Captain Sean Couturier is working to earn back his ice time amid his struggles

On Saturday, Sean Couturier played his fewest minutes of the season.

In a 6-5 loss to the Boston Bruins, the Flyers captain played 11 minutes, 10 seconds. It marked the fewest minutes he’s logged in a game where he didn’t leave due to injury since his second NHL season.

“Definitely, I think searching myself a little bit right now,” Couturier said. “I think with the limited ice time opportunities I’m getting the last couple of games, I thought I’ve been better. Obviously, the team’s success hasn’t. So it’s tough right now, but I’m just going to keep trying to work on my game and find myself, find a role I guess.”

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Finding his role right now has not been easy. This season he’s been dropped from first-line center to the fourth line — sometimes in the same game, like against the Bruins.

Couturier returned in 2023-24 after missing almost two seasons following multiple back surgeries. In 64 games this season, he has 36 points (11 goals, 25 assists), including seven on the power play. But a good chunk of those points came in the unofficial first half of the season. From the start of the season to the All-Star break, Couturier had 31 points (10 goals, 21 assists) in 46 games while averaging 19:57 and sporting a plus-minus of plus-8. Since the break, in 18 games he has five points (one goal, four assists) while averaging 15:07, and is an unheard of — for him — minus-14

“It’s tough. If you had asked me this a couple of weeks ago, [when] I would mess up defensively, and was costing games for the team, probably would say I deserve it to be demoted,” Couturier said when asked about his average lower ice time. “I feel the last couple of games, with the limited opportunities I get and the ice time, I think I’m playing all right. Obviously, not great, but I’m just trying to do the most of what I can right now and just be a good teammate. Hopefully, other guys step up and I can kind of step up here eventually.”

Couturier is the Flyers captain. But for head coach John Tortorella, it doesn’t matter who the player is, guys need to earn ice time with their level of play. Never one to back down or hesitate to make the tough decisions, he has healthy scratched Cam Atkinson this season for several games, and notoriously scratched then-New York Rangers star Brad Richards during the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs when his game dropped.

“The thing is, when people want more ice time in a team sport, they forget that there are other people there playing too, around them, that might be playing better,” Tortorella said. “Those are the decisions I have to make. See for me, I don’t care the name, the stature, veteran — especially this time of year — I don’t care who you are, I’m going to put the guys that I think give you the best chance to win that particular game.”

In the past five games, Couturier has been shuffled around quite a bit. His initial starting linemates for games have gone from OIle Lycksell and Bobby Brink against the St. Louis Blues to Nic Deslauriers and Atkinson against the Florida Panthers; Tyson Foerster and Travis Konecny versus the Tampa Lightning; Konecny and Denis Gurianov when they faced the San Jose Sharks; Guranov and Brink against the Toronto Maple Leafs; and Joel Farabee and Konecny against the Bruins. Couturier was dropped down to center Deslauriers and Atkinson on Saturday, and while he didn’t get an assist, he played a key role in Deslauriers’ first goal of the season.

“I don’t know, I’m not the boss. I’m not the coach,” he said when asked how he can show he deserves more ice time. “I just try to control what I can control right now when I’m out there. Try to help the team in any way I can. Maybe the one thing I got to maybe be better [at] is just be more ready or involved when I kind of sit around for a while during the game. ... But yeah, I’m just trying to wait for my opportunity here.”

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A special teams guy, Couturier has also seen his ice time during the power play and penalty kill cut. He didn’t get time on the penalty kill during any of Boston’s three power plays but saw 95 seconds on the power play. He didn’t see the ice during the Flyers’ three power-play chances against the Maple Leafs but saw 70 seconds while short-handed.

“I’ll never worry about him as far as effort, as far as attitude. He is a pro,” Tortorella said. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. I’m not worried about that. I need him to be better. That’s all.”

Travis Sanheim left practice early. Tortorella said it was just maintenance as he has played, and will play a lot, along with Cam York, on the blue line moving forward. ... Lycksell and defenseman Adam Ginning were recalled from Lehigh Valley on Monday. ... Former Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds announced he will be retiring. “The Wayne Train” will sign a one-day contract with the Flyers on April 13 and be honored by the team before they take on the New Jersey Devils.