The Philadelphia Flyers (33-39-10) regressed from last season. Entering 2024-2025, the Flyers were poised to sneak into the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, the bottom fell out.
Daniel Brière fired John Tortorella. Tortorella had a season remaining on his coaching contract, but enough was enough after butting heads with talent. Earlier in the rebuild, Tortorella brought the hard brand of coaching Philadelphia required when establishing a foundation. Brad Shaw took over as the interim head coach, and in nine games, he became a true candidate.
On the ice, more than a few players took gigantic steps forward in their game. Additionally, a bevy of prospects made their NHL debuts:
Over the weekend, the Flyers met with the media for the 2024-2025 exit day interviews.
Brad Shaw
Overall, Shaw is 23-21-5 as an interim head coach in the NHL. He previously filled the role with the New York Islanders in 2005-2006.
The standard set by Tortorella didn’t disappear with him. Shaw, 19 seasons after his previous interim head coach experience, learned how to pivot with this roster. He’s familiar with the roster, and the players kept competing throughout the final outing in Buffalo.
Shaw managed the defensemen, but while he’s familiar with the roster, the interim head coach role offered another perspective.
“You see so many different perspectives of players. You start seeing forwards instead of defense. [The] defense was not an afterthought, but they’re at the other end of the bench. I thought it was great for me to go through the process of seeing what it was all about, even on an interim basis. I had a real good time. I thought it helped me understand some of our players a little bit better, too; especially on the forward side.” – Brad Shaw; 4/18/2025
Shaw confirmed his interest in the head coach position with the Flyers. In the coming days, he’ll meet with Brière. Alternatively, Shaw said he would be open to returning as an assistant if Brière hired a different head coach. Throughout the rebuild, Shaw guided Philadelphia’s defensive core.
One of the more brilliant nuggets from Shaw addressed how he communicates with the roster. That is a sharp contrast from Tortorella. Tortorella challenged the roster, and Shaw usually was the alternative. However, it’s vital to Shaw that he keeps true to himself if he becomes the next head coach of the Flyers. He asked players how he could keep them accountable, opening a two-way conversation and establishing a relationship on a positive note, avoiding clashes while remaining transparent.
Daniel Brière
Sooner rather than later, Brière will hire a new head coach. It’s on the to-do list in the short term. Hiring a new head coach will be the top priority of the offseason.
This week, Brière will begin to speak with the coaching staff. He’ll meet potential in-house candidates like Shaw. A top head coaching candidate must mesh fluidly with the roster. The contrast between Tortorella and the next hire will be stark. However, one was a requirement for a much different time in the rebuild.
“Shawzy [Shaw] will be in the running. We’ll consider him. He’s done a good job, and we’ve been impressed with him since he was here, even under Torts [Tortorella]. He’ll be in the running, but again, we’re not at that stage yet.” – Daniel Brière; 4/19/2025
Communication and teaching, Brière mentioned, will be at the forefront when considering the next head coach candidate. This decision becomes the thesis for turning the corner on a rebuild and competing for a playoff berth instead of burning out.
Brière intends to add to improve the roster and help the team this offseason.
“Three, four years ago, we didn’t have a lot of prospects. We had one prospect that was pushing to make a team here and there. Now, we are starting to see guys starting to come, and the following year, there’s going to be even more. All that combined, the guys cannot be satisfied with where they are. When you start creating that internal competition, it forces them to take a next step. The other part of it, removing or subtracting some of the contracts, [have] created a little bit of cap space going into next season that we didn’t think we would have until the following summer. So, there’s a little bit of a window to add from the outside. We’re not going to be able to fix every problem, but it would be nice to, if the situation is right, to add a player or two to come in and help on that front. That also should help in taking a step forward.” – Daniel Brière; 4/19/2025
We’re starting to see the younger talent evolve. Next, some other prospects will begin their journey. Brière was always adamant that the rebuild speed depends on the players. That phase is the next installment in moving this franchise out of the basement.
Sean Couturier
During the last quarter of the season, Sean Couturier felt he finished well. As the captain, he is disappointed about how the season went overall. A silver lining is Couturier completed his best season since winning the Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy in 2019-2020. Next season, Couturier is ready to accelerate back to his best form.
He’s had a rough go of it during the rebuild. Couturier missed an entire season due to back surgeries. This season, Couturier began to turn the corner on his conditioning, finding comfort in the grind of a full NHL season.
“It was more, I think mentally. I knew what to expect more. Last year, it almost felt like every week, something like just little nagging injuries, it’s almost like I forgot what it is to go through an eighty-two-game season; the grind of it. I think my body was definitely more ready to take the hits this year.” – Sean Couturier; 4/18/2025
Philadelphia could begin to turn the corner on their rebuild this offseason. Couturier wants to win, like the rest of his teammates. He, Travis Konecny, and Travis Sanheim are the few remaining from the last time the Flyers achieved a postseason berth.
Those players occupy leadership roles in Philadelphia, and if Couturier’s observations indicate the future, players like Tyson Foerster, Bobby Brink, and Noah Cates are molding into potential locker-room leaders.
Travis Konecny
Konecny is his heaviest critic. He competed in each game this season, totaling 76 points (24G, 52A), nearly producing at a point-per-game pace (.92 P/60). Setting a new career-high in points didn’t satisfy the hunger for Konecny.
Consistency was the common thread pointed out when Konecny reflected upon his season. Another large talking point was the poor powerplay. The Flyers finished with the 30th-ranked (15%) powerplay. The unit is trying hard but hasn’t exactly improved from drastic lows under Rocky Thompson.
Admittedly, pushing to make the 4 Nations Faceoff roster played a slight role in exhausting Konecny.
“I wasn’t dealing with anything. The push that I was making to try to get on that ‘4 Nations’ team at the start of the year, by the end of that, I was just drained. It just took a lot out of me, and then once the play started to go down, [it] just snowballs and you start getting in your own head. That’s just something, on the mental side of things, I need to take care of.” – Travis Konecny; 4/18/2025
Had Philadelphia pressed for a postseason push, it’s worth considering that maybe Konecny would’ve preserved himself. No one will tell a player not to compete in the 4 Nations Faceoff, and if that is a goal for members of a roster, they’ll need to find a way to keep throttling through the regular season despite exhaustion.
Noah Cates
Cates found his offensive game. At the beginning of the season, Tortorella made that a goal. Before he lost his job, it was one of the successes he witnessed. Praised for his two-hundred-foot play and forechecking, Cates is strong on the puck, possessive, and learned to compete below the hash marks. At one point during the season, Cates centered the best line in the NHL, flanked by Foerster and Brink.
“Parts of our game really complemented each other. Bobby’s [Brink] got such an elite offensive mind and Tyson’s [Foerster] got a big frame; his shot, his stick defensively. A lot of factors went into helping each other out and just playing hard for each other was the biggest thing. We’re always talking, playing hard for each other, and wanting the best for each other.” – Noah Cates; 4/18/2025
That large step forward in his growth and development snatched the attention of veteran teammates and the front office.
Confidence is the underlying trait that will spring this line into the mix next season. Cates developed strong chemistry on a line that didn’t include the usual suspects of high-end talent on the Flyers, such as Konecny and Michkov. If Shaw does become the head coach in Philadelphia, he can be confident in the forward lines centered by Cates and Couturier.
Tyson Foerster
A slow start for Foerster didn’t keep him from accelerating his season. Foerster finished the season with 25 goals scored, only trailing Michkov for the team lead. His season trajectory is the opposite of Konecny’s, heating up at the end of the season instead of cooling off, but the overall picture shows tremendous growth.
Foerster is a natural goal-scorer with a cannon shot. Cates is a terrific two-way forward, and Brink uncovered more of his playmaking potential. Whoever becomes the coach of the Flyers would be wise to keep this line intact. The camaraderie between Foerster, Cates, and Brink morphed into a more therapeutic way of handling the challenges of making a mistake during the game.
“We’re all super close. We always go to dinner together. If a guy messes up, we’re not going to bitch at each other, sorry for my language. We’re not going to yell at each other. We’re just going to say, ‘Alright, we’ll do it better next shift.’ We have confidence in each other, and we work well.” – Tyson Foerster; 4/18/2025
I once called the Foerster, Cates, and Brink line the ‘Most Tortorella Line.’ As it turns out, they thrived in a very ‘un-Tortorella’ environment.
Matvei Michkov
Everyone waited on bated breath for Michkov to debut. He was as advertised. Michkov, in his rookie season, led Philadelphia in goal-scoring, tied with Konecny to lead the Flyers in powerplay points and game-winning goals, and is competing squarely with Lane Hutson and Macklin Celebrini for the Calder Memorial Trophy.
Michkov was benched and scratched during the season by Tortorella. A point of contention is whether scratching Michkov would adversely affect his development. Overall, it did not. Tortorella wanted Michkov to understand the concept of backchecking in the NHL, but leading the offensive transition is his game. Shaw understood the balance, allowing a leash if Michkov cut loose from the neutral zone.
“John [Tortorella] teached me a lot. It was a pleasure to work with him. I think it’s one of my best coaches. He had a lot under his belt, he gave me a lot, I listened to him all the time, and I’m sure in the future, it will help me out. Not everything, but most of it.” – Matvei Michkov; 4/19/2025
Onward to next season, Michkov knows he can do better than his rookie totals, and he’s ready to help lead Philadelphia into success next season.
Bobby Brink
Brink was the most improved player on the Flyers, denoted by the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy. His playmaking drastically improved on an incredible line where each forward committed fully to their strengths. This season (79GP; 41P), he smashed his previous best (57GP; 23P) alongside Cates and Foerster.
What’s wonderful is how Brink already wants to accentuate these strengths heading into next season. Part of that includes powerplay prowess. Brink uncorked a screaming slapshot from the point against the Buffalo Sabres. Generating offense from that area on the powerplay in a new variant added to his game.
“It was a unique thing. I never really done that before. It’s nice; touching the puck a lot up there and being able to see the whole ice, and direct the powerplay.” – Bobby Brink; 4/19/2025
As one of the best puck distributors on the roster, adding this wrinkle ahead of next season could help Philadelphia out of its powerplay woes.
Travis Sanheim
Sanheim represented the Flyers at the 4 Nations Faceoff, too. Of course, not having the break wore down the skating legs. He and Konecny were both drained to an extent. The 4 Nations Faceoff was a fantastic spectacle to inspire new hockey fans, but the players competing didn’t get a ten-day break from the regular season.
Earning a spot on Team Canada doesn’t come easy. Both Sanheim and Konecny popped in the front half of the season. His performance on the ice placed Sanheim among the most important in Philadelphia.
It’s remarkable how Sanheim wasn’t part of the leadership group because he’s rightfully looked up to, and his response about it solidified his placement as a great mind.
“I think I’ve been, for a little bit now, kind of in that group. Just being an older guy on this team, especially on the [defensive] core, I have to step up in that regard and just be a good leader on and off the ice. The biggest thing is letting your play dictate that and the ability to kind of help guys out when you can.” – Travis Sanheim; 4/18/2025
He’s been along for the ride for eight seasons with the Flyers. Next season, Sanheim hopes to keep elevating his game with Philadelphia, pushing forward for a better result in the NHL while remaining on the international hockey radar.
Jamie Drysdale
Of all the defensemen, Jamie Drysdale had the most to gain this season. Brière traded for the puck-moving defender, and Drysdale’s development elevated under Tortorella and Shaw.
As vital was Drysdale’s health. Drysdale trained and prepared to remain healthy, naturally improving at the NHL level with a new club. He regained clear confidence. This season was his best since 2021-2022.
Drysdale, next season, is poised to remain the powerplay quarterback as the Flyers attempt to break out of a broken man-advantage. He met most of the demands presented to him by Tortorella and Shaw, and while inconsistencies were present, Drysdale pieced the puzzle together. If you look back at this season, Drysdale seemed to find his groove in Philadelphia while taking down his former team at the Wells Fargo Center.
“That was definitely the coolest game I’ve ever been a part of, for sure. There was obviously a lot of anticipation there. It was a lot of fun to be a part of. The crowd was absolutely wild. Definitely a confidence booster.” – Jamie Drysdale; 4/18/2025
Sam Ersson
Unfortunately, recurring injuries sort of defined Sam Ersson this season. He wasn’t ever completely healed, and without Ersson, Ivan Fedotov or Kolosov were relied upon to find wins. Overall, the Flyers had the worst goaltending unit in the NHL, and it wasn’t close.
“It’s obviously recurring injuries a little bit there. I got hurt two times in November and missed some time throughout December, and then got back and missed a little bit more time, but it was something that just felt like it never really went away. It’s manageable, but still bugging you a little bit. The last two or three weeks here, I feel like it’s been one hundred percent.” – Sam Ersson; 4/19/2025
No surgery is required but if recurring injuries become a theme into next season, Ersson will become a goaltender who officially keeps battling injuries year in and year out. This season wasn’t the first time, and Philadelphia will need an insurance policy to occupy the crease.
Each goaltender on the Flyers roster has another year on their contract to compete, and despite injuries and regression, Ersson would remain the best option to take the lion’s share.
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