Team: 2021-22 Philadelphia Flyers

Initial Creation Date: Aug. 25, 2021

Published: Aug. 25, 2021

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

I will say, I actually think NAK is more likely to make this team than Allison. I just think Allison is the better fit if what we saw last season at the end was really how talented he is.

Line 1: Giving Giroux one of the more talented snipers he's played with would be interesting. I can see Cam getting alot of quick breakouts on this line and being setup beautifully across ice. If Atkinson returns to form, I can see this being a somewhat competitive and responsible top line.

Line 2: Really wanted to keep a Farabee-Hayes-Atkinson line for the Boston connection, but opted for this. I've always liked how Hayes has played with both of these wingers, yet I can't recall many times if at all they've been together due to lack of goal scoring depth. Now that we've added some pieces, I think it'd be a good idea to see how they can mesh. With Hayes defensive ability, it leaves room for the young guys to take a chance or two up ice. Both can finish relatively well, and I believe thrive away from the tougher competition.

Line 3: Probably the most confusing line and hardest to project. The burning question on people's minds are which of Laughton or Frost play center. I believe the Flyers really really want Frost to become a more defensively responsible player and become a center, but in my opinion, the writings on the wall. He's entering his draft +5 year and has hardly anytime in the NHL. I know he made the team out of camp, but who knows where he would've ended up. He needs to start playing in a role he will stick. That, along with the more talented left side of this roster, I believe the already proven Laughton should remain in the middle. All three on this line are talented offensive guys with Laughton being no slouch defensively, but may struggle keeping the puck out of their zone. If Laughton can carry defensively, this would have the potential to be one of the better third lines league wide in my opinion.

Line 4: Personally, I find it criminal to leave Lindblom on the fourth line (If he is back to pre-cancer form). However, I can't see the team putting JVR on the fourth line after a successful last season and in a defensive role. Lindblom is an exceptional defensive forward with a pretty decent IQ (check his highlights from last season, great passes). Today's addition of Brassard is great imo, as it lets you alternate between himself and Thompson for that 4c role instead of relying on players such as Bunnaman or Laczynski to step up. Allison is your high energy guy for the line with a bomb shot and the ability to get some points. Now, if AV wants it to be an all shutdown line, expect NAK or Thompson instead.

D Line 1: Really no explanation needed. Ellis is a fantastic player and, imo, a perfect fit for Provorov. We've seen how much he can excel with a reliable partner, so expect to see a huge jump in his game all around.

D Line 2: Truth be told, I'm a bit of a Risto fan boy. The trade cost was high, but its in the past. I am excited to see if he can turn it around, and I feel he will turn into a reliable #4. He will have a very underrated two way dman in Sanheim who will take some pressure off defensively for him. With Prov and Ellis getting a majority of dzone starts, expect this pairing to put up some points.

D Line 3: Yandle is an interesting pick up for Philly. Before free agency, it seemed almost like a given that York was going to make the club by default. Now, thats pretty unlikely in my eyes. Yandle's ironman streak is a very real thing. With Fletcher being a players GM and AV being a former coach, I'm almost positive there was some sort of assurance he'd have a bit of a long leash. Now, that being said, Yandle has the potential to be a positive fit for a very small cap hit. He fills a need on the powerplay (get to later), he's solid for a room, and he's a nice offensive piece to go with the very reliable Braun. These two are basically polar opposites, which will hopefully translate into a solid, third pairing that won't hurt you.

PP1- Giroux is famous for his cross ice powerplay passes, and thats where he's best. With no more Voracek to pass back and fourth with, I decided to put two shooters out there. Yandle and Giroux will handle the point with ease out there, and I can see a ton of cross ice 1ts for this line, with Couturier playing his usual cleanup role.

PP2- More of an opposite feel here. What I would love to see from this line is point shots. Risto and Provorov can do plenty of damage with their shots, and with two big boys like Hayes and JVR in front of the net, you can get some excellent screens and rebounds. Konecny is an exceptional goal scorer and is not afraid to go to the net as well, making him a great fit to round out the line.

PK- Really no story here, essentially how I rank the best defensive players on the team.

Overall, I am very excited to see how this team meshes. With a ton of moves put into one or two year contracts, and some projects taken on, this seems like the Flyers are pushing their chips all in. It is gonna be incredibly tough to compete in this division, but I think the Flyers were smart overall to build around depth. I think the roster was built great for this upcoming season, but there are plenty of question marks if the goals against problem is solved. Ellis is great for one pairing, but Risto and Yandle are historically offensive guys with poor defensive results. That combined with bringing in a goalie in Jones who has had a slide of 3 years and Hart coming off a horrendous year, the goals against problem may remain a massive problem for Philly. Hopefully the change of scenery can help the new additions.

Final prediction: 4th in the Metro

Thank you for reading if you made it this far :)