The 2019-20 season will be a crucial one for these Philadelphia Flyers players.
The Philadelphia Flyers have a lot on the line as a franchise in 2019-20. Chuck Fletcher is starting his first full year as GM, Alain Vigneault is the organization’s new head coach, and the team will be hoping to make it into the playoffs after missing out last season. While there is plenty of pressure on the squad in general, these players will be feeling the heat more than any others during the season.
Jakub Voracek
After the best season of his career, Jakub Voracek saw his production dip last season. The Flyers winger suffered a significant decline in assists, contributing only 46 compared to 2017-18’s 65. That’s not to say Voracek had a terrible year, but he is being paid $8.25 million a season and is 30 years old. Voracek isn’t likely to ever become a premier scorer at this point in his career, but the Flyers need him to return to the high-level playmaker he was in 2017-18. There is a very good chance that Voracek’s name will be tossed around in trade rumors during the season, and an even higher chance that he will be one of the players the organization considers most when deciding which players will be available during the 2021 expansion draft.
The Flyers may consider shipping Voracek out instead of losing him for nothing if he does not produce at a high rate. There are plenty of young prospects that would be eager to get a chance in the NHL should Voracek disappoint. Considering the amount of uncertainty that surrounds the left-hander’s future, Voracek will undoubtedly be playing this season under pressure.
Kevin Hayes
Many around the league were stunned when the Flyers offered Kevin Hayes a seven-year, $50 million contract. Plain and simple the Flyers overpaid Hayes. The team desperately needed a center, and they made sure that they got him. The talk surrounding the contract eventually died down, and things were calm for a little while, then controversy about the deal erupted. It was reported by TSN’s Frank Seravalli that Hayes only signed for the Flyers because the team had paid him so much money.
To the fans, this doesn’t sit well. There was already a little bit of unrest surrounding the deal, adding in the possibility that Hayes didn’t want to play for Philadelphia unless they gave him too much makes plenty of the Flyers faithful angry. There will only be one way for Hayes to be considered a good signing and welcomed into the organization by the fans; he must perform. It will be easy to forget the contract, as well as any reports of unwillingness to play in Philly, should Hayes improve upon last year’s point total of 55. However, if Hayes struggles early on, questions will quickly arise about his deal and his attitude.
Shayne Gostisbehere
Shayne Gostisbehere, much like Voracek will likely be the subject of many trade rumblings during the season. He was already part of the rumors during the draft and could be one of the big names traded this year in the NHL. In order to put any thoughts of trade to rest, Gostisbehere will need to step up. The Flyers need to improve the power-play drastically in the coming season, and number 53 will have to be a big part of that. Two years ago, Gostisbehere notched 33 power-play points compared to the 37 total points he scored this past campaign.
There will be less pressure on Gostisbehere to be a defensive stalwart due to the additions of Matt Niskanen and Justin Braun, which means he will be able to focus almost exclusively on his offensive production. If Gostisbehere improves, then the power-play will grow along with him. If the power-play returns to typical Flyers levels, the whole team will be in better shape, as well. However, if Gostisbehere struggles, Fletcher could look to ship him out. Simply put, if he wants to remain in Orange and Black, Gostisbehere must be the offensive juggernaut he was in 2017-18.
Without a doubt, these three Flyers will be hoping to perform to the best of their abilities in 2019-20. They are all integral parts of the team and have plenty of pressure on their shoulders heading into camp. Do you think these players will be able to handle the heat in the coming season? Let us know in the comments below.