Philadelphia Flyers season preview
It was an ugly 2022-23 season for the Philadelphia Flyers, but now, just like their NBA team, it’s time to “trust the process”. There is a culture shift going on in the city of brotherly love with Keith Jones as the new President of Hockey Operations. This group will be in the basement of the division yet again, but this season is all about building a foundation for the Flyers.
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Offense
Losing Kevin Hayes and James Van Riemsdyk probably isn’t what was best for the Flyers’ offensive production, but these moves were necessary. With that said, this team had some health issues last year with Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson, but those two are fully healthy going into 2023-24. The Flyers had the fourth-worst offense last season, only scoring 2.68 goals per game and they had the league’s worst power play at 15.6%. This team will struggle to score goals again, but there should be some improvement from last year.
Defense
The Flyers weren’t good in their own end last season, but they also weren’t as horrendous as people may have expected. Let’s face it, this is not a very strong blue line, but with John Tortorella as the bench boss, you can always count on this team to compete. The Flyers finished in the bottom half of most defensive metrics last season, like high-danger chances against per 60 (13.31) as well as expected goals against per 60 (3.18). They will most likely finish in a very similar spot this season.
Goaltending
The early years of Carter Hart’s career have been something of a roller coaster ride. He has the potential to be an elite goaltender in the NHL, but he just has to find consistency in his game. Of course, that’s much easier said than done, especially if the group in front of him isn’t strong, but Hart has a lot of potential. The Flyers brought in Cal Petersen to back him up after he had an off year in Los Angeles, but Petersen also has some promise. A fresh start could be good for him.
Player To Watch – F Morgan Frost
The Flyers 2017 first-round pick had a strong 2022-23 season, tallying 19 goals and 27 assists. This season, it is more likely than not that Frost will take on the responsibility of playing as the top-line center. The Flyers have very high hopes for this 24-year-old; this could be his break-out season with all the opportunities he is bound to get.
Outlook
The Flyers will take a step in the right direction this season, but ultimately, they will finish in the bottom 10 of the league yet again and probably in eighth in the Metropolitan Division.
