Quiet so far.
The Philadelphia Flyers don’t seem to be in much of a rush when it comes to naming their next head coach. According to a team source, nothing of note has transpired since the end of the season about a week and a half ago, and they’re still in the stage of internally discussing options.
Advertisement
But there have still been some notable developments around the league that could impact their ultimate decision.
Many have their eyes fixed on Vancouver and what comes next for their coach, Rick Tocchet. There has been speculation that if Tocchet and the Canucks break up, the Flyers could pounce, considering the 61-year-old’s ties to the organization as a former player and local broadcaster, and his tight relationship with president of hockey operations Keith Jones.
To be clear, the Flyers wouldn’t be able to formally reach out to Tocchet until there was some sort of resolution in Vancouver. According to the Vancouver Province, Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford had hoped to get Tocchet inked to a long-term contract by the end of last week, but that hasn’t happened yet. Tocchet’s contract is set to expire on June 30.
As for what Tocchet could be seeking in his next deal, the Province pointed out that Toronto’s Craig Berube is making $4.5 million annually with the Maple Leafs, and the two share an agent in Steve Mountain. Mountain’s office, by the way, is in nearby Bryn Mawr, Penn.
So Tocchet certainly can’t be ruled out yet. But, can anyone else?
One name that’s been bandied about around the league is David Carle, the coach at the University of Denver who has captured two national championships as well as leading Team USA to back-to-back gold medals at the World Junior Championship. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Saturday that Carle withdrew his name from consideration for the Chicago Blackhawks’ job.
The team source wouldn’t completely rule out Carle as a candidate, but the Flyers, at least at the moment, don’t view him as a fit.
Another name that has surfaced in recent days is Joel Quenneville, who, according to Frank Seravalli, recently interviewed for the Anaheim Ducks vacancy. The Flyers have not ruled out Quenneville as a candidate, nor have they ruled out the University of Western Michigan’s Pat Ferschweiler.
Advertisement
As for Brad Shaw, who finished the season as the Flyers’ interim coach, it was notable on Wednesday that when the Flyers fired assistant coaches Rocky Thompson, Angelo Ricci and Darryl Williams, they retained Shaw, the highly regarded defensive specialist. The possibility remains that Shaw, if he’s not ultimately named head coach, could return to his previous post of overseeing the Flyers’ defensemen and penalty kill.
Flyers management was impressed with the way Shaw handled himself and the team after taking over for John Tortorella on March 26. While the Flyers ultimately went 5-3-1 under Shaw, the way the team responded to him, both on and off the ice, left an imprint on team brass beyond the win-loss record.
As for why the other assistants were let go, the Flyers would prefer their next head coach be able to build a staff as they see fit, and “not feel pressured into anything” in regard to people already in place, the source said.
But that doesn’t apply to at least one coach who also survived the cuts: Kim Dillabaugh, who oversees the goaltending, and who will remain in his post despite the Flyers struggling there for a second straight season.
The internal view on Dillabaugh is that he has shown an ability to help mold young goaltenders such as Samuel Ersson and, previously, Carter Hart, into solid professionals — while not having a chance to groom imports such as Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov at an early enough age. Fedotov, 28, and Kolosov, 23, had some of the worst numbers in the NHL this season.
As for Fedotov, who seemed confused by a suggestion in his season-ending news conference that he could begin next season with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the message to both him and Kolosov, according to the team source, is that nothing is guaranteed going into next season and that the goalies will have to earn their spots. The Flyers are expected to explore the goaltending market this summer, and would prefer to avoid carrying three goalies next season, as they did for much of this one.
(Photo of Brad Shaw: Eric Hartline / Imagn Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Jeff Ulbirch’s Kid Should Face Some Consequences for Shedeur Sanders Prank Call
Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Former Colorado Buffaloes player Shedeur Sanders during his number retirement ceremony before the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Former Colorado superstar quarterback and NFL Draft survivor Shedeur Sanders had to deal with a pretty public prank call during his dramatic slide this weekend. Sanders, who was projected to be a mid-to-late first-round draft pick, fell into Day 2, where he still wasn’t selected. On Friday evening, during a livestream, Sanders was prank called in a viral video that was clipped and widely shared on social media. For whatever reason, the prank callers elected to share a video of their stunt online. It took internet sleuths all of five minutes to identify one of the individuals in the video as Jax Ulbrich, the 21-year-old son of Atlanta Falcons defensive […]
Bucks star Damian Lillard leaves Game 4 with leg injury, will not return
Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard left Sunday night’s NBA playoff game against the Indiana Pacers with a lower leg injury and will not return.With 6:11 left in the first quarter, Gary Trent Jr. missed a 3 from the right wing. The long rebound bounced off the floor near the top of the key, and Lillard made a break for it. As he broke back towards the ball, his legs went out from underneath him. Lillard managed to tap the ball to Trent for an offensive rebound, but immediately crumpled to the floor.AdvertisementAs he lay on his back, Lillard reached for his left foot with both arms and then sat on the other end of the floor as the Bucks committed a foul to get a stoppage in play. Once that stoppage occurred, Kyle Kuzma and Doc Rivers made their way […]
Damian Lillard won’t return after leaving Bucks-Pacers Game 4 with leg injury
<!--> Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard has left Game 4 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series with the Indiana Pacers after hurting his lower left leg in the first quarter.Lillard was helped off the floor and into the locker room after suffering the non-contact injury. The Bucks announced he won't return to the game. There is fear that Lillard suffered a torn Achilles, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.The seven-time all-NBA player was behind the 3-point line when the ball bounced toward him. Lillard used his left hand to tip the ball toward teammate Gary Trent Jr., then went down and grabbed the lower part of his left leg, around his ankle. He continued to sit on the floor as play resumed on the other end of the court.ADVERTISEMENT -->After a foul stopped play, Milwaukee’s Kyle Kuzma helped Lillard […]
Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin among those feeling helpless after Talladega
Bob Pockrass FOX Motorsports Insider <!--> TALLADEGA, Ala. — The races at Talladega Superspeedway typically end with dicey moves that result in big blocks and wrecks — or near wrecks.None of that happened on Sunday, as drivers out front stayed in a two-by-two formation all the way to the finish line. It’s not like none of the drivers who crossed the finish line after winner Austin Cindric weren’t prepared to make the moves. They just could never push their way into position.Did Ryan Preece (who crossed the line second but ended up disqualified following technical inspection), Kyle Larson (second) or William Byron (third) let a potential win slip away? ADVERTISEMENT -->It didn’t appear so.Larson, pushing Cindric in the inside lane, never pushed Cindric far enough ahead of Preece (on the outside) where Larson could then cut in front of Byron. Byron couldn’t […]
Phillies get two in 10th, win series from Cubs
Apr 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola (27) throws the ball against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images Trea Turner went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and Aaron Nola threw seven solid innings as the visiting Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Chicago Cubs 3-1 in 10 innings on Sunday. Nola allowed one run on three hits and a walk while striking out seven. Jose Alvarado (3-0) struck out one in a clean ninth inning to earn the win, and Jordan Romano did the same in the 10th for his second save of the season. The Phillies took the final two games of the three-game series. Cubs reliever Julian Merryweather (0-1) allowed two runs (one earned) on one hit in two-thirds of one inning. Starter Jameson Taillon gave up one […]
Fantasy Baseball 2-Start Pitcher Rankings: Top options are far from perfect, but can help you this week
Overall, this is a solid week for two-start pitchers. There are two men atop the list who have been red-hot of late, and a hurler behind them should also be productive. Lower on the list, there are a handful of risk-reward options. On the hitting side, the Reds and Braves will provide several excellent streamers.Two-Start Pitchers (listed in order of preference)JP Sears, Athletics, 18% (@TEX, @MIA)Small steps with his walk and strikeout rates have helped Sears to enjoy major improvements in his ratios (3.21 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) so far this season. I’m not fully buying into the improvement, as he still lacks a dominant arsenal and struggles to put batters away. And in the long run, the hitter-friendly nature of the Athletics’ temporary home park will catch up with someone like Sears, who allows plenty of fly balls. But I’m […]
Related
Jeff Ulbirch’s Kid Should Face Some Consequences for Shedeur Sanders Prank Call
Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Former Colorado Buffaloes player Shedeur Sanders during his number retirement ceremony before the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Former Colorado superstar quarterback and NFL Draft survivor Shedeur Sanders had to deal with a pretty public prank call during his dramatic slide this weekend. Sanders, who was projected to be a mid-to-late first-round draft pick, fell into Day 2, where he still wasn’t selected. On Friday evening, during a livestream, Sanders was prank called in a viral video that was clipped and widely shared on social media. For whatever reason, the prank callers elected to share a video of their stunt online. It took internet sleuths all of five minutes to identify one of the individuals in the video as Jax Ulbrich, the 21-year-old son of Atlanta Falcons defensive […]
Bucks star Damian Lillard leaves Game 4 with leg injury, will not return
Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard left Sunday night’s NBA playoff game against the Indiana Pacers with a lower leg injury and will not return.With 6:11 left in the first quarter, Gary Trent Jr. missed a 3 from the right wing. The long rebound bounced off the floor near the top of the key, and Lillard made a break for it. As he broke back towards the ball, his legs went out from underneath him. Lillard managed to tap the ball to Trent for an offensive rebound, but immediately crumpled to the floor.AdvertisementAs he lay on his back, Lillard reached for his left foot with both arms and then sat on the other end of the floor as the Bucks committed a foul to get a stoppage in play. Once that stoppage occurred, Kyle Kuzma and Doc Rivers made their way […]
Damian Lillard won’t return after leaving Bucks-Pacers Game 4 with leg injury
<!--> Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard has left Game 4 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series with the Indiana Pacers after hurting his lower left leg in the first quarter.Lillard was helped off the floor and into the locker room after suffering the non-contact injury. The Bucks announced he won't return to the game. There is fear that Lillard suffered a torn Achilles, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.The seven-time all-NBA player was behind the 3-point line when the ball bounced toward him. Lillard used his left hand to tip the ball toward teammate Gary Trent Jr., then went down and grabbed the lower part of his left leg, around his ankle. He continued to sit on the floor as play resumed on the other end of the court.ADVERTISEMENT -->After a foul stopped play, Milwaukee’s Kyle Kuzma helped Lillard […]
Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin among those feeling helpless after Talladega
Bob Pockrass FOX Motorsports Insider <!--> TALLADEGA, Ala. — The races at Talladega Superspeedway typically end with dicey moves that result in big blocks and wrecks — or near wrecks.None of that happened on Sunday, as drivers out front stayed in a two-by-two formation all the way to the finish line. It’s not like none of the drivers who crossed the finish line after winner Austin Cindric weren’t prepared to make the moves. They just could never push their way into position.Did Ryan Preece (who crossed the line second but ended up disqualified following technical inspection), Kyle Larson (second) or William Byron (third) let a potential win slip away? ADVERTISEMENT -->It didn’t appear so.Larson, pushing Cindric in the inside lane, never pushed Cindric far enough ahead of Preece (on the outside) where Larson could then cut in front of Byron. Byron couldn’t […]
Phillies get two in 10th, win series from Cubs
Apr 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola (27) throws the ball against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images Trea Turner went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and Aaron Nola threw seven solid innings as the visiting Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Chicago Cubs 3-1 in 10 innings on Sunday. Nola allowed one run on three hits and a walk while striking out seven. Jose Alvarado (3-0) struck out one in a clean ninth inning to earn the win, and Jordan Romano did the same in the 10th for his second save of the season. The Phillies took the final two games of the three-game series. Cubs reliever Julian Merryweather (0-1) allowed two runs (one earned) on one hit in two-thirds of one inning. Starter Jameson Taillon gave up one […]
Fantasy Baseball 2-Start Pitcher Rankings: Top options are far from perfect, but can help you this week
Overall, this is a solid week for two-start pitchers. There are two men atop the list who have been red-hot of late, and a hurler behind them should also be productive. Lower on the list, there are a handful of risk-reward options. On the hitting side, the Reds and Braves will provide several excellent streamers.Two-Start Pitchers (listed in order of preference)JP Sears, Athletics, 18% (@TEX, @MIA)Small steps with his walk and strikeout rates have helped Sears to enjoy major improvements in his ratios (3.21 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) so far this season. I’m not fully buying into the improvement, as he still lacks a dominant arsenal and struggles to put batters away. And in the long run, the hitter-friendly nature of the Athletics’ temporary home park will catch up with someone like Sears, who allows plenty of fly balls. But I’m […]
Be the first to leave a comment