We’ve all heard the standard predictions about the Philadelphia Flyers’ upcoming season. They’re going to be terrible and oh boy, this group of hockey players might finish with the least amount of points out of all 32 NHL teams. We’ve heard it all! But that is why we want to be bold and not think about the Flyers overall success, but some nuggets of positivity and unleashing some takes before the puck has officially been dropped. Because that is the time to do it, when you cannot be blamed for thinking a cool thing will happen.
Owen Tippett leads the team in scoring
Ever since arriving as part of the return for our beloved Claude Giroux, Tippett has had the world’s weight on his shoulders. Does anyone expect a young player to take in stride the judgement of being part of the trade package for possibly the franchise’s top player ever, and suddenly play well? I sure don’t. But that’s why he has taken this summer with some confidence that he can be that former first-round pick and lead the team in scoring.
He already is destined to be in a top-six winger role, and if he excels with a couple hot streaks, he’ll be a mainstay up there and on the top powerplay unit. What other competition does he have?
Rasmus Ristolainen will turn into a fan favorite
Okay, I know we might not be a fan of Rasmus Ristolainen currently, but trust me, he will end up being that cult hero that we all love to just hold above everyone else. It might just largely be due to the team being a hot and stinky pile of trash a couple months in, and we need to find solace in enjoying some below-average hockey player being a nice guy, but we will come to enjoy him just because of entertainment value.
Ristolainen seems like a nice enough dude to hang around, so why not just try to appreciate his company? He’s certainly going to be here for a while.
One big player hits the waiver wire
This somewhat coincides, as well, with the Flyers being terrible — I am not even close to bold enough to predict that this team will make the playoffs or win more games than they lose — but it shocking enough to have an individual potentially play so damn bad that they cannot even play for this team. Maybe it will never happen because we look at how much damn leash Keith Yandle was given last season, but what if Justin Braun ends up being even worse? Or just a few months into his contract, Nic Deslauriers has been on the ice for 149 goals against in only 50 games? Does that warrant being sent to the Phantoms?
Maybe, maybe not, but we think some big player — as in, not a young dude or not a star, and someone that earns over $1 million — will be on waivers before the season is up.
Chuck Fletcher fired, everyone traded at deadline
We just had to include this, even though it might not be that bold. It’s not difficult to envision the Flyers starting out the season losing about every single game they can, and suddenly we find GM Chuck Fletcher losing his job. John Tortorella will still hang around, but Fletcher and some other members of the front office have left and Philadelphia has a somewhat clean house.
What comes next? Well whoever is new in charge, gets the green light to trade just about anyone they want for future assets and the Flyers fully start the earth-scorching rebuild some fans have been calling for all before the trade deadline. Ivan Provorov, Travis Konecny, Kevin Hayes, Cam Atkinson, Travis Sanheim, Tony DeAngelo — just anyone that doesn’t make sense in this new plan or has immense trade value, gets shipped out. The kids get to take over, we get to dream about future potential, and there is an actual plan in place and not a team just doing absolutely nothing to stay exactly where they are. Kind of crap.
God, we just hope this happens eventually.
