The Truth Behind the Negotiations Between Rick Tocchet and the Penguins Releases Publicly
Photo credit: Global News
Now that Rick Tocchet has been hired by the Flyers, some new information has been revealed that describes what took place behind his negotiations with the Penguins.
Rick Tocchet, one of the few people both Penguins and Flyers fans admire, has been named the Philadelphia Flyers' head coach, a move that many anticipated.
Tocchet was aware for most of the offseason that the Flyers' position was his for the taking if he desired. While he did consider the Penguins' position briefly, the fit simply wasn't right.
Although he and Penguins GM Kyle Dubas share a mutual respect for each other, their discussions never really turned into anything more than a casual dialogue.
Timing played a large role in Tocchet's choice. Like former Penguins coach Mike Sullivan, Tocchet is a win-now coach. It's debatable how near the Flyers are to actual contention, yet they're nearer to it in their rebuild than the Penguins.
Tocchet wanted a team that will be out of a rebuild faster, and that wasn't the Penguins
Tocchet didn't wish to join a team in the early stages of a long-term rebuild; he wanted a roster that had the ability to compete immediately, per NHL insider Josh Yohe.
"Tocchet wants to win, and he wants to win now. You can argue about how close the Flyers are to winning. But the Flyers are further along in their rebuild than the Penguins are. Tocchet didn't want to find himself in a situation where struggling in the first couple of seasons was OK because the franchise is building. He wants to win now and wasn't certain that the Penguins are ready for that."
- Josh Yohe
- Josh Yohe
Dubas, for his part, is dedicated to bringing the Penguins back into contention through the draft and youth, a process that requires patience. That wasn't something that aligned with Tocchet's ambitions.
His Philadelphia connections probably came into play as well. Tocchet is a former captain of the Flyers and is close with team president Keith Jones.
All of those ties, and his desire to be an Eastern Conference coach, as Canucks president Jim Rutherford stated, probably sealed the deal.
As per Yohe, Tocchet did indeed consider other offers. But the Flyers were never out of contention one bit, and it likely ultimately came down to who can win quicker, which unfortunately right now, is Philly.
| POLL | ||
MAI 15 | 120 ANSWERS The Truth Behind the Negotiations Between Rick Tocchet and the Penguins Releases Publicly Are you still bothered that Rick Tocchet didn't sign with the Penguins? | ||
| Yes | 49 | 40.8 % |
| No | 71 | 59.2 % |
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