Free washer | The curious letter from John Tortorella

How to interpret the letter sent to Philadelphia fans by John Tortorella?

Essentially, the Flyers coach is begging their patience and saying the organization is on the first step in building the team’s future.

We have seen owners, presidents, general managers write such letters to their supporters before, but not head coaches.

Also, above all, the Tortorella missive contradicts the vision of GM Chuck Fletcher, at least his way of operating until recently.

Just a few weeks ago, Fletcher was still hoping to get back into playoff contention. “We are five points from the last place giving access to the playoffs. I expect us to be even more competitive by the end of the season. Let’s see if we can stay in the game. »

At the time of Coach Tortorella’s message, the Flyers were still just six points behind the Penguins and the final playoff spot, but with three fewer games to play.

Was the decision to announce this new approach made in concert with Fletcher? If so, why is he not one of the signatories? Is the carpet slipping under his feet?

Philadelphia will miss the playoffs for the fourth time in five years since Fletcher was hired as executive VP and general manager of the Flyers in December 2018.

Fletcher, however, has done everything possible to allow the team to experience short-term success. Before being forced into a hard sell at last year’s trade deadline, Fletcher squandered a first-round pick, two second-round picks and a third-round pick on fringe defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen and Justin Braun. .

To that must be added a second-round choice to the Coyotes to get rid of offensive defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, 80 points in 130 games since his arrival in Arizona. Short of an offensive defenseman, Fletcher then paid second-, third-, and fourth-round picks last summer to get Tony DeAngelo, a higher-salary player than Gostisbehere…

Fletcher had an asset in Nolan Patrick, second overall choice in 2017, despite the numerous injuries suffered by him. He chose to trade him for defender Ryan Ellis, also a subscriber to the infirmary. Ellis, 32, has played four games at the start of the 2021 season. His career is over. The Predators were able to get promising young center Cody Glass in this three-team trade. Glass, 23, is now the center of the first line in Nashville. He could have ended up in Philadelphia with a bit of flair and long-term vision.

Tortorella is already the Flyers’ fourth coach in four years under Fletcher. He fired Dave Hakstol ten days after his arrival, to appoint Scott Gordon on an interim basis for the remainder of the 2018-2019 season. Alain Vigneault and Michel Therrien led the team between 2019 and 2021, before giving way to coach (again interim) Mike Yeo, who was replaced by Tortorella this summer.

The Flyers are in a terrible state. In the absence of injured Sean Couturier, the center line is made up of Scott Laughton, Noah Cates, Morgan Frost and Patrick Brown. None of the four has reached the 35-point mark in a season.

Kevin Hayes, and his monstrous 50 million contract, valid for three more seasons, is not a favorite of Tortorella. He was transferred to the left… when he is not scratched from training. James Van Riemsdyk will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

Philadelphia just drafted a promising fifth-ranked player last summer, Cutter Gauthier, 24 points in 22 games at Boston College. We seem to want to mutate this young colossus of 6 feet 2 inches in the center.

22-year-old offensive defenseman Cam York, drafted a year ahead of Cole Caufield, seems to be gaining Tortorella’s trust since his recall from the American League. Another first-round pick, winger Tyson Foerster, 23^e overall in 2020, doesn’t hurt Lehigh Valley of the American League with 30 points in 44 games.

The young power winger Owen Tippett, obtained for Claude Giroux, does not hurt at the dawn of his 24 years with 28 points in 47 games.

Carter Hart, 24, remains a goalkeeper with a very promising future.

Philadelphia could draft around 10^e rank this summer and owns the Panthers’ 2024 first-round pick, acquired in the trade for Giroux. It is a step in the right direction.

But Fletcher must be put in a position to harm this organization, if it has not already been done.

Kent Hughes spying on his Boston hopes

Kent Hughes was an attentive spectator in the stands at Boston’s TD Garden on Monday during the annual tournament Beanpot featuring Northeastern, Boston University, Harvard and Boston College, with four Canadian hopefuls, Sean Farrell, Lane Hutson, Luke Tuch and Jayden Struble at work.

Farrell, 21, a fourth-round pick in 2020, took the opportunity to add two assists to his record and bring his total to 36 points in 23 games, a point-per-game average slightly lower than Cole Caufield in his last season in the NCAA.

Harvard advances to the final with a 4-3 overtime victory over Boston College, but Hutson and Tuch do not, lost 3-1 by Struble’s Northeastern. Hutson took the opportunity to fatten his record with an assist. The 18-year-old now has 36 points in 26 games, a mind-blowing production, not just for a rookie, but for an NCAA defenseman.

Colleague Guillaume Lefrançois was on site and spoke with the GM of the Canadian. If it’s up to Hughes, Farrell will end the season in Montreal. We will probably be more patient with the young prodigy Hutson.