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A Power Forward in hockey is perhaps described best by Wikipedia as, “A forward who is physically large, with the toughness to dig the puck out of the corners, possesses offensive instincts, has mobility, puck-handling skills, may be difficult to knock off the puck or to push away from the front of the goal and is willingly engage in fights when he feels it is required. Possessing both physical size and offensive ability, power forwards are also often referred to as the ‘complete’ hockey player,” in saying that, this type of player used to be the key to the Flyers success for years when they were considered perennial playoff contenders. Sadly though, over the last couple of seasons, Philadelphia has gotten away from employing these types of players. In exchange for the more trendy/flashy diminutive style forwards who, while skilled, lack the size and toughness to truly excel in the merciless Eastern Conference without the kind protection usually provided by a stereotypical power forward.
To prove how vital this type of player was to the team’s success over the years, let’s look at some of the best to have ever done it for the orange and black.
Tim Kerr
A 6’3 230-pound force to be reckoned with who played 11 seasons for the Flyers over the course of his career, which spanned from the time of the early 80’s to the early 90’s, was perhaps the Flyers earliest example of this type of player. He was a robust and gritty player who, at the same time, could score just as easily as he could beat you up. In 601 games played (GP) for the Flyers, Tim scored an impressive 363 goals (G) and 287 assists (A) for 650 points (P). While at the same time managing to total up 577 minutes of solitude in the sin bin for his troubles. Over his time in Philly, Kerr would prove to be one of the Flyers’ most consistent players, seeing that he was Philadelphia’s top goal scorer for five of those seasons primarily because he was able to reach the 50-goal plateau four consecutive years in a row! All these numbers over Tim’s eleven years spent with the Flyers average out to him, scoring 33 goals per year, 1.08 points per game (PPG), and 59 points per season. This came along with him setting career highs of 58 goals (a feat he reached twice) and 98 points scored in a single season. Kerr’s offensive abilities were so great that one of his stats has managed to stand the test of time. That being the NHL record he set back in the 1985-1986 season of power-play goals scored in a single season, where Tim was able to tally 34 lamp lighters while on the man advantage. It was an achievement that greats like Mario Lemieux, Brett Hull, and Mike Bossy were able to come close to in their time but did not ever reach.
Rick Tocchet
Another former Flyer that played the game the right way (and learned how to do so under the tutelage of Tim Kerr) was Rick Tocchet. Drafted by the Flyers back in 1983 in the sixth round, Tocchet, who was only six foot tall, grew to be one of the most feared men in the NHL fairly quickly. This is because Tocchet was willing to drop the gloves at any moment, and the fact that he was immediately a threat to score upon leaving the penalty box. Over his combined 11-year career with the Flyers, which spanned over two terms with the team, Tocchet played in 621 games, where he scored 232 goals and 276 assists for 508 points, which should be considered impressive, seeing that he spent 1,815 of those minutes played for Philadelphia next to Lou Nolan (the Flyers public address announcer) in the penalty box. Yes, Rick may have averaged 2.92 penalty minutes a night, but he did so because he was playing Flyers hockey which used to mean you stand up for your teammates. As previously mentioned, Rick was a dual threat, where he was such a proficient scorer during his time on South Broad Street that he was able to achieve at least 30 goals four times during his time here, two of those seasons saw him reach the 40-goal mark.
Eric Lindros
When you think of who else over the years for the Flyers may have fit this mold, no one better may come to mind than the great #88 himself, Eric Lindros. Towering over the competition, standing 6’4 and 240 pounds, Eric’s size allowed him to accomplish whatever he set out to do on the ice on a nightly basis, which is why despite having concussion issues throughout his career Lindros was able to achieve so much in such a short amount of time. In the eight seasons spent here in Philly, Eric played in 486 games, where he scored 290 goals and 369 assists for 659 points. Despite Eric not getting into as many fights as say Kerr or Tocchet did in their time (probably because players feared getting pummeled by him), Lindros still managed to achieve 946 penalty minutes during his time in the orange and black. To put into perspective just how dominant Lindros was during his eight years in Philadelphia, not one season did Eric score less than 25 goals. In fact, in six of the eight, Lindros scored 30 or more goals, four out of the eight he scored over 40, and one of those times he managed to score 45 on the season. When you do the math, it equates to him totaling 1.35 points per game, scoring an average of 36.25 goals per year and approximately 82.3 points per season throughout his time in Philadelphia. When you see all this laid out it becomes quite clear why Eric won the honor of being inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame along with being named one of the 100 greatest players of all time.
John LeClair
But, as good as Lindros was, it would take one player to join him on his line to push the Flyers into title contention. That player was non-other than John LeClair, who came over from Montreal in a big trade back in 1995. Upon his arrival, this 6’3 233-pound left winger was able to spark instant chemistry with Lindros. Where over time, we all know Swedish right winger Mikael Renberg joined the two, and they then became known as The Legion of Doom line. But where Lindros got a large part of the acclaim, LeClair, who spent most of the ten seasons he was in Philly, posted up in front of the opposition’s net, found himself often times being the finisher. Throughout his 649 games placed for the Flyers, John scored 333 goals and 310 assists for a total of 643 points. With LeClair having achieved eight years of 20-plus goals (three consecutive of those years being over 50), it should come as no surprise that he averaged a remarkable 33.3 goals a season during his time in Philadelphia.
Mike Knuble
After moving on from Leclair at the end of the 2003-2004 season, the Flyers set out to find another net-front presence. Enter in 33-year-old unrestricted free agent power forward Mike Knuble, who the team signed to a 3-year deal after he had multiple successful seasons playing up in Boston. Knuble, who stood at 6’3 and 229 pounds, played for the Flyers for parts of five seasons, where upon his arrival, he showed that he could immediately be counted on to fill that giant hole in the lineup that Leclair left behind. While not the most nimble of players, Knuble knew his job, and he did it well. Parking himself in front of the opposition’s net, Knuble would at times seem like an unmovable force, and while his goals were never pretty, they were plentiful. Never scoring under 20 goals in the four full seasons he was with the Flyers, Knuble finished his first stint with Philadelphia twice being the team’s top goal scorer. And with averages of 28.5 goals a year and 55.25 points per season for the Flyers, the team sure owed a lot of their success to number 22.
Scott Hartnell
What do you do when you find success with something? You try an obtain more of it, and that’s just what the Flyers GM (Paul Holmgren) did when he went out and acquired Scott Hartnell from the Nashville Predators back in 2007. Coming to the team at just 25 years of age, this 6’2 215-pound former 1st round pick became an instant fan favorite here in the City of Brotherly Love. Whether he was involved in puck battles along the boards, laying a big check on the opposition, standing up for his teammates in a scrum, making fun of Penguins fans, or knocking home a rebound in front of the net for a goal, Scott could do no wrong for this team for many years, and his point production showed it. Playing for seven seasons, or more precisely 517 games in the orange and black, Hartnell managed to score 157 goals and 169 assists for 326 points. Where over the course of those seven years spent playing for the Flyers faithful, Hartnell managed to average 22.4 goals a season. Pretty effective, right?
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Wayne Simmonds
Perhaps the last great power forward that fans had the luxury to watch suit up for this team was Wayne Simmonds. Acquired via a trade with the Los Angeles Kings, Simmonds came to the Flyers at only 23-years-old having only three seasons previously under his belt. While he showed in LA that he had some talent, I don’t think even the Flyers could have imagined what kind of return on investment he would grow to be for them. Simmonds, who stands at 6’3 and 185 pounds, spent eight years playing here in Philadelphia. During that time, he was able to net 203 goals and 175 assists for 378 points in 584 games played. As his stats show, he, like the rest of these players listed above, found great success once dawning the Flyers jersey. So much so that he was able to at least reach 20 goals scored in a season seven out of the eight years he played for the Flyers. Furthermore, Simmonds’ consistent hardnose style of play allowed him to average 27.3 goals per season with the Flyers and saw him be named the team’s top goal scorer four times during his tenure with the team. Respected for the way he played the game, Simmonds might be the only player in the NHL today who, when his name is announced in the starting lineup for the opposing team within the Wells Fargo Center, it is met with a tremendous ovation and not the typical “SUCKS.”
James van Riemsdyk
Giving credit where credit is due when the Flyers decided it was time to move on from Simmonds (who had become riddled down with injuries from his years of ignoring previous ones), General Manager Ron Hextall was wise to try to replace him with the signing of another power forward. Unfortunately, Hextall decided to bring back the Flyers’ 2007 1st round pick James van Riemsdyk on a five-year 35 million dollar contract. At the time, it may have seemed like a good idea; I mean, this 6’3, 208, pound left winger had just finished a season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he scored a career-high 36 goals. But let’s not forget that we sent him packing in the first place because he skated around like he had cement blocks on his feet, and that has certainly not changed. Neither has the fact that van Riemsdyk is one of the most streaky goal scorers in the NHL today. James can go for weeks without you even noticing he is on the ice only to score four points in a game where the Flyers end up getting blown out by five. Now, the team finds themselves cap-strapped because they are stuck paying this underachieving player his allocated seven million dollars again next season.
Solutions:
Valeri Nichushkin
What can the Flyers do to right this situation? Well, if the Flyers can somehow find a way to move salary in a trade, they could try and sign Colorado’s 6’4 210 pound impending free-agent power forward Valeri Nichushkin, who had 25 goals, and 27 assists for 52 points this season. But seeing that he has now helped the Avalanche reach the Stanley Cup Finals, he will most likely be in line for quite the raise over the $2.5 million he made this season.
Evander Kane
Like him or not, 6’2 210-pound 30-year-old impending unrestricted free agent Evander Kane would be another viable option for the Flyers to try and fill the void that Simmonds departure made in the Flyers lineup. Listen, I get it; league officials can’t stand his off-ice antics; he is hated by most players and fans across the entire NHL for his dirty play and is booed every time he steps on the ice during an away game, but can’t the same be said for Washington’s Tom Wilson (minus the off-ice stuff)? I bet you wouldn’t hate it if the Flyers somehow acquired him, would you? Despite Kane constantly jeopardizing his career in the off-seasons, when he is on the ice, he is effective. To prove this in just 43 regular-season games played for Edmonton this year, Evander managed to score 22 goals and 17 assists for 39 points, and in the playoffs this year, Kane managed to step it up in a big way scoring 13 goals and four assists for 17 points in just 15 games played. But this season is no fluke; to date, Kane now has eight seasons to his credit in which he has scored 20 or more goals. To go along with his scoring ability, the other impressive thing about Kane’s game is how physical he can be. Not only will he hit anything that moves if you piss him off, but he (like Simmonds) also isn’t afraid to drop gloves with anyone.
So, to get a player like Kane, who revitalized his career with the Oilers this year, it too would take a lot more than the $1.375 million Edmonton signed him to this season.
There’s no denying that the Flyers have had great success throughout their history when employing and correctly utilizing these above-mentioned power forwards, but let’s be honest here, they have struggled to score since trading away their last key to success, Wayne Simmonds, to the Nashville Predators back in 2019. The team tried to replace him with James van Riemsdyk who was afforded the opportunity to come back and try to make good on the Flyers choice in drafting him all those years ago, but to date: his lack of skating ability and or physicality has left James to fail in comparison to some of Philadelphia’s best from over the past 40 years. Therefore, to get this team back on track, I believe that Chuck Fletcher will need to be aggressive this off-season because, as they say, drastic times call for drastic measures. Finding a way to bring in a true power forward like Nichushkin or Kane next season would provide the kickstart the Flyers need to get back to their winning ways. This would also allow, their newest crop of gritty young prospects such as 2020 first-round pick 6’2 194-pound Tyson Foerster to not be rushed and continue his development. But even then, the Flyers shouldn’t stop there. They need to continue to try and find this now missing link by potentially drafting a player in the coming weeks like the United States National Development Programs 6’2 190 pound winger Cutter Gauthier as well. The Flyers have tried to build with the NHL’s trend of talented diminutive forwards in mind, but it has not worked to this point. If Philadelphia wants to get back to being legitimate playoff contenders year in and year out, then all they have to take a look at is the remaining playoff teams who dominated the regular season as well and get back to what this team was built on; physicality and hard work!
