Since the Flyers have stated that they are “rebuilding (insert the saying “I’m not sure that means what you think that means”) it’s probably a good idea to track what we are learning along the way. So here are five things we have learned through the first eighth of the season.
The Flyers will be competitive this year
The podcast and website have been adamant that the Flyers will be closer to a playoff spot than the number one pick. Through 10 games this is coming to fruition. Torts is too good of a coach to let the Flyers have multiple 10-game losing streaks. Torts will play the vets to make sure that a “culture” is established and they get points, even the cursed OTL pity point. It’s not a stretch to think this team, with how they are playing, can get to 85 points…hockey purgatory (bad enough to miss the playoffs, but not bad enough for a top 5 pick).
Sanheim is…good?
If you told me over this summer that I would be typing (or even thinking this) I would have laughed at you. But here we are, Travis Sanheim actually looks (and is playing) like a top pairing d-man. He is shouldering over 25 minutes a night, has 9 assists, and has 10 points in the first 10 games. The most encouraging thing however might be that he doesn’t let things spiral out of control when he makes a mistake. If you watch him you can see him giving direction to some of the other players. He has not only replaced Provy’s time on ice, but has been a better player than Provy was the last few years.
Coots is almost 100% back
For the record, I love Coots. When Coots is healthy he is one of the best shut-down Centers in the entire NHL and it is a beautiful thing to watch. On a team with a losing record (4-5-1), Coots has 8 points in 10 games and is even in +/- for the season. But it’s more than that, Coots clearly is showing leadership on the ice and in the locker room. If he can remain healthy it should make trading people like Laughton, Atkinson, Staal, and company easier on the front office.
The Flyers say they want to play the kids…but their actions are different
As of writing this on November 3, the Flyers have three total players that are on an entry-level contract on their whole roster…three (one of which is a goalie). On a roster of 23, that means 13% of the roster is on an ELC. That’s not letting the kids play. Keep in mind this doesn’t include the 3 vets on IR or Petersen buried in Leigh Valley. It’s great that they say they want to play the kids, but calling up journeyman vets when injuries happen speaks differently.
The Eastern Conference is going to be a dogfight
The Flyers are in the right Conference if they are really trying to rebuild. They sit 14th out of 16 teams (shockingly the Penguins are last as of writing this article). However, if the Flyers shifted to the Western Conference they would be sitting at 10th of 17 teams (since adding the Flyers would move the Conference from 16 to 17 teams). While it is still early in the season, the Eastern Conference will be a fun battle to watch. This also works in their favor if they really are trying to rebuild. If they over-achieve projections to 85 points that likely will keep them right where they are as a bottom three Eastern Conference team.
Plus One: Cam Atkinson is back…and needs to be traded at the trade deadline
Even the biggest Cam fans I don’t think could have imagined this start. Cam has 9 points in 10 games, but 6 of those points are goals. If there is one player that is carrying this team offensively it’s Cam and it is a wonderful thing to witness. Cam has dramatically increased his value and the Flyers need to capitalize on it.
By: Josh Shuster (@flyguyjosh91)
photo credit: nhl.com
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