Throughout his 20-plus seasons as an NHL head coach, John Tortorella has earned a reputation as a builder and someone who gets the most out of his teams.

But it doesn’t happen overnight. In fact, three of Tortorella’s previous four full-time head coaching gigs — his tenure in Vancouver lasted only a year — have been marked by a major step forward from his team in his third full season in charge, including winning a Stanley Cup title with Tampa Bay in 2003-04.

While the Flyers might not be ready to end their nearly 50-year Cup drought just yet, history suggests the Orange and Black will improve again in 2024-25 and make a return to the playoffs.

Throughout his 20-plus seasons as an NHL head coach, John Tortorella has earned a reputation as a builder and someone who gets the most out of his teams.

But it doesn’t happen overnight. In fact, three of Tortorella’s previous four full-time head coaching gigs — his tenure in Vancouver lasted only a year — have been marked by a major step forward from his team in his third full season in charge, including winning a Stanley Cup title with Tampa Bay in 2003-04.

While the Flyers might not be ready to end their nearly 50-year Cup drought just yet, history suggests the Orange and Black will improve again in 2024-25 and make a return to the playoffs.