The Philadelphia Flyers have struggled to start the season, and part of the problem could be how little time their younger players had to get ready for the regular season. Players like Porter Martone are still adjusting to the NHL, and having a shortened preseason hasn't made that any easier.
The jump to the NHL is already difficult for young players. The speed is different, the physicality is harder to deal with, and there is a lot less time to make decisions with the puck. Getting used to that takes time, and the preseason is where players get their first real chance to figure things out before the games start to matter.
With another three or four preseason games, the Flyers' younger players could have had more time to adjust. That might not have fixed all of Philadelphia's problems, because there are a lot of them, but it could have helped some of their young players feel more comfortable coming into the season.
Flyers would have benefited from more preseason games
Martone is one player who could benefit from that extra time. He has plenty of talent, but there is a difference between being a good young player and being ready to make an impact every night in the NHL. The same goes for other younger players, like Denver Barkey or even Oliver Bonk, who has slotted in on the top pairing. All are still trying to find their footing this season.
The Flyers also need those players to contribute. This isn't a team that can afford to have several young players struggling at the same time, especially when the rest of the lineup hasn't been consistent enough to make up for it. When the younger players aren't producing or are having trouble adjusting to the pace of games, it puts even more pressure on the veterans to get things going, and unfortunately, they aren’t doing that.
That doesn't mean the shortened preseason is the only reason Philadelphia has struggled. There are other issues that need to be addressed, and adding a few exhibition games wouldn't suddenly fix everything. Still, it is fair to wonder whether the lack of preparation has played a bigger role than expected, especially for a team that is coming off a season where they made the postseason.
At this point, Philadelphia needs its young players to start getting more comfortable. The regular season doesn't give them much time to ease into things, and every game counts when a team is trying to avoid falling behind in the standings. Which is exactly what is happening: the Flyers have collected just three points, all from overtime losses in nine games.
Which is why a few more preseason games might have helped the Flyers get off to a better start. It wouldn't have guaranteed better results, but giving young players more time to adjust to the speed and physicality of the NHL could have made a difference. With how much Philadelphia has struggled early on, it's truly worth questioning whether the shortened preseason left some younger players around the NHL playing catch-up from the start, especially on the Flyers.
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