Who’s Flying? Who’s Dying?
Looking at the bigger picture as of 11/21/19 10:15AM EST, they are 10-7-4 and barely holding onto the second wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference.
Not the worst place to be, but the boys from Broad Street have a lot of room for improvement.
Positives
The young guys look good. Travis Konecny has taken a step up after signing his 6-year contract worth $33 million. He’s leading the team in points at almost a point-per-game pace with 19 thus far. Lindblom has solidified himself completely in the top 6, leading the team with 9 goals and 16 points. I’d like to personally thank whichever European scout vouched for him, he’s a complete steal for a 5th rounder.
The young blueliners of Sanheim, Provorov, and Myers are having their own growing pains from time to time, but overall are getting their reps in and looking decent at a minimum. Elliott has been good solidifying his position so far with a 4-2-2 record, and giving the team a chance each time he takes the crease. Hart is also looking great on most nights, but we have seen him have a few off nights where nothing goes right for the 21-year-old.
Negatives
The veterans… In particular, we need to point out the same players that head coach Alain Vigneault has called out recently. The stat sheet hasn’t seen much of JVR, who has only lit the lamp 4 times thus far, even though he’s registered over 60 shots already this season. He’s been known to heat up later in the season, and his ~6% shooting percentage is bound to jump considering the last two seasons he’s hovered around 15%.
The acquisition of Kevin Hayes this summer was our big move, and he started off hot, but now the dust has settled and he’s only registered 8 points so far. He hasn’t looked as reliable, and needs to find his next gear or else he will see his ice time continue to drop.
Neutral
Hate on him all you want, but Voracek is still producing. He has 13 points while spending a lot of time with JVR and Hayes lately. He’s still getting his powerplay points, but if his linemates pick it up, we can see him easily reach his 66 points from last season with more 5-on-5 production.
Captain Claude has the same production as Voracek with 13 points thus far while switching between center and wing and being given different looks on the powerplay. Once the line combinations get locked, expect Giroux to get more comfortable in his role and he will continue his point-per-game production as seen prior.
What We’ve Learned So Far
It’s still early and the coaches are still figuring out what does work and what doesn’t. Most of the young guys have been carrying the team thus far, so once our veterans find their new roles on the team, be ready to see a very strong second half of the season for the Flyers.
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Stats: Hockeyreference.com
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