Firing Rick Tocchet would be worst move Flyers could make this season

The Philadelphia Flyers putrid start this season has been the subject of plenty of speculation thus far.

Yes, there is plenty of blame to go around. Everyone in the organization has their share of the responsibility. And that includes head coach Rick Tocchet. However, firing the second-year coach this season would be a massive mistake, regardless of how loud the calls get.

That assertion is rooted in a simple fact: The Flyers got ahead of schedule in their rebuild last season. The club rode a hot streak into third place in the Metro Division, and then won a round.

That situation instantly raised expectations for the club this season. It also made the situation potentially unsustainable for Tocchet and Daniel Briere.

In fact, you could say that with the way the Flyers have started, the Leo Carlsson offer sheet makes total sense. Briere knew his lineup wasn’t deep enough for a reprise of last season’s success. Of course, you can’t write Philly off after just seven games. But it’s those seven games that have made the cracks apparent.

The circumstances have now pushed the Flyers into a corner where they have to fight their way out. And with the way things are going, it seems that the club is lacking the pushback to punch its way off the ropes.

Flyers weren’t mentally prepared for this season’s expectations

One of the talking points surrounding the Flyers this weekend has been the team’s lack of pushback. That lack of response isn’t limited to seemingly giving up.

That lack of pushback stems from a lack of confidence, which is a symptom of being “ill-equipped” to handle the pressure.

Former NHL head coach Bruce Boudreau made that point in a recent appearance on NHL Network. The veteran coach did not point the finger at Tocchet or anyone else. In fact, Boudreau was clear in the fact that the organization just wasn’t really mentally ready to handle the additional pressure that would come following last season’s success.

"I think they're waiting for bad things to happen when I watch them play, and that's just a lack of confidence. They need something to spark them. When they were losing yesterday, I get what Porter (Martone) is saying... it just didn't look like they had the pushback."

Here is why having Tocchet in the fold is so crucial. Tocchet is hardly a newbie. He’s been around the block enough times to understand what it takes to turn this situation around. However, the situation will require patience.

It’s patience that’s apparently running out with the Flyers’ fan base.

Let’s assume for a minute that the Flyers chose to dump Toccher right now. Is there a realistically better solution out there? Is there anyone who can step in and guide the Flyers, not just this season, but in the next, say, half a decade at least?

The bottom line is that the Flyers would do well to stick with Tocchet. If the early-season slump becomes too much to overcome and Philly misses the playoffs, so be it. The bigger picture is much more important than short-term gains.

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