When a former player retires, they can become part of the media. They can provide a unique perspective due to having played the game.

We’ve seen plenty of examples of ex- players who make good analysts. Kevin Weekes tops the list. The affable former goalie can be seen on NHL Network and also on ESPN, where he calls games. His great personality shines while he gives good insight.

Former Ranger Henrik Lundqvist has already become one of the better hockey analysts. He can be seen on TNT for their national telecasts. When he isn’t there, he is also a frequent guest on MSG Network, breaking down Ranger games with Steve Valiquette. It seems that King Henrik is as good at analyzing as he was between the crease.

Not everyone is going to stand out talking puck following their career. One example is Brandon Dubinsky. A former Ranger and Blue Jacket, who had a solid career as a middle six center, Dubinsky can sometimes come off biased. Especially when it comes to former coach John Tortorella.

He played for Tortorella both in New York City and Columbus. They had an icy relationship. During 2011-12, Dubinsky was a player who sometimes saw his role decrease in the Big Apple.

A year removed from being part of a homegrown first line that featured former Rangers’ draft picks, Artem Anisimov and Ryan Callahan, he lost some playing time due to key additions, Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik. As a center, he didn’t fit on the top two lines – leaving him to play a checking role.

Following the season, Dubinsky was packaged to Columbus for Rick Nash. Ironically, Tortorella would take over the Blue Jackets bench a bit later. The franchise had its only success under the fiery coach. He guided them to the postseason four straight times between 2016-17 thru 2018-20.

That included a mammoth upset of the Lightning in the first round in 2019. They swept the President’s Trophy winner to advance to the second round for the only time in franchise history. Dubinsky was part of that roster, playing a checking role under Tortorella. An area he excelled at. During that era, he was frequently matched up against Sidney Crosby whenever they faced the Penguins. It was an intense rivalry.

Unfortunately, injuries derailed Dubinsky’s career. As it turned out, he played his final game during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He was done at 32.

Since then, Dubinsky has become more vocal in the media. When it comes to his former coach, there’s no love lost. Recently, he criticized Tortorella for healthy scratching Flyers captain Sean Couturier. Couturier has been struggling to contribute on a team in playoff contention.

With the stakes high, Tortorella opted to sit out Couturier against the Maple Leafs earlier this week. The Flyers responded by winning the game 4-3. They earned a point in a 3-2 overtime loss last night against Carolina. Couturier didn’t play again.

Still holding a grudge over how he was handled by Tortorella, Dubinsky sounded off on the situation in Philadelphia.

Maybe Dubinsky needs to take a timeout. If a player isn’t getting it done, that doesn’t make them above being sat out. Couturier is well-respected in the Flyers locker room. It hasn’t been an easy year for the center. Unfortunately, Tortorella had to make a tough decision. That’s why he’s the coach.

Currently, the Flyers sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 79 points. That’s four more than the Capitals, who have two games at hand. It’s six clear of the Islanders and seven up on the Devils.

Entering the season, the Flyers weren’t expected to compete for the playoffs. Nobody told Tortorella or his players. They are in the race because they’ve overachieved. It’s a credit to Tortorella, who finds ways to motivate his players.

Somehow, Dubinsky thought it was a good idea to rip into Tortorella for benching Couturier. I guess he didn’t look at the standings. If the Flyers make the playoffs, it’ll be similar to what Tortorella did with Dubinsky’s former team in Columbus.

Next time, maybe he should not say anything.