Time is ticking gentlemen, the summer of ’26 was circled by this regime as “go time”, cannot call a mulligan now because the UFA market did not materialize like you thought.
The real mid-term need is not just a 1C but a 1C that can win draws and improve the power play. I think they’ve got two years to get that guy in here.
I just do not understand why they do not employ a power play coach- ala Joe Mullen. It makes no sense with the financial resources not to go that route. I agree faceoffs are one thing, but even inside the zone setup it is awful. I cannot remember when they got a shot off in the slot on a PP. From a player deployment standpoint, I’m not sure having Tippett touching the puck in the offensive zone is a great idea. I think he has 3 PP goals in his time as a Flyer. The skating ability and velocity of his shot gets outweighed by his decision making with puck. Kind of makes sense considering at 5 on 5, Tippett with the puck on his stick trying to make a decision is not a strength of his. Since the room recognizes TK as the best player on the roster, there is a deference to allow him to get a lot of touches along the half boards. He is way behind G what he can do on the half boards.
In general, I agree an improved PP will help the team, no doubt. I’m not so sure the regime can bring a player in over the next 2 years that will just take over the PP, unless the current roster is completely reshaped. We’ll see if that happens. Not hiring a PP coach makes no sense to me. At best, Tocchet’s teams in the past had middle of the road PPs. Thinking they could not use help from a schematic standpoint I believe is short sighted.