It hasn’t been the case in recent seasons, but the Philadelphia Flyers are getting some early Christmas joy with a fantastic month of December so far. For this holiday season, there aren’t too many gifts that they’ll be asking for. Still, what’s on the Flyers’ wish list? Will Santa Claus grant them all their presents?
Sustained Foerster Dominance
First up on the Flyers’ Christmas list, they will want 21-year-old Tyson Foerster to have some sustained dominance. He has been a very solid defensive player to this point, but his offensive production has presented itself in short stints. If that is expanded a bit, the Flyers should be happy with what’s under the tree.
It’s been a tale of two quarters for Foerster’s season. The defensive game has been there the entire season, but the offense didn’t present itself until the Flyers finished their first 20 or so contests in 2023-24. Now, he has started to get the ball rolling a bit. Even though the Orange and Black are a youthful team based on average age, they have few truly young players. Foerster is the youngest player on the active roster, so his success is important for the rebuild.
More Ersson Starts
Ever since a couple stinkers in October where goaltender Sam Ersson allowed 12 goals in just two games, he has been fantastic. Having him get more starts is not only a good opportunity for him to prove that he has the potential to be a starting goaltender down the line, but it also takes some pressure off of Carter Hart so he doesn’t have to start every single important game on the schedule. For Ersson to bounce back from games where he doesn’t play well, he needs to appear in goal as much as possible.
Ersson, 24, could be the potential successor to Hart in the future. He can be streaky, but the Flyers have gotten starter-level play out of him at times. He could be a part of the long-term plan in Philadelphia, so getting more looks out of him during this rebuilding season should be a goal.
Hart is known to miss time once in a while, and furthered that narrative after being out with both injury and sickness for the Flyers for about two weeks total in November. That’s what gave Ersson a chance to rebound from a bad start to the season. He did get a start against the Nashville Predators after the Flyers had two days off, so perhaps Santa came early with this wish.
No Big Losing Skids
Over the last few seasons for the Flyers, drastic losing streaks have been a common theme. From their 2021-22 season through last season, they have had three separate skids that totaled 10 or more games. At one point, it got so bad that it led to the departure of head coach Alain Vigneault.
A skid of that nature can derail an entire season, and that would be no different for the Flyers this season despite their marvelous start — minus their coach getting fired. At this point, a 10-game losing streak would undo nearly everything positive that they’ve done, making them potential lottery favorites rather than a dark horse for a playoff spot.
The Flyers haven’t done anything to indicate that a steep fall-off will occur this season, but they aren’t exactly easy to predict, either. The hope this season is that the Flyers are a more mature team and able to bounce back from losses, and that’s definitely something they’ve done. If they go on a 10-game losing streak, their playoff chances would drop to virtually zero. Hopefully, they don’t take their foot off the gas when times get tough.
Key Players Stay Healthy
This season, the Flyers have had the healthiest roster they’ve seen in quite some time. Though players like Rasmus Ristolainen, Noah Cates, and Marc Staal have all had extended absences, it’s been a healthy season to what the Flyers are used to so far. Things staying that way would be a nice final gift from Santa.
Losing any key player would be disastrous for the Flyers. A player like Travis Sanheim being out for an extended period might just make the Flyers a basement-dweller, which speaks to the impact he has. Nobody other than him is truly capable of playing first-pairing minutes aside from him and defensive partner Cam York, although a case could be made for Sean Walker. Even such, Sanheim would be a gigantic loss.
Sanheim isn’t the only key player the Flyers have on their roster. Sean Couturier might not be the best player on the team, but he is the only truly capable first-line center. After missing the entirety of his 2022-23 campaign, him being back in the lineup has been one of the sparks to help the Flyers soar past their expectations. He is one of the most reliable players the Flyers have at both ends of the ice, and has been pivotal in the forechecking game. It’s nearly impossible to replicate or replace what he does for the Flyers.
Related: The Invaluable Flyer Sean Couturier
The Flyers have been lucky to only have their long-term injuries occur to depth players. The team is built in a way where the losses can be mitigated, but there are some exceptions. The Flyers’ good health has been an overlooked reason as to why they’ve had so much success, so they’ll have to wish that this doesn’t change.
Things have gone swimmingly for the Flyers, but that doesn’t mean they should be humble. It’s the season of giving, so hopefully Santa has their best interest at heart. Even though they like to fight, their impressive play should warrant them being on the “nice” list for a change.
