Flyers Reaching Breaking Point With John Tortorella

The Philadelphia Flyers are about to miss the postseason for the fifth consecutive season. With the second-fewest points in the Eastern Conference, this has been a step backward for the organization and their 38-win campaign last season. Even with the arrival of rookie sensation Matvei Michkov, it seems the Flyers aren't any closer to a return to contention.

That's why the Flyers need to move on from head coach John Tortorella. The veteran bench boss is in his third season with the club, but given the direction of things, it's possibly his final one with the organization.

The Flyers brought Torts in to push this club to the next level. With an improving but untested roster, they thought a veteran coach would get the most out of them and their development.

Some of that has been proven correct. For example, goalie Sam Ersson has improved under Tortorella's regime. He still plays behind a porous defense, but he's proving to be a capable number one goalie in the NHL.

But what's been overwhelmingly the case is that most young players have stagnated or not reached the next level like the Flyers hoped. Owen Tippett exploded when first traded to Philadelphia, but this year he's regressed significantly, going from 27 and 28 goal seasons to 19 with just nine games remaining. Other younger players like Bobby Brink, Tyson Foerster, Noah Cates, Jamie Drysdale, and Cam York have all plateaud this season as well. York has had trouble staying in the lineup, and has recently been a healthy scratch as he plays through his struggles.

The straw that broke the camel's back was his recent postgame comments. Torts admitted to his failures in preparing his players and voiced his disdain for having to coach in a losing situation like this. He wasn't complaining or asking for sympathy, but it made it clear that he's unsuccessfully exhausted all his options in Philadelphia.

That's the exact opposite of what the Flyers envisioned. The goal was to bring together this young team and try to compete in the Metropolitan Division. The opportunity was wide open, but the team hasn't taken advantage. That falls on the head coach, which is why the Flyers have reached their breaking point with John Tortorella.