PHILADELPHIA, Pa – The Philadelphia Flyers entered the NHL Playoffs with the task of dethroning their arch rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins, as the reigning Stanley Cup Champions. Still, the Flyers looked into the abyss and have stared it down with honor. The problem is that the Flyers, who did not beat the Penguins during the regular season, are a step below the Penguins in talent and experience and this series is showing that the Flyers need help from their top prospects sooner than later. Let the purge begin.
As the current series against the Pens grows closer to a merciful end, the second guessing and predictions begin. The Flyers will not only be looking forward to next season the second the series is over, but they will be looking at the NHL Draft Lottery on April 28th with great interest. At last year’s NHL Draft, the Flyers traded Brayden Schenn to the St. Louis Blues. As part of the deal, the Flyers will get a conditional first round pick from the Blues either this year or next year depending on if the Blues end up with a top 10 pick in this year’s draft.
As of now if everything stands pat, the Blues will pick 14th overall in this year’s draft. If somehow the hockey gods smile upon St. Louis, the Blues can move up with one of the top three picks in the draft. If the Blues end up staying at 14, the pick belongs to the Flyers, if the Blues get a top 3 pick by winning one of the picks in the lottery, St. Louis has the option of keeping the pick or not. If they decide to keep their pick, which I have no doubt they will, especially if they land the top pick who will most definitely be Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, the Flyers will get the Blues first round pick next season instead.
We know that Philadelphia’s locker room isn’t thinking about the draft right about now, but at some point and time reality begins to sink. The Flyers still have their own first round pick that could land anywhere from 16-22 if they get bounced in the first round. The Flyers need goal scorers in the draft, regardless if they have one or two first round picks. Before then the Flyers need to relieve themselves of some of the dead weight taking up roster and salary cap space.
The Flyers have built up a quality list of top prospects in their stable, but only a few could make the roster next season unless Ron Hextall starts purging the same old suspects who contribute very little offensively. The penalty killing unit would be a good start since they are one of the worst in the league. A decision needs to be made on at least one of their top players, namely Jakub Voracek. His Cap hit is over $8 million a year and he is for the most part a one-dimensional who turns the puck over too often and he is one of the few top players on the team (Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds) without a no trade/movement clause, but Simmonds will become a free agent after next season.
Center Dominik Simon (#12) of the Pittsburgh Penguins collides with Defenseman Andrew MacDonald (#47) of the Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers can get at least a first round pick back for Voracek, along with a quality prospect but might have to pay for some of his salary at the start. Another option down the road might be to expose him in the next expansion draft when the inevitable happens, like Seattle getting a new NHL franchise. Sean Couturier finally became the player Flyers fans and some in management have begged for but Hextall has to ask if 30 goal seasons the new normal is for him or if he is a one hit wonder.
Either way you look at it, the next couple of weeks will prove for some very interesting days around the orange and black…as usual.
Brian Jennings covers the Philadelphia Flyers for prohockeynews.com and can be found on twitter at @Flyersfan22.
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