The Philadelphia Flyers are no doubt one of the most interesting teams in the NHL prior to the trade deadline on March 8.
Currently holding the third spot in the Metropolitan Division and are most likely to make the postseason, according to some number-crunching sites, the Flyers are still preaching that they are rebuilding in the first year of the new front office. They are going to have their cake and eat it too. The Flyers are still, according to what each executive is saying, going to be selling off players that don’t fit the long-term plan for this team, while being among the best teams in the league.
With this balancing act, they will have to really play the locker room correctly. They shouldn’t want to disrupt the chemistry of this team too much, to try and get the most out of a potential playoff run, but also think about the future of the team and the opportunity to make the team even stronger in a couple years.
For this, head coach John Tortorella has opened up the communication lines and has played it right down the middle. In his typical way, he has been very honest with his players and those that might be finding new homes before March 8, have been notified and given the respect to know what is going on.
“I’ve already talked to the players that could be moved. They know,” Tortorella told reporters on Monday. “I asked (general manager Daniel Briere) if I could talk to them. I want to show them as much respect as I can and not have something sprung on them. Myself, (team president Keith Jones) and Danny have been very transparent with the group leading up to this deadline, where we stand as far as the organization.
“The whole team knows where we stand and that’s just showing them respect.”
You would want as much communication as possible from your employer if a potential big, individual move was about to happen — so, sometimes it’s just as simple as treating hockey players like human beings. This honestly feels refreshing.
The players that the Flyers are potentially moving before the trade deadline, and have therefore most likely have had a discussion with Tortorella, are Sean Walker, Scott Laughton, Rasmus Ristolainen, Nick Seeler, Morgan Frost, and Marc Staal. We don’t know specifics, but those are the potential players that could be part of trades in the near future.
Tortorella knows the other side of this and how players feel if they are closed off. The Flyers are full of ex-players and respectable executives, so this transparency feels unique and beneficial for both parties.
“I’ve seen it happen in other organizations where people are talking about you, but no one’s really talked to you within the organization, then bang, you’re moved,” Tortorella continued. “Players know where they stand, and there’s always an open door if they have other questions about it as (the deadline) gets nearer and nearer. We’re totally transparent with them.
“The way we explained it to them, is we’re still in the middle of a process. We are. No matter where we sit in the standings now, no matter what people think we are or what we’re going to be, we have a mindset. We have conversations daily about where we are as an organization and we’re not going to leave that. It’s a slippery slope when you start (saying), ‘Ah, let’s leave it this way.’ We can’t; we have to continue to build.”
