The pressure is building in Philadelphia, and the Flyers are already hearing about it after a rough start. Darren Dreger said on TSN that four straight losses, leaving the club at 0-2-2, have started to heat things up around Rick Tocchet and his staff.
Tocchet has already acknowledged the weight of the results, and Dreger said the coach has made it clear he knows the scrutiny comes with the job. As Dreger put it:
“But again, you’ve got a white-hot head coach in Rick Tochett who is going to do everything he can to continue to push the buttons. Couple of games back-to-back where we heard the coach talk about, ‘Hey, this is on the coach too. I’ve got to find a way to figure this out.’
But he elevated the temperature. So I think that you’re going to see accountability dispensed here in Philadelphia and most definitely the demand for attention to detail because we have not seen that from the Flyers early on.”
In Detroit, the picture is just as unsettled, and maybe even more complicated. Dreger said there have been no fresh developments on restricted free agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson, even though the Red Wings want to keep him and view him as a possible foundational piece.
The wrinkle is Dylan Larkin. His situation remains fluid and has stretched into the early part of the season, which has the organization weighing its options. Dreger said Kris Draper has shifted into the pro scouting department, and that role could matter if the Wings find themselves looking at major moves.
“He’s the director of pro scouting. And what that means is Draper will now be essentially going through all the ranks of professional hockey, targeting pieces that maybe interim general manager Sean Horcoff feels that they can work with in a trade scenario that pops up for either Dylan Larkin or, if they get to a place where they’re willing to cut bait on Edvinsson and revamp the organization with two massive trades, Larkin and Edvinsson. Well, Kris Draper is going to have to put eyes on the pieces of that puzzle.”
For now, Detroit is still talking with Edvinsson’s agent, J.P. Barry, but Dreger said there has been no movement. The Red Wings are also listening to other teams and comparing outside offers to what it would take to sign Edvinsson themselves.
In Other News...
Oilers Trade Interest In Young Center Suddenly Gets More Complicated
The Flyers early offensive issues made the front office move quickly, and Michael Bunting was brought in on a one-year, $1.2 million contract as part of that effort. Philadelphia had been short on finish through the opening stretch, and the hope is that Bunting can help add a little more spark to a group that has been searching for goals and cleaner looks in the attacking zone.
Elsewhere around the league, trade chatter involving a young center has only added another layer to the Flyers corner of the rumor mill. Edmonton has reportedly talked with an Eastern Conference team about a possible deal, with Bostons Matt Poitras among the names being floated, though nothing has been finalized. For Philadelphia, it is the kind of background noise that can matter, especially as the club keeps trying to sort out its own scoring picture while other teams weigh whether to make a move. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Already Look Stuck With A Roster Problem They Created
The Flyers came into training camp with a roster that felt mostly decided before the competition even got going, and the shortened preseason only made that approach harder to challenge. Danny Briere acknowledged the team had a preset mindset, which meant there was limited room for younger players to force their way onto the opening night lineup even as Cole Knuble and Jett Luchanko showed enough promise to at least keep the conversation alive.
Philadelphias caution has left it with a familiar early-season problem: a roster that may not have much flexibility when opportunities appear. Even with injuries creating openings, the Flyers still did not lean into them for a young forward, a choice that speaks to how carefully the organization is managing its prospects and how quickly a self-imposed logjam can turn into a real issue once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Already Face Early Pressure In A Game That Could Shift Everything
The Flyers are already feeling the weight of an ugly opening stretch, and the timing hardly helps with Ottawa up next. A slow start was always going to invite scrutiny, but this one has been especially hard to ignore, with Philadelphia searching for traction while the schedule keeps offering little room to breathe.
The recent addition of Michael Bunting gives the lineup a bit more grit and some short-term help, but it is not the kind of move that changes the larger picture by itself. What comes next matters because the Flyers need more than a quick patch, and this upcoming run could say a lot about whether the early frustrations are just a stumble or the start of something much bigger. [Read more 🡒]