NHL

The Philadelphia Flyers Add a Scoring Forward Who Will Produce

Last season the Philadelphia Flyers made the playoffs as the third seed in the Metropolitan Division and played the defending Stanley Cup Champions. Against Pittsburgh, the Flyers struggled to keep the puck out of their own net. In each of the four losses, the Penguins scored 5 or more.

Coming off the early playoff exit, GM Ron Hextall added James van Riemsdyk to help scoring but scoring was not the biggest problem last year. It was goaltending. The team will stick with the tandem of Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth for the 2018-19 season.

Have the Flyers Gotten Better?

Yes and no. The Flyers improved their forwards and defense but did not do much about goaltending which has been a question mark for the team over the past several seasons. The additions of James van Riemsdyk and Christian Folin will strengthen the Flyers and help out scoring.

Additions

James van Riemsdyk was added by the Flyers to add scoring to the top six forward group. van Riemsdyk played in 81 games last season and scored 36 goals while totaling 54 points. Philadelphia also added Christian Folin. Last season, Folin played 65 games and tallied 10 assists and 13 points.

If the Flyers want to have a break out season in a tough Metropolitan Division, they need James van Riemsdyk to have another year like last. The Goaltending needs to be better as well

Subtractions

Valtteri Filppula left unsigned this offseason was the biggest loss to the Flyers. In 81 games last year. Filppula scored 11 goals and added 22 assists. The Flyers also let Brandon Manning walk out the door. In 2018-19, Manning scored 7 goals and had a total of 19 points which was good for 4th best scoring from a defenseman on the team.

Where the Philadelphia Flyers Stand

With a Net Gain of 15 the Flyers stand where they were last year. Yes, Philadelphia is a playoff contender, they are not a Cup contender. This being said, the team is not getting the high picks they need in order to become a Cup contender. I would say that the Philadelphia Flyers are Wild Card contenders right now. I think they will finish 4th in the Metropolitan Division. Don’t expect a deep playoff run by the Flyers this year.

This will be an interesting year for the Flyers. If they do not do well, I would watch for Head Coach Dave Hakstol to be replaced. However it could also be Ron Hextall getting the boot. If I were a Flyers fan, I would watch this season play out and think of it as a make or break year for the team. With the possibility of this year ending in disappointment, It could be the end for those two an a few of the players.

If I were the Flyers, I would stick with what I have. Philadelphia does not have the pieces needed to compete for the top three. They should stick with what they have. Make the playoffs then retool in the next offseason when Columbus, and maybe Pittsburgh, drop out of the top three.

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Photo Credit

Photo courtesy of Broad Street Buzz