PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Flyers entered the NHL All-Star break with the last Wild Card spot. Not that long ago the Flyers looked like a team ready for the NHL Draft Lottery rather than a playoff team but here they with a 24-17-8 record (56 points), tied with the New Jersey Devils, and only one point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets with two games in hand on the Pens.
Center Sean Couturier (#14) of the Philadelphia Flyers and Center Zach Hyman (#11) of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Philadelphia has scored just as many goals as they have allowed (141). The Flyers are ninth on the power play and 28th on the penalty kill, but they are the league’s best face-off team at 52.8%. All of their centers are above 50% with Claude Giroux leading the way at 58%. Only rookie Nolan Patrick is below the 50% mark at 48%.
Sean Couturier leads the team with 26 goals. Only four other players are in double digits with the closest to Couturier with Wayne Simmonds 16 goals and Giroux with 14 while he has been playing mostly on left wing this season due to the lack of a true goal-scoring left-winger. The Flyers do however have four players with nine goals, two of them being defenseman.
Do not be surprised to see the Flyers add a scoring winger at the trade deadline providing his trade value does not cost the team a top prospect. The Flyers do have some players they can use as trade bait but it might cost them a prospect in order to make a splash at the trade deadline but look for the Flyers to move more pieces at the draft rather than at the deadline.
Ron Hextall has been preaching patience with his new line approach but old school thinking by old school management is still creeping its way into the Flyers thought process, as well as pressure from media and a rabid fan base. The decision to be buyers or sellers is always a problem at the deadline but make no mistake about it, Hextall is the person making the final decision.
Center Scott Laughton (#21) of the Philadelphia Flyers and Center Jordan Eberle (#7) of the New York Islanders. Right Wing Wayne Simmonds (#17) of the Philadelphia Flyers Defenseman Nick Leddy (#2) of the New York Islanders
A lot of the Flyers top prospects are looking rather impressive lately and it looks as though some of them just might be keepers. Despite the temptation to move a piece or two just for a playoff run, it doesn’t make much to move one of them at this time, therefore, look for the Flyers to make a minor move at the trade deadline. Expect more of a splash at the draft and in free agency this time around.
In February 2019, things might change quite a bit. For now, just enjoy what you are seeing. The Flyers future looks a lot brighter than it did a year ago.
Brian Jennings covers the Philadelphia Flyers for prohockeynews.com and can be found on twitter at @Flyersfan22.
File photos courtesy of Lewis.Bleiman@prohockeynews.com
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