The Flyers are overachieving right now. It’s ok, we can admit it. We can say it’s thanks to Rick Tocchet or maybe more specifically him not being John Tortorella, but who are we kidding, like Lisa Simpson to her peewee hockey team, it’s Trevor Zegras.
Sixers Christmas Gift: The Star on the Tree
The Flyers have been in dire need of top tier talent for years. Before the season started, we knew we had promise in Matvei Michkov but the rest of the team seemed like a collection of “pretty good but not great” types. Very pre-Andrew Bynum trade Sixers. That’s a crappy place to be. Teams like that need to be smart and to get lucky. Danny Briere was both.
On June 23, the Flyers called up a recent trade partner, the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks had a front line surplus thanks to previously obtained local pariah Cutter Gauthier from Philadelphia. They also had a slumping center whose production had plummeted after early promise. The Flyers were banking on the obvious talent of Trevor Zegras shining with a change of scenery. We also just happened to employ his best friend and former teammate, Jamie Drysdale (the return for Gauthier).
To say he’s delivered is an understatement. After years of a committee approach that hoped someone would score, we now have Zegras to control the tempo and stir the drink. He is averaging a point per game, leading the Flyers in both goals and assists. That’s the kind of production we had been hoping would come from Gauthier but obviously lost. He’s the first legitimate threat for 100 points the Flyers have had since Claude Giroux.
Briere took a big gamble with the trade, giving up 2nd and 4th round picks for a guy who had been a bad mix of both hurt and legitimately bad for 3 seasons. Now we have a 24-year-old cornerstone who will need to be locked up after this season. He will join a young nucleus with Michkov, recent draft pick Porter Martone, and all the veteran role players here for the long haul. Zegras will be right there at center, hopefully leading the next great Flyers team.
Flyers Posts
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The Flyers are about to go on a very long Disney on Ice related road trip. Let’s follow them around.
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The Flyers made a great trade to get Rod Brind’Amour then a memorable one to trade him away.
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Pat Falloon, the first ever draft pick for the Sharks, had a nothing career that intersected with the Flyers way too much.
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Thanksgiving means an obligatory “what are you thankful for” article. I tried to keep this as Philly sports focused as possible. Our teams are relevant, competitive, competent, and likeable.
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You obviously need to know that 8 hockey teams are located right off 95. That’s 25% of the NHL!
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Which Canadian hockey team is the most Canadian of all?
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In the Summer of 2012, the Predators and Flyers were on a collision course. Nobody won.
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Going through expansion in the NHL and how we went from all northern teams to southern domination despite no one in Atlanta liking hockey and Seattle waiting 100 years for a 2nd chance.
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The Flyers are in a good place, but they need more blue-chip talent. Where and how do we get it?
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The Flyers open their season on the road against the Panthers and Hurricanes. Are these hockey towns even a little bit?
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Just enjoy hockey this year. The team has talent but isn’t fooling itself into contention. If we stumble, that means a higher draft pick and that’s fine too.
Philly Front Office 
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