VOORHEES, N.J. — As Sean Couturier warmed up before Monday’s practice, Rick Tocchet found him for a chat.

The captain and head coach skated a few loops together. With Couturier playing on the Flyers’ fourth line amid an offensive slump, Tocchet has wanted to be transparent about his leader’s job.

“We’ve had conversations, just had one actually right before practice, he said he’ll probably move me around in the lineup and just be ready,” Couturier said. “It doesn’t matter my role, I always try to do what I can to help the team. I’ll be ready in any situation I can be in.”

Couturier has gone 27 consecutive games without a goal. He has nine assists and a minus-9 rating over that span. He has five goals and 21 assists in 53 games this season. For the last two games, Couturier has centered the fourth line, but Tocchet has been able to get him on the ice for 15:13 minutes per game.

Tocchet will look for different matchups later in games to use Couturier outside of a fourth-line role.

“He’ll get his minutes,” the head coach said, “I’ve just got to move him around a bit.”

Couturier has never been a player to shy away from facing the music. Two seasons ago, he talked about being benched in the heat of a playoff race. Last season, he talked about being moved to the left wing on the fourth line for the home opener.

On Monday, he talked about his goal-scoring drought.

“I’ve been struggling putting the puck in the net, that’s for sure,” Couturier said. “Probably gripping the stick at times. When I get really good, quality chances, not finishing. I definitely need to be better and help out this team more offensively, producing goals. I think I’m still kind of making plays out there; just need more out of myself.”

It wouldn’t be realistic to expect Couturier to play like his 2019-20 Selke Trophy form. He’s 33 years old and has gone through two back surgeries. But the Flyers do need him to contribute much more offensively and be more effective than he has been the last 27 games.

Sean Couturier said he has been putting pressure on himself amid 27-game goal-scoring drought. Knows he has to be better.

Said playing on fourth line has helped him get back to basics. Rick Tocchet talked to Couturier about moving him around for different matchups, situations. pic.twitter.com/dvXDHvuwKl

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) February 2, 2026

“I’m hard on myself, too, I put pressure on myself to help offensively and things aren’t really going my way lately,” Couturier said. “It’s tough, you’ve got to find a way to fight through it.

“Getting back to the basics of going to the net. It might hit my skate or my pants or something — just get a bounce and kind of loosen up. I think eventually it’ll just follow through.”

Couturier is in his 14th season with the Flyers. He now has Danny Briere as a general manager, not a teammate. He’s in Year 4 of an eight-year, $62 million contract, which has a full no-move clause.

It has turned into an interesting spot for the city’s longest-tenured athlete on a rebuilding team.

“It’s tough, especially I think my situation, you’re getting older and there’s less time to win really,” Couturier said last season after the Flyers were sellers at the trade deadline. “It’s frustrating, but I trust in what Danny’s doing up there and getting the right pieces in place for the future. Hopefully things turn around quick here.”

Tocchet is in his first season working with Couturier. As his captain’s offense has dried up, Tocchet has seen that correlate to Couturier not moving his feet when the puck is on his stick.

“That’s the biggest thing for me — and it’s not just for Coots; it’s our team — when you move your feet, options open. When you stand still, options close,” Tocchet said. “That’s really what it comes down to. He gets into a habit of kind of staring his option down and he doesn’t move his feet. That’s habits and continuing to do it.

“And he knows it. I know in practice today, he was really concentrating on that. I thought he had a good practice because he was concentrating on those little things, fundamentals.”

Couturier said the conversations with Tocchet have been good. The Flyers are trying to battle through their worst stretch of the season and stay in the playoff hunt.

“I think he has been good at pointing out what’s wrong and what we need to do better, showing the positives through these tough times, as well,” Couturier said. “We know what we need to do to get back to winning games. It’s on us to really go out there and do it.”