It might not seem like it, but the Philadelphia Flyers 2023-24 campaign will be pretty important. Their play will be pivotal in determining the direction of their rebuild, and one could expect general manager (GM) Danny Briere to act accordingly based on how they perform.
Flyers: Progression or Regression?
A big question surrounding the Flyers is about how they will fare this season. With some key pieces returning from injury like Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson, the team could be better than they were in 2022-23. It is also fair to say that they could be worse.
Even though the Flyers should be pretty optimistic about the potential of their offense, things could go south rather quickly if the team fails to get in a groove.
Related: Philadelphia Flyers’ 2023-24 Stats Predictions: Forwards
While signs do not point to the Flyers imploding this season given the youth on the team and still having some veteran assets, if they do struggle then Briere will make the necessary moves to go along with that. This would likely mean shopping key players like Travis Konecny, Carter Hart, Scott Laughton, Travis Sanheim, Cam Atkinson, Owen Tippett, and potentially more than just that. If the season goes poorly, it’s not out of the realm of possibility for a massive selling spree to be on the radar.
If the Flyers are competing for a wild card spot, a completely different approach would occur. It wouldn’t be out of the question for Briere and the team to shop cautiously at the deadline in order to show his team that he has confidence in them. At this point, it doesn’t seem likely that the Flyers will be in a position to do that, but it shouldn’t be disregarded entirely.
Even if the Flyers fall somewhere in between both of the above outcomes, it could alter the team’s philosophy. The importance of this season for Philadelphia is being overlooked. It could be what defines the rebuild.
Determines Which Young Flyers Stay, Which Ones Go
The Flyers have an abundance of young talent on the roster and competing for a spot in the lineup. This season will be important for the club because it might help shed some light on which of the young players could have a longer future in Philadelphia, and which players might not.
This season will be vital for a lot of players. This includes Wade Allison, Ryan Poehling, Bobby Brink, and Tyson Foerster to name a few. They will have the chance to prove they belong in an NHL lineup if they play to that standard. If they don’t, they could see more time in the American Hockey League (AHL). For Allison and Poehling, they probably won’t be donning the Orange and Black after this season if they cannot contribute. If there are some flashes of brilliance out of some of the younger players, they could be a staple in the Flyers’ lineup for a long time. The 2023-24 season is the year for them to prove it.
The great thing about a rebuild is that a team can wait to make key decisions. There is no rush to do anything, especially considering a GM is likely going to have a greater chance of remaining in power for a long period of time if they are the one initiating the entire process. The Flyers have a pretty strong group of young athletes in the system specifically, so the players already on the team will have to claim their territory. Trading some of these pieces would not be because of a lack of faith, but simply due to the lack of space in a 23-man roster. Not everyone can have a spot.
Timeline of Flyers’ Rebuild Could Be Set
Depending on how the Flyers individually and as a collective perform, we can gauge a timeline for how long the rebuild will take. It’s much more complex than stating that it will definitely take anywhere from three to five years, or whatever time period is being suggested. That’s not how rebuilds work, and that’s never been how they’ve worked. However, we will have a better idea of what that timeframe might look like after this season.
If the Flyers can get assets for their veteran players, whenever they choose to sell some of them off, that will help speed up the rebuilding process. The more players that break out for the Flyers, the better off they will be. It is unlikely that everything will be negative for the team, even if things go horribly wrong. There will at least be one or two players who will outperform their expectations. If that does happen, then the Flyers should be better sooner. Once they accumulate enough assets to the point where they feel comfortable making a push to compete, that is when we can officially call this process a success. Until then, the Flyers are in a rebuild.
It is nearly impossible to accurately predict how the Flyers’ rebuild will go before they start their 2023-24 season. How they perform will provide significant insight into how long the wait for contention could be.
