So far, this has been a fun Philadelphia Flyers mailbag, with many great questions! This is the second part of our mailbag, with still more to come!

In part two of the mailbag, we look at Rick Tocchet and where things stand 56 games into year 1, possible end-of-season prospect arrivals, and a fun 2026 NHL Draft question.

So, here is the second round of questions!

Read More: Flyers Mailbag 1.0: Goalie Prospects; Getting a 1C; Is Thomas the Perfect Fit?

Sidney asked: With Tocchet overplaying vets who are not producing and what appears to be hindering Michkov, do you see any chance of moving on from Tocchet and bringing in a coach that would be better at developing younger players?

Short answer here: There is zero chance that the Flyers move on from Rick Tocchet.

Now, the longer answer: There is zero chance the Flyers move on from a coach, whom they just committed to for five years, after just one year of a deal. The team was not supposed to be great this season, plain and simple. Tocchet had them competitive for a good bit, and that in itself is impressive.

I would also say that Tocchet is not overplaying the vets. Going from the top down, Travis Konecny has earned his time, and so has Christian Dvorak. Sean Couturier has been used as a penalty killer and situationally on the power play to get his ice time. The fourth-line wings have very limited ice time. Aside from that, I’m not sure you’d consider Owen Tippett, Noah Cates, and Bobby Brink veterans. Plus, each of those players does things that earn their ice.

Michkov needs more leash to be the player he is. He definitely needs to be playing 3v3 when overtime situations arise. However, I don’t think that is any cause to let go of Tocchet.

If two more years pass and nothing changes, that could be a different scenario. But right now, there is no chance.

REC asked: Any Flyers prospects possibly joining the big club after their respective seasons are over?

Barring anything crazy, Porter Martone seems almost certain to join the Flyers once Michigan State’s season is over. He has been the best player on the best team in the NCAA. Watching him play, he just looks like he’s ready for the pros.

His teammate, Shane Vansaghi, could be a possibility as well. I do think Vansaghi will need some time in the AHL before he is fully developed, but he, too, looks ready for the pro game. Especially given that offensive production will never be his game. He could get some games toward the end of the season.

A name I am curious about is Jack Berglund. The SHL regular season ends on March 14th. Berglund’s current team, Färjestad BK, currently sits in a playoff spot (9th out of 10 qualifying teams). After his World Juniors, you have to think he has earned a real chance to make the Flyers at camp next summer. If that’s the case, then why not get him over soon and give him a chance this season?

Jett Luchanko is also a possibility. However, Brantford is really, really good. Their season may go past the Flyers’ season, which would rule out Luchanko’s return.

Owen McLaughlin is out of NCAA eligibility, so I would not be shocked to see him with the Phantoms once Boston University’s season ends, if the Flyers sign him. I could also see Spencer Gill joining the Phantoms when his season in the QMJHL wraps up.

Read More: Michigan State Head Coach Raves About Flyers Prospects Martone & Vansaghi

Romus asked: When the Flyers win the lottery for the first pick of the draft…will it be McKenna or Sternberg?

Well, the way things stand, I don’t see the possibility of the Flyers falling any further than 7th in the pre-lottery order before the season’s end. That said, the ping-pong balls would really have to favor Philly for this to be possible.

But this is still quite an interesting question!

Let’s say by some odd miracle, the lottery favors a long shot for the second straight season, and the Flyers end up with the top pick, I still lean toward Gavin McKenna as my top player. When a player has been the top prospect for as long as McKenna has, it’s for a reason. However, Stenberg was extremely impressive at the World Juniors, one of the best players, if not the best, from this year’s tournament. Overall, I think McKenna has been more impressive away from World Juniors, which is a much larger sample size.

However, sticking to the Flyers’ specific question, I would not be afraid to include Keaton Verhoeff in that conversation. While I have him ranked No. 3, you could not go wrong with any of the top three players. The Flyers could certainly use a future 1D in the pipeline, and Verhoeff is just that. Size, skating, strong defense, and productivity offensively are very impressive. That is Keaton Verhoeff. The only question is, would that be considered reaching for need?

Mailbag is STILL open!!

Don’t forget, our mailbag is still open! A ton of great questions have already been asked, and we will get to them all! Still, if you have more questions, head to the link below and leave them in the comments section! We are still taking questions until Friday, 2/20 at 12:00 p.m. EST.

Read More: Flyers Mailbag: 26 Games to Go After the Olympic Break; Ask Me Anything!