Humankind will likely discover the secrets of time travel before figuring out what’s wrong with the Philadelphia Flyers.
There have been plenty of theories on the subject, with even more solutions proposed. But there’s one “solution” that GM Daniel Briere must resist: The temptation to try and fix everything with a single trade.
The sharks have already smelled the blood in the water. So the rumor mill posits that rival GMs are calling Briere to see what, if anything, is available.
According to some opinions, a hockey trade could deliver a potential solution. That means jettisoning a player like Tyson Foerster or Matvei Michkov to try and shake things up.
Michkov would not be a bad piece in a deal for someone like Dylan Larkin.
But let’s be real for a minute: Is Larkin really going to be the end-all and be-all for the Flyers?
The fact of the matter is that there is much more to consider than just adding a top-six forward or even a goalie like Connor Hellebuyck.
The problems afflicting the Flyers run deeper than just one or two roster pieces. And you can bet your bottom dollar that a so-called hockey trade may end up doing more harm than good.
Flyers need to focus on getting their house in order
The bottom line is that the Flyers must focus on getting their house in order before thinking about some magical trade to solve everything.
When teams are struggling, regardless of the sport itself, the coaching staff has to focus on getting the fundamentals right. In some cases, coaches strip everything down to the basics. From there, a much more simplified approach to the game makes it easier for a team to build consistent momentum.
That approach may not translate to wins necessarily, but it helps get the team back on track.
That’s why, no matter who they trade for, the Flyers can’t expect to find salvation if the team itself is not playing a sound game.
One last thing: Yes, there is a temptation to lay this whole situation on Rick Tocchet. But isn’t he the same guy we were touting for the Jack Adams last season? It’s not that Tocchet became a bad coach over the summer. If anything, you’d have to look at the shortened preseason as a culprit for some of the inconsistencies and sloppy play we’ve seen throughout the league.
It may just be that a shorter training camp ended up doing much more harm than good across the NHL.
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