Chuck Fletcher refaced the Flyers organization by adding more leadership, to create more chemistry within the team. He also refaced the organization in hopes of creating a livelier locker room.
“We just can’t keep bringing the same players back, and expect different results. We had to make changes this year. The players we added I would call high energy, competitive people. How often have we talked about our slow starts over the past two or three years? We need some juice, we need some energy. We need to change the mood in the room. It’s nothing against the players we had here before, it’s about trying to create a new group, a new leadership group. New chemistry. All these guys, besides being good hockey players, bring a lot of those qualities, bring experience and professionalism to our roster.’’ – Chuck Fletcher
After the Flyers dismal season this past season. The Flyers needed to make the locker room more lively. At times last year it appeared the locker room was toxic at times, and the production on-ice showed people that. Success, or how to achieve success in the NHL is not about just creating a good on-ice product, the product has to be good off the ice, as well.
Enter the 2021 22 lively Flyers team that consists of new blood in Cam Atkinson, Ryan Ellis, Rasmus Ristolainen, Patrick Brown, Nate Thompson, Zack MacEwen, Martin Jones, Derick Brassard, and Keith Yandle. Look hello at how fun this team is, as Sean Couturier and Nicolas Aube-Kubel appeared to have one most drippiest Flyer this season:
As mentioned above new blood has been infectious in his locker room, and it is a breath of fresh air. Gone are Robert Hägg, Shayne Gostisbehere, Nolan Patrick, Philippe Myers, and Jakub Voracek. Fletcher added players that were former alternate Captains for leadership purposes, and it appears to have paid off early in the season. Now I want to make this clear I am not blaming one player for the Flyers misfortunes with slower starts in the past, or with the early success the buyers have achieved this season, but Fletcher is right when he said he could not bring back the same players in hopes of this correcting itself. Evidently there was a problem from the players as a whole for the past few years.
If the Flyers want to continue to win or prove to their fans that they are indeed a different team this year, then they need to continue with fast starts. It wears players down as the season progresses with continuously coming from behind, especially if the Flyers want to make an extended playoff run. Flyers fans know all too well of teams in the past being worn down as the playoffs near, thus leading to an all familiar early playoff exit.
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What will happen next is anyone’s guess, but the Flyers need to keep their feet on the gas pedal. They are receiving some really good goaltending, and the overall team defense has been sound. These are all recipes for success as the season wears on, along with a lively locker room.
