The massive overhaul Chuck Fletcher led the Philadelphia Flyers through has ignited a new interest in the team. One of the best parts of adding so many new names is that the imagination can run wild with new lines. So who are we most excited to see line up together this season?
Number 5: Joel Farabee – Kevin Hayes – Cam Atkinson
The American boys could very well make up the Flyers’ second line at some point during the season. Hayes and Atkinson are friends from their days at Boston College, and Farabee and Hayes have grown close over their first two seasons on the team. It’s a line of offensive potential, as all three know how to put the puck in the back of the net, and defensive strength, with Hayes and Atkinson being two very solid two-way forwards. The chemistry should be off the charts good and that typically leads to on-ice success.
Number 4: Samuel Morin – Rasmus Ristolainen
Ignore the potential on-ice disaster for just a second and imagine the two biggest, most physical defenseman on the team wreaking havoc on the same pair. It’s as old school hockey as it gets. It’s probably a duo that shouldn’t be together for too long, but we have to see it once before the season is out.
Number 3: Tyson Foerster – Morgan Frost – Samu Tuomaala
The won’t be a trio in the NHL just yet, but could very well be something the Phantoms deploy as their top offensive line. Tyson Foerster, the big-bodied sniper, Morgan Frost the elite playmaker, and Samu Tuomaala, the small speedy scorer. It’s not a guarantee that Tuomaala plays in the AHL this season, but if he does, this trio lining up together could be a preview of a potential scoring line for the Flyers in the near future.
Number 2: Oskar Lindblom – Claude Giroux – Travis Konecny
The hot debate all summer has been where Claude Giroux will end up slotting in this season? If he does get put back down the middle, getting the band back together may be a good idea. Lindblom and Giroux formed a pretty solid two-way tandem during the dying days of the 2021 campaign, but their third man in kept rotating. Putting Konecny in a depth role will give him plenty of time to chirp and bring a physical game without having to worry about producing offense at a high rate. Put the trio together and you have a quality defensive line but also one that can be a scoring threat as well.
Number 1: Joel Farabee – Kevin Hayes – Wade Allison
We got a sneak peak at this trio during the last few games in 2021 and they sure looked to have a promising future together. Unfortunately due to injuries to two of the three players, we will have to wait a little longer before they unite again, but Farabee and Allison are two legitimate rising stars on the team and if Hayes can string together a similar season comparable to 2019-20, this could be a borderline unstoppable trio.
honorable mention
Cam York – Ryan Ellis
Hopefully it’s only a matter of time before Cam York takes the world by storm, and what better way to coronate him than sliding the 20-year-old in with the top veteran on the team. This would actually make some sense in the context of the defense as well. Ellis can cover for any mistakes the youngster may make, Provorov can carry Ellis, and Sanheim can line up on the third pair with the one player that has been able to help him right his ship the best in Justin Braun. Probably won’t be an opening night thing, but could very well manifest into reality within the next calendar year.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: sportsnet.ca
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