Success is a funny word when it comes to the 2023-24 Philadelphia Flyers. To some, it may mean the typical winning games and pushing for that unlikely playoff spot. For others, it may mean doing whatever necessary to fulfill a tank for the long-term success of the franchise. With the idea of a rebuild theoretically in place, we’re gonna interpret the word success to mean seeing through the process of laying a foundation for the future. So what areas do the Flyers need to focus on to get the organization back on track?
Number 5: Fix the Special Teams
While the Flyers on the whole have been… well… not very good for quite a few years now, a lot of their struggles can be traced back to their dreadful powerplay and penalty kill. The man advantage has been dead last in the league for the past two seasons, while the short-handed effort has finished 26th ranked in both 2021-22 and 2022-23. There wasn’t much help brought in from the outside during the offseason, so they are hoping the returning Cam Atkinson and Sean Couturier plus whatever prospects end up making the team can provide a decent enough stopgap to repair the dreadful special teams. It’s not a bonafide strategy, but if there’s improvements to be had from their in-house options, they can better diagnose the problem next offseason. Hopefully.
Number 4: Don’t Overplay Vets
The Flyers didn’t shed as many players as originally hoped during the offseason, and doubled down on that stance when they added a few thirty-somethings in free agency. It intensified the battle of young versus old that was already present, and now it’ll be up to head coach John Tortorella to divvy up the ice time as he sees fit. While the head coach did a decent job at handing the reins over to the kids last season, there’s so many bodies representing both sides that the sheer roster congestion is going to make it difficult for an easy dispersal of minutes. Can the rebuild continue on the backs of the youths, or will the “veteran presence” be too great for Tortorella to ignore?
Number 3: Can Anybody Score a Goal?
It’s fair to say scoring goals is a critical step to winning hockey games, and the Flyers have done a whole lotta neither over the last few years. It’s not just the powerplay where the Flyers have failed to capitalize, they’ve struggled to put the puck in the net in any situation lately. They scored 220 total goals last season, which was fourth worst in the league and just 210 in 2021-22, second worst ahead of only the Coyotes. Considering they brought in exactly zero help when it comes to putting the puck in the net, they are just going to have to hope that their internal prospects not only make the team, but inject a killer instinct that has been lacking for years now. It may still very much be a work in progress this season, but hopefully things at least turn around from the depths they’ve been at the last few years.
Number 2: Transition the Defense
There’s a similar storyline running through most of the main roster this season, and that’s the battle of young players versus the veterans, and the battle is most noticeable on defense. It’s Sanheim, Seeler and Staal trying to hold their spots from the encroaching Zamula, Attard, and Andrae. It’s expected the vets will have the upper hand as the season starts, but considering they’re not exactly good, the hope is that slowly but surely the young players overtake their elders and by season’s end, the Flyers will have a better idea as to what their blueline will look like in the future. It’s an annoyingly painful process, but optimistically, there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
Number 1: Develop Develop Develop
Whether or not the Flyers’ plethora of prospects make or stay on the roster throughout the season has yet to be fully seen, but at the end of the day, it’s about making sure the team puts every player in the best position to succeed. “Development” doesn’t necessarily mean letting a player marinate in the AHL for years on end. It could mean transitioning them to the NHL if its time, and further establishing themselves at the NHL level if they’ve got a taste of the show. Someone like Zayde Wisdom needs an increased role in the AHL, while Tyson Foerster needs to see NHL minutes, and someone like Noah Cates needs to prove him rookie season wasn’t a fluke. Can the organization move “the process” forward on all fronts in 2023-24? It’s a tall task to get it right everywhere, but it’s the only way success can be had.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: Getty Images
brotherlypuck.com 