Fletcher Interview Reveals Undiscussed Roster Need

The Philadelphia Flyers enter a critical offseason with rumors swirling around the potential moves that general manager Chuck Fletcher will make in response to a disappointing 2020-21 season.

Following Fletcher’s virtual press conference on Wednesday, he interviewed with the Snow the Goalie podcast and addressed some topics brought up during the press conference in greater depth.

During the interview, Fletcher called the 2020-21 Flyers “too inexperienced on the blue line” and pointed to the need for “more of an identity to our fourth line” when asked about the lack of progress from some of the younger players on the team.

He pointed to the losses of Tyler Pitlick and Nate Thompson and how the team missed the NHL experience they brought. His emphasis on the lack of experience on the blue line likely stems from the disheartening regression of defensemen Travis Sanheim and Philippe Myers.

His self-identified need for help on the fourth line could be an indicator of an offseason priority that hasn’t been commonly discussed as a top concern. The loss of winger Michael Raffl at the trade deadline makes the hole even more glaring.

The Flyers did not establish a strong physical presence on the forecheck and received no other significant contributions from their fourth line in 2020-21. Winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel struggled to recapture the effectively aggressive play he showed as a rookie in 2019-20. AHL regulars Connor Bunnaman, Tanner Laczynski, and Carsen Twarynski failed to make any lasting impressions to earn themselves a spot in the regular lineup. The Flyers will likely go in a different direction this offseason and acquire at least one veteran depth forward.

There is the possibility of unexpected veteran targets becoming available following the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft on July 21. The Seattle Kraken could potentially select players they don’t plan on keeping with the intention of immediately making trades to acquire prospects or future draft picks.

Center Colin Blackwell could potentially appear in that market after Seattle makes their selections. He finished with 10 goals and 12 assists in 47 games with the New York Rangers in 2020-21. He played on the penalty kill late in the season when the Rangers hit their stride, and he’s only due $725,000 in salary next season.

The Minnesota Wild also bought out big names Ryan Suter and Zach Parise this week, and past connections to Fletcher make both players more likely as inexpensive veteran options that can patch holes on the roster.

Any veteran acquisition will be counted on to help restore the attitude and determination of a team that showed a disconcerting lack of character on the way to a sixth-place finish in their division last season.