Can you feel it? There is that buzz. NFL season is ready to start. MLB season is getting ready to head into the postseason. As for us hockey fanatics, the NHL will go into training camp mode soon. For the Flyers, that starts on September 18th.
The Flyers have been generating a lot of buzz this offseason. They extended some of their players, most notably Travis Konecny. Most of the Flyers' interests concern rookie phenom Matvei Michkov. While the Flyers have been downplaying that he is the "franchise savior", as that would be a tremendous amount of pressure to put on a young kid like that, his skill set and obvious talent should help this team. How much? We don't know yet. He's one of the odds-favorites to win the Calder Trophy.
However, no player on a hockey team plays by himself. You need linemates and such to be successful. Good players can be good no matter who is around them. Great players can make other players even better. And while it is unfair to, again, put pressure on Michkov to elevate everyone else's game, it could happen. Not only could he affect the team, but there could be a ripple effect throughout the lines.
Frost and Michkov could help each other out in many ways
One of the other major storylines this offseason was if Morgan Frost could finally put it all together. He has the skill set. We've seen flashes of it. Heck, he was the top scorer for the team after New Year's Day through the end of the season. And yet, he just can't seem to break out as a star.
We still don't know who the top lines are going to be yet. We know the obvious characters: Sean Couturier, Owen Tippett, Joel Farabee, Tyson Foerster, Konecny, Michkov, and Frost. What combo they will be in is yet to be determined.
As for rippling, there is a whole lot that could happen here. Someone like Couturier, a Flyers legend and Selke Trophy Winner, could teach Michkov a lot about playing in the NHL. That could make for a very dynamic combination and might help Couturier get back in the groove.
Putting Michkov with Couturier would drop Konecny to Frost's line. Perhaps Frost's creativity could combine with Konecny's scoring abilities, creating a potentially devastating line; especially with Tippett moving up the left flank. Pairing Frost with a vet like Konecny could unlock all that ability lurking inside.
However, making a solid vet line with Couturier and Konecny makes sense. They are wily veterans who know each other's rhythms. They have played a long time with each other. They complement each other well. They are familiar with each other and would form a steady line. Few would have a problem with this. If Tippett is sharing the line with them, this line just got a lot better.
Perhaps Michkov would work better with Frost than Couturier. Frost is younger and faster. That speed combo could set the ice on fire. Teamed up with a Farabee or Foerester flying down the other side of the ice or trailing behind, you now have a young, dynamic line that could become the envy of the league. Frost would benefit, statistically, from Michkov's abilities and perhaps the two could grow together.
The fun thing about all of this is the speculation. There are no easy answers yet, but mocking lines is a fun exercise. Do you team up these two young players with veteran experience so they can learn something really valuable or do you pair them together so they can build each other up? Either way, the future looks good here in Philly.