like that, that can play a 200-foot game, win faceoffs for us. I think he makes us a better team, having him down the middle.' He appeared in all 82 regular-season games for the Canadiens this past season, scoring 12 goals while adding 21 assists. He's appeared in 534 career NHL games with the Arizona Coyotes and Canadiens and has scored 105 goals with 144 assists. He's also added four goals and an assist in 14 postseason games. While Dvorak isn't a savior or elite player by any means, he fills an immediate need for the Flyers and could earn a longer, more lucrative contract in the future if he impresses in his first season with the club. Overall Grade: B Related: Grading Cam York's 5-year, $25.75 million Flyers contract extension Related: Flyers lock up key RFA on $25.75 million extension
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Revisiting GM Danny Briere's First Flyers Trade, 2 Years Later
Flyers prospect Helge Grans is expected to make a big impact in 2025. (Photo: Eric Hartline, Imagn Images) Philadelphia Flyers GM Danny Briere has seen and done it all during his brief time in charge of his former team, and his first piece of business is looking like his best so far. On June 6, 2023, two years ago yesterday, Briere made his first trade as the general manager of the Flyers, sending Ivan Provorov and Hayden Hodgson to the Los Angeles Kings (and then the Columbus Blue Jackets) in exchange for what would become Oliver Bonk, Helge Grans, the 22nd overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, Cal Petersen, and Carson Bjarnason. Advertisement Petersen's albatross contract has, of course, expired, leaving the Flyers with just the good stuff: a great goalie prospect in Bjarnason, an NHL-caliber defenseman with an elite toolkit in Grans, a promising potential top-four defender in Bonk, and a first-round pick that became much higher than expected as the fruits of the Sean Walker trade. In the last two years, Briere has swung his fair share of deals, like the Cutter Gauthier one that yielded Jamie Drysdale, and the other that offloaded Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost for diminishing returns. Bringing in Grans, Walker, and other draft picks has proven to be one of Briere's best moves so far, if not the very best. Flyers Coach Rick Tocchet Can Complete His Staff with This NHL Legend Flyers Coach Rick Tocchet Can Complete His Staff with This NHL Legend New Philadelphia Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet has made the first two additions to his coaching staff, but he still needs one more. How about an NHL legend who just left the Vancouver Canucks? Advertisement The 22nd pick in this year's draft, whether used on a prospect or traded for future-facing roster player, will assuredly aid the Flyers in taking the next step. With an extended opportunity at the start of the upcoming season, Grans, 23, could replace the older, more expensive, and oft-injured Rasmus Ristolainen, though he'll have to earn his place on the NHL roster. The same is true of Bonk, a back-to-back OHL champion and Memorial Cup winner who will be starting his professional career in the Flyers organization this fall. Provorov, since leaving Philadelphia, has scored a total of 65 points in Columbus while playing in all 82 regular season games two years in a row. Despite that, the Flyers' former top draft pick and his Blue Jackets have yet to make the playoffs. Advertisement For Briere, this trade was an easy win at the time and is looking even better with the time that has already passed. The future will decide what happens next, but the Flyers have all the pieces in place to take multiple successful steps forward on the backs of the assets they acquired in Briere's first deal as Flyers GM.
New York Times
15-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Rick Tocchet, Flyers are a natural fit, but not for the reasons you might assume
It's an established pattern in the NHL — teams rotating through the same inventory of coaches over and over, in the hopes that the experience they have gained in their previous stops will help them to immediately get off on the right foot in their new locales. Rick Tocchet, 61, is now firmly one of them. The Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday became the fourth organization to employ him as a head coach, after he previously paced behind the benches of the Tampa Bay Lightning for nearly two full seasons, the Arizona Coyotes for four seasons and the Vancouver Canucks for two and a half seasons. Advertisement The standard complaints about a team recycling a coach are predictable, and may even have some merit. Tocchet has never made it out of the second round of the playoffs, and some questions need to be asked about how the Canucks went from one of the league's best teams in 2023-24 under Tocchet to missing the playoffs this season. Still, it always felt like Tocchet and the Flyers were a natural fit. That's not because he once played for the team, something that is still an immediate turn-off for a portion of the fan base. The fact is, even if Tocchet had never been drafted by or skated for the Flyers, he would have been a strong contender for the job. Such is the respect he has around the league, both as a coach and a man, including from Flyers president of hockey operations Keith Jones. There's a reason he reportedly also was pursued by teams such as the Boston Bruins and Seattle Kraken for their coaching vacancies. No, this is a fit for another reason entirely: It brings more stability to both the Flyers franchise, and to Tocchet himself. From a franchise perspective, the Flyers' attempt at reestablishing themselves as one of the league's premier teams is still an ongoing process. The past two seasons under general manager Daniel Briere have been about setting a certain standard and culture, while also attempting to build for the future by dealing away popular and still effective players. They're two years into what was always going to be a three-year process. But Briere also has said that being in the mix for a playoff spot in 2025-26 should be the aim. That will be no easy task after the Flyers finished with the fourth-worst record in the NHL this season, although Briere has also said he doesn't believe the team was as poor as that record would indicate. Perhaps there's some merit there — if the Flyers hadn't routinely played two backup goalies that weren't anything close to NHL-caliber, had kept their roster intact rather than trading key pieces away, and had a coaching staff that knew what it was doing on the power play — something Tocchet excels at — they probably would have had at least 10 or 12 more points in the standings. Advertisement Still, while it's likely that the Flyers will make at least one or two notable moves this offseason, the 2026 offseason is shaping up as the more important one. By this time next year, the Flyers will be free of most of the dead money they're carrying on the salary cap, and will look to start adding big-name, big-money players in free agency, or in trades for players who might have trade protection. If they're going to accomplish that, it's going to take more than just having salary-cap space and being prepared to write a massive check or two. They're going to have to be viewed as a franchise that's again on the upswing, and, therefore, as a desirable place to play. In other words, stable. And Tocchet, as the most experienced coach still available, gives the Flyers the best chance to achieve that stability. Not only will he be instantly respected in the Flyers' dressing room, but some of the game's biggest stars that have been coached by him, have high praise for him. Sidney Crosby, who had Tocchet as an assistant coach in Pittsburgh during two Stanley Cup-winning seasons, is one, as is Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes. No doubt other star-level players know that, too — perhaps even a few who might be looking for new homes in less than 14 months. Jones said in a statement: 'We are thrilled to have Rick lead our team into the future. What is impressive about Rick is that players gravitate towards him and develop a strong relationship in the process. There is a genuine trust that he will do everything he can to bring success to the team.' On some levels, Tocchet and former coach John Tortorella have a few similarities. They are both viewed as more 'old school' in their approaches, whether that's a defense-first mentality, which brings with it the risk of stifling offensive players, or, perhaps, being a bit too demanding and rigid in their instructions. But that isn't something that would be a turnoff for the Flyers' brass. Yes, it was an ugly ending to the Tortorella marriage in March. But prior to those final few weeks, it was evident in the moves that Briere made that he respected Tortorella's decisions with the roster, including the way that the coach handled rookie Matvei Michkov. Advertisement In terms of evaluating Tocchet, some young players, such as Clayton Keller in Arizona and Elias Pettersson in Vancouver, are two high-end talents who perhaps didn't respond to the coach's methods. But what Tocchet will inevitably do better than Tortorella is communicate with his players when issues arise. There aren't likely to be any situations like there were with Sean Couturier and Cam York telling reporters they had no idea why they were getting healthy-scratched by Tortorella, for example. Tocchet, it's been reported, wasn't necessarily looking to jump back into coaching right away after parting ways with the Canucks last month. When he popped up on the TNT panel again last week, there was speculation he'd be back there on a full-time basis again soon, trading playful barbs with Liam McHugh and Paul Bissonnette. But the Flyers' job offers him the sort of stability he hasn't had in the past. His first job as a head coach, in Tampa Bay, came before that team was purchased by Jeff Vinik. He replaced Barry Melrose after just 16 games, and was let go after the ownership change resulted in an entirely new regime. The Coyotes, of course, were never a stable franchise, and finally relocated to Utah about a year ago. When Tocchet was in charge, they were still routinely trading for dead money just to reach the salary-cap floor. It's tough to offer a fair evaluation of a head coach in those circumstances. Vancouver probably seemed like a good situation at first, with a talented roster in a rabid, Canadian hockey market. But after one successful season, 2024-25 devolved into a dysfunctional mess, including a rift between Pettersson and J.T. Miller that resulted in the trade of the latter to the New York Rangers. How much blame Tocchet bears for what went down there this season is difficult to ascertain, but the Canucks were hoping to keep him around before there was an amicable split. Surely, Briere, Jones and team governor Dan Hilferty all convinced Tocchet that the Flyers of now aren't the same as the Flyers of five years ago, when Chuck Fletcher, Dave Scott and Valerie Camillo were running things into the ground, and when Tocchet interviewed for the job that eventually went to Tortorella. There is a now clear direction and a plan in place, along with Comcast's deep pockets. Advertisement Whether the franchise is being steered in the correct way is something that Tocchet will now help to determine. But at the very least, his hiring, and the level of comfort it likely brings everyone involved, allows the organization to continue down the path it has already set without veering off in an entirely different direction.
CBS News
14-05-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Philadelphia Flyers hire Rick Tocchet as head coach
Danny Briere has made his first head coaching hire as Philadelphia Flyers general manager, and it's a familiar face. The Flyers named Rick Tocchet as their next head coach, the team announced Wednesday. Tocchet is well-known to Flyers fans, having played 11 of his 18 NHL seasons with the team. He was a teammate in Philadelphia with Flyers president Keith Jones and played with Briere with the Coyotes. He was inducted into the Flyers' Hall of Fame in 2021. He spent years serving as a Flyers analyst on NBC Sports Philadelphia. "I am very happy to welcome Rick Tocchet as our head coach," Briere said in a statement. "During this process, it became clear that Rick was the absolute right coach to lead our team. He has enjoyed the highest level of success both as a player and coach. Rick's ability to teach and understand his players, combined with his passion for winning, brings out the best in young players at different stages of their development and has earned the respect and confidence of highly talented All-Stars and veteran players alike." Tocchet, 61, comes back to Philadelphia after serving the past three seasons as the Vancouver Canucks head coach. The Canucks declined Tocchet's option for next season, but reportedly offered him a new contract to stay. He opted to leave Vancouver to come home to Philadelphia. "Family is a priority, and with my contract lapsing, this becomes the opportune time," Tocchet said in a statement on April 29. "While I don't know where I'm headed, or exactly how this will play out for me over the near term, I feel like this is the right time for me to explore other opportunities in and around hockey." The Canucks were 108-65-27 in Tocchet's three seasons as head coach. He won the Jack Adams Award for guiding Vancouver to a 50-win season in 2024 before losing to the Edmonton Oilers in the second round. The club finished 38-30-14 and missed the playoffs last season. In his nine-year coaching career, Tocchet also led the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Arizona Coyotes. "I've always been a Flyer at heart and have taken that passion and energy that embodies this city and organization with me throughout my career," Tocchet said in the team's announcement. "I couldn't be more excited to lead this team back among the NHL elite where we belong. We have a lot of work to do and much to accomplish, but I am confident in the direction we are heading and determined to get us there." How did the Philadelphia Flyers get here? The John Tortorella era in Philadelphia came to an end earlier than anticipated. The Flyers took a considerable step back in their third season under Tortorella, leading to the club firing him with nine games left on March 27. In firing Tortorella, Briere praised the 65-year-old for the culture he helped establish and for his role in setting a high standard in the locker room. However, Briere also hinted that several things were happening behind the scenes that contributed to Tortorella's departure, including his comments after a loss in Toronto two days before his dismissal. "It's one of the things that happened along the way," Briere said in March. "That's not the specific reason, and there's not one specific reason. It's one of the things that has happened along the way. There's been different ones. Don't just focus on that." After taking a step forward in Year 2 under Tortorella, even flirting with a playoff berth, the Flyers regressed significantly in the 2024-25 campaign. At the time of Tortorella's firing, the orange and black were 28-36-9 and had lost 12 of their previous 14 games. They finished strong under interim head coach Brad Shaw, winning five of their final nine games. The club finished the season at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, tied with the Boston Bruins with 76 points. "It's no secret that last year we probably overachieved from what the expectations were. This year, we underachieved. I still feel like we're a much better team and much closer than where we finished in the standings," Briere said at the team's breakout day. "I've always said the players would dictate that. There are guys who really took a big step forward. There are a few guys who regressed. I don't think we're that far off. I think we're at a stage now where we're going to shift a little bit from subtracting from the roster into trying to start to add and help the team." Will Brad Shaw remain on the Flyers' coaching staff? On April 23, the Flyers announced changes to their coaching staff, parting ways with assistant coaches Rocky Thompson, Angelo Ricci and Darryl Williams. Two coaches not included in the changes were Shaw and goalie coach Kim Dillabaugh. Shaw and Dillabaugh could still end up leaving as part of the new coaching staff, but the Flyers' retention of both indicates that the front office would like to keep them. Before taking over as interim head coach, Shaw's main responsibility as assistant coach was overseeing the Flyers' defense. Several defensemen have taken steps over the past few years under Shaw's tutelage, and they've sung praises for Shaw. When the Flyers fired Tortorella, they were in the midst of a six-game losing streak and losing 12 of their previous 14 games. In nine games with Shaw as interim head coach, the Flyers' on-ice product turned around. Philadelphia finished the season 5-3-1, averaging four goals per game in its nine games under Shaw. "He did a really good job [as interim head coach]," Briere said at the team's breakout day. "It was kind of a different approach than Torts had, and some guys really stepped up and seemed like they were a little freer." During the Flyers' breakout day, Briere said the team would consider Shaw as the head coach. Ultimately, the Flyers decided on Tocchet instead. It's unclear at this time if Shaw will remain on the Flyers' coaching staff.
