The NHL season is long. Considering the physicality of the game, the 82 times that NHL players play is astounding. Each season has ebbs and flows, with some nights being memorable and others easily forgettable.
Normally, you'd feel that way about the Flyers' 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. They beat one of the bottom-tier Western Conference teams, and somehow did it while only managing 18 shots on net, which is a little odd, but a fact you'll probably forget at some point.
So why would this stand out as a huge win in terms of the triumph of the current administration, as well as the future direction of the team? Why does this Thursday night in late October matter?
It matters because the Nashville Predators are what the Flyers were for a decade in the 2010s, and we should be actively celebrating the move past that.
The Predators Process
The Predators over the last few offseasons have signed pricey veterans, let young players walk or trade them, trusted an aging core group, hired a former coach as GM, and hired a former player as coach.
When you come hurtling back from your flashbacks, the Flyers have still done a lot of those things. Obviously, Daniel Briere and Keith Jones are recent former players, and Rick Tocchet is as well, but they're working towards the future. Briere and Jones saw the game evolve and are helping the Flyers move towards the light. Tocchet is a seasoned coach who has seen it all and then some, and is guiding young players, without imposing hockey dogma.
The Predators aren't doing that. Barry Trotz lords over the roster in which nobody is safe save for Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg, and Juuse Saros. Andrew Brunette is the combative coach, calling out players in the media and getting called out back by them.
Last year, Trotz sent Dante Fabbro, Alexandre Carrier, Cody Glass, and Tommy Novak to different homes via trades or waivers. All were in their 20s and all have done better in their new NHL homes. He traded for and signed Nicolas Hague, the kind of defenseman the Flyers would force into big minutes with an ill-fitting partner years ago.
In the 2024-25 offseason, they splashed by signing Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault to long-term, big-money deals that were more than the experts predicted veterans on the back 9 of their careers would get. Now the fan base is grumbling about getting out of them and how all of the good prospects seem blocked by veterans.
While the Flyers' turnaround isn't always going to be smooth, management has put the team in a place where they are fun to watch, competitive on a nightly basis, and one where you see the young talent being pushed and benefiting from the vets they've chosen to keep in the fold.
This win is encouraging and one that shows just how far along the Flyers have come in philosophy, as well as hockey.