Flyers Quarter Season Grades: The Offense
The Flyers just recently played the 25th game of the season. The quarter mark of the season can mean a lot of different things for different teams. This season has been exactly what a lot of people thought it would be. A season with a team whose effort and will to outwork teams will make them competitive without the ability to score goals. Now losing your top 6 forwards for at least 6-7 games did not help this team but getting healthy will allow this coaching staff and front office to see what they have as personal.
This forward group has been better than the last few seasons for sure, but still has the lack of offensive zone time, pressure, goal scoring and number of plays being made. There just isn’t enough happening to make this Flyers team lethal. Maybe when Cam Atkinson returns, this could be a different story, but when Travis Konecny and Kevin Hayes are the only forwards consistently getting on the scoresheet, that’s an issue in talent.
This isn’t on the coaching staff. Coach Tortorella has been consistently saying in numerous post-game interviews that “we aren’t making enough plays”. This is telling me two things. Number one is that they lack the talent and difference makers to be effective. Number two, he wants his guys to do more and reach that next level, especially the younger guys who are the future of this team and franchise.
Understanding that Torts is doing his best in trying to bring the best out of these guys is no easy task. The frustration is starting to boil over and the media has begun seeing exactly what frustrated Torts looks like. The reality is this is not a good hockey team. Maybe at the deadline, some of these dead contracts will be moved. Maybe Fletcher will start calling up the difference makers from Lehigh Valley rather than the guys who are known commodities while the kids making a difference for Lehigh Valley stay there.
There are currently three forwards who I think are playing some of their best hockey currently and the three may not come as a surprise.
Travis Konecny
This one shouldn’t surprise anyone. TK has fallen back into his 19-20 form. The game of hockey has become fun for him again. It was clear and evident when he scored against the New Jersey Devils. His celly was of love for the game. Consistently being a threat on the ice, I don’t remember the last time he was invisible. With 10 goals and 13 assists in 21 games, Konecny is two points over the ppg mark.
The evolution of his game can’t be understated as well. Konecny has become a good penalty killer under the new coaching regime. While he has been working on his 200-foot game, this evolution has made him even more valuable to the Flyers and potentially an untouchable for Torts. As of right now, he is one of four players I would consider for the All-Star Game.
Kevin Hayes
A season after two surgeries, losing his brother and finding himself once again, Kevin Hayes has really become the work horse that Torts has envisioned him to be. While the A was stripped from him with Torts coming in, that didn’t seem to stop him from being a leader and a player who Torts can rely on in the locker room. With nine goals and 19 assists, Hayes is one point above a ppg this season.
No one knew where exactly Hayes would be mentally and physically coming into this season. Who could blame him? Losing a family member, let alone a brother who you were so close with, isn’t something you can just walk away from. It takes time to heal the emotional damage but seeing him with an extra jump in his step makes it seem like he is on a mission to prove to himself this year that he is exactly what Torts believes him to be.
Scott Laughton
The only player with a letter on his sweater. Scott Laughton has become THE go to guy for Torts. Whether its leadership in the room or leading by example on the ice, Laughton has done exactly what has been asked of him. With four goals and six assists, Laughton has been playing the Couturier role. Going out there on the PK and trying to help shut down the opposing centers behind Hayes and Cates now.
Stats don’t tell the full story and with Laughton that is absolutely evident. Forechecking, laying the body and giving 150% when only asked for 100% is what he does. Laughton doesn’t give up on plays and works until he can’t anymore. Giving Laughton some scorers around him will help him and give him more options to pass to outside of the Max Willman’s or Morgan Frost’s.
There are also three players who need to be better on this offense who should be difference makers for the Flyers.
Joel Farabee
I know he had neck surgery this offseason and did not get a full offseason to train nor did he get the preseason, but that is no excuse. Farabee was cleared to play and needs to be better. A lot of pressure rides on Farabee being one of the elite players on this team, especially after his breakout season last year riddled with injuries. While five goals and 10 assists aren’t necessarily bad through 27 games, Farabee needs to take that extra step forward this season.
Joel Farabee needs to hit the 25 goal and 25 assist markers this season. The last two seasons he scored 17 goals and 17 assists and 20 goals and 18 assists. Farabee has it in him to be that elite top liner for this team, it’s just a matter of breaking through the ceiling. If Farabee can do that, then I have no worries about his development for the future.
Owen Tippett
The player the Flyers got in exchange for our beloved and tenured captain. Tippett this season has shown flashes of brilliance. The speed, hands, IQ and goal scoring ability have been on display, but the stretches of him being quiet and irrelevant have shown, which was one of the issues he had down in Sunrise.
Seven goals and four assists this season isn’t going to cut it. If you watched The Standard during the preseason, you will know how much Torts likes Tippett and what he sees in him. Tippett just needs to bring the intensity and passion every single game and his development will go through the roof.
Tippett needs to hit the 20-goal marker for the season. The assists won’t really make that much of a difference considering his play style is more of being a goal scorer. While he can move the puck and pass it with the best of them, focusing on getting his shot more under control will absolutely make him lethal from anywhere in the offensive zone.
Morgan Frost
What can I say? Frost has so much upside that he taps into for a game or two and then regresses. Like Torts said “Frost is like a toilet seat. He is up and down.” That statement resonates loudly with a lot in this fanbase. Frost was drafted by Hextall to be the Brayden Schenn replacement and eventually, maybe your number one center. Once again, he has been disappointing. Through 26 games, Frost has three goals and three assists. At this point, sending Frost back down to Lehigh won’t help him.
Frost has to help himself. Overall, he needs to find his game and figure out who he is as a player. Frost said, “I want to be a difference maker this season”. The way things are going, he has currently been a detriment to the Flyers. This could be Frost’s last chance with this hockey club to make an impression. If he begins to thaw, then expect him not to be here in the future.
Overall, the Flyers offense has its ups and downs but as a whole, you win as a team, and you lose as a team. Without being lethal and losing a ton of games this season by one goal, taking away all of the empty netters of course, this team just leaves Hart out to dry and take losses.