Don't Mess With The Metro

After a disappointing season, which can be attributed to the stars underperforming, whether that be to injury or to decline, the Flyers struck gold. Preparing to pick at pick number 13, the definition of mediocrity in a weak draft, the outlook still looked bright for the Flyers, with their farm system that general manager Ron Hextall transformed from a laughing stock, to a force that he envisions one day will be able to roll players in and out of the lineup and have a stable of young productive players. However, on the night the ping pong balls fell, the Flyers emerged to the number 2 pick. Surprisingly, Ron Hextall, preacher of patience, admitted that the lottery accelerated the rebuild on the fly, where the Flyers have contended for the playoffs while trying to shed the contracts that preceding General Manager Paul Holmgren had agreed to, building the farm system in the process. Hextall has turned the Flyers into an organization with a vision, not the team that will spend every last penny for aging veterans trying to patch up the long term weakness on the roster with players who are aging and declining. The Flyers farm system is currently loaded, probably the best in the National Hockey League. On the forward front, former 5th round pick Oskar Lindblom has emerged as a top tier prospect, and an expected contributor as soon as next season. Lindblom won SHL forward of the year in his age 21 season, putting up numbers that resemble Zetterberg's and Silfverberg's top seasons in the top league in Sweden. Another expected contributor from the farm system next season is recently drafted Center Nolan Patrick. Nolan Patrick, the consensus number 1 prospect, fell to the number 2 pick because of his injury ridden season. However, his season was still phenomenal, with over a point a game pace. Nolan has the ability to be a franchise cornerstone, and the ability to someday take over the role of number 1 center, from captain Claude Giroux. However, even with Patrick, the Crown Jewels of the Flyers system is the group of young defenseman. This season, Defense is no longer a position where veterans are blocking the roster space for the young guys. And with 2 of the brightest young defenseman in the league, Ivan Provorov and Shayne Gostisbehere, the core has the ability to be a force and one of the top groups in the league for years to come. Sam Morin, a 6'7 mobile defenseman with a toughness to his game, may never put up many points, but is able to move the puck and also able to use his toughness and play a 200 foot game. Robert Hagg, is a solid 2-way defender with the lowest upside of all of these young players, but probably the highest floor. He's already a puck moving defender who has the speed to take part in the rush, but ability to anchor a player like Gostisbehere and be his safety blanket in a sense. And then come the high upside, and offensively gifted defenseman, Sanheim and Myers. Travis Sanheim has been a player who has taken longer to get into the NHL as many other rookies that emerge into the league as of late, but he was very undersized in his draft year. He has gained mass, and while he can gain some more, his offensive gifts are what every general manager craves when they draft a defenseman in the first round. He had a very productive season with the Phantoms, the Flyers AHL affiliate, and is looking to challenge for potentially 2 spots with Morin and Hagg. While there are many more prospects like Rubtsov, Myers, Frost, Hart, Sandstrom, these guys have the ability to impact the Flyers this season and give them a injection of youth, to further proceed the youth movement.

The NHL roster underperformed last year, and there were many be reasons for that. Claude Giroux and Shayne Gostisbehere had matching abdominal surgeries on the same day, and weren't themselves for most of the year. The expected recovery time is 6-8 months, but they were back on the ice as soon as 3. At the end of the season, Giroux was back to about a point a game pace over the last stretch, and Gostisbehere flashed the explosiveness he did in his rookie year. Wayne Simmonds continues to score goals, and never lacked grit, while Jake Voracek continues to create offense with the ability to take over a game on one rush, his willingness to carry the puck, and continued aggressiveness and hunger. Sean Couturier continues to be one of the best third line centers in the entire league, as he hopes to finally play a complete season and eclipse 45-50 points. Young players like Jordan Weal, Travis Konecny, and Ivan Provorov will continue to take steps forward. Weal injected life in the team down the stretch, while Konecny is an offensive jitterbug who has game changing ability and raw skills. Finally, Provorov. Wow is he a player. In my opinion, he was the second best rookie defenseman behind Werenski last season, but that's only because of offense. Provorov is easily the better defender, with his offensive game coming around. With a better scoring team around him as expected, his point totals will continue to climb, as his puck moving ability and knack to play big minutes only shows the upside of the young Russian defenseman. The Flyers also got rid of Brayden Schenn, and while he played great on the power play, he was abysmal at 5 on 5. He was a black hole at even strength, and was playing on a power play with 4 elite power play forwards. This roster has the ability to be deep, young, and fast, and it comes down to the core of Giroux, Voracek, Simmonds, Gostisbehere, and Provorov leading the band of young players, and hoping for contributions from Lindblom, Patrick, Morin, Hagg, and potentially Sanheim. This team is a fringe playoff team, and they would've made the playoffs last season if Mason and Neuvirth had given the Flyers league average goaltending. The goalies poor play forced Hakstol to change his system, to be defensive minded, and stunting the offense which was among the top in the league for the first month of the season. Brian Elliot is probably one of the better tandem goalies in the league, excelling as the 1A in St. Louis and Calgary. If Neuvirth can bounce back with strong play and be a competent at worst 1B, this team should be in contention, and potentially be able to win a playoff series. One can hope the pieces come together, because if they do, the Flyers will be good now, and for a while.

Follow Mike on Twitter @PalmerToFitz