2016-2017 NHL Team Predictions: Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers were a team that everybody loved to hate. They cheated, hit, fought, scored, and downright bullied their opponents into submission. They made the playoffs last season by the thread of Gostisbehere's jersey and ended up going nowhere in the post season.

With a prospect pool in the top 10, as ranked by ESPN, the future is bright for the Flyers. Shayne Gostisbehere made a splash, breaking records and impressing the league at large. Ghost wasn't even a first round selection. In the last three years, the Flyers drafted 12 times in the first three rounds of the drafts. The top prospects they have are from 2015 and 2012, Travis Konecny, Ivan Provorov, Shayne Gostisbehere and Scott Laughton.

Provorov has shown promise to join the NHL club soon for a much needed additional blue-line presence. Mason and Neuvirth are the Flyers goaltending duo, who struggle for consistency. The Flyers needed a middle six winger horribly and Hextall delivered with the addition of Dale Weise. Giroux and Voracek need to get on the same page and start producing points at high rates. Being the best players on the team, their production is overshadowed by Simmonds, Schenn, and Couturier. If the offense can score and the defense plays how it was at the end of the regular season, the Flyers will have a chance at the playoffs.

Projected Lineup
Forwards
Simmonds  Giroux  Voracek
Read  Couturier  Schenn
Laughton  Vandevelde  Weise
Raffl  Konecny  Bellemare
Cousins  Aube-Kubel

Defense
Gostisbehere  Gudas
Streit  Provorov
Schultz  Del Zotto
Manning

Goalies
Mason
Neuvirth

Prediction: 3rd Metropolitan

I have both Provorov and Konecny cracking the lineup. It's gonna be close, but I feel they are ready. The defense is still interchangeable on the bottom four. Expect Ghost on the first pairing with either Gudas, Provorov, or Schultz. Sanheim is a possibility as well but Manning will more than likely be the 7th defenseman. The Flyers may keep Voracek on the 2nd line with Couturier but after their surgeries, Giroux and Voracek will probably be reunited. Vandevelde and Konecny might switch spots at the start of the season or Cousins will swap with Vandevelde. The Flyers could place 3rd or 4th in the Metropolitan, depending on the NY Islanders position.

Related:

2016-2017 NHL Team Predictions: Washington Capitals