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Chuck Fletcher

Philadelphia Flyers Will Not Retain Mike Yeo As Head Coach

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10:00 am: At his media availability, Fletcher confirmed that Yeo will not be head coach next season. They will continue to speak with him over the next few weeks to determine if there is another place in the organization, though he is expected to interview for other positions around the league.

8:30 am: The Philadelphia Flyers are another one of the teams in the NHL with an interim coach after they fired Alain Vigneault partway through the year. Mike Yeo, who took over, has a long history with general manager Chuck Fletcher, dating back to their days together with the Minnesota Wild. Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to be helping him in this case. Kevin Weekes of ESPN tweeted last night that the Flyers are expected to move on from Yeo, and Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer confirmed it this morning.

It certainly makes sense to bring in a new coaching staff, given the struggles of the Flyers this season. It’s not like things turned around after Yeo took over. In his 60 games behind the bench, the team went 17-36-7, finishing last in the Metropolitan Division and 29th in the league. They were 31st in goals for, 27th in goals against, 27th in penalty killing, and dead last on the powerplay. It was a brutal year to be a Philadelphia fan, and retaining Yeo–at least as head coach–never seemed to make much sense.

One might ask if Fletcher himself is in the crosshairs, though Flyers brass has made it clear that they will continue to back the front office executive for the time being. The general manager will meet with the media today to break down the season and discuss what changes will be made this offseason.

Yeo, meanwhile, will have to look for another job unless he is brought back as an assistant under the new head coach. Throughout his career, he has been given head coaching opportunities only to squander them with poor performances after some early success. In Minnesota, he helped the team to a 100-point season in 2014-15, and then was out partway through the next year. With the St. Louis Blues, he took the team to the second round and then somehow managed to miss the playoffs in 2018, even with a 44-32-6 record.

There is some evidence that he can be a successful head coach at the NHL level, but it obviously didn’t come in Philadelphia this season. His name will likely be included in some other coaching searches, though where he eventually ends up obviously still remains to be decided.

Philadelphia Flyers Sign Ronnie Attard

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The Philadelphia Flyers have signed another draft pick, once again giving them a contract that starts right away. Ronnie Attard has signed a two-year entry-level deal with the club that kicks in immediately and will allow the college defenseman to see NHL action down the stretch. Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher released a statement on the deal:

We’re very happy to have Ronnie sign with us after a great career with the Broncos. He is a big, mobile defenseman who has steadily improved his game each season. We are excited to have him join our group and look forward to his continued development at the pro level.

Attard, 23, just finished his third season at Western Michigan University, where he exploded offensively this season to the tune of 13 goals and 36 points in 39 games. Originally selected 72nd overall in 2019, he combines size and skating ability to blend into the prototypical modern defensemen. The fact that he’s right-handed–a side that has given Philadelphia trouble in recent years–is no small thing, as he profiles as a potential partner for Ivan Provorov or Cameron York, depending on whether his game translates well to the NHL level.

The fact that he’s getting a chance to play this year shows just how confident the Flyers are in his development to this point, though expectations should probably still be tempered for the young defenseman. As a 1999 birthday, he was in his third year of draft eligibility when Philadelphia took him in 2019, undrafted his first two years because he offered little more than his size. That changed in his final year with the Tri-City Storm when he took a big step forward, but rushing him into important minutes could be a mistake, even if the Flyers have little to play for down the stretch.

Ryan Ellis Out For Rest Of Season

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The Philadelphia Flyers received less than 100 minutes of ice time from Ryan Ellis this season. The veteran defenseman has been ruled out for the rest of the season, Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher told reporters including Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic. Though he still wouldn’t reveal details on the injury, Fletcher noted that they are still making a decision on whether Ellis needs surgery.

While this should come as no surprise, given how the year has gone for Philadelphia, Ellis’ first season with the team is now completely lost. The 31-year-old appeared in just four games, the last coming on November 13. He actually recorded points in each of those appearances, exactly the kind of frustrating teaser that Flyers fans don’t want to think about after a season that has been marred by injury after injury, and is ending with the captain and face of their franchise traded to an Eastern Conference rival.

Acquired for Nolan Patrick and Philippe Myers in the offseason–two players who have also disappointed–Ellis was supposed to be the right-handed answer in Philadelphia, finally replacing the two-way play that they had lacked on that side since Matt Niskanen’s unexpected retirement. He had, after all, played that role to perfection for many seasons in Nashville, offering 40-point upside while contributing in all situations.

Unfortunately, the Flyers are now looking at a player on the wrong side of 30, signed for five more seasons, that carries a $6.25MM cap hit and has missed essentially an entire year due to injury. It’s not at all clear what level of play Ellis will be able to provide next season, especially should they decide on surgery.

Still, the Flyers aren’t really looking at a rebuild, despite moving on from Claude Giroux and some other expiring pieces. The team re-signed Rasmus Ristolainen to a long-term deal and have talked about how Fletcher will be given a “blank check” to fix the team. Should Ellis return to his previous form, it will be a huge boost to the lineup, though at this point even a recovery timeline is not certain.

Philadelphia Flyers Add Daniel Briere To Hockey Ops

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The Philadelphia Flyers have officially named Daniel Briere to the position of special assistant to the general manager, bringing him into the front office on a full-time basis. Briere had previously been with the Maine Mariners of the ECHL, most recently as president and governor. Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher explained what it means to have Briere join:

I’m very happy to add Danny to our hockey operations team in a full-time role. His insight and experience from 25 years in professional hockey, as well as first-hand knowledge of the Philadelphia Flyers, is a valuable asset for our organization and I look forward to working closely with him on a day-to-day basis.

Briere, 44, is considered a top up-and-coming executive and was even considered for the GM role with the Montreal Canadiens recently. He has been a development consultant with the Flyers for the past two years and before his time with Maine, served on the business operations side of the Philadelphia organization.

Now, according to Fletcher, Briere will be involved in all aspects of hockey operations including scouting and player development. A veteran of 973 regular season games, Briere racked up more than 300 goals in a long career that included a long stint with the Flyers. While his regular season production was excellent, it is the playoffs where most of the center’s memorable moments occurred. Briere was an outstanding postseason performer, racking up 116 points in 124 career playoff games and helping the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Final in 2010, leading all players in scoring.

All of that experience will now come into play for the Flyers front office, where he’ll take the next step toward a likely eventual future at the helm of an NHL team.

Latest On Claude Giroux, Flyers’ Deadline Plans

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When Chuck Fletcher met with the media this morning, the Philadelphia Flyers GM had a very clear message. This season is lost and it’s time to look forward to the coming years.

That started immediately when Fletcher explained that both Sean Couturier and Ryan Ellis could undergo season-ending surgeries and his recommendation to the medical staff was to “get these guys right for next year.” Ellis has played in just four games this season after being acquired from the Nashville Predators in the offseason. Later in the press conference, he explained that the hope is still for them to avoid surgery as it should be the last option, but it is a possibility for both players.

Injuries like that were pointed at several times by Fletcher and Flyers’ governor Dave Scott as one of the reasons that the season was derailed. Scott put his faith in Fletcher several times, calling him “my guy” and explaining that he will write a “blank check” for the GM to fix it as quickly as possible.

One of the biggest questions was the future of captain Claude Giroux, who is on the final year of his contract. Fletcher confirmed that the decision will be up to Giroux on whether or not he’s traded to a contender at the deadline. The veteran forward will discuss it with his agent over the All-Star break. Giroux holds a full no-movement clause, carries a cap hit of $8.275MM but is owed just $5MM in salary this season.

Overall, the Flyers appear to be heading into the deadline as an aggressive seller. Everything is on the table, according to Fletcher, who wants to avoid a full rebuild but start in on a retool in the coming weeks. Multiple times he referenced that the team needs more “top-end talent” and noted that Giroux is the best offensive player on the team, but he’s now 34. On Rasmus Ristolainen, another pending unrestricted free agent, Fletcher explained that the team brought him to Philadelphia to keep him, though would only say that he will work with representation to see “what makes sense.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

East Notes: Flyers, WHL Trade, Sabres

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After a summer that featured plenty of roster turnover, the results haven’t been much different for the Flyers in the early going this season.  They missed the playoffs last season and sit seventh in the Metropolitan early on this year which has them out of the postseason mix for the time being.  Despite that, GM Chuck Fletcher was preaching patience at a recent press conference (video link):

I’d really like to see what we have before we start making changes. I don’t feel I’ve been able to see that to this point in time. We’re always looking, I’m talking to teams every day. If there are ways to make us better, we’ll look at it. But right now, if you just look at how we played the first 10 games versus the last 10 games, clearly one segment was way better than the other.

So we’ve shown the ability to play better than how we are right now. That’s the most important thing, we’ve got to get back, we’ve got to get playing better. Then from there, we’ll get a sense of what we really are and then we can make those decisions.

Philadelphia has battled some injury trouble early on (including in tonight’s game with Joel Farabee leaving early) which hasn’t helped their cause and that’s clearly a point of optimism for Fletcher that as their players return, they could get back on track.  However, if that doesn’t happen over the next couple of months or so, they could be a team to keep an eye on before the March 21st trade deadline.

More from the East:

  • A notable trade occurred in the WHL today when Canadiens prospect blueliner Kaiden Guhle was dealt to Edmonton. The 2020 first-round was acquired for a package of four draft picks including two first-rounders plus two players, headlined by 2021 Senators fourth-round selection Carson Latimer.
  • The Sabres are about to get some help from the infirmary as Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News relays that center Casey Mittelstadt will return on Thursday against Florida after being injured in the season-opener versus Montreal. Blueliner Jacob Bryson will also return after missing Monday’s contest with a nagging injury.  Meanwhile, winger Alex Tuch skated in a non-contact sweater at practice as he works his way back from offseason shoulder surgery while goaltender Craig Anderson also accompanied the team on their road trip although there remains no timetable for a return from his upper-body injury that has kept him out for a month.

Snapshots: Giroux, Price, Turcotte

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The Philadelphia Flyers locked up Sean Couturier today a year before he reached free agency, but they won’t be doing the same for captain Claude Giroux. When GM Chuck Fletcher spoke with the media about the contract, he indicated that he would be waiting until after the season to speak about a new deal with Giroux. He didn’t mince words when explaining why the Couturier deal happened so early:

Sean’s our best hockey player right now, and he’s the key guy. If Sean had left, that would’ve changed the direction of the franchise. To lock him up was incredibly important for the short and long term. 

Fletcher did suggest that the relationship between the Flyers and Giroux could continue beyond this season, but both sides are happy to wait and see how the year plays out before making any decisions. The 33-year-old Giroux has played his entire career to this point in Philadelphia and had 43 points in 54 games this season. His eight-year, $66.2MM contract that was signed in 2013 will expire at the end of 2021-22, making him an unrestricted free agent.

  • There was a ton of speculation about the health of Carey Price this offseason, but head coach Dominique Ducharme told the media today including Marc Antoine Godin of The Athletic that the veteran goaltender will be there when the Montreal Canadiens kick off training camp next month (or at worst join just a few days into it). Price’s health was a huge topic of conversation when he was left exposed to the Seattle Kraken in the expansion process, but more important is his impact on the Canadiens lineup. When healthy and playing his best, Price is still among the top goaltenders in the world. But injury issues have been a problem in recent years and he just turned 34. Price has five seasons remaining on the eight-year, $84MM deal he signed in 2017 and will earn a total of $13MM this season through signing bonuses and salary.
  • Alex Turcotte, who is hoping to make his NHL debut this season with the Los Angeles Kings, underwent successful surgery for acute appendicitis. The young forward is still expected to be recovered in time for the start of rookie camp in a few weeks. Turcotte, 20, was the fifth-overall pick in 2019 and scored 21 points in 32 games for the Ontario Reign last season in his first taste of professional hockey.

Philadelphia Flyers Part Ways With Scott Gordon

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There is another interesting coaching candidate hitting the market. The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that they will be parting ways with Scott Gordon, head coach of their AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley. With Gordon leaving, assistant coach Kerry Huffman has also decided to step down from his role. Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher released a statement on the decision:

I would like to thank Scott and Kerry for their service to the organization. Both Scott and Kerry have dedicated their time and effort in developing Flyers prospects and bringing success to Lehigh Valley over the last several years. In speaking with each of them, we felt this was best for the future direction of the organization.

The departure of Gordon from the Flyers organization is a surprising one and may suggest that he has an opportunity somewhere else around the league. The 58-year-old coach is very well respected in the NHL and has led the Phantoms since 2015. In 2018-19 he served as interim head coach for the Flyers, and previously was the head coach of the New York Islanders. He also was head coach of the U.S. World Championship squad three times and assisted at both the Olympics and World Cup in the past.

That’s a long impressive resume for Gordon, whose name has been discussed in regards to vacancies around the league before. With several NHL teams rebuilding their whole staff this offseason, expect his name to be brought up once again.

COVID Notes: Protocol Changes, Fletcher, AHL

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As noted this morning by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the NHL is instituting some changes to the in-arena COVID protocols. James Mirtle of The Athletic examines the changes, which include the removal of the glass behind the benches. In the memo, the league explains the change:

To allow for air flow to more easily move away from the benches where Players and Coahces are in close proximity to on another during games, Clubs/Arenas shall remove the partitions of shielding that are behind the home and visiting team benches.

In Mirtle’s piece, he explains that some team personnel are “on edge” about whether the season can be completed. Yesterday, the league had 40 players on the COVID Protocol Related Absence list and three teams–Buffalo, New Jersey, and Minnesota–with their facilities currently shutdown and games postponed due to an outbreak.  The only division safe from disruption so far has been the North, which has not yet seen a game postponed this season.

  • It’s not just players and coaches that have to deal with the reality of COVID-19. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that Philadelphia Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher tested positive for the virus last month and had to isolate in a hotel. The front office executive is now out of isolation and recovered. The league’s COVID Protocol Related Absences list is only for players and does not include staff—like Fletcher or Buffalo head coach Ralph Krueger—that have tested positive or required isolation for close contact.
  • The AHL is trying to start their season tomorrow, meaning they’ll have to deal with their own COVID struggles. That started today when two games were postponed already. Due to league protocols, the Cleveland Monsters are unable to travel to Rockford to face the IceHogs on Friday and Saturday. The Chicago Wolves will play Rockford on Saturday instead. While the league has officially listed those games as “postponed” on the schedule, it is not at all clear if they will actually be rescheduled for some point down the line.

Morgan Frost To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

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The Philadelphia Flyers gave an update on several injured players today, including young forward Morgan Frost. GM Chuck Fletcher explained to reporters including Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic that Frost will undergo shoulder surgery and will be out “months,” perhaps even for the rest of the 2020-21 season. Prospect Wade Allison had ankle surgery and is still four to five weeks away, while Sean Couturier is still seven to ten days away from rejoining the lineup.

More than anything, it’s a tough blow for the 21-year-old Frost who still hasn’t established himself as a regular in the NHL after being the 27th overall pick in 2017. The undersized forward dominated the OHL in the two seasons following his draft and played in 20 games for the Flyers last season, but registered just seven points. He was scoreless in two contests this year, which could be the only two games he plays given the seriousness of his injury.

Frost is still under contract for next season, but now faces the very real possibility of heading into a 2022 offseason as a restricted free agent without much NHL time under his belt. While some may consider that a blessing for the Flyers, who will likely be able to re-sign the young forward for a relatively small amount, they would certainly rather have him playing and developing this season.

Allison, who was a second-round pick in 2016, is only just trying to get his professional career started after spending the last four seasons at Western Michigan University. The 6’2″ forward signed a two-year entry-level contract last March but hasn’t been able to play a game since his college career ended. Waiting another four or five weeks means he won’t get much time in the AHL this year, as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms already have only 38 games on the schedule that starts this weekend.

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