One of the biggest differences between the 2023-24 edition of the Philadelphia Flyers and last season's squad has been the level of teamwide unity, on and off the ice. It's a cliché, but nonetheless true at its core, that everyone this season is pulling the rope in the same direction.
"To me, it's night and day," Flyers head coach John Tortorella said back in October about the difference in the atmosphere.
"We talk about a rebuild. Last season, I felt our locker room needed to change. The way I feel about the locker room, you don't get anything accomplished on the ice until you get the locker room right."
Tortorella continued, "I want to be clear. It's not so much the people. [The players who departed after last season] are really good people... Kevin [Hayes], Tony [DeAngelo], Provy [Ivan Provorov], JVR. Good people. But now we have a different look to the room, and I feel it gives our team the chance to express themselves better.....The athletes of today respect the hierarchy of the locker room, and sometimes they don't feel they can react the way they want to, or think they need to because they don't feel comfortable. Now, we've opened it up a little bit."
Through the first 30 games of the 2023-24 regular season, the Philadelphia Flyers sport a 17-10-3 record. They're riding an eight-game point streak (6-0-2). The Flyers are getting contributions throughout the lineup: returning players and new additions alike, including both the veteran corps and the team's young players.
"We've worked a lot on coming together and building something special," veteran center Sean Couturier said. "Guys are buying in. We just have to keep building and believing in ourselves."
Couturier, the Flyers longest-tenured player, has been a rock of consistency on the ice and leadership by example since his return from two separate back surgeries. It's impossible to overstate how much having the two-time Selke Trophy finalist has meant both on the ice and within the locker room.
"Coots doesn't say much but when he says something on the bench, people listen," Tortorella said.
After missing a season-and-a-half, the reinsertion of Couturier into the mix has made a unique impact: somehow both comfortably familiar yet refreshingly "new" at the same time.
Likewise, having back the exuberance and positive energy exuded by Cam Atkinson has provided a spark that can't be explained solely through on-ice statistics. It's every bit as much about a feeling and an attitude as it is about on-ice metrics. Atkinson, too, was sorely missed when he sidelined all of last season. Goals have been hard to come by for Atkinson over the last month, but his all-out gusto and dedication to the team as whole are never in doubt.
Apart from reintegrating Couturier and Atkinson into the leadership mix, the Flyers added four veteran NHLers over the offseason. None are star-level talents individually, but all have added something valuable that the club lacked a year ago: Sean Walker, Ryan Poehling, Garnet Hathaway, and Marc Staal.
Sean Walker: On the ice, the 29-year-old defenseman has brought above-average mobility, puck-moving ability, a coveted right-handed shot, and underrated awareness and anticipation up-ice while holding his own in the defensive zone. He's been a very good fit so far for the systems the Flyers play, and the attacking mentality with the puck that is central to how Tortorella and the rest of the coaching staff want the team to play. He's also forged a reliable veteran tandem in conjunction with his most frequent defense partner, Nick Seeler.
Tortorella on Walker: "I really didn't know much about him before he came here. I know he had some injuries in LA and, apparently, was pretty solid when he was healthy. When we got him from LA, a lot of [media people] said he was kind of a throw-in. But he's been an eye-opener for our team. He fits well in what we're trying to do."
Ryan Poehling: Poehling became unexpectedly available on the unrestricted free agent market this summer when the Pittsburgh Penguins made a last-minute decision not to tender him a qualifying offer. The 24-year-old center signed a one-year "prove it" contract with the Flyers. He's primarily played a fourth-line center and penalty killing role but has also moved up into the top six-to-nine mix including over the Flyers two most recent games.
Tortorella on Poehling: "The main thing about Poehls is his speed. He's got good size but he's one of our better skaters. He kills penalties. We can move him up or down. He kills penalties. Sully [Penguins coach Mike Sullivan] told me a lot of good things about Poehls from coaching him in Pittsburgh, and we've seen the same things here. I also liked that he signed a one-year contract here. Bet on himself. It shows confidence. He's stepped in and done a good job."
Garnet Hathaway: The word on the gritty veteran winger has always been that he's an opponent other teams hate to play against (the Flyers could testify first-hand), but someone who makes for a great teammate. On the ice, Hathaway has brought his trademark relentless physicality and tenacity with an ability to get under opponents' skin. Off the ice, he's a solid citizen in the locker room, a supportive teammate, an articulate and astute go-to player for the media, and a figure who understands the importance of fan interaction and community engagement.
Tortorella on Hathaway: "I'll boil it down to one word: pro. Hath is a pro. As a coach, you want to know what you're going to get out of every player. Hath is consistent. Makes the most of his minutes. Plays the same way. Keeps himself ready to play, and he competes. Simple as that."
Marc Staal: The veteran blueliner, who dressed in every regular season and every playoff game last season for the defending Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers, has played a reduced on-ice role this far with the Flyers. He missed a month-plus due to an upper-body injury. Since his return, he's shared playing time with rookie Egor Zamula, with the two players rotating in an out of the lineup for one another. However, Staal is still finding ways to contribute.
Tortorella on Staal: "He's a Staal. Staalsy and I go way back with each other [to the player's early years with the New York Rangers]. I never have to worry about where his head is at. He doesn't say much but he is someone who is like a teacher on the ice and the bench. Other players come to him and he says the right things. There are reasons why Staalsy has been in our league for so many years. He knows his game and makes it work. He competes. He works, every single day. And he knows what it takes to win. Whether he's in or out on a given night, he's one of the guys we rely on."
