NHL Team Preview: Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers come into the 2021-22 season with some new faces mixed with a crop of veteran leaders. This year’s team is aiming to exceed expectations unlike their performance last season. 

General Manager, Chuck Fletcher has moved many pieces and yet still was able to keep the core of the team intact. The coaching staff and company are hoping the newfound energy from their trades and signings will help propel this team to the playoffs and beyond.

The Flyers are in one of the toughest divisions in the NHL this season (Metropolitan). They will have a battle each and every day they step on the ice but if they are able to make the playoffs, they will be battle-tested and be seen as a serious contender late in the season.

Big Additions:

Philadelphia made some major changes to their lineup and one of those was adding offensive depth to their team. They acquired forward Cam Atkinson from Columbus in July. Management also signed Center, Derick Brassard to help provide much-needed veteran depth with their forward lines.

Another major addition was trading for Defenseman, Ryan Ellis who will be looked at to play top pair minutes and matchups for the Flyers. The Flyers also signed 35-year-old veteran D-Man Keith Yandle to provide leadership and poise on the blue line. 

These additions were brought in to provide depth, leadership, and positive energy that the Flyers feel they have been lacking in the past. 

Impactful Subtractions:

In the Cam Atkinson trade, the Flyers sent away one of Philadelphia’s favorites, Jakub Voracek to Columbus. Last year Voracek scored nine goals with 34 assists in 53 games. Philadelphia also shipped out young forward Nolan Patrick who was sent to Vegas and Defenseman, Philippe Myers to Nashville. Both of these players were young building blocks that seemingly were just not working out in Philadelphia.

Lastly, the Flyers traded away their young offensive-minded D-Man, Shayne Gostisbehere to Arizona. This trade was made to give Philadelphia much-needed salary cap relief to acquire other needed players. 

Key Players:

At the end of the day, the success of the Flyers will start and finish with the performance from their young netminder, Carter Hart. If Hart can reclaim some of his magic from his 2019-2020 season the Flyers will make some noise in the Eastern Conference. 

On the Forward side, Selke Award hopeful, Sean Couturier is a player who needs to be consistent for Philadelphia to contend for a Championship. He along with a left-winger, Joel Farabee will be looked at to provide the much-needed scoring touch that the Flyers will need to help put them in the win column.

For their defensive unit, the play from their first pair of defense, Ivan Provorov and Ryan Ellis will set the tone for their back end. If Provorov can perform as a top-two defenseman and the Ryan Ellis trade starts as a success, they will provide much-needed relief on the blue line that will only help the total performance of the Flyers.

Final Outlook:

All in all, the Philadelphia Flyers are estimated to obtain roughly over/under 92.5 points on the season. With their bolstered blue line and added depth up front, 92.5 points are attainable for the Flyers this season.

Currently, the Flyers sit at +900 to win the Metropolitan Division this season and +2000 odds to win the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia is the 16th favorite team to hoist the Stanley Cup at +4000 odds. If the Flyers can catch fire and muster up consecutive wins, this young and hopeful team can make a run in the 2021-22 season.

* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.