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NHL Insider Drops Massive Update on Rick Tocchet's Contract Extension After John Tortorella's Firing
Photo credit: Edit from The New York Times
Now that John Tortorella has been fired by the Flyers, an NHL insider isn't so confident that Rick Tocchet will be staying in Vancouver, and he will be coveted.
Vancouver Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal recently commented on the contract status of head coach Rick Tocchet, where he stated the team was eager to sign him but Tocchet has put the talks on the backburner to focus on getting the team into the playoffs.
Speaking on Sportsnet 650, Dhaliwal explained Tocchet had a rollercoaster season, from the J.T. Miller absence to the supposed tension between Miller and Elias Pettersson.
"I'll tell you what happened. You had the Miller leave of absence," Dhaliwal said. "Then you had the Miller-Pettersson feud. And then so much time was spent on your number one center, who has not been a difference-maker the past 12 months."
It was all the media coverage the Canucks had to put up with, and it made it an exhausting season for Tocchet, and he has stated that he will need some time after the season to figure out his future.
Dhaliwal pointed out that the Canucks will have to be ready when negotiating with Tocchet when talks resume since he will be sought after.
The Flyers may heavily pursue Tocchet after today's Tortorella firing
With John Tortorella being unavailable now in Philadelphia since he was just fired today, the worth of Tocchet increases day by day, and panicking franchises that require a quality veteran coach will call.
NHL insider Josh Yohe, who covers the Penguins, also stated that the Flyers will likely be very interested in Tocchet's services.
To some extent, the Flyers may look at Tocchet as the first choice given the experience that Tocchet has. Insider Frank Seravalli also hinted that Tocchet can just walk away if the future plan in Vancouver does not appeal to him.
"There are so many «ifs» with this hockey club, and he's going to want some answers. It's up to them-when they sit down with him after the season, they better be prepared.
Because as Seravalli is saying every week, he's saying it for a reason. This guy's going to walk. And I think the Canucks have one hell of a sell job to do after this season to bring him back," Dhaliwal added.
Because as Seravalli is saying every week, he's saying it for a reason. This guy's going to walk. And I think the Canucks have one hell of a sell job to do after this season to bring him back," Dhaliwal added.
The Canucks, in the meantime, took another step nearer to the playoffs after beating the Islanders 5-2 Wednesday and are now within three points of a Western Conference wild-card spot.
| POLL | ||
MARS 27 | 312 ANSWERS NHL Insider Drops Massive Update on Rick Tocchet's Contract Extension After John Tortorella's Firing Will Rick Tocchet be coaching the Canucks next season? | ||
| Yes | 136 | 43.6 % |
| No | 176 | 56.4 % |
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