The Flyers are already ripping up the script after just two games, and Saturday night’s matchup with the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes comes with a lineup that looks nothing like the one they rolled out to open the season.
Rick Tocchet spent morning skate searching for answers, and the result was a full-forward shuffle plus one change on the blue line. After getting shelled in their first two games, the Flyers are trying to find a combination that at least gives them a pulse.
The projected forward groups, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jordan Hall, are:
Travis Konecny - Christian Dvorak - Matvei Michkov
Carl Grundstrom - Trevor Zegras - Owen Tippett
Tyson Foerster - Noah Cates - Porter Martone
Alex Bump - Noel Acciari - Sean Couturier
On defense, the pairs are expected to be:
Travis Sanheim - Rasmus Ristolainen
Cam York - Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler - David Jiricek
The biggest eye-opener is up front, where every line has been touched. Christian Dvorak gets the center spot with Travis Konecny and Matvei Michkov, and that grouping brings back some memory of how the Flyers started last season.
Michkov, in particular, has been one of the few steady bright spots through the first two games. He’s been making passes no one else is, hunting scoring chances while others have been deferring, and generally looking like the one forward who has been consistently solid in the top half of the rink.
That trio also isn’t completely new territory. Michkov and Konecny have skated with a slower veteran center before, and their line with Sean Couturier two years ago was some of the best hockey they played.
Trevor Zegras stays in the middle alongside Owen Tippett, but now Carl Grundstrom joins them. Grundstrom isn’t a flashy addition, but the Flyers are clearly hoping he can provide a little something extra, maybe even ride a hot shooting stretch the way he did last year when he was paired with two offensive players. Of all the new combinations, this one might have the widest range of possible outcomes.
Porter Martone also gets a fresh chance. The rookie has been largely invisible through two games, and now he lands with Tyson Foerster and Noah Cates, a duo that brings structure, pace and a lot of puck-driving ability. Their line with Bobby Brink was a force, and now Martone gets a crack at filling that role with a more talented piece who can benefit from the space they create.
The fourth line adds Alex Bump, and that move feels like a warning sign. Bump has been even quieter than Martone, and the 22-year-old winger is starting to run out of runway if the early struggles continue. He’s been pushed down because others have earned spots above him, including Grundstrom.
Still, there’s a path to something useful there. Sean Couturier remains a strong center to play with, and Noel Acciari has shown some jump early on. If Bump can take advantage of that energy and intelligence, he may be able to do more in that role than he has elsewhere.
On defense, the lone swap brings David Jiricek into the lineup for Simon Benoit. Benoit, the physical extra defenseman, didn’t do much, and Jiricek will make his season debut Saturday night. The hope is that his offense can outweigh the defensive reads that have been an issue for him at times.
Even so, the power-play look stayed the same at morning skate. Cam York remained on the second unit rather than Jiricek, which could come down to consistency, strategy or handedness.
York is a lefty, Jiricek is a righty, and the Flyers may simply prefer the way the current setup fits. Tocchet also said before the season that the team would stay committed to the first power-play unit even if it turns out to be bad.
So the Flyers head into Saturday with a reshuffled lineup and a lot of questions. Whether these changes actually spark anything against the Hurricanes is another matter.
In Other News...
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The move also comes with a tough decision elsewhere, as Alex Bump is expected to come out of the lineup to make room. For a club trying to balance development with immediate performance, those calls can say plenty about where the staff sees its depth chart right now. Dan Vladar will also be back in goal for his second start of the season, adding another layer to a game that will offer a clearer picture of how the Flyers want to line up as Barkey re-enters the mix. [Read more 🡒]
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There is still some uncertainty, though, because Rasmus Ristolainen remains in the mix after leaving a recent game with a hand issue. Barkeys possible return also comes with a procedural wrinkle, since he would have to come off injured reserve first, which could mean a corresponding roster move before he is available. [Read more 🡒]