Voracek Collects More Points than Cam Atkinson (Win)
Voracek led Columbus with 62 points, while Atkinson only collected 50 for the Flyers. Given their roles, and the talent difference between the teams, I was actually surprised it was this close. Voracek substantially underperformed what I had expected and parting with him may have been a stroke of genius move by Fletcher to exchange Jake for the energetic Cam Atkinson.
Atkinson Scores more goals than Voracek (Win)
Given their playing styles this was another easy prediction, but both players fell short of my expectations, as I thought Voracek would score more than 10 goals. He finished with six. I thought Atkinson would surpass 30 but fell short. Both players were casualties of their respective teams playing poorly.
Ristolainen Puts up Career Best +/- and Corsi (Loss)
The Flyers, and I, hoped Ristolainen would blossom in Philadelphia. Instead of a rose, it was more like a dandelion, a colorful start that eventual fades into the rest of the gray. Ristolainen was better than most of the pundits thought he would be, though not nearly good enough to justify the price paid in trade (or his new contract).
Ristolainen would end the season at -9, tied for the second best mark of his career. He would finish with his 3rd best 5V5 corsi of his career and tie his career best mark (.2) for relative 5V5 corsi. Everyone would like to see more from Ristolainen who looks to have the tools to dominate, but fails to do so.
Cam Atkinson Leads the Team in Shots (Loss)
Cam Atkinson did not lead the team in shots, as his 215 trailed Travis Konecny’s 220. It is fair to point out that TK played in 79 games to Atkinson’s 73 and had Atkinson played in all the games he may have led the team. In either case Atkinson was the shoot first player that the Flyers had lacked, and we should look for him to continue to shot first and ask questions later.
Oskar Lindblom Scores At Least 40 Points (Loss)
Oskar Lindblom managed to score only 12 goals, all at even strength, and totaled only 26 points this past season. He only seemed in sync for a handful of stretches this season. Lindblom was still a productive player, though not at the level he was before his cancer diagnosis. He was a cap casualty and will be donning a San Jose Sharks jersey next year.
Ivan Provorov Collects more Points than any Other Flyers’ Defensemen (Win)
This was a very much dependent on where Provorov fit in relative to other Flyers’ defensemen, and how he was going to be used. Even if had Ellis been healthy, Provorov is the superior player. He benefitted from a healthy dose of powerplay time, that he had to split with the ineffective Keith Yandle. Despite the reliance on Yandle, Provorov was tied for the lead amongst Flyers’ defensemen with 31 points.
Travis Konecny does not Score 30 goals. (WIN)
TK led the team in shots but was only able to capture 16 goals. It could be he just needs a little bit of success to really get rolling, but his inability to score regularly last season frustrated the fans as well as the player. TK did step up his game, leading the team in assists and points. Despite a bad season overall, his growth as a playmaker was certainly a positive development.
Joel Farabee does not lead the team in Goals (WIN)
The Flyers winger saw his time limited by injury last season. Despite missing 19 games, Farabee finished fourth on the team with 17 goals. Had he remained healthy he may have grabbed eight more goals to surpass JVR’s 24 tallies. Much like Lindblom, Farabee seemed out of sorts for long periods this season. I blame this coaching upheaval that didn’t help the younger players maximize their potential.
Kevin Hayes will Struggle (WIN)
Hayes was able to produce offensively for the Flyers, scoring 31 points in 48 games, but had a career low shooting percentage and earned a -20 plus/minus. Hayes was dominated in the face off circle, losing 57% of his draws. In the past he has been a capable defender, particularly in the neutral zone. But this season he spent long stretches in his own end and seemed disinterested in defending. Hayes was trying to cope with the loss of his brother and returning from injury, so 2021 was likely not the best version of Hayes.
Carter Hart Rebounds Statistically (Win)
Even if the Flyers did not help him much, Carter Hart was able to rebound from a subpar 2021 to enjoy an average season despite some of the worst team defense in the league. Hart saw his GAA drop by half a goal and his save percentage rise to over .900 on a team with awful defense. Hart should be encouraged by his play last season and Tortorella will make sure the team plays harder in front of him.