We finally reach a team with a great future, with a great core currently, great goaltending, and is only a few moves away from being a true threat in the playoffs. Yes, they were eliminated in six games by the Washington Capitals, but before the second round it appeared the Capitals could go all the way.
Seriously, if everything goes according to plan for the Flyers, they will be one of the best teams in the league in 1-2 years and will be that exceptional team for 5-7 years, as long as Giroux and Voracek stay solid.
Here are the moves the Flyers can make to reach that level.
1. The Developing Defense
The Flyers have some of the best defensive prospects in the League. In fact, they have five of them.
Shayne Gostisbehere is one of them. Ghost Bear has done exceptionally well this year in his limited run and is up for the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year as the highest scoring defensive rookie. He’s going to be a challenger for Erik Karlsson’s Norris Trophy soon, and he should be a top-pairing defenseman for the Flyers for years to come.
The other four are Ivan Provorov, Samuel Morin, Travis Sanheim, and either Mark Alt or Robert Hagg. Although if both turn out, the Flyers have six defensemen ready to go into the future. And that’s an insane feat.
Michael Del Zotto, 25, should be the backup sixth defenseman and Shayne Gostisbehere’s defensive partner going forward. But it’s time to call up the kids they feel are ready, like Provorov and Sanheim. They have three free agents – Radko Gudas, Brandon Manning, and Yevgeni Medvedev.
The first two are restricted free agents, and if the Flyers management feels more confident in them, they should continue to keep them, but on tradeable contracts. The rookies will be ready eventually.
2. The Elevating Extensions
As stated, three defensemen are up for contracts. In addition, five forwards will be entering free agency, including Jordan Weal, Sam Gagner, Nick Cousins, Brayden Schenn, and Ryan White.
Recommended renewals include Gagner, Schenn, and White. Gagner is the only UFA of this group, and at 26 is a question. Cousins and Gagner are depth players for the Flyers, and are less important, but Gagner was a leading scorer for the Flyers in the postseason and Cousins was important to their center depth, and was a rookie this season, finishing with a positive rating.
Schenn is 24, and a top 6 player for the Flyers. He was second on the team in goals, and came in only a point behind Wayne Simmonds on the season. He will be given a bigger payday than the Flyers can perhaps afford (they only have around 7 mil currently in cap space), but if they can’t afford to bring him back he would bring a great trade return. 3
Although again, trading veteran defensemen and letting some others leave would be a cheaper option and allow the Flyers to bring back Schenn and others.
3. The Pick Project
The Flyers are a team that doesn’t trade draft picks, but rather collects them. It’s how they’ve gathered what is essentially a complete defense moving forward, it’s how they’ve added forwards at the same time, and they continued to do so this year, as they have ten picks in this year’s draft.
Using those ten picks to their full potential will be important for the Flyers going forward, because they will need depth on offense, and with five picks in the first three rounds, they should be able to get it. Now that they have the defense they have, and it appears that those prospects worked out, the Flyers need to turn their attention to the offense.
If they don’t want to take five offensemen however, as that would be nearly two lines, the Flyers could take a goaltender because …
4. The Flyers’ Fence
The goaltenders of Philadelphia will be both in need of an extension next year. Both were important to the success of the Flyers this year, and both are still relatively young for goaltenders at 28.
If the Flyers must make a choice, it will be a very hard one. Michal Neuvirth came up huge this year, both in the regular season and in the postseason. After Mason was pulled against the Capitals, it appeared Neuvirth had the potential to outplay Braden Holtby as Matt Murray would go on to do. It also appeared that he should have played the entire series. In the regular season, Neuvirth posted a 2.27 and .924 in 32 games.
Steve Mason, on the other hand, had a down year after being quietly one of the best goaltenders in the league last year. He was reliable and consistent for the Flyers, and has a proven past. He was out shined by Neuvirth this year, but managed to post a 2.51 and a .918 in 54 years.
The Flyers’ thankfully are rid of RJ Umberger’s 4.5 mil contract the year the goaltenders reach free agency, but also must re-sign the rest of their defense, including Del Zotto and Mark Streit. It’s going to be a hard year for the Flyers, but they must re-sign at least one of their guys.
The Flyers future is bright. But they have some important moves to make, and should consider making them early.