The Philadelphia Flyers have been one of the hotter teams in the NHL since late November, starting with a 4-2 win over the Florida Panthers on Nov. 26. With a 5-2-0 record and a solid 25 goals scored in that span, it's a strong indication that this team could be starting to turn a corner.
What's even more amazing is that they're still an unfinished product. In Tuesday night's 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks, blueliner Ty Murchison made his long-awaited NHL debut and played as if he belonged. Murchison didn't get on the scoring sheet, but he finished the game with 14:56 of ice time, collecting one block and three hits.
He spent a lot of time in the defensive zone, taking 66.7 percent of his starts there, and helped the Flyers stifle what's becoming one of the league's brightest offenses featuring Macklin Celebrini. That's asking a good bit from Murchison in his NHL debut, but he never flinched.
Ty Murchison looks like another surefire member of this young Philadelphia Flyers core
If Murchison, 22, builds on his solid debut, there's no question that he will be part of a bright Flyers core moving forward. He would join a group that features Matvei Michkov, Emil Andrae, Jamie Drysdale, Bobby Brink, Tyson Foerster, Cam York, Noah Cates, Owen Tippet, and Trevor Zegras, all of whom are 26 or younger.
This isn't counting veterans like Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim, and Dan Vladar, who also could be part of what is becoming one of the NHL's more exciting young groups. But Murchison brings much-needed energy and a hitter's mentality to the fold, something the Flyers can use more of as the season wears on.
It's also worth pointing out that the Flyers are a defense-first team, with just 80 goals on the season, which ranks 27th in the league, compared to 78 goals allowed, which puts them in sixth. While it would be great to see another young scorer in Philadelphia, Murchison's presence adds even more value to this team's strength.
Ty Murchison could give the Flyers a deep defensive rotation
The Flyers have a balanced unit at the blue line with Murchison involved. Murchison, along with Rasmus Ristolainen, whose return is near, and Nick Seeler, are all physical players who aren't afraid to get in front of pucks and use their bodies to make life difficult for opposing forwards.
Cam York, Travis Sanheim, Emil Andrae, and Jamie Drysdale bring a solid, two-way game. That's a good defensive rotation for a young hockey team trying to stay in contention all season. And one that's young enough that they can, for the most part, stick around as a unit in the coming seasons.
Murchison's strong debut also raises important questions. Do they keep Murchison in Philadelphia and seek other options for players like Noah Juulsen and Egor Zemula? It will be an interesting few days for the Flyers, especially when Ristolainen returns, to see what this defensive rotation will look like. But for now, the fans can celebrate, since the early returns on Murchison look positive.