Five Likely Candidates to be the Next Flyers Head Coach

The Flyers have been eliminated from postseason contention for the fifth straight season, and they will be looking for a new coach to get the team back into the playoffs.

While the team certainly has its struggles, Philadelphia has a bright future. The Flyers have their franchise player in Travis Konecny, a future league-wide superstar in Matvei Michkov, and a solid young core. The Flyers are not a complete team; they have holes in the roster that need to be filled, and a good coach is one of them.

Here are my likely candidates for the job:

David Carle

I won’t spend too much time on this talking about David Carle, as I have already expressed my opinion on him.

If he is willing to leave the University of Denver to make the NHL jump, the Flyers should be all over him. All he does is win.

He has two national titles with the Pioneers and back-to-back World Junior Championships with USA Hockey. Now, he is back in the Frozen Four, coaching for a chance at his third National Title.

A young coach with plenty of experience coaching and developing young talent is a perfect fit for this Flyers team.

The “In-House” Options: Brad Shaw, Ian Laperrière

The Flyers will have two “in-house” options when it comes to hiring their next head coach: the current interim head coach, Brad Shaw, along with the Phantoms’ head coach, Ian Laperrière.

With Shaw, he would continue the John Tortorella family tree. He followed Torts to Philly, has a similar coaching style, and is extremely loyal to Tortorella. Shaw has learned a lot from him while being an assistant and would likely continue a lot of the good that Tortorella brought. Of course, Shaw is a completely different personality and would carry out that coaching style in a much different way.

If the Flyers decide to go in-house, it will undoubtedly be Shaw.

However, the Flyers will likely do the right thing and at least give Laperrière a chance to interview. He is the head coach for the Flyers’ AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He finished his NHL career with the Flyers and joined the organization in a player development role in 2012. Laperrière became an assistant coach in 2013 and has been in the organization since.

I think he suits best in Lehigh, but I believe he’ll get an interview when the time comes.

Rick Tocchet

Rick Tocchet was an 11-year Flyer, bookending his career in Philadelphia. He is currently the head coach of the Vancouver Cannucks, where he won the Jack Adams award in the 2023/24 season.

Vancouver is the third stop in his head coaching career. He also coached for Tampa Bay and Arizona.

Tocchet is in the final year of his contract, with Vancouver having a team option on his contract. Last season, Tocchet had his best career points-percentage, boasting .665%. Vancouver is having a down year, but it seems as if he remains in the Cannucks’ long-term plan.

Cannucks’ GM Patrick Allvin told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, “I sure hope that he’s going to be part of this organization moving forward. That’s a conversation that I hope we’ll get to the finish line here sooner rather than later.”

It looks like the Flyers’ opening has pressured Vancouver to attempt to extend their bench boss. But ultimately, Tocchet has the final say.

If Tocchet sets his sights on Philadelphia, he will be in Philadelphia. If you were to ask me today who I think will most likely be the next Flyers coach, Tocchet would be my answer.

Jay Woodcroft

Jay Woodroft has not had the longest head coaching career. He only coached one full season as a head coach, which came in Edmonton, the only place he was ever a head coach in the NHL.

Woodcroft was named the interim head coach of the Oilers in the 2021/22 season, leading the team to a 26-9-3 record in 38 games. The Oilers would go on to make the Western Conference Finals that season, but lose to Colorado.

The following season, his only full year, Woodcroft led the Oilers to a 50-23-9 record, finishing second in the Pacific. The 50-win season was overshadowed by a second-round exit courtesy of the Vegas Golden Knights.

The former Oilers coach would only last 13 games into the 2023/24 season before being fired, as the team only won 3 games to start the season. The Oilers would go on to lose in the Stanley Cup finals that season.

Woodcroft is only linked to the Flyers because he attended Flyers camp over the summer as a spectator, a wish granted by Tortorella. It is likely coincidental that he was there. I am confident it had nothing to do with “grooming” the next head coach; however, it is certainly something to consider.

Personally, I do not think he is a fit, but it’s worth mentioning.

My Top Choices and Reasons Why

1. David Carle

Carle should absolutely be at the top of the list. While he may not be the most effortless hire, the Denver University coach would fit precisely what this team needs. The Flyers need a coach who brings a winning pedigree. They also need a coach who fits into what is being built. Carle is young and knows how to develop young talent. The fit is absolutely there. It just depends on his willingness to leave the kingdom he has built.

2. Brad Shaw

Shaw deserves a head coaching opportunity. He has been an assistant in the league long enough to have earned a shot. If the Flyers cannot land David Carle, I don’t see the harm in removing the interim tag from Shaw’s current title. The team seems to respond to him, the defensemen respect him, and they have seemingly played well under Shaw. I think it could go one of two ways. The Flyers either continue to play well under Shaw, and he leads the Flyers back to the playoffs. Or, the team reverts back to form, shows no real improvement under Shaw, and the Flyers end up with a high pick in the Gavin McKenna draft. Now is the best time for Shaw to get a chance.

3. Rick Tocchet

Tocchet seems like the obvious and easy answer. Despite his team option, he won’t coach in Vancouver if he does not want to coach in Vancouver. If the Flyers’ job is something that interests him, it’ll be his. I like Tocchet as a coach, and will not be disappointed if he is behind the Flyers’ bench. Personally, I don’t know if he’ll ever surpass his 50-win Jack Adams-winning season. I think he is a good coach, not a great coach. Tocchet is a coach whose ceiling is known, unlike my top two choices. However, I would still be happy with the hire.