Flyers Mid-Season Report Card

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS MID SEASON REPORT CARDS 2019-2020

Thank you for stopping your day for a few minutes to direct your eyeballs upon this article. The Mid-Term reports are in (from my brain), and I’d like to share them with you all. To preface this, keep in mind these reports are solely based upon the roles the players are in, and not against each other or the rest of the league. This is strictly a Flyers only grade. 

GOALTENDERS 

We are starting off with the goalies because in my opinion, which could be right or wrong, they have been the strongest point for the Flyers this season. Sure they have had a few bad games here and there, but for the most part these two guys have kept the team competitive almost every game this season to this point. 

Carter Hart – A- 

Hart received an A- from me because to this point he has been a very bright spot….at home. His number at home are amazing (11-1-2, .947 SV%, 1.49 GAA, 1 SO) which is no surprise, given how good the team itself has been at home. On the road however he has struggled a bit (2-7-1, .855 SV%, 3.71 GAA, 0 SO), and I think in large part the numbers are justified with his play on the road. The team for some reason has struggled away from home, and Hart has as well. He looks almost unsure of himself at times, and uncomfortable in net. The team hasn’t done either goalie any favors but Elliott has been very good for them on the road (aside from 12/31 vs. LA). Let’s hope the new year brings new energy for the team, and Carter himself on the road for a 2020 playoff push. 

Brian Elliott – A

Brian Elliott…..has been a polarizing player for his short tenure as a Flyer. He’s been VERY good at times and VERY bad at times. The team for the most part has been the same way since he has been a member of the team so that certainly didn’t help, along with his on and off injuries. HOWEVER, we are here to talk about this season, and as of today Elliott has been a huge bright spot for the team. His numbers are fairly similar Home (2-1-2, .900 SV%, 2.74 GAA) and Road (7-4-0, .901 SV%, 3.21 GAA) but one thing stands out..his usage on the road. The team obviously is leaning on him on the road on account of Harts struggles and Elliott for the most part has been the backbone of the teams wins on the road. I am hoping to see Hart improve on the road, but if he doesn’t his safety net is there for him. 

DEFENSEMEN 

Ivan Provorov – A 

The backbone of the Flyers D corps. Provorov has gone above and beyond proving last season was nothing more than growing pains. He has been undoubtedly the best player on the back end all season. The biggest change this season has been his usage on the Power Play, and he has rewarded the team with six goals on the man advantage. Look for his steady and dominating play to continue all season. 

Matt Niskanen- B+ 

Steady. The perfect term to describe Niskanen this season. Need him to break up a 2-on-1? Sure. Need him to block a rocket on the PK (Penalty Kill)? Sure. Need him to score on the second PP (Power Play) unit? Sure. He has been a Swiss army knife for the club to this point, and something he’s done his entire career. A lot of people were very skeptical of the trade that brought him here, but he has done nothing but prove he’s still a top 4 defensemen and a huge asset so far. 

Travis Sanheim – B- 

Sanheim has been a roller-coaster so far this season. He has plays that make you scratch your head in confusion and the next shift he has you scratching your head in amazement. He goes from falling down just simply skating backwards, to walking the puck in from the blue line past two forwards and making a play most defensemen can only dream of trying. I think for the most part he has been solid and steady but it seems when he makes a mistake it’s a very costly one that winds up in a goal or at the very least a quality chance on net. He’s still very young for a top four defensemen, and obviously growing pains will accompany his growth but he has to find a way to limit them. 

Justin Braun- C+ 

Since this article is based on the first 40 games of the season, I had to give Braun a C+ just for the fact it took him a little longer to adjust to the team than I would’ve thought. His first month and a half was very shaky and to be honest had me doubting his ability at this stage of his career. He has rebounded well in his role of eating time and shots. His PK play has been one of the reasons for the improvement of the whole unit from last season. At even strength he just goes under the radar which is a great thing in his role of being an on ice eraser, and chaperone for Sanheim. I can only hope he stays on this trajectory the rest of the season, as he would be a huge factor come time for playoff hockey. 

Phil Myers – C+ 

Similar to Sanheim and even Braun, Myers season so far has been a story of two different players. One night he’s throwing pizzas to the other team and blowing coverage. The next night he looks like Erik Karlsson throwing dimes to send guys in on breakaways and working the point throwing lasers on net. I think the theme of young defensemen continues with Myers and his game is going to come along with mistakes, but at his best he is arguably the most talented defensemen the Flyers have had in a very long time. 

Shayne Gostisbehere- C- 

Gostisbehere for his entire five year career has been Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The problem that presents is do you continue to hope and pray he becomes a consistent offensive force and live with his mistakes, or do you decide enough is enough? Ghost in my opinion has never been the same since his core injury, and it has really hampered his skating. He used to have those quick bursts to get him out of trouble and to give opposing players a hard time dealing with him, now his explosiveness just seems for the lack of a better word, non-explosive. His starting and stopping is obviously a huge component of his game, and without it I think his confidence has taken a major hit. He needs to get his swagger back and in a hurry if he doesn’t want to lose the confidence the coaching staff and front office have left in him. 

Robert Hagg- B- 

Before people jump down my throat and roast me, remember these grades are just for players in their roles, I’m not comparing Hagg to anyone besides what a seventh defensemen should be in my eyes. Hagg has only played in 23 games this season and in my opinion has done his job well in those games. He doesn’t wow you in any aspect of his game but he is efficient at checking other teams forwards and eating minutes for the top four, and honestly I don’t want him to try to be any more than that. Sometimes it’s nice when a player knows their role and are fine with being just that. 

Sam Morin – A+ 

Unfortunately Sam only got to play in one NHL game this season before his second ACL tear in the past few years. However his attitude towards his team and rehab earned him an A+ in my books. To be that young and have at least two seasons in a row stolen from you with non contact and serious injuries would be enough for most people to call it quits and give up on their dreams. Morin however has an unwavering love for the game of hockey and a great attitude that won’t allow him to quit. Whether he will be with the Flyers organization or not moving forward I, along with many other Flyers fans wish him nothing but the best on his road to a comeback. 

FORWARDS

Claude Giroux- B

Captain Claude has been decent at the halfway point. He hasn’t blown the doors off in terms of production but no one on the roster has, and that’s not a bad thing. The scoring has been spread all over the roster and that’s usually the sign of a good team. Giroux could be better for sure but the scoring being divided like this hasn’t been something he’s been accustomed to since his early years with the club. He has been leaned on for years and years to produce and he’s done just that. His TOI has been a bit limited compared to the last couple of seasons (19:20 – 21:27), which is a great thing for an aging scorer. His production will pick up as his minutes increase towards the end of the year.  

Sean Couturier – A-

Sean ‘1C’ Couturier. He has solidified that he is the best all around forward on the roster. He makes little to no mistakes every night, wears down the opposing teams best players, and plays in all situations. He could have more points, like I mentioned above all the forwards on the roster could, but this will only benefit him in the end. His Ice time like Giroux has dropped since last season (19:51-22:08) and it will only keep these guys fresher come playoff time. 

Jake Voracek – B-

Enigma, frustrating, entertaining, dominating, lazy, clutch, fan favorite, scapegoat. Voracek has been maybe the biggest wildcard in Philadelphia sports in recent memory. Depending on who you talk to he’s one of the best wingers in the NHL, or he’s a bum that should be shipped off for spare parts. In reality he is a very good right winger capable of taking games over, however he does tend to disappear and dog it in his own zone from time to time. He is polarizing on the ice and in people’s minds, and that isn’t going to change any time soon. His numbers can’t be denied and his spot in the locker room can’t be understated either, he is loved by his teammates and a leader on this team and that isn’t something you can take away from him. 

Travis Konecny- A 

TK has finally evolved into the scoring winger that we have been hoping he would become. He makes an impact every game whether it be on the scoresheet or not. He has gotten much better at taking care of the puck and limiting his turnovers without a drop off in scoring. The coaching staff obviously sees what an asset he is and have put full trust in him and given him a much bigger role on the powerplay moving him up to the 1st unit. He is the Flyers representative for the All-Star game and it is 100% deserved. He is maybe the biggest part of the team moving forward with the younger core of players along with Provorov. 

Oskar Lindblom- A 

This article is solely about on ice play in a specific role, but not to mention his diagnosis with cancer and the after effects would be ignorant. Oskar on ice is a very smart, two-way player with and exception ability to read plays. Unfortunately for him, the team, and the fans he was taken away for the game by a disease that doesn’t discriminate. He was growing into a top 6, potentially a top line winger at the time of his diagnosis, he was tied for the lead in goals, and his play away from the puck was as strong as ever. The line of Lindblom- Couturier-Konecny was dominating every night. Hopefully his team can rally around his cause and continue to be #OskarStrong. 

Kevin Hayes- A-

Bargain (just kidding). Chuck Fletcher made a splash this off season and his biggest signing has not disappointed. Hayes has been everything this team has needed especially in Nolan Patrick’s absence. His biggest contribution has been on the PK which has transformed it from abysmal to a top 5 unit. He’s not the prettiest player but he’s extremely smart and has very underrated hands. He can pass as well as he shoots and his skating is deceiving in terms of speed. He’s strong on the puck and has great vision. The biggest impact has been in the locker room, his teammates obviously love him and he’s fit in perfectly. Hayes keeps the room and bench light, which is something that has been missing for a few years. 

Scott Laughton – B+

Laughton has done nothing but get better every year he’s been a pro and this year is no different. He has been all over every forward line and that’s not a knock on him but more of an accomplishment and shows the fact that he can do it all. The only knock on him is the fact that he has been in and out of the lineup so often because of injuries. Hopefully, 2020 brings him good health among other things. 

James van Riemsdyk – B

Another grade I’m afraid Ill be roasted for but JVR, like all goal scorers is very streaky. He has been shuffled all over the place this season and has been pretty adaptable in my opinion. Everyone knows hes not a defensive stalwart, and that’s fine but I have seen a noticeable effort to be better in his own zone, especially when he was on the third and fourth lines. He has begun to develop a chemistry with Hayes and I’d like to see those two used as a pair  for the rest of the season.

Morgan Frost- B-

Grading a rookie on his first stint as a call up is a tough thing to do and kind of unfair but for the sake of the article I gave him a B-. He came out of the gates on fire scoring in back to back games and making an impact offensively almost every shift with G and TK. However after a few games you could almost see him wear down and lose a bit of confidence. All in all his first call up assignment was a positive one and he was recently sent back down to the Phantoms to play top line minutes. I assume we will see him off and on the rest of the season, to include the playoffs. 

Joel Farabee- B-

Farabee, like Frost is in his first season but his season to me is a little different. He isn’t looked at as just an offensive player, hes another guy like Laughton who can jump up and down the lineup to make an impact. His grade also comes from the fact that he hit a wall at the end of November not point total wise but in general. He looked tired and unsure of himself, took a bad penalty and got suspended. However, he just now seems to be coming out of that slump and has been one of the best Flyers over the last week. He’s a gamer, and I suspect he will only get better from here. 

Michael Raffl- A- 

When healthy, he has been another plug and play forward all over the lineup. I believe he is best served in a bottom 6 role where he can get favorable match ups and win battles, hes a good third line player, but a GREAT fourth line player. He is the type of depth a contending team needs. 

Tyler Pitlick- A- 

I feel like he would’ve gotten a better grade were he healthy to start the year. He got off to a poor start and was even the 13th forward for a few games but when he was close to 100% hes been a force ever since. He might be one of the top five fore checkers on the team, hes fearless, fast, and doesn’t mind throwing his weight around. He gets overzealous at times and takes a bad penalty but that comes with his type of play. 

Mikhail Vorobyev- C+ 

As of writing this article, his grade has been a C+. The last few games he has been very effective in his role and would be rated much higher but this is for the whole season, so here we are. He really has progressed as would have been hoped to this point in his career. He showed signs in the AHL and internationally as a player who was very intelligent and had a knack for passing the puck, but he hasn’t really been able to get to that point in the NHL. He seems to be disinterested at times in his checking line role and sort of just goes through the motions. The fact is that he has the ability and talent to be an NHL player but his time to show that in this organization is running out. 

Nicolas Aube-Kubel- B+ 

This is a guy who was almost written off as an AHL only player. His recent call up and play since has been a wake up call for himself and the front office. He has been all over the ice every shift, getting under guys skin, crushing people with hits, creating turnovers on the forecheck, and even scored his first goal. I don’t see him being sent down any time soon, and I hope his stellar play continues. 

Chris Stewart- C

Most of Stewart’s contributions have come off the ice and in the locker room, helping young guys adjust to the pro lifestyle, and has been living with Nolan Patrick and supporting his rehab from injury. His play on the ice is what you would expect, he is the enforcer for the lineup and will defend his teammates and cause havoc when the team needs a spark. He has been used sparingly even with injuries but that’s just the way of the new NHL. 

TEAM OVERALL – A- 

Just to keep it short the team overall has definitely smashed all expectations coming into the season. Most sites and experts had the Flyers as a bubble team or missing the playoffs altogether. The fact they have been jostling with the top three in the Metro, and have been top ten in points overall most of the season are a testament to the coaches and off season moves. Their road play has been concerning up to this point but that’s the only knock I have on them. The season will only get tougher as it gets deeper into the season with more teams desperate for points but I expect this team to rise to the occasion like that have all season.

Photo Credit: Getty Images