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The Philadelphia Flyers have been Officially Eliminated from the Playoffs; What Happens Now?
With the Philadelphia Flyers recently being officially eliminated from any chance of playoff contention this season, their fans have been left to wonder, what happens now?
Who Stays and Who Goes?
Well, first, management must figure out who stays and who goes. This is something that I think the team’s newly appointed interim general manager, Danny Briere, and head coach John Tortorella may have already been collaborating on. Think about it. During one of the Flyers ‘ recent games, Torts recently took a break from his position behind the bench to join Danny in his box. I bet they weren’t up there just shooting the breeze. If this proves true, it can mean nothing but good things for this club, being that the current administration and coaching staff would now be working together to create a vision moving forward instead of the two working against one another as they have in the past. But, even with the two now working together, it will be no easy feat because prior management has left them in quite a hole, loaded down with many injury-prone players with contracts with no end date in sight. Briere and Tortorella will have to get creative. Sure, impending free agents like the Flyers’ 33-year-old James van Riemsdyk and 36-year-old defenseman Justin Braun will be easy choices not to resign, but what do you do with a UFA like their recent acquisition Brendan Lemieux? Since joining the Flyers, Brendan has managed to maintain a spot in Philadelphia’s nightly lineup, scoring six points in eleven games while maintaining a plus-five average. But I guess the question is, do you dare spend a portion of what limited funds the team has available this off-season to bring back this 27-year-old bottom-six tough guy who made $1.35 million this year? Or do you try and sign someone a little less expensive to do the same job next season?
If your answer were to re-sign him, I would urge you to remember the Flyers have multiple restricted free agents to re-sign guys like defensemen Cameron York, Egor Zamula, and Ronnie Attard. Then on offense, you have names like Morgan Frost, Noah Cates, and Kieffer Bellows to consider. Sure, Bellows, who has only scored three goals in close to 30 games played with the Flyers, may prove no significant loss after the team picked him off waivers this season from the Islanders. Still, York, Frost, and Cates have all played key roles in the Flyers’ limited amount of success this season. York has shown the potential to be a top-pairing defenseman. Frost (although I believe he is still to be over-hyped) has managed to improve his game this season thanks to the extra ice time he received because of Sean Couturiers’ extended injury. And, speaking of Coots, Noah Cates has proved this season that he, too, is more than capable of sliding over into the faceoff dots and shutting down some of the best players his opponents have to offer. Therefore, they will most likely be asking for a substantial raise from their current expiring entry-level contracts.
Bringing up Ready Prospects and Signing Others
Lucky for the Flyers, once they have shown some of their no longer needed or wanted players the door after this season, Philadelphia will then have the roster space required to bring up some ready prospects that are already signed. One such player may be the Flyers’ 2020 1st round pick, Tyson Foerster. After being named to the American Hockey Leagues All-Star game this season, he was recently brought up in a short showcase stint with the big club, where he managed to score three goals and four assists for seven points in just eight games played with the Flyers before being sent back down to Lehigh to gear up for a playoff push.
Foerster, who has been blessed with a rocket of a shot dating back to his days with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), will undoubtedly be a welcomed addition to the Flyers roster next season—given all the injury concerns still surrounding guys like fellow right winger Cam Atkinson, who was shut down this year due to a neck injury (that required surgery) which he received back in training camp.
And with the team potentially bringing up prospects like Foerster and the previously mentioned Egor Zamula to the NHL next year, it creates holes/opportunities for others at the AHL level. The team can then look to sign or bring up other promising prospects they’ve already drafted. This is much like Briere did recently when he decided to ink their 2020 2nd-round pick defenseman Emil Andre who was playing up to that point in the SHL (Sweden’s top professional league).
A couple of those unsigned prospects (or ones that are signed but have yet to play in the professional ranks) who, in my opinion, have played well enough this year to deserve a shot at turning pro next season are the Flyers’ 2022 seventh-round pick forward Alexis Gendron and the teams 2021 sixth round pick defenseman Ethan Samson.
Alexis is a 19-year-old forward whose season was split between playing for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Despite having to learn the tendencies of his new teammates, Gendron finished the season second in the league in goals with a combined total of 55. He was also able to net 26 assists for a total of 81 points over just 63 games played. That means he averaged a very respectable 1.29 points per game.
Now, some of you may not be too keen on the fact that Alexis is a diminutive young prospect (that stands at only 5’9), to which I would quickly point out that Gendron is able to combat his lack of size with not only deceptiveness but an innate ability to observe swiftly what the goalie is giving him and react by putting the puck where he is not before the opposition has time to stop him from doing so. These traits are what I believe will help Alexis not only advance his game to the next level but be able to avoid the thrashing other less nimble players receive on a nightly basis at both the AHL and the NHL levels.
Ethan Samson is in a different position entirely. This 19-year-old right-hand-shot defenseman who stands at 6’1 and 181 pounds is already signed but has yet to turn pro. This stems from that lovely rule forcing players from the Canadian junior leagues to return to the CHL if they do not make an NHL roster. Falling victim to this rule, Ethan was required to return to the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League (WHL) this season. Once there, Samson scored 18 goals and 42 assists for 60 points in 60 games played. And with all the struggles the Flyers have had on defense the past couple of years (especially on the right side), you can bet gm Danny Briere and coach Tortorella will give Samson a nice long look in camp next season.
These are just a couple of affordable modifications to the roster that the Flyers should look to make happen this off-season to ensure they can put out a much better product on the ice next season. Because if we, the fans, are going to be forced to suffer through a possible lengthy rebuild, then we would rather see the team focus on letting the youth of tomorrow gain the experience they will need today! Rather than the team continuing to follow the teachings of their previous management, who often opted to fill the roster with veterans who used to be good.
Flyer Fans, What a Difference a Couple Weeks Make.
After the Philadelphia Flyers failed to make any significant moves at the March 3rd trade deadline, fans were left with little hope regarding their team’s future. But what a difference a couple of weeks make!
Enough was enough! After dropping the ball yet again come deadline day, Chuck Fletcher openly admitted that his analytics team had developed an app that determined whether a trade proposal was fair or not for him. It was at that point that ownership decided they could no longer make up excuses for his incompetence and fired him on March 10th. His successor, former Flyer Danny Briere, was then named the team’s Interim General Manager. The self-proclaimed Flyers Governor Dave Scott was rumored to make this move before checking with the old guard of Bob Clarke, Paul Holmgren, and Bill Barber, that serve as his advisors. Although it was the right move at the time, it may have been the cause of his ultimate demise as he, too, was working on borrowed time and believed to be given the luxury of retiring, which Scott just so happened to announce just a few short days ago. Scott’s replacement will be Dan Hilferty, a fellow businessman who joined Comcast Spectacor last month as its CEO (a position Dave Scott used to hold as well).
Since then, the state of the team has changed under Danny Briere, and the Flyers have begun to bring up their youth from the Phantoms like so many of us have been screaming for them to do for some time now. These call up’s were highlighted by guys like the Flyers 2020 1st round pick Tyson Foerster who was able to join the team for eight games where he was able to score seven points before being sent back down to the AHL for a playoff push. Egor Zamula looked to fit right in as well on the Flyers blueline before heading back down to gain some much-needed playoff experience as well. This recent youth movement provided the fans and head coach John Tortorella with some much-needed hope and excitement for their future.
But that’s not all the newly appointed GM has done. Briere has come out and said that he is committed to a rebuild and, will look to bring a little different style of player to the Flyers in the future. In doing so, he is confident he can bring this once-historic franchise into the 21st century. One way he has already done that is to sign one of their top defensive prospects, 21-year-old Emil Andre of Sweden, to an entry-level contract. This a move that I think all of us can agree needed to happen as this team has lacked any sort of European style for some time now. Since coming over from the SHL (Sweden’s top professional league) this season, Emil has impressed in his first two contests in North America, scoring two assists in two games played with the Phantoms. Despite his diminutive size of only 5’9, Andre has shown he has no intention of backing down from the physical side of things and thus should be utilized as a potential asset in the offensive zone as well, seeing he is an absolute sniper from the point.
Now, listen, in no way am I saying these not so suddle changes will see this team rebound next year into being cup contenders. It will take time. But, with the firing of Chuck Fletcher, and the “retirement” announcement of Dave Scott, I believe it is the start of things moving in the right direction for this franchise that will lead to this team’s future success. And, who knows, with any hope, maybe the new big boss Dan Hilferty is merely grinding his axe before making some cuts of his own (I.E., those old senile advisors of his that haven’t stepped on the ice for nearly 40 years.) A fan can hope, right?
2023 Men’s Frozen Four Preview
With the Regional Tournaments Champions now named, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) can now prepare for the Famous Frozen Four Tournament, which is set to take place this year in sunny Tampa Bay, Florida, starting on April 6th. The four teams that will be battling it out down on the Suncoast are the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who will be taking on the Boston University Terriers at 5 pm E.S.T., followed by the University of Michigan Wolverines, who will be facing off against the Quinnipiac University Bobcats at 8:30 pm E.S.T. that same night.
Why should you be watching it? Well, if you’re a fan of practically any NHL franchise, then it’s a sure bet your team has at least one promising prospect in this fight. So, with that being said, let’s break down each team’s roster and strengths that have not only helped them to get to this point but may result in the culmination of them beating out 59 other schools for the right to be named National Champions.
Minnesota
The Golden Gophers, who have 14 players on their roster that have already been drafted by one NHL club or another, had possibly the easiest route of the four teams previously mentioned to get to this point. Minnesota was named the victors of the Fargo Regional Tournament played in the Scheels Arena in North Dakota, which meant that they had to beat out the Canisius College Golden Griffins and the St. Cloud State University Huskies. Neither of these teams’ rosters contains a player’s name whom you might remember being called on previous NHL draft day coverages. But that doesn’t mean that the Gophers don’t belong in Tampa. In fact, with names like Logan Cooley (the 3rd overall by the Coyotes in ’22), who has scored 57 points in just 37 games played; Jimmy Snuggerud (who was taken in the 1st round of the ’22 draft by the Blues), who has scored 50 points in 38 games played this year. Matthew Knies (who was taken by the Leafs in the 2nd round of the ’21 draft) scored a team-leading 21 goals on the season; there’s no doubt their offense can certainly stand up to anyones in this tournament. The only question is, can their defense survive the onslaught of others in this tournament?
Boston University
Then there’s the Terriers, who managed to advance out of the Manchester Regionals, which were played up in New Hampshire. This historic hockey powerhouse should be viewed as an actual threat in this tournament because not only did they beat out the impressive Western Michigan Broncos by a score of 5-1, they then took down Cornell, a team that just shutout last year’s NCAA National Champions, (Denver) by a score of 2-0 before losing to the Terriers. How did Boston manage such a feat? Well, they have the depth for sure, with 12 NHL prospects filling out their roster, but perhaps none shined more brightly this season than their record-breaking freshman defenseman Lane Hutson. Lane, who the Montreal Canadiens took with their second-round pick this past off-season, came to the Terriers this year with much acclaim; only no one could fathom how much of a force this diminutive defenseman would prove to be. Bursting onto the scene this year Hutson (with the help of his teammates) was able to surpass Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox’s numbers for a defenseman in his first year of competition in the NCAA by more than eight points right now with games still in hand. That’s why with point totals like that, I think it’s safe to say BU wouldn’t be where they are today if it was not for this young man. Look for the team to run the offense through him as they try to take down the boys from Minnesota, EH?
Michigan
Next up is the heavily favored University of Michigan, who made it back to the Frozen Four after losing to the reigning champions, the University of Denver, last season. To do so, they had to defeat all others coming once again out of the Allentown Regionals, which was played out of the PPL Center in Pennsylvania. This year that meant taking down both Colgate and the local favorite, the Penn State Nitty Lions. The Wolverines were able to do so by relying heavily on the 12 players on their roster that NHL clubs have previously drafted, as well as newcomers Adam Fantilli- a freshman who led all collegiate players in points this season with (64) and who is potentially going to be one of the top three prospects taken this summer. Then not to be out down was former Brooks Bandit standout star TJ Hughes who scored 66 goals and 127 points last year in the Alberta Junior Hockey League before coming to Ann Arbor this season. With such depth, including three first-round picks already on their roster, there’s no doubt a betting man would be wise to put his money on Big Blue to win it all. The only question is whether all those stars can set aside their selfish quest for point totals for the team’s betterment.
Quinnipiac
While the other teams in this tournament depend on big-name recruits who are here today and signed to an NHL contract the next, Quinnipiac relies on their legendary head coach Rand Pecknold’s defensively responsible systems to win games. And why not? They have played a big part in him winning close to 600 NCAA games. With roughly only 6,000 students total annually attending this quaint Connecticut place of higher learning compared to that of, say, Michigan’s student body of over 32,000. Quinnipiac does not simply have the luxury of throwing millions of former alums or boosters bucks at players they wish to recruit. Instead, Coach Pecknold sets out every year to find unknown unselfish players he feels will be committed to playing the game the right way and will not leave in a year’s time. In doing so, he has built a true team who have become giant killers over the last two to three seasons playing together. To prove my point, the Bobcats had to best both Merrimack College and THE Ohio State in the Bridgeport Regionals to get the chance to play in the Frozen Four this year. And perhaps no one player on this roster is more responsible for their success than their elite goaltender Yaniv Perets. He is a 23-year-old undrafted free agent who not only led the nation in wins this year with 32, shutouts with ten, but in goals against as well, with a 1.46 average to his credit this season. While not as flashy as other teams on this list, Quinnipiac has become just fine with winning games 1-0 or 2-1 behind the phenomenal play of their goaltender. The only question for them is can Perets continue to dominate the opposition in this tournament like the ones he did previously, despite this one having multiple future NHL All-Stars peppering him with shots for the entire 60 minutes of play?
Ultimately, anyone of these four teams has played well enough this year to deserve the honor of being named National Champions. So, as we now wait with bated breath for this tournament to commence, we are left with nothing but the thought of whether it will be Minnesota’s high-powered offense, BU’s historic record-breaking defenseman, Michigan’s plethora of top-end talent, or Quinnipiac’s elite goaltending that will ensure they come out on the other end victorious?