5 takeaways from the Philadelphia Flyers season as it stands
By Mike Zawisza
2. Depth is the name of the game
Heading into the 2019-20 season, the Flyers depth was immediately put to the test as they learned they would be without Nolan Patrick for an indefinite amount of time due to a migraine disorder. Kevin Hayes, Scott Laughton and even Connor Bunnaman all chipped in to alleviate what was a gaping hole in the roster and turned the center position into a strength.
Just a couple months later, Oskar Lindblom was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer and the team once again had to adjust to life without one of their top young players. Though it took the team a bit to get over both the on and off ice effects of losing Lindblom, players like Joel Farabee, Laughton, Tyler Pitlick and Nicolas Aube-Kubel all rose to the occasion. Some players even took on roles that were foreign to them, such as James van Riemsdyk sacrificing offensive production in order to become an excellent two-way forward.
Though the skillsets and abilities of Patrick and Lindblom are irreplaceable, the Flyers found a way to come together as a unit and move forward. Last season, multiple injuries to the middle six would have doomed the team. This season, the Flyers not only maintained their level of play following key injuries and personnel losses, but improved.
This is largely a result of Ron Hextall’s excellent drafts, but also Chuck Fletcher’s key signings and willingness to promote from within. Kudos should also go to Alain Vigneault for entrusting these players with key roles and the Flyers leadership group for maintaining a consistent blueprint of how to be a Flyer.
Again, the Flyers turned what could be a weakness into a strength, icing four lines that were absolutely buzzing. On deadline day, Fletcher added to this depth by bringing in Nate Thompson and Derek Grant. Thus far the duo has slotted in quite nicely to the bottom of the Flyers lineup, with Grant notching a goal and four assists in just seven games.
For years, if the Flyers weren’t getting scoring out of Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek, their goose was cooked. Now, with the emergence of Travis Konecny and Sean Couturier as elite offensive threats, and added scoring from the likes of Pitlick, Laughton, Hayes, Aube-Kubel and Farabee, Giroux and Voracek can move into an auxiliary role as they reach their early 30s.