The Philadelphia Flyers may not be making the playoffs, but they nonetheless enjoyed a 2023-24 season that kept their fans engaged until those final few games. An eight-game losing streak hurt this team more than anything else, and groups like the New York Islanders, Washington Capitals, and Pittsburgh Penguins overtook them.
Still, for a team that was supposed to rank near the bottom of the NHL, the Flyers enjoyed an above-average year. Finishing just a few points shy of the playoffs could even motivate general manager Daniel Briere to refrain from ‘selling’ when the summer months roll around and instead look to keep the team more competitive for when October arrives.
But how should Briere ultimately approach the upcoming offseason? Would it be appropriate for him to trade those who may have another year or two left on their contracts, or should he keep them in town and keep focusing on building through the prospects pool before letting those older players walk?
Philadelphia Flyers will have an interesting offseason in the summer of 2024
This season, it’s hard to say the Flyers were as good as their points total. Before their eight-game losing streak, Philadelphia was a healthy 36-26-9, but they also had a minus-5 goal differential. Their power play was awful, and the team as a whole never seemed to click for any prolonged period.
They had their winning streaks, but the Flyers also struggled one too many times throughout the season. The eight-game losing streak marked the third time this year that Philadelphia had gone for a lengthy stretch without playing good hockey.
It’s easy to claim that if the Flyers find a missing piece or two, they will once again remain relevant and even clinch a playoff berth next season. But if more retooling is the better way to go, that gives the team more potential to be successful for a longer timeframe.