After the Philadelphia Flyers’ 2023-24 campaign came to an end, everyone is asking the same question- was the season a success? The answer is… well… it’s complicated. But there were plenty of positive things to take away from the season that can be used as building blocks for the future, so let’s celebrate the things that did go right for the Flyers this year.
You can view the negative takeaways here.
Number 5: Briere’s First Year
Danny Briere’s first year at the helm of the Flyers is in the books and, on the whole, things seem to be trending in the right direction so far. He still has a long way to go to prove he’s capable of building up rather than wheeling and dealing for picks, which is a trait he hopefully puts in display during the 2024 offseason, but for now he certainly seemed better than his predecessor, no matter how low a bar that is to clear.
Number 4: Travis Konecny Remained Solid
27-year-old forward Travis Konecny matched a career best in points in 2022-23 when he scored 61, then he topped his own PR when he posted 68 in 2023-24. While those are still not quite bonafide top guy numbers, the fact that he continued to build upon his game rather than plateau or decline is a good sign that there’s still time to build around the eight-year veteran if they really wanted to.
Number 3: Brad Shaw
Assistant coach Brad Shaw has been a godsend for this team. He’s rebuilt the defense and carried the penalty kill to a fourth place finish. He worked such wonders for the defense that he was nearly able to mask how atrocious the rest of the team actually was, and may have gotten away with it if it wasn’t for a string of mid-to-late-season injuries that left the blueline shorthanded. Will he be back next season? He interviewed for head coaching gigs last summer but was ultimately not picked, so, for the sake of the Flyers, let’s hope he get overlooked again in the situation arrises.
Number 2: Goaltending Reinforcements
When Carter Hart got arrested it put tremendous pressure on Sam Errson to take the starting reins prematurely, which resulted in quite the tail spin from the 24-year-old goalie. Just as all hope seemed lost in net and outside options would need to be seriously considered, the Flyers got some reinforcements in the form of two KHL goaltenders Ivan Fedotov and Alexei Kolosov. While their abilities on North American ice are yet to be known, it’s a light on the horizon for a situation that was seeming pretty bleak.
Number 1: Cam York
23-year-old defenseman Cam York’s first fully uninterrupted NHL season is in the books, and it was a decent one. He racked up 30 points and clocked in at an impressive 22:37 of average TOI in 82 games. He still needs to add some dimension to his game before he can be coronated a true number one, but so far he’s been exactly what they hoped he would- a pillar on an otherwise questionable defense corps.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: Getty Images
brotherlypuck.com 