The 2023-24 Philadelphia Flyers season is theoretically the start of a new era… of orange. There is plenty of youth knocking at the NHL door, and it could lead to the establishment of new franchise pillars if some of these players pan out. Though it’s all about making good impressions with head coach John Tortorella in order to get their foot in the door in the first place. Though if all the stars align and the young guys get their opportunity, who can we expect to see rise to stardom in 2023-24?
Number 5: Wade Allison
It wasn’t the best first full season in the NHL for Wade Allison. The 25-year-old played in 60 games scoring just nine goals and 15 points as he found himself on the fourth line deep in John Tortorella’s doghouse. Torts tried his best to craft him into a two-way forward rather than let him do what he does best- crash the net with reckless abandon. If they let Allison breathe a bit of offense back into his game, he could easily at least double his offensive output from this season, but will the coaching staff let that happen?
Number 4: Cam York
Now that Provorov’s out of the picture, York is the de facto number one defenseman, a title that nobody else on the roster is even close to taking. He has 87 games of NHL action under his belt and hasn’t played his natural left side very much during that time. A lack of any real RHD partner or immediate help on the blue line is going to make it a difficult season for York regardless, but we’ll have a much better understanding as to whether or not he’s legitimate top guy by season’s end. If he steps up and earns that number one defenseman spot, it’d be a major check mark in the ongoing rebuild.
Number 3: Morgan Frost
Six years after he was drafted and four years after he made his professional debut, Morgan Frost finally showed a bit of promise at the NHL level. He racked up 19 goals and 46 points in 81 games during the 2022-23 season, easily career bests in both categories. The Flyers roster is about as anemic as possible when it comes to producing offense, ranking 29th in total goals and G/GP last season, so it won’t be easy for Frost to carry the offensive burden by himself, but he seemingly has a major opportunity to establish himself as a mainstay on the roster if he produces at a high clip all season long.
Number 2: Noah Cates
Noah Cates had a much better 2022-23 campaign than anyone expected, transitioning from wing to center and becoming one of the premier shutdown forwards in the league because of it. He garnered both Selke and Calder votes last season, and will look to improve upon his 13-goal, 38-point showing to boost his odds at taking home some hardware next summer. He could very well be John Tortorella’s favorite player on the roster, so he should not be hindered when it comes to getting every opportunity to develop further.
Number 1: Tyson Foerster
Whether or not Tyson Foerster has a roster spot on opening night isn’t a guarantee thanks to an underwhelming offseason from the front office, but if Foerster’s play picks up where it left off last season, it’s just a matter of time before he’s contributing with regularity at the NHL level. He may get the Cam York treatment of being sent down to the AHL to start the season then get recalled once he proves himself and the main roster players lose some of their shine. He led the Phantoms in points last season with 48 in 66 games and posted three goals and seven points in eight games during his NHL trial run late in the season.
Honorable mentions
Emil Andrae
Andrae raised some eyebrows during a 10-game sample size with the Phantoms last season, then again at development camp. The 21-year-old could very well push for a main roster spot with his talents, but could easily be the odd man out due to the sheer number of bodies on the main roster blue line. The talent is undoubtedly there and will more than likely quickly establish himself as a full-time NHL when given the chance, but it’s just a matter of whether or not that happens this season.
Joel Farabee
The once-strong momentum has cooled significantly for Joel Farabee after yet another disappointing season of production due to injuries. Now four years into his NHL career, he still has yet to hit the 40-point plateau and managed to score 20 goals just once back in 2020-21. It appears to be a make-or-break season in terms of his expectations for the future. Though as of right now, he will be fully healthy entering camp and will serve as the de facto top left wing, theoretically giving him his best chance for success to finally have his breakout season.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: Getty Images
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