Trotz a ‘Top Candidate’ for Flyers, Interviews to Start Soon

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

As the Stanley Cup Playoffs continue for the rest of the NHL, the Flyers are in the midst of a crucial decision that will set the tone for their entire offseason. The next head coaching hire needs to be made in the relatively near future, so the Flyers can start to establish a game plan for how they want to look on the ice in the upcoming season.

Last week, the hockey world was rattled by the firing of Barry Trotz by the New York Islanders. As the Flyers coaching search continues, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in his 32 Thoughts column that Trotz is a “top candidate” of the Flyers.

Friedman cites that the Flyers have seen Trotz’s work first-hand with the Washington Capitals and the Islanders and have a deep respect for him. Trotz was the head coach of the Capitals when they knocked off the Flyers in the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs and with the Islanders when they defeated the Flyers in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Friedman also added some context for the Flyers coaching search:

Philadelphia is getting closer to starting its interviews. They know how critical this hire is for them, determined to leave no stone unturned in finding the right person. What’s been on their minds is a coach with a strong track record, demands accountability from players, gets buy-in right away, and makes teams harder to play against.

Trotz is reportedly taking time to consider his future after the firing. There is belief that he would be interested in a management position in the next chapter of his career, and certainly his own interest in any team that inquires about his services has to be considered. 

Additionally, Friedman also had an update on Ivan Provorov. At end-of-season media availability, Provorov notably called out that the media will grade his season however they want and that they are experts, so it didn’t matter what he had to say about his season. Many fans were frustrated with this, wondering if it could be the end of Provorov’s time in Philadelphia.

According to Friedman, the Flyers will consider everything, but still see Provorov’s potential and don’t want to see him reach it somewhere else. They also still want to see him play a season with Ryan Ellis.

It seems that the offseason could be heating up for the Flyers, as they continue the process of pinpointing the candidate that they want for head coach and start to make further decisions about the team’s future.