Rick Tocchet will have no small task in bringing the Philadelphia Flyers back from the depths of John Tortorella's disaster. Things went south quickly for Torts last season, which led to him and the organization mutually parting ways. The Flyers delved into their history to hire one of their former players, Tocchet, who hopes to return them to glory. First, he has some battles at Flyers training camp to determine where things stand with the lineup.
One of the first things Tocchet has to figure out is the team's dreadful powerplay. The Flyers finished 30th in the league in that category in the 2024-25 season, and the staff would like to see a drastic improvement in that area in the 2025-26 campaign.
Tocchet has the pieces to do it, as he inherits one of the league's brightest young offensive players in Matvei Michkov. Trevor Zegras should also add some skill to the top unit, as the Flyers acquired him from the Anaheim Ducks after years of trade speculation surrounding him.
While Zegras and Michkov might give the hard-nosed head coach some fits with their cheekier style of play, the team will have to accept their antics if they want to see an improvement in their offensive output.
While the powerplay is pretty much set in stone up front, there is still one spot on the top unit up for grabs. One of the more intriguing battles in this year's Flyers training camp will be which defenseman separates himself from the pack and assumes the most critical position on the power play: the quarterback.
Jamie Drysdale should have the upper hand
An underrated aspect of the Zegras acquisition for the Flyers is the reunion with Jamie Drysdale. The pair were inseparable when they were with the Ducks, and Zegras hasn't really been the same since he left. Look no further than them both having the same career years in 2022-23 as an example of why this duo could be lethal for the Flyers' powerplay.
Drysdale focuses more on both ends of the ice than some other offensive defensemen, but there is no denying that his bread and butter is in the attacking zone. He has all the tools to be a powerplay quarterback, and he showed that when he took that role from Cam Fowler at times in the previously mentioned 2021-22 breakout.
Drysdale's problem has always been consistency, which is why he has the upper hand entering camp but might not necessarily hold on to the role for the entire season. The most likely scenario is that he develops instant chemistry with Zegras through camp and earns the role for opening night. Still, the duo will eventually go through a lull, which they've both been known to experience in their careers.
Will the Flyers give Emil Andrae a chance?
If Drysdale goes through that lull, it could open the door for Emil Andrae. The Swedish defenseman has been back and forth between the NHL and the AHL, with Tortorella in control, and it's unknown how Tocchet will handle the 23-year-old. Torts was unable to accept his lapses in judgment at the defensive end, and Tocchet is known to have the same no-nonsense approach.
When Andrae is at his best, he is fully capable of running a powerplay and being an anchor on the back end. He isn't afraid to mix it up when needed in the defensive zone and has elite vision, as well as the ability to walk the line in the offensive zone. He brings everything you'd need on the backend with two playmakers like Michkov and Zegras as his running mates on the powerplay.
The only question for Andrae will be if he can earn a spot on the opening night roster. If he does, things should fall into place for him eventually, if not right away.
Cam York has a fresh start
The rumor coming out of Philadelphia was that a run-in with Cam York was the final straw for Tortorella's tenure. The skilled defenseman never fully gelled with his former head coach, and his play suffered as a result. York is another player who sometimes takes nights off on the defensive end, which he won't be able to get away with under Tocchet either.
At his best, York has all the tools to be an offensive contributor. His best year was 2022-23, when he scored 10 goals and added 20 assists across 82 games. It's no coincidence that the Flyers had a surprising run that year and finished just four points outside of a playoff spot. If York can reach that level again, he will be a catalyst for Philadelphia and help them get to another level.
The first hurdle will be making a good first impression on his new coach and possibly stealing that quarterback spot in training camp.
