The Philadelphia Flyers had a surprisingly decent season in 2023-24. But Adam Proteau says captain Sean Couturier needs a better season to avoid a rocky future in Philly.
The Philadelphia Flyers had a surprisingly decent season in 2023-24. But Adam Proteau says captain Sean Couturier needs a better season to avoid a rocky future in Philly.
The Philadelphia Flyers are featured in this latest edition of the NHL Hot Seat Radar series.
The Flyers have one person on the 'hot seat' as someone dealing with pressure to generate great results or face the fallout. We’re also picking out someone on the 'cold seat' as an individual very likely to stay with their current team over the long haul.
Flyers’ Hot Seat: Sean Couturier, C
“Hold on a minute,” you might be saying, “wasn’t Couturier just named Flyers captain this past season? And wouldn’t it be weird to move on so quickly from a guy you named captain?”
The answers to those questions are, “Yes, yes he was,” and “Yes, yes it would be.”
But the 31-year-old Couturier was also made a healthy scratch late last season by Flyers coach John Tortorella. His 2023-24 total goals (11) and points (38) in 74 games last year were his worst numbers since 2016-17 when he posted only 14 goals and 34 points in 66 games, although he underwent sports hernia surgery after the campaign.
Couturier’s decline, hastened by the back surgery that cost him his season in 2022-23, looks worse when you consider his salary cap hit of $7.75 million that runs for four more seasons is the most expensive of any player currently on the Flyers’ roster. On a young squad, Couturier’s contract is an albatross, and it’s not guaranteed he’ll rebound for the rest of his deal.
The team already bought out now-former teammate Cam Atkinson's contract after a 28-point campaign despite him missing a full season as well. He only had one season left on his deal.
A buyout of Couturier’s contract is a non-starter at this stage, but the trajectory of the rebuilding Flyers doesn’t seem to be a good fit for Couturier. Unless GM Daniel Briere can convince another team to take on Couturier in a trade, Philly and Couturier appear to be stuck with each other for the time being. But that won’t change the fact he’ll have pressure to improve his stats while remaining a team leader.
Flyers’ Cold Seat: Daniel Briere, GM
When Briere took over as Flyers GM in May 2023, he wasn’t talking about keeping this team as a Stanley Cup playoff contender as his predecessors did.
On the contrary – many of the moves Briere initially made were about the long term and patience in the short term. Flyers fans were smart enough to accept some losing seasons if it meant restocking the talent cupboard with dynamic youngsters who will form the franchise's foundation for the next decade-and-a-half or longer.
But the full-on rebuild took a bit of a shortcut last season when the Flyers showed spark and determination early in the year and were in a playoff spot for much of the season.
That cost them a top-10 pick in the most recent NHL draft, but with Russian phenom Matvei Michkov, Jamie Drysdale, Oliver Bonk and a few others forming the bedrock of the organization, the Flyers should only get better in the coming seasons. When they do, Briere can augment the lineup with veterans acquired in free agency and trades.
The future is bright in Philadelphia, and Briere is a fixture as the team's chief architect. There will still likely be a few bumps in the road, as improvement is not always linear. But the worst days are over for a franchise that was bogged down with poor management moves and bad luck.
Soon enough, the Flyers will be a terror in the Metropolitan Division, and these years of struggle and tumult will have been worth it. Briere is secure in his job, and as he matures as an executive, his team will almost certainly do the same.
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