The Philadelphia Flyers finished as a bottom-four team in the NHL, and this was a successful way to attempt to get as close to a first-overall draft pick as possible. Realistically, being in the bottom three gives you the best odds for the first overall, but not all hope is lost.
It’s funny that ping-pong balls dictate the future of a franchise. However, the Flyers have much more to focus on besides the draft.
Who will captain the Flyers’ ship?
One big question is who will be the team’s new head coach. I found it strange that Brad Shaw was still under consideration due to the direction this team was trying to take. Shaw is a brilliant defensive-minded coach, but is it enough for him to further his days as head coach behind the Flyers bench? I can’t see that happening. It would be ideal if the Flyers could find a role for him in Lehigh (Phantoms) due to his ability to construct an excellent penalty kill, and it could help significantly with the development of the younger players.
Can the power play be transformed?
One significant change was that the Flyers finally moved on from Rocky Thompson, which means that the power play that’s been one of the worst in the NHL can now find success with the new coaching staff. This leads me to believe that the Flyers will bring in a new face. My top three selections are Rick Tocchet, Mike Sullivan, and David Carle. When Flyers GM Danny Brierre was asked about potentially hiring a college coach, he wasn’t shutting the idea down, but he wants a more veteran coach to lead this team. A decision will not be made soon as the Flyers will take their time to find the right person for this back half of the rebuild.
Can they find stability at goaltender?
Is it Philadelphia hockey if the question about the goalie doesn’t get brought up? Based on Briere’s exit interview, I believe the Flyers will “run it back,” with Sam Ersson being the 1A and Ivan Fedotov or Aleksei Kolosov being the 1B. Fedotov is adamant that he won’t go to Lehigh and is confident that he will earn the spot as backup again, even though he said he came to the City of Brotherly Love to be a starter.
Other pending questions
The Orange and Black need to look at the available free agents and try to find more staples for defense, as I don’t have the feeling Egor Zamula will be a part of the team. The Flyers could also benefit from centers.
Overall, this will be the final year before the Flyers will have big money to spend on some top-tier talent.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
