The Philadelphia Flyers introduced their 25th head coach, Rick Tocchet, in a May 16 press conference. One of the ideas they teased was that they may be a free-agent hot spot with their new hire. Dumping the league’s least popular bench boss for one that exudes charisma could come in handy for that (from ‘NHL player poll: Best/worst facilities? NBA-style tournament? Season too long? Should Bettman retire?,’ The Athletic – February 5, 2025).
Bar none, the best player who could make it to the market is the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Mitch Marner. It’s still hard to believe a player of his caliber is up for grabs, but following yet another postseason disappointment, there’s a real chance his days up north are done.
If Tocchet can help the Flyers land the 28-year-old superstar, the hiring will be an automatic success. The Orange and Black have had one 100-point producer this century: Claude Giroux in 2017–18. Across the seven seasons since, Marner has averaged 101 points per 82 games. He’d be the most immediately impactful addition to the team in decades.
As for the cost, expect up to $14 million annually for seven seasons, give or take. That’s obviously steep, and many will scoff at the idea due to the fact that he’s seen as “soft,” but the price is well worth it for the Flyers. I’ll explain.
Marner Will Skyrocket Flyers’ Regular-Season Ceiling
Let’s start with the Marner side of things, because the stigma around him is very intense. Regarding his regular-season play, it’s so good that it’d be hard to envision the Orange and Black missing the playoffs for a long time. The upside he’d bring to the team would raise their ceiling substantially, allowing them to not just end what is now the lengthiest postseason drought in franchise history (2020–21 to present), but do it convincingly.
Due to the aforementioned stigma, few realize how good Marner is. Over his last seven seasons, he’s averaged over 100 points per 82 games. To put that in perspective, that’s 51.51% more than fellow 2015 draftee Travis Konecny over that span, who became the highest-paid player in Flyers history last summer. Talk about surrounding talent all you want—Marner puts up points. That’s not even mentioning his elite two-way game, which has seen him on at least one Selke Trophy ballot every season since 2018–19.
Bringing in a player of this caliber would be of immense benefit to the Flyers, particularly given their current structure. When John Tortorella was canned with nine contests left in 2024–25, Philadelphia let Konecny and star rookie Matvei Michkov dictate the outcome of games on the top line. Instead of the latter being restricted like he had been all season long, he was the face of the team for a short period. Stacking the first line led to, arguably, the team’s best stretch of the campaign. Goaltending woes remained, yet they had a .611 points percentage.
Somewhat quietly, the trio of those two and Sean Couturier down the middle was one of the highest-scoring top lines in the NHL. At 5-on-5, they were quite the efficient bunch at scoring goals. Plus, they kept pucks out of their own net, even as an offensive-minded group.
Michkov-Couturier-Konecny (230 mins played) scored more 5v5 goals/minute than:
– Guentzel-Point-Kucherov (660 mins)
– Knies-Matthews-Marner (598 mins)
– Lehkonen-MacKinnon-Necas (217 mins)
– Barbashev-Eichel-Stone (462 mins)
– Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi (907 mins)📊: MoneyPuck
— Justin Giampietro (@justingiam) May 19, 2025
With Michkov destined for serious growth, you could see how that top line, plus a player of Marner’s caliber, could be a formidable combination. The Maple Leafs’ superstar will certainly elevate the man advantage and the play of those around him, resulting in a high-upside team. When you consider Philadelphia has the sixth overall selection in the 2025 NHL Draft and six other picks in the top 50, they’re only poised for further growth down the line. They need another superstar in the mix, and Marner solves that issue in the short and long term.
Related: Flyers Mock Draft 1.0: How to Spend Seven Top-50 Picks
Now, a point I’ve seen mentioned a bit is the fact that Marner plays on the right wing, a position of strength for the Flyers. But as we discussed, Konecny and Michkov played excellently on each other’s line. Tyson Foerster and Owen Tippett played their best hockey on the second and third lines (as left-wingers, mind you), so there you go—it works out perfectly.
But let’s pivot from the numbers for a bit. One of the big reasons why Marner would be such a great addition to the Flyers is the fact that he’s fantastic inside the offensive zone. Sure, he’s lethal off the rush, but his in-zone play could be a huge boost for Philadelphia. With off-the-charts vision and a shot that has converted at above 15% efficiency in each of the last four seasons, he’s a special talent for creating offense. The Flyers desperately need this in their top six—the skill of a first-overall pick, without having to bottom out for it.
Marner has the seventh-best point-per-game rate since 2018–19 among all skaters. If you can sign him, he can lead you to regular-season excellence.
Marner’s Playoff Struggles Are Exaggerated
To win the Stanley Cup, you need to actually make the playoffs first. Marner not only helps do that, but he also allows for a favorable regular-season standing to set up home-ice advantage. But anything he does from October to mid-April is often ignored, for one simple reason—he’s unequivocally a worse hockey player in the postseason. Any time you try to praise him, that’s what gets brought up.
The extent to which Marner struggles in the playoffs, however, is greatly exaggerated. He displays a lot of the same regular-season traits, but can admittedly be less dynamic at times. Still, his 0.90 playoff point-per-game rate is very much high-end—Alex Ovechkin is sitting at 0.91 for his career. Furthermore, Marner’s defensive play actually gets better in the postseason, when looking at goals allowed.
Nobody would argue that Aleksander Barkov is a player that every team wants. Over their past five playoff runs, however, Marner is not only a more efficient point-scorer (2.48 points per 60 minutes to Barkov’s 2.34), but he also allows far fewer goals at 5-on-5 play (1.58 goals allowed per 60 minutes to Barkov’s 2.27). The better plus/minus rating goes to Marner, too, at plus-11 compared to Barkov’s plus-3—that’s despite two Stanley Cup Final appearances for the latter.
Marner indeed regresses from his regular-season output, becoming less of a superstar contributor, but he’s among the best regardless. It’s hard to score in the postseason—his numbers are certainly not indicative of the contract he’ll get, but he’s still an invaluable on-ice weapon at his lowest. A decline in career production to 74 points per 82 games isn’t ideal, but when you view it from the lens that Konecny’s career-best 2024–25 season saw him score 76 points in 82 games, it’s not so bad.
In a sense, at his absolute worst, Marner regresses to regular-season Konecny—a player who has an $8.75 million cap hit for the next eight seasons. It’s fair to make the argument that the Flyers’ veteran winger would produce more if he had better pieces around him, but since he nearly doubled up Marner’s 1.58 goals-allowed-per-60 rate last season, it’s also fair to say they offset.
So, while he’s not his typical self, you need players like Marner in the playoffs. He remains a star-level producer, which you can’t win the Stanley Cup without. Signing him kills two birds with one stone—getting one of those star postseason scorers, and elevating the Flyers’ upside to actually make the playoffs consistently.
Tocchet’s Charisma Could Come in Handy
If general manager Daniel Brière and the Flyers were telling the truth about Tocchet’s charm, then Marner is at least in the realm of possibility. Unlikely, sure, but if the focus on free agency was done in good faith, a superstar could be headed to the City of Brotherly Love.
Briere emphatically says Tocchet will entice free agents to came to Philly. Says he has already received calls from players’ agents showing interest in @NHLFlyers.
— Sam Carchidi (@BroadStBull) May 16, 2025
There are few certainties about Tocchet as a coach, but among them is how he speaks. He’s a charismatic guy, which endeared him to the Flyers fan base and players around the league. He started coaching in the NHL over two decades ago, and he’s still at it for a reason.
Is Tocchet really what gets the Flyers over the hump to land Marner? Possibly, but there’s really no way to say. If the 61-year-old is really the difference-maker, though, he deserves endless praise. When you hire a head coach, you’re usually looking for a schematic mastermind. But attracting superstars has a similar impact.
If Marner ends up in Philadelphia, and Tocchet plays a role in the decision, the decision to hire the latter was a home run. The Flyers desperately need a superstar, and the Maple Leafs winger would be the perfect fit. He plays harder than he’s given credit for, which would most definitely be appreciated by Tocchet. He needs stars to make his system work, and Marner fits the bill.
Stats courtesy of Evolving-Hockey
