If seeing Sean Couturier as the fourth line winger to start Saturday’s home opener against Vancouver wasn’t enough, it appears Flyers coach John Tortorella has continued making inconsistency the one constant in terms of line combinations. At Monday’s practice the lines were as follows.
According to Jordan Hall, the Flyers captain was between Joel Farabee and Bobby Brink, a spot which wouldn’t raise many eyebrows with Jett Luchanko being tried in the top six. But then there’s the fact Luchanko is the extra forward, finding himself lower on the depth chart than Nic Deslauriers (who hasn’t played yet) and Noah Cates. Although it might be just trying to give Luchanko a bit of a reset before the home-and-home against Washington, it appears that the young center hasn’t had quite the same gleam four games in that John Tortorella saw prior to the beginning of the regular season. He had just over 12 minutes of ice time Saturday, second-last only to Brink and remains without a point although having a few chances. It also seems that if Luchanko was to be sent down to the Guelph Storm that would’ve happened yesterday as the Storm doesn’t play again until Friday.
The other huge surprise in terms of forwards is seeing Ryan Poehling centering a second line with Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov. Poehling, whose speed has basically been the one asset in his game that has kept him around, has no goals and three assists in five games thus far. The idea that Poehling would find himself alongside the Mad Russian (even at a practice) is at best bizarre. It probably speaks to Tortorella’s idea of completely mixing everything up and hoping for something to stick, but this doesn’t seem like it would last more than a period tomorrow night if that. Time will tell what becomes of it.
More sort of big news? Why not! Defenseman Nick Seeler is alongside Jamie Drysdale as the second pairing defensemen today. Drysdale has been paired (saddled?) with veteran Erik Johnson and the results have not been good. With Seeler in the lineup a lot of small but important things should be resolvesd including the team’s defensive miscues or lapses in coverage and being a bit of a deterrent on the ice or in the lineup if the opposition decide to run some of the Flyers’ top end talent. Perhaps most importantly it should give Drysdale the partner he’s been needing since the season starter. Seeler took a pass against his leg against Boston in the exhibition season and the wonky injury resulted in him having numbness. With him back at practice it’s a safe bet he’s back Tuesday night against Washington. And Johnson will take is rightful place as the sparingly used seventh defenseman.
Scott Laughton’s absence shouldn’t be a huge surprise and is most likely related to his his wife on the cusp of labor pains with a newborn on the way any day now. Laughton, who had a pair of goals against Seattle, could be in the lineup tomorrow night at home against Washington as he could be pulled out of the game quickly for the expected birth. It’s doubtful he’d travel to Washington if the little bundle of joy was still in the offing.
The first line combination of center Morgan Frost alongside Tyson Foerster and Travis Konecny is another mixture of sorts. Perhaps Konecny’s presence and sparkplug attitude can light a spark under Frost who hasn’t been great this year. And it might get Tyson Foerster his second goal of the season after having a relatively quiet first five games with the lone goal and no helpers.
With all the changes there are a few bits of normalcy. The three defensive pairs look how most expected them to look to start 2024-25. That and the fourth line of Deslauriers, Cates and Garnet Hathaway should be ready to go tomorrow night for the first time since last year. Whether this line or any of the other three lines in practice Monday will be the same Tuesday night is up in the air. But for now and in short, it looks good for Nick Seeler, not as great for Jett Luchanko.