NHL teams couldn't do any last-minute Christmas shopping thanks to the league-mandated roster freeze that is enforced around the holiday, but that wasn't really a problem for the Flyers. You see, they collected all the gifts they’ve needed over the summer, as the early returns on their offseason have been very positive so far.
It all starts with head coach Rick Tocchet, a divisive hire that was dismissed by some as just the latest example of the Flyers continuing their age-old tradition of giving jobs to former Flyers. That’s valid to an extent, although those people looked past Tocchet’s solid coaching track record, including a recent Jack Adams Award.