Is It Time To Change The Flyers Leadership Group?

NEW YORK CITY – If you asked anyone around the Flyers two months ago, their hopes were high for the team to reach its goal this season. The return of playoff hockey was in reach for the first time in five seasons.

After a 22-12-7 start to the season, the Flyers were right at the top of the Eastern Conference.

Unfortunately, since winning their 22nd game of the season on January 6th, their season has quickly unraveled. They have won just three games over their last 16 games.

Downward spirals have become a bad habit for the Flyers over the past few seasons. The inability of this current leadership group to halt them has raised a ton of questions.

In three of the past five seasons, the Flyers have been firmly in a playoff spot in January. But long losing streaks have quickly derailed their hopes of even coming close to a playoff spot.

Long losing streaks have plagued this current group from reaching the playoffs for the first time in seven years.

Losing streaks of 10 and 13 games in 2021 quickly erased their hopes after an 8-4-2 start to the season. An eight-game losing streak during their final 12 games in 2023 ended their best chance of reaching the playoffs in recent years.

This season, after a six-game losing streak, once again the leadership group could not stop the free fall.

Their recent history of falling short when the games mean the most raises an important question. Can this leadership group be relied on in the future?

Since Sean Couturier was named captain in 2023, the team has not been able to take the next step. A step that the front office hoped this season would be a playoff berth.

But, once again, as the Flyers spiraled out of control, the captain and the leadership group could not right the ship.

This has led many fans to ask for change. Specifically, to the current veteran group tasked with leading this young Flyers team. However, the front office doesn’t see the need to change up the group at this moment.

It is also fair to say that their hands are tied a little on this front.

Couturier’s play of late does not give them much to work with if they were to consider a possible trade.

The 33-year-old is just a shell of his former Selkie-winning self. He is scoreless in his last 29 games and has just 5 goals and 21 assists this season.

Even if Danny Briere wanted to consider trading Couturier, his play and contract – $7.75M for four more seasons – make it almost impossible.

Many questioned the contract extension when Couturier re-signed in 2021. The biggest question raised was if his body could hold up until age 37.

Those questions are starting to become a reality for the Flyers.

With each passing year, his decline continues to plague the Flyers with no answer in sight. It is even more concerning as he currently wears the “C”.

If the Flyers are serious about getting this right and building a long-term contender, it may be time to have the conversation about their captain. One that may lead to a needed change for the future.