There is little doubt that the Philadelphia Flyers are in a world of hurt right now.
Scrutiny is piling up as the team’s 0-5-2 start has set off the air-raid sirens. And while the on-ice product has left much to be desired, insider Elliotte Friedman pointed to the club’s lack of pushback as the main reason for the mess.
During Monday’s edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, the notable insider delved into the situation befalling Philly. He drilled down on the lack of spark as the key component in building on last season’s tremendous achievements.
“It just seems that, for whatever reason, they haven’t found that collective spark as a group, where you’ve got pushback, you’ve got life in a game. You look like you’ve got the ability; if you get down early, you can come back…”
The comments point to the seemingly listless efforts from the Flyers at times. Another notable NHL broadcaster, Mark Spector, echoed that sentiment in a poignant comment.
The view from Philly is dour. Watched much of this game - Flyers showed next to no pushback.
— Mark Spector🇨🇦🇺🇦 (@SportsnetSpec) October 12, 2026
It's hard to recall a team whose collective game was so distant from the game its head coach used to play. https://t.co/yeuqBhrj7D
Spector’s comments were a reply to Flyers insider Kevin Kurz’s original assessment in which he called the season potentially “unsalvageable by the end of next week.”
Could it really be that dire for the Flyers?
Flyers season could get away really quickly
The bottom line is that starting a season on a seven-game losing streak is not conducive to making the postseason.
Yes, there have been cases in which teams have come back from oblivion to win the Stanley Cup. Perhaps the best example is the 2018-19 St. Louis Blues. That season, the Blues got off to a terrible start, fired their coach, and saw Craig Berube lead them from last place to the Stanley Cup in a few months.
Note that we’re talking about a coaching change. And that’s not something that Friedman believes is going to happen. Rick Tocchet seems firmly in place for now.
“I also am not convinced that they’re making a coaching change, either. I would be surprised. I’ve been surprised before; I would be surprised.”
While a coaching change may seem a little out there, some concern may be brewing with Tocchet. Friedman’s co-host, Kyle Bukauskas, made an interesting observation regarding the Flyers' head coach’s demeanor following Saturday night’s game.
“You can’t help but think back to his body language and how he sounded towards the end of his time in Vancouver. And I’m not trying to compare the situations at all, but just that starting point of, ‘I’m not sure where the answers are. And, obviously, it’s all wrapped into frustration because you’re not getting the results.”
Could it be that Tocchet has lost the room? Or is there something else going on behind the scenes that we don’t know about just yet?
For now, Daniel Briere has issued a word of caution. As Kurz quoted the Flyers GM in The Athletic, it’s not time to panic just yet.
“It’s a young team that we’re still building. It’s not the time to panic because of a bad stretch, (however) long this goes. But there’s no doubt that there’s also expectations that are higher than they’ve been in the past.”
So, if now is not the time to panic, when will be the time to do so? If this situation keeps up any longer, Briere might have a hard time keeping the fans at bay once they come for him with pitchforks and torches.
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