Philadelphia Flyers hire fan favorite Rick Tocchet, but will it end their playoff drought?
Philadelphia Flyers
Last season: 33-39-10; missed playoffs.
COACH: Rick Tocchet, first season with Flyers (286-265-87 in 9 seasons).
SEASON OPENER: Oct. 9 at Florida.
DEPATURES: F Ryan Poehling, F Morgan Frost, G Ivan Fedotov.
ADDITIONS: C Trevor Zegras, G Dan Vladar, C Christian Dvorak, D Dennis Gilbert, D Noah Juulsen.
GOALIES: Sam Ersson (22-17-5, 3.14 GAA, 0.883 and 12-11-6, 2.80 GAA, 0.898 with Calgary)
BETMGM STANLEY CUP ODDS: 150-1.
What to expect:
A sixth consecutive year out of the playoffs. General manager Danny Briere and the rest of the front office have preached patience during a rebuild that may not pay off with a playoff appearance for another season or two. The playoff drought is one reason why the Flyers hired Tocchet, a fan favorite from his playing days in Philadelphia to guide the team through its critical next phase. Tocchet amassed 508 points and more than 1,800 penalty minutes in an orange and black jersey. He later won Stanley Cups as an assistant in Pittsburgh and rebuilt struggling squads in Tampa Bay, Arizona and, most recently, Vancouver.
Strengths and weaknesses
The good: The Flyers have a solid foundation on defense behind Travis Sanheim and Cam York. Sean Couturier is a former winner of the Selke Trophy as the top defensive forward in the NHL. Nick Seeler and Jamie Drysdale form a solid defensive pair and they should help keep the Flyers afloat as they navigate another choppy season. With a strong prospect pipeline, ample draft capital and cap flexibility, Briere and president of hockey operations Keith Jones believe now is the time to lock in their leadership, and the Flyers hope most of that can be found with their defensive stars.
The not-so-good: The goaltending was among the worst in the NHL last season and Ivan Fedotov is gone. The Flyers allowed the fifth-most goals of any team last season with a stunningly low 0.872 save percentage. The team signed Dan Vladar, a career backupand exactly where Ersson should have been with the Flyers had franchise goalie Carter Hart not left them in a tough spot two-plus seasons ago.
Players to watch
Matvei Michkov was as good as advertised in his rookie season with the Flyers. Still only 20 years old, Michkov had 26 goals and 63 points as the Russian adjusted to life in the NHL. Michkov could be the breakthrough star the Flyers crave as they make the climb back toward the playoffs and relevancy in the crowded Philly sports scene.
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