The Philadelphia Flyers will begin their regular season in less than one week’s time. Take a few moments to cherish that statement. For the first time in what seems like an eternity, the Flyers have the look and feel of a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. Despite the game seven loss that they suffered at the hands of the New York Islanders in the second round of the playoffs, there were many positives to be taken away from last season. The defense was no longer a major sore spot, the forward depth was among the league’s best and the goaltending was solid, with flashes of excellence. What makes the team really exciting heading into this season is that they are young enough to realistically expect significant improvement, especially with two key players returning to full-time action. Here are the candidates for the biggest breakouts for the Flyers in 2021.
Phil Myers
The ink is barely dry on Phil Myers’ new contract and the team has already verbally confirmed he will have a bigger role this season. Myers was initially viewed as the heir apparent to Matt Niskanen in his role on the top pairing. While that could still be the case at some point this year, it now appears the maligned Shayne Gostisbehere will be given the first chance to seize the role alongside Ivan Provorov, given their immense success in the 2017-18 season. Myers has all of the traits of a first pair defender, so even if he remains with longtime partner Travis Sanheim on the second pair, a step forward in his game would go a long way toward the success of the defense and the team overall.
He is an agile and rangy defenseman who has become increasingly decisive at both ends of the ice. Defensively, his size and ever-improving play analysis will help him shoulder the burden of containing other teams’ top scorers. Offensively, Myers has become more comfortable stepping up on the rush and will look for more opportunities to unload his powerful shot. His development from an undrafted prospect to potentially playing 20+ minutes a night should excite fans, and this season he will be given more chances to establish himself as one of the league’s best young defenders.
Joel Farabee
The youngest player likely to be on the nightly roster, Joel Farabee showed some glimpses of his potential last season as a 19-year-old rookie. He didn’t exactly set the world on fire, but he managed a respectable 21 points in 52 games. What may be more notable, however, are the amount of responsibility he was entrusted with and the number of scoring chances the team generated while he was on the ice.
He was 6th on the team in terms of team scoring chances while he was on the ice and logged the 8th most minutes among the forwards (per naturalstattrick.com). What stands out about his game is his consistent work ethic, as well as his instincts and ability to read the game. He is a player that found himself in the right places often but was unable to cash in on all of his opportunities. This season, he has added about 10 pounds in weight and has looked stronger in board battles in camp. Now donning a new jersey number, he will look to finish on more of his chances and become a fixture in the top-six forward group.
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Oskar Lindblom
Much has been written over the last few months about Oskar Lindblom’s return to hockey after his bout with cancer, and deservedly so. Having to overcome such a diagnosis and returning to play professional sports takes an incredible amount of determination and hard work. That being said, let us not forget that Lindblom is also an exceptional hockey player that was just starting to realize his potential for the Flyers before leaving the lineup with illness.
He has stated that he has begun rebuilding his strength and should be 100% healthy to begin the 2021 campaign. He will most likely start the season on the second line with Kevin Hayes and Travis Konecny and is a strong candidate for 20+ goals and 50+ points. Playing a somewhat subtle game, Lindblom has become known for his ability to outwork opponents for contested pucks and a general knack for keeping play flowing in the right direction, evidenced by his career Corsi-For percentage of 53.01%. Oskar Lindblom is a player that makes his linemates better. It may not be by virtue of being an ultra-talented superstar, but by understanding and executing the style of play that generates chances for teammates and ultimately wins hockey games.
Carter Hart
Hart is probably the most obvious and likely to make some serious headway in the development department this upcoming season. He established himself as one of the league’s best young goalies last year, now determined to amend that statement to read: One of the league’s best goalies. Period. He is unquestionably the team’s starter and has demonstrated poise beyond his years. The aspect of Hart’s game that makes his advancement so buyable is his work ethic. He is a quiet guy that has a true dedication to his craft. He never looks wild or out of control in the net and is excellent at minimizing his movements. Even on sprawling saves, it looks as though he saw it coming the entire time. The secret may be out about Hart as an emerging franchise building block, but this will be the year where he can prove it.
Nolan Patrick
Of the players on this list, none may be harder to set expectations for than Nolan Patrick. Trouble with migraines has kept him on the shelf for going on two years, but he is now set to return to the lineup, slotting into the third line center role. He had previously posted 30 points in his rookie season and 31 points the following year. Despite his most recent layoff, he remains just 22 years old, will play a fair amount of minutes this year, and should have strong linemates given the Flyers’ depth, particularly at wing. Early indications are that he will be paired with Jake Voracek and James vanRiemsdyk, which should lead to a potent third line capable of chipping in considerable offense.
It may be unfair to expect Patrick to not only return to full-time action, but also take a step forward but given the nature of his role and the plethora of options to put together a multipurpose third line, he could very well be a major cog for a team that narrowly missed out on an Eastern Conference Finals berth. A healthy Patrick is valuable from the perspective of center depth alone, but the possibility that he starts making good on his 2nd overall draft pedigree and becomes a 50+ point player cannot be written off, either.
Scratching the Surface
There is no shortage of players in the Flyers system that have breakout potential. Thanks to the groundwork laid by Ron Hextall and the continued work by Chuck Fletcher’s regime, the team will be flush with quality prospects for years to come. The team’s contender status and depth will make it difficult for all of the prospects to crack the lineup but the young players with established roster spots are skilled enough to take this team to the next level.
