Flyers Reportedly Not Considering Coaching Change, Rick Tocchet Not 'In Trouble'

Despite a winless, rudderless 0-5-2 start that is the worst start to a season in franchise history, the Philadelphia Flyers are reportedly not considering making a coaching change just yet.

On Monday, a day after the Flyers' franchise record-setting seventh loss in a row to begin a campaign, Daily Faceoff NHL insider Anthony Di Marco reported that Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet "isn't in trouble."

"Tocchet's job isn't in trouble, I'm told. Don't expect an imminent coaching change for PHI," Di Marco posted on his X account.

A coaching change would be a jarring move so early in the season, at least given the context that Tocchet, in his first season at the helm of the Flyers, guided the team to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Although a small group of fans began to rally against Tocchet in the dying minutes of Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, chanting for his firing, viable options to replace the 62-year-old bench boss.

For instance, some of the best available external options with meaningful NHL experience would include former Flyers head coach John Tortorella, Bruce Cassidy, Kris Knoblauch, Jay Woodcroft, and Gerard Gallant, who resigned from the KHL's Shangai Dragons on Jan. 12.

Tortorella can't be considered a legitimate candidate for obvious reasons, and Woodcroft is currently an assistant coach with the Anaheim Ducks, so that could be a slippery slope, too.

Gallant might be done coaching, which leaves Cassidy, who coached very strong Boston and Vegas teams, and Knoblauch, who has just two full seasons of experience as an NHL head coach with the likes of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard at his disposal.

If the Flyers replaced Tocchet, they'd be on their third head coach in three years. Would Cassidy want to sign up for a floundering team like the Flyers, who look incapable of winning a game? Probably not.

Knoblauch might, but for the Flyers, there's a good chance that ends up being a lateral move at best.

Something can also be said for candidates like Pat Ferschweiler and Jay McKee, but at the end of the day, it's all moot.

Tocchet joined the Flyers on a five-year contract that reportedly pays him $5.25 million a year, and that alone makes it nearly impossible to cut ties with him, especially so soon into just his second year.

Additionally, Trevor Zegras, an integral part of the team's future, expressed his outright support of Tocchet after Sunday night's game, saying he and the Flyers are "fully behind Tocc."

So, while Di Marco's report, combined with the comments from players like Zegras, may come as a disappointment for Flyers fans, the reality is that Tocchet is here to stay for the foreseeable future, and that is the path of least resistance moving forward at the moment.