Countdown to Flyers opener: 15 things to watch

Expectations for this season are not high, but there's a new coach in John Tortorella and Kevin Hayes is back after an injury-plagued campaign.

Kevin Hayes is back at full-strength for the Flyers after a challenging season both on and off the ice.Read moreAlejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer

by Gustav Elvin

Published Oct. 11, 2022, 5:00 a.m. ET

The less said about the 2021-22 Flyers season the better. The Flyers posted one of the worst years in franchise history, compiling a 25-46-11 record and finishing rock bottom in the Metropolitan Division.

Things can only improve in 2022-23, right? That remains to be seen, as the Flyers are not projected to be a playoff team by most national media outlets. That said, there are some reasons for optimism, headlined by the arrival of new coach John Tortorella, the return of key players from injury like Kevin Hayes and maybe Sean Couturier, and the potential emergence of youngsters like Noah Cates and Morgan Frost.

With just a few days remaining before the team’s season opener against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, at least for the moment, hope springs eternal. In that context, here are 15 things to watch out for this season at Broad and Pattison.

1. Defense first … and second: The arrival of Tortorella certainly will mean an increased focus on defensive structure and keeping the puck out of the Flyers’ net. Tortorella’s teams have finished in the top 10 in the NHL in defense in seven of his last 10 full seasons behind the bench, including five top-five finishes. The Flyers should be stingier in the D-zone, but will it be enough to make them competitive?

2. Play the kids: This season will be a pivotal one in the development of several of the team’s young players. Youngsters like Frost, Cates, Owen Tippett, Wade Allison, and Cam York are expected to get plenty of opportunities, especially given the Flyers’ injuries, and it is imperative that some of them take the next step. Former first-round picks Frost and Tippett, in particular, need to start producing, as both are immensely talented but are running short of chances in the NHL. While this season isn’t quite “now or never” time for York, it would be nice to see the young defenseman respond after Tortorella sent him to the AHL to start the season.

3. (Hart) beat: How good is Flyers goalie Carter Hart? After impressing in his first 70 career starts (.915 save percentage, 2.59 goals-against average), Hart’s last two seasons (69 starts) have been nothing short of a nightmare (.895, 3.34). In other words, the jury still is out on just how good a goalie Hart is. After back-to-back disappointing seasons and with little experience behind him, is this the year the 24-year-old takes that next step and establishes himself as a bona fide No. 1 netminder?

4. Off the training table: After losing more than 500 man-games to injury last season, the Flyers completely overhauled their training staff this offseason. The team appointed Ian McKeown as vice president of athlete performance and wellness and hired a new training staff with the goal of changing how the team approaches training, nutrition, injury prevention, and recovery. The team will start the season without Couturier (back), Ryan Ellis (groin/hip), and Bobby Brink (hip).

5. A healthy Hayes: Hayes endured a challenging 2021-22 season on and off the ice as he coped with the sudden death of his brother, Jimmy, and battled a groin injury that required three surgeries. In all, Hayes powered through 48 games, although he never looked 100%. Hayes finished last season with 22 points over his final 28 games, and this preseason, he looks noticeably quicker and more like himself. With Couturier out indefinitely, look for Hayes to center the top line, and, as a result, post a career high in points.

6. Who scores the goals?: Maybe the biggest question with the Flyers this season is goal scoring, as, on paper, the team looks short on snipers. If the Flyers are to surprise and remain competitive, they will need some of their wingers to exceed expectations. The likeliest candidates include Cam Atkinson, Joel Farabee, Travis Konecny, and James van Riemsdyk. Farabee and Konecny are the biggest wild cards here, as Konecny repeatedly knocked on the door of 25 goals earlier in his career, while Farabee potted 20 in 55 games as a 20-year-old in 2020-21. Van Riemsdyk led the Flyers with 24 goals last season, but someone will need to top that mark this year.

7. Hey, G! The Flyers won’t have to wait long to see a familiar red-bearded face this season. No, not Gritty, I’m talking about Claude Giroux. The Flyers will face their former captain for the first time on Nov. 5 in Ottawa, before welcoming Giroux “home” to Philadelphia a week later. Giroux, who was traded to the Florida Panthers last March, spent 15 seasons with the Flyers and ranks second in franchise history in games (1,000), assists (609), and points (900).

8. Oh captain! My captain!: Speaking of captains, the Flyers will enter the season without one. John Tortorella is in no rush to name a captain, either, saying last week, “I haven’t really thought too much about it.” That said, at some point, the Flyers will home in on their next leader. Couturier, Hayes, Atkinson, and Scott Laughton are among those expected to be in contention.

9. The Tony DeAngelo experience: The Flyers’ decision to trade for DeAngelo was met with mixed emotions, given the defenseman’s controversial past. On the ice, the Sewell native brings an edge to the back end as well as some silky offensive skills. As one of the better offensive defensemen in the league, DeAngelo fits a need. On the other hand, he has a tendency to get caught up in the drama, which can negatively impact his play and get him in trouble. Watching how DeAngelo toes the line this season will be fascinating.

10. Channelling the Broad Street Bullies: In 1972-73, the Bullies were born, beginning an era in which the Flyers wreaked havoc on the NHL, combining intimidation, physical play, and skill to win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975. These Flyers are unlikely to make people forget the likes of Dave “The Hammer” Schultz or Bob “The Hound” Kelly anytime soon, but they are at least built to beat people up. General manager Chuck Fletcher and Tortorella have stressed that the Flyers need to be “tougher to play against” and they have shaped the roster to fit that mold with the acquisitions of players with an edge like DeAngelo and Nic Deslauriers. The Flyers may not beat a lot of teams, but with Deslauriers, Zack MacEwen, Nick Seeler, and Rasmus Ristolainen in the fold, they should beat up their fair share of people.

11. Tortorella’s temper: Tortorella’s reputation as a screamer precedes him, as the longtime NHL coach has a laundry list of run-ins with players, officials, the media, and even the commissioner’s office in the form of suspensions and fines. The 64-year-old certainly wears his heart on his sleeve, one reason he is beloved by many players. That passion has resulted in many memorable rants, tirades, quotes, and blowups over the years that remain just a YouTube search away. Has a year away from the bench mellowed the fiery Tortorella? We doubt it, so sit back and enjoy the show!

12. Power-play problems: While the Flyers were near the bottom in most key categories in 2021-22, one area where they set the gold standard for deficiency was on the power play. The Flyers converted on just 12.6% of their power plays last season, the worst mark in the NHL. For a team that struggled to score five-on-five, the Flyers’ wastefulness on the power play added insult to injury. With a new coaching staff and some much-needed power-play additions, headlined by DeAngelo, the Flyers can’t possibly be as bad as they were last season with the man advantage.

13. Bad for Bedard: With a generational talent like Regina Pats center Connor Bedard awaiting teams in the 2023 draft, the incentive for clubs to lose has never been greater. With Couturier, the Flyers’ best player, already injured to start the season and a shortage of high-end offensive talent to begin with, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to see the Flyers play their way into the “Bad for Bedard” sweepstakes. Bedard, who had 51 goals and 100 points last season in the WHL, is almost unanimously considered the best prospect since Connor McDavid and would look great in orange and black. Some media outlets are projecting the Flyers to land in the bottom five of the draft lottery again after they finished with the league’s fourth-worst record a year ago. Even if the Flyers don’t land the No. 1 pick, Russian winger Matvei Michkov and University of Michigan center Adam Fantilli, who are projected to go with the next two picks, would be good consolation prizes, as both are viewed as franchise building blocks.

14. Trade bait? With the Flyers expected to field a young team to start the season, there is a real chance this turns into a rebuilding year. If that does become the case, don’t be surprised to see them shake things up. Van Riemsdyk, who is in the final year of his contract, is one player who is likely to be moved before the deadline, while Konecny and Ivan Provorov are two others who have had their names appear in potential trade scenarios over the last few years. Trading defenseman Travis Sanheim would be far more unlikely, but given that he is in the final year of his contract, it is not completely out of the question if negotiations between the two sides reach an impasse.

15. Cutter goes to college: The Flyers’ top prospect won’t be wearing orange and black this season; instead he will don maroon and gold. Cutter Gauthier, the team’s first-round draft pick (No. 5 overall) in July, will play center this season at Boston College. The 6-foot-2, 193-pound Gauthier doesn’t plan on staying in Chestnut Hill long, though, telling The Inquirer at the draft: “I think one year in the NCAA, and then I’ll be ready to play in the National Hockey League.”