In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Philadelphia Flyers have fired John Tortorella. Did his comments get him released, or was there more going on? And who might be the immediate favorite to take over as a full-time coach next season? Could it be Rick Tocchet and what does that mean for the Canucks, who also have to think about their roster. Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers lost Stuart Skinner to an injury versus the Dallas Stars. How long will he be out of action?
Flyers Fire Tortorella After Public Comments
With one season left at around $4 million, John Tortorella is out as head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers and GM Daniel Briere released a statement saying: “The Flyers have relieved John Tortorella of his duties as head coach. Philadelphia Flyers Associate Coach, Brad Shaw, has been named interim head coach and will assume duties immediately.”
Shaw is a candidate to take over full-time, but Pierre LeBrun of TSN noted on Thursday that things could shift quickly this summer, as they did between Tuesday and Thursday when the Flyers went from wanting to meet with Tortorella to firing him. LeBrun reports that the Flyers went from still evaluating their options to discussing changes. The Flyers won’t start their search for a permanent coach until the season ends, but Rick Tocchet’s name will be in the mix.
What About the Canucks?
If Tocchet chooses not to re-sign with the Canucks, that could be a big loss for a team that want to retain his services as coach. LeBrun reports that Tocchet prefers to wait until after the season to determine his coaching future. The team is still fighting for their playoff lives, but some see the Canucks as a group going in the wrong direction. A dramatic season has potentially weighed heavily on his decision to sign an extension and roots with the Flyers might make them an attractive option.
Meanwhile, Ben Kuzma of The Province is reporting that 29-year-old goaltender Thatcher Demko has a year left on his contract at a $5 million cap hit. It’s not clear where he fits into the Canucks’ plans after they inked Kevin Lankinen to a five-year extension with a $4.5 million cap hit.
Kuzma writes:
“With Kevin Lankinen, 29, under contract for five more years at a very palatable $4.5 million AVV that kicks in next season, and Arturs Silovs, 24 a restricted free agent after next season with arbitration rights but an uneven game, a tandem of Demko and Lankinen locked up long term is obviously preferable.”
source – ‘Canucks Coffee: Why Thatcher Demko must win the strain game to ensure contract gain’ – Ben Kuzma – The Province – 03-25-2025
Demko is back, and he’s looking for a strong finish to the season. If he can, Kuzma is hinting that Demko would like to cash in, despite his recent injury history. Linus Ullmark might be a comparable. He signed a four-year extension at a $8.25 million cap hit with the Ottawa Senators.
Could Demko be moving on next season? If so, does that also affect what Tocchet ultimately decides to do?
Oilers Lose Skinner For a Few Games
The severity of Stuart Skinner’s injury isn’t yet clear, but Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch revealed that the goaltender is unlikely to travel with the team on their upcoming road trip. After taking a knee to the head from Mikko Rantanen on Wednesday, the Oilers will turn to Calvin Pickard.
This is not a good situation for the Oilers, who are already without Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and almost lost Evan Bouchard and Zach Hyman in the same game that Skinner went down in.