Philadelphia Flyers: Fantasy Outlook

By Mike Pandolfi | Jul 7, 2015

Now that we are past the draft, most of the free agency frenzy, and schedule releases, the next thing fans have to look forward to is building their fantasy hockey rosters. If you have been playing fantasy hockey for a while, you should know that drafting all players from your favorite NHL team may not always be the best idea. The smart thing to do is draft with your head, not your heart. Obviously, if there is a top tier player on your favorite team, ie: Claude Giroux, then by all means take him.

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What is cool about fantasy sports is that there are “snake draft” leagues and “auction” leagues. This article will not be a mock draft, as it is simply statistic related. A few Flyers players are going to be covered, and I will discuss where they could potentially go in a draft.

Claude Giroux

Apr 5, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Flyers center Claude Giroux (28) looks on against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Strengths: The dude has been an absolute stud; both in NHL points and fantasy points. Since the 2008-2009 season, he is averaging 64.29 points a season. That is including a few shortened seasons as well. Over the years, Giroux has proven to be a reliable assist-getter. What makes him that much more valuable is his production on the power play. Last season, Giroux had 14 PPG, ranking third in the entire NHL, 48 assists ranking (9th overall), and 73 points putting him at 10th in the ranks.

Areas for Improvement: Giroux has had relatively low goal totals year-to-year. He is more of a playmaker due to his assist numbers. He takes a lot of shots, causing his shot percent (S%) to be an area of improvement. Last season, Giroux took 279 shots (7th league rank), and scored 25 goals (41st league rank). This combined for a 9.0 S% which ranked 312th league-wide.

Verdict: Giroux gets excellent ice time and is a great playmaker. He plays a lot of 5-on-5 and PP. He puts up consistent numbers every year and is definitely a late first round to early second round target in fantasy drafts. If he can get some more help on the first line and puts more pucks in the net, watch out!

Sam Gagner

Dec 2, 2014; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Arizona Coyotes center Sam Gagner (9) celebrates his second period goal on the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

Strengths: Gagner has been on horrific teams his whole career. The Flyers seem to be keeping him; therefore, he is immediately in a better place. Since joining the NHL in 2007, he is ranging anywhere from 37-49 points per season. He may be a good fit on the Flyers third line.

Areas for Improvement: Although he is a decent point producer, his goals and S% are not good. He doesn’t shoot often (183 shots, 95th) – last season. His S% last year was 8.2% making him the 356th best. Goals he ranked at 144th with 15. What does this tell us? He doesn’t shoot a whole lot, and even when he does, rarely scores. Gagner has also failed to play one full season since coming into the NHL.

Verdict: Gagner could be a steal. Gagner could be a dud. It’s really 50/50. He has potential on a Flyers team on the rise. But, you have to come back to the fact that he can’t stay healthy. If he manages to stay healthy all year, he could put up career numbers. I’m not banking on it though. He does have upside, but buyer beware. Stay away.

Jakub Voracek

Mar 28, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Flyers right wing Jakub Voracek (93) gets high fives from his bench after assisting on left wing Michael Raffl (12) goal against the San Jose Sharks during the first period at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Strengths: Playing with Claude Giroux. Any player that has the luxury of playing with the all-star center is likely to have it good. Voracek has maintained his health over the years since entering the NHL as a Blue Jacket in 2008. Coming off a career year, Jakub ranked 68th in goals (22), 2nd in assists (59), and 4th in points (81).

Areas for Improvement: Voracek is certainly on the rise at the young age of 25. However, his +/- could be better. Last season he finished with just a plus-one. This isn’t entirely his fault. Sometimes players cannot help it when their line is scored on. In fact, the defense is responsible for the most part. Fantasy sports only care about categories, and +/- is one of them if you choose to count it.

Verdict: Voracek is coming off a career year, and he will only continue to get better. Playing alongside Claude will help, but the real boost to his performance will be the fact that this upcoming season is the last on his current contract with the Flyers. He will be looking for a pay raise and will put up similar numbers, if not better. Target him in the third round.

Andrew MacDonald

Jan 19, 2015; Uniondale, NY, USA; New York Islanders center Anders Lee (27) shoots the puck past Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Andrew MacDonald (47) during the second period at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Strengths: Not much. His strongest attribute are his blocked shots. Even that, ranked 129th in the entire league at 86. If you are in a league that depends heavily on blocked shots, he isn’t a terrible option.

Areas for Improvement: Offensive. In 58 games last year, MacDonald was only able to acquire 12 points. He has always been a defensive defenseman, but last seasons numbers are almost the lowest for him.

Verdict: MacDonald offers almost no fantasy value. In leagues where blocked shots are worth points, he is worth a look. No offense, minus +/-, low PIM, and almost zero PP points are a fantasy owners worst nightmare. There are better options out there; like Mark Streit.

–All stats and numbers recorded from NHL.com

Next: Top Ten Goal Scorers in Flyers' History

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