A New Day For TK
Evaluating young talent in the NHL in the new modern era has been no easy task as of late. The game is faster, stronger and considerably more skilled than in previous decades.
Determining any winger’s consistency who doesn’t draft first, second or third overall can most likely be considered a bit of a gamble for scouts, coaches and GM’s across the board. For London, Ontario native and (now) three-year vet Travis Konecny, the jury is still out.
Philadelphia selected Travis Konecny (or TK as he’s known throughout the halls of The Wells Fargo Center every night) 24th overall in the first round and quickly made his NHL debut with The Flyers in the 2016/2017 season. His previous two seasons landed in the almost identical territory on the stat sheets both seasons with 24 goals (each season) 23 assists in 2017/2018 and 25 assists this season adding an extra 2 points while also averaging 15 minutes of ice time a game. It would be easy to consider TK a 50 point winger, and close the books on any doubt The Flyers front office may have had in the 22-year-old right winger which would make any club happy.
However, an exception could be made for Travis’s bright future in Philly considering his undeniable playmaking abilities, creative offensive zone entry tactics and hard-edged forechecking. All the work that may not make it onto the stat sheets in ink every night. All these attributes considered, it’s his speed and drives to the net that places TK in a class of his own on this roster as (arguably) the fastest forward in the orange and black. Even though it remains to be seen where TK fits best within the top three lines. Multiple combinations have been made between both previous coaching tenures that have pushed and pulled the speedy winger on all four lines since his debut.
If The Flyers target the right 2C this offseason or possibly even another UFA winger to help upgrade the contributions on the first two lines, it will no doubt trickle down to strengthen the third and fourth lines as well making TK a strong candidate for first or second on the right wing. Possibly even the NHL debut of top prospect Morgan Frost who would mesh perfectly with TK’s game.
Regardless of which direction The Flyers front office goes when UFA doors open up in July or which youngsters make it out of camp in September, expect to see Travis Konecny’s best season yet in the upcoming 2019/2020 season!
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Categorized:Flyers