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The Flyers Continue to Struggle on the PP, yet No Change is in Sight
Photo Credit NHL.com
This past off-season, the Philadelphia Flyers organization made many changes to their personnel. From the front office, we saw a new President of Hockey Ops be named in Keith Jones, a new General Manager in Danny Briere, and even a new Director of Player Development be named in Riley Armstrong. More importantly, though, came the actions taken behind the scenes once these three were in power. For far too long, the Flyers have given the clubs’ former head coaches and GMs the boot without any thought of replacing the lesser-known people behind the scenes who are actively working with their prospects on a daily basis.
That was until both Jones and Briere came to power. These two former players understood that it takes more than a king to build a castle. So, they set out to deconstruct this franchise down to the cornerstones that have been the foundation of this franchise for a long time. Yes, indeed, there were so many moves this off-season to personnel that it seemed like Grand Central Station around their practice facility in Voorhees, NJ. The team’s firings, promotions, and new hirings involved many aspects of the club, whether it be the Medical Staff, Pro Scouting department, or Player Development, all saw their fair share of changes this off-season.
And for good reason! Case in point, the firing of the underperforming former Flyer Kjell Samuelsson was long overdue. Kjell was gifted a job immediately after hanging up his skates for the last time some 23 years ago. He spent the last ten years running the teams’ player development program and the previous 13 years before that serving as a coach for the Phantoms. In my mind, Samuelsson was a major reason why the Flyers haven’t had an elite-level prospect come out of the organization’s farm system for some time. Think about it: the only successful prospects that have come out of the Flyers system have come directly from playing in the NCAA or CHL and made the jump to the Flyers immediately or shortly after their arrival. These players include Travis Konecny, Carter Hart, Joel Farabee, and Cam York. Meanwhile, high-level prospects like Morgan Frost, Isaac Ratcliffe, Kirill Ustimenko, German Rubtsov, Pascal Laberge, and Felix Sandstrom, who all had extended stays with the Phantoms, either developed at an extremely slow rate or not at all.
Some notable additions since the firing of others have been the likes of John LeClair and Patrick Sharp being named as special advisors to Hockey Operations and the former All-Star Dany Heatley being brought in as a pro scout.
But despite all these positive moves being made, it baffles me that the club has failed to address one of its biggest disappointments: its power play. Over the last few seasons, the Flyers power play unit has ranked amongst the league’s worst.
In the 2021-2022 season, the power play unit was run by NHL tough guy Ian Laperriere. He was an NHL veteran who played 1,083 NHL games throughout 16 seasons, where he only managed to amass just five power-play goals. Now, while Lappy is an amazing guy, and his determination and devotion to his team while playing (I.E., him sacrificing his body to block a shot with his face not once but twice in one season for the Flyers) will never be questioned, I think the decision to place a guy who made a career by being willing to drop the gloves to come to the aid of a teammate, to run the power play should be.
And here’s why! During the 2021-2022 season, when Ian was in charge of the 5 on 4. The Flyers finished the season ranked dead last on the man advantage. Scoring just 30 goals on the season while on the PP, the Flyers could only convert on their chances for a very laughable 12.6% of the time.
Seeing this problem, management demoted Lappy to being the head coach of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. A role in which he proved to excel at, seeing that he took the Phantoms farther than the Flyers got last season, with the Phantoms losing in the qualifying round of the playoffs.
But while, this decision by the Flyers proved to be wise and provided them an opportunity to bring in a much more qualified person for the job. Their decision on who that person might be, was not! Back in July 2022, the Flyers decided to replace Lappy with a less talented career knuckle dragger in Rocky Thompson, a player who, during his short 25-NHL game career, never scored a single goal or an assist. Let alone see any kind of power play time. Hell, I don’t even think Rocky amassed that much ice time, given that most instances he was just put out there long enough for the puck to drop and for him to ask the guy standing across from him if he wanted to go.
Now, I’m not saying either one of these guys is a horrible coach. I’m merely raising the question, why might management think it wise to put multiple people in charge of running the power play unit that spent their careers rearranging people’s faces instead of scoring goals?
I’m serious; before joining the Flyers bench staff, Rocky’s coaching resume was as follows. He spent two seasons heading up the San Jose Sharks power play unit, where they finished 29th overall in the 20-21 season and 22nd in the 21-22 season. Not to mention that Thompson was rumored to be let go from his duties in San Jose after nearly getting into a fight with the Sharks star forward Evander Kane in the locker room. I mean, I guess old habits die hard, right?
To further prove that Rocky Thompson might not be the right man for the job here in Philly. Let us look at last season when the Flyers finished dead last in power play percentage with him behind the bench, drawing the X’s and O’s on the whiteboard. Under Rock’s tutelage, the Flyers only converted on their chances 15.56% of the time. In total, the team scored just 35 goals last year on the man advantage while the league’s best Edmonton Oilers managed to net 89 goals and were converting 32.36% of their chances.
This year is no different. With Thompson still somehow managing to keep his job here in Philadelphia, the Flyers find themselves currently tied with the St. Louis Blues for the league’s worst power play yet again. Having only scored four goals so far this season on the man advantage, the Flyers success rate while on the PP this year is a shockingly low 7.69%. To put that into perspective, the league’s best team on the man advantage this year, the New Jersey Devils, are currently finding the back of the net 38.46% of the time on the man advantage—scoring an impressive 20 power-play goals so far this season. Mind you, this is with the Flyers now having Couturier and Atkinson back from injury, as well as having the talented youngsters’ Bobby Brink and Tyson Foerster directly being inserted into the lineup.
This recurring nightmare could have been avoided if the Flyers chose to relieve Thompson of his duties at the end of last season and, in turn, continue to fall back on their perpetual nepotism and hire someone much more qualified for the job like former Flyers great Mark Recchi, for example.
Mark is a three-time Stanley Cup-winning Hall of Famer who played 10 of his 22 seasons in the NHL with the Flyers. And, over the course of his illustrious career, he was able to score 577 goals and 956 assists for a total of 1,533 points. What’s even more noteworthy about his accomplishments in terms of this article, though, is the fact that 200 of those goals came while playing on the power play! A feat that ranks him only four goals behind “The Great One” Wayne Gretzky, who finished his career scoring 204 power-play goals.
But Mark did not only score goals while on the power play. He also was able to tally up 369 assists while on the man advantage as well. This feat brought him to an unfathomable career total of 569 power-play points. Folks, that’s more than Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Brett Hull, or Gordie Howe.
I’m not just pulling a name out of a hat here. Since Recchi has retired, he has spent time being a senior advisor to the Dallas Stars, a developmental coach, and an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins (where he added two more Stanley Cups rings as a coach), the New Jersey Devils, and most recently the Columbus Blue Jackets where he still holds a job with today running their power play after being brought on in late September of this year.
Obviously, Mark Recchi was but an example for this article, and he would not be an option if the Flyers were to act now to correct this issue. But this at least shows that there was a much more qualified candidate out there to be had. It’s sad that because of the Flyers’ unwillingness to act, they missed out on a fantastic opportunity to gain someone already in the franchise’s circle of trust that could have helped out this team moving forward.
With that being said, at this point, I think something still needs to be done. Thompson has become totally ineffective. He has lost the respect of the locker room. And I can’t blame the players for that. Again, I’m not saying that he is necessarily a bad coach, just that Rocky has never even stepped foot on the ice during a power play opportunity, let alone scored a goal during one. So how do you expect these young players who don’t even remember watching him play to respect him? At least with someone like Recchi, they would have been able to appreciate what he is saying and be willing to go out and try it because the man’s hands are loaded down with six rings. Five of them saying Stanley Cup Champion, and one of them saying Hockey Hall of Fame Member.
Prospect Watch: Critiquing the Top-Rated Goalies of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft
Terry Wilson / OHL Images
If you have read any of my work before, you know that I have been a goalie for well over 30 years, and I also enjoy giving back to my community by volunteering to coach young netminders. In saying that, though, I feel there’s a legitimate reason why goalies often take a little longer to develop. That reason is that a goaltender tends to be a rare breed. This job requires a person to be slightly off or even a bit deranged. Think about it: would you be willing to offer to stand in front of someone shooting a large piece of vulcanized rubber toward your head at a rate of over 100 m.p.h.? Most of you probably very quickly said NO to that last question. But for the few of you odd ducks that thought that sounded like fun and can honestly say you have no problem dealing with the extreme stress and pressure of being the last line of defense that often gets blamed for their team losing a game, not to mention having to put your body through the most strain of any other position out on the ice then this may be the job for you!
And since I have the gray hair, bad knees, and horrible posture to prove it. For all intense purposes here, I’ll just go ahead and consider myself more qualified than most so-called sports journalists (who have probably not ever stepped foot on the ice) to critique the next crop of guardians of the blue paint coming out of the 2024 Entry Draft.
Eric Olsson
For some time now, Eric Olsson from Sweden has been one of the highest rated goalies in this upcoming draft. This is for good reason, seeing that besides being arguably one of the most complete goalies out of this draft, he also has the size teams in the NHL tend to covet. Standing at 6’4 and 183 pounds, this 18-year-old netminder has recently decided to leave his native county where he had so much success to instead get a head start on learning the North American game when he agreed to play for the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) this season. So far, that learning curve is proving to be rather steep because, through five games played, Eric is averaging an atrocious 4.97 goals against average (G.A.A.) and a .862 Save Percentage (SV%).
One thing I like about his game is that it is evident that he has been properly trained. Like most top-level goalies coming out of Sweden, Olsson shows good mobility and positioning. Something he needs to work on, though, is his ability to play the puck. Although I like his willingness to come out and play the puck, It doesn’t make him exactly good at it. Olsson has looked tentative at best when coming out to play the puck, resulting in a few missed handles. Overall, if the draft were to take place today, most mock drafts would still have him going in the late 2nd round.
Carter George
The next goaltender on our list is my favorite of this draft class, and his name is Carter George. This 17-year-old goalie plays for the Owen Sound Attack of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and unlike most guys featured in this article, Carter can win games all by himself. Being able to play much larger than his 6’0 frame should be physically capable of has allowed Carter to become unbelievably patient between the pipes. I believe this trait has most scouts drooling because it is George’s innate ability to wait until the opposing player makes a move before he decides to counter it that sees him being labeled a bit of a shootout prodigy. And we all know if a goalie does well in shootouts, then their team will most likely be able to acquire quite a few more points over the course of the season. This sometimes means the difference between a club making the playoffs and one destined to start working on their golf game a little earlier.
George has played in 12 games this season, averaging 2.65 G.A.A. and a .915 SV%, earning himself one shutout and a record of 5-4-1. Regarding international play, Carter recently backstopped Team Canada in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup to a Gold Medal, where he posted similar numbers in five games played. As it stands now, scouts have George being drafted by a team in the third round.
Eemil Vinni
Subsequently, the next goalie projected to be taken in the 3rd round is Eemil Vinni of Finland. Eemil is a 17-year-old goalie that currently stands at 6’2 and 187 pounds. Vinni has received high praise primarily for his efforts while wearing his nation’s colors. Take, for instance, Eemils’ performance in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last season, where through four games played, he was able to maintain a 1.75 G.A.A. and a .927 SV%.
But those stat lines were some time ago now, for he has struggled playing in the Finland’s junior ranks this season. For example, in the Mestis this season, he has barely been a .500 goalie with a record of 5-4-1. But I guess that’s what kind of production you get when you allow an average of 3.67 G.A.A. and only manage a .868 SV%.
What I like about Vinni’s game, though, is his hands. He has a solid glove and blocker that he uses to react quickly by swallowing up all rebounds into his chest.
But with Eemil still far from being perfect, there are a few things I still feel he needs to work on. First, Eemil likes to keep the puck in play a little too much. Doing this does not allow your team the chance to change personnel and can result in costly turnovers or rebound attempts. Next up is his inability to control rebounds down low. Vinni seems not to be able to control shots on the ice. Instead, he wildly kicks the puck, more often than not right back out into the danger zones, and when he does go down to make a play, his stick comes up off the ice too frequently, resulting in the puck sometimes rolling right up his stick and over his shoulder into the goal. Although still young, he has got to work on controlling the lower half of his body because, as we all know, ice level is where most shots come from.
As it stands now, mock drafts have Eemil being selected late in the third round, but there are a few other goalies I would rather draft if I were a GM before I took a chance on this still-raw prospect.
Ryerson Leenders
Here is a guy I feel will see his stock rise as the season progresses. 17-year-old Ryerson Leenders stands at 6’1 and 179 pounds and plays for the Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL. Taking the league by storm with his lightning-quick glove hand, refined movements, and shutdown ice-level coverage has earned Leenders multiple goaltender of the week honors this season. Like George, I feel as though Ryerson could be the real deal. On any given night, Leenders has proven that he can will his team to victory by simply standing on his head. Through 12 games played this season, Leenders has recorded eight wins, two of which were shutouts. Currently, Ryerson holds a respectable 3.21 G.A.A. average and a .910 SV%. If he continues on this pace, there is no doubt in my mind that Leenders will see his name rise in the ranks and be taken much sooner than initially expected.
Jackson Parsons
Sticking in the OHL, we now shall talk about an 18-year-old goaltender named Jackson Parsons. Jackson plays for the Kitchener Rangers, and I believe this Canadian goalie will be better than his current 4th Rd. Draft ranking would have you believe. What sets this 6’1, 203-pound puck stopper apart from the rest is that he’s fast enough to get across the crease to stop shots that he shouldn’t. Another skill that Parsons speed has him excel at is recovering from a butterfly position. After a shot occurs that requires Jackson to drop down to the ice, he doesn’t just stay and flop around on the ice; he quickly returns to his feet and reengages the play.
So far this season, these traits have looked to pay off for Parsons and the Rangers, as they currently find themselves in first place in the Midwest Division and the entire Western Conference. In doing so, Parsons has paired a 2.71 G.A.A. with a .907 SV%, acquiring two shutouts along the way.
Although it’s still early, these are just a few quality goaltenders I believe will hear their names called this upcoming summer. In what order will they go, and which team will they be drafted by? Unfortunately, these are all questions that will have to be answered another day, but right now, all we can do is sit back and watch how these young netminders progress.
Checking in with the Flyers Centers, Down on the Farm
Since we are a couple of weeks into the season, I thought it would be wise to see how our teams’ prospects are doing down on the farm. Like most teams, the Flyers have prospects they drafted currently playing in almost every league all over the world, and in saying that, it can be awfully hard and time-consuming to keep up with them all.
So, to save you the trouble, I picked out a few players who seem to be doing pretty well for themselves right about now.
Centers
Unlike previous years, the Flyers have depth at every position, and so I don’t make this article any longer than it has to be; I thought we should break it down to positions. So the first we’ll talk about is the center position. When Danny Briere took the job of General Manager of the Flyers, there was no doubt in anybody’s mind that the center position was a position of extreme need. This probably didn’t exactly sit well with this former All-Star center, so to change that in just a few short months, Danny has added depth to the NHL lineup by signing veteran center Ryan Poehling. He also made sure that his coaches would have no problem filling holes in future lineups at the position when he traded for a center prospect and selected multiple dot dwellers from this past draft.
Massimo Rizzo
The first player you should know about is Massimo Rizzo, a 22-year-old center that the Flyers acquired the rights to from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for David Kase. But we all know it was more of a thank you for having to go through the hassle of buying out Tony DeAngelo since the league blocked a trade between the two teams because it had been less than a year since the Flyers made the deal for the underperforming defenseman. Anyway, Rizzo has turned out to be more than just some consolation prize. Rizzo plays for the University of Denver (where he won a National Championship with the Flyers’ Bobby Brink in the 21-22 season). In this, his third year with the team, Massimo has seemed to pick up right where he left off last season when he scored 46 points in 38 games during the 22-23 campaign. Rizzo is currently tied for second in points this season in all the NCAA, netting five goals and ten assists for 15 points in just seven games played. With Rizzo playing so well right now, I don’t know about you, but if I were Danny Briere, I think I would make signing a center who is currently producing at a rate of 2.14 points per game and has totaled 97 points and has maintained a +54 average through just two and a quarter season in the NCAA a priority.
Denver Barkey
Another way Danny seemed to add depth to this position was when he decided to take center Denver Barkey in the third round of this past summer’s draft. As you might have seen from his pre-season success with the Flyers, this 5’9 diminutive faceoff man’s game began to draw close comparisons to the man who drafted him. And why wouldn’t it? They are the same height, similar stature, and play a similar style. But nothing lasts forever, and even though Barkey showed the team sparks of what may be to come, he eventually left camp without a contract and returned to the London Knights of the OHL. Since his return, though Barkey has not let off the gas pedal. In 13 games played so far, Denver has scored eight goals and nine assists for 17 points. Folks, if you’re doing the math, that means he is scoring at a rate of 1.30 points per game right now, and if he continues at this pace, Denver is due to record 42 goals and 47 assists for 89 points. Let’s not forget that he is a plus player and is projected to finish the season as a +47. For all these reasons and more, the Flyers look like they just may have stolen one here in the form of Barkey. For getting a guy who can perform at this level at such a young age, you would think the Flyers would have had to utilize a 1st or an early 2nd round pick on him not a third. Time will tell just what his ceiling may be, but as of right now, it appears that Denver could find himself with an entry-level contract real soon.
Ryan MacPherson
The last guy we will discuss in this article is Ryan MacPherson, Philly’s 6th-round pick from 2023. Ryan is currently playing for the Penticton Vees of the BCHL and is operating at a 1.38-point-per-game pace. Through 14 games, he has scored seven goals and 12 assists for a total of 19 points. But Ryan can do more than score; he is defensively responsible, too. MacPherson is commonly the last forward out of the defensive zone because he frequently is the only one willing to help out deep in his defensive zone to create a breakout. While Ryan is currently a top-five scorer in his league, maintaining a 1.35 points per game right now, it usually is not as competitive as some others, so he might have to stay there longer until he can materialize into a player whose stats management just can’t deny.
For far too long, the Flyers have drafted a player they liked at the time and then turned around with the intention of making them learn a new position out of need. For example, take Claude Giroux and Scott Laughton being forced in the past to play wing. With these three above-mentioned players now in the system, there should be no need for the likes of Cutter Gauthier and or Alexis Gendron to feel obligated to learn to play center. Hopefully, now that the team has people in place (Briere at GM, and Jones at President of Hockey Ops) with some common sense and actual knowledge of how to play the game, we will see this trend come to an end and rather than wishing and hoping a guy can learn a new position they will just draft with that position of need in mind.