Shaw explains earlier issues with Foerster, now pleased with his development

Brad Shaw says Tyson Foerster didn’t speak to him for about a month this seasonn. But he’s been impressed with his sophomore season so far.

Although there was some alleged headbutting between some of the Flyers players and former head coach John Tortorella, there were a few other spats going on between some players and some coaches. Nothing as controversial as the situation between Cam York and Tortorella, but some instances where a player and coaching staff didn’t see eye to eye. Flyers interim head coach Brad Shaw revealed one of them on Friday after practice. Earlier in the year, Shaw removed Foerster from the penalty killing units and gave him a smaller role.

“You watch his growth on the penalty kill,” Shaw said. “He really wasn’t happy earlier this year when I kind of took him off and made him sort of a bit player. He didn’t talk to me for about a month. But I thought at the time it was good for him to kind of watch. I think when you just don’t hand it over to them, I think they do pay attention. I think maybe they appreciate it a little bit more.”

Shaw says Foerster, who scored his first NHL hat trick Wednesday night against the host New York Rangers, says he believes the Flyers’ crop of wingers will see their play improve when their center ice position is enhanced with more high end talent. It’s no secret the Flyers need centers, and the sooner the better. But as it stands now Shaw says he’s been pleased with how Foerster dealt with his second year in the league. It’s been a season where the spotlight has been taken off him a bit and placed more on Matvei Michkov and a few others.

“He’s an impressive young man as far as his maturity, being a pro,” Shaw said. “I think he’s never taken anything for granted which some young players can. I think it took him a while to maybe figure out maybe where he fits in the NHL level. He seems way more comfortable in his own skin.”

Shaw also says he’s been been impressed with how Foerster, Noah Cates, and Bobby Brink have worked as a unit this year, one of Philadelphia’s most consistent trios over the first 78 games. “We talked about that line in general this morning, how we want our guys to try and make plays right now,” Shaw said. “Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. What that line does better than the rest of our team in general is the next two or three seconds, there’s an intent there to get the puck back as soon as possible. Or to be disruptive as soon as possible. He’s a big part of that, I think Cates is a big part of that, I think Brink is a big part of that. I don’t know how you divvy up who gets what as a percentage. I think they all feed off one another.”

Shaw, who says Foerster has a chance to be a scorer but makes his best impact playingn a “real solid 200-foot game,” was also asked if he saw similarities between Foerster’s style of play and that of Capitals’ forward T.J. Oshie. “Tyson has the benefit of being a bigger body. I was with Oshie in St. Louis for some years when he was young. He came in probably a lot more raw when he showed up in the NHL scene. But there are similarities. I think they both take pride in both ends of the rink. They can both make a play, they can both score, both are tough to play against. Because there’s a physical element as well, Oshie was fantastic with the reverse hit. Foerster is heavy on the puck. I’d put them in the same category of player for sure.”

Foerster has more goals, assists and thus points in his second year. With any luck he should hit the 40-point mark this year after posting 22 goals and 17 helpers thus far. His rookie season saw him score 20 goals and add 13 assists for 33 points in 77 games. In 2022-23, an eight-game stint saw Foerster light things up with three goals and four assists in that span.