Rick Tocchet is under heavy fire right now after a brutal start to the 2026-27 season. The team has been winless or near-winless early (reports of 0-3-2 / 0-4-2 territory), generating almost no offense, posting some of the worst 5-on-5 underlying numbers in the league (Corsi, Fenwick, expected goals), and getting outshot badly. Some fans are pointing at the system, the lack of shot volume, defensive-zone issues, and how the young talent (especially Matvei Michkov and other prospects) is being used.
This isn’t brand new. Similar complaints popped up last season and even earlier in his tenure, with some of the same gripes Vancouver fans had about structure, shot generation, and handling of skilled young players. The difference is the raised expectations after Tocchet guided the Flyers to the playoffs in 2025-26 (including a first-round series win). A second-year collapse has a lot of people saying the “Tocchet expiration date” has already hit.
Social media and local discourse are full of “Fire Tocchet,” questions about how long his leash is, and frustration that a long-term contract (multiple years left) is making a change expensive.
It’s still extremely early in the season, and firing a coach this soon after a successful first year would be aggressive (and costly). General Manager Danny Brière’s next moves will say a lot about whether the organization views this as a coaching problem, a roster problem, or both. For now, though, the fan temperature is clearly hot.
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