(Photo by Matt Slocum/AP)
Date Published: 12-28-2022
(Photo by Matt Slocum/AP)
Back when I started doing the Flyers’ Captaincy Candidates series a few months ago, I believed I had covered the main candidates. I wrote about Sean Couturier, Scott Laughton, Cam Atkinson, and Kevin Hayes being the four most realistic possibilities for the next captain of the Philadelphia Flyers. 35 games into the 2022-2023 NHL season, it’s become clear that I have left out a player. That player is none other than 25-year-old winger Travis Konecny.
Konecny, who has been described as a “bundle of energy” by his head coach, John Tortorella, leads the Flyers with 32 points despite missing six games. He leads the team in goals with 15, which is five more than Owen Tippett, who ranks second. He sits behind only Hayes (21) in assists with 17. His time on ice per game is first among forwards at 20:28. The next forward is Scott Laughton, the Flyers’ lone alternate captain, with 18:43 minutes per game. In Konecny’s first year getting extended playing time in all situations, he has potted two short-handed while totaling four short-handed points and he has nine powerplay points, including three goals. These are impressive numbers while playing on, statistically speaking, one of the worst offensive teams in the NHL.
Following practice today, I was able to talk with Konecny about where he feels he has improved most this year, what he did during the summer to prepare for Camp Tortorella, the Flyers’ vacant captaincy, and more.
Konecny, who shared he was not yet into the World Juniors but plans to watch more as the tournament progresses, said his biggest area of growth this season has been “focusing on working hard and not overcomplicating things. Going into each game with the mindset of playing the right, I’ll get the right bounces.”
When asked if he changed anything over the summer to prepare for this season’s training camp in September, he said “Not necessarily. All I really changed is my mindset for each game and trying to work hard.”
“It’s always difficult. Frustrating,” were the words from TK describing the Flyers’ injury situation this year. The team has been without Ryan Ellis, Couturier, and Atkinson all year. Couturier is the only one expected to return at some point early in 2023.
Despite the team’s place in the standings and injury situation, Konecny credits the young players for their hard work and growing roles on the team when asked about what he thinks has been the biggest surprise so far. The London, Ontario native said “A lot of the young guys are playing really good. I’m sure some of those guys didn’t expect to be getting the minutes they’re getting. They’re taking advantage of it, they’re learning the game. That’s probably been the biggest thing for me.”
Finally, when asked about the Flyers’ current captain vacancy, he explained that those kinds of things are up to the coaching staff and management. Konecny did say that there “Is definitely leadership in here,” but had no idea who would earn letters moving forward.
Despite Konecny’s not knowing who captains would be, his numbers this year do not lie. Leading the team in points and leading forwards in ice time shows that he has earned John Tortorella’s trust.
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