Coming into the new season, there is going to be a handful of players that want to turn a corner from either last year specifically or from a few years of down play. For the Philadelphia Flyers, perhaps no player is more important to their future success than captain Sean Couturier, who has found things to be a bit difficult since returning from his back injuries that cost him almost two full seasons.
Couturier missed John Tortorella’s inaugural season as he was forced out for the entire year after another back injury. He had played in just 29 games from 2021-22 to 2022-23 and upon his return in 2023-24, the team looked a whole lot different with key veterans like Claude Giroux and Kevin Hayes no longer with the team. Nevertheless that did nothing to deter the veteran from starting off the season with a bang as he collected 30 points in his first 41 contests.
He looked to have returned to form almost immediately, he was also averaging 20:59 TOI, had won nearly 53% of his draws, and was playing a responsible defensive game that should have made Tortorella and company proud. However, that ended almost immediately, as he potted just 1 goal and 8 points in his final 33 games to go along with a minus-22 rating and just above 16 minutes per game. Even from the moment he was named captain, Couturier ended the year with no goals and just 5 assists in those 24 games with his ice-time chopped to 14:49 a night, while also earning himself a permanent room in Tortorella’s doghouse.
That season ended with much controversy as it became evident that there was something brewing between captain and head coach. Their squabble reached the media when they mentioned that neither of them had conversations with the other about the situation, with Tortorella saying his door was open should Couturier feel the need to let his frustrations out. There were also reports coming out after the season had ended that the locker room mood shifted after Tortorella started to bench Couturier.
Some of that sort of led into the 2024-25 season as he averaged just 16 minutes a night in the first 12 games before seeing a bump of almost 5 minutes a night as he had begun to average 20:49 in the next 18 games that followed. However, the yo-yoing continued as Couturier saw just 15 minutes a game in the next 32 games despite putting up decent numbers, a plus-rating, and still giving his all on the defensive side.
With Couturier remaining in the dog house, it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that he looked like a totally different player after Tortorella got fired, which included a 2-goal and 3-point performance in the first game under Brad Shaw as the interim coach. He finished out the season with 8 points in 9 games and saw his role and minutes increase back to the norm, which was at 20:49 per night. While he ended the year with just 45 points, there were pockets throughout the season – especially the home stretch – where he looked like he was turning the corner, and that should give way to some optimism heading into 2025-26.
While some would prefer if Couturier were moved, it doesn’t seem to be a realistic option considering he still has 5 years remaining on his deal with a cap hit of $7.75 million, which also carries a full no-movement clause. Being the captain has heavy bearings as well, which makes his role on the team that much more important, considering the amount of youngsters that will begin to funnel through from their minor league affiliates in the next coming years.
As for those hoping for a bounce-back effort from the former Selke Trophy winner, his recent comments coming out from the first day of camp should bode well because it’s been awhile since we’ve seen an open, loose, and freer version of Couturier; if ever.
“Already had some really good conversations with him, probably more over the last three months than I had over two years with Torts,” Couturier said. “It’s fun to just go back and forth and get to know each other, listen to each other’s thoughts on the game.
“I think we’re just trying to push in the same direction, our goal is the same. There’s no ego. He has told me it’s not about Rick Tocchet. I’m kind of the same way, it’s not about me. We’re all about what’s best for the team and trying to get this team to the next level.”
For whatever reason, it seemed like Tortorella and Couturier never saw eye-to-eye and it played a massive role in his lack of production over the last year and a half. Couturier hasn’t shied away from their reported feud either and is looking forward to cultivating a rapport with Tocchet, which is precisely why GM Daniel Brière felt he was the right fit to lead this group for the foreseeable future.
Brière wanted a teacher, someone who was open communication-wise, as well as a head coach with a good history and rapport with his players. After extensive conversations with Tocchet, as well as former players who played under him, the Flyers were more than confident he would be able to lead them into their next chapter. Tortorella’s work can’t go unnoticed as he was able to weed out some of the undesirables, while also instilling a new identity and a form of accountability, which had been lost for years prior to his hiring.
How things looked so far in the first two days of camp is a good indication of where Couturier stands with Tocchet. The captain was seen centering Matvei Michkov and Nikita Grebenkin on both days, which also fares well for the latter sticking around with the NHL club heading into the season opener. He will still have to impress during the preseason, however the Flyers are giving him all the opportunities to play with the main players and produce.
Coming back from a herniated disc is extremely difficult, let alone having to deal with it twice over, but Couturier didn’t really look like he lost a step. He never known for his speed or skating abilities, which would be the two main factors that would have fallen off after the injuries. His hockey IQ and intelligence were what made him a standout player and when he was given the opportunity to play with Michkov and Travis Konecny on the top line, they tallied a solid 53.3 xGoals%, outscored the opposition 16-12, and carried the offensive burden while skating 230.2 minutes together at even-strength.
Couturier also had similar numbers when he was paired up with Konecny and Joel Farabee, intimating that he’s still reliable and trust-worthy on both sides of the puck.
The way he finished the season should bode well heading into camp as he flashed some of his brilliance from the 2017-18 and 2018-19 season. Couturier collected 8 goals and 25 points in his final 36 games, which also included a stretch-run of 5 goals and 13 points in the final 13 games of the season. He certainly struggled offensively at times but if he can get back to around 60 points, all the while keeping his faceoff prowess and defensive game intact, it could be a big season for the 32-year-old.
And so far, despite how early it might be, Tocchet isn’t all too worried about the longest-tenured Flyer, full well understanding the pressures of being a veteran and the captain of the organization after his many years with the Orange and Black.
“The captain’s hard,” Tocchet said. “When you’re a captain, coaches always say, ‘Worry about the team, worry about this player, make sure this happens.’ Then what happens is it affects your game. So I want him to worry about his game.
“The leadership, it’ll come. I’ll help him out in that. I want him to worry about his game, so we’ll talk about that sort of stuff. He has already done it, there has been a couple of times where has come up to me, asking me about, ‘Hey, can we do this, can we do that?’ That’s the relationship I want to have.”
His changes are already taking effect on the team after just one day with Couturier mentioning how they’re actually getting into the Xs and Os of his system, rather than worrying about skating laps and using the infamous rope.
“Day 1, we’re actually getting into some systems and playing hockey, so it’s different than using a rope and skating laps, that’s for sure,” Couturier said. “Every coach has their way of building things. Tocc seems to want to get into systems right away, get going right away and not waste any time on that part. It’s fun to see and I thought the first day was good.”
A determined and vocal Couturier is something we might not have seen from him in the past. However with the ‘C’ stitched onto his chest, the Flyers’ failures now reaching a 5th straight season, and changes needing to come from somewhere, he’s taking on that role and is ready to do whatever it takes to help this team win games again.
Moreover, with how thin the Flyers are down the middle of the ice and considering how young the rest of the team is outside of Couturier and a few others, his leadership and presence is going to be a boon for a lot of players, including Zegras.
The former Anaheim Duck enters training camp with a lot of question marks as well, especially after how his last two seasons have fared. Injuries have played a massive factor in his downward spiral out of Anaheim, but he’s not too far removed from back to back 60+ point seasons.
Many were left wondering if Zegras still had the ability to play down the middle, believing he’s a better fit on the wing. However, Tocchet has been on the record multiple times saying that he’s going to give him an extended look at the centre position and really allow him to find his groove.
That might be part of the reason as to why Zegras approached Couturier on Day 1 to help him with his face-offs. The young forward mentioned that one of Couturier’s x-factors in the new ‘NHL 26’ video game is his face-off prowess, so he wanted to learn from the best.
Couturier is a career 52.6% on the faceoff dot but an even better 56.4% over his last 6 seasons, which included a 56.1% success rate last year on 1,195 face-offs attempted. Zegras on the other hand is a career 40.1% and has finished the last two season below the 39% mark, which might explain why many feel he’s better suited on the wing.
A rejuvenated Couturier is nothing but a boon for the Flyers, who will need their captain to lead from the front heading into a very important season. While making the playoffs isn’t necessarily the be-all-end-all – at least according to Hilferty – winning games, doing things the right way, and development are going to be the key factors to focus on in Tocchet’s first season. The Flyers have enough firepower to surprise the league and find a way into wild card contention, but a lot of that will depend on their offensive game and whether or not Couturier can reignite his career after a few down seasons due to injury – and feuding with the head coach.
