Rick Tocchet wants more from David Jiricek, and the Flyers coach said so publicly on Saturday ahead of tonight's game against Utah.
The timing matters. Philadelphia has lost three straight and sits at 3-8-4 through 15 games.
According to Jamey Baskow, Tocchet framed it as a competition. The coach said Jiricek has to raise his game, and that the team as a whole has to cut down on mistakes when the young defenseman is in the lineup.
That last part carries weight. Tocchet did not single Jiricek out alone, but he did not hide the message either.
The numbers explain some of the frustration. Jiricek has played nine games this season with no goals, one assist and a -3 rating.
His lone point is a power-play assist. For a 22-year-old who went sixth overall in the 2022 draft, that is a thin return.
Over his NHL career he has 94 games, 2 goals and 12 assists, along with a -11 rating. Those totals show a defenseman who has yet to find a steady footing at this level.
Flyers defense has no margin for error
The team context makes his spot even tighter. Philadelphia has allowed 51 goals while scoring 29, a differential of -22.
Those numbers leave no room for a defenseman who gives pucks away. Tocchet knows it, and the word "competition" was chosen deliberately.
Jiricek is not the only story around the group. Tocchet offered an update on Konecny and Tippett possibly facing Utah, which could change how the lineup looks tonight.
The road has been the bigger issue. The Flyers are 1-5-1 away from home, and their last outing was a 5-2 loss at Washington on Wednesday.
Baskow relayed the coach's comments in a post, and the message was plain: Tocchet said the mistakes need to be cut down whenever Jiricek is on the ice.
The Flyers host Utah tonight, and whether Jiricek stays in the lineup could tell us how serious Tocchet is about that competition.
