Philadelphia Flyers' Chuck Fletcher Speaks As John Tortorella Leads

The Philadelphia Flyers have opened the 2022-23 season with a new outlook. The off-season hiring of head coach John Tortorella was significant, in that it signaled that the organization intends to enforce on-ice accountability. 

Torts, as he has long been known, is not expected to work a miracle on ice with what was an injury-riddled roster. Instead, the veteran coach, whose Tampa Bay Lightning team beat a stacked Flyers team in 2003-04 in a memorable seven-game Eastern Conference Semi-Finals series and then won what remains his first and only Stanley Cup, enters the fray as an all-eyes evaluator. 

This two-time Jack Adams' winner (2003-04, and 2016-17 in Columbus) is an instant fan favorite, a Philly fit, and may be the right guy for this rebuilding team. But he may need the full four years of his contract to lead this franchise to being able to make a deep playoff run toward its ever elusive (1973-74, 1974-75) third Cup.

The following transcript was provided courtesy of the Philadelphia Flyers Media Relations Department:

Philadelphia Flyers President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Chuck Fletcher

Last year we dealt with a lot of adversity on and off the ice. Clearly, we didn’t meet the challenges that we faced, there’s no ducking that. It was an extremely disappointing season, one that we lived with all summer, and certainly one that drove us to make the changes that we did both on and off the ice. 

 

But this year is a clean slate for everybody, John has made that very clear to the players. We know there’s a lot of skeptics, a lot of people that don’t believe we are a good hockey team. I know our players are eager to prove them wrong, we all are.

 

There’s a lot of hard work ahead of us, but we’re excited about camp. In particular, I think this year this is probably the best opportunity since I’ve been here for young players to step up and either earn a bigger role on the National Hockey League team or even to make the team. 

 

We have a big wave of young talent coming into our system this year. Some will play in Lehigh, some will play here, but it’s an exciting opportunity for a lot of young players. Depending on how camp goes, we could have up to 10 players on our roster 25 years old and younger. So clearly, particularly up front, there’s a lot of opportunity for some young players to step up and show what they can do and see if they're a part of the solution going forward. 

 

In terms of injuries, I’ll start off with Sean Couturier. He has not been cleared to play as you all know. This morning he will see a specialist to get a second opinion. Based on that appointment, we will try to come up with a plan of attack, and as we have more information, we will let you know. 

 

Ryan Ellis is out indefinitely. There is no timetable on his return to play. I’ll just say that my assumption is that he will not play this season if he does it will be a bonus. That is how we have prepared this offseason by making the additions we did on the blue line.   

 

Patrick Brown had offseason back surgery, he is continuing to rehab. The timeline is a little murky, I would call it week to week. He is skating but he has not been cleared for contact. 

 

Joel Farabee has been cleared to participate, but non-contact participation. I think we saw him this morning in the skating test, he is making good progress. In terms of when he will be cleared for contact, that will probably depend a little bit on how he feels in the skating portion and the practice portion of camp. I think we’re still looking week to week with Joel. 

 

Bobby Brink is in the building rehabbing, rehabbing is going well, he is nine weeks post-op. Return to play I believe will still be in that December-January timeframe. The next step for him is to progress to on-ice rehab which we hope to have him do in the next week or two. 

 

Ryan Fitzgerald has a lower body injury he suffered while skating in Boston a couple of weeks ago. He is one to two weeks away. 

 

With that, I will take your questions. 

 

How surprised are you with Ryan Ellis? Because last year it seemed like he was improving and there was a decent chance he would play this year… 

There’s been ebbs and flows, I think he made progress earlier in the summer. I would say the last two months there hasn't been any visible signs of progress. It’s been a frustrating injury, nobody is more frustrated than Ryan, nobody wants to play more than Ryan, but we’re dealing with reality now. He’s not skating, so clearly, he is a long way from playing. 

 

So, he’ll go on long term? 

Potentially, that’s certainly an option for us. 

 

When did Joel Farabee return to being able to skate? 

Joel’s been skating with the group for over a month now, he just has not had some contact yet. He had a little inadvertent contact in a couple scrimmages when the players were conducting their own practices, but he feels great. I think we want to be careful here, let the injury heal. 

 

We also want to make sure Joel can do the off-ice training he needs to get stronger so he cannot just survive but play well this season. We’re going to do what’s in the best interest of Joel, but I think it’s very encouraging. You saw he skated as hard as everybody, so the good thing is he’s been handling the puck skating. His timing will be great, so now it’s just a question of getting him back into contact and making sure he’s strong enough. 

 

Regarding Ryan, when things broke up last season, you said a surgical option wasn’t something that was going to be considered. Has that changed, is there going to be a surgical option to fix whatever his issue is? 

I know we have been vague with describing the injury. I think we call it multifaceted, which it is, there's a psoas component, there’s a hip component, there’s an abductor component, so I’m not sure if you go in and repair one part that it’s going to fix everything. I’ve never heard of an injury like this, it’s very complicated. Torn psoas is a very serious injury for a hockey player, a very rare injury, so we’re doing the best we can, but we will leave it up to the medical experts. 

 

Regarding Sean Couturier, can you speak to the details of the location of the injury and whether this is the same injury happening again? 

I know it’s in the same area as the last injury. He has been following the medical guidance of the doctors and our medical staff. Over the course of the summer he was improving, but from time to time he had some nerve irritation in his glutes He was told it was a normal part of the process, continued to train, and at some point, over the last week things deteriorated. It got to the point that he was not sleeping as well and was experiencing some pain. What triggered that I don’t know, there’s a whole host of components that impact your back. We’ll try to get to the bottom of it and we’ll do what’s best for Sean. 

 

He’s going for a second opinion, if it comes back in a negative way is this potentially a season ending issue? Is this something that could threaten his career? 

I think we’re a long way from knowing that. He feels much better than he did last year, he can walk around, he can sit comfortably,  he feels he can even go out and skate right now. To suggest its career ending or season ending is a long way away. We’ll leave it up to the specialists, see what his opinion is, and then we’ll get together and get a plan.        

 

Is Ellis’s injury threatening his career?     

Certainly, that’s a possibility.

 

How is Ellis holding up mentally? 

It is extremely frustrating for him; I think he thought he would be a Predator forever. He got over the initial shock of being traded, he came here, he dove right and was a great teammate, he took Ivan Provorov under his wing - they were inseparable trying to build that chemistry. He was so excited to start the season, when he played, he played well. Nobody wants to play more than Ryan Ellis. I know people in this market haven’t had a great chance to see him, but he is a high-end competitor, a very good player. It has been very difficult on Ryan as a human trying to get healthy and trying to be a part of what we are building here. But we’ll hope for the best, and things can turn quickly as we have seen for the good and for the bad, but we’ll keep working. 

 

Have you entered contract negotiations with Travis Sanheim?  

We have, we’ve had conversations with his agent. Our goal is to resign Travis, he’s a big part of our team. He is probably the one and only player that played to their capabilities last year. I think he continues to improve. We continue to work to find a resolution, but if we don’t, I don’t think it will be a distraction. Everything has been professional and amicable, and we will continue to work away. 

 

What was the back injury Couturier was dealing with and what kind of surgery did he have? 

He did have back surgery, that’s the best I can characterize. 

 

Do you see any moves coming down the middle or do you feel someone within can step-up? 

This is a really important training camp. We brought John in for a reason, not just to guide a change in culture and change standards and crack the whip but John has a proven track record of helping players reach their potential, of helping young players get better. I think we are excited to let John and his staff get to work and to see where some of these young players are, let's see where the health of our players is, and from there we can make decisions. It's a critical camp for a lot of players and again there is an unprecedented opportunity for some young players to take on bigger roles now that Giroux isn't here. Not every player is going to make our club, but all these kids are important parts of our future.

Do you think someone can change to center because… (inaudible)?

Scott Laughton can play center; he can play wing. Lycksell played some center before in his past, but I think we’re going to start him on the wing here that’s the position he’s played most at. We do have some depth at center still and again we’ll see what the situation is with respect to Couturier and Brown and see how some of these players do and we’ll make decisions from there.

 

Have you been able to determine whether Hart is a subject of the Hockey Canada investigation and is there a concern regarding that on your part? 

This is a really serious matter; I think we all understand that. The NHL is conducting an investigation. They've been pretty adamant that at this point we should refrain from making comments - we should direct all questions to them. The question is a serious matter but at this point I’ll refrain from speaking until the NHL releases their investigation. 

 

Have you been told how long the investigation is going? 

I haven’t. 

 

Is Hart cooperating with the investigation? 

From what I’ve been told every player has cooperated. 

 

(Inaudible) Can you talk about that change and also is Harry back with the team or not, and if not why?

We feel that in order to be successful on the ice we have to have the right support crew off the ice, and we spent the bulk of summer really analyzing our staff but also conducting exhaustive job searches for people to come in whether is John Tortorella and his coaching staff or Ian McEwen and the athlete performance and wellness staff. We’re very excited with where we landed with not only John but Ian, and Ian’s only been on the ground a couple weeks. He’s been focused on rounding out the staff and we announced the hiring of Tommy Alva to be our head athletic trainer, Jeff Taylor to come into a newly created PT type of position, a rehab position, we’re looking into soft tissue experts to come in and work with our players so Ian’s been hard at work with Barry Hanrahan trying to build out the staff. It’s really important that we look at different ways of taking care of our players. It’s not enough just to help out players when they’re hurt, I think the whole emphasis here is in trying to build out a program where we can prevent injuries from happening by using data, best practices, and having experts in the field. It’s going to be a process, it’s going to take some time, but we brought some good people in, and we’re excited with where we’re going to take the program.

 

Is Harry back or not?

Harry’s not back, no. We’ve made some changes to our equipment staff. 

 

 Who is the new equipment manager? 

John Peters. 

 

Are you comfortable with the prospect of having competition between Felix and Troy? Is that something you’ll evaluate at the end of camp? Might it come to a point where you bring in a goalie from the outside? 

Yeah you know it’s a great question, Bill. We have spoke about this a lot the last two or three summers when we’ve been looking at backup goaltenders and who would have come in to work with Carter and you know it seems to be the same names every summer. The same types of goalies that are free agents. We just really feel that we need to start developing more talent internally. The goal going in was to have Ivan Fedotov, with Felix Sandstrom, and a goalie like Troy Grosenick and hopefully Samuel Ersson depending on he came back from injury last season. Let them compete. Let’s what we have. Let’s give them opportunities for these young goalies, to not only provide depth in the NHL, but hopefully take a step and reach their potential instead of bringing in sort of career backup goaltenders. I’m not sure if that is the proper term but obviously a little bit of a curveball with Fedetov. But Sandstrom, I thought played very well down the stretch. He played well here. Grosenick has had a long career with remarkably consistent numbers in the American Hockey League. Actually he has phenomenal numbers in the NHL and has never really been given that opportunity. So we feel these guys can compete. Samuel Ersson I thought would need maybe a half a season or maybe a season in the American League and maybe that’ll prove to be true. But he is coming off a successful rookie camp. Small sample size, I get it. But the fact that he’s healthy and was able to compete at that level at rookie camp, I think bodes well for the future. So look we will have to see, but at some point we will have to give some young players a chance to grab a job if they can earn it. And believe me, with Torts they have to earn it. But if you don’t give them a chance, you never know.

 

Regarding Fedetov, do you have any more clarity on that situation?

No. Just he has to fulfill a commitment back in Russia. It’s obviously a sensitive situation but there is a commitment he has to fill and really there’s not much influence we can have in this situation.

 

What is your expectation after he fulfills his year in Russia?

Look it’s a sensitive situation. I think I will just leave it at that he will have to fulfill his commitment in Russia. Obviously he has a contract with us and we’ll just let things play out.

 

Chuck, you mentioned about the possibility of up to 10 players 25 or younger making this team. With the issues with Couturier obviously it’s still unclear how long he’s going to be out but does that change the possibility of Couturier missing a set of time, missing the season, does that change the organizational approach to the season and pivot a little more towards playing young players and using this more as a future focused year?

Well part of our, I think I mentioned to you guys at the draft and free agency, part of our main focus this year is to provide opportunity for young players to get better. And we’ve added a lot of young talent over the last couple of years. And I think it’s really important to find out what we have. Last year, as I mentioned, a lot of adversity. Again, we didn’t handle the challenges well but it was also a difficult year to fairly evaluate some younger players. Particularly at the end when we traded some players and we had some players out. You’re throwing rosters together every night and on of John Tortorella’s strengths, and I don’t think he gets nearly enough credit for this, he’s got a proven track record of making players better. Pushing players to be better. Developing young players and that’s a critical part of what we want to do. We want to find out what we have. Even take a player like Travis Konecny. He is a 50 point guys or a 70 point guy. Let’s push him here a little bit let’s see what we have. Ivan Provorov, Sanheim I think took a step last year, but Ivan Provorov is a good hockey player. Let’s give him a chance to get better. Never mind the Yorks and the Attards and the Zamulas on the blue line. Some of these are young players and there’s going to be ups and down but we have to demand more out of some of these players. They’re not just our future anymore. Some of these kids are our present. So, it’s always been a critical part of what we wanted to do. If Sean is out for an extended period of time that clearly makes things a little more difficult because he’s arguably our best player. Our number one centerman. But with that there’s opportunity for other players to step up. There’s opportunity for Morgan Frost to step forward. There’s opportunity for Scott Laughton play at center. There’s opportunity maybe for a Tanner Laczynski to take a step. He’s 25 years old. We need to find out about Tanner Laczynski. He’s not a kid anymore but yet he’s missed a lot of time. Looks great so far from the little bit I’ve seen. But to me, that’s the main storyline of this camp. Let’s see what we have. Let’s see how good these kids are.

 

In regard to some of these younger players, obviously camp performance is the first barometer, but if things are close do waiver considerations factor in at all?

They do because you want to make sure you have enough depth. So that will be something that we sit with the coaching staff about. John has been pretty adamant that he doesn’t care what the name on the back of your jersey is. You’ll hear more from him today but whoever earns it will earn it but there’s obviously some practical considerations of time that we will have to look into. But there’s also health issues. How healthy are we? Sometimes you think you have decisions to make and they are made for you by virtue of things you can’t control. But look we’re, I guess I’ll just say in closing, we understand there’s a lot of questions about our team. We understand there are skeptics. But we are excited. We are excited to go out and prove people wrong. The energy around this building is the best I’ve seen. There is a little bit of fear. But just a lot of genuine excitement from the players about getting back out there. Let’s get some stability here. Let’s function as a team. Let’s rebuild some things we need to rebuild. So we are excited. 

Philadelphia Flyers Add To Forward Depth: First Round NHL Draft Selection - Cutter Gauthier

Per the Philadelphia Flyers Media Relations Department: 

With the overall 5^th pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers select Cutter Gauthier from the US National Development Team Program.

First Round (5th Overall) – Cutter Gauthier, U.S. National Team Development Program (NTDP_

Left Wing – 6-2, 189 lbs.

Born on January 19, 2004 in Skellefteå, Sweden

 • Recorded 65 points (34g-31) in 54 games for the USNTDP, his first full season with the team… He ranked second on the team with his 34 goals.

• He helped lead Team USA to a silver medal at this year’s IIHF U-18 World Championships recording nine points (3g-6a) in six games.

• Also played for the U.S. National U-17 team where he posted 20 goals and 37 points in 44 games

• Is committed to playing for the Boston College next season (2022-23).

• Was born in Sweden where his father, Sean Gauthier, was a goalie in the Swedish Elite League.

Philadelphia Flyers LW/C Cutter Gauthier

 

What does it feel like when you heard your name called?

It’s such a surreal moment. It’s everything I’ve dreamed of, growing up hearing my named called one day. I’m so happy that the Philadelphia Flyers are the one to do it. I’m extremely excited for the future and to see what it holds.

 

Cutter, did you have a pretty good inkling that the Flyers were heavily interested in you?

Yeah, I think so. I think I had a really good interview with them over the course of the combine and yesterday. It was nice talking with them and catching up. I thought we had a good bond in those meetings and I definitely thought they were interested in me, for sure.

 

[Inaudible question]

Yeah. It’s awesome. It’s bright orange, so it’s awesome. You definitely stand out and I love that. I’m extremely excited to be a part of this organization and see what the future holds.

 

With the U.S. National Team, you were playing on the wing and now you’ll be playing center. How would you describe the game playing center?

That is something I’ve developed over the past two years. Shooting versatile, where I can play left or right wing and center, if that being the case. I’ve displayed my message to the Philadelphia Flyers that I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win, whether that’s on the wing or center. I’m willing to do whatever. I’m excited to be a center or left wing in the future.

 

Can you also talk about the physical side of the game?

That’s something I’ve developed over the past two years with the program. They’ve developed me into such a great player. That’s one of the things I’ve added to my game. I wasn’t really physical growing up. As big body as I am, it creates time and space for my teammates to make future plays. It’s a big help in my game today.

 

It’s a big crowd tonight from the US NTDP. What makes this crowd so special?

It’s super cool. I’ve heard such great things about Philadelphia Flyers. Talking with them, I felt I had such a good connection with them. I’m excited to see the near future, get out to development camp next week and have a great week.

 

Your mother’s from Reading. What does it mean to have such a connection to the state and area?

It’s been awesome. She’s had nothing but the best about the Philadelphia fanbase and all the fans out there. My aunt on my mom’s side of my family lives out there, so it’s pretty cool. They don’t have to move anywhere to watch me play hockey. It’s awesome. I’m super excited for it. It’s great.

 

What’s part of your game we don’t talk about much?

I think my compete. That’s something I’ve developed as well over the past two years. The dog and the bone mentality. You’re not going to go in the corner and beat me out to the net. I’m coming out of the corner with that puck. My compete, for sure.

 

When do you feel you’ll be ready to play pro?

I think one year in the NCAA, then I’ll be ready to play in the National Hockey League. Hopefully, help the Philadelphia Flyers win a Stanley Cup in the near future.

 

What did they say they were most excited about when you talked with them? Where do they want to see you grow?

I’m super excited to have the opportunity to be with them. They did not really display too much of that message. It was kind of a jack of all trades. We didn’t really know what was going on, but I’m super happy to be here. I’m so happy to be picked by the Philadelphia Flyers. We’ll see what happens in the future.

 

Was the draft rankings something you paid attention to? Was it exciting to see your stock go up as the weeks by and did you pay attention to it?

Yes and no. I see a couple things if they pop up on my Instagram. I don’t really go in-depth with all of that stuff. I like to work hard. It shows on the ice all the stuff I do behind the scenes that does not get shown. It’s nice to see all the hard work pay off as I’m rising up the boards.

 

You seem pretty excited right now. Was last night a restless night?

I’ve done everything I can to be where I am today. I’ve put in hard work over the past 18 years to get to where I am. I had great night of sleep last night. There’s nothing else I could’ve done. I was super happy with everything I did.

 

Is Cutter your given name?

Yes. My grandmother from Philly, over in Sweden, was cooking that night and she found it in a Swedish cookbook. I love my name. It’s great.

 

What did your dad mean to you growing up, having played pro hockey and what did he impart on you?

I think the mentality. It doesn’t matter where you are now. It matters what you’re going to do now to get to the next level in the future. He’s played at the highest level in the National Hockey League. I’ve seen what it takes to get there. He’s displayed that message on how hard work and all the little things pays off. I’m just trying to do everything I can to get to the next level.

 

Do you get back much to Sudbury, Ontario?

Ever since the pandemic, I haven’t been able to see my grandparents or any of my dad’s side of my family in 2 -3 years. I usually go up every summer and spend some time with them. I have a couple of family friends here from Sudbury. It’s good to see those people, especially after tonight. I try to get there as much as I can, but it has been tough with COVID.

 

What is it like to know you are a part of the same organization that your dad has a connection to?

It’s awesome. My dad played many years and he’s got many connections. It’s pretty cool to see that the Philadelphia Flyers are one of them. I’m super excited to be a part of this organization and to have a couple of strings attached to the team is pretty cool too.

 

What does it mean that for you and Logan Cooley to get drafted?

We’re good buddies. We have been teammates a lot. Over the past two years, him and I have been on the same line, second half of the season. We have built a pretty good bond over the past half of the season there and it showed on the ice. It’s pretty cool to see him go to the team he wanted. I’m happy to see that for him.

 

Why do you think your game can translate to center full time?

I think developing all the skills as a center or a wing to get to the next level. I think I’m the complete package. I have all the skills to be a center or left wing at the NHL level. I think it’s up to the team to make that decision in the near future.

 

Where’s your confidence come from?

I think just through all the hard work I put in. There’s nothing else I would’ve left one the table. I worked my butt off to get to where I am today and it’s all the little things to get here. I’m super excited for this moment and super confident as well.

 

John Tortorella really wants his forwards to play defense?

I think I’m the complete package as I’ve said earlier. I think the defensive side of the game is a big part of my game as well. Taking control of the defensive zone, whether playing the wing or being there for your defenseman. Helping your defenseman down low. I think it plays a big role in winning hockey. I don’t think you’re going to get to the next level if you’re lazy on defense.

 

Have they told you which position the prefer you at?

They didn’t really tell me, whether it was left wing, center or right wing, so I don’t really know yet. We will see in the near future.

 

[Inaudible question]

I think increasing the type of play to get to get to the next level. It’s the National Hockey League and it’s the fastest league in the world. If I can get used to the pace and play as soon as possible and develop those skills at Boston College, I’m really looking forward to it.

 

Any player you’re looking to meeting the most?

Kevin Hayes, actually. He went to Boston College. It’s pretty cool to see how his path kind of aligned with mine.

 

How exciting to join fellow Boston College alumni players?

It’s awesome. They went to Boston College and that’s where I’m headed. It’s pretty cool to see how Boston College has developed their players to get to the NHL and how well they do with their development and how they treat their players. It’s a testament to their character. I’m excited to be part of that family.

 

Any current NHL players you try to model your game after?

I try to model my game after Mark Scheifele and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Both big power forwards with lots of skill. Can control the pace of play at any time. I was actually fortunate enough to meet Mark Scheifele where I work out. He’s been a great leader and he’s been nothing but the best to me. It’s been cool to see him in the gym and how hard he works.

 

 

Philadelphia Flyers President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Chuck Fletcher

 

What was it about Cutter Gauthier that made you think he had to be a pick at number 5?

I think it’s a combination of things. Obviously, his size, strength, speed. Very athletic. His testing was off the charts. On the ice, he is physical. He scores goals. He has good hands. It’s really hard to find a player that can be a potential power forward in the National Hockey League. He has a lot of those attributes. We’ll see how he develops and he’s going to a good program at Boston College. Not sure if you had a chance to speak with him, but he has lots of energy and certainly lots of juice to him, both on and off the ice.

 

Do you guys see him as a center? I know he is going to play center at Boston College. Are you drafting him assuming he going to be a center in the NHL?

That’s certainly our hope. He can play both positions. We feel he plays well at center. I know Boston College intends to use him that way next year. We want the process to play out, but he was a young man that can play both positions.

 

Did the picks at 1 through 4 impact your decision?

We had him very high on our list. Cleary there were some top players that went before us and some very good players after us too. It’s a relatively flat draft. I think I’ve said that before. There are still some very good players getting drafted right now. We are really happy with Cutter. We like the position versatility. The fact about size, strength and skill, all those attributes. I think he has the chance to be a pretty good player.

 

How does Cutter’s skill set lend itself to the aspirations of the team? Playing harder?

He skates well. Again, he can hit. He works. He’s a big man that can control the puck down low in the offensive zone. He can hold on to the puck. He can hold off defenders with the size and strength. I think he allows you to play a possession type of game. Again, his size and physicality. He’s somebody that can play power play and penalty kill. He’s really used in all situations on the Under-18 team. There’s certainly a lot to work with there.

 

You said the expectation on when the can contribute depends on the players. He said he wants to get here. What are your thoughts on that now that you have you player?

He will be going to Boston College next year. We’ll go from there. There’s no rush for us. Again, he has some physical attributes. Maybe you could put him on the team and see what he can do, but I think he’s best served by climbing another step. Even though the Under-18 team play a lot of college programs, to play a full year of hockey collegiately, while you’re in college, you have to balance studies with hockey and working out. It’s a great opportunity for him to mature on and off the ice and hopefully compete for a World Junior spot next year.

 

Other than size and skill what are the other attributes?

I think he rose on most teams’ list. Two seasons ago, he played well too. I don’t know if I can answer that. Maybe Brent can answer that better. Watching him play, for me, he was a pretty good player all year. Maybe it took us a little bit of time to recognize that. I got to see him play some games at center and on the wing. He played well. He played well throughout the year. I’ll let Brent answer that tomorrow when you ask him that.

 

How important was it to get a guy with a high ceiling?

Yes, absolutely. It was an upside play. I think he’s a good player. Everybody has a backup game, I guess you’d call it. He certainly has upside. The way he shoots the shots the puck; the way he drives with the puck. Again size, strength. He brings so many attributes that every team could use more, including ours. He’s extremely athletic. His test results at the combine were impressive and he still feels he can get stronger. He’s a better judge of that than we are, but he works hard and pretty relentless kid. Pretty impressive the level of maturity he has showing now. It’s exciting seeing what he can do.

 

What elements of his game need to become more polished in order for him to become an effective NHL player?

Usually for young players, it’s just consistency. Again, I think he was pretty consistent for his age group. As you climb the ladder, best players bring it every night or at least have small drop off between game to game, at worst. Consistency will be one thing. Again, it’s just going to be doing it against bigger, faster, and stronger players. He can probably improve everything, but in his age group, he’s pretty top end.

 

You mentioned Mark Scheifele and Pierre-Luc Dubois as models of the game. Does Cutter share similar elements in his game?

Yeah, for sure. Even little parts of Jeff Carter, at times. They’re a little bit different players. Kind of those big centerman that can come through the middle of the ice with the puck. Again, if he ends up playing on the wing, he can hand the puck off the wing and drive the net. He’s just a big power forward. Some differences with Scheifele, but some similarities to Dubois, those types of players. It will be interesting to see where he can get to. His athleticism is off the charts, so it would be interesting to see if there’s even another level of speed, strength, and everything that he can attain at Boston College.

 

Was confidence something that stood out?

Yeah, confident. Energetic. Personable. He showed a lot of compassion for his teammates. He talked about his teammates in a really positive fashion. Confident, but yet I think the team orientation is really strong. He’s coming out of Arizona and climbing the ranks, through Michigan, and into the program. He’s had to move a bit. Make a lot of different clubs. To his credit, he’s found a way to continue to get better. I’m sure that does instill a little confidence in him.

 

What did you see when it came to his least talked about quality, “compete”?

Just strong work ethic. Willing to play physically. When he played on the Under-18 team and played against colleges, he didn’t back down physically. He was still making contact, taking contact. I agree. I think he’s a very competitive player and a very driven player.

 

Are you potentially looking to get a second-round pick?

Certainly, we’ll look at that if there are opportunities. We have a very early third round pick, so I think we’re pretty confident that someone we like and would possibly take in the second round would fall to that spot. I think we’re comfortable with where we’re picking, but you’re always looking for those opportunities.

 

Are you thinking about being involved in the trade market tomorrow?

Well, there’s been a lot of dialogue. I can tell you that. We’ll see. There’s potentially something that could happen tomorrow. I could also see things happening later on in the week, closer to the start of free agency.

 

Are you making an effort to take a shoot first guy early in the draft, like Tyson?

We certainly have been looking for forwards with offensive upsides. Again, a little bit different player, but they both have good size. Cutter’s probably a little better skater than Tyson at the same age, but they are both competitive, high hockey sense players. They can shoot the puck and are willing to work hard. I think we always want skill, but preferably if we can get skill in a little bigger package, that is a good thing too.

Philadelphia Flyers: Chuck Fletcher and Brent Flahr Provide Summer Updates Prior To NHL Draft

Philadelphia Flyers President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Chuck Fletcher, along with Assistant General Manager Brent Flahr, provided updates about the team prior to the National Hockey League Draft that is set to take place in Montreal, Canada, on July 7 and 8, 2022, along with outlooks regarding the roster, which will be impacted by trades and free agency.

The following is courtesy of the Flyers' Media Relations Department:

Is this the least predictable going into it where you can say this is absolutely going to happen and figure it out from there?

BF: Yeah, I think it is fair to say. We usually have a couple players we want to draft for sure. We’ll have a pretty good idea by next week, but there are still some unknowns. Again, we have a grouping of players we’re talking about.

 

Because you are getting such a high pick at number five, do you expect this player to be NHL ready in this year?

BF: Depends on the player, to be honest with you. Some players are physically more ready than others. There are a couple more kids that need more time to get stronger. Some have played at a little higher level. That will be up to them. Some of these kids should be ready to practice and play potentially within the year

 

Do you still invasion making this pick and not trading it for a player?

CF: Well, if we’re going to trade the pick outright, it needs to be for a player in a certain age group. A player that could help us win now, but also win for several years. I do not think we are looking for someone in their late 20’s or early 30’s. Certainly speaking to every team in the league, we say this every year, but it’s definitely true this year, trying to ascertain that value of that pick is. If somebody has designs on it and makes the fair offer, we have to consider everything.

With so much talent bunched up together, does it make it potentially easier to make that decision knowing that the guy you like at five could still be there if you move down “X” numbers of spots?

CF: That certainly could be the case. The top end of this draft you mentioned previously is pretty scrambled. Different readings on the group and different lists, there are probably several names in most teams’ top ten. Whether that creates more movement or less movement, I’m not sure. I think there’s already been some interesting conversations and everyone’s trying to get a sense on where everyone’s at and what the value of that pick is.

 

What is Ryan Ellis’s status currently?

CF: Well, he’s continuing to progress, certainly improved since the end of this season. Certainly, further along now compared to a month or two months ago. Saying that, the bulk of his rehab is still ahead of him. He’s starting to intensify his off-ice workouts. Its’s going well, but there is still several steps to go before he gets on the ice. It’s still difficult, if not impossible, to predict where he’s going to be at in three months. The last month has been encouraging, but there is still more work to do.

 

Considering the uncertainty of how draft prospects still develop as well as the coaching situation. How does that effect what you’re looking for going into the draft?

CF: Not at all. He’s no different than any other coach. We prefer to have the best player available. We’re looking for a player. Realistically it’s not going to be a goaltender this year at five; a forward or a defenseman that has a skill set that could help us for many years. We’re up the either position. There’s some excellent defenseman. Some excellent forwards. Certainly, we’re looking for talent at the top of the draft.

 

Do you expect Ryan Ellis to be ready for training camp or is that still an unknown?

CF: I don’t know how anyone could predict that right now. That’s certainly the hope and the goal. We’ll have to see. Again, he’s starting ramp up the rehab, which is great that he’s at the point where he could ramp it up, but we’ll just have to see how everything responds.

 

When did it evolve that Joel Farabee had to get surgery?

CF: It happened about two weeks ago. It was crazy. It was one of his first formal workouts of the summer and he was warming up with light weights on the bench press. He felt, what he called some kind of pinching sensation in his neck area. He was able to see a doctor in the Syracuse area. Got some imaging done. We got him down here last Monday to see Dr. Yoon and he got him in for surgery four days later. I don’t even know what to say. It was extremely unfortunate and unlucky for him. I think we moved as quickly as we could once we knew he had issues.

 

How much training is Farabee going to be able to do in spite of the surgery, are you optimistic he’ll be ready at the start of camp or the start of the season?

CF: I am not even sure that that is important to me. Just looking at some schedule drafts coming out, we have eight games in the month of October. To me, it’s about getting him right. I’m not 100% sure how quickly he can get into getting stronger and really working on, not just his upper body, but his lower as well and building some strength to help him become a little more durable. He plays hard and he’s a fearless kid. This was going to be a big summer for him, from strength and development scenario. That is certainly an important part of the rehab, just getting him healthy and stronger. For me whether it’s three months or four months at the end of the day, if he’s ready for Game One, great. If he misses five, six, seven games and we can push him a little further, that might make sense too. We’ll make every decision with him based on his long-term health, welfare and development.

 

Did the doctor speculate if any of Farabee’s past injuries were connected to his current?

CF: No, no one has said that. You can speculate all you want. There’s no correlation. Certainly, nothing at the end of the year. There was no issue with this at any point, since I’ve been here.

 

BF: Talked to Joel this morning. He was saying it was the first time he started working out. His shoulder and everything was 100%. Everything felt great and then this happens. He walked out of the surgery. Later that day, said feels really good, which was amazing.

 

CF: That’s an incredible surgery

 

Was there any kind of consultation of what kind of players coach likes or would want to go with?

CF: He’s not coming here. I’ve never had a head coach ever in 30 years I’ve been in the business; I’ve never seen the head coach be involved in the drafting of players that may not play two, three years down the road. I’m certainly well aware of what John likes in a hockey player. What I think all of us in the group respect, we want is smart, competitive, hardworking people. Preferably six foot five with high end skill and speed. John clearly, like all of us, we appreciate the same attributes in player. John will be consulted a lot more on pro players and maybe free agents and trades. You always want to get the coaches input on the type of player you’re bringing in from the outside if you’re going to do that. Maybe they have knowledge of the player or certain things they know about the player that you don’t. You would be crazy to not involve your coaching staff on player personnel decisions. In terms of the draft, we’ve just never done that.

 

BF: Nor do they want to.

 

CF: Yeah, I don’t think they want to. Exactly. I don’t think they want the kind of responsibility for that.

 

If everything were equal, what kind of player would you go for?

BF: We’re not showing our hand. You’re just trying to get dirt out of me. I’m not going to tell you.

 

What position would you go for if they were equal?

BF: Why would I tell you that?

 

CF: We could use everything. We could use a center, wing, a defenseman.

 

BF: In reality there’s obviously a group of players, that a lot of you guys are aware of, we have some guys higher than others. We are at the mercy of the teams in front of us a little bit, but we have a couple of players targeted that we’re hopeful that are there at five. If that’s the case then we’ll make that decision.

 

Is there any ease that Joel will comeback okay sense you’ve seen players with similar injuries comeback in the past?

CF: Yeah, it did. I know that Joel, Joel’s family and his representation were encouraged by the results that they’ve seen. We’ve obviously consulted with more than one doctor and we got multiple opinions. Everybody thought that this was the best approach. For Dr. Yoon to see him on a Monday, recommend the surgery and he had it on the Friday. There was a high degree of cooperation. A lot of communication with everybody. We all felt that this was the best way to go, not just short-term of getting him back as a player, but for his long-term health would be as well. It’s incredible. There’s still only three players that had it. My expectation is that this will become a little bit more commonplace as we move forward.

 

Is there a spot where teams this year are varying when looking at a certain player in the draft?

BF: One. This year is a little different. You guys read about the names. I know I talked a little bit on my counterparts. There’s a lot of different opinions on the top end of the draft. Not as much of a consensus as some media think. I think you see the general names. We have a couple of layers of players, certain amount of guys that we’re comfortable with where we’re at. Then another layer maybe if we move back a couple spots. At the draft table, if it goes a certain way  we can move back and gain assets and still get player that we have rated, then we’ll potentially do that. You’re going to see more action as we get closer to the draft and get more information on what teams are doing or looking to do.

 

Why do you think trading a top draft pick is so rare? Why do you think this draft might be different in that sense?

CF: Were you in our meeting this morning? I swear to God, we were talking about that. I was asking, “When was the last time a team traded back from number five? Was it Luke Schenn” That was the only name we came up with? Ian and Cole were digging it up for me. It’s hard. I assume obviously you had to have a pretty bad season to earn the number five pick or to earn a top ten pick. It’s still the best way to acquire top end talent, so I think it’s difficult to trade because that’s a great opportunity to fix at least one hole that you have long term in your organization. There is also the human and emotional, psychological side of it as well. You have guys that have worked all year preparing their list and they get the chance to get a top guy. As a manager, you’re trying to give your guys more opportunities and not take opportunities away from them. That factors in as well. There hasn’t been a lot of them and you’re looking at that, trying to ascertain what is that value if you do. How much do you need to get back to move from five to whatever? There are probabilities of how much each slot over time has become a NHL player, a good NHL player. You have to factor in this draft, as Brett said the layers, maybe you have a layer of five players and then another layer of five. If there’s a big discrepancy to trade down one layer or another, if you do, what are you getting? You have to get something. We honestly met on that for an hour today. As you get closer you start to ask those questions because teams are calling you. Would you trade number five? Sure. You say sure, I don’t know if you always mean it. That’s the fun part of it, for us at least. Exploring what may be there, but as you just mentioned history tells you that usually you make the pick.

 

Are you willing to talk about specific players? What do you normally like in a player?

CF: I don’t know. I’ve never really done that, just because you end up going through all of them. The kids at the top end like every year there’s some really good young players. I think the one thing that separates this draft from many is that the top five is still in the flux. Seems like in a lot of years, there’s been more certainty about the top three or four players will be. This year there seems to be more uncertainty than most years. That could provide a great opportunity for us. But, no, to answer your question, I don’t think that that’s proper.

 

Would you go up to get a player you had wanted to draft? 

CF: I just think it would be hard. Realistically.

 

Would if be less difficult because of how evenly everyone is launched in the draft?

CF: Potentially. You’re not sure how it will play out. It could play out either way and I’ve tried to think it through from both angles. I could see arguments would be harder or easier to move up or back. Realistically the likelihood of us moving up I think would be much slimmer. It could happen, but I think we’re going to be pretty happy picking at five and I think we have to weigh what kind of price would you want to move back to five. Is there even a price? If so what price? I think that might be more relevant, then what it would take to get to one.

 

What you actively look to acquire a second-round pick?

CF: Yeah, definitely. I think the priority is making sure we do well with the first pick. If we can still get a great round pick and find a way to get a second-round pick, get another player or another prospect, sure. But I think that’s secondary to actually looking at the top end in the draft.

 

Are you looking for someone who fits the mold of helping the team be harder to place against?

CF: I still think you got to make sure you get high-end talent. High-end talent as we just saw in the playoffs, you look at Tampa and Colorado. They have a lot of high-end talent that is packaged in often times in big or competitive or speedy frame. I think we’re certainly like everybody wanting to get the most competitive players we can get but you can’t forsake talent. You have to make sure you get talent and where we’re picking you should be able to find competitive people that have talent.

 

Are you looking to add a veteran goalie?

CF: That’s still up in the air. That’s in all honestly. Obviously, we’re going to look and explore what veteran goalies may be available and talking to teams about potential trades. Trying to see what the price would be to do that. Saying that, Sandström and Fedotov are 25 years old. They both have proven they are good goalies in leagues outside of the NHL, so do you take a leap of faith and save some cap space? Or do you get a veteran guy and maybe have more certainty? But there is a cost to that as well. That’s really been a part of what we’ve been discussing the past few weeks.

 

What gave you the confidence in signing Sandström?

CF: Just continue to get better. He had some injury issues for a while but the last couple of years he’s steadily improved. I think he has over, between the ECHL and American League, maybe over 80 games of experience over here plus time in the Swedish league. He has some games at the NHL level. He is a highly competitive kid that continues to progress. Certainly, he looks like he has the ability to play in the NHL again whether it’s right way, three months down the road, or a year down the road only time will tell. For us, he was a key guy who’s going to be unrestricted free agent. Barry Hanrahan did a good job working with his agent and finding, I thought, a fair solution by giving him a little bit of protection in terms of a one-way deal in year two, but also allowing us to maybe having a competition this year as well.

 

What is Ryan [Ellis] dealing with, when referring to his “multi-layer” injury?

CF: It’s multi-layered. It’s almost everything that’s in the middle of the body. Multiple areas where he is working on strengthen and rehab. Trying to put all the pieces back together. He’s made progress. He’s determined to get back and not just play but to be a good hockey player. Be the player that we wanted him to be when we acquired him. He was probably the most excited player last training camp coming in. After he got over the initial shock of coming in from Nashville, he was so excited to play and it was incredible watching him spend hour after hour with Ivan Provorov. They had breakfast together. They talked together before practice. They were partners on the ice. They had lunch together. He wanted to get to know Ivan so well that they would build this chemistry as quickly as they could on and off the ice. I was like this guy is a true professional. It was incredible, watching his interact with Ivan and Ivan interact with him. How they were trying to make each other better and then his world came crashing down. It’s been very difficult for him on many levels. Physically but also emotionally trying to become a part of the team when you played four games and your rehabbing all year. You are not with the guys. You’re not on the road. He’s very excited and determined to get back. He’s made progress. I’m not trying to be vague, but I don’t think anyone could look you in the eye and say he’ll be back by this time frame. He’s where we thought he would be. He’s where the medical people thought he would be. He’s got another step he’s got to take and hopefully that responds. Then another step and got another step. Get on the ice and then how does that respond. It may go quicker. It may go slower. For me, the ultimate goal is to get him back as quickly as possible. The goal has been for camp and for the start of the season. Hopefully, that’s the case, but the bigger picture is to get him back. That’s what we are focusing on.

 

Are you worried that you might have to get another defenseman because you’re finding out if Ryan is coming back so late?

CF: We’ll know before camp. We just may not know on July 13^th, but I would think over the next month, we would start to get a pretty good picture as he continues to advance in his rehab protocols, both off and on the ice. Is he still going forward or has any setbacks? Does he stall at a certain step? This is all the uncertainty. Again, I’m not trying to be vague. I’m trying to be as completely transparent as I can be, but there is certainly a path where this could go really well. We will just have to see. Sure, there is some uncertainty. A little bit now with Joel. The good news is Sean Couturier is doing great. He’s doing all summer training. Feels very good. Same with Kevin Hayes. Hopefully, there are no more surprises this summer in a negative sense. Like a week and a half ago when I got the call that Joel Farabee had numbness and pain in his neck and it could be pretty bad. I was like are you kidding me. Hopefully, there are no more of those. If we do, we will just react, that is what we do. We’ll have to work around it and have to ability to hopefully improve our roster. Clearly getting guys back to full health, and hopefully have young guys improving. We can’t continue to go to market and build a team. We need to get some guys back and get some kids to step up.

 

Has there been any more decisions made on the coaching staff?

CF: Well, I meant to speak to John before I did this so I can say this. Darryl Williams will be back. Kim Dillabaugh will be back. A goaltender coach to me is always an organizational decision, not just a coach. Adam Patterson and Vinny Yula will be back. After that, we are working through. From what I know right now, Torts is speaking or will speak with everyone that was on staff last year and try to see if there is a fit, if it could work for the people last year, if it could work for John. It’s got to be a two-way street. There’s got to be a comfort level and we’ll continue to talk to people outside the organization as well. We are in the middle of that process. Whether it’s done this week or next week, I am not sure. That’s what we’re working on right now.

 

Do you agree with your head coaches statement that the team has to “get harder”?

CF: I one hundred percent agree, that is why we hired him. You have to remember ‘19-20 season, we were a hard team to play against. We played hard. Playing hard doesn’t just mean we were big and strong;  it means playing the game the right way and having the puck. It’s forcing the team to defend; it’s forcing the other team to play the way you want them to play and on your terms. So, it’s not just about personnel. It’s about, A. not defending all the time. It’s defensive structure. It’s how you retrieve pucks and get out of your own zone. Again, it’s hopefully having the puck, not being trapped in D-zone like we were all last season. When you’re defending all the time, it’s hard to dictate. It’s hard to be aggressive. All you’re doing is reacting to what the other team does. You want to have the puck, but to have the puck, you have to defend quickly. You have to defend well and get the hell out of the D-zone. Once you do that now you can manage the game and make puck decisions. You can chip and chase. You can enter under control. You can do whatever you can do because you have the puck. You can dictate the flow of the game. That’s what we want to get back to. That’s what we want to be. That’s what Torts’ teams always been. That’s the mindset and identity of what we want to accomplish here. It’s coaching. It’s buy-in. It’s accountability. It’s structure. It’s fitness levels. It’s personnel. It’s everything. We’re going to try to check every box we can this summer to be that type of team.

 

Why do you think there has been splintering amongst the team?

CF: Splintering, I don’t know that I agree with that. Obviously, he is entitled to his opinion. I think it is a bunch of good guys that have gotten along. I think where we have to get to is you can be a good guy and get along, but we have to hold each other accountable. I think that’s maybe where he’s getting at and where clearly, we need to get to. The players recognize that as well. It’s about having standards, both off the ice and on the ice. It’s everything. It’s how you play. It’s puck management. It’s shift length. It’s team orientation. It’s not turning a puck over for the third time in a row. It’s blocking a shot. It’s making sure you’re in the gym and that you’re on time. It’s everything to do with it. It’s respecting your teammate and the organization by doing the right things. I think that’s something we need to get better at and get back to. It’s a good group of guys that like each other and they want to get better. This group does not lack character. We clearly need direction, accountability, and not just from the coaching staff, part of that has to be  internal too. I think that’s probably what he meant is creating that internal push. That doesn’t always have to be the coaching staff.

 

What gives you the confidence in the coaching staff to bring them back?

CF: They are good at what they good. They are good at what they do. They are good people and good coaches. I think as we fill out our staff now. John is looking for sort-of for the two top assistants. However, they are labeled. Typically, one runs the defense and the PK and one will run the offense and the power play. Call it the defensive coordinator and offensive coordinator, whatever type of labels you want. Those are probably the roles we’re filling right now. The people that will come in and have some of those hands-on specific roles that John will entrust in them. We’ll work on that. Certainly, Darryl and Kim will bring a lot. Kim’s not just an everyday with an NHL team type of role. He also works with Brady Robinson. He manages our overall goaltender development program. He’s involved watching goaltenders for the draft. He is a coach that’s heavily involved in the draft. We won’t draft a goaltender that Kim and Brady don’t  sign off on. They know more about goaltending than any of our staff may never know. Sorry, Rick Pracey might not like me saying that. Rick knows a little bit about goaltending. You have to rely on your goaltending coaches on the drafting, the development of goaltenders, their progression through the system as well as the day-to-day maintenance of your NHL goaltenders. Kim’s role to me is a role that management, me certainly, but management, me, Brent, Barry, Danny, Tommy, all of us, have a strong comfort level in because we rely on that role more than just getting Carter Hart or whoever ready for practice or who’s going to play the next game. He’s been involved with Felix and now Samuel. When Kolosov come over. It’s a massive role. That’s what gives me confidence with Kim. I’ve watched what he has done. I think I mentioned it at the end of the year, we are getting to a depth where our goaltender depth is getting to in a really good place. We have some young guys pushing. Kolosov is as talented as anybody we have ever drafted. It’s exciting. Kim and Brady are a huge part of that.

 

Where are the negotiations with Morgan Frost and Owen Tippett? Is Martin Jones an option to come back?

CF: Yeah, absolutely. Everything is on the table. In terms of some of those young players and contracts, we are literally just starting. We’ve been involved in a lot of different interview processes, I guess you should say. Now dealing with the assistant coaches, the draft and getting our free agent list together. Not that those issues aren’t crucial, as restricted free agents, we just have time. Yesterday, we actually had a meeting on that, getting together, getting our comps together and our plan together. Probably over the next week or so we will make contact with them. Hopefully, some of them go quickly. I’m sure over the next few weeks we’ll get those done.

 

Do you see yourself making a huge splash at free agency?

CF: We’ll see. Unlike several teams, we don’t have a cap issue. We don’t the cap issues that several teams do where we literally have to move bodies out to be cap compliant. We can be cap compliant easily. We are cap compliant. If we want to be aggressive in free agency then we have to get creative. It’s just how aggressive we want to be and how aggressive we can be that may dictate how many transactions we make. This is the best we have been at least in the last few years. We can be cap compliant if we go away from the summer, we got a hockey team. It’s just how aggressive we want to be.