Why Sean Couturier is poised for huge comeback season for Flyers

When the 2021-22 season began, Sean Couturier was just a few seasons beyond two consecutive 76-point seasons. No longer finding himself in middle-six or bottom-six of the lineup, Couturier looked like the best of both worlds: a two-way center who could defend as easily as he could generate offense. However, Couturier ran into a rash of injuries, namely with his back. In 2021-22 he played just 29 games while he was completely done for the 2022-23 season, the first season Philadelphia had John Tortorella behind the bench.

In 2023-24, Couturier was given a lot of minutes to start the season, averaging roughly 19 minutes in October and November. In December and January, Couturier was averaging a little more at 20 minutes and change per game. However, Couturier then saw his minutes plummet almost as quickly as the relationship he had with Tortorella deteriorated. In March 2023, a line was drawn in the sand, with Tortorella making Couturier, the proud Flyers captain, a healthy scratch. Not once, but twice. No clear reason was relayed to Couturier much less the media. It was the low point of a relationship that never seemed fixable.

Last season, Couturier wasn\'t benched or scratched but it was evident he and Tortorella weren\'t going to mesh. As has been well documented, Tortorella\'s battle with defenseman Cam York was the final straw, with Tortorella shown the door with nine games left in the season. It wasn\'t a coincidence that Couturier had eight points in the final nine games, including a three-point night in Brad Shaw\'s first game as the Flyers interim head coach against Montreal.

So, with Tortorella gone, and the nightmares Couturier might have been dealing with regarding him over, the 32-year-old center (he\'ll be 33 in December) enters 2025-26 with a clean slate. And for that reason it should not surprise people that Couturier could have a huge, Selke-like season for a few key reasons. We\'re not expecting Couturier to have the 102-point season Claude Giroux had back in 2017-18 which kept critics quiet. But to suggest the forward ends the year with roughly 70 points (or more) shouldn\'t come as a jaw-dropping surprise for a few basic reasons. Let\'s break a few of them down.

Adios Torts, hello Tocchet

There were few tears of sadness shed when Tortorella was fired on March 27 of this year. Tortorella had worn out his welcome by then and a subtle hint that he was probably done too came after the embarrassing 7-2 loss to Toronto. \"I\'m not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season, where we\'re at right now,\" he said. Although Brad Shaw had some in his corner to carry on as head coach, Flyers general manager Danny Briere thought otherwise, bringing in former Flyers great Rick Tocchet.

The news of Tocchet\'s hiring had some doubters. But for Couturier, it seems to have been a fresh new chapter in his career. He wasn\'t mincing words either when asked about the differences between his former coach and the current one.

\"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 on the opening day of training camp . \"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.\"

So for starters, it appears Couturier is not going to have to deal with nearly the number of mind games he encountered with Tortorella. Both are starting out fresh and given the number of conversations between them, they\'ve found a common ground that both parties seem pleased with. Of course, some could argue personal feelings should have no relevance to whether a professional athlete can do his job or not. Yet knowing there\'s a clear line of communication should take a lot of the burden off Couturier. He\'s human after all, and if you aren\'t sure why your coach is pissed off, or how to go about resolving the situation, it would wear on anyone in the National Hockey League. On top of that, Couturier shouldn\'t be on pins and needles every game, trying to play perfect, mistake-free hockey. After all, he\'s no longer playing for one of the more notorious task masters the Flyers had since Mike Keenan. He\'s playing for a guy who has played the game and worn the same jersey.

That open communication also eliminates any locker room drama or soap opera which seemed to be the rule rather than the exception under Tortorella. From the sounds of it, Tocchet is going to give Couturier a lot of rope to do what he does best. He shouldn\'t find himself on a short leash. That should equate into possibly more than one five-point game like he did against the Wild early in the 2024-25 season. And a lot less stress or mental fatigue for Couturier.

Paired with Michkov

Although Couturier had no set line last year, both he and Matvei Michkov were often joined at the hip throughout most of the 2024-25 season. And a certain amount of trust developed very early, when Couturier went to bat for the rookie during an exhibition game against the Bruins.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5oXgJDnpCg

As for the third winger on the line, it was often a case of musical chairs. Here\'s a quick glimpse at the various wingers the tandem of Couturier and Michkov were paired with five-on-five.

Wingers with Couturier and Michkov during 2024-25 Time on ice Travis Konecny 222:24 Owen Tippett 124:25 Joel Farabee 46:06 Olle Lycksell 32:02 Rodrigo Abols 21:34 Tyson Foerster 16:25 Anthony Richard 11:51 Andrei Kuzmenko 4:22 Scott Laughton 2:51 TOTAL 482:20

So Couturier and Michkov -- regardless of who else was with them -- played a lot together. The next center with the highest amount of minutes with Michkov was Morgan Frost (216:30). And as we all know, Frost is history. So Couturier could see his time with Michkov easily surpass 500 minutes. As a result, it looks like Couturier will be partnered with Michkov barring injuries for the 2025-26 season.

Michkov wasn\'t happy with his rookie season and is expecting more of himself than probably anyone else in the Flyers organization. With that comes a drive that Couturier probably hasn\'t seen since 2017-18, when his winger was Claude Giroux. Giroux had 102 points that year, and was with Couturier for a tremendous amount of time. In fact, the line of Giroux, Couturier and Konecny that year spent 493:36 together, or roughly 10 minutes more than Couturier did with Michkov. That doesn\'t include time Giroux and Couturier spent with Jakub Voracek (357:57) as well as Wayne Simmonds (113:58). Granted Couturier was a lot younger with Giroux than he is now with Michkov. But it stands to reason that Couturier should be able to keep pace with Michkov while possibly getting a glut of primary and secondary assists if the Mad Russian catches fire.

The pairing might not have looked great on paper starting last year, but there seemed to be chemistry between both players throughout the season. The veteran helping the rookie with some defensive ideas while at the same time learning just how much talent Michkov possesses, a talent not seen since 2017-18. That chemistry should only grow this year, with Couturier now knowing he can play a full season healthy without back issues. And Michkov ready to take on the NHL all by himself!

Power play

It was a small clue, but a clue nonetheless during the first Saturday of the Flyers training camp with the \"top\" unit consisted of the following:

Starting with power play. It's Zegras, Michkov, Couturier, Konecny and Drysdale on the "top" unit.

— Charlie O'Connor (@charlieo_conn) September 20, 2025

To see Couturier and Michkov on the power play should help the center\'s point production and his offensive output. To have the newly acquired Trevor Zegras on the unit as well as the Flyers leading point-getter in Travis Konecny and you have talent that, once again, Couturier hasn\'t been privy to since the Giroux era. Again, it was a scrimmage game and nothing has been set in stone. But it should be a huge confidence boost to see Couturier as part of this unit given both Michkov and Konecny were tied with 17 points each on a horrible power play in 2024-25.

Last year Couturier had a goal and three assists on the power play. He had 118:21 time on ice five-on-four and was 63.21 per cent in terms of winning the faceoff with the man advantage. The faceoff percentage was the highest since his back injuries which was a plus. Winning the face off is crucial on the power play, so if Couturier can somehow improve on that percentage, it should result in the Flyers putting in a few more power play goals. Couturier might also have the least amount of pressure on him with this unit as Zegras, Michkov, and Konecny will be the ones expected to make the quick plays and passes. And Jamie Drysdale will hopefully find himself getting time and space to get the pucks to the net for rebounds or deflections. In short, this is the best case scenario for Couturier. Hopefully he takes advantage of it. That all depends on if Tocchet and his staff can somehow unravel the mystery that has been the woeful power play.

The Cates effect

Couturier early in his career was called upon to shut down the likes of Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin whenever they came to town. Whether regular season or playoffs, Couturier was tasked with making life a living hell for them, shadowing them from start to finish and frustrating them to no end. Now Couturier may still be asked to shut down opposing players. But a lot of that burden should be lifted thanks to just how far along center Noah Cates has come doing the job Couturier did early in his career. The line of Cates, Bobby Brink and Tyson Foerster were simply stellar most games in neutralizing the opposition\'s top line and at the same time keeping the puck 200 feet away from Sam Ersson or Ivan Fedotov a lot of the time.

Knowing a younger model of a vintage Couturier is signed for the next four years should make the Flyers a better club. And it should help Couturier focus on his game. Being on a line with Matvei Michkov tells you Couturier isn\'t meant to be shadowing his opponent all the time. He\'s meant to get the put to Michkov and, as Tocchet quipped during training camp regarding Flyers in the offensive zone, \"have a party.\"

Sean Couturier is now free from a physical, debilitating pain in his back that hampered him for two seasons. And he is also rid of the proverbial pain in the neck that was his previous coach. With a new coach who understands and respects him enough to ask him questions on basic logistics like team travel and practices, Couturier is finding himself with the chance to re-establish himself as one of the league\'s better two-way centers. If it came to pass, it would be a fantastic, heart-warming story for a guy who physically and mentally went to hell and back the last few seasons.

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