Rick Tocchet just started, but history says Flyers coaches don’t last long

Some fans already love him. Others don’t. So how will we know if Rick Tocchet’s working out?

The Philadelphia Flyers are going into a new season with a new coach and a lot of the same issues they're used to having. A problem Flyers fans and media have is how to judge a brand-new coach. Some are already eager to launch Rick Tocchet into the sun because he is a former Flyer known for penalty minutes. Some fans are in equal measure ready to give Tocchet a ride because he comes from an era of orange they're reminiscent of.

Now, there is no one way to evaluate a coach, and it is a harder prospect considering that the Flyers are in a rebuild and the team might be set up to fail in the immediate future. Veterans might be gone at the deadline, rookies inserted into the lineup to gain experience, and players could be cycled up from the AHL to get a taste of that NHL coffee.

So we're breaking out the paper and pencil to figure out some averages and benchmarks that we can keep in mind as Rick Tocchet starts his Flyers tenure.

Games Coached

The average Flyers coach spends 187 games behind the bench for the squad. That's around two and a half seasons, so Tocchet should have at least that much rope to work with. Considering he signed a five year deal, the expectation is that he soars past this number.

Across his whole career, Fred Shero has coached the most games behind the Flyers bench, with a whopping 544 games over seven seasons. Interestingly enough, Paul Holmgren, John Stevens, and Pat Quinn have coached 264, 263, and 262 games respectively, which feels intentional.

Also, Dave Hakstol, having coached the third most games (277) is a horrific stat, and if that isn't enough of a reason to root for a long Tocchet stint, I don't know what is. You have to assume that he'll get three seasons just out of courtesy from Danny Briere and his old teammate Keith Jones, but nothing is guaranteed.

Coaching Record

Going off the previous 24 coaches, the record is not fantastic when it comes to wins. The average coach has 92 career wins, which could be achieved in two or three seasons, depending on how the Flyers are doing. This gives us a range to work with.

Last year, the Flyers won 33 games. The expectation would be that Tocchet can improve on that in his first season, and two 47-win seasons, for example, would put Tocchet into the above-average category. It might take him into his third season, depending on the circumstances, but he's surely going to cross the century mark in Flyers wins. Paul Holmgren currently guards the top 10 with 107 wins.

Craig Berube, Alain Vigneault, and Bill Barber have 75, 74, and 73 wins, which again seems like some kind of odd synchronicity. While you may not be able to consider Vigneault or Berube good coaches, they've set an average record recently. If Tocchet isn't passing those totals in his second season, his performance is going to fall under some scrutiny.

Now winning isn't the end-all all be-all this season, but falling in line or at least keeping pace is a bare minimum requirement for Tocchet. If he falls below the Tortorella line, then some eyebrows should raise pretty soon.

Player relationships

Say what you will about John Tortorella, but he got the most out of his players. So much so that it probably cost him his job when Briere and company were almost forced to tank the roster to keep him out of the playoffs. Tocchet is inheriting nearly the same roster. In season one, you'd expect similar results, and you should be keeping an eye on those pretty closely.

Does Travis Konecny keep up with his scoring prowess? Does Matvei Michkov improve on his rookie year? How well players like Owen Tippett, Tyson Forester, and Cam York do will be a key evaluation point for Tocchet. They are the long-term future of the team, and if they don't succeed or show some early faith in the coach, it'll lead to a pretty quick reevaluation.

Special teams

Now, there is some deference shown here to assistant coaches who usually head up these units, but this is a must-fix for Tocchet as he comes in the door. The penalty kill was below league average, and the power play was bottom of the barrel. With talent on the roster, Tocchet has to usher in a quick improvement in these areas.

If you have any other must dos or sees from the new head hockey coach in his opening season please give us a shout and let us know.