Where do the Flyers go from here?

Photo Credit: Zack Hill

With the Philadelphia Flyers well on their way to their second consecutive losing season, management finally made the decision to rip off the team’s band-aid (that was Claude Giroux) when they recently traded him (along with Connor Bunnaman & German Rubtsov) to the only team Giroux would agree to go to: the Florida Panthers. Other Flyers’ players (such as impeding free agent forward Derick Brassard and defenseman Justin Braun) were traded to other NHL clubs before the trade deadline as well. These moves, along with the Flyers’ waiver-wire loss of forward Gerry Mayhew (who was claimed by the Anaheim Ducks) certainly have created a lot of holes and valuable contract opportunities to be had, both in the Flyers’ lineup and within their system. So much so that the team currently has only been dressing eleven forwards the past couple of games.

Those holes could and should be filled by the team’s youth moving forward. Believe it or not, the Flyers have a wealth of talented young prospects in their system, some of whom are already signed and still more who will be looking to sign their entry-level contract as their seasons end in the coming weeks. The ones playing in the NCAA will most likely come first (seeing that their playoffs are set to commence this weekend) followed later by those playing in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and the United States Hockey League (USHL) as their playoffs are not due to start for a few more weeks. Now, I recently named a list of unsigned NCAA talent whom the Flyers drafted and who could join the team once inked. So, for the purposes of this article, I won’t name them again.

With that being said, let’s take a look at some of the other teams’ prospects that are worth getting excited about who we may see joining the Flyers as early as this season:

Elliot Desnoyers

A 5th round draft pick of the Flyers back in 2020, the now 20-year-old winger Elliot Desnoyers has developed into a lethal offensive talent. Over 44 games played (GP) this season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) where he served as captain for the Halifax Mooseheads, Elliot has been able to net a very impressive 27 goals (G) and 32 assists (A) for 59 Points (P) so far this season. That 1.34 point-per-game (P.P.G.) average should have made it quite apparent to Flyers’ management that Desnoyers needs no further seasoning before turning pro. With that being said, once Elliot’s season is done, he will not need to waste time with contract talks. That’s because the Flyers already have him inked to the end of the ’23-‘24 season at the rate of $845k a season. Now, while Desnoyers is certainly no Giroux, the fact that he does play left wing (Claude’s previous position) could see him becoming a mainstay in the Flyers’ lineup sooner rather than later.

Connor McClennon

The next prospect who you could see join the Flyers from the CHL is their 2020 6th round pick Connor McClennon. This undersized prospect has had to prove his worth his entire life and this season he has continued to do so by scoring 38 G and 30 A for 68 P in 52 GP thus far. This equates to a 1.31 P.P.G. pace which also sees him currently averaging a +33 on the season. Now, with Connor clearly being unchallenged and thus having nothing else to prove in Juniors, all that is stopping him from turning pro is the fact that he is without a contract. This writer is sure that this won’t be the case for long, considering he possesses the kind of offensive prowess and willingness to shoot to the puck that the Flyers so desperately need. But don’t expect him anytime soon: Connor currently plays with one of the best teams in all of Canadian Juniors- the Winnipeg Ice- and they are sure to make a long playoff run.

Owen McLaughlin

The last player named will be a long shot, but not because he is not as talented as the previously mentioned, but because the Flyers would have to talk him into de-committing from the University of North Dakota (which he is set to attend and play for next season). Owen McLaughlin was the Flyers’ 2021 7th round pick, and he has managed to progress by leaps and bounds in a very short amount of time. Just look at these stats that McLaughlin has managed to post in the USHL at just 18 years of age this season while playing for the Sioux City Musketeers: 24 goals and 36 assists for 60 points in just 50 games played (so far). Although he is young, since he does not play in the CHL he could be signed and assigned to the Flyers’ American Hockey League affiliate the Lehigh Valley Phantoms next year, and we all know that the Phantoms (who find themselves in last place in their division) could use all the help they could get next season.

As you can see, there’s no doubt that the Flyers have some pretty talented players coming up the pike but herein lies the problem: The Flyers must resist the urge to continue with their longtime habit of filling their roster with veteran players who are well past their prime and instead learn to trust in their talented youth. Bringing in young players (like the ones listed above) will only add to Joel Farabee, Owen Tippett, and Cam York who are already excelling at a young age for the Flyers currently. Giroux may be gone, but if the team gives the reins to these talented prospects, it just might expedite the amount of time it will take Philadelphia to return to the perennial playoff contenders that they once were. 

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