Lane Pederson has been around the NHL block. So when Rodrigo Abols was injured Saturday and the Flyers needed to replace him with an experienced hand from Lehigh Valley, Pederson got the call. With 71 NHL games under his belt, Pederson fit the bill.
The Flyers have a bunch of youthful, energetic players in their lineup. They were looking for someone more seasoned to fill in at center on the fourth line. Coach Rick Tocchet had seen what Pederson could do when the two were together with the Arizona Coyotes in the 2020-21 season. Although Pederson played only 15 games for Arizona that season, Tocchet got a sense of what kind of player he is.
Pederson now has another shot to stick with the Flyers, something that didn’t happen in Arizona, San Jose, Vancouver, or Columbus. “He’s got some speed up the middle,” Tocchet said in a media session after Wednesday’s morning skate in Utah. “That’s something that we want. I think that can help his wingers. It’s to find those speed-up-the-middle guys.”
When Pederson got the call from general manager Daniel Briere, he had been playing on a Phantoms top line with Denver Barkey, who is now also with the Flyers. Pederson made his Flyers debut on Monday night in a 2-1 win at Vegas. His plus-minus was even — pretty much all you need from a new guy on his first night.
Now, it just comes down to whether he can perform consistently. “A guy like him, he’s been chasing consistency his whole career,” Tocchet said. “Like, can he be consistent? There are late bloomers who can make the NHL and still be consistent. He’s a great kid and he wants to learn. The consistency is the hardest thing for an NHL player. To be consistent every night. That’s something that he’s going to be chasing. We have to help him.”
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The Flyers are the fourth-most penalized team in the NHL this season, averaging over 10 minutes in the box per game. Tocchet has been patient, but it sounds like that quiet approach is beginning to run out.
His squad had to face seven power plays in Monday night’s 2-1 win at Vegas. The Flyers prevailed by keeping the Golden Knights to just a single power-play goal. But it’s not a formula for long-term success. If things don’t start changing soon, look for a few faces in the pressbox.
“It falls on me in the sense of accountability,” Tocchet said. “Your guys are taking a lot of penalties. What’s the next level? You can’t play ‘em. So you might have to sit ‘em out. It could get to that level.”
Players like Garnet Hathaway (50 penalty minutes) and Matvei Michkov (49) have to be smarter with their sticks and legs. “Some guys are taking too many of the same penalties,” Tocchet added. “Stick penalties, needless penalties. I might have to do some stuff to clean that out. If it’s a good player who is doing it all the time and he sits out, so be it. That could be the next level. At the end of the day, we can’t keep killing five or six penalties.”
Tired teams often commit infractions. But the Flyers have the same schedule as just about every other team, so that would just be looking for excuses.
“The penalties we’re getting are high sticking, hooking, tripping,” Tocchet said. “A good old-fashioned hit in the corner, charging I can live with. But these are just inexcusable. That’s something that falls on me. It’s going to get to the next level and that’s accountability. I’ll have to do something to stop it.”
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Denver Barkey is still just 20 years old. He’s not going to overpower anyone with his 5-foot-9, 155-pound frame. His coach says there are ways of getting around his slight stature, such as staying light on his feet like other “small” legends, including ex-Tampa Bay great Martin St. Louis.
“For him, he’s a smaller guy, it’s body position,” Tocchet said. “When he’s getting to his position a little quick, he can handle the stuff. I think when he’s a little bit slower, getting to his reads, then he gets knocked around a bit.
“You look at guys like St. Louis, they’re smart players. To get out of piles or sticky situations, they use their speed. When you play with your back against the wall a lot and you don’t move your feet, you’re going to get hit. He (Barkey) won the Memorial Cup (with London). He was good out there.”
https://www.pottsmerc.com/2026/01/21/flyers-notebook-veteran-lane-pederson-looking-for-4th-line-home-with-flyers/
