OverDrive - LeBrun on the Flyers moving on from the Tortorella era, Tocchet's coaching future and the Senators' playoff opportunity

Episode Date: March 27, 2025

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun joined OverDrive to discuss the latest around the NHL, John Tortorella's departure from the Flyers and the next steps in his career, Rick Tocchet being an option, the Senators' pursuit of the playoffs, the Canadiens in need of a win and more.

Let go from your job without a severance package? You need employmentlawyer.ca. Your employer is legally required to give you as much as 24 months pay when you lose your job. Call your Sam Firou and get what you're owed. Employmentlawyer.ca. Here's our TSN Hockey Insider Pierre Lebrun. Do you sense that that could be the plan here? Like, and if so, would it have been better to keep Tortorella and let them just lose the way they've been losing and

maybe you win the lottery and you end up with the first overall pick in Philly well first let me just say this your your segue was extremely smooth Brian thank you from the NBA to the Flyers thank you but you quit you could have gone with from LeBron to LeBron yes that was right there on the platter for me. But, what an egregious error. Yeah, egregious. I mean, I just want to point it out. Okay. Yeah, I mean, listen, it's been a wild couple days with the Flyers. Just to give you a little flavor, on Tuesday morning, during the morning skates, I actually sat down with Danny Breyer for an interview and we were talking actually about that, about how the rebuild is still, you know, there's still some real painful

moments right now and he pointed out that he felt bad for torts and the players that, you know, he had to make the trading team eight in terms of selling off, you know, a lot and such a popular guy, but also, you know, Frost and Farabee and really didn't bring in the NHL guys. So they, they knew this would be a painful month. Um, and he kind of felt for coaches and players on that. But, you know, one thing about Rear and Keith Jones, for that matter, since they took charge in May of 23, they, they told everyone what they were

getting to do and where they were headed with this rebuild and that there would be some painful moments. And even though they almost made the playoffs last year, they never got fooled by that. They came back this year and said, we're going to sell off more players. I kind of, you know, I give them props for how consistent they've been in their messaging on that. But in the interim, even though publicly Tortorello was telling the media that he was on board and understood the rebuild and understands that he has to be patient.

Clearly what we now know is that behind the scenes, he was pretty troubled by all the losing and it wasn't just his comments Tuesday night. There are other, I'm told, you know, conversations and comments with the organization in the last 48 hours that culminated in this firing because believe me, this was not plan A. The flyers would have preferred to wait until the season was over to sit down with them, get another union deal and see how he felt mentally and physically and then make a decision. But they, I think Tortorella kind of forced their hand and, and that's where they are. But in the meantime, to your point, I mean, they could end up with a lottery pick.

They have three first round picks and four second round picks in this draft. They have seven picks in the first two rounds. So, and one thing we were told me in that interview, by the way, is that, you know, they're open to listening on those picks. They're not just picks meant to pick players, but they're willing to be pretty aggressive in terms of maybe using some of those assets and trades to try and add players this summer. Pierre, when you mentioned Tortorella kind of helping things along, are you referring to the comments he made after the game against Elise?

Yeah, yeah, sorry. Sorry, I thought that was, yeah, you guys have touched on that too. But yeah, his comments after. Oh, I thought that was yeah, you guys have touched on that too But yeah, it was comments out to the game where you know Kind of fed into further conversations behind the scenes with management over lost 48 hours And yeah and led to what we got this morning. Yeah. Well, I mean you can't really argue against it it's not it just In retrospect and I said this yesterday and i've said it at times of the last two years i have no idea how that was ever gonna work john tortorella as a baby saying he and you are saying that was a state of the most in higher

ever it it it was always like nice well believe me he knows he knows i'm like do we know who we're talking about here this is john tortorella he sees he's waiting to blow a gasket. He can't wait to do it. It just was never conducive to a plan. And I guess Briere and them, they got to kind of own that here. Like they hired them and kept them around

and they thought it would work. And now it's blowing up in their face, nine games before the season comes to an end. But again, just for context, because I think it's wild that, you know, they were, they were here when a lot of this, you know, culminated, but even Tuesday morning, I was in the media scrum where he, Torrella was asked

about, you know, the fact that he, he, he had a little more insight into what management was doing than the average coach and, you know, understood the rebuild and he talked about it. So it's, it's really kind of amazing I guess what was really going on behind the scenes but well yeah and obviously I'm interested now to see how the players go with their search they're gonna take their time they're gonna talk to a lot of different people here they're in no hurry but you know one name that's popped up quick and early is that a Rick Tauke because it feels up in Vancouver the other year, but.

Are you buying that Pierre or like, why would that make sense for Rick Tauke? Clean it through for the moment because Rick Tauke, and I don't think he's made any decisions about his future. I mean, he may still sign an extension with the Canucks. It's just that he's not what he said last week is that he's not a position where he wants to deal with that now in the middle of a playoff race. He wants to be able to be off season, but, but if he doesn't sign an extension, I mean, he'd be a pretty hot commodity on the coaching market.

Uh, he's kind of just wanting the Jagadah. So yeah, I mean, I think that him and Keith Jones have a relationship. Uh, it wouldn't, I would certainly put him among the candidates for the Philly job, not the only candidate. There would be lots of other guys in that mix, I think. Pierre, what's the appetite right now in Seattle as far as how they're tracking? They had a pretty good run a couple of years ago, and then this year has been flat. Where are they at with that team and the patience of what's happened so far?

Yeah, it's a good question. And don't forget to study the coaching change from last year to this year. And, um, and it hasn't given them the results they wanted. I mean, I know when I sat down with Ron Francis when the Kraken were in Toronto in the fall, he didn't hide the fact that they really wanted to get back in the playoff mix, but that was the expectation internally. And obviously that hasn't happened.

So I think there is a lot of disappointment there. On the flip side, you know, they've made a number of trades. You know, trade for Kakao I think is going to bode well for them, giving him a fresh start for Larranger's. And I think they had a pretty good selling deadline, but again, they didn't want any sellers, but you know, especially with the trade with Tampa involving Gord and York's turn,

but this is a disappointment by any measure. Like the Kraken thought they would get back into it like they were two years ago, and that was the expectation internally. With Pierre Labonard, TSN Hockey Insider. Ottawa has now lost three of their last four during Detroit tonight. If they lose to Detroit tonight,

does panic seep in? Like where's your radar at when it comes? It's hard to go there. I gotta ask a question about the same. I know, but you just. Journalism, the same journalism. Journalism. Journalism. Um, you know, it's because they were red hot before this little run here and they lost in Buffalo and if they lose to Detroit. Are you just trying, like you just don't want the battle of

Ontario? No, I'd like to see it. I think it'd be brilliant. If I could sign off on it, I'd take it right now over any other matchup. I'd love the battle of Ontario, but I just like, I know if the half, like I can't ask you about that. Montreal, Montreal loses in Philly tonight. People are going to lose their mind. Like this has got to be two points for the Habs. You have to win tonight in Philly. They've been a disaster.

And, you know, but there's a big difference between where, let's put it this way. I don't want to speak for fan bases because, you know, it's put it this way, I don't wanna speak for fan bases because it's too hard to do. But the expectation with Ottawa and Montreal is at a different place. I mean, Ottawa's been out of it for a long time and this was the year they had to get in. Whereas Montreal is basically a year ahead of their crew right now.

So they're in gravy town right now. Now, because they're in, they don't wanna lose, it would hurt if they didn't make it now because they didn't they don't want to lose it would hurt if they didn't make it now because they're in better things but that my point to you is this would be a much bigger deal in Ottawa if the Senators faded out of this race. Yes of course it would be but you know Montreal wins tonight in Ottawa loses I guess what I'm getting at is Montreal be two points behind them and then all of a sudden it's maybe it's Montreal playing the Leafs or Florida in the first round like it

Just no guarantees exactly how that wild card race is even gonna play out Yeah, I still think we haven't heard the end yet from the Rangers either. I keep saying that and they keep It's got to be more hair with with the guy to have in that but you know It is a big night What I love about this time of year is every game at this time of year is a moment. And so for Montreal, they got completely embarrassed the sense of the other night in St. Louis. So how do they recover? Because that's their first back game in a long time. So let's see how they react tonight. And you can say what you want about how bad the Flyers have been. They have a coaching

change today. So usually it's in response to that. So we'll see how they do. But I'm with you on Ottawa in the sense this is, I'm finally answering your question, Brian. You know, there's been a lot of positives with the senators this year, you know, some ups and downs, but because of their, their, the baggage that they carried from the past number of years, you can't think that they developed a confidence that is unshakable.

Like to your point, if they lose again tonight, then I think the second guessing pops in. You know, I still think they're going to make the playoffs, but to answer your question, I do think it's a very uncomfortable thing for them if there was a yeah well we'll see what comes with that's the beauty of these games were getting into the stretch on your appeal of one go ahead oh here i just wanted to ask you before we get you out of here what would you think if you woke up in the morning and

jack prescott was a Cleveland Brown I saw some denials there. I didn't quite track that story. So you guys educate me because I didn't go and read some of it in detail. So is that being, is everyone saying that? Dude, I'm just, I'm going on dummy people on Twitter. Yeah, I don't know if I'm buying that, man. How are you going to pay for Dak? And if Sean wants it? I just want to know, Pierre, what would you think if Dak was a Brown?

Well, unless you got Miles Garrett in return, I'd be pretty disappointed, because who's your quarterback then? I mean, I know there's a lot of Dak detractors, but before you cut your loss as a Dak breastcat, you have to know who's his replacement I I live the abyss years in between Troy H man and Tony Romo That was a lot of years without a quarterback. That was a lot of years

I mean force trying to living it right now with the Giants But oh when you don't have a when you don't have a quarterback, it's miserable The Cowboys don't have a top eight elite quarterback. That's for sure, but they have a quarterback who's better than half the league I'll take that right now without knowing what the other side of the coin is Yeah, I don't see how it works because the Sean Watson is guaranteed money, you know And they just they just paid miles Garrett now you're gonna bring in 60 million for Dak But it is Cleveland Watson Hayes I think if you had a top ten list of athletes who i don't want to watch perform pro sport he would be well you're a lot because

you're not gonna see him anytime soon right now we didn't play yes it really is bloody by will play next year and i think levi was more than happy to just say go stand over there please i think this is the out of the way uh... and it is cleveland so i guess you can put anything past them but the idea that that's the big plan. We'll go get Dak Prescott to get us over the top. Imagine thinking that. Imagine thinking that.

Well, I can because it's Cleveland. You know, again, because it's the Browns, I can see it that way, but I don't see the Cowboys doing it because of everything Pierre just said. Very reasonable take, Pierre. Very reasonable. Calm. Well, I mean, pierre very reasonable calm thank you very much thank you very much all right buddy thank you for doing this all right boys talk talk next week pierre labrano tsn hockey insider introducing brian adams radio on iheart radio First real sick string. Hosted by Bryan Adams himself. Join me for an insider look on a wild ride through 40 years of global rock and roll. Gonna rock to you. Bryan Adams Radio. I'm ready.

Now available on the free iHeartRadio app. To love you. Or ask your smart speaker to play Bryan Adams Radio on iHeartRadio. I was ready to rock. Everywhere I go, the kids wanna rock.