The Philadelphia Flyers’ training camp ahead of the 2023-24 season is now underway, and the team has started to partake in some scrimmages split amongst three groups. If the lines of those groups are combined, a potential offensive group would resemble an interesting core that gives some hope for what is to come.
While scrimmage lines aren’t necessarily a lock for what is seen on opening night, they are more or less accurate for the most part pending a key injury or disappointing performance. If they were finalized, how could they perform?
Forward Line 1: Travis Konecny, Sean Couturier, Owen Tippett
For a first line on a team that finished with the fourth-least total goals as a team last season, this one is actually pretty good. It is not necessarily surprising to see Sean Couturier back at his first-line center spot after missing almost two seasons with back injuries, but it inspires some optimism that coach John Tortorella would be willing to have him with that workload so early.
Having Couturier claim his spot back would be great to see, especially by the time opening night starts. With him almost certainly being on the power play and the penalty kill, his ice time wouldn’t be too far off from where it was when he was healthy. If the Flyers are getting the true version of him back, they could be a sneakily competitive team.
As for his wings, Travis Konecny playing on the left side would fill that void quite well. An abundance of right-wing talent made it evident that somebody would have to make the switch. Right now, it seems like he is arguably the team’s best player. The winger was up to par with some of the better goal-scorers in the league with his 31-goal campaign in just 60 games. If he has a healthy Couturier with him, this line could be fairly productive.
Owen Tippett has earned the right to be on the first line. With 27 goals last season, he projects to be a talented scorer for Philadelphia now and in the future. Now 24 years old, he has the potential to truly break out with his gifted linemates. A big payday could be on the horizon for him, given his deal expires after the 2023-24 season.
Forward Line 2: Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost, Cam Atkinson
The Flyers’ second line will definitely have something to prove next season. Losing Cam Atkinson for the entire 2022-23 season made it so some players had an elevated role. It was an up-and-down season for his linemates, but they hope to be more consistent and potentially cement themselves as members of the team.
Tortorella wasn’t entirely incorrect about his strange assessment of Morgan Frost early in the season, saying that he’s “up and down like a toilet seat”, clarifying that “you see him coming, and then he dips.” On that day, he had only one goal and two assists in his last 20 games. Over his next 60, he had 16 goals and 25 assists for a respectable 41 points. When he was given the chance to play top-six minutes, he proved he was worthy. Now slated to do it again, he has to prove that last season’s progress was not a fluke.
Joel Farabee struggled for longer portions than Frost did last season. After a great 2020-21 season that saw him score 20 goals and 38 points in just 55 games, there was hope that he would be the future of the team. For this, he signed a six-year, $30 million contract during that offseason. Since that point, he has remained stagnant or dipped in production. Much of last season was difficult for him, as he had just one point in 20 games towards the end of the season. His six goals and six assists for 12 points in his last 15 games showed the player that the Flyers were hoping to get. If he can build off of that momentum, Philadelphia is getting a gift.
Related: Flyers’ Cam Atkinson an X-Factor for Team Success
Atkinson, much like Couturier, being put high in the lineup early shows that he is ready to compete. It’s easy to forget that he actually finished second in overall points for the Flyers in 2021-22 but was marred by injury that caused him to miss nine games. As a veteran, he can help his young linemates improve. If he can be anything like he was when he was healthy, it’s a big add for the Flyers.
Forward Line 3: Scott Laughton, Noah Cates, Tyson Foerster
On paper, this third line is arguably the best line that the Flyers have when being compared to the relative strength of what a third line should look like around the league. This looks like it could be a group that Tortorella relies on often.
Noah Cates has been one of the biggest surprises in Philadelphia. As a 24-year-old rookie, he was one of the league’s best defensive forwards. He was clearly a player that Tortorella liked, as he played for almost 18 minutes a night, even though his 38 points of offensive production weren’t exactly a strong suit, considering how much he was playing. In his second season, he could elevate his offensive production and be an elite two-way player rather than being exceptional solely on his own end. He will still have a role on this third line and could move up the lineup even if this is finalized.
Scott Laughton played significant time on the second line last season, even though he has primarily been a bottom-six forward. This increase in responsibility allowed him to have a career-high 43 points and be one of the team’s primary offensive producers. He is probably a better fit as a third-line player, so this would be a pleasant change. With interest around the league, him being a highly touted commodity makes him a perfect fit here.
Tyson Foerster showed flashes of greatness in the limited time he played in Philadelphia last season, with seven points in eight games with the club. He generated a lot of offense and showcased his wicked shot on NHL ice. He made the transition look seamless, so in a full season, he could be on the verge of being a top-line player. He will likely start out on the third line, but he could move his way up.
Forward Line 4: Nicolas Deslauriers, Ryan Poehling, Garnet Hathaway
When I projected my forward lines for the season, this seemed to be the only one I actually got entirely right. Unlike last season, this group appears to be a good fourth line that has the potential to stay together for a while, barring injuries. The Flyers didn’t do much in the offseason, but they did address their bottom forward line.
Fourth lines are usually not impactful on the overall game and do not generate much either offensively or defensively most of the time. However, the Flyers had to turn to several players to fill out this line. Among those were Deslauriers, Frost, Lukas Sedlak, Zack MacEwen, Patrick Brown, Wade Allison, Elliot Desnoyers, and Tanner Laczynski, to name the most notable. Having nightly inconsistencies in your lineup does not bode well most of the time, even if it is just a fourth line. Having a reliable group helps this, which is precisely the reason why Garnet Hathaway was brought in. He is a good defensive forward and provided 13 goals at even strength last season, and can play on the penalty kill if that is something Tortorella wants. He gives the team a flexible option, which is important even for a depth player.
Nicolas Deslauriers is the only member who remains from the fourth line, and he did what he was supposed to. He might not be the best offensive or defensive player like Hathaway, but he is a great fighter. As cliché as it might sound, it is important to have a leader and someone who can defend young players.
Ryan Poehling will look to revive his NHL career, as he has been nothing more than a bottom-six player in recent years. He is only 25 but will have an uphill battle to face if he wants to move up the lineup. If there is anyone that could move up, it would probably be him. As of now, he is an improvement at the fourth-line center.
The Flyers’ offense is a mixed bag. There might not be a true superstar on it, but they could contribute to a decent scoring season as a committee. The potential in the lineup alone should prove to make the team more fun to watch in 2023-24.