The Philadelphia Flyers are contending for a top spot in the Metropolitan Division just one season after missing the playoffs. The New York Rangers and the Flyers have a lot in common, good news for Blueshirts fans.
Here’s the story of a team that was always a playoff contender. They made the playoffs in 17 out of 19 years including two trips to the Stanley Cup Finals. They were always competitive and never fell to the depths of the NHL. The team slipped lately, missing the playoffs twice in the last three years, but they are back as a contender this season. That team is the Philadelphia Flyers, but their story is familiar to Ranger fans.
The rebuilding Rangers should look at the Flyers as a great example of a team that has built itself into a contender without the benefit of a superstar top-five draft pick. Looking at how the Flyers built their roster can be instructive and one can draw a lot of parallels with what faces the Blueshirts.
Top Draft Picks
The Flyers really lucked out in the 2017 draft. Sitting at 13th worst in the NHL with a 2.4 percent chance of moving up to number two overall, they landed in the top two and snagged Nolan Patrick. As a 19-year old, Patrick has been a solid contributor, but not a superstar. Other than Patrick, the highest pick on the current roster for the Flyers is Ivan Provorov, who was selected seventh overall in the 2015 draft when they also missed the playoffs.
Excellent Trades
Even though they haven’t had a lot of top picks of their own, one trade has defined the Flyers success. In 2011, the Flyers traded Jeff Carter to the Blue Jackets for Jakub Voracek and Columbus’ 1st (#8 overall) and 3rd round pick. Voracek was the seventh overall pick in 2007 for Columbus and the 2011 pick they acquired became Sean Couturier.
So, despite finishing near the NHL’s cellar only once in 19 years, the Flyers own four top seven picks in Patrick, Couturier, Voracek and Provorov.
They made some other excellent player trades. They got Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn from Los Angeles for Mike Richards in a deal that is still paying benefits. Simmonds has been a consistent goal scorer for the Flyers and after six productive years, Schenn was flipped to St. Louis for Jori Lehtera and two first round draft picks.
The Flyers made some deadline trades as sellers. In 2015 they sent veteran defenseman Brayden Coburn to Tampa for Radko Gudas and two draft picks. Last season, they acquired Valtteri Filppula from Tampa (a salary cap dump) along with draft picks for depth defenseman Mark Streit.
They were buyers in 2014 when they acquired Andrew McDonald from the Islanders for draft picks.
Smart Later Picks
It’s the selections made late in the first round and on have really paid off. Late in the first round, they struck gold with Claude Giroux in 2006. The all-star center was drafted 22nd overall. In 2012, the team snagged budding star Shane Gostisbehere in the third round 78th overall). Travis Konecny, a the 24th overall pick in 2015, has already scored over 20 goals in his sophomore season.
Rookies who are having an impact include defensemen Robert Hagg (41st overall in 2013), Travis Sanheim (17th overall in 2014) and forward Taylor Leier (117th overall in 2012). Center Scott Laughton was drafted 20th overall in 2012 and has solidified his role on the bottom six. The most recent late pick to make the varsity was Oskar Lindblom who was a fifth round choice (138th overall) in 2014.
Free Agents
The Flyers haven’t made a big splash in free agency. Brandon Manning was an undrafted defenseman signed in 2010. The only other free agent signees on the roster are Michael Raffl and Matt Read and they are purely depth.
Why the Success?
The Flyers are succeeding for a few reasons. First is the bottom of the Metropolitan Division’s mediocrity. Two games over .500 in 60 minute games, they are only three points out of second place. The second reason is that they are riding the backs of Giroux, Voracek, Simmonds and Couturier, all having outstanding seasons. The biggest reason is that their defense corps of Gostisbehere, Provorov, McDonald, Gudas, Manning and Hagg is rock solid.
The Fatal Flaw
The Flyers have issues in goal, a problem they have since Pelle Lindbergh died in a car accident in 1985. This season’s solution was Brian Elliott with Michal Neuvirth backing him up. Not satisfied, Petr Mrazek was acquired at the deadline from Detroit. The Rangers saw rookie Alex Lyon in net recently. It appears that none of them is a longterm answer as they have been mediocre at best. Perhaps the hockey gods are punishing the Flyers for trading Sergei Boborovksy to Columbus. In 2012 the Flyers swapped the future Vezina Trophy winner for three draft picks, only one of which is in the NHL (Leier). The idea of Boborovsky in net for the current Flyer team is a scary one.
How the Rangers Compare
Like the Flyers, the Rangers haven’t had many top draft picks. Lias Andersson and this year’s top pick could be the equivalent of Nolan Patrick and Provorov. Their late first round picks (Chris Kreider, J.T. Miller and Brady Skjei) have been solid and Filip Chytil is pure potential. They’ve also mined the later rounds for some gems including Pavel Buchnevich (75th overall), Anthony Duclair (80th overall) and Jesper Fast (157th overall). To make up for a lack of early draft picks, the team has some excellent free agent signees including Kevin Hayes, Jimmy Vesey, Neal Pionk and John Gilmour.
In other acquisitions, Mika Zibanejad (6th overall), Kevin Shattenkirk (14th overall) and Vadislav Namestnikov (27th overall) could be the Rangers’ version of Voracek and Couturier and Konecny. The jury is out on Ryan Spooner and Tony DeAngelo, but the upside is there. We haven’t even begun discussing deadline acquisitions Libor Hajek, Yegor Rykov or Brett Howden.
Missed Opportunities
Ranger fans should rue the day that the Rangers drafted Bobby Sanguinetti. He was the 21st player selected in the 2006 draft. The next player picked? Claude Giroux. In 2012 the Rangers selected Boo Nieves when Shane Gostisbehere was available.
The Future
Ranger fans should look at the Flyers as a great example of a “rebuild on the fly.” The Rangers needed to miss the playoffs this season to get a solid return at the deadline and at the draft.
Another ping pong ball miracle in June and the Rangers could steal a top three pick like Nolan Patrick. With a youthful veteran corps leading the way and the development of kids like Andersson, Chytil, Pionk and DeAngelo the Rangers have a roster that will be more than competitive next season. And the Blueshirts have one asset that is on par with any team in the Division and is better than the Flyers, Islanders and the Hurricanes. That’s in goal.
Selecting Henrik Lundqvist with the 205th overall pick was arguably the greatest late round draft selection ever. In 2014 the Rangers picked Igor Shestyorkin 118th overall and he looks to be the Ranger goaltender of the future, though he may get competition from Alexandar Georgiev who could be a free agent sleeper.
Next: Setting the scene for Filip Chytil
The Rangers recent play has demonstrated why they will not become a perennial bottom dweller like Buffalo, Arizona or Vancouver. They might not be winning regularly, but they have played with energy and heart. The lessons learned in these games will serve the Rangers well. Just as the Philadelphia Flyers learned last season after they wasted a ten game winning streak and finished two games under .500 and out of the playoffs. The Flyers have rebounded this season and except for a perennial weakness in goal, could make hay in the playoffs, something the Rangers should be able to accomplish in a year.