Flyers coach John Tortorella doesn't hesitate to bench players who aren't performing well, including Sean Couturier, the team's captain and highest-paid player.
Sean Couturier was not included in the lineup for Tuesday night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. This was a surprise to him as it's the first time in his 12 seasons in the NHL that this has happened. The team's recent poor performance seems to have prompted this decision.
Couturier is waiting to hear from Tortorella about why he was benched and what he needs to improve on.
According to Couturier, he's unsure why he's being benched and feels frustrated as he's been putting in effort but not getting enough playing time. He's trying to understand the situation and hopes to contribute to the team soon.
Tortorella also decided not to include Cam Atkinson, the team's second-highest-paid player, in the lineup. Both Couturier and Atkinson have high salaries, which adds pressure to the struggling team.
Couturier has only scored one goal at even strength in the last 14 games and has a total of 36 points in 64 games. This is after recovering from back surgeries that caused him to miss two years of play.
Couturier's playing time in April has decreased to an average of 14 minutes per game, which is much lower than his season average of nearly 19 minutes per game.
Tortorella didn't comment after the morning skate, but he previously mentioned that Couturier and other players need to improve their performance.
Assistant coach Rocky Thompson didn't want to address Couturier's playing time and referred the questions to Tortorella.
Thompson mentioned that Couturier has been working hard in practice and trying to improve himself.
The Flyers have had a tough month with only 3 wins out of 8 games, and Couturier, who is under contract for five more years, is hoping that being benched is only a temporary setback.
Couturier acknowledged that his opinion doesn't matter and he needs to put aside his ego. He's frustrated with the situation but is trying to stay focused and positive.
Couturier emphasized that he can only control what's within his power and will move on from this setback.
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The Flyers also decided not to include forward Denis Gurianov and defenseman Marc Staal in the lineup.
Center Ryan Poehling (9-13-22) said after the morning skate that the Flyers still have their goals in front of them.
“The good thing is we still determine our own future,” Poehling said. “That’s the most important thing moving forward.”
