The Flyers are never boring: Why Hayes sat, Sedlák left and more

PHILADELPHIA — You recognize it’s a wild day across the Philadelphia Flyers when the workforce’s prime offseason acquisition returning to the lineup after a wholesome scratch and a household tragedy is the third-biggest storyline.

There was one participant who wouldn’t play, one participant not permitted to play and one participant who couldn’t play however now can.

The Flyers could also be dangerous. However they’re by no means boring.

Let’s begin with the one who wouldn’t play: waiver acquisition Lukáš Sedlák.

Sedlák wasn’t merely a uncommon sudden vibrant spot for the Flyers — he was one of many few latest Chuck Fletcher transactions that appeared to have paid actual dividends. It’s not that Sedlák was dominant, however he actually proved a helpful piece for the Flyers, taking part in as excessive as Line 2 at occasions and greater than incomes all of his ice time. The truth is, no Flyers ahead has pushed play this 12 months higher than Sedlák — his 52.16 % anticipated share leads the ahead corps, and his +0.156 xG influence places him within the 86th percentile amongst all NHL forwards.

And now, he’s gone. As in leaving the Flyers and the NHL and going again dwelling to Czechia, more than likely to play for HC Dynamo Pardubice. He was positioned on unconditional waivers for the needs of terminating his contract on Saturday.

“I made the choice yesterday. Clearly, I used to be occupied with it for … the reason being multiple,” Sedlák mentioned.

So what have been his many causes?

“It’s nothing critical, like with my household or something like that,” he continued. “I simply felt general that, you recognize, me taking part in in NHL, it didn’t deliver me what I anticipated it to deliver me, and I might somewhat be dwelling with my household.”

Nevertheless it went past eager to be nearer to dwelling, and nearer to his fiancee, who he hadn’t seen for 3 months since heading over to North America to affix the Avalanche. Sedlák famous that he loved his time within the KHL from 2019-20 by way of 2021-22, when he was given ice time commensurate with that of a star. He knew when he made the choice to come back again to the NHL that his ice time would dip. However he didn’t anticipate the drop to hassle him as a lot because it did.

“Yeah, I imply, once I got here from Russia, I all the time performed quite a bit. And I loved taking part in quite a bit, and form of being ‘the man’ and stuff like that,” he mentioned. “I didn’t anticipate to have that right here. So I form of knew what I’m gonna get, what number of minutes, stuff like that. However I assumed (I used to be) gonna really feel higher about it. And clearly, once I signed with Colorado, I form of knew that I may need an opportunity to win, stuff like that. In order that’s, after all, a part of the rationale too.”

Sedlák made it clear that his resolution had nothing to do with the Flyers group, particularly repudiating theories “on Twitter,” as he mentioned, that he was leaving because of a battle with the Flyers on some stage. That mentioned, it’s clear that a part of the rationale Sedlák returned to the NHL realizing he’d be a task participant was to chase down a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche. After he was waived and claimed by Philadelphia, that not was on the desk. Sedlák contended that the Flyers’ predicament didn’t drive the choice, however certainly, taking part in depth minutes on a membership poised to lose its seventeenth recreation in its final 21 wasn’t precisely probably the most attractive promote.

The 29-year-old ahead needs to have enjoyable taking part in hockey. And in the long run, he felt that will be extra possible again dwelling nearer to his household than with Philadelphia.

“I’m attending to a sure age the place it’s not nearly being in (the) NHL or taking part in (within the) NHL. Nevertheless it’s additionally about taking part in, having enjoyable taking part in, as a result of I don’t know what number of good years I’ve left,” he mentioned.

Sedlák needs to have enjoyable taking part in hockey, and that’s why he left. Kevin Hayes, however, simply needs to play hockey. John Tortorella, nonetheless, had different concepts Saturday, scratching him for the Flyers’ matchup in opposition to the Rangers.

“It’s form of an enormous image (resolution), in my thoughts, so far as workforce idea,” Tortorella mentioned.

Tortorella’s frustration with Hayes isn’t new. The Flyers head coach got here near scratching Hayes earlier within the season for defensive lapses, even threatening to take action in entrance of the opposite Flyers gamers, per an individual near the workforce. However finally, Tortorella selected to maneuver Hayes to wing, basically scratching “Hayes the middle” whereas retaining “Hayes the offensive weapon” within the lineup. And that made sense — whereas Hayes’ two-way recreation this season has been missing (team-low negative-0.232 xG influence at even energy), he stays the highest scorer (29 factors in 30 video games) for a workforce starved for offense.

However after an unpleasant recreation in Newark that noticed Hayes take an early penalty resulting in Jack Hughes’ first-period aim, commit a ghastly late-second-period turnover excessive within the offensive zone and be benched for the whole third interval, Tortorella apparently had sufficient. Hayes’ offense, on this case, wasn’t sufficient to maintain him within the lineup, even when Hayes’ absence — as Tortorella acknowledged — possible reduce the Flyers’ probability of successful Saturday’s recreation.

“I’ll put it to you this manner: I can’t maintain wanting by issues, (simply) as a result of we’re anxious about scoring,” Tortorella mentioned. “I’ve obtained to take a look at the massive image of what this workforce goes to be, what the usual is, of how we now have to play. That far outweighs shedding some offense in a selected recreation.”

My understanding is that whereas the errors Thursday might have been the ultimate straw for Torts, the benching was not a direct punishment for one recreation. Tortorella believes that Hayes’ general play wants important work, and that whereas he’s not anticipating Hayes at age 30 to vary solely as a participant, he does really feel that Hayes could make extra changes than thus far he’s been keen to make. The frustration on the a part of the teaching employees with regard to Hayes may be very actual, and the scratching actually escalated the scenario to a completely new stage.

Hayes declined to remark after apply, selecting to not provide his view of the scenario. However certainly, he can’t be glad concerning the embarrassment of being sat down, significantly for a recreation in opposition to his former membership.

And Hayes isn’t the one latest high-profile veteran that Tortorella has scratched. The truth is, the final goal of the tactic — Tony DeAngelo — returned to the lineup Saturday after lacking the final 4 video games

Tortorella’s authentic plan, nonetheless, virtually actually didn’t contain DeAngelo out of the lineup for per week. The 27-year-old defenseman couldn’t play the previous three video games for one more, way more critical motive than a easy hockey resolution: the demise of his grandmother Jo-Ann.

“We have been tremendous, tremendous shut, most likely nearer than I used to be with anyone,” DeAngelo mentioned after apply on Saturday. “It’s only a powerful loss for everyone.

DeAngelo was significantly shut along with his grandmother, who lived within the Packer Park part of South Philadelphia — the truth is, he visited her each day in the summertime for lunch after coaching on the Flyers’ facility. He was in no form to return to recreation motion this week after listening to the information within the lead-up to puck drop on Sunday in Arizona.

“She all the time instructed me that it doesn’t matter what, she’d need me to play immediately, however there’s no manner I might have performed final week,” he mentioned. “Clearly I’ll be occupied with her quite a bit.”

So DeAngelo had a very troublesome activity in entrance of him Saturday. Not solely was he making his return after a household tragedy, he was additionally making an attempt to include changes into his recreation to keep away from elevating the ire of Tortorella but once more. The consequence? He performed 24:26 minutes (tops on the protection) however was additionally a minus-5 in plus/minus ranking.

“Rust. There was some rust,” Tortorella mentioned after the sport concerning DeAngelo’s play. “The largest factor with Tony, I feel his offense goes to come back when he will get again taking part in extra video games. We simply need a bit bit extra work away from the puck in our finish zone. I feel positioning and persistence is a very vital factor for Tony defensively. He’s not going to be a prime defensive defenseman on this league — that’s not what we would like. We simply need to see a bit bit extra so far as persistence and his positioning. I feel it’ll assist him out defensively and that’ll develop into his offense.”

That is the Flyers in a nutshell proper now. On one single day, they’ll have one participant leaving the workforce for good, their prime scorer receiving an announcement benching from the brand new head coach and their prime offseason add making an attempt to earn his manner again into that very same coach’s good graces after a benching of his personal.

The losses might maintain coming in Philadelphia. However so do the noteworthy storylines. Nobody can accuse this group of being boring, on the very least.

Assorted observations

2. Oh, there was additionally a recreation to be performed in South Philly on Saturday, a recreation that the Flyers unsurprisingly misplaced 6-3. It adopted the script of a lot of their latest defeats — they performed onerous and saved it shut, however prolonged lapses proved an excessive amount of to beat, after which they gave up a pair empty-net targets to make the rating look worse than it was. It was the Flyers’ seventeenth lack of their brutal 21-games-in-40-days schedule stretch, a run that just about actually put a halt to any lengthy shot playoff hopes for the membership.

3. Tortorella concurred that the important thing stretch of the sport got here within the wake of Ok’Andre Miller’s mid-second-period tally. Shook by Miller’s aim, which instantly adopted a pressure-heavy however finally fruitless energy play, the Flyers “watched a bit bit” (in Torts’ phrases) in the course of the jiffy after that aim. The consequence? A 1-1 tie earlier than Miller’s aim shortly was a 3-1 deficit. Scott Laughton took the blame for a blown project on the third aim, however in reality, the Rangers might have scored on any one in all their many high quality possibilities over that stretch. And the Flyers simply don’t have the horses to come back all the way in which again from a two-goal deficit in opposition to a top quality opponent like New York.

4. Talking of Miller’s aim, it was a spotlight reel one. He helped pressure a Travis Sanheim turnover, recovered after being tripped by Sanheim on the following breakaway, after which nonetheless was capable of idiot Carter Hart with a stunning dangle. He certain would appear like on the Flyers’ blue line corps proper now, however given the chance to pick him with the nineteenth choose in 2018, then-GM Ron Hextall as a substitute selected Jay O’Brien, who continues to be toiling away at Boston College and isn’t any assure to earn an NHL contract earlier than he graduates. Welp.

5. Additionally, a message to Sanheim on that play: should you’re going to journey a participant to disrupt a breakaway, be sure you actually journey him. May as nicely absolutely earn that penalty.

6. Owen Tippett was a standout, however not by way of his capturing. His passing recreation was significantly on level — he earned one help on a financial institution go off the tip boards to James van Riemsdyk, and will have completed with two or three extra given all of his high quality feeds.

7. Laughton might have blown the protection on New York’s third aim, however he additionally saved the Flyers in it along with his short-handed tally late within the third interval. In essence, it was a two-goal swing, after an extended video evaluation on a Chris Kreider almost-goal failed to provide concrete proof that the puck had really crossed the road. Seconds later, Laughton was heading down the ice on a short-handed breakaway, and the Flyers have been proper again within the recreation.

8. Kieffer Bellows was recalled again to the Flyers after producing seven factors in 5 video games with the Phantoms, with Hayes scratched, Sedlák unavailable and Zack MacEwen out with an sickness. However in his 10:09 minutes of motion, Bellows was largely invisible. Welp x2.

9. Heavy Rangers fan contingent within the Wells Fargo Middle for this one, which was most evident every time DeAngelo held the puck, inspiring a refrain of boos from the Blueshirts trustworthy who clearly haven’t absolved him for his position within the battle with Alexandar Georgiev in 2021 that ended his Rangers profession.

10. Morgan Frost additionally scored a aim on a stunning snipe. He didn’t do a lot in Newark, however Frost’s line (with JvR and Tippett) was Philadelphia’s most harmful. This was the form of follow-up recreation that he wanted after his four-point effort in Arizona. Hey, it’s a begin.

(Picture: Kyle Ross / USA As we speak)