Newest Flyer Lukáš Sedlák is excited to play for John Tortorella again
The center, who the Flyers claimed off waivers on Wednesday from the Avalanche, played for Tortorella in Columbus from 2016-19. Sedlák is expected to make his Flyers' debut on Saturday at Nashville.
CORAL SPRINGS, FLA. — When Lukáš Sedlák was placed on waivers Tuesday by the Colorado Avalanche, he was disappointed, but he joked that with former coach John Tortorella back in the league, maybe he’d get picked up. To his pleasant surprise, he was right.
Tortorella’s Flyers claimed him off waivers Wednesday and welcomed their newest member with a fast-paced practice in Florida on Friday before the team hopped on a plane to Nashville.
Sedlák was mentally prepared for what awaited him. As a former Columbus Blue Jacket, he’s been through Tortorella’s training camps and practices. However, he wasn’t exactly physically prepared since he hadn’t had the chance to skate in three days. The beginning was rough, Sedlák said, but it wasn’t the most demanding practice Tortorella has ever run, and he made it through.
Tortorella, who said Wednesday he was excited to see Sedlák since he hadn’t watched him in three years, was pleased with what he saw and said he would be playing Sedlák immediately in the Flyers’ Saturday road game against the Predators.
“I think he can fill a pretty good role for us in where we need some help with our penalty killing,” Tortorella said. “He can take faceoffs. He can play wing. So he’s going to play.”
Sedlák said he will aim to bring speed, physicality, and strong forechecking skills to his new team, much like he did while with Tortorella’s Blue Jackets (2016-19), where he played on the fourth line alongside former Flyer Scott Hartnell. Tortorella also hopes he’ll bring some of the scoring touch Sedlák developed — he averaged 19 goals per season — while playing in the KHL over the last three seasons.
“He had a really nice role for us back there, back in the day,” Tortorella said. “Has turned into a guy, when he went overseas, started scoring some goals. Hoping it can translate here, too.”
On a one-year, $800,000 contract, Sedlák said he’s happy to reunite with his former coach and to be given another opportunity.
“I was just happy to get another chance and to kind of fight for probably the last chance,” the 29-year-old Czech said.
Still powering up
Last season, the Flyers had eight streaks of three games or more without a power-play goal. To begin the new season and the new era under Tortorella, the Flyers have scored a power-play goal in all four games. They’ve gone from a league-worst 12.6% last season to 25% this season (tied for 13th).
The power play still is a work in progress, said Morgan Frost, but assistant coach Rocky Thompson has instituted some effective changes.
“He’s just a really smart guy,” Frost said. “We’ve kind of changed up some positioning things, certain spots where you want to shoot the puck and certain spots where it’s OK to make the extra pass.”
Frost plays on the second unit, and he said their performance could use some improvement — all four power-play goals this season have been scored by the top unit. His group hasn’t had many chances to set up in the offensive zone and run the power play. However, he feels like they’ve clicked more and more at practice, and he hopes it will translate to games soon. His unit is made up of mostly young players with only one player being older than 25.
Joel Farabee, who has spent time on both the first and second units, said the Flyers definitely are attacking the net more than they were last year. Their communication also seems to be better with guys anticipating their teammates’ shots and crashing the net. They’re also utilizing James van Riemsdyk‘s skill set better — he has scored two of the team’s four power-play goals.
“The great thing about having JVR in front is he’s really good at tipping pucks and things like that,” Farabee said. “So we kind of use that to our strengths, and it’s been working lately.”
Breakaways
The Flyers wrap up their three-game southern swing Saturday against the Nashville Predators (8 p.m., NBC Sports+). ... Injured forwards Own Tippett (upper body) and Patrick Brown (back) and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (lower body) participated in a rehab skate before practice Friday.