The Flyers have answered the question of who will be on their opening night roster. The announcement came with very few, if any, surprises. Now comes the more interesting question.
What will each of those players be asked to do?
For the Flyers' young players, it's no longer about making the NHL roster. They have all checked that box. The next step is figuring out how much responsibility each player can handle. No plan will look the same for every player. Among the Flyers' youth, each player is entering a different stage of their development.
Matvei Michkov is looking to become someone the Flyers can consistently build their offense around. Porter Martone will be learning the true grind of an NHL season and the ups and downs that come with it. Denver Barkey and Alex Bump will need to establish larger roles and become players Rick Tocchet can trust each night. And David Jiricek has to prove he can consistently handle the demands of playing at this level.
That trust can come in a variety of ways. It means that Michkov becomes someone the Flyers turn to when they need a goal. For Martone, it's being trusted through the possible inconsistencies during a rookie season. With Barkey and Bump, it's about being given more responsibilities. For Jiricek, it could mean being put right back on the ice after a defensive slip.
That trust isn't exclusive to the younger players, though. The Flyers veterans have just as much, if not more, responsibility now. They are the ones who should be setting the standard. Travis Konecny may not have to carry the load offensively, but he needs to remain a reliable play driver. Sean Couturier's role has shifted greatly in recent years and is more about providing stability and being someone who can handle the tough situations the younger players may not be ready for.
Travis Sanheim is the veteran on the backend who handles the big minutes and can help stabilize those earning bigger roles. Trevor Zegras falls into an interesting category. He isn't trying to establish himself as an NHL player, but he isn't a veteran in the same sense as the three above him. His responsibility is just as large as everyone else's, though, as the Flyers will need consistency from him while also asking him to become a reliable option down the middle.
The Flyers' roster is composed of young players trying to establish themselves and veterans who have already made their mark. That doesn't mean every player will be entering the season with the same expectations, though. Each player has a different role to fill, which comes with its own responsibility.
The young players will be asked to take on more. The veterans will be asked to continue leading the way. If these two sides can come together and build a team that Tocchet can trust from top to bottom, the Flyers will have taken another important step in their development.
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