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A season where expectations are in equal parts reserved in postseason ambition and hopeful that their young core will begin to assert itself.
And while the preseason is behind them, head coach Rick Tocchet has had time to evaluate what he has. Go beyond their meaningless 3-4 record and you see a team gaining a through-line of communication for their coach wants.
In some ways, they are grasping his concepts, which aren’t that different than those of his predecessors John Tortorella and Brad Shaw. The delivery method, on the other hand. certainly was. From the first day of training camp, it wasn’t about a dreaded rope test. But the tests were there, the evaluation to see which players could step forward to grasp opportunities for roles.
In that respect, Tocchet likely comes away with more questions than answers about his team. Now as the season is set to get underway, what are the most pressing questions facing them?
With Cam York Out, How Does The Defense Manage?
As the Flyers finalized their roster on Monday, the news that defenseman Cam York would start the season on injured reserve creates an unenviable situation.
Consequently, the loss of York compounds what’s likely their biggest concern: the depth of their blueline. York had a very strong preseason, equally effective in all zones. He and Travis Sanheim looked every bit of a reliable first pairing.
Now the defense consists of Sanheim, Jamie Drysdale, and Nick Seeler as their headliners. Egor Zamula, Adam Ginning, Noah Juulsen, and recently waived Dennis Gilbert round out the blueline corps.
Considering how indecisive and mistake prone Zamula looked in the latter part of the preseason, having him in the top two pairings is a harrowing prospect. Add to the mix, how Ginning was able to win a roster spot by doing little more than playing as mistake-free as possible…
Let’s just say, it’s not surprising the Flyers are reportedly looking for help. How Tocchet and assistant coach Todd Reirden navigate their defense’s shortcomings will go a long way to determine if the team can get off to a quick start.
How Often Does Luchanko And Grebenkin Draw In?
Russian forward Nikita Grebenkin, acquired last season from Toronto in the Scott Laughton trade, was one of the highlights of the Flyers preseason. Grebenkin played in a variety of spots, including the top line with Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny. Moreover, his versatility and willingness to engage around the net area helped to solidify his season opening roster spot.
Center Jett Luchanko’s preseason was far more uneven than Grebenkin’s. He had flashes of offensive skill, but tended to play far more conservative and made more mistakes with the puck than expected. Nonetheless, the Flyers opted to keep him on the roster as he is unable to play for the Phantoms. The Flyers conundrum remains the same: either the 18 year old center stays with them or goes back to the Guelph Storm, his junior team.
Interestingly, Luchanko rotated in practice with Rodrigo Abols at fourth line center on Monday, while Grebenkin did not. While it seems likely than neither forward will play on Thursday, how often will they get their chances in October?
Does Tocchet Mix and Match Lines?
Speaking of the Flyers forward lines…during Monday’s practice, Tocchet deployed the following groupings.
Forward lines are always fluid, especially in the early going. However, one line that is likely to remain static is the Noah Cates line with Tyson Foerster and Bobby Brink. Right from the jump, the line showed the same chemistry, puck possession, and forechecking prowess as they did late last season.
Expect Christian Dvorak to be used in a variety of ways. He could either play at his natural center spot on lower lines or on the wing with the top six. Much like the younger Grebenkin, he has a knack for getting himself in good positions on both sides of the puck.
Tocchet toyed with a Trevor Zegras and Matvei Michkov line pairing during the preseason. However, the best partner for the last year’s NHL Rookie goal scoring leader at even strength is probably Couturier. That said, there’s a good chance Zegras and Michkov find themselves together at some point.
Speaking of Zegras, as good as he looked offensively during preseason, there’s a lot of room for growth now that he is regularly playing center. In many ways, any mixing and matching of lines by Tocchet might be predicated on how he’s doing. Initially, Owen Tippett will see if he can establish some chemistry with the Flyers’ star offseason acquisition.
Can Ersson and/or Vladar Get Off To Good Starts?
The Flyers goaltending struggles last season are well documented. That stated, the preseason performances of Sam Ersson and newcomer Dan Vladar gave Tocchet and general manager Daniel Briere some hope that they have assembled a competent partnership.
That doesn’t mean the Flyers received perfect performances from their tandem. Ersson still showed a tendency to give up that one goal he should’ve had. Vladar can go a full game looking like an NHL starter, but then can make a stick handling blunder (as he did in the preseason finale against New Jersey) that mars his performance.
One of the biggest issues from last season was the feeling that the goaltending were asked to handle a load that they weren’t capable of. However, the coaching staff has the firm belief that the Box Plus One system will lessen that load over the course of the season.
But with a thin defense in front of them, can Ersson or Vladar thrive or will it be a case of just trying to survive October?
Can The Power Play Click Early?
Tocchet, along with assistant coaches Yogi Svejkovsky and Jay Varady, showed a preference for a four forwards, one defenseman set up on the power play units during the preseason. With York out, the Flyers lose a potentially potent power-play weapon at the point.
During Monday’s practice, they deployed a first unit of Jamie Drysdale, Matvei Michkov, Trevor Zegras, Travis Konecny, and Owen Tippett. Travis Sanheim, Sean Couturier, Bobby Brink, Noah Cates, and Tyson Foerster followed them.
Regardless of who is on the man-advantage, Tocchet expects his units to show assertiveness and a willingness to attack the middle of the ice.
“You beat pressure, we have to attack the interior,” he said, during the preseason. “I didn’t see that much last year. You have to be able to take those shots from the middle of the point to open up power plays. You’ve got to take that shot, so we’ve got to make sure whoever’s up there, he’s going to bomb away if that’s what the team’s going to give us.
“Whatever the team gives you and it’s a Grade A, you take it. We’re not looking for tic-tac-toes. If they’re there, take it. To me, be aggressive. The best power plays are the teams that break pressure and they attack, so that’s what we’re going to do.”
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