With NHL Training Camps set to begin in a matter of days, the Flyers will begin yet another campaign, with the hopes of bringing home the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in almost 50 years. This article will provide an in-depth look at the Flyers, and the five areas to watch for this upcoming season. While the team didn’t make the “flashy” instantaneous upgrade this offseason, they made some solid additions to the back-end with defenders Nick Schultz and Michael Del Zotto. This is practically the same team that took the ice last season, and they look to perform better after building a season’s worth of chemistry.

Offense– This portion of the squad will look similar to the same group that played last year, but if you look close enough, you’ll spot the difference. While the Flyers hardly touched their group of forwards this offseason, they stunned their loyal fan base with one shocker of a trade. Fan favorite Scotty Hartnell was dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for former Flyer RJ Umberger on June 23rd. Hartnell will be missed on the top line by teammates Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek, but the first shouldn’t miss a beat with the addition of Wayne Simmonds. Simmonds is essentially a younger version of Hartnell with a better knack for scoring. The second line provides an interesting combination, as Vinny Lecavailer will center youngsters Brayden Schenn and Matt Read. This lines will provide some questions though, as Vinny will look to shake off rumors of an “impending” trade, Schenn will look to take the next step, and Read looks to re-gain the form that once had him in contention for the Calder Trophy. Umberger will play on the third line, along side of Sean Couturier, and Michael Raffl.

Umberger will look to prove that he still has gas left in the tank, while Couturier will look to silence to the critics that says his offense just “isn’t there”. The fourth line provides the Flyers with a combination of fore-checking, shut-down defense, and puck-moving skills. Perhaps, the most under-rate 4th line in the NHL. As far as the bench goes, the Flyers don’t have much to brag about with Chris VandeVelde, Jay Rosehill, and free agent signees Blair Jones and Ryan White riding the pine. I’m not saying this group is terrible, but I could see the likes of Ryan Malone and Dustin Penner getting tryout calls.

Defense– Ah yes, the Flyers Achilles heel. Kimmo Timonen went down hard with the diagnosis of blood clots in his legs and throat, which led to the inevitable signing of Michael Del Zotto. Del Zotto will be paired on the third line with Nicklas Grossman. This specific pairing stands out to me, because of the fact that they can play to each others’ strengths. Grossman is a stay-at-home defender, while Del Zotto excels in the offensive aspects of the game. Playing together, will allow Grossman to feel comfortable staying at home, and allowing Del Zotto the opportunity to find the game that made him a once-prized youngster.

Other line pairings include a Long Island reunion as Mark Streit goes with Andrew MacDonald, and Luke Schenn paired with Braydon Coburn. The Coburn/Schenn, and Del Zotto/Grossman lines are far from written in stone, with Nick Schultz and prized-prospect Shayne Gostisbehere breathing down their necks. I’d say the last two defensive spots are going to be an interesting competition to watch as camp rolls on.

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