Philly is such a great hockey city.
Early on it was the Lindros era.
The Legion of Doom.
Incredible Flyers teams that were constantly in the mix.
Then came the Mike Richards and Jeff Carter era.
Pronger, Jagr, a Cup Final appearance in 2010, hosting the Winter Classic in 2012.
The Flyers were just as integral to the heartbeat of Philadelphia as any other team.
And then….
Years and years of organizational failure.
It seemed like the moment Ed Snider passed away, the Flyers lost their identity.
They became a cold and calculated corporate shell of themselves.
That led to alumni feeling distanced from the team.
The team had become completely irrelevant in this city.
Either way, he was one of the youngest players in this draft class.
A late bloomer who really surged up the draft boards late.
But definitely too high for the Flyers to get a chance at.
All of these guys are solid.
Couturier and Konecny are all-stars.
Defense
How good this Flyers defense can be really relies on a healthy Jamie Drysdale.
If he’s anywhere close to 100%, he’s a game changer.
Drysdale and York are both smooth, puck moving defensemen.
Ristolainen is an absolute mutant who can create chaos physically.
Travis Sanheim is the perfect hybrid of somewhere in the middle.
You need those guys in your locker room.
Because realistically, the Flyers' main focus should still be a few years from now.
Maybe they make the playoffs, maybe they fall just short again.
The kids are coming.
