Time for a Flyer Sale?
The Philadelphia Flyers face a rocky season despite talented new players.
November 2015
Spencer Berg '19
Much to the dismay of Flyers fans everywhere, since we made the Stanley Cup Finals in 2010, the Flyers have gone on a downward spiral. Despite the promising growth of young players such as Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek, the Flyers have had their share of good streaks but have nothing to show for it.
Each and every year, they show what they can do midway through the season, but they can't find a way to make that last the whole season. Still seeking their first Stanley Cup in almost 40 years, the results so far simply won't cut it.
If one looked around the league, they would see teams full of young stars drafted in the early rounds, from the most recent 1st overall pick Connor McDavid to the well-established Tyler Seguin (2010, 2nd overall). With free agency in hockey hardly something to rely on to get top players, is it time for the Flyers to go the Sixers route and drops some of their pieces in hopes of receiving future success?
Tanking in hockey is not nearly as simple as it is in other sports. With every team holding 4 lines of players, no matter who you play, both teams are usually still going to have chances. There is no true way to house a somewhat competitive roster that is still built around losing as the Sixers and Phillies have done.
Along with that, the Flyers seem to have no intention to trade away any major pieces such as the aforementioned Giroux and Voracek, as well as having many young players set to move up soon. Would it be worth it?
Despite their obvious struggles to win, the Flyers have many assets that would be helpful to contending teams. Players such as Wayne Simmonds, Mark Streit, and struggling players such as Sean Couturier and Matt Read would be great 2nd to 4th line options on a playoff team. Freeing up space by giving up these players for more picks could give the young players in the AHL time to grow by playing at the NHL level as well as giving us the chance to pick even better assets via the draft. The question is again, would it be worth it?
If the Flyers would do these deals, it would likely benefit their player development. There are many rookies and 2nd year players down with the Phantoms (minor league hockey) who would grow better against heightened competition. Though the Flyers are tied for 10th in the Eastern Conference (2 spots out of the last playoff spot) with 13 points, don't be fooled - with just 28 goals through 14 games as of November 8th, unless they suddenly ramp it up on the offensive end they are sure to drop in the standings once there is a larger sample size of games.
By getting rid of some players, they can become a stronger team in the future rather than being just mediocre today and having nothing to show for it. More draft picks couldn't hurt at this point. The team is mostly hopeless after a mediocre 5 game road trip and would have lost all 5 games if not for a great defensive showing, letting up just 27 shots (average is around 40 for each team) and no goals to an average Winnipeg Jets team in a 3-0 win. Backup goalie Michal Neuvirth, who has 3 shutouts in games that starter Steve Mason was out, has been the only bright spot on the team.
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On the other hand, the Flyers aren't all that bad. Neuvirth is currently sporting the best save percentage in the NHL at .945 to go along with a 1.81 goals against average. He has played outstanding in most of his 7 starts, with his record showing mostly losses due to a lack of offensive support. He could possibly ignite a fire in the team should coach Dave Hakstol drop Mason on the depth chart.
Though they have a very small shot at making the playoffs this year, if they catch fire and run off a few wins in a row a couple of times there is still some hope. It is early in the season, and although the outcome of the season is fairly predictable from what we’ve seen, anything can happen before the start of the playoffs. The team has a young core who seem to be working their way into their prime and their cap hit isn't all that much. There is little chance that they would give up all hope before the trade deadline unless a team comes begging with an unrefusable offer. Along with this, getting rid of such players may cause others to jump ship. Who knows how these deals would work out in the future anyways?