Flyers' Hayes Responds To Being Healthy Scratched

Philadelphia Flyers' head coach John Tortorella really has an interesting way of coaching his team. Sometimes the decisions he makes work out, but definitely not with his latest stunt of making the team's leading scorer Kevin Hayes a healthy scratch against the New York Rangers. The Flyers suffered a 6-3 loss in that game.

Hayes spoke out about the decision to not only scratch him, but to bench anyone, "I'm never going to say there's a benefit to being benched. I'm sorry. I don't think I should've been benched, but it's not my decision."

The only thing Tortorella had to say about it was that it's between Kevin and him. Regardless how a coach may feel about the team's leading scorer, they've done something right all year to be leading the team in points. Take that out of the lineup and it's a big loss that wasn't able to be made up. Hayes is now back in the lineup, but has been demoted to the third line as of right now.

The 30-year-old is in his fourth season with the Flyers and has the second-largest cap hit on the team next to Sean Couturier. There have been rumblings that Hayes is expected to be bought out after this season since the Flyers appear to finally be going into full rebuild mode. Hayes is an impactful player and it will cost the Flyers to move him this season or in the offseason rather than get assets back.

Tortorella's methods may have worked right at the start of the season, but the roster is just not good enough to compete, no matter which way they are coached. In my opinion, the leading scorer and leader should never be benched unless they are trying to lose.