Where Do the Flyers Go From Here?

With the NHL taking a timeout, let's examine where the Flyers are heading for the rest of this season.
Washington Capitals v Philadelphia Flyers
Washington Capitals v Philadelphia Flyers | Mitchell Leff/GettyImages

While the NHL world is shut down for a little bit and the hockey world is focused on the Four Nations Tournament, it's a good time to take time to reflect on the Philadelphia Flyers and what they are up to.

Let's examine where they are headed, both for this year and the future. And take a look at six of the key issues with this team.

Trades?

The Flyers have already made one dramatic move, shipping Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee to Calgary for some picks, Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier. We'll have to see how that trade pans out. So far, it could be promising as Kuzmenko had an assist in his first game as a Flyer.

Could anyone else be on the trade block? It's hard to say. The Flyers don't have too many guys on expiring contracts. Daniel Briere said he is not inclined to move Rasmus Ristolainen; a guy many feel is probably the best tradable asset. 

To be fair, there aren't a lot of players the Flyers could trade because of either contract lengths or a lack of talent. It's possible that the Flyers could be standing pat with what they have. I know you wish I had better news than that, but I probably don't.

Playoffs or No Playoffs?

Which brings us to the playoff conversation. After going 3-6-1 in their last 10 games, the Flyers have fallen to the bottom of the Eastern Conference, ahead of only Buffalo. The odd thing is, with 55 points, they are only a measly six points away from a wild card spot. This means two things: A) the Flyers aren't out of it and B) it's crowded in the East right now. 

Can the Flyers still make the playoffs? Maybe. Perhaps the additions made in the Frost/Farabee trade could be a spark. We saw this in '94 when the Flyers traded Mark Recchi for John LeClair and Eric Desjardins. Suddenly a team that was floundering roared into the playoffs.  Maybe the team, emboldened by this may try to swing a few other deals and make a run.

Or maybe not. Most likely, if they make the playoffs, especially with an iffy goaltending situation, they'd be one and done. While they are not tanking, they still need to evaluate younger players like Emil Andrae, Jamie Drysdale, Cam York, Olle Lycksell, Pelletier, etc. to see if they fit the plans for the team moving forward. If not, the team may have to reshuffle the deck this offseason.  

So, a playoff run could be fun, but it may derail the team. Look at us now. We got so excited last year at a run and here we are watching this mess.

Pending Free Agents?

The Flyers do not have a lot in the way of pending free agents. Noah Cates will probably be re-signed. It's hard to see the team not re-signing York or Tyson Foerster unless they are traded for something better. Both Kuzmenko and Pelletier would need to be re-signed, with Kuzmenko being an UFA and Pelletier an RFA. The rest of the season will be a test for those two players to see if the team wants to hold onto them.

Other than that, that's it. The Flyers could move one of those guys for draft picks or a prospect,  but it's probably unlikely. 

Tortorella or No Tortorella?

This is the big question. Is Tortorella the guy to continue with this team? Is he the right guy to go forward with? He has done a lot to improve the games of Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim, and Ristolainen.  

However, the team has stagnated on goal scoring and has suffered every season on the power play. Although to be fair, this team has struggled on the power play for years. Does he have the right temperament for this team going forward? He's an interesting guy. Some players love him and others despise him. There are few in the middle. He is a proven winner, but he is old school.

At the same time, who'd you replace him with? There aren't a lot of high-quality guys that show up on the coaching radar right now. He might be the best option moving forward.

How's the Draft Looking? 

As of right now, the Flyers have three picks in the first round and four in the second. That's pretty awesome.  If the season ended the way it is right now, the Flyers would hold the 6th, 21st, and 30th overall picks. It's possible the team could package the sixth, another first-rounder, and maybe a second-rounder to move up a few spots. Or, they could package the two lower first-rounders and grab something in the 11-20 range. We'll see.

According to the NHL, this appears to be a center heavy draft. That's good because the Flyers could really use a center. Maybe this is what helped make Frost expendable.

The bigger question is how NHL-ready are these guys. Who knows? Nolan Patrick was supposed to be a can't-miss prospect and injuries claimed him. Cates was a fifth-rounder and seems to be a top-six forward. It's a crap shoot.

We'll know more about the draft, as well as the top prospects as we get closer to June. It does look like the Flyers have a lot of options that could be very beneficial.

Moving Forward?

It's hard to say. The Flyers will have more money to spend on free agency, but it might be hard to attract any of the big names. Are any of the top prospects ready to come up? Even then, most of the ones that show any sort of promise are still in the junior leagues in Canada or Russia. We could be two-to-three years away from any of them making an impact. The Phantoms are struggling, as they have been the last few years, so it's hard to see any relief from there any time soon.

Briere and Co. tell us to keep the faith. It will all turn around soon and this team will be dominant once again. I hope so. It's great to see the Phillies contending every year right now. I'm ecstatic and through the roof that the Eagles just brought home Lombardi Trophy number two! But where is the Flyers parade? When will their moment come? 

The future is murky. It seems like there are some lights near the end of the tunnel. But how deep is that tunnel?

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