Travis Konecny Has A Prime Opportunity To Prove Why He's Part Of Flyers' Leadership Group
With the Flyers' playoff hopes still hanging on, Travis Konecny has the perfect opportunity to rally the troops and show the naysayers that he hasn't lost his sparkle.
Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports - Travis Konecny Has A Prime Opportunity To Prove Why He's Part Of Flyers' Leadership GroupBefore Sean Couturier was officially named captain of the Philadelphia Flyers, there was a persistent campaign among fans to give Travis Konecny the 'C.' (So much so that a very realistic edit of Konecny with a C on his jersey tricked more than a few people into thinking he actually had been named captain.)
It's not hard to see why he's a popular figure for a leadership role—ever since he first signed for the Flyers in 2015-16, he's not only consistently been one of the (if not the) best players on the team, but he's also gained a reputation as a pinnacle locker room guy. At 27 years old, he's also one of the most experienced veterans on the current team, making him a pretty no-brainer choice to officially be named an alternate captain back in February.
But even before he had a letter on his jersey, it was clear that Konecny was a leader for this group, especially as they began navigating the rebuild.
"Even without the A, I think he feels responsibility," head coach John Tortorella said of Konecny. "He's a big part of us driving the offense, has been all year long. I think he's pretty proud of getting the A and I'm sure he wants to add there too. He's a huge part of our team and a huge part of our energy. He knows where we're at."
Konecny has had some setbacks this season, including a scoring drought and an injury that sidelined him for several games. He's finding a return to form on the ice as the Flyers try to work their way out of a seven-game losing streak—which, strangely enough, could be a perfect time for him to remind any doubters why he's such a respected figure.
"It's what we need right now. It's a good situation for him to try and come through for us," Tortorella said. "I think he's very aware of the responsibility on his shoulders of trying to get us in [the playoffs]."
The most important part of letting Konecny shine? Unsurprisingly, it's letting one of the biggest personalities on the team not be burdened too much with the stress of carrying a team on his shoulders, which he's done before. Essentially, you get the best out of TK when you just let him be TK.
"I think with him, you've got to be really careful that he doesn't try to take too much on," Tortorella explained. "We've had some conversations about that. I just want him to be him. He's a really good hockey player when he's just being himself, so I think that's where he's still getting a ton of chances within the games, he just hasn't finished. That's the next step, and hopefully it'll come through here."
Being the Flyers' leading scorer in three different seasons (and currently their leading scorer in 2023-24), there's no doubt that Konecny can score and impactful on offense. The energy he brings to games is unmatched and inimitable. The willingness to get down in the dirty areas of a play to claw out a goal somehow is exactly the kind of intensity the Flyers need. The infamous aggravating behavior that gets a rise out of opposition teams and sparks life into this own has become a key part of Konecny's brand. There's simply nobody quite like him.
It's clear that even when he's not one hundred percent on his game, Konecny is still a well-loved and well-respected figure. The great thing about him is that he never loses his fire—the desire to win and play his best is always there.
"I love coaching him, because that's the give-and-take, that's the challenge for me—how much do you let him be him, and then when he starts getting a little too far away, with just his intensity, that's what I've got to coach," Tortorella said. "In the time I've been here, he's been a terrific player. We've had many conversations about letting him be him, but also, I've still got to coach him in certain situations when he forgets that he's getting really far away."
He added: "It's great to have a player that you have to bring down off of that. It's very hard to get a guy to get to that level [in the first place]."
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