FLYERS 2021: WHAT TO WATCH
HEALTHY ADDITIONS: While the pandemic shutdown and the resultant loss of revenue shut down the usual costly offseason free agency allocations for teams across the NHL, the Flyers really held the line on player acquisition costs. They’ll enter this season with larely the same roster that lost an Eastern Conference semifinal series to the New York Islanders last summer. The one major addition is defenseman Erik Gustafsson, who signed a mere, one-year, $3million contract. But he’s basically a replacement player for Matt Niskanen, who surprised all by retiring after the playoffs.
The Flyers are still confident they’re a much more improved and deeper team this season, primarily because top-line winger Oskar Lindblom (Ewing’s sarcoma) and third-line center Nolan Patrick (migraines), who missed most and all of last season, respectively, seem healthy and ready to go for the season opener. SEASON OF REDEMPTION: From 33-year-old captain Claude Giroux to (still-)rising star center Kevin Hayes, regret is palpable. The Flyers survived a first-round upset bid by Montreal despite a dormant power play and generally dismal offensive effort. That trend continued against the better-balanced Isles and proved fatal. But the Flyers seemed in agreement during their one-week training camp that this season should be one of payback. They feel they were largely flat and put in sub-par overall performances against the Islanders in the playoffs.
GOTTA HAVE HART: After another growing season, and a playoff experience which left him wanting more, the pressure will be on Carter Hart to take a significant step toward his long predicted star status in goal. He’ll have help in trying to get there. The compacted, 56-game schedule will require a lot of work from 35-year-old backup goalie Brian Elliott.
‘GHOST’ GONE FOR NOW: Owing to HIPAA laws and the long desire of NHL general managers and coaches to circumvent their media responsibilities and never discuss injuries, the NHL and NHLPA have agreed to again restrict any discussion of COVID-19issues when it comes to individual players. That agreement is only supposed to last through training camp, but as of Tuesday was still being honored by the Flyers.
So as the Flyers went into their final full practice on the eve of the regular season opener Wednesday night, defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere was again a non-participant and no words would be spoken about why. Gostisbehere, who has battled injuries and his own defensive regression at times the past couple of seasons, had worked his way back into a prime position to start on the top defensive pairing with Ivan Provorov. Now it’s anybody’s guess what he’s dealing with and when he might return, with Chuck Fletcher saying only the allowable, “He’s unfit to play” line about the Ghost.
Head coach Alain Vigneault seems primed for the season but admits that like probably every other team, it’s hard to get a grasp on what he’s got right now. “We’re no different than anybody else,” Vigneault said. “We haven’t truly played an exhibition game, a game against other opposition. I’m looking forward to tomorrow to see where our game is at.”
The Flyers open the season with a pair of home games against the Penguins on Wednesday and Friday nights. Such “two-game series” are going to be commonplace with this COVID-impacted 56-game regular season schedule, in which all Flyers games are within the “East” division with as many limitations on travel as possible.
Of course, such a schedule also plays into old rivalries, such as the Flyers’ fairly bitter one with Pittsburgh.
“The intensity is going to pick up,” Vigneault said. “With scrimmages in an intra-squad, you’re playing against your teammates. Now you’re playing (the opposition). ... The enemy is coming.”
When last we saw the Flyers and goalie Carter Hart, right, they were losing in seven games to the Islanders and Matt Martin, scoring above, in Toronto. The Flyers hope to change that story line in 2021.