It's hard to believe, but the Philadelphia Flyers' season is already a quarter over. I know, I know. It seems like it just started, but as we get ready to stuff our faces with turkey and pumpkin pie and start the holiday season, our beloved hockey team is already 20 games into the season.
With that said, what have we learned so far? What trends are we seeing? What are some of the positives and what are the areas of concern?
1: The Goalie Situation is....Ummmmmm....Interesting
We knew at the beginning of this season that the Flyers goalie situation could make or break this year. Sam Ersson was coming into the season as the legit #1 guy in net. Backing him up were two untested rookies in Ivan Fedotov and Alexei Kolosov. After how last year ended, there was some concern that Ersson might not be ready for the big time.
Ersson has started well. After a shaky start to the season, he seemed to find his feet. His GAA is 2.70, and his save percentage is .902, which leads the team. Ersson also has one shutout. Then he got hurt.
Kolosov and Fedotov have spent 10 games in net as starters, with Fedotov starting seven of the contests. Both got off to some scary and troubling starts. Fedotov has seemed to settle down a bit more and is seemingly getting more comfortable in the net. As backups, they aren't bad, but if they have to carry the load for a long time, the Flyers could be in trouble. However, it isn't all their fault.
2: The Flyers Won't Last Long If Defense Keeps Getting Hurt
Lately, it seems the Flyers can't go through a game without someone on defense getting hurt. Nick Seeler started the year injured. Then they lost Cam York and Jamie Drysdale. Emil Andrae got called up to replace Drysdale, played well, and then got hurt.
Look, injuries are a part of the game. Good teams can rebound and hold it together. Struggling teams can't. When John Tortorella first took over the Flyers, injuries hampered what he was trying to do. The fact that the recent injuries are all on defense is particularly concerning. The blue line is getting depleted quickly. There are only so many AHL guys who can come up.
If the injuries on the backup end continue to mount, the Flyers will not be able to hang in. Travis Sanheim is playing great, but he can't play 40 minutes. Neither can Rasmus Ristolainen. They are holding down the fort, but that can only last so long.
3: Where is the Offense?
However, it doesn't matter how the defense and goalies are playing if they can't score. Travis Konecny is leading the way with 11 goals; five of which are on the power play. That puts him on pace for at least 40. Matvei Michkov is right behind with six goals. After them, it's kind of barren.
Owen Tippett and Tyson Foerster have just four goals. Sean Couturier and Joel Farabee have three. Morgan Frost has just one goal, one less than Anthony Richard. These guys are supposed to be the backbone of a dynamic scoring offense. Where is it? They were scoring well last year. Where did that magic go? As a team, they are 21st in goals scored with 54. In this division, that won't cut it.
Interestingly enough, the power play, while better than last year, has struggled as of late. They were hovering around 10th place in the league but have fallen to 20th.
While you can blame the inexperienced goalies and banged up defense for a lot of the problems, the fact is that this team has to score. If they can't start scoring, they will not win.
4: Where Do We Go From Here?
Two years ago, when Tortorella arrived, the Flyers got off to a hot start before losing 10 in a row. Combined with a lot of mounting injuries, the Flyers never recovered. They played better down the stretch, but the team could not climb out of the hole that they dug themselves into. Then last year, the team started off super hot and faded down the stretch.
So far, the team has been playing "meh". They show flashes of being good and then they play badly the next game. They shut out Boston and Tampa, but then they lost back-to-back games against Washington and barely survived the last-place Sharks. It's hard to put your finger on this team.
And to be fair, that makes sense. With the goalie situation in disarray, with the defense in flux, and with an inconsistent offense, this is going to be what happens. This will continue until something changes.
Based on the last two seasons, I would prefer that this team would start like this, shake off whatever rust they have, and then go on a post-Thanksgiving/Christmas tear that takes them to the end of the season. A playoff hunt is still not far-fetched. But can they do it in time before giving all the teams ahead of them too big of a lead?
5: Is Anyone Going to Be Traded Away?
Which brings us to the trade deadline. Will this be a team that is buying or selling? Will they be pushing for a playoff spot or getting ready to set up their tee times? In the end, what is the best thing for this team?
As of right now, the Flyers have three picks in both the first and second rounds next summer. They could add to that. That could add more draft picks for years to come. They could flip some picks for higher picks, top prospects, or a veteran who could bring a different vibe to Philly. We'll see.
When you look at players, the team does have some assets that could be moved. Ristolainen is usually a popular trade candidate as the team has a lot of young promising defenders (if they can stay healthy!). To be fair to him, he has stepped up his defensive game this year after a down year last season.
In addition to Ristolainen, Frost seems to be the next tossed-about name. His well-documented issues with Tortorella have got to come to a head at some point. Either he is part of the long-term vision here or he has to go.
Past that, it depends on who is writing the article. Any web search on Flyers trade rumors could bring up Scott Laughton, Deslauriers, Farabee, and Couturier among some of the top trade candidates. Is there any truth to the rumors? Who knows? Could just be wishful thinking/speculation.
Again, it's too early to tell. Let's see how the Flyers rally between now and the All-Star break. At that point, we'll be in a better space to predict what this team will do.