Before the season, when we were previewing the 2015-16 Flyers campaign, we wrote about the team’s best and worst-case scenarios for the season.
As it turns out, we’ve seen that so-called best-case scenario play out right in front of our eyes. Anything else that might take place here is just going to be the cherry on top. Take a look at what Charlie wrote back in October and realize just how close this “best-case” is to what really has happened this year:
Hakstol’s fresh ideas from college create a dynamic offensive machine built upon calculated risk-taking and sound neutral zone play.
Yep, that happened.
Mason puts up another Vezina-caliber performance and convinces all remaining doubters of his elite status.
Maybe not quite Vezina-caliber, but … well, at even strength, he’s been the second-best goaltender in hockey, just a hair back of Noted Ugly Man Henrik Lundqvist.
Medvedev proves a KHL stalwart can excel in the NHL, stabilizing the defense.
Well, OK. No, although Medvedev has certainly played better than his spot in Dave Hakstol’s doghouse implies.
More help comes early, as one of the prized AHL blueline prospects (Gostisbehere, Hagg, Morin) earns a call-up and is immediately effective.
Shayne Gostisbehere might win the Calder Trophy.
The first line remains elite, and either Giroux or Voracek takes a run at the Art Ross.
Not quite, but Giroux in particular has been elite even if Voracek has had an off year on the scoreboard.
Couturier finally develops into the 50-point Selke contender that he has threatened to become since draft day.
40 points, but he missed 20 games due to injury. And had that injury not happened, he absolutely would have been a Selke contender.
Reclamation project Sam Gagner is a revelation, a newly-healthy Umberger is a useful depth forward and Lecavalier either reinvigorates his career under Hakstol or is quickly benched.
1) Sure, close enough. 2) Well, no. 3) “Traded to Los Angeles” is a little more extreme than “quickly benched” but it serves the same purpose.
The Flyers hit the playoffs a dangerous but flawed team and put a serious scare into one of the favorites, serving notice that this is a team on the rise.
