The Philadelphia Flyers have seemingly upped the ante this offseason. They hired Rick Tocchet, traded for Trevor Zegras, and added solid depth pieces like Dan Vladar in goal, Christian Dvorak down the middle, and Noah Juulsen on the blue line.
Those moves make the Flyers deeper on paper. Their lineup looks stronger than it did last season. But how much of that will matter in the Eastern Conference?
After all, Philly will be going up against some of the toughest teams in the NHL, vying for a playoff spot.
Let’s start with the Metro Division. It could be inferred that the top three spots are spoken for. The Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, and New Jersey Devils will finish in the top three. The only thing that remains to be seen is in which order these teams could finish next season.
The New York Rangers will be in tough, trying the get back into a playoff spot. Similarly, the New York Islanders appear to have found some fresh legs and could be a force to be reckoned with.
That’s five teams fighting for three spots. There’s a chance the Washington Capitals regress, but that’s not a given. The Caps could be just as good or even better than last season.
Then, there’s the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Jackets were very close to a playoff spot last season. They went down to the wire with the Montreal Canadiens for the final postseason berth.
The only team we could assume won’t be shooting for a playoff spot is Pittsburgh. The Penguins look dead in the water and heading toward a rebuild.
So, that’s six teams vying for three playoff spots. It’s worth pointing out that it’s three, not five, as the two wild card spots could become a dog fight with the Atlantic Division.
Philadelphia Flyers must also compete against Atlantic Division foes
The Atlantic Division’s top three spots look settled. The Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Tampa Bay Lightning could be locked into position for the entire regular season. Unless one of Toronto or Tampa regresses significantly, they look poised to coast to a playoff spot.
That situation leaves last year’s wild card teams, the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens, looking to defend their postseason berths.
However, the Detroit Red Wings will be looking to have a say in who gets those spots. So, that’s another three teams Philadelphia will need to compete against for one of the coveted wild card spots in the Eastern Conference.
This analysis is not intended to paint a bleak picture for the Flyers. It’s meant to provide a realistic look at what the team will be up against this upcoming season.
Can the Flyers challenge for a playoff spot? Absolutely. The team took major steps toward addressing key issues.
But that’s on paper.
On the ice, things can change rapidly. Injuries, inconsistency, and Murphy’s Law can all wreak havoc on a team. That’s why the Flyers will need to come out strong in October and November. If they do, the Flyers might just have a chance to surpass offseason expectations.