Speculation: Do the Flyers Make the Playoffs

Do the Flyers mkae the playoffs?

  • Yes

  • No


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deadhead

Registered User
Feb 26, 2014
49,215
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Gretzky was incredible. Bobby Orr was amazing.

Find me someone outside of Philly who rates Giroux in the top ten of NHL players.
Or any other Flyer in the top 20.

We have a couple very good players, some good young players, some good veteran players.
Practically every playoff team has a similar group, which is why they're playoff teams.
But no one on the Flyers I'd ever call "incredible" or "amazing."
 
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klutch

PP1 Specialist and Fat Slob
Dec 5, 2014
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I think goaltending will remain our biggest issue this season. Defense will be slightly better from exp. Offense carrying most weight. But we will barely slip to make playoffs.
 

Striiker

Former Flyers Fan
Jun 2, 2013
89,438
155,155
Pennsylvania
I guess having the 9th most points of all players in the last 10 seasons despite only playing 9.5 seasons and scoring 102 points last year doesn't make you incredible.
And don't forget, the two seasons before last we weren't watching a healthy Giroux. In 2015-2016 he was injured and in 2016-2017 he was still recovering from that injury/surgery.

He's an i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-e player who doesn't get the respect he deserves.
 

FlyTimmo

pit <3
Jul 10, 2013
12,417
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It wouldn't take much to miss. One long-term injury to a key player and we could be in a rough spot.

One of Giroux, Couturier, Provorov or Ghost missing 40+ games is almost a death sentence.
 
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Striiker

Former Flyers Fan
Jun 2, 2013
89,438
155,155
Pennsylvania
It wouldn't take much to miss. One long-term injury to a key player and we could be in a rough spot.

One of Giroux, Couturier, Provorov or Ghost missing 40+ games is almost a death sentence.
Yeah, we barely squeaked in with them going god-mode all year. If we lose any of them it might be too much. They can only carry so much deadweight roster/coaching.
 

FlyTimmo

pit <3
Jul 10, 2013
12,417
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Yeah, we barely squeaked in with them going god-mode all year. If we lose any of them it might be too much. They can only carry so much deadweight roster/coaching.

The likelihood of anyone on the roster improving enough during the season to take their place is extremely small.

No one on the roster could get even close to replacing Giroux's production and impact. We will likely have to wait another full season before Patrick can get close to replicating Couturier's impact. Losing either Provorov or Ghost could be worse than losing G or Couts, if you notice who would be replacing Provy and Ghost.
 
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SolidSnakeUS

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Aug 13, 2009
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If they make it to the playoffs, it's on the backs of offense, not defense. This may be the Islanders of last year. Lots of goals for, but I think they will give up a ton as well. So, I think they barely make the playoffs, and if they don't, it's because of the mediocre (at best) goaltending and and awful bottom half of D-men. I voted no because I'm being a bit skeptical. Also, Lehtera is still up so that means play time for Hak and on the PK with Lappy still running it. Time to give up tons of PP and SH goals.
 

GapToothedWonder

Registered User
Dec 20, 2013
5,196
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Paris of the Praries
I think they stumble out of the gate. Score lots if goals but are sunk by the defence and goaltending. Then some combo of Hart/Lyon/Stolie come up and stabilize the goaltending around Christmas. A few months later the return of Morin and maybe Myers and @Stizzle hiems natural progression through out the season satablizes the defence. We make the playoffs as a wild card and play a surprisingly hard fought 7 game series against a favorite but lose in the first round because we can't adjust to our opponent.

Deadhead uses the roster at the start of the season to defend Hak, but at the conclusion of the playoffs Hak is fired. Deadhead then claims to have always known Hak was a weak coach that held the roster back.
 

Garbage Goal

Registered User
Apr 1, 2009
22,699
4,591
The team is better on paper and there are a few teams that took a step back this year but I am still not convinced that they get in.

Washington and Pittsburgh in for sure. Tampa/Boston/Toronto in for sure.

Philly fights with Columbus, New Jersey, and Carolina for the last divisional spot, plus Florida for one of the wild cards.

Looking at the on paper roster, I don’t see why Florida and Philly aren’t clearly ahead of the other three. NJ was barely a playoff team despite Hall having a Hart year he likely won’t repeat. Their goaltending is in wait and see mode too. Palmieri being healthy is probably their counter-argument here.

Carolina shuffled great skaters for great skaters. Adding at least one or two good rookies, but they’re still rookies. Their goaltending is just as bad as last year and so many years before on paper.

Columbus is the only team of the three I can see seriously competing for a divisional spot by seasons end. Pittsburgh is definitely a playoff team, but I don’t get why more people don’t see them as on par with the likes of us or Columbus. They barely beat us out in points last year despite Hakstol, Murray had an iffy year, and the two players their team is entirely built on are getting into their 30’s.

Florida was already a decent team last year. In most seasons the points they had last year would have been enough to get in. They added Hoffman for practically nothing. Their core skater-wise is young. Only part I can see going awry is Luongo regressing and Reiner failing. Carolina added Hamilton and Ferland, but they lost Skinner, Hanifin, and Lindholm so I don’t get where the improvement is supposed to come from with equally bad goaltending. People high on rookies?

If it weren’t for Hakstol, Lappy, and Hextall (to a lesser extent), I would say the Flyers could be the 2nd best team in the division. As is, I expect 3rd in the division and I’ll always expect playoff failure with Hak and Lappy leading the way. If we’re still fighting and scraping for a WC berth this far into the rebuild/Hextall tenure then I think there’s cause for concern on all fronts.
 
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DrinkFightFlyers

THE TORTURE NEVER STOPS
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Sep 24, 2009
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It wouldn't take much to miss. One long-term injury to a key player and we could be in a rough spot.

One of Giroux, Couturier, Provorov or Ghost missing 40+ games is almost a death sentence.
I mean that could be said about almost any team. If any team's best player misses half the year they are going to be in trouble. Maybe the Pens could survive that because of Malkin and Kessel, but go down the list and almost every team is in that same boat. If Ovechkin goes down the Caps could be in a rough spot. If Laine goes down the Jets could be in a tough spot. If Kane goes down the Blackhawks could be in a tough spot. If McDavid goes down the Oilers could be in a tough spot. And so forth and so on. I don't disagree with the statement as it pertains to the Flyers, but this is not unique to Philadelphia.
 

FlyTimmo

pit <3
Jul 10, 2013
12,417
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I mean that could be said about almost any team. If any team's best player misses half the year they are going to be in trouble. Maybe the Pens could survive that because of Malkin and Kessel, but go down the list and almost every team is in that same boat. If Ovechkin goes down the Caps could be in a rough spot. If Laine goes down the Jets could be in a tough spot. If Kane goes down the Blackhawks could be in a tough spot. If McDavid goes down the Oilers could be in a tough spot. And so forth and so on. I don't disagree with the statement as it pertains to the Flyers, but this is not unique to Philadelphia.

It can't be said about almost any team. It can only be said about most bubble teams, which is what the Flyers are. You mention the Pens and Caps, both of whom would take a hit if key player(s) go down long-term, but neither injury is a death sentence. So, not the same as the Flyers.

The Hawks and Oilers would of course look a lot worse but neither are projected to make the playoffs so it isn't a death sentence, they were already dead.
 

DrinkFightFlyers

THE TORTURE NEVER STOPS
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Sep 24, 2009
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It can't be said about almost any team. It can only be said about most bubble teams, which is what the Flyers are. You mention the Pens and Caps, both of whom would take a hit if key player(s) go down long-term, but neither injury is a death sentence. So, not the same as the Flyers.

The Hawks and Oilers would of course look a lot worse but neither are projected to make the playoffs so it isn't a death sentence, they were already dead.
Well I mentioned the Pens as a team that could withstand, I'm not sure the Caps aren't in trouble without OV...but even if you're right and they'd be fine...that's two teams. Who else fits that mold where they could lose their best player and not have it be pretty much a death sentence? Tampa Bay is probably on that list. That's about all I can think of.
 

FlyTimmo

pit <3
Jul 10, 2013
12,417
10,393
Well I mentioned the Pens as a team that could withstand, I'm not sure the Caps aren't in trouble without OV...but even if you're right and they'd be fine...that's two teams. Who else fits that mold where they could lose their best player and not have it be pretty much a death sentence? Tampa Bay is probably on that list. That's about all I can think of.

Tampa, Boston, Toronto, Nashville, Winnipeg, Vegas, SJS

But you are kind of missing the point. Among the bubble teams who are in a somewhat similar situation to the Flyers, those teams might have 1-2 players that if injured would be a death sentence. The Flyers have 4.
 
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TheKingPin

Registered User
Nov 16, 2005
20,494
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Philadelphia, PA
I’d say we finish top 3 in our division. I see every team getting worse in our division minus the canes but I think we stay ahead of them. The jackets lost jones and may have to trade panarin. Possibly even bob. The devils are going to take a step back without hall having the same motivation as last year. Caps and pens a year older. Still good and likely finish ahead of us but I don’t think we get swept by the pens again. Rags and isles worse. I see the Atlantic being more competitive as well. Not ready to give the Bruins a free pass to the playoffs after a single good year lead by one great line. Bergeron is hurt and chara is a Dino. All in all even with Hak I think we are top 3 team in the division and a shot at top 2.
 

deadhead

Registered User
Feb 26, 2014
49,215
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I think people don't appreciate how much deeper the Flyers are this year than last year.

Last season we started with one line G - Couts - Voracek, Filppula was the 2C, Simmonds was hobbled, Patrick was a 4C until February, TK was in a funk the first half and couldn't buy a goal, and so on - zero offensive depth. The 4th line had great possession stats but bad GF% b/c they couldn't score to save their lives. Sanheim was over his head, MacDonald was hurt, Gudas suspended, we were recalling players like Alt and O'Neill after Morin went down. Despite solid goaltending, Elliott at .915%, we were well out of the playoff race.

Gudas comes back, MacDonald gets healthy, Ghost gets moved up with Provorov, defense solved.
Patrick finds his legs, is paired with Voracek, and eventually Lindblom comes up, we now have two lines.
This was enough for a great playoff run (108 points pace from January 1) despite the goalies in the second half posting an .899 S%.

Now we've build a 3rd line, and the 4th line should be at least passable with Laughton and Raffl.
If Sanheim takes a step up the 2nd pair should be as good or better.
And it's not like Hagg - MacDonald/Manning was a good 3rd pair the second half of last season.

I don't expect the goalies to post a .899 S% for the season. That would be the league's worst.
So I don't think this is a bubble playoff team, they should get > 100 points, which is a shoo-in every year.
Now if a top player goes down, they'll become a bubble team, but even without Giroux, move Raffl or Lindblom up there and call up Twarynski and they'll still have a solid offense spread over three lines.

The only scrub forward is the 4C and the backups, the only scrub defensemen will be MacDonald, Hagg/Folin if Gudas has any sort of bounce back. And LHV is much deeper than last season with Rubtsov, Twarynski, NAK, Myers, Friedman, Hart, Stolarz.

Note: despite atrocious goaltending and shaky defensemen, they were 7th in the league in GA/60 last season, Hakstol can scheme defense.
 
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