The Philadelphia Flyers’ 2023-24 season officially reached its midway point Wednesday night following a 3-2 shootout victory over the Montreal Canadiens. The Flyers now have a 21-14-6 record through 41 games and are firmly in the race for a playoff spot, currently sitting in third place in the Metropolitan Division standings with 48 points.
Given where they finished last season — second to last in the Metro and 26th overall among the NHL’s 32 clubs — few were putting money down on the Flyers playing competitive hockey this year, let alone being on track to make the postseason. But thanks to strong coaching, the return of their No. 1 center and the encouraging development of several young players, this Flyers team has managed to completely shatter all expectations.
Here are each player’s grades for the first half of the campaign based on their productivity and preseason expectations:
Forwards
Cam Atkinson: D+
Atkinson missed the entire 2022-23 season with a neck injury, so he wasn’t expected to begin the season without being a little rusty. Unfortunately, the 34-year-old has struggled through the first half of the campaign. He’s currently riding a 25-game goalless drought and was even scratched for the Flyers’ January 4 game against the Columbus Blue Jackets — his former club.
After logging 13 points through the first 17 games of the season, Atkinson has posted just five points in his last 22 outings. Not great for a player whose top attribute is his ability to score goals.
Bobby Brink: B-
No one expected Brink to make the Flyers out of training camp, but he did, and he’s been pretty good ever since. The 2019 second-round pick still has much to learn about life as a full-time NHLer, but it’s hard not to be impressed with the 22-year-old’s production. He has seven goals and 18 points through 36 games and continues to earn considerable minutes on the power play. He even gets regular shootout attempts when the occasion arises. Brink is far from a finished product, but it’s exciting to picture what he could eventually become.
