The Flyers find themselves with another season coming to a close, and possibly a sixth consecutive year without playoff hockey. However, President of Hockey Operations Keith Jones says the team is still on the right course, albeit maybe not quite at the pace fans (or even some of the players themselves) anticipated.
Jones, speaking on the Kincaide and Salciunas morning show on 97.5 FM The Fanatic Monday morning, said that he feels like a lot of fans and would love to see the team end up getting into the playoffs. But he also knows that the Flyers still have work to be done. And thus need that time to do the work. That work included some of the salary retentions and buyouts that will be off the ledger when the season ends.
“I do, I think we all would love to rush it and make it happen quicker, but that’s not the way it is and the environment we’re in today,” Jones said. “One of the things that we’re really happy about, is we are alleviating a lot of the cap pressure that we have had in the past. A lot of the deals that we had to work out of including the Kevin Hayes deal, the Ryan Ellis deal, the Cam Atkinson deal, all that money is starting to come off the books. That I’m really excited about, and that was one of the objectives Danny [Briere] and I had when we took over, was to clean up the books [bad contracts] So that is well on it’s way. And I’m very encouraged about that.
“The other part of it was to add younger talent and to accumulate draft picks, and we’re starting to put those picks into play. Allowing the players enough time to fully develop, not to rush them, but to watch them grow, and hope that our assessment of where they will end up in the future align and they’ll end up being a big parts of the franchise as we move forward. Those things I think are all in a very good place and I’m really excited about the future. So that’s kind of my side of where things sit now opposed to when we took over.”
Jones pleased with Tocchet’s first year
The hosts also discussed head coach Rick Tocchet’s rookie season behind the Flyers bench, something that has had some ups and downs. Jones said he believes he’s laying the foundation for the team in a way that might not please everyone. “I think Rick has done a really good job of trying to implement his philosophy, his defensive style of coaching,” he said. “And try to bring it to an entirely new team, a new group of players, and with a group of players who in some cases are very young. I do think there’s challenges that come with that. But overall I think he’s done a really good job.
“I look at where we’re at, and obviously without a major hiccup for about six-week period, we’re talking about a team that, with where we’re at with in our growth, isn’t quite there yet, would’ve been sitting in a much higher place in the standings above some really good hockey teams. I think he’s done a really good job of grinding out wins but obviously there’s going to be bumps along the way in that process also. So I’m quite pleased with Rick, I look forward to seeing what happens in the future.”
Briere’s asking price in trade should also pay dividends
Jones also stated how he’s seen general manager Danny Briere evolve into a front office executive who can maintain his credibility, seeing the bigger picture and playing the longer game versus settling for satisfaction now at the cost of damaging the future. The credo has been the same since day one, and Jones echoed much of those thoughts in his answer to a question about Briere’s time as the Flyers general manager. His knack for not settling when it came to the trade deadline was another asset Jones sees as positive for the Flyers down the road.
“You know, if the right deal is not there, we’re never going to make it,” Jones said. “We’re only going to make the deal that makes the Flyers better in the future. And I think Danny has done a great job of showing patience in the deals that he has made, and I think he’s got a really good feeling for what a player’s value is. If you look back at the Sean Walker deal and getting a first-round pick back from Colorado, that was probably more than many anticipated what Danny would be able to get. I thought that was a very shrewd move on his part. But most importantly he’s established who he is.
“He sets his price, and the price is not going to budge within reason. So for other general managers who are getting used to Danny’s style, they understand that a few years down the road, they don’t think back and say, ‘Well he told me they wanted a first and then they traded him for a second, it just didn’t work, he changed his mind on me but that wasn’t what he told me.’ So I think he’s established a certain level of integrity that will be looked upon in the right way as we continue to build this thing and push it forward.”
Michkov and Couturier both important pieces
Two of the biggest issues regarding the team were also discussed, beginning with the rather roller coaster, trying second year winger Matvei Michkov is having. The forward has shown a bit of the rookie spark he had in 2024-25, a far cry from the rather arduous first half of the year that saw him with less production. And less ice time. Jones is still very much a supporter of Michkov, and doesn’t see this season as anything more than a blip on the radar. He said the forward has become better away from the puck and in his own zone.
“I’m not just confident, I’m excited,” Jones said. “I think this year has obviously been very up and down. But I can’t wait for the future because I know the talent, I know the player, I know the growth that has taken place this year. I knew it wasn’t going to be a straight line. But when I watch him now and his attention to detail, and the way that he has improved in his defensive play. And on top of that now is starting to get his jump back, and he’s starting to make the plays that we know he’s capable of playing, I think it only goes up from here. So yes the sophomore slump is real. But more importantly during this slump there have been some valuable things that have been added to his play. I think the future is extremely bright and I’m as excited about him today as I was the season prior and as excited as the day we drafted him. I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens next year.”
And finally, as much as the Flyers are relying on their youth to take them forward, they are also counting on some established veterans to help them get over the hump. Like Michkov’s, center Sean Couturier’s year has been difficult at best. He is seeing more ice time in the bottom six of the lineup and has been a chunk of time of late on the fourth line, a far cry from his heyday as the team’s top line center. While his offensive production has nosedived, Jones sees a guy like Couturier as an important piece as the team moves along.
“I think it matters,” Jones said of a veteran presence on the team. “I think it’s important to have some people to insulate some of the younger guys, some of the new guys that have come in and have had a very good showing to start. But as we know it’s never a straight line. So there are going to be wobbles that take place. There are ten-game stretches where a guy declines and is trying to figure out the mental side of the game and trying to deal with pucks not going in the net, trying to deal with ice time being reduced. And all the things that go with becoming a good pro, you have guys that have done that and gone through that before. They are continuing to be productive players most importantly, and that’s a way to get the kids to learn.
“There’s also a willingness to accept your role changing where you might have been a prime power play player at one point in your career, you might have to adjust and become a more defensive player later on,” Jones continued, citing the career of his fellow teammate Bobby Carpenter who went from a goal-scoring phenom in his earlier days to a defensive specialist in his later years. “I think that can be important for a player like Sean Couturier comes to mind in that regard. And Sean’s willingness to do whatever he can to help the team is really important as we move forward with these kids.”
A future functioning power play?
As for the power play, it’s nothing Jones hasn’t been asked about before. And he’s given a rather straightforward answer. He feels the additions of Porter Martone and Jack Nesbitt on the horizon will certainly complement the skills that guys like Tyson Foerster, Matvei Michkov, Denver Barkey, and Alex Bump should be bringing to the table.
“Those things are going to be very important for us,” Jones said. “Specifically they provide us with boosts in areas that are probably needed in the future of our team. A guy like Martone in front of the net on the power play, a guy like Foerster with his one-timer ability will help on special teams, both on the way he kills penalties and the way he can shoot the puck on the power play. We’re still looking for pieces to improve that part of our game. Obviously the power play is not where we want it to be but we have specific thoughts on players that are going to continue to get that thing in a much better spot. I’m excited about where those players fit in. Jack Nesbitt is another player, he’s one of those net front guys who can provide screens, intelligent picks, help players around him find space and time on the power play. He’s another guy who excites me. Sometimes I feel a little bit impatient on those things. But I also believe those guys are going to help in that regard.”