When Marc Staal signed a one-year contract last July with the Flyers some suspected that coach John Tortorella would play Staal ahead of younger prospects, curtailing their development as the then 36-year-old would see third-pairing minutes. Tortorella, who had Staal during his tenure with the Rangers, denied that would happen and for the most part Staal, who played a full season with Florida in 2022-23, essentially didn’t block any younger Flyers defenseman from seeing ice time.
However, the Staal that was sheltered with the talent the Florida Panthers had last year was far more exposed this year with a far less talented Flyers roster, resulting in some cringe-worthy shifts in the Flyers’ own zone.