Philadelphia Flyers: 3 storylines to watch this season
theScore's NHL editors take a look at three storylines to watch for each NHL team heading into the regular season.
The Philadelphia Flyers survived captain Claude Giroux's fruitless start for a return to the postseason in 2013-14, but despite building on their disappointing 48-game campaign the year prior, plenty of questions remain heading into 2014-15.
Here are three things to watch for this season.
Under new(ish) management
The Flyers have always been subject to change, but for the first time in eight seasons and just the second time in two decades, a new voice has taken over their relatively safeguarded helm.
In keeping with tradition, what's old is new again (again) in Philadelphia. The Flyers' legacy program remains resolute, with legendary goaltender Ron Hextall's promotion to general manager less than a year into his return to the franchise.
Like his predecessors, Hextall has already shown a propensity toward bold, conference-shaking transactions. Less than six weeks on the job, Hextall traded the player who maybe best embodies the Flyer brand, Scott Hartnell, to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Whether he does indeed carry full autonomy, or general managers of seasons past continue to influence, the Flyers' vision and direction will be something to watch.
Can they keep the sheet clean(ish)?
The Flyers' seemingly endless goaltending woes were braced last season when Steve Mason steadied the position and earned a three-year contract extension in the process. Despite the improved optics, the Flyers weren't exactly Fort Knox between the pipes.
Philadelphia sported the worst goals against average (2.77) among teams to qualify for the playoffs, and head into this season with an undermanned defensive unit.
The Flyers are expected to be without their best, and really only possession defenseman, Kimmo Timonen, whose career is in jeopardy after blood clots were discovered on his lungs and leg. To replace the staunch veteran, Philadelphia rummaged through the free-agent scrapheap and came away with Michael del Zotto.
The castoff blue liner, who was banished by the Nashville Predators at the end of last season, represents the Flyers' top possession option. That's less than ideal.
What to do with Vinny?
The Flyers rarely disappoint fans at free agency and the trade deadline, but their penchant for front-office aggression often leads to their undoing.
Last summer's free agent splash, 34-year-old center Vincent Lecavalier, is holding the team's cap flexibility in a vise.
The Flyers tried to shop the veteran this summer, even offering to take on a portion of his salary, but were unable to prevent him from barricading their center-ice position. There were whispers of another potential buy out, but it seems the Flyers will indeed be on the hook for the second season of his five-year, $22.5-million deal.
The Flyers need to carve out a role for the former Lightning captain, or they run the risk of having Lecavalier's five-year term equate to a half decade of irrelevancy.