Diehard Exclusive
Unlock Your Full Philadelphia Flyers Experience
This premium content is a Philadelphia Flyers Diehard exclusive.
DIEHARD MEMBERSHIP
$79.99
/year
As a Diehard, you'll get:
Plus
Join Now
Cancel anytime. No questions asked.
Manage Membership
You're already a Diehard! Manage your subscription from your dashboard.
Already a Diehard?
Sign In
24 Comments (9 conversations)
Jack Berlin
It’s interesting to see the difference in perspectives from two members of the beat regarding Michkov’s defensive deficiencies. The Athletic writer takes an oddly and overly critical approach to Michkov and you’d think he was the only poor defensive player on the team who somehow is in danger of being discarded because of all the other superior wingers the team has. I do not understand how every game is a referendum on Michkov’s ability to play on the league when veterans we have all been watching for years have served significant notice of their inability to carry or demonstrate a winning squad. Help me understand.
Peter Sherman
I read both and agree with your question. My thought is the athletic writer has gone from optimistic takes to pessimistic takes on the Flyers as a whole so an overly critical take on Michkov fits that theme as soured fans often approve negative takes
Michael Curran
Kevin Kurz is awful. He should go back to the Islanders beat.
Robert Thrash
Kurz is horrible and a complete shill for the Org. He and ASF need to go…
Vandit Kalia
Kevin’s recent articles have been pretty lazy and lacking in insight. I dont always agree with Charlie’s opinions, but they are ALWAYS well reasoned, well argued and worth considering. Kevin seems to be just pandering to the masses.
Matt
Kevin worked for the team when Briere was there and he will sport any take by coaches or management. If the athletic wasn’t free I would cancel it.
Vandit Kalia
Wait… whatcha mean its free?
David LaVeck
I think it is for NY Times subscribers.
Vandit Kalia
At what point do the Flyers stop thinking about the playoffs and focus instead on maximizing the development of their young players? And what form will this latter take?
Do they still play the low-event style of hockey which lets them remain competitive as per analytics but stifle any kind of creativity, or do they open up the game and let the players play to their skills (ala Torts)? Do they give the younger players on the roster more ice time and let them work on developing their game even if there are mistakes along the way? Are any of the other prospects in the AHL ready for a call up (well, Bonk, mainly)?
I need some kind of a reason to watch this team. The grind-it style would be tolerable in the playoffs. But they arent winning, they arent playing hockey thats fun to watch and their skilled players are neutered by the offensive scheme. Really hard to get excited about that.
Peter Sherman
I suspect putting Michkov on right wing was one of those development moves that the front office “encouraged” Tocchet to do. Not clear to me why a shift from left to right wing matters to Tocchet.
Also was moving Risto up to the 1st D pairing meant to enhance his trade value this summer? That’s a kind of sacrifice today for tomorrow move.
Vandit Kalia
Honestly, re Risto – at this point, it is clear that they wont get a lot for him. I mean, a low 1st or a mid-roster prospect, at most. And that’s fine – that’s an addition to the pipeline but unlike to be the difference maker we need.
I am more concerned about the development of Michkov, Zegras, Barkey and Drysdale. I’d like to see them loosen the offensive structure a little and let them develop their offensive skills some more… within reason, of course: no lazy plays or hanging out by the red line instead of playing D, but take some risks in the offensive zone, for example. Every time Michkov gets the pick in the middle of the offensive zone with space, he makes a play or comes close to making a play. And instead, they have him grinding along the boards like a checking forward. Ugh.
Robert Thrash
My observations:
1. Tocch was never the right hire and plays the most boring system ever. This guys is not an elite coach and his career coaching numbers bare that out.
2. Danny and JK are dogshit execs who were handed position of power.
3. It’s just more of the same. Another pick outside the top 10 this year and no path to get a 1C or 1D. And please dont tell me Jett is on his way. Dude doesn’t even shoot the puck and his headed to be a 3C at best. Jack N is the same.
Vandit Kalia
I am not convinced of Tocchet either. Torts was a demanding coach but he certainly was good at developing younger players well – atleast those with the mental makeup to accept tough love. You could see that in his expectations from players, and even how he changed the structure to build around Michkov.
I dont see a lot of emphasis on development from Tocchet. He seems to be trying to build a team that can make the playoffs by playing a disciplined, boring, low-in-creativity offense. That, to me, is my biggest worry.
Danny has been doing a pretty good job – no, he didnt tank and after 3 years, i think that ship has sailed. He’s done a good job so far with accruing young talent. No, he hasn’t added the 1C but what exactly were we expecting in the last 2 years with no cap space, no high end prospects and no high end older talent to trade away? The rebuild isn’t done – how about we wait and see what happens?
jonas
Tocchet’s mismanagement of Michkov is bordering on malpractice. Why is he grumbling about moving him back to his preferred position where he plays better?
Michael Curran
You won’t get an argument from me about Michkov. Tocchet was a mistake from the jump.
Michael Curran
Can the Flyers please trade for Zibanejad? It may be the only way to keep him from murdering them.
Michael Curran
Another season is rapidly coming to a close. Thank you hockey gods The hiring of Briere was met with much hope but I fear that this organization is treading water.
Has any of the young players made significant impacts? The Tocchet hire looks like another coaching misfire.
Maybe, just maybe there are over evaluations on certain types. Tippett disappears for long stretches, York appears destined for a 3rd pairing, he just makes too may mistakes. Forester can’t stay on the ice. Michkov has been punished by two successive head coaches for his inability to play perfect hockey. Ersson stinks. TK is their best player but he would be a 2nd or 3rd line winger.
Sanheim is a second pairing D man.
Its a mess. I fear a perennial playoff team is about 4-5 years away.
Seeler is right. The fans deserve better.
Vandit Kalia
It’s worth noting that the two players who were the most critical of Torts last year are continuing to under-perform: York is nowhere close to living up to his first-half-of-the-1st-round billing. He’s basically a slightly plus version of Emil Andrae. Coots is a shell of his self.
I still think Torts did a pretty good job in developing the players. He got 60 points out of Michkov while still teaching him how to play in the NHL. Sanheim and TK both blossomed under him. Brinks, Cates ad Drysdale all improved under Torts and his team.
Where is that emphasis on development under Tocchet? I generally dont like to criticise coaches and always prefer to give them the benefit of the doubt. But in Tocchet’s case, I am fast losing faith in him.
Also – TK is a 3rd line winger? Really? I get being frustrated with the team but that’s a fairly absurd take, quite honestly. Guy is playing with 2nd and 3rd line centers and on a team with no working PP, and still putting up the points. He’s a legit 1st line winger.
Michael Curran
TK is a 1st line Winger on this team only because what else is there.
Sanheim has regressed this year and at what point in his career does he take some responsibility for continuing his development? I mean how many years has he been in the league?
I look at Cates and I see Laughton with some better offensive skills. He is a dime a dozen player just like “Laughts”
Tocchet is a mistake hiring. Didn’t like it when it happened and I feel justified at this point in the season.
York is another non-descript pick.
God bless you guad you see more positives than I do. PP and PK stinks. Nothing has changed across the board. If they let Tocchet finish his contract it will be a waste of another 5 years with the prediction that Michkov will walk if Tocchet is still here.
Vandit Kalia
I mainly disagree with you re TK – he’s a legit top line winger. With a good center, he’d be a PPG player or close enough to it. That’s pretty much top line performance.
Re the others: you are right that none of them are All-Stars. But thats also a very unfair take. Cates, Brink – these are guys picked at positions where even making the NHL isnt a given, and they have become perfectly cromulent middle-of-the-roster players. Thats not a bad thing. Sanheim has also become a very solid, dependable, play-big-minutes Dman. Again, not a Norris candidate but a legit top pairing D-man. Drysdale has also turned around from being on his way out of the league to becoming a top-4 D-man… one who might have regained some offensive mojo under a different coach.
You are right that i tend to look at the positives – or atleast try to see the rationale behind moves that dont make sense to me. I follow sports to have fun – so either i am invested in the Flyers, or i lose interest. I dont get worked up or angry about it…. life is too short to be bothered by that.
So right now, i see a team that HAS shed a lot of deadweight, added a couple of exciting players to the roster (Michkov, Martone), cleared up cap space and also has some prospects in the pipeline who may/may not work out. And Briere has been very canny with his FA signings and trades so far. So while the result of the rebuild is still up in the air, I am not going to get too bent out of shape over what MAY happen.
Tocchet is about the only move where I disagree strongly with the Flyers direction – and this is after 6 months of holding off forming an opinion.
Vandit Kalia
Sorry – harsh would be better word than unfair.
Jonathan Riendeau
Positive message ..
Michael Sheahan
Nick Seeler said it best: “The fans deserved better” It just gets so old to watch this team come up with these random lousy efforts. When Toccett says the team is “stretched out” what does that even mean? The random belly ups and the lame excuses from the teams broadcasters and spokespeople really get you sick. And yes, Jamie Drysdale should just hang his head at his lack of effort in this one. Sometimes it seems that this team is just in an endless loop going nowhere…..
David LaVeck
What a lousy game other than the Michkov PP goal. Tocchet will put this game at the feet of Michkov & Barkey both -3. Like most people he picks on the young players and caters to the vets who should be ashamed of their efforts in this one, shame on them. Be better.