The 2023-24 Philadelphia Flyers season brings all the anticipation of a trip to the dentist. Even though the fanbase is bracing for a rough campaign, there may be some diamonds in the rough that are worth watching. So let’s fantasy book the season and put together some lines that we’re eager to see this year!
Number 5: Deslauriers – Poehling – Hathaway
Excited isn’t really the word to describe what’s shaping up to be the everyday fourth line for the Flyers, but there is a morbid curiosity about what the group of enforcers on a line ripped right out of the 1980s can do in the modern day NHL.
Deslauriers and Hathaway are two of the better fourth line grinders in the game today and Poehling is a perfectly acceptable fourth line center. Why are the Flyers building up their fourth line when every other position is a flaming pile? That part isn’t quite clear, but at least there will be an aura of old time hockey in Philly to distract from that fact.
Number 4: Emil Andrae – Cam York
The Flyers don’t have much to muster on the defense these days, but the duo of 21-year-old Emil Andrae and 22-year-old Cam York could represent the best offering they have right now. Even though both players are left-shots, York has spent a bulk of his NHL career playing on the right side. It may not be ideal, but if there’s a partner that’s actually worth moving sides for, it could work out well in the short and long term.
Emil Andrae carries quite a bit of hype as he continues his transition to North American ice, and if he can keep that fire through training camp and the preseason, he could make the NHL roster and shoot up the depth charts. It’s been a long time since the Flyers have had a defense pair worth getting excited about, and how great would it be if the next duo to receive the hype came in the form of two young homegrown studs?
Number 3: Farabee – Frost – Atkinson
A few years ago, Farabee and Atkinson represented two-thirds of the F-A-B line long with Derick Brassard and the trio was one of the better Flyers’ lines over the last handful of years. So, along that line of thinking, maybe Farabee and the returning Cam Atkinson can rekindle some of their energy with Morgan Frost; the newly titled F-A-M line. All three players have quite a bit to prove this season, so maybe if they unite in their efforts, there’s a solid line to be had.
Number 2: Cates – Couturier – Konecny
If Sean Couturier comes back to the lineup at a relatively similar skill level as when he left (however unlikely it may be) there’s natural fascination to partner the former Selke winner with the future Selke winner in Noah Cates, who was a natural left wing before his move to center last season. The Flyers don’t have a right wing that’s quite up to the defensive snuff of the other two, but Konecny did play the fifth most amount of short-handed minutes, far more than any other right wingers, so they clearly trust him to play a defense role. It wouldn’t be the most electrifying trio in the world, but it’d rival any shutdown line in the league today.
Number 1: Tippett – Frost – Foerster
In terms of all out offense, this is probably the best the Flyers can muster these days. With the overflow of talent at right wing, there’s a good chance at least one of them gets bumped to the left side, and considering Tippett took a few reps there last season it may be him to get moved over. If Foerster makes the NHL out of camp, setting him up for the best chance to succeed should be key, and this line does just that. Subsequently, it also means that career years for both Frost and Tippett are likely as well. It’s a win all around for three theoretical pillars of the future.
Honorable mentions
Brink – Desnoyers – Foerster
There’s a level of fantasy here thinking the Flyers would actually call up and play their three top forward prospects, but we can dream, right? Both Brink and Foerster are natural right wingers, but Brink did get a few games at LW in Lehigh last season, and if he wants to make the NHL sooner rather than later, moving to the right side may be the best way to go about that. It’s a solid mix of scoring, physicality, defensive wherewithal and speed.
Even if it doesn’t happen this season, this could be a fun middle-six trio in the very near future.
Hart – Fedotov
It’s not really a “line” but at one point in the not-too-distant past, both Hart and Fedotov were considered two of the best goaltenders in the world, so to be on the same team could be something special. There’s also a possibility neither are actually with the Flyers’ organization this season, so it’s a pretty sizable boom-or-bust dream. They’d have a tall task by dragging the rest of the roster’s corpse to wins every night, but there’d be more than a few games stolen if both players are at their respective peaks.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: nhl.com
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