The dust has settled after a stretch that saw Philadelphia Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher execute a trio of trades and bring in multiple free agent signings all in an effort to restore the franchise following a disheartening season.
With expectations high amongst fans going into the offseason, Fletcher certainly didn’t disappoint by standing pat; in fact, the former Minnesota Wild GM did his best to shake things up by clearing cap space and bringing in new pieces that he believes fit the puzzle better. While every fan wanted him to go gung-ho this summer, not many expected Fletcher to be able to move off some of those back-breaking contracts in the organization while also being able to acquire some serious talent.
What Fletcher ended up doing was something he laid out following the team’s forgettable season. Take a look at the exit interview Fletcher gave alongside head coach Alain Vigneault at the final press conference before the offseason. One particular answer set out the groundwork — though maybe we didn’t realize it at the time — as to what the head man would be looking to do in the coming months.
Fletcher was asked what his priorities would be in the offseason, namely what he’d like to do after addressing the glaring need for a right-handed defenseman. That’s where Fletcher said things like “we could upgrade everywhere, up-front, defense.” That’s a very broad remark but it was honest; there wasn’t really an area this team could afford to gloss over.
So what did he do? He added a new face to all three of the defensive pairings. Flipped out a pass-first top-line player in Jake Voracek for a shoot-first veteran in Cam Atkinson. Fletcher then tacked on some help in the bottom six with Nate Thompson and addressed the need for a backup goalie. No stone was left unturned.
Moving on, Fletcher said one of the biggest priorities would be “to take a look at our situation in goal.” Well, Carter Hart isn’t going anywhere; so Fletcher certainly wasn’t suggesting anything like that, but when looking at that situation, he knew all along he had to take care of the young netminder. How to do that? Revamping the defense in front of him and strengthening the penalty kill. There’s no doubt the insertion of Ryan Ellis, Keith Yandle and Rasmus Ristolainen will do just that. The latter also will be important in clearing out the crease for Hart and giving him some much-needed protection. The penalty kill also is boosted with the addition of Atkinson, second to only Brad Marchand in short-handed goals over the last few years, and both Ellis and Ristolainen have proven formidable options when playing a man down.
Perhaps his last remark in that particular answer was the most telling, “We’re hopeful that we’ll see an energized group of players come training camp.” When going into an offseason, that’s something that’s always easier said than done. When adding new faces and taking ones out of the equation, it’s very hard to predict what that’ll do towards the team’s chemistry.
The only way to truly execute that is to be very deliberate and calculated. Fletcher did his homework, set out a plan and on paper, aced exactly what he intended to do. In the case of the Flyers, a lack of focus and energy was all too apparent; Fletcher saw this and honed in on fixing that.
How could reenergize a team that had gotten into a rut the past season? Bring in leaders and those with prior connections. It’s no coincidence that four guys who wore an ‘A’ on their jersey last season with their prior teams were brought in. Ellis, Ristolainen, Atkinson and Yandle all have been in leadership positions during their careers. Fletcher didn’t stop there, though. He knew that Kevin Hayes, who didn’t look like himself for much of last season, was close friends with Atkinson and Yandle, and that the former was best friends with one of the organization’s most popular players in Scott Hartnell and close friends with guys like James van Riemsdyk and Claude Giroux.
Creating an environment where there are leaders at all ends of the locker room, where there are friendships not just on the ice but off it, Fletcher was able to expertly craft an offseason plan where bringing newfound energy and excitement onto the ice will come rather easily for the group he has assembled.
The offseason may see another move here and there, but what Fletcher has done so far can’t go unnoticed. He saw what the team needed to fix, told us his plan and stuck with it even better than anyone could have hoped for.
Atkinson Will Flourish Alongside Giroux
Losing Jake Voracek was always a real possibility this offseason. Despite knowing this, seeing No. 93 moving onto Columbus wasn’t easy. He had spent 10 of his 13 years in Philadelphia and grew to be a fan favorite.
Yet, the acquisition of Atkinson in that player-for-player swap couldn’t have worked out better. The two players have similar experiences in the league but come with different styles. In Atkinson’s case, that’s something Flyers fans have been hoping for: a shoot-first mentality. Figuring to slot in alongside Claude Giroux, Atkinson could very well tap back into his 41-goal season from the last 82-game season he played. That would certainly be nice considering the Flyers haven’t had a 40-goal scorer since Jeff Carter in 2007-08.
Perhaps the best teammate to play next to Atkinson was Artemi Panarin, who, on paper, certainly helped the Massachusetts native reach those 41 goals with 59 helpers in that campaign. Though when it was suggested that his career-best season was tied with Panarin’s time in Columbus, Atkinson told The Athletic that he was still productive before and after Panarin’s brief stint.
Now, the 32-year-old will team up with someone who leads the league in assists since 2010-11 with 536. In that same span — for what it’s worth — the most assists by a Blue Jackets player was 192 by Nick Foligno (Atkinson is second with 189).
In other words, the combo of Giroux setting up Atkinson should be enough to fuel Atkinson in a way he hasn’t seen in his career.
3 Random Stats & Facts
- Keith Yandle is one of six defensemen in the league since the 2016-17 season to have registered 100+ powerplay points (114). Shayne Gostisbehere had the most in orange and black over that span with 84.
- The Flyers have had a different leading goal scorer in each of the past four seasons with no repeats. Joel Farabee, Travis Konecny, Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux have all taken turns at the top.
- This will be Alain Vigneault’s third season as the Flyers head coach. He guided Vancouver and New York each to 100-point seasons in his third year.
“Quote of the Week”
“I think seeing what Chuck’s done even before free agency and making moves, making big moves. Just helping the team get better. I thought it was a no-brainer for me… it just seems like it’s a win-now situation and that’s something that I’m all about. I thought it was the best fit.” – Keith Yandle on his decision to sign with Philadelphia
Kyle has covered the Flyers and the NHL for NBC Philly, PhillyVoice and SI.com among other outlets. He previously interned with the team in college. Kyle can be followed on Twitter @Kyle_Phillippi.
