The Philadelphia Flyers emerged as one of the most improved teams last season. Philly went from a rebuild to a second-round postseason appearance.
While it wasn’t exactly surprising (Flyers fans knew how good the team really was), it did catch some pundits and analysts by surprise.
Those same analysts are now seemingly bearish on the Flyers’ outlook for the 2026-27 season. An early projection of the 2027 NHL Draft order by the folks at Tankathon shows Philly picking 14th in the first round.
So, what exactly does that mean?
It means that the algorithms don’t believe that the Flyers can make the playoffs this upcoming season.
That’s not exactly the prettiest picture in the world. And it’s certainly not something that Flyers fans want to hear.
The biggest factor likely playing into the pessimistic projections for the Flyers lies in the potential improvement of the New Jersey Devils. Also, the Carolina Hurricanes figure to be the best team in the Metro.
Those are two of the three playoff spots in the division. It would leave the third spot up for grabs. And it seems that the algorithms favor the improved Washington Capitals for that spot.
If the Caps, Canes, and Devils claim the three Metro Division playoff spots, the Flyers would have to compete for a wild-card spot. That situation may not be quite so encouraging, either.
Flyers would have to deal with stacked Atlantic Division in wild card race
If Philly is forced to duke it out for a wild card spot, it would run into a strong Atlantic Division lot. According to the early projections, the Atlantic could yield five playoff teams. The early numbers show the Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Buffalo Sabres grabbing the top three spots in the Atlantic and the two wild card spots.
Yes, the outlook seems bleak. But there’s something crucial to keep in mind. These projections are based on abstract data of offseason acquisitions, previous year’s totals, and assumptions about how well teams will play.
That’s where the Flyers have a chance to prove to fans that the algorithms are nothing but a bunch of hogwash. Philly has the chance to hit the ice and show that it’s one thing to be an armchair GM, and it’s a completely different thing to make things happen on the ice.
And if there’s one thing the Flyers are great at, it’s walking the walk. The pundits and talking heads can say all they want about expectations, projections, and previews.
Unless these folks are truly psychic, they can’t predict what will happen once the 2026-27 NHL season begins.
Philadelphia has 84 games to prove everyone who doubted them is completely bonkers.
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