Dry your eyes Flyers fans. I know it was sad, maybe upsetting, that they weren't fully able to reel in Leo Carlsson. It was a good effort by Daniel Briere, but alas, it didn't come to fruition. I bet some of you were prepping to have Carlsson jerseys made.
Don't despair. This is a Flyers team that reached the playoffs for the first times in half a decade. They earned a playoff berth on the next to last day of the season after having been in the running for a seat for a large portion of the season before a horrific December-January swoon. Not only that, they defied the experts and thrashed the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round.
True, many of the Metropolitan teams have been making some big, bold moves and are beefing up. Yes, this is a young team, however they will have another year to get more equated with each other. They can build and grow together.
When you look at things that way, there is a lot to be hopeful for. Let's take a look at the Flyers roster as it stands right now. Graned, the Flyers can still make some more additions or swing a trade. But running it back with the team they have now isn't a bad idea.
The Forwards
Let's take a look at the Flyers' current depth at forward by looking at possible line combinations.
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
Travis Konecny | Christian Dvorak | Owen Tippett |
Tyson Foerster | Trevor Zegras | Porter Martone |
Alex Bump | Noah Cates | Matvei Michkov |
Noel Acciari | Sean Couturier | Carl Grundstrom |
To me, this looks like a pretty solid four line crew. The top trio looks like a solid, veteran line. The Zegras line has a chance to become a very nasty, scoring line. I love the idea of pairing Martone and Foerster together. Cates might be a better center for that crew, but at the same time, he could do wonders in bringing Bump along and helping Michkov find his mojo again.
Keep in mind, that this has Denver Barkey, Jett Luchanko, and current RFA Nikita Grebenkin on the roster too. There is also a chance that other Flyers' free agents could return: Karsen Dorwart, Luke Glendenning, and Rodrigo Abols.
The Defenders
Left Defense | Right Defense |
|---|---|
Cameron York | Travis Sanheim |
Jamie Drysdale | Nick Seeler |
David Jiricek/Oliver Bonk | Rasmus Ristolainen/Simon Benoit |
The top four defensive spots are pretty much set; at least will be once Drysdale is re-signed. It's the bottom two spots that could be interesting. Will Ristolainen be traded or will he be around for all of/part of the upcoming season. Will Jiricek finally get a chance to shine? What about Bonk? Is Benoit going to be the seventh defenseman?
While many Flyers fans have been screaming for a game changing center for years, a great defender could've been a great addition as well. Maybe that was part of the point, and the hope, in drafting Maksiim Sokolovskii.
The Netminders
Briere's first move, extending Dan Vladar was a stroke of genius, and necessity. Vladar had a great season as the Flyers put their trust in him. That play was rewarded with a fair deal in net. Not only that, but Briere kicked off the offseason by trading for Joseph Woll.
While some may not like the deal, it makes perfect sense. First, the Flyers burned out Sam Ersson to the point where he was pretty much useless in net. Aleksei Kolosov can barely handle AHL talent, let alone NHL talent. Carson Bjarnsson is too young and inexperienced as of this point. The Flyers have other goalie talent way down below in junior leagues and just drafted two more. Still, they are playing the long game.
Bjarnasson is probably the team's future, but it isn't good to rush him. Let him develop. And if he stinks, we have Plans B, C, and D ready to go. For now, the goalie rotation is pretty solid for the first time in years.
This Flyers team has a lot of good components. Are they legit contenders yet? Maybe not; especially with the Carolina Hurricanes in their way. However, this is a team that will give others fits. The team is a good mix of veteran leadership and young prospects.
Also, we are only in mid-July. There are plenty of moves to make. Who knows, maybe Daniel Briere can "help Anaheim" clean up some much needed cap space by stealing Chris Krieder away for peanuts. Perhaps there is a team (maybe Carolina) that could find a use to Kolosov. Whatever happens, we are still two months away from training camp. A lot can happen between now and then.
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