When the 2021-22 season began, Sean Couturier was just a few seasons beyond two consecutive 76-point seasons. No longer finding himself in middle-six or bottom-six of the lineup, Couturier looked like the best of both worlds: a two-way center who could defend as easily as he could generate offense. However, Couturier ran into a rash of injuries, namely with his back. In 2021-22 he played just 29 games while he was completely done for the 2022-23 season, the first season Philadelphia had John Tortorella behind the bench.
In 2023-24, Couturier was given a lot of minutes to start the season, averaging roughly 19 minutes in October and November.