With a new coach and new players, the Philadelphia Flyers are ready to start a brand new season. We'll see which forwards play with whom and what defensive combos will be created.
Over the last few years, the Flyers have been amassing talent, but haven't quite met expectations. They haven't been able to break the no-playoff curse despite the talent this team has.
Last season was a particular letdown as the Flyers just barely missed out on a playoff spot the year before. A fired coach and some popular players traded away helped make last year something of a stomach punch. Many players had a statistically down year. Can they rebound this year?
With all this in mind, here are five players that the Flyers hope to see more of this upcoming season.
Travis Konecny
Konecny has been the points leader every year since Claude Giroux left. It's not that he's been bad. In fact, except for last year, his stats have been trending upward. Konecny is the motor that gets this team going, and he needs to become more accustomed to putting this team on his back and becoming a big-time playmaker.
Last year can be a "blip". The Flyers need to see a 40-goal, 80-point season. These aren't unreasonable expectations for him. These were what they were hoping to see out of him last year. He is fully capable of getting close to 100 points, something the Flyers haven't seen since Giroux did it in 2017-18.
As the points leader on this team, it all starts with him. It's a trickle-down effect. If he blows up this year, it means his linemates will. And if teams try to concentrate on his line, it will give chances to the other lines. It starts with Konecny.
Cam York
Cam York had an up-and-down season last year due to injuries and issues with his coach. Still, he did enough over the previous seasons to earn a nice, hefty raise. He's expected to be a stalwart on the defensive unit for the rest of the decade.
With that said, the time for excuses is over. He can't blame John Tortorella for his failures. It is up to him to kick butt and play more consistently. If he can put his ghosts behind him, he can truly be an all-star-level defender. If not, the Flyers dumped money onto a guy who will continue to be a disappointment. Now is York's time to unleash his full potential onto the NHL.
Sean Couturier
Speaking of needing a bounce-back season, we come to Sean Couturier. His last few years have been fraught with injuries and not getting along with Tortorella. He should mesh well with Rick Tocchet and might get back to a level the Flyers know he can play at.
Couturier can still be a top-tier center in this league. More importantly, the Flyers need him to be. The team's captain sets the tone for everyone, vets or rookies. He leads by example. By taking the reins, he can help the rest of the players buy into what Tocchet is selling. That there could be worth five wins. The Flyers need Couturier to step it up and be as close to what he used to be as possible.
Owen Tippett
Then there is Owen Tippett. He's a guy that the Flyers' fans harp on for not "being good enough". After getting 28 goals, slipping to 20 last year caused many fans to ask for his head on a platter (trade him). The frustration from fans is because they can see his potential, but haven't seen it progress at a rate that they'd like.
Tippett could be a guy scoring 30 goals a year or just 20. Still, he is a top-six forward. He could easily become a major piece of this team for years to come. He, like so many others this past year, could've had a bad year because of how they were employed by Tortorella.
Now that excuse has been pulled from the table. Much like with York, there aren't any more excuses left. Now is the time to rise and shine and light the lamp.
Rodrigo Abols
The Flyers likely didn't expect much out of Abols, and yet he had a fairly decent rookie season for a 29-year-old. But that is also his issue. His age, combined with his fourth-line role, could make him expendable. With a young crop of centers getting ready to break into the NHL, Abols has to prove himself worthy.
Another solid season, building on last year, could cement his place on this team. He doesn't have to score 20 goals, although the Flyers wouldn't be upset if he did. But if he were to win at least 50 percent of his faceoffs and help to keep the other team from scoring much, he could be a very valuable member of the Flyers. That's what we need to see.
The fourth line on most hockey teams tends to get overlooked. For the most part, they don't play as many minutes, score little, are mostly physical/defensive-type forwards, and are mostly roster rotational pieces. However, if you have a solid one, it can do a lot to shut down the other team's scoring lines. If Abols can help lead that group into keeping a clamp down on the other team's offensive capabilities, that could help keep games close. It starts with Abols winning the faceoffs and setting the tone with an aggressive forecheck with his linemates. It could translate to wins.