Another Flyers forward on his way out under coach John Tortorella!

During a press media conference on Saturday, Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella confirmed that forward Lukas Sedlak has requested that his contract be terminated in order to return home to his native Czech Republic.

Then reports from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman emerged that the Flyers and Kevin Hayes could be headed towards a buyout. The insider pointed to a growing tension between Hayes and Tortorella, who has called out the forward this season for his lack of defensive play. He has already benched him three times since the season got underway…

This has to be worrisome for the Flyers’ management and fanbase, seeing that Hayes remains the team’s most productive offensive player with 29 points in 32 games.

But Friedman explained how most of the $14 million of bonus money in Hayes’ contract is almost paid off, which means that if his deal gets bought out in June 2023, he’ll earn on average $2 million annually. Hayes’ annual cap hit is $7.1 million per season, which means that if he’s bought out in June, it’ll cost the Flyers $2.25 million against their cap for 2023-24, followed by $4.75 million annually for the next two seasons before dropping to $1.6 million annually for the final three seasons.

If the Flyers plan on keeping Torts behind the bench, maybe they should attempt to trade Hayes instead. He holds a 12-team no-trade list clause, but that still leaves the Flyers with 20 potential destinations. Philadelphia could consider absorbing part of the salary if they really want something in return, like a draft pick, a prospect or even a struggling young player.

But whether it comes as a trade or a buyout, it sounds like another forward will be out under Tortorella.

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