Latest / Hattrick's Unofficial Flyers Podcast / S2:E4 - FLYERS HIT ROCK BOTTOM - Oct 16th, 2026
Transcript
- Rick Mullen: Hey everybody, welcome to Hatrix Unofficial Flyers Podcast. I'm Rick Mullin. We have a lot to talk about today. we just watched probably the worst game ever by a Flyers team last night against Detroit and lost. We lost two to one, but it was a horrible game. They were outshot, they were outplayed, they had no answers for anything. this season is just getting worse and worse as time goes by. I wanted to get a podcast out last night, but I was too mad. I I came upstairs to go to my office and actually do this and I I had it I had to walk away. So I I reset. I'm back here. I'm a little more level-headed. still have the same thoughts and concerns, but I'm hopefully a little bit more under control today than I was yesterday. So, you know, let's jump right into this. So I I am just astounded by the decisions that Rick Tocket is making as coach of this Flyers team. And I've tried to give him time. I keep jumping back and forth. Like last year I wasn't sure about him. Then he got into the playoffs and I felt a little better. you know, maybe he had a system, a plan where he was gonna make like Mishkov earn his ice time and w well deserved ice time because Mishkov's been playing really well. He had an off season where he worked out strong. He lost a ton of weight. He came into camp on fire and ready to go. And there is no news out here at all. Maybe a little rumor here and there, but not really. But my opinion is there were multiple guys this year who came to camp out of shape and it's not being talked about. And these guys who did come to camp out of shape are not being benched like Mishkov was last year. And you know, an eye test, you start looking at things, and you can see that Ziegris started off very, very slow this year. He didn't have legs. Tyson Forster looked like crap. Noah Cates looked like crap. Though there was no excuse for those guys to not be in shape and ready to go. You know, Ziegris Forrester both signed some big contracts and then it almost sounded or looked like they did the same thing Mishkoff did and Took a step back and vacationed a little too hard. And and again, I am not an insider. this did come out a little bit. I think Tocket almost slipped a little bit in an interview, that the guys weren't ready to play. but my thoughts are this team came in, the guys that we needed to count on came in out of shape and not ready to go. And it was unacceptable, but it's not being talked about. Now, if we go to Tocket. and we're gonna spend some time on him and a couple other things. But if we go to Tocket, right now Tocket is really baffling. Just baffling. I I really been talking about him saying it was too soon to fire him. And I do believe that Danny Briere and Jonesy and Dan Hefferty or whatever won't get rid of him. They're gonna try to save some face, give him another year. You know, if they cut him, they would cut him in an offseason. But Yeah, I think, he finishes this year, regardless of what happens right now. And I think they are regretting it a little bit. I do. I don't know if all three of them were in on Tocket or if two were and one wasn't, but I I think they'd see exactly what we all see, exactly what we all see, but they can't talk about it, they can't throw him under a bus and they gotta ride this out. So Tackett to me, he's baffling. And and let's start with his decisions. This team is coached horribly. They are not ready to play. They weren't ready to play all year. They haven't been ready to play. They played one of the worst teams in the league and they looked flat. If you know they were 0-8, you would have thought they would have came out just hammering people tonight, like throwing checks, for checking like crazy, trying to get out of this funk, and no one none of them did. None of them have. I keep waiting for that game to show up, and none of them have. They have no heart. on this team. They have no fight on this team. And it's sad. You know, even Katourier, like Katuria is not happy. He's saying the right things in public, but when he hits the ice last year in the playoffs, he was running guys. He was running guys to set a tone. He's the captain and he should be doing that. And he's not. You know, he's not the only problem, but he's not leading like he should be leading. And Tokett is not holding anyone accountable, in my opinion. You know, he's benching Martin. He's cutting Ice time still, he's still cutting ice time on Matt V Mishkov. Which again, I know you're gonna have all these guys going, everyone loves Matt V Mishkov and they shouldn't. Guess what? Matt Vay, good or bad, you like it or not. Fact is, Matve Mishkov has looked like the most creative player on our team, and almost 80-90% time of the time he's on the ice. He's creating something. He has some wild good pass. He has some great vision and sets somebody up who can't score on this team. He's done everything he's asked for. He's our leading goal scorer. He scored on power play. And what does Takett do? Takett cuts his ice time. Ha ha ha. Can you believe that? Takett actually cuts his ice time. Matve Mishkov was your best player probably on the ice last night, and he played 13 minutes. He did not play any power play one time. He was benched. Benched. If I was Matt V Mishkov, I wouldn't want to be on this team ever again. I wouldn't. I would not want to play for this coach. I would want to trade. And guess what? He's not signed. He's got to be signed by the year end, or we lose him probably to an offer sheet. And you know what? I think that's exactly where this is going. I think it's going to go deep. And I think Mattvey is going to hold out. And I do think that the Flyers are gonna lose them because they're gonna have to trade them before somebody offersheats them. That's my that's my stomach talking right now. Because if I was Matt Bay, I would not be happy at all. Not at all. I do not like Tocket. I I am done with Tackett. If it changes over time, he has a good game here and there, okay, I'll give him his kudos. But he's gonna have to earn this back for us fans because his decisions are baffling. Baffling. We had a game last night that we had to win. Had to win it. It was a must-win for us. A must-win. Four or five minutes left in the game. What does he do? He puts out the worst line on our team. He doesn't cut the bench short. He puts out Stunicke and what a chari and Bunning, and they do nothing. They I think they even like gave up a goal with a goal when they were on the ice. And after they they scored the goal, He kept him out there, let him take the face off and start it over again. Rick Tockett is a horrible, horrible in game coach. Horrible. He doesn't read the bench. He doesn't read the game. He doesn't read the ice. Noah t not Noah. sorry. Owen Tippett. Owen Tippett was having a really tough game last night. He was trying here and there, but he was just having a really tough game. And Mishkoff was having a great game. So you think he would have like said, okay, you know what, man, let's switch the little things around. Let's bring Mishkov up, bump him up a line or two, get him out there, get him some more minutes, and let Tippet sit for a little bit. And, you know, maybe that lights Tippet up. And maybe it also lights Mitschkov up because you recognized he was having a good game. So he takes the kudos and runs with it. And Tippett takes the you know, down in the bench order and says, I man, I gotta play better, and he plays better. You know, so that simple move could have done two things. It could have lit Tippet up. And it could have fired Matt Bay up because he was given a chance. And Takett did none of it. Zippo, zippo. there's something going on here. And that's my opinion. Either Takett absolutely hates Mishkoff and is just going to treat him this way and he don't like him and he's going to end up running him out of here. Or Takett literally is just that blatantly dumb that he just can't see it and can't figure out what to do out there. He's over his head. And and I don't know, I think it's a mix of both, it really is. And then you look at this team as a whole and you start thinking, where did this come from? We haven't been like this f for a really long time. That this key this team is a lot more skilled than we're playing. So, you know, that leads one to think like, what what the hell's going on in that locker room? Is there something going on in there that is causing all this? And it could be multiple things, like maybe people don't like each other. Maybe something's going on behind the scenes. Maybe they don't like the coach, but they're saying all the right things. Or maybe it's such a soft environment to play in that these guys just they don't try hard. They don't need to. You know, they're not whooped into shape like torts would. they're just soft. They're they're super, super soft. And they're not skating. It's it's horrible to watch. It really is. I'm a seasoned ticket holder and Man, I'm I'm turning in all my games. I just turn in another game for Monday against Colorado. I don't want to go down there and watch this mess. I I'd rather bank that money and buy tickets later in the season if they get a little better. And it's it's so sad. It's not where I would have thought this team would have been. I really thought they would have taken or taken a step, you know, to at least stay at the level they were at last year and maybe got a little bit better with a backup goalie that can play. man, it's It's gotta be so hard. I'm I'm looking at Twitter or X, Facebook, like everybody's blowing up, blowing up, calling for Tockett's head and and honestly right rightfully so. It it we're nine we're and nine. and nine. We're about to be and eleven and two like what? We're gonna probably lose the auto on Saturday and I think Colorado probably blows us out of the water on Monday. So we're probably gonna be and eleven really soon. And whose fault is it? And Honestly, it's it's across the board. these players have to learn to play better, no doubt about it. They got to play for themselves in this city. They don't have to like the coach, but they have to play. You know, they're professionals and they should be playing with heart. I'm I'm not seeing it. Our our fourth line is horrible. Like Danny made mistakes. He he did, you know, he tried. He took a swing at Achari, he took a swing at Bunning, he took a swing at Yurchek. he had he got stuck with Benoit. You know, my opinion is cut all, man. Wave wave all. I don't even know if you can, but wave all. Get rid of them. Who cares if someone picks them up? I'd rather see all those stiffs down in the miners and I'd rather bring like mur Ty Merchardson up. And in all honesty, I I think this this team lacks legs. They so lack lack legs. And I know Jets not firing it up down in the AHL, but he but he can skate. He can skate. He he had some really nice plays the other night. created a goal. I would bring Jet up. I would let Jet get some time because we need his wheels. Nobody on this team can skate the puck down the ice. We gotta rely on Sandheim or Bonk right now to do it. So my opinion, cut that whole fourth line, get rid of him, bring Bump back back up, bring Jet back up. I'd even bring Nuble back up. I mean Yeah, they're depleting the AHL. Maybe they can backfill it. I don't know. But I I don't want to look at that fourth line anymore. Anymore. And and I know it's not gonna happen, but I I wish it would, because I think we need some kids who are hungry to stick at the NHL and you can see it. You can see it in just in what we do with Bonk. Like Bonk had a tough first game, but man, he wants to stick and he's tried. He's skated the puck in, he's created some opportunities, he's really doing Pretty well for us. And I think if you bring like Jet up, you bring Bump back up, I think those guys are gonna appreciate being up here and they're gonna play harder than half the guys on this current roster. So anyhow, that's my rant. That's my rant. ugly, just just ugly. Now we got some news out there that you know there was a leak with TK. being the team the team coaches, staff, whatever is frustrated with him because the puck dies on his stick. And I know this has been talked about before in the last podcast. but sitting there last night thinking about it and if I was TK, what would I do? Would would I be happy with that getting out and would I want to stay here? And in all honesty, it it's it's like a double edged sword. Like I know TK wants to win and he's got a lot of pride. However, there's some guys that are just complacent, they just are. Like they're just like, you know what, I do want to win, but we're, we're heading in the right direction. I don't feel like moving my family. I don't feel like moving my kids. Like, I'm just gonna sit here and suck it up. And that's it. And man, I hate that attitude. I r I really do. I I just hate that attitude. It's it's it's terrible. you know, I if I was him, and again I'm not, but if I was him and this something like this leaked. I think the majority of me would want to go. I'd want to go and prove myself somewhere else, and in in doing that, he would actually help the Flyers. He he really would. If the Flyers can get the right deal back for him, which could be huge for us, you know, it's something they c they they should be doing. And I said it before on the other podcast, you know, there's only a couple ways to get better, to get out of this funk. Either your guys have to play through this and just grow and it takes time. They have to really stink, they gotta tank and get a top three, top four pick, or they gotta trade some vets and get a high draft pick from trading a vet and like a good prospect, you know, and that's the only way to get better. It's really is, it's it. And when you look at this core of guys, we're not we're not, in my opinion, set up to be better with this core of guys, you know, y and this coach. Hopefully that made sense. if this coach refuses to play Michkov when he deserves to be played, and Porter Martone and Michkov were doing pretty well yesterday and got barely any time, like Martin got like twelve, what, twelve minutes and twenty-nine seconds of ice time. Matt Vay Michkov got thirteen minutes and forty seconds. Denver Barkey had fifteen twenty-eight. Nolachari had thirteen forty-two. He played more than Mitchkoff. Stanica had like eight minutes, right? So right about where he should be. Tippett had 15 and a half. Zegers had close to 18. Noah Keats, 13.22. I don't, I don't, I just don't get it. Martone and Forster looked, I'm sorry, Martone and Mishkoff looked really well. They got a goal together. Coach did nothing for them. Nothing. Didn't help them. Didn't give them give them more ice time. Didn't move them up the lineup. Tox gotta go. I think he's the wrong guy for this team. I I really do. And yeah, we need to play better defensively, but man, I I am of the opinion that and I know it's a cliche, but a strong offense is a strong defense, right? That's how I feel. If you're constantly chasing the puck, which we are, we chase it in our own end. We can't control it when we're five on five. We chase them in our own end, we dump and can't get to the puck in their end. There's no breakout. Last time when Torts was here, you know, as soon as the Flyers got the puck in the defensive zone, the wingers were already taking off and like crossing ices and given like you know you know slant pass opportunities. And that's not happening right now. Like our defense gets the puck, turns around and there's no one there. So they toss it up the boards, they flip it up high, and it just goes to the other team and lo and behold we are chasing again. We're chasing and chasing and chasing. This this system is awful. I don't think the system works. it may work from cross-legged passes so the goalie's not getting scored on, from the back door, but other than that, nothing. He doesn't pinch at the blue line, he doesn't have them pinching in the offensive zone, he has no breakout strategy, he has nothing. His entire defense just solely is focused on covering the guy on the back door so they don't score in the goalie. That's it. And maybe blocking some shots. And that's all we've seen. Again, he's probably trying other things, but it ain't working. It it's terrible. This team needs new fresh ideas. This team needs new coaches. This team needs a new power play coach. This team needs a coach who recognizes guys who are playing strong and they and then throw a bone, toss them a bone. You know, they'll be like Mishkov would have been on fire, I think, if if Tockett said, Okay, kid, get out there on power play one, you're looking good tonight. But he doesn't know how to reward these guys. He because I really do think he just does not appreciate Matt May Mishkov. There's something going on there. Still. Still. So, anyhow, let's see what happens with TK. Let's see what happens tomorrow, Saturday against Ottawa. it's very, very frustrating right now. The fans are losing their minds. They are, and they rightfully so should be. This team looks awful. This team looks slow. This team can't pass 10 feet stick to stick or tape to tape. This team is not getting possession and controlling it. This team every now and then has one guy who actually finally takes it upon themselves to make something happen. Like a Mishkoff did or a Barkey did the other day. And that's it. There's not enough of that. I I do think TK needs to go. I do think it's okay to let TK go. I think the return on TK would could be really nice. There's a rumor out of the Canadians they're interested in TK. They see him as a Brendan Gallagher replacement, a gritty forward. package looks not so bad. You know, it looks like there's a maybe two center opportunities and to get back and a defenseman and a prospect to maybe pick. You know, I'm not sure if they would get all that, but that's all on the table there. If they can't get Larkin, I think they'd go TK if he's if he's there. So there's opportunity for this team to get better. If this team stays the way they're playing, that's fine too, because chances are we are going to be horrible the entire year and get a top two, three pick, which would be great for this team because they need it. So again, one way or another, they have to improve by trade. They have to improve by tanking and getting more picks. And they have to improve by giving these kids the ice time. Stop. Playing guys like Achari and Bunning. Stop. Put Martin, put Mitchkov up there, and just let them go. Let them learn. Their upside, if they figure it out, is way higher than Achari or Bunning. Way higher. And Tacit's got to start relying on the kids. And that's it. They're going to make mistakes. It's okay. Let them go. What's the worst case that's going to happen? They're gonna lose. And we've been losing, so it ain't gonna matter. Ain't gonna make a change. So hopefully, hopefully, within the next couple of games, we see a move. Either a new coach, a vet going out and some young blood coming in that can spark this team. And we start turning this ship around a little bit because it's it's needed right now. It really is. And for all you flyer fans out there, let your voices be heard. go out there, express your feelings, man. And and that's it's it's huge. The more you express your feelings, the more heat and media is going to reach, Danny and Jonesy and Hilferty and Comcast. And that's what it takes. if we just walk away and don't buy tickets, that'll help too. But most of the time, there's diehards that are just going to go down. And even me, I have seasoned tickets. What am I going to do? Sell them for twenty dollars? No, I'm gonna go to games here and there and I'm gonna watch and I'm gonna boo when needed and I'm gonna cheer when need it. but the money's already spent. You know, the season tickets are already bought. You know, people who are looking to get tickets, don't buy them. You know, boycon if you have to, because you know, there's no other way for us fans to actually express our feelings other than not showing up and letting our feelings known in the media. And That's that's what's needed. All these podcasters, you start listening into all these guys out here and they all notice it, you know. They all notice it, they're all saying it, you know, they're they know this team needs help. They know this team is not playing strong. It's the first time across the board where you see almost every every single solitary media and sportscaster out here saying the same thing. What's Tocket thinking? He's being outcoached. He doesn't know how to coach in game. He's playing fourth line more than his star young players. All of us are saying it. So you know, Danny sees it too. And Jonesy sees it too. It's just a matter of what will they do? What will they do to address it? Will they just bury their heads and disappear and just give Tocket the reins for the year? You know, will they tell him this is what we expect and like maybe we'll see these line changes? Yeah, probably not. Yeah, I mean they might have a conversation like that, but Tackin ain't here to listen to them. He's the coach. You and his response is gonna be basically, you hired me to do a job and this is the way I'm gonna do it. So he's either gonna coach his way probably with a little listening, or they're gonna let him go. And and either way he don't care because he's gonna get paid. You know, he's gonna get paid either way, if he's here or if he's not. So for him, if he's in a really horrible position, You know, what's what's wrong? Like let yeah, fire me this year. I'm still gonna collect my twenty million over the next three years, and in the meantime, I'm also gonna get a job on TV or maybe somewhere else that are going to pay me too. So like to me to me, Tacken has nothing to lose here other than his job. Because financially he'll make up better if he was fired. But man, that's I can't believe we're even talking about this again. It it's it's disgusting that we're here. It just absolutely horrible. I hate to see it. It's really terrible. But something's gotta be done. And I think it starts with, you know, trying to get TK to move. Sean Katourier, I I don't know. I I again I'm with a peace of mind where I think we just need a whole brand new group of guys like leading this team and I would love to see Sean Katourier go too. I don't think everybody wants him, everyone wants that salary. But you know, if I if I was Danny, I'd have a talk with him. Sean Katurier should be getting an opportunity on another team if they want him to try to win, just like TK should. they put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in this team, and I I appreciate all they've done through the years, but we're at a crossroads now where we need a new voice, we need new leadership, we need new blood, and we have to move, in my opinion, these these guys out to get a couple picks. And to get a couple prospects to try to backfill this roster with some youth because they're they're at the end of their careers, let's face it. Like Sean Chunkturi is at the end of his career. He's not he's not doing too well and he's not going to. TK, he still has probably a little bit left in the tank, but he he's the probably one of the biggest guys here. Well, you know, that would get us the biggest return. You know, Tibbet, he would get us a decent return, probably too, but not as big as TK. But I again I still think Tippett in my opinion is a on a a really good friendly contract and he's still a little hurt so he's not back up to speed. I I'd hate to see Tippet go. I'd like to see Tippet stay and I'd like to see the other two moved if possible. And then lastly, you look at these centers, you know you got Cates and Dvorak and Couturier, like what do you expect from this team? Like this team is not set up or structured to win. They're just not. You know, you can have the best wingers out there and They suffer because they they don't have anyone to really work with, like if you carry the puck in and you're a gifted winger, you start getting double teamed and you don't have a guy who can skate with you or a guy that reads you well, a Kate's a Dvorak or, a Koots, you got nothing. they're gonna shut you down. So our our our center structure is is terrible. It really is. It's terrible. And I don't know how they're gonna get out of it. I think I think I think the only way to get out of this thing is like I said, you gotta take the TK or TK and you gotta move and you gotta get a center or two back for you have to get rid of your check in Benoit. Just let go. Who cares if someone scoops him up? Who cares? Move Means nothing. Bring bring Ty Murchison up. You know, give other guys an opportunity because those guys down there are better than both of those those guys. Hands down. And a couple little tweaks, bringing Jet up, getting some speed on this on this team. And Jet has an upside, probably much better than Bunting, much better than a chari. You know, i it it just is what it is. You know, he's got a probably a much better upside than Stanica, right? So if those guys are giving, you know, getting zero points and not contributing, at least Jet has some wheels and he may from time to time be able to create something. Right? Maybe he's not scoring, but maybe just his wheels alone will create because these other guys, they can't. They can't do it. So, anyhow, a lot to think about. A whole lot to think about. And I think we're gonna see some changes. I do. I don't think they're gonna I really don't think they're gonna get through the year without making some changes. It's either now or in a little bit or at the deadline. But I just think we're going to see some changes here. I think TK has to wave. Do I think he's gonna weave? No. That's my guess. I think the Flyers asked. I think they kept asking. Just my opinion. I think he won't wave. And I think the Flyers are really tight lip shit. They don't let things get out. And I think this leaked on purpose because they're trying to pressure TK to wave his no trade cause and leave the city. So it will benefit the team. that's my opinion. Because this stuff normally doesn't happen. You know, Anthony DeMarco I think broke it. He's the one who said there was an inside source. And I do think in my humble opinion and I'm not connected like I said to anything, but my humble opinion is it was leaked on purpose because they absolutely need TK to wave so they can try to improve this team long long term. So let's see what they do against Ottawa tomorrow. We'll probably be back maybe Sunday or maybe Tuesday after the Colorado game. guys going down to this game Take some bags, man. Cut some holes and put them over your faces. Show them. Let them know we're not happy. Anyhow, go flyers. Till next time.