The Philadelphia Flyers have become hot news for all of the wrong reasons concerning Matvei Michkov, and it has allowed some of the other players to slide by without taking nearly the amount of criticism and scrutiny that they deserve.
No, this isn't a Nick Seeler hit piece, but instead, we'll focus on three other players who deserve to be held closer to the fire.
Cam York
The Flyers defender is signed long-term, and it looks more and more like a Briere mistake rather than a Briere bargain. The 7th year player should be squarely in his prime, but his slow start is setting him up to have his worst season yet with the orange and black.
He's only scored 1 point so far offensively, but he's averaging over 20 minutes a night. In addition to that, he isn't driving play, with a paltry Corsi of 38.5. Now, they are throwing him on more often in the defensive end (nearly 69% of the time), but his 5 on 5 time is much closer to even, and he's logged decent power play minutes and still hasn't managed to make a dent or defend well.
In addition, with rumors flying about locker room tension, you're reminded of his locker room beef that appeared to be the final straw on the John Tortorella camel. York needs a turn around fast, or he'll end up on a billboard next.
Tyson Foerster
After he was selected by many to be the next breakthrough Flyer who would help put the team over the top and signed a contract extension to that effect, Foerster has been struggling mightily and has been injured again.
He's playing much more like a bottom-six forward (he's on pace for his highest hit total ever) than the top-six forward we expected to see. He isn't shooting or scoring at a clip anywhere close to what he showed last season, but he's at least being physical, and his play driving is starting to turn a corner. With the Flyers looking for any solution, a Foerster breakthrough would be welcome.
His expectations have been lowered by reports that he's playing through an injury, but if he's out there, he has to produce or else, what's the point?
Owen Tippett
There may be no player more deeply frustrating (at least to this writer) than Owen Tippett. He has shown the ability to completely take over a game and that at any moment he can be the best player on the ice. The problem is that when he isn't in sicko mode, Tippett tends to look bland.
He's been teasing the 30-goal mark and stepping into the ranks of the top power forwards, but this year he's only managed 2 goals and 4 points and just hasn't had it on most nights. His skating has been lethargic at times; he hasn't had the clean moves from previous years; his ice time is down, and he doesn't seem as trigger-happy, which isn't good for a volume shooter like Tippett.
While Tippett feels like he could or should be a Flyers staple, he hasn't escaped trade rumors, and they'll grow louder if he isn't scoring soon.
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