How John Tortorella’s departure has already impacted Flyers for the better

Three games down in the post John Tortorella era and three wins for the Philadelphia Flyers. With the shackles coming off and an aura of relief beaming off the team, the Flyers seemingly have new life breathed into them in the trio of contests since last Thursday’s shocking coaching change. Early in interim head coach Brad Shaw’s tenure running the bench, there is a palpable change in the Flyers. 

The stylistic play of the Flyers has not changed; to be fair, it was one thing under Tortorella that was not the problem. Despite a subpar roster and lacking talent in all areas, the Flyers have had strong underlying numbers all season long and were one of the better defensive teams in the NHL even before the coaching change. The changes under Shaw have not come in the tangible way – it is how the players look and are feeling. 

So what is Flyers management looking for over the final stretch of games here before turning the page to the offseason? Based on conversations I’ve had with team sources, it’s to get a feel for what these players can give without the Tortorella effect bearing down on them. 

The elephant in the room post-Tortorella is undeniable: the offensive explosion of Matvei Michkov. It is no secret that Tortorella went to war with the Russian rookie on more than one occasion this season, landing the 2023 seventh overall pick in the press box. Speaking with one source, Michkov would’ve spent more time in the pressbox had it been solely up to Tortorella. With four goals and two assists in three games since Tortorella’s dismissal, it’s clear there was restriction going on in Michkov’s game before the coaching change. 

What was it exactly? Not to say that Tortorella’s methods were all bad, but the relentlessness in pushing his beliefs on players and “not knowing when to lay off,” as one person said to me, was probably something that was hard on a player like Michkov who was still adjusting to life in North America. Mistakes will happen, undoubtedly, but when you’re fearing that a benching or scratch is around the corner everytime you make a mistake, it will inherently take away confidence in your game. Michkov’s ice time has jumped rather dramatically since Shaw has taken over and the rewards have been reaped to this point. 

Michkov has had a noticeable pep in his step since the change behind the bench, but there are other players that will need to show something between now and the end of the season. 

The low-hanging fruit is Owen Tippett, who has had a down year after signing an eight-year contract extension last winter. One of the bigger positive development stories under Tortorella originally, Tippett’s progression stagnated this year; he has fallen out of the team’s top six and has remained there even under Shaw. 

One of the more positive stories this season has been defenseman Jamie Drysdale, who has been under Shaw’s guidance for the last 14 months since being acquired from the Anaheim Ducks. Drysdale has moved into a more consistent top four role alongside Cam York (whom we’ll get to) over the last three games and is a player who is one of the more intriguing cases as to how he progresses under a new coach. 

As for York, his feud with Tortorella (to put it lightly) ended in spectacular fashion with a reported dispute between the two following the latter’s final coached game versus the Toronto Maple Leafs last week. I don’t think getting into the specifics of what went on behind the scenes last week is necessarily relevant, but it’s worth raising more so just pinpointing the tangible regression in York’s game under Tortorella this season. As one source said, York quickly became the whipping boy for Tortorella this season when things went sideways. I don’t think York is someone the Flyers want to sell low on and, by all accounts, is still a part of their future (at least for now). The end of the season (and beyond) will be about “rebuilding York,” as one source said to me. 

Though head coaches don’t really have a major effect on the goaltending position, I am curious to see how the Flyers’ netminders will respond under a new bench boss. 

Tortorella made it public that Carter Hart’s departure (which eventually led to his arrest) affected the team (specifically last season), and according to a source, the Tortorella had issues with almost every goaltender the Flyers pushed his way over the last 13 months. Sources have indicated that Tortorella’s lack of patience with his goaltenders and quick trigger to ride the hot hand affected the goaltenders’ ability to not only stay fresh, but also find a groove. Tortorella is a coach who struggled to adapt with not riding a goaltender 65 to 70 games like when he had Sergei Bobrovsky and Henrik Lundqvist. 

The Flyers need better goaltending from Samuel Ersson, Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov – that much is certain. Contrary to other beliefs, I don’t think the Flyers should look to explore adding a goaltender this summer. The three aforementioned goaltenders are all under contract until 2026; with the Flyers not looking to compete imminently in 2025-26, they should take one more season to figure out what they have with their three goaltenders – most specifically Ersson and Kolosov, as Fedotov is approaching 30 and not a long term solution. 

Tortorella’s firing has allowed the Flyers to turn the page and figure out what they have in some players under a new coaching regime. With the shackles now off, it is an opportunity for all the Flyers’ players to show what they have in a relaxed environment with no looming fear.

_____

POST SPONSORED BY bet365

Recently by Anthony Di Marco

• The events that led to Flyers firing coach John Tortorella
• What to expect from Cam York’s next contract
• Who will be the finalists for the Jack Adams? NHL executives weigh-in
• Can Predators prove this season’s flop was a fluke and return to playoffs in 2025-26?
• Jets didn’t upgrade enough at Trade Deadline, but were their hands tied?
• Why the Boston Bruins blew it up, and what they’ll do next