Wednesday’s game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens will officially mark the halfway point of the Flyers’ regular season. It’s been about as successful a start as they could have hoped for (unless you’re a fan wishing for a full-on tank) – the team is on the playoff bubble in the Eastern Conference.
This wasn’t considered a critical season for the team. For some players, their future with the organization and in the NHL was at stake. The first 40 games have already provided clarity on some – Sean Couturier sure looks at least close to the Selke Trophy contender he was before missing a season and a half due to multiple back surgeries, and his job seems pretty stable.
However, the fate of others is still undecided. The second half will mean different things for different players: some are trying to push for bigger roles, while others have their contracts expiring, and more may be trying to prove that they can still be everyday contributors. Though Philadelphia’s surprising start means every game is important the rest of the way, here are some Flyers with a bit more at stake.
Cam Atkinson
Cam Atkinson entered the season in roughly the same boat as Couturier. He missed the entire 2022-23 season with a neck injury, but, before that, he was a quality second-line scorer who could play effectively in all three situations. Out of the gates, Atkinson’s return to play was similarly successful as Couturier’s. By Black Friday, he had eight goals and 14 points in 20 games, a 57-point pace. It looked like the old Atkinson was back.
But December was as brutal as any month in Atkinson’s 12-year career. He hasn’t scored a goal since Nov. 11, a once unthinkable slump for a seven-time 20-goal scorer. At first, he was still playing well and generating chances, but then he lost sight of the details as frustration mounted. The Flyers have been outscored, outshot and (very marginally) out-chanced with Atkinson on the ice at 5-on-5. His penalty kill usage has also taken a step back, something that was once a staple of his game.
It culminated in a much-needed scratch from the lineup on Jan. 4. To his credit, Atkinson owned his struggles. While he remained snakebitten in his first game back, he got good looks, although his underlying numbers were nothing special.
For Atkinson, a strong second half would create a much more optimistic outlook for his future. The 34-year-old is under contract through next season with a $5.875 million cap hit. If he can bounce back, he’ll not only increase his odds of earning another NHL deal but also his trade value. If the Flyers are willing to retain 50% of his salary, the team should be able to find a taker either this offseason or at the 2025 trade deadline — if his October form returns.
Given Atkinson has never been past the second round of the playoffs and has only been past the first round once. Surely, he’d love to have a shot at the Stanley Cup with a contender. Playing well would do that and also help the Flyers try to return to the playoffs in the process.
Carter Hart
A bad or even ok second half would not doom Carter Hart‘s future. He has already proven himself to be a solid starting goaltender, and he’s been just that this season. His .912 save percentage is his best since 2019-20, although he’s been closer to average with 0.4 goals saved above expected.
So, why is so much at stake for Hart over the next few months? First, he’s in line for a raise. Hart will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights and one year from reaching unrestricted free agent status. For most of his career, he has been good but not great. Showing he has that next level in him right before his contract is up would give him much more power at the negotiating table.
Having a dominant finish to the season could also reassert Hart as the team’s true starter. For the first time since he reached the NHL in 2018-19, he has legitimate competition for the title of Flyers goaltender of the future. Samuel Ersson has been just as good if not better than Hart, sporting a .904 save percentage while saving 2.3 goals above expected.
Ersson thrived, in particular, in December while Hart was sidelined due to illness. He’s also a year younger and will make just $1.45 million in each of the next two seasons. There are reasons that the Flyers would be better off riding Ersson in the future, but if Hart can prove he’s significantly better, that might be the trump card to keep him as the starter.
Finally, more than any other player, Hart can carry the Flyers into the playoffs. It might not be a good thing for Philadelphia long-term if they make the playoffs purely because Hart goes on a heater. But it would be for him. Though he has been solid the last two seasons, the team around him was too much of a mess for even Dominik Hašek in his prime to help the roster sniff the playoffs. That’s not the case this year. We’ll see if Hart can rise to the challenge for the first time since his stellar performance in the 2020 Playoffs.
Morgan Frost
In truth, Morgan Frost probably didn’t warrant a spot on this list a few days ago. His fate with the Flyers seemed all but sealed early this season when he was made a healthy scratch 11 times. He got regular playing minutes when Noah Cates went down on Nov. 22, but his play between then and Jan. 3 was solid but not spectacular. Frost’s underlying numbers improved, but he tallied a modest seven points in 17 games – not ideal for someone who’s supposed to be a scorer.
Still, it was a moderate surprise to see Frost in the press box again along with Atkinson on Jan. 4. However, he responded differently and asked to speak with head coach John Tortorella the next day, and the two reportedly hashed things out. Tortorella notoriously loves players who challenge not just opponents but the coach himself, and Frost was willing to do that.
This might finally get Frost into his coach’s good graces. It helps that he’s done well since returning — two points (a goal and a primary assist on the power-play) on Saturday, and the third-highest expected goals for share on Monday. The most likely outcome is that Frost isn’t in the organization’s long-term plans, but now that Cutter Gauthier is no longer with the organization, there’s more uncertainty down the middle going forward than there was last week. Maybe Frost can take advantage of that.
Jamie Drysdale
It doesn’t matter that he’s only been in the organization for less than 24 hours. The fate of the Jamie Drysdale-Gauthier trade will go well beyond what Drysdale does the rest of this season. After all, he’s only 21, is under contract through 2026, and will be a restricted free agent when his deal expires.
That being said, what Drysdale needs to do right now is play. After putting up 32 points as a rookie in 2021-22, he has played only 18 games after suffering a torn labrum early last season. He did have five points in 10 games with the Anaheim Ducks this season, although his overall numbers aren’t spectacular, particularly on defense.
Drysdale should be allowed to play right away, although he’ll have to perform well to play big minutes for the Flyers. Right now, Philadelphia’s defensive depth chart is fairly crowded. The only one of the Flyers’ top-six defensemen who’s been a healthy scratch more than once is Egor Zamula, and he’s played well as of late.
Things could clear up at the trade deadline, with Sean Walker and Nick Seeler both pending unrestricted free agents and Rasmus Ristolainen also reportedly garnering interest. Losing Gauthier means there’s a clear gap in the long-term plans upfront. If Drysdale can at least make progress and develop into the top-pair defender the team needs, then the Flyers will be no worse for wear overall — they will just have a different hole to plug than the one they thought. That’s easier said than done, though, and it’s up to Drysdale to put the shock of being dealt behind him and find success in Philadelphia.
Flyers Other Candidates
We saw how William Nylander’s development from an 80-point to a 110-point player affected his contract talks. If Travis Konecny takes a similar jump (which feels unlikely), he could cash in when he hits unrestricted free agency in 2025. Bobby Brink and Tyson Foerster had quality Novembers but have been more inconsistent lately, with Foerster goal-less since Dec. 4. Zamula has looked quite strong since becoming Philadelphia’s top power-play quarterback post-Christmas and is looking to prove he’s an everyday player going forward. Scott Laughton has been a disappointment all season long but is capable of giving the team a much-needed secondary scoring boost.
Related: 6 Past Flyers Who Could Boost 2023-24 Roster
There are also quite a few young players on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, such as Emil Andrae, Samu Tuomaala, Ronnie Attard and Olle Lycksell, who hope to earn an NHL audition before the year is up. Of course, as long as the Flyers remain in the playoff race, there’s plenty for each member of the roster to play for.
Skater Advanced Stats via Natural Stat Trick; Goaltender Advanced Stats via Moneypuck
