Make or Break Season for Alain Vigneault and his Staff

Photo Courtesy of Elizabeth Robertson/The Philadelphia Inquirer

After a season in which the Philadelphia Flyers performed well below the expectations initially set for them and posted a record of 25-23-8 for a 6th place finish in the NHL East division, change was something this club desperately needed. The Flyers were thought to be one of the top teams in the NHL prior to the beginning of last season and were even predicted by some to potentially win the Stanley Cup. Unfortunately, such predictions were further removed from reality than most thought could be possible as the team looked like one of the worst in the NHL at various different points last season. What this below par performance sparked was the onus of the team’s terrible play being placed majorly on General Manager Chuck Fletcher’s shoulders, as well as, the players on the ice. 

One could attribute such pressures being put on Fletcher to make roster changes to the lack of activity the GM showed in the previous off season and in retrospect the call for change was definitely deserved. Additionally, with a roster full of players who were majorly untouched last off-season and several players who have been on the Flyers for many years, it was simply time to go in a different direction. Fletcher did just that this off-season as he added players, Ryan Ellis, Cam Atkinson, Rasmus Ristolainen, Nate Thompson, Keith Yandle, Martin Jones and Derrick Brassard while subtracting, Jakub Voracek, Nolan Patrick, Philippe Myers, Shayne Gostisbehere and Robert Hagg. All things considered not much more could be expected of a General Manager in terms of shaking up a roster. The Flyers GM brought in 7 new players and got rid of 5 players, so significant changes were certainly achieved from management’s point of view. Now that leaves the remainder of the question marks to the team’s performance on the ice. As multiple new players enter the mix it can be expected that the team will naturally take some time to gel and get on the same page as one another. In terms of who is responsible for ensuring that occurs, highly accomplished head coach Alain Vigneault and his acclaimed staff of assistants, Mike Yeo, Michel Therrien and Darryl Williams will be at the helm. The question remains to be answered on whether or not these coaches will have success in getting the team to buy into their on ice systems, play for one another on the ice and perform to the level of a playoff team.

Alain Vigneault has been a successful coach in all facets of his NHL head coaching career. In stints with the Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, the bench boss has always put together winning records and has made it to the Stanley Cup Final twice. His ultimate goal is undoubtedly to win a Stanley Cup with the Flyers however, before he can accomplish that he first needs to guide the team to the playoffs and have them firing on all cylinders. Last season was a year the coach would most surely like to forget as the team missed the playoffs under his tutelage and the coach admitted to struggling with the pandemic in terms of on ice time to prepare the team. Despite his most recent performance, Vigneault’s first season with the club was a success and the coach was a breath of fresh air to the position. Not only was Vigneault very personable as a coach but he brought the Flyers to the playoffs. He also had the club playing their best hockey and arguably the best Flyers hockey of the past decade. So it seems as though there is a tale of two tapes here in regards to Vigneault and his performance as the Flyers head coach so far. 

As a result of such discrepancies between the team’s overall performance from season to season it makes it hard to predict how exactly the team will come together and play in 2021-2022. With so many new players and a majority of them better fits than the players they are replacing, the Flyers will in all likelihood be much improved. Until this assumption plays out on the ice though it’s hard to tell exactly how things will unfold. One thing is certain, if the Flyers are struggling early in the season and habits of their terrible play from last season appear within their game Vigneault and his staff will most definitely be on the hot seat. I’d even go so far as to say that there is already pressure on Vigneault before the season has even begun from upper management to ensure the team starts off well this season after the fiasco that was 2020-2021. The upper management team has done their part this off-season in changing the mix of the players in the locker room and on the ice by giving Vigneault the veteran players he was clamoring for to execute his system. Not to mention players like Keith Yandle and Derrick Brassard who formerly played under Vigneault. This is something coaches love because these players already know Vigneault’s systems and how he operates as a coach. Making it easy for them to assimilate into their new environments while also being role models to the rest of the roster. What this can do is potentially set a tone in correlation with how the coach wants things executed on the ice and expects players to carry themselves off of the ice. Evidently, Fletcher has given Vigneault all the tools needed to make the Flyers a much improved team next season.

GM Fletcher has given Vigneault all the necessary pieces to succeed. He has brought in multiple veteran options, changed the make-up of the roster this off season, and did not opt for the easy way out and kept the assistant coaches instead of firing them. It’s now up to Vigneault and his staff to take the resources afforded to them by the GM and ultimately produce wins on the ice. First off this begins with the Flyers having a good start to the season, maintaining a consistent level of play throughout the season and making the playoffs. If the team falters whatsoever in any way Vigneault will feel the heat from upper management. In a season that is crucial when speaking of Vigneault continuing to be the Flyers head coach next season and beyond, it’s apparent that GM Fletcher expects Vigneault and his staff to be able to put a winning team on the ice with the players that were acquired. With Vigneault’s job hinged on the performance of the team after all the moves made to accommodate his coaching style and philosophy, any sign of struggles will begin to stir controversy around the coach’s job security. Only time will tell if Vigneault will be able to use the players brought to him by management in an effective manner to get the team to gel as a whole and become a consistent winner on the ice. Consequently, the aforementioned possibilities not occurring will likely spell the end of Vignuealt’s tenure in Philadelphia. 

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