Hockey writers show zero respect to Flyers with preseason predictions

Hockey writers at The Athletic recently collaborated on a "way too early" predictions piece, as they prognosticated team finishes and award winners for the upcoming 2024-25 NHL season. As far as the Philadelphia Flyers are concerned, the results weren't pretty.

When asked to pick the playoff field for the Eastern Conference, none of the 32 participating writers said that the Flyers would make it, as they were accompanied only by the Canadiens in being shut out of the party in the minds of every single writer.

Flyers not getting respect in early 2024-25 season predictions

On the one hand, you can understand this. The Flyers didn't make the playoffs last year, either, and they are in a large cluster of teams whose odds are just as good, if not better. In addition, the Flyers didn't make any free agent signings or trades this offseason that would inspire extra confidence, seemingly relying solely on the presence of Matvei MIchkov to get them over the hump if the playoffs are indeed the goal. Conversely, even the Columbus Blue Jackets got one vote, so it's a bit off-putting that nobody even turned to the Flyers as a "shot in the dark" pick, especially when you consider how they were alive for a playoff spot on the final night of the season back in April.

Ultimately, however, the biggest reason the voters had no faith in an unlikely Flyers playoff appearance is what the teams around them have done this offseason. The Capitals, who seemed like an obvious target to fall right back out of the playoffs, have made several aggressive moves that look to have them staving off Father Time for at least another year. The Islanders look like they'll return to the same playoff-caliber club, if not improve, from last year. The Sabres and Red Wings also actively attempted to climb the standings.

The biggest cause for concern is the Devils, whose shockingly bad season saw them finish six points back of the Flyers. But after trading for a much better goalie and bolstering their blueline through free agency, the Devils are now seen by the so-called experts not just as a playoff club but as a true contender. Add this all up, and none of the 32 writers at The Athletic was convinced enough (or brave enough) to give the Flyers a slot. Even the Senators (6 votes) and the Penguins (4 votes) got a fair amount of respect after missing the postseason last year.

One last kick in the pants came from the "first coach fired" question, where John Tortorella garnered two votes. Wrote Jesse Granger, "I personally wonder how things go in Philadelphia if the Flyers don’t exceed expectations the way they did for most of last season." It would seemingly take a lot for the Flyers to pull the chute on John Tortorella after reiterating over and over how this process will take time, but the proof will be in the pudding if results are poor enough early in the season.

In the end, what the "experts" say doesn't have any bearing over what transpires on the ice. Maybe the Flyers use pieces like these as bulletin board material, giving some extra motivation that feeds into the "nobody believes in us" mentality that worked for much of last season before the awful power play finally became too much and everything else seemed to fall apart near the end. The good news is that the Flyers have 82 games next season to show people how wrong they were. And maybe, with a few breaks, they'll even get a couple more games to rub it in their faces.