Rick Tocchet lands on a list no Flyers coach wants to be on

Flyers coach Rick Tocchet was just named among four head coaches facing the music, and the Matvei Michkov saga is part of the noise.

The list covers teams in the bottom 10 of the league in points percentage: Jeff Blashill with the Blackhawks, Ryan Warsofsky with the Sharks, Scott Arniel with the Jets and Tocchet. The question attached to it is whether any of them deserve to be on the hot seat.

For Philadelphia, the timing is ugly. The Flyers are 5-10-5 with 15 points, 27th in the NHL and sixth in the Metropolitan Division, with a goal differential of -21.

The Flyers did win 3-1 in Vancouver on Monday, which should have been the story. Instead, Matvei Michkov's heated bench moment with Nick Seeler took over the conversation, and it is still the talk of the Flyers world this morning.

The post asked whether the four coaches deserve to be on the hot seat, and Tocchet is the only one of them who has a bench clash attached to his name right now.

Kevin Weekes reported that Michkov would likely want a fresh start. Chris Johnston and others, though, said the Flyers have received no formal trade request.

Nobody has reported that Tocchet's job is in danger. The hot seat label comes from a list built on the standings, not from a source inside the organization.

Does Daniel Briere back Tocchet or Michkov?

That is the debate in Philadelphia, and the GM has to answer it sooner or later. Daniel Briere can side with the veteran coach who kept control of his bench, or with a 21-year-old who has 10 goals and 14 points in 20 games, including 5 on the power play.

Trading him would be a mistake. Michkov was drafted seventh overall in 2023, he is still producing on a team that sits 27th, and a clash with a 33-year-old defenseman does not change what he does with the puck.

The rest of the room may not be safe either. Anthony Di Marco reported, citing sources, that the Flyers will look to take an axe to their nucleus of veteran players if the season doesn't turn around.

That puts a lot of names in play, and it ties the coaching question to the roster question. We covered how Tocchet and Michkov spoke before the Flames game in Calgary on Saturday, and that conversation reads differently now.

The next test comes tonight in Edmonton. The Flyers are 2-6-2 on the road, and Tocchet will be asked about all of this again.

Quick hits

CALGARY FLAMESEric Francis reports that Jonathan Huberdeau is on the verge of returning, and the Flames host the Rangers tonight. A returning forward could squeeze an already crowded left wing.

MINNESOTA WILDCanadiens coach Martin St-Louis believes Quinn Hughes "sold" the late slashing call on Cole Caufield that helped the Wild beat Montreal on Tuesday night. He clearly did not enjoy that one.

NEW YORK ISLANDERSDavid Pagnotta reports the Islanders are eyeing next Tuesday for Mathew Barzal's season debut. Islanders fans have waited long enough.

NASHVILLE PREDATORSJuuse Saros blanked the Kings last night, one day after Pekka Rinne's Hall of Fame induction in Toronto. A fitting tribute from the man who replaced him.

ST-LOUIS BLUESJim Montgomery was blunt about Dalibor Dvorsky after the Blues' 3-2 win over Detroit on Tuesday night. When the coach talks like that after a win, the young forward is on notice.

This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.