The free-falling Philadelphia Flyers fired head coach Alain Vigneault on Dec. 6. It came the morning after a 7-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning which extended the Flyers losing streak to eight games. Assistant coach Michel Therrien has also been fired.
According to Frank Seravalli, hockey insider at the Daily Faceoff, Mike Yeo will coach tonight’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. Seravalli tweeted “my sense is Rick Tocchet will be high on Philadelphia’s candidate list.”
The Philadelphia Flyers (8-10-4) started the season with the fifth-best odds to win the Stanley Cup (+1500) and were favored to make the playoffs (-250) at sports betting apps.
Currently, the Flyers are +7000 to win the Stanley Cup and +425 to make the playoffs.
Philadelphia Flyers futures betting
Philadelphia Flyers betting stats and information
2021 stats from DraftKings
Philadelphia Flyers 2021 stats from DraftKings
- Puck line: 11-11
- Over/under: 10-12
- Home: 4-5-2
- Road: 4-5-2
- As a puck line favorite, the Flyers have covered 50% of the time.
Flyers fire coach…again
Before joining the Flyers, Vigneault coached the New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks and Montreal Canadiens. He was hired as head coach in Philadelphia in April 2019 and the Flyers made the playoffs in his first season but lost in the second round in the NHL playoff “bubble” to the New York Islanders.
Last season, the Flyers had high expectations and in April, they were FanDuel’s biggest liability in the Stanley Cup futures market. However, the Flyers disappointed NHL bettors and didn’t even make the playoffs, finishing 6th out of eight in their division.
Flyers coaches are known for their relatively short shelf-life.
Flyers coaches since 2006
- John Stevens: Oct. 2006 – Dec. 2009
- Peter Laviolette: Dec. 2009 – Oct. 2013
- Craig Berube: Oct. 2013 – April 2015
- Dave Hakstol: May 2015 – Dec. 2018
- Scott Gordon (interim): Dec 2018 – April 2019
- Alain Vigneault: April 2019 – Dec. 2021
Philadelphia Flyers odds
The Flyers have the second-worst record in the Metropolitan Division through 22 games. They are averaging 2.32 goals-per-game which ranks them 28th. They are an anemic 13.4% on the power play (30th).
Let’s take a look at the Flyers odds at the start of the season to now.
Philadelphia Flyers 2022 Stanley Cup odds
- DraftKings: +4000. Currently +7000
- FanDuel: +2900. Currently +6000
Philadelphia Flyers 2022 Eastern Conference odds
- DraftKings: +2000. Currently +3500
- FanDuel: +1600. Currently +3400
Flyers 2022 Metropolitan Division odds
- DraftKings: +900. Now +5000
- FanDuel: +850. Now +5000
Philadelphia Flyers win totals and playoff odds
Prior to the start of the 2021-2022 season, sportsbooks projected the Flyers win total at 92.5. Now, the number at DraftKings is Over 85.5 (+100)/Under 85.5 (-120).
Will the Flyers miss the playoffs again? Before the season started, the Flyers made numerous upgrades to their defense and sportsbooks leaned toward the Flyers returning to the playoffs (DraftKings: Yes (+115)/No (-135). A slow start has changed things. Now its Yes (+425)/No (-600).
What’s next for the Flyers
The Flyers haven’t won a Stanley Cup since 1976. They seem to be stuck in the same rinse-and-repeat cycle.
Claude Giroux (+20000) and Sean Couturier (+4000) as the only Flyers on the board at BetMGM with MVP odds. Couturier is now +10000. Is it time for the Flyers to trade the 34-year-old Giroux for prospects to give him a chance at a Cup?
2021-2022 NHL Eastern Conference odds
Lead image Matt Slocum/AP
