Big Changes Expect If Flyers Continue to Struggle

According to Sam Carchidi of Philly.com, if the Philadelphia Flyers continue to struggle, there could be big changes coming in terms of both coaching and player personnel. The Flyers aren’t just losing a number of games, they’re losing in convincing fashion and Carchidi says it could be time for some tough decisions.

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Despite making some player changes in the offseason, general manager Chuck Fletcher may need to make other tougher decisions if his team can’t work their way out of their early-season struggles. Losers of three in a row and 2-6-2 in their last 10 games, there is speculation Fletcher might have to make a move that gets attention. It could come in the form of either firing the coach or trading one of the franchise’s best players over the past decade.

Speculation is that if things get really bad, the Flyers could ask captain Claude Giroux to waive his no-trade clause and help the team move him prior to him leaving as a pending free agent. Giroux is 34 years old and leads the Flyers with 18 points in 21 games.

Goaltender Martin Jones and defensemen Keith Yandle and Rasmus Ristolainen are also UFAs that could be moved if the Flyers are dumping useful assets.

The other option is changing the coach but Elliotte Friedman isn’t sure the Flyers want to do so just yet, in part because of Vigneault’s contract. Friedman notes during The Jeff Marek show:

“Alain Vigneault has term left, I think teams are really not thrilled about eating money right now coming out of COVID, they’re definitely not interested in that…I’ve wondered about a guy like Rick Tocchet, it’s just me kind of speculating.”

“You feel it, you feel something’s going to have to give there, it can’t continue going on this way.”

Wait And See for the Flyers?

If the Flyers can be patient, making drastic changes right now might be the wrong move. There’s lots of time to turn things around and the team did get off to a decent start despite their recent struggles. They are out of the playoff picture now, but a winning streak would get them back into the conversation.

These types of moves, if they are made, will only come if the losses keep adding up or the Flyers work themselves into a spot where the postseason seems out of reach.

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