PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 22: Sean Couturier #14 of the Philadelphia Flyers celebrates his goal at 40 seconds of the second period against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Six of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Wells Fargo Center on April 22, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Date Published: 10-17-2022
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Here we are now, a week into the 2022-2023 NHL season. The Flyers have played two games, starting the season well with wins in their first two before facing two contenders in the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers. Before the back-to-back in Florida gets underway tomorrow night, let’s identify and examine some possibilities for the captaincy vacancy on this current team. John Tortorella has made it known that the captaincy is not a priority and he even went as far today as saying he probably won’t have one all year. But, if a leader does emerge from this team, there’s a possibility he could don the “C” for the orange and black before the season ends. Let’s identify some possibilities.
Sean Couturier
Couturier is the longest-tenured Flyer. He was drafted in the summer of 2011 and played in the wild playoff series against the Penguins as a rookie. He has blossomed into the Flyers’ best all-around player and one of the best defensive forwards in the league. He plays in all situations, handles himself with such professionalism, and is going to be here for the next eight seasons. He was the obvious choice for the captaincy before his latest back injury kept him out of the lineup for the first two games. He will miss more time as there is no known timetable for his return.
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The Flyers are simply better with him on the ice. Any team would love to have a Sean Couturier. He doesn’t put up McDavid numbers, but the impact he has in all three zones is the same impact of a true number-one center in the NHL.
Couturier’s experience, play-style, and professionalism are all traits that captains have. Some of the best captains in the league are guys who don’t lead by throwing chairs in the room or call out young guys. Players like Sidney Crosby, Patrice Bergeron, Jonathan Toews (when Chicago was on top), and more are all guys that lead by example on the ice. All of them have or had (Toews) elite skill and at least a polished two-way game. Couturier is the Flyers version of those guys. He isn’t on the same level as Crosby, that’s clear. Coots is right up there with Bergeron and Jamie Benn, and Dylan Larkin, however.
Couturier would be a great pick for the Flyers’ next captain. It’s an honor that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Being the captain of any franchise is a big deal, but continuing the lineage and carrying on the duties and responsibilities of past captains, especially for an organization with as much history and pride as the Philadelphia Flyers, is a franchise-defining decision. Appointing a captain means giving the franchise a face. It was Bobby Clarke. It was Eric Lindros. It was Claude Giroux. Now it could be Sean Couturier.
Toews was not a good captain.