Flyers roster: Breaking down the 23-man squad

After a grueling, monthlong John Tortorella training camp, the Flyers have settled on 23 players who will carry them into what they hope is a “new era of orange.”

On Monday evening, the Flyers announced the group, which features 12 players who are 25 years old or younger and includes an infusion of new blood in the form of forwards Tyson Foerster and Bobby Brink, defenseman Emil Andrae, and goaltender Sam Ersson. There’s also the much-anticipated returns of veterans Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson, who missed the entire 2022-23 season because of injury.

But what should you expect from the Flyers in 2023-24? Here’s an in-depth look at the 23 Flyers who will open the season Thursday night against the Blue Jackets in Columbus (7 p.m., NBCSP):

Sean Couturier, 30: He’s back! Couturier will play his first regular season game in 664 days on Thursday after missing the last season and a half because of two back surgeries. It might take some time for Couturier to shake off the rust, but expect the former Selke Trophy winner to get back to playing his hallmark shutdown center role. Couturier averaged 0.88 points per game over his last four-plus seasons, and if he can produce anywhere close to that level, it will be a massive bonus for the Flyers.

» READ MORE: Inside Flyers star Sean Couturier’s 21-month journey to get back on the ice

Morgan Frost, 24: Which Frost will show up? The one who had just six points over the first 27 games last season, or the one who exploded with 40 points over the final 54 games? That’s one of the key questions surrounding the Flyers, who signed the restricted free agent to a two-year, $4.2 million contract in the offseason. Frost’s game will always center on his skill and playmaking, but he made some strides last year away from the puck. Tortorella still doesn’t seem fully convinced by him, though, so Frost enters 2023-24 with a lot to prove.

Noah Cates, 24: One of the biggest developments last season for the Flyers was Cates blossoming after a move to the middle. Cates quickly established an identity as a high-grade defensive center, and he should only improve with Couturier returning to help lessen his load. The next step for Cates is chipping in more offensively, which Tortorella has challenged him to do this season.

Ryan Poehling, 24: The Flyers were always likely to add a veteran fourth-line center in the offseason, and Poehling represents a good bargain buy. One of the fastest players in the league, Poehling stood out last season in a forechecking role for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the former first-rounder brings energy, pace, and some untapped skill to the Flyers’ fourth line.

Travis Konecny, 26: Konecny will look to build on a career season, one in which he averaged over a point per game (61 points in 60 games) and crossed the 30-goal plateau (31) for the first time. He will be the popular pick to lead the Flyers in scoring again this season and could benefit from what should be an improved power play. It will be interesting to see the Flyers’ stance on Konecny long-term, as he will be an in-demand player at the trade deadline.

Cam Atkinson, 34: Like Couturier, Atkinson returns after not playing a game last season. While no spring chicken anymore, the diminutive winger remains a good player and goal scorer. A hard worker who knows the standard that Tortorella expects, Atkinson has leadership skills that will be a welcome addition to the locker room.

Tyson Foerster, 21: The Foerster hype train has been rolling since his impressive seven-point, eight-game cameo last season with the Flyers. While fans may be expecting a little bit too much too soon from the youngster, Foerster is a promising prospect with good size (6-foot-2, 194 pounds) and an elite shooting release.

» READ MORE: Ranking the Flyers’ top 5 prospects after the 2023 NHL draft

Garnet Hathaway, 31: Flyers fans are going to love Hathaway, who was a somewhat surprising signing for a rebuilding team. A big body and a relentless forechecker, Hathaway hits everything that moves. While he’s known for his physicality, nastiness, and occasionally dropping the gloves, he also can play a bit — Hathaway hit double-digit goals each of the last two seasons.

Bobby Brink, 22: One of the most skilled players in the organization, Brink possesses silky hands in tight areas and terrific vision. He showcased his creativity and hockey IQ in college and this preseason, while his patience and playmaking could make him a real weapon on the power play. The question for Brink is whether he can keep up with the speed of the NHL and make enough of an offensive impact at 5-on-5 to earn a spot in the lineup every night. He was a long shot to make this team but did it after scoring a goal and adding three assists in four preseason games.

Joel Farabee, 23: Farabee is a huge X-factor for this team, which will be hoping one of its young wingers will pop offensively. He has the hands, shot, and speed to do it, but consistency has been a problem over the last two seasons. Healthy again and on the heels of what by all accounts was an impressive summer in the gym, Farabee will be looking to rediscover the form that saw him score 20 goals in 55 games in 2020-21.

Owen Tippett, 24: Tippett’s breakout 27-goal season was probably the Flyers’ biggest highlight of 2022-23. Now, he will be tasked with replicating — and even surpassing — it in his second full year with the team. Tippett fully embracing a power forward role under Tortorella seems to have unlocked the vast potential of the former top-10 pick. Don’t be surprised to see him score 30 this year.

Scott Laughton, 29: Laughton quietly had a career year last season, setting personal single-season marks for goals (18), assists (25), and points (43). He also established himself as the team’s de facto captain under Tortorella. A Swiss Army knife of a player, contending teams will continue to call about Laughton.

» READ MORE: Joel Farabee is healthy and ready to embark on a pivotal season with the Flyers

Nic Deslauriers, 32: Deslauriers lived up to his reputation as one of the toughest customers in the NHL during his first season in Philadelphia. He led the league in fights (14) and also was among the league leaders in hits. While his foot speed remains an issue, Deslauriers does make more room for his teammates on the ice. That said, don’t be surprised if he’s a healthy scratch some nights, given the added roster competition.

Cam York, 22: Flyers fans have waited patiently — some more than others — for York to make a major impact at the NHL level. This year, he finally seems poised to do so. After playing parts of the last three seasons with the Flyers, York will start the season with the big club for the first time and is expected to shoulder a significant load with Ivan Provorov and Tony DeAngelo now gone. York signed a bridge deal in the offseason and should have every opportunity to earn a big payday with a huge increase in minutes and power-play time. Is this the year the talented York blossoms into a true No. 1 defenseman?

Travis Sanheim, 27: No Flyer needs a bounce-back season more than Sanheim, who struggled mightily both offensively and defensively in his first year playing for Tortorella. Sanheim has acknowledged as much and showed up to camp stronger (he added 15 pounds of muscle) and determined to prove his doubters wrong after a summer where his name was involved in several trade discussions. The Flyers hope he can eat some of Provorov’s minutes and be more influential on the offensive end this season. Sanheim’s eight-year, $50 million contract extensions kicks in this season, so the Flyers need him to take a major step forward.

» READ MORE: Travis Sanheim wants to turn the page with the Flyers, in more ways than one

Marc Staal, 36: The Flyers decision to add Staal in the offseason was as much about what he brings off the ice as on it. A well-respected leader, who is fresh off a run to the Stanley Cup Finals, Staal will be tasked with mentoring and teaching the team’s young defenseman like York, Emil Andrae, and Egor Zamula. Staal, who Tortorella said won’t play every night, also could have a positive impact on Sanheim. Last season, Florida’s Brandon Montour has a career offensive season (73 points) while paired with Staal. Sanheim is no Montour offensively, but Staal could provide him more freedom to look for his offense.

Nick Seeler, 30: Seeler went from barely making the team in October to a hot name at last year’s NHL trade deadline. An unlikely analytics darling, Seeler graded out among the league’s best in terms of even-strength defense (sixth) and wins above replacement (29th), according to Evolving Hockey. Expect some regression, but Seeler remains a solid third-pair guy who also brings coveted toughness.

Sean Walker, 28: One of the cap dumps by Los Angeles in the Provorov trade, Walker is a steady third-pair defenseman who also will double as a mentor. Walker is a good skater, an above average player in transition, and someone who can create chances offensively on a bottom pair. An expiring contract, he could be someone the Flyers look to turn into a draft pick come March.

Egor Zamula, 23: The big, rangy Zamula once again makes the opening night roster as he looks to finally carve out an every night NHL role. It is kind of now or never for the Russian defenseman, who has done all he can do at the AHL level but still is looking to transfer that into NHL success. The 6-3 Zamula has put on some needed weight (he says he’s around 200 pounds) and can skate and pass for a man his size. He should get more chances this season.

Emil Andrae, 21: Like Brink, Andrae showed up to camp as a long shot, needing to jump several players to make this team. He did just that, endearing himself to Tortorella through his bulldog mentality and ability to make plays with the puck. Not the biggest guy at 5-8, Andrae plays much bigger and also is a dynamic breakout passer from his own zone. A top prospect within the organization, Andrae is a smooth customer who plays with an edge and doesn’t lack for confidence.

Carter Hart, 25: After two disappointing seasons, Hart took a major step forward in 2022-23. He posted a solid .907 save percentage and 2.94 goals against average, and was better than that in terms of advanced analytics, and given that he played in front of one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL. The Flyers finally may have found their franchise goalie, although they’ll need to pay up to keep him, as Hart is entering the final year of the three-year bridge deal he signed in 2021-22 and is set to become a restricted free agent. Any potential Hart trade is off the table for now until the investigations into an alleged sexual assault involving the 2018 Canadian World Juniors team, which Hart was a member of, are complete. If Hart is available all season and stands tall again, the Flyers could exceed projections.

Sam Ersson, 23: Ersson beat out two older goalies in Cal Petersen and Felix Sandström, even though he was the only waiver exempt one of the trio. That shows how much the Flyers like him, and it is easy to see why. Ersson had .904 SV% in games he started, and, outside of two bad outings, including a rocky NHL debut, he posted a .928 save percentage in his other eight starts. The Swede has good athleticism and technique, and Tortorella has consistently praised his calm demeanor.

» READ MORE: Rookie goalie Samuel Ersson has gone from overlooked to ‘living a dream’ with the Flyers

Felix Sandström, 26: Sandström’s first stint as the Flyers’ backup goalie didn’t go very well, as he posted just an .880 save percentage and a 3.72 goals against average in 20 games last season. Sure, he was often left out to dry by the team in front of him, especially in some back-to-back situations, but he also seemed to let in at least one really bad goal in each of his starts. Despite his poor play, age (he turns 27 in January), and the organization’s goaltending depth in the pipeline, the Flyers, somewhat puzzlingly, seemed determined to protect him from waivers — at least for now — on Monday. When defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen returns from injured reserve, the Flyers will have a decision to make with Sandström.