When the 2023-24 season ended for the Flyers, probably nobody was happier to see it over more than Sean Couturier. The captain had returned for the first time in two years due to back surgeries and rehabbing from both, hoping to make a difference. Instead he started strong, then appeared to hit a wall halfway through the year. The downside was apparent, with the center who was often guaranteed to be in the top six relegated to the bottom six, fourth line, or the press box. Couturier and former head coach John Tortorella didn’t see eye to eye. It made some wonder if there was a way to convince Couturier to waive his no movemet clause and offload the long-term cap hit last summer.
Fortunately cooler heads prevailed. Couturier played better in 2024-25, playing a lot on a line with Russian rookie Matvei Michkov. His days of 70 points are probably done. However, the forward put up a decent amount of points and was no longer in Tortorella’s crosshairs. And after Tortorella was fired, Couturier (like most of the team) played with a little less burden on his shoulders.
| Games | Goals | Assists | Points | PIM | Shots on Goal | Shooting Percentage | Average TOI |
| 79 | 15 | 30 | 45 | 41 | 155 | 9.7 | 17:17 |
Couturier spent most of the season shifting around different line combinations. For 15 games (152:45 time on ice) he was between Travis Konecny and Joel Farabee, six games were with Farabee and Matvei Michkov (46:06 time on ice). For another 15 games (124:45 time on ice) he found himself between Michkov and Owen Tippett. And another 15 games (114:43) was between Konecny and Tippett. But by far the line he was part of most (and seemed to find the most comfort with) was between Konecny and Michkov. The line logically worked fairly well as the defensive-minded Couturier was clearly helped out by the young playmaker in Michkov. And some of Michkov’s rookie defensive mistakes atoned for with Couturier’s strong play in his own end.
| (5v5) Goals For % | Expected Goals For % | Corsi For % | High Danger Attempts For % | PDO |
| 50.46 | 52.68 | 49.41 | 53.96 | .990 |
As you can see, Couturier held his own in most of the categories. He was marginally better in some statistics than 2023-24 but he was marginally worse in others. The high danger attempts for dropped almost four per cent (57.68 in 2023-24) while the Corsi for percentage dropped seven percent (56.85 in 2023-24). Generally the numbers were good, especially for a player who had probably just a few less question marks going into 2024-25 as he did the previous season.
Couturier opened the season with a lone assist on the West Coast swing but made a huge “I’m back” impression on the team with a hat trick as part of a five-point game against Minnesota Oct. 26. Yet that lone game, a 7-5 win over the Wild, accounted for five of his six points in October while averaging just over 16 minutes per game for the month.
In November, Couturier got a lot of ice time, averaging just over 20 minutes a night for the month while having a high of 24:21 in a 4-3 shootout loss against Florida Nov. 9. He also had a four-game point streak near the end of the month, fleshing out the three goals and five assists he had in 13 games. Meanwhile in December, Couturier had a mixed month of messaging it seemed from Tortorella. He started December with another fine effort against Florida (22: 40 time on ice). Yet by the time the Flyers got back on the ice after Christmas, and their West Coast trek, the forward found himself with two games just over 14 minutes.
| (5v5) Points Per 60 | Primary Points Per 60 | Shots On Goal Per 60 | Shot Attempts Per 60 | Expected Goals Per 60 |
| 1.71 | 1.68 | 6.32 | 11.03 | 0.77 |
Couturier, who had a goal and five assists in January, had a difficult first month of 2025, with the playing time reduced significantly (13:07 average for the month). He also found himself down in the bottom six, and in some cases was finding time on the fourth line. Whether it was a case of Tortorella trying to manage the workload so his captain could avoid hitting a wall like 2023-24, or was just irked by his lack of speed, we’re not sure. Fortunately, after the Four Nations Face-Off, Couturier hit paydirt when he found himself paired with Michkov. March was by far his most productive month, with five goals and six assists. It was also no surprise that in the first game interim coach Brad Shaw ran the bench after Tortorella was fired, Couturier had a two goals and an assist in a 6-4 win over Montreal.
Although with just 15 goals on the year, Couturier actually fared okay in some other underlying metrics, especially considering he was eleventh on the team regarding shot attempts per 60. Garnet Hathaway, Nick Seeler, and Anthony Richard all had higher shot attempts per 60 than Couturier, something he hopefully improves on next year. He was also sixth on the Flyers in points per 60 minutes with his linemates for a good chunk of the season (Michkov and Konecny) both averaged over two points per 60.
The captain’s season wasn’t one of his best career-wise. But Couturier’s perseverance was a bright spot, particularly given how trying his 2023-24 season was. During the exit interviews he said he felt like the last 20 to 25 games of the season was when he felt his best and “finished pretty good.” Couturier also said mentally he felt better prepared for this season than the one before. He remained healthy, he remained focused and helped out wherever he was placed in the lineup. And thankfully there was next to no drama or controversy with being a healthy scratch.
Three questions
Did they live up to expectations?
It’s difficult to live up to expectations when one wasn’t sure what to expect from Sean Couturier. Especially coming off a season as murky as Couturier had the previous year. But if being productive with a 45-point year, leading the team and helping rookies while thankfully rermaining healthy is a win, then Couturier won in a landslide. Those expectations might be loftier under new head coach Rick Tocchet if Tocchet believes he can squeeze more from a guy turning 33 this December. For this past season though, it was a good bounce back.
What can we expect from him next season?
A lot of Couturier’s season may be influenced by who makes and doesn’t make the team in training camp. If Flyers general manager Danny Briere lands a coveted center, and Jett Luchanko had a stellar camp, then Couturier could find himself in the middle six to bottom six rather quickly. Playing away from Michkov might also hamper his production offensively. Overall, few should be or would be disappointed if Couturier was able to put up similar numbers in 2025-26 while also not losing another half-step or full step in speed to the competition.
How do we grade his 2024-25 season?
Sean Couturier answered a lot of questions in 2024-25. And shut up a lot of his detractors with 79 games played. The back problems were a thing of the past, and a five-point game early on left some believing maybe a 60-point to 65-point season might be a possibility. He was strong when playing with Michkov, showing some of the offensive skill he showed earlier in his career. For that reason he easily gets a passing grade. He wasn’t the best Flyer on most nights. Rarely though was he the worst. With any luck in 2025-26, Couturier won’t feel like he’s getting “pushed aside” by Tocchet.
