The Flyers have fluctuated between being a good, average, and bad team the last two-plus seasons.  The weaknesses in the roster have been addressed - successfully in my opinion - but the team still seems to be missing something that the great teams in the league have.  It is time to consider the possibility that coach, John Stevens, is not the right man for the job.

John Stevens' seat isn't hot yet, but it might get warm real quick if the Flyers don't make a Cup run. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

First, I’d like to apologize for my absence the last month and a half.  Somehow I’ve managed to go through back to back Phillies World Series runs with next to no writing.

Ok, back to the Flyers.  As of this writing, the Flyers’ record stands at 13-10-1; good enough for 3rd place in the Atlantic Division.  As you can see, not bad, but not good either.  And when you consider they have the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins (the team that has eliminated them from the playoffs the last two seasons) in front of them in their division, the Flyers have definitely not been good enough.

Ever since GM Paul Holmgren remade the team in 2007, following their worst season in franchise history, the Flyers have had a young and talented roster.  Over the course of the following two seasons, more talent has been added, and the young leaders of the team have gained valuable experience.  The Flyers have a balanced scoring attack, with three lines capable of carrying a team, and with the addition of Chris Pronger this past offseason, they have a talented blue line with a mean streak.

It’s been argued on this site that all this team needed, following their latest exit from the postseason, was an atitude adjustment.  Too many times last season, and the season before, the team seemed unable, or unwilling, to play a full 60 minutes with intensity.  They allowed themselves to fall into holes, both over the course of the season as well as within a game.  And while they were able to crawl out of those holes from time to time, it was ultimately the reason their season was over after just six postseason games.

Coming into this year, Captain Mike Richards had another year of experience under his belt.  And with the addition of Pronger, this year’s team looked like it would have the right attitude to play hard each and every game.  And the season started good for the Flyers.  But since their quick start, the Flyers have struggled with the same problems that have plagued them the last two years.  They come out slow and fall behind; they take undisciplined penalties; the fail to hold leads; etc.

I look at the roster, and I see a group of guys who are as good, top to bottom, as any team in the league.  And for stretches during games, they show that.  But they lack the consistency to be considered a true Stanley Cup contender.  The roster has been addressed and the only possible explanation  left is coaching.  Maybe John Stevens isn’t motivating his players.  Or maybe his system does not suit the talents of his players.  Either way, it’s becoming clearer that he is not the right coach for this team.

I say this team because I really like Stevens as a coach.  He’s still young as far as coaches go (You have to remember that this is Stevens’ first NHL coaching job), and I think he has the potential to be a great coach.  But this team has the roster to win now.  It’s core is entering its prime, and so is the core of their Eastern Conference rivals.

Maybe I’m wrong, and what we’re seeing is a team that is still jelling.  And come playoff time, maybe they will be playing up to their capacity, and make a real run at the cup.  Maybe this is the normal Flyers trend of a so-so beginning of the year.  But if that’s the case, what’s stopping them from having their “normal” early exit from the playoffs.

The point of all of this is that it never really crossed my mind that the problem all along may be the coach.  Or maybe it never crossed my mind because I didn’t want it to - just like I never wanted to admit Richards needed help leading this team.  But now it’s time to allow that thought to enter my mind.  It’s time to consider a change.  And it’s not like the Flyers organization has been afraid to change coaches in the past.  This is Stevens’ third full season as Flyers’ coach, and three years seems to be the average shelf life of a Philadelphia Flyers coach.