SHOULD THE FLYERS MOVE ON FROM RICK TOCCHET?

Four games into the 2026-27 season, the Philadelphia Flyers are already facing a question that would have sounded ridiculous just a few months ago: should they move on from head coach Rick Tocchet?

Right now, my answer is no, but the question is becoming much more reasonable than it should be. Tocchet’s first season in Philadelphia was a great success, as the Flyers improved from 76 points the year before he arrived to a 43-27-12 record and 98 points. They finished third in the Metropolitan Division, returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2020, and even defeated Pittsburgh in six games before losing to Carolina in the second round. Philadelphia also finished last season incredibly strong, going 18-7-1 over its final 26 regular-season games, while Tocchet helped turn the Flyers into a great defensive team.

That success is exactly why their start to this season is so confusing and concerning. Philadelphia has started 0-2-2, has been outscored 17-5, and, most alarmingly, has been outshot 158-76. Opponents have generated more than twice as many shots as the Flyers, which shows that these losses aren't simply coming from bad bounces or unlucky goaltending. Philadelphia is just being outplayed. Their latest 4-1 loss to Tampa Bay was another perfect example, with the Flyers being outshot 36-14 despite Dan Vladar making 32 saves and giving them a chance.

After the game, Tocchet admitted that his team “just didn’t compete” and had become “way too comfortable.” This is concerning because when an entire team consistently lacks effort and stability, some of that responsibility has to fall on the head coach.

The offense is another major concern. Philadelphia scored only five goals through its first four games, and the power play remains one of the biggest weaknesses on the roster. Last season, the Flyers converted just 15.7% of their power-play opportunities, and Philadelphia has finished last in the NHL in power-play percentage in four of the past five seasons. Tocchet obviously didn't create all of those problems, but now that he is in his second year, he has to start finding solutions. This roster doesn't have a superstar like Connor McDavid or Nathan MacKinnon who can completely take over games offensively, meaning Philadelphia needs a system that creates quality chances through puck movement, zone entries, traffic around the net, and keeping pressure on the other team. Right now, we aren't seeing enough of that. Still, firing Tocchet after four games would be a massive overreaction. We can't just forget about an entire 82-game season and playoff run because of one terrible week.

Tocchet earned himself some patience by taking a rebuilding Flyers team to 98 points and a playoff series victory in his first season, but that patience shouldn't be unlimited. The next 10 to 15 games should tell us a lot more about where this team is heading. I'm less concerned about Philadelphia's actual record during that stretch than I am about how they play. Are they controlling the puck more? Are they generating more shots? Is the power play improving? Are they spending less time trapped in their defensive zone? And most importantly, do they actually look like they're playing Rick Tocchet's style of hockey again?

If those things improve, this 0-2-2 start will probably become nothing more than a rough opening week. But if the Flyers reach 15 or 20 games and they're still getting badly outshot, struggling to score, and hearing their head coach talk about effort and missed assignments after every loss, then this becomes a completely different conversation. For now, the Flyers should stick with Tocchet because what he accomplished last season earned him that opportunity, but he now has to prove he can get this team back under control. Philadelphia isn't supposed to be satisfied with rebuilding anymore. Last year's playoff run raised expectations, and this season was supposed to be another step forward.

If the Flyers continue moving backward instead, eventually the question won't be whether Philadelphia should move on from Rick Tocchet — it'll be how much longer they can afford not to.

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