Last season, the Philadelphia Flyers used dozens of different combinations trying to find something that would stick. By season’s end, the team built up some chemistry that was not present a few months prior. With head coach John Tortorella taking over for his second season with the Orange and Black, we could see some familiar lines in 2023-24 with some new faces dispersed in the lineup.
Forward Line 1: Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost, Travis Konecny
In 2022-23, winger Joel Farabee and center Morgan Frost saw a lot of each other. It took a while, as the young centerman saw very limited ice time early in the season, averaging just over 14 minutes per game through the first two months of the year. When they were clicking, the two became a formidable duo. Once Travis Konecny was added to make this a trio, they were as dominant as you can get for a team that ranked in the basement for goal-scoring output.
Farabee had a bit of a down year, scoring just 39 points in 82 games. Frost was elite during his last 54 games of the season, where he scored 40 points when he wasn’t trapped in the bottom six. Konecny was the Flyers’ best player when he was healthy, scoring 31 goals and 61 points in just 60 games.
It wouldn’t be a shocker to see Tortorella use this as his first line. Overall, this will be a pretty exciting group if they can build off where they ended last season.
Forward Line 2: Scott Laughton, Sean Couturier, Owen Tippett
With Sean Couturier returning to the Flyers lineup for the first time since Dec. 18, 2021, Philadelphia might be looking at a much more successful offensive corps. The loss of the former Selke Trophy-winning forward cannot be understated. While he might be at that level quite yet, having him back is vital.
Owen Tippett saw his offensive game improve heavily, scoring 27 goals and 49 points on the season. Scott Laughton had his best offensive campaign with 43 points and has some underrated offensive skills. With Couturier between them, this unit could not only be an above-average second line but a great one at that.
Forward Line 3: Cam Atkinson, Noah Cates, Tyson Foerster
This season, the Flyers will gain another key forward back in Cam Atkinson. In his only season with Philadelphia, he had 50 points in just 73 games. This type of offensive production is something that the Flyers will need.
Along with the winger, the Flyers will likely slot centerman Noah Cates into a third-line role as well. He was one of the best defensive forwards in the entire league in just his rookie season. He definitely has some room to improve offensively, so he is a player to look out for. As for Tyson Foerster, he rounds out one of the best third-line trios in the league. At just 21 years of age, he should be in the race to win the Calder Trophy this season. Coming off a short stint where he scored seven points in eight games with the Flyers, he has the potential to be an elite player in the NHL.
Related: Flyers’ Foerster Ready for a Break Out in 2023-24
This third line might be the best line the Flyers have to offer when comparing it to around the league. Philadelphia has a lot of depth in their offensive lineup, which provides some optimism about what they can achieve.
Forward Line 4: Nicolas Deslauriers, Ryan Poehling, Garnet Hathaway
There isn’t much to write home about this fourth line, although it is significantly improved from where it was last season. Instead of substituting players like Zack MacEwen and Patrick Brown in and out of the lineup, there should be some consistency here.
Ryan Poehling is nothing too flashy, but he is a young forward who still has some potential. As a fourth-line center, he is definitely better than what the Flyers had in their previous season. As for Garnet Hathaway, he was a really smart offseason addition for general manager (GM) Danny Briere. He is much like Nicolas Deslauriers in his physical style of play and willingness to drop the gloves, but he is actually a superb defensive forward with some offensive upside as well.
Bottom-six lines are generally overlooked, especially for a team that is not expected to make much noise when it comes to the Eastern Conference playoff race. This could be a start to being somewhat competitive, however.
Defensive Pair 1: Cam York, Marc Staal
The Flyers’ defense is certainly a weakness of their team. This doesn’t mean that it can’t improve over last season, though. With Cam York slated to play on the first pair, he could see some further improvement in his already great game.
For some reason, York is one of the most overlooked players in the league. He has the skill and defensive wherewithal to succeed in the NHL. At just 22, his ceiling has likely not been reached. With a veteran acquisition like Marc Staal who has been around the league in each of the last three decades, he can help the youngster achieve his potential. While the veteran might not be what he once was, his wisdom might help the 22-year-old improve his game.
This pairing is probably not great on paper, but there is a chance that it can help York be in the long-term plans of the Flyers.
Defensive Pair 2: Travis Sanheim, Rasmus Ristolainen
This will be a pairing that remains from the last two seasons for Philadelphia. Travis Sanheim was terrific in 2021-22, while Rasmus Ristolainen was not. Last season, the two switched roles. As a whole, their performances were underwhelming.
While Ristolainen did get better, he was still not up to par with his $5.1 million cap hit. Sanheim was extended to a $50 million deal over eight seasons for Philadelphia before his 2022-23 season and preceded to have one of the worst years of his career. Both are due for improvement, and this will be pivotal if the Flyers are hoping to find any kind of success this year.
Defensive Pair 3: Nick Seeler, Sean Walker
The Flyers’ depth is probably their biggest strength when it comes to their defensive corps. While Nick Seeler can be classified as a modern-day enforcer defenseman, don’t get it twisted; he was as good as a third-pairing defenseman could get last season.
Seeler might not be able to return to the form he was in last season, but unless it is anything severe, he should be fit for this pairing. As for Sean Walker, he is a player who could use a bounce-back season coming off a disappointing campaign that led to him being traded to Philadelphia.
This duo could actually be pretty impressive, given that they are slotted exactly where they should be. In the past, Walker and Seeler have succeeded in these exact same roles.
Goaltenders: Carter Hart, Cal Petersen
Goaltending is something that the Flyers probably won’t have to worry about next season. Carter Hart frequently stole games for the Flyers, with a .907 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.94 goals-against average (GAA) with a defense that could only be described as underwhelming. Unfortunately, the team that he plays for prevents him from being put in the same conversations as other elite goaltenders.
With there being no doubt in terms of the starting role, the backup role could get dicey. Cal Petersen had a rotten year last season, posting a .868 SV% and a 3.75 GAA over 10 games. He has shown signs of being a potential starter in the past, so the Flyers should give him a chance at redemption to see if he can earn the backup role. If not, there are plenty of netminders in the system that are capable of doing so.
It is a guarantee that these lines and pairings do not remain stagnant over the whole season, but they could be what the team opens with. Training camp and preseason hockey are still yet to be played, so these projections are certainly not set in stone. The Flyers should hope to get several players in their system involved as the year progresses.
