Philadelphia Flyers eliminated: 3 things they need to do in the offseason

After being eliminated from the playoff contention, the Philadelphia Flyers have relieved long-time GM Chuck Fletcher of his duties.

Danny Briere comes into the team facing an identity crisis. The Flyers don’t have enough talent to compete for a meaningful playoff spot in the future but aren’t bad enough to have a significant pick in the draft. Something has to be done.

The Philadelphia Flyers have been eliminated from the playoffs, here are three things they should do in the off-season:

#1 Assess the team’s future

Last offseason, Chuck Fletcher and Flyers management brought in John Tortorella as the final piece in the hopes that he could lead them to the playoffs. In actuality, the Flyers misunderstood how talented their roster was, and a coaching change didn’t make much of a difference in where the Flyers would finish in 2023.

Now, a year later, it’s time for the Flyers to re-evaluate if they make the right move behind the bench. Danny Briere will likely strip the team to its bare bones in the offseason, and the time is now to ask if John Tortorella is going to be there for a long rebuild. Tortorella is a win-now coach, and his presence may do more harm than good in the long run.

#2 Don’t buy

The Flyers might have had one of the worst off-seasons out of any team in the NHL. The Flyers under Chuck Fletcher didn’t adequately self-evaluate where they were at as a franchise, and that led to questionable signings and trades.

The Philadelphia Flyers signed contracts with the likes of Nicolas Deslauriers and extended Rasmus Ristolainen to replace the sell-off. Now those players are virtually unmovable. The Flyers' new management can’t go spending like it's Christmas shopping. Frugality for a long rebuild is a must.

#3 Make the right pick

The Philadelphia Flyers, under Chuck Fletcher's regime, were plagued by awful scouting and bad draft picks. Danny Briere can’t let that happen in a draft that might be one of the deepest in NHL history.

The Flyers, due to the previous regime’s obsession with winning, won’t have a great first-round selection position. The Flyers will probably be drafting around 5, 6 or 7. There are certainly some nice players in those positions, but they won’t have a shot at Connor Bedard or Adam Fantilli unless they get lucky. Watch for the Flyers to be one of the teams willing to take a chance on a generational talent like Matvei Michkov.