Building A Philadelphia Flyers Team With Tri-State Area Players
Philadelphia itself has only produced five total NHL players, the most recent being Eric Tangradi. He last played six games for the Devils in the 2018-19 season. The state of Pennsylvania has produced 30 total NHL players, with five still playing.
So while we can't build a Flyers team made up of Philadelphia athletes, we can branch out slightly further. Even using the state of Pennsylvania is not enough considering there are five active players: four forwards, and a goaltender.
To make this work, we will have to look a bit further to make a team. Using New Jersey as well, we can look at players who may have considered the Flyers their hometown team or are close enough to call local. It's not ideal, but it's what we have to go with.
Building a Flyers roster with "local" players
Vincent Trocheck - Pittsburgh, PA
Yes, the first player is a Pittsburgh native. Trocheck was likely a Penguins fan growing up, but we won't talk about that. He is currently playing for the rival New York Rangers. But imagine him and his 519 career points on the wing.
Trocheck has posted over 50 points six times, registering 70+ in two of those seasons. He is typically good for 20+ goals a season and adds damage to any power play. 11 of his 25 goals and 24 of his 77 points last season came on the man advantage.
He brings plenty of experience with 719 games under his belt. He may not have a Stanley Cup to his name, but he has appeared in 56 career playoff games with 37 points. Trocheck was a star in the playoffs last season despite the Rangers falling short. He posted a career-high eight goals and 20 points in 16 games. The Flyers wouldn't mind having that resume on their team.
Johnny Gaudreau - Salem County, NJ
Is this a local player list if Gaudreau isn't involved? The 30-year-old has an extensive list of things that tie him to the area. He often comes to Voorhees in the offseason to take part in the Checking for Charity tournament. His father ran the hockey program at Hollydell Ice Arena in Sewell, a place Gaudreau knows well.
Fans have long wanted the player they call "Johnny Hockey" to suit up in the orange in black. There was a chance he almost did. Before signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets in the summer of 2022, there were rumors that he wanted to "come home" and play for the Flyers. For reasons we don't truly know, that never happened and instead, he has been in Columbus ever since.
Gaudreau spent the bulk of his career with the Calgary Flames and shined during his nine seasons. He posted 20-goal campaigns five times and even reached the century mark in his last season with the Flames, totaling 115 points. He has 42 playoff games to his name where he's recorded 11 goals and 33 points.
James van Riemsdyk - Middletown Township, NJ
Hey, this one happened already! James van Riemsdyk was drafted second overall by the Flyers in 2007 and had two separate stints in Philadelphia. He may be most known for breaking out with the Toronto Maple Leafs after the Flyers traded him for Luke Schenn before the 2012-13 season.
In the lockout-shortened season, van Riemsdyk posted 18 goals and 32 assists before breaking out with 30 goals and 61 points the following season. He posted 36 goals in 2017-18 before signing a five-year deal with the Flyers in the offseason. Could he bring that same scoring ability back?
van Riemsdyk did score 27 goals in his first season back, but injuries cost him time in four of the next five seasons. He managed to post over 40 or more points in his first three seasons and did play all 82 games in the 2021-22 season. He was a net-front presence on the power play as well. But after a disappointing 2022-23 season, he left for Boston in free agency. He remains a free agent after 11 goals and 38 points in 71 games for the Bruins.
Trevor van Riemsdyk - Middletown Township, NJ
If you're going to have one van Riemsdyk, might as well bring the other one with you. It helps that this one did have an invite to the Flyers' prospect camp in 2012. Trevor began his NHL career with the Chicago Blackhawks as an undrafted free agent and was a part of the 2015 Stanley Cup team, his first season in the league. He played in four postseason games, all coming in the final round against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
From there, he played two more seasons with the Blackhawks before moving to the Carolina Hurricanes for three seasons. That came after he was selected by Vegas in the 2017 expansion draft before quickly being traded to Carolina. He matched a career-high 16 points in his first season. However, his ice time steadily dipped during his time with the Hurricanes. Now with Capitals since 2020, van Riemsdyk has taken on a bigger role and seen his offense come to life.
He posted a career-high seven goals and 23 points with Washington during the 2022-23 season. While he had 14 points, which were all assists last season, he was arguably one of the team's best defenders. He signed a three-year extension back in 2023.
Mattias Samuelsson - Voorhees Township, NJ
Samuelsson has a few ties to the Flyers organization despite not having played a game for the team. His father, Kjell, spent nearly six seasons with Philadelphia and became a rather reliable defender. Allie Samuelsson, a relative, is the team's Hockey Communications Coordinator and has been with the Flyers since 2017.
Samuelsson himself has only been in the league for four seasons and has faced injury issues in the last three seasons. He drew trade interest, though the team reportedly had no interest in dealing him. He signed a seven-year extension ahead of this last season.
Despite the injuries, Samuelsson has steadily improved over the course of his young career. He can play over 20 minutes a game and has held his own on the top pairing with Rasmus Dahlin. Injuries are a concern, but he's a solid young piece to build a team around.
Finding a goaltender is hard because there's only one who grew up in Pennsylvania and one who lived in New Jersey. The PA native has had a much more extensive career but grew up in Pittsburgh. The NJ native did play for the Flyers for a brief period but has far less experience in the league.
Even if we cheat a little more and move out to New York, there are no goaltenders actively playing from there. So it's between John Gibson and Anthony Stolarz. But why not have both? After all, you need a starter and a backup.
John Gibson - Pittsburgh, PA
Gibson has spent his entire career in Anaheim after the team drafted him in the second round in 2011. He debuted in 2013 and recorded a shutout in his NHL debut, becoming the youngest goalie to do so since 1985. Gibson also posted a shutout in his playoff debut as well, once again the youngest goaltender to do so.
Unfortunately, Gibson's talent has potentially been wasted on a team that has steadily declined. His best years came during a time in which the Ducks transitioned from a contender to a league-worst team. He has been the target of trade rumors for years as his talents are likely better suited on a contender. Not to mention Lukáš Dostál has been pushing him and even earned more starts toward the end of last season.
Gibson is 31 and is far removed from those strong seasons. However, how would his numbers look if he wasn't on a team bleeding goals against? He has plenty to offer other teams and would be a fine addition to a group on the rise.
Anthony Stolarz - Edison, NJ
Stolarz has experience playing in Philadelphia and was drafted by the team in 2012. It took him a while to debut for the team, appearing in seven games during the 2016-17 season. He only appeared in a total of 19 games before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers during the 2018-19 season.
Knee injuries cost Stolarz precious time in Philadelphia and a change of scenery was much needed. He has bounced around the league, playing for the Anaheim Ducks and Florida Panthers as well. Stolarz has had a chance for a slightly larger role during the last three seasons, playing in over 25 games during two of those years.
The backup to Sergei Bobrovsky, Stolarz posted a 2.03 GAA and a .925 SV% which are some of the best numbers of his career. While he only appeared in one playoff game this past year, it was enough for him to get his name on the Stanley Cup. Not a bad day's work. It was only a relief appearance but it all counts the same.
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