Don’t look now, but the Philadelphia Flyers could actually be fun this coming season … maybe? Well, at least on the offensive side of things.
President of Hockey Operations Keith Jones said earlier this month that Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson are expected to be a “full-go” for training camp in September. That’s a sight for sore ears for a team that could use some veteran help.
There were some rumblings that Couturier wanted to return toward the end of last season but ultimately the Flyers decided to play it safe with the center.
The 2020 Selke Trophy winner has undergone back surgery twice since last playing in 2021, so it’s fair to be skeptical of what contributions he’ll be able to give the Flyers. However, it’s important to remember what the 30-year-old center with a $7.75 million cap hit through 2030 can do.
Thomas Williams
At worst, Couturier will likely play at a third-line level to start – and he could stay there. But at best, Couturier could return to some version of himself and age gracefully a la Patrice Bergeron.
The 34-year-old Atkinson also missed all of last season due to a herniated disk in his neck. The veteran is on the downside of his career but he’s a reliable two-way winger that has a history with John Tortorella.
Couturier and Atkinson will be two welcomed additions to a Flyers team that already has plenty of moving pieces throughout the lineup.
Travis Konecny led the team in all main categories despite playing in just 60 games. He scored 31 goals and added 30 assists for 61 points on the season. It was a refreshing bounce-back for Konecny after just 16 goals (on 7.3% shooting) in 79 games the year prior.
Konecny seemed to enjoy playing for John Tortorella and could continue at a point-per-game pace this season. At age 26, Konecny is right in the midst of his prime and could put up new career highs in goals (31), assists (37), and points (61) if all goes well.
Owen Tippett could be the one blessing in disguise from the Chuck Fletcher era. The former first-round pick finally looked like a top-round selection last season with 27 goals in 77 games but only managed 22 assists.
The good news is that Tippett is still just 24 years old and has room to grow. He finished the season on a tear, putting up 15 points (9 goals, 6 assists) in his last 16 games. Last year’s breakout could just be the tip of the iceberg for Tippett.
Morgan Frost had a tale of two seasons last year but still ended up with the fourth-most points on the team.
After scoring twice in the season opener, he only added four more points in his next 26 games for a grand total of six points (three goals, three assists) through December 9th. However, Frost broke out with a four-point night in Arizona on December 11th and rode that to a fantastic final two-thirds of the season with 40 points (16 goals, 24 assists) in 54 games. He did nearly all that damage at even strength with just one power-play goal and one helper on the man advantage.
Frost is entering his age-24 season and it feels like he’s another guy poised for an even bigger breakout – if he gets signed and can build on last year’s finish, that is.
Scott Laughton is the Flyers’ Swiss Army Knife. He can slide up and down the lineup while playing in nearly all situations. The suspected next captain of the Flyers is pretty much a known quantity at this point: a reliable two-way player that can chip in around 15 goals and 40 points in a full season.
Konecny, Tippett, Frost, and Laughton are the only returning Flyers that scored at least 40 points last season.
After those four, the Flyers have a handful of wildcards.
Noah Cates earned some recognition in the Selke Trophy voting last season and should continue to develop as a strong defensive center. We can slot him in as the third-line center.
Joel Farabee only had 39 points last season but the 23-year-old winger showed plenty of promise before an unfortunate neck injury slowed him down. He can be penciled in as a middle-six winger, which it seems like the Flyers have a lot of.
Wade Allison – who is shockingly not the same person as Owen Tippett – is probably more of a bottom-six winger at this point if he can stay healthy. The 25-year-old forward is a ball of energy that is a joy to watch on the ice.
Last, but certainly not least, is someone that could end up being one of the Flyers’ breakout stars this season: Tyson Foerster. The 2020 first-round pick showed off his shot with three goals to go along with four assists in just eight NHL games while racking up 48 points (20 goals, 28 assists) in 66 AHL games.
Frost, Couturier, and Cates will likely be the Flyers’ three centers down the middle. Konecny, Tippett, Atkinson, and Allison all primarily play on the right side and wouldn’t be a bad lineup of right-wingers. The left side is where the Flyers are lacking with Joel Farabee and Scott Laughton as the main top-nine options there.
All in all, the Flyers could have a much better forward group than some are expecting this season. It may not mean that they’ll win more games, especially when you look at the defense corps, but they’ll hopefully be able to score some goals and make watching hockey fun again in Philadelphia.
