Flyers have depth at Center and plenty of other options

Puzzle Pieces: The Muddle in the Middle, The Third Line

The middle pieces of a puzzle are the hardest to make fit.  On the surface, in a group they look the same as compared to the corners, but they are all unique.  Just a slight change is makeup is the difference between a union between two pieces and a complete misfit.  Like a puzzle the Flyers have a lot of the  middle pieces.  Connor Bunnaman, German Rubtsov, Morgan Frost, and Nolan Patrick are the frontrunners who will be vying for a spot at center.

Nolan Patrick would seem to be the clear favorite if he is healthy.  While reports seem positive regarding Patrick, he is hardly a sure thing.

With two years of NHL experience, a new contract, and the pedigree of being picked 2nd overall it would seem to be in the best interest of the team to give him every chance to earn the spot, but his migraine disorder is a tricky thing to put a time table on.

Patrick has been underwhelming at times, likely due to the lingering effects of injury, but is overwhelmingly talented.  It will be interesting to see how coach Vigneault handles Patrick considering Patrick was little more than an afterthought last season.

Morgan Frost would seem to have the next best chance at taking the 3rd line center spot.  Frost has been a beacon of promise and excitement since he was drafted with a pick the Flyers netted in the Brayden Schenn trade.  In Frost’s draft+1 season he was second in the OHL in scoring with 112 points.  In his second overage season, he finished fourth in points, playing in 10 fewer games than the leaders.

If Patrick is absent then Frost becomes the clear front runner.  Frost has not torn up the AHL or the NHL in his stints in each league, but the Flyers would be looking for him to provide offense.