Which Flyers team will the world see this coming season? Will it be the inconsistent hockey team that people have witnessed for the past few years, or will it finally be a consistent orange and black hockey team? Hopefully, it’s the consistent version this season. Without further delay, here are our answers to your questions.
For starters, Morgan Frost, Isaac Ratcliffe, and Joel Farabee will be exempt from being exposed at the Expansion Draft that is supposed to take place at the end of the 2020-21 season. Players that have played two years or less as a Pro (AHL level or above, is considered Pro level) are exempt from being exposed, thus Frost, Ratcliffe, and Farabee would fall into that category. Moreover, any player that has a no-trade clause would have to be protected. If they refuse to waive their no-trade clause, this means that Claude Giroux and Kevin Hayes would have to be protected.
The Flyers more than likely will use the 7-3-1 protection list, and here are some notable players that may be exposed because of such:
Jakub Voracek
James Van Riemsdyk
Shayne Gostisbehere
Samuel Morin (If he’s still here)
Robert Hagg (If he’s still here)
I think it would be a possibility, only if Travis Konecny and Ivan Provorov re-sign soon. That way Chuck Fletcher would know how exactly how much money he has to play with in terms of cap space, as opposed to just assuming what these two players would re-sign for. One player on my radar is Ryan Reaves from the Vegas Golden Knights. The Flyers lack grit, and toughness right now. Reaves would fit in nicely here in Philadelphia. He has a $2.75 million cap hit, however.
The Flyers now have a coaching staff that is very experienced with coaching approximately 2,500 combined games, but more importantly, they will hold their players accountable. The players will have nowhere to hide, and they better bring their best effort on a nightly basis.
Alain Vigneault wants to win a Stanley Cup, and he hopes it is here in Philadelphia, as he has stated multiple times this offseason. Vigneault wants to limit the number of times players use the dump and chase system, as well as, pair Left-Handed Defencemen with Right-Handed Defencemen. He is trying to make this team less predictable.
Vigneault knows what it takes to succeed in this league. He communicates effectively with his players, so each one knows exactly where they stand. This type of stuff goes a long way during a long season. With that being said, I do believe Vigneault is the right man for the job. He will get the most out of his players, and for these reasons, I do believe the Flyers will make the playoffs this year. Maybe not a Stanley Cup this season, but this young Flyers team will be a competitive one for sure.
If you would like to see your questions submitted in our weekly mailbag. Just submit your question on our Facebook page or on Twitter using #Flyersmail. Thanks to all the fans for another great mailbag, and Let’s go Flyers. Without your support, we wouldn’t be here today.
Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports
