In a complete shift of expectations, the Philadelphia Flyers are gunning for a playoff spot in their 2023-24 campaign as opposed to trying to stay above water amidst their rebuilding effort. For a team that most projected to finish low in the standings primarily due to a lack of star talent, they could definitely use a game-changing player to potentially shoot them into contention.
Looking at the best players in the history of the Flyers, it’d be a fun hypothetical scenario to determine which former Flyers would improve their team the most. Assuming each athlete is in their prime, which one might have the biggest impact on the current roster?
Tim Kerr
For the Flyers, getting a player like Tim Kerr on their roster would be hard to refuse. The juxtaposition of the player and the team’s current state is a perfect match — he was at his best on the power play, and that’s where the current Flyers are at their worst. Adding him might be able to transform their man advantage.
If there was any single player in NHL history the Flyers could choose from to boost their power-play numbers, Kerr would likely be their first choice. Not only did he lead the league in power-play goals for three consecutive seasons in the mid-1980s, but he holds the current record for the most goals on the man advantage in a single season with 34. Since he did it in the 1985-86 season — in just 76 games, no less — nobody has done as much as tie his mark. Along with forwards like Alexander Ovechkin and Dave Andreychuk, he is among the best power-play threats in league history.
Kerr has some experience playing center, which makes choosing him even more tempting. While he was mostly a right-winger during his career, if the Flyers could put him down the middle, it could make their center depth a strength rather than the weakness that it objectively is today.
Kerr’s health during his career was a concern for him, playing just 601 games despite scoring 650 points. However, he scored 50 goals and played over 70 games each season from his 1983-84 campaign through 1986-87 — he only had issues staying on the ice until after that.
Entering the 2024 calendar year, the Flyers were sitting on the NHL’s worst power play with a 10.5 percent scoring rate. To make matters worse, their penalty kill had just three fewer goals than the man advantage, scoring nine as opposed to 12 on the power play. Without a doubt, Kerr’s net-front abilities would change that, or at least to the extent that they wouldn’t be dead last in the league. As a plus, he’d likely be the best scorer on the team.
Eric Lindros
Eric Lindros seems to be both the obvious and natural pick for the team. Not only could the Flyers use another legitimate top-six centerman, but they could also use both a goal-scorer and physical freak of nature like the “Big E” once was. Arguably the best pure-talent player in team history, he’d be an excellent fit for the current roster.
Lindros didn’t draw comparisons to players like Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux for nothing. When he was healthy, he was beyond just a superstar. He had a Hall-of-Fame skillset, as evidenced by his Hart Trophy campaign in the shortened 1994-95 season. With 70 points in just 46 games, he beat out legends such as Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Brett Hull, and Teemu Selanne. Coupling his elite scoring abilities with physical dominance, it’s hard to find a better prime than that of Lindros.
What would make Lindros on the current Flyers so special is that he can play with virtually anyone and still be the best player on the ice. The Orange and Black don’t have a player that commands that sort of respect, so adding him changes not just the complexion of their roster but could put them among some of the NHL’s Stanley Cup contenders as long as the defense and goaltending hold up.
Bobby Clarke
Bobby Clarke would make a sensational player on the 2023-24 Flyers. His style echoes Lindros’ on the physicality front, except the former was just 5-foot-10 in his playing days as opposed to 6-foot-4 for the 1990s star.
Clarke serves as more of a playmaker than a scorer, but that is something that the Flyers lack. They have several good scorers, but they don’t have someone who can create chances like magic to set up teammates who have talented shots. That’s where the small but gritty centerman enters the scene. Leading the NHL in assists with 89 total in both 1974-75 and 1975-76, he is the ultimate playmaker who could fix the Flyers’ roster.
In addition to being a superstar playmaker, Clarke is one of the best two-way players to play in the NHL, as well. Although he only won the Selke Trophy once, it wasn’t implemented until his seventh-last season in the league. If it were added sooner, he’d likely garner even more historical respect as a generational two-way athlete.
Related: Defensive Forward Elite Eight: The Best in Hockey History
What current Flyers head coach John Tortorella likes in a player and what Clarke brought to the team in the 1970s go hand-in-hand. The two-time Stanley Cup champion, winner of consecutive Hart Trophies, and all-time point leader of the Flyers franchise has to be in the running for the modern-day team.
Claude Giroux
Claude Giroux is the only player on this list who is still active in the league today. While his current state as a near-point-per-game player and a solid two-way presence despite being on the cusp of his 36th birthday, his prime is easy to overlook. When he was atop his game, he was both one of the best power-play forwards as well as one of the best playmakers in the sport. If the Flyers could get his prime on their roster, he’d be a massive help in their playoff aspirations.
Giroux has both a 93-point campaign in 2011-12 and a 102-point season in 2017-18 under his resumé. In those seasons, he had 65 and 68 assists, along with 38 and 36 power-play points. The only difference between them was that he shot the puck 49 more times in 2011-12 yet scored six fewer goals as opposed to the latter of the two campaigns. What makes those specific seasons more notable was that he did one as a centerman and the other as a winger. He can play all over in the lineup, which would give the team some flexibility on offense.
Giroux didn’t have as good of a prime as some of the other players listed before him, considering the absence of a Hart Trophy win in his possession. At the very least, it is clear that his game translates to what it is today.
John LeClair
John LeClair often gets overshadowed by the accomplishments of his most notable linemate in Philadelphia in Lindros, but he had a phenomenal career of his own. The Vermont native had three straight 50-goal campaigns in the latter stages of the 1990s when goal-scoring was down. The left-winger would infuse the prowess needed to give the Flyers a spark. While not as flashy as some of the players mentioned before him, he’d slot on the team quite nicely.
The name of LeClair’s game is that he’s an elite goal-scoring power forward. He was one of the best at putting the puck in the back of the net when defenses started to take over the sport, which makes his best years all the more impressive. As a Flyer alone, his 333 goals and 643 points in 649 games can be best compared to Kerr, with them both being in the top five in team goals and top 10 in team points.
The Flyers certainly wouldn’t mind adding a 50-goal scorer to their roster, especially considering he did it in an era that had significantly fewer goals than the league does now. Scoring 51 goals in 1997-98, he did that at a time that had an average of 2.64 goals for each team every game versus the total of 3.14 today. It’s safe to assume he could flourish even more in the game now. He’d be a fantastic addition to Philadelphia’s top line.
Pelle Eklund
Going outside the box a bit, Pelle Eklund would be an intriguing top-six center for the Flyers. This season, they have been a team that relies on scoring on the rush from their top players. Each one of Travis Konecny, Joel Farabee, and Owen Tippett are some of the fastest players on the team and are three of the club’s top scorers as a result.
Unlike the three players mentioned, Eklund was a center during his playing days. For his era, he might have been one of the most dynamic skaters of that time. Possessing elite speed and being a great playmaker, he’d be a schematic fit for the new-age Philadelphia roster.
Even though Eklund played his last game in the NHL in 1993-94, before a majority of the Flyers of today were even born, his style would likely translate gracefully to the league now. In the speed-reliant game of today, he’d have no issues fitting in. His best seasons only saw him score 69 points, but the stylistic fit makes him a good candidate rather than any superstar abilities.
Since the Flyers’ strong suit this season has been both their defense and goaltending, it’s natural that they’d want a forward to add to their roster. Thankfully for the Orange and Black, there are plenty in their history that could make a noticeable impact and perhaps take them from playoff hopeful to juggernaut in an instant.
