VOORHEES, N.J. – Maybe it’s just another hockey season but don’t tell that to some of the veteran Flyers.
They’ve been through the thick, but more recently, the thin. Four straight seasons out of the playoffs, leaving the team just one away from tying the franchise record for futility set in the early ‘90s.
Followers of this storied outfit can tell you this predicament might be a bit uncomfortable. Not including the relatively new Vegas operation, the Flyers have the third-highest winning percentage (.544) in NHL history, trailing only the Montreal Canadiens (.565) and the Boston Bruins (.553).
By now it’s well known the Flyers are still in rebuilding mode and general manager Daniel Briere has stated he’s not looking for short-term fixes to get back into contention. Briere would rather build a team through the draft and smart trades than toss around big multi-year contracts at free agents.
Today, with the addition of star-to-be Matvei Michkov to the fold and more depth in the lineup, the overall outlook is somewhat brighter.
One of the team’s alternate captains, Scott Laughton, addressed the issue after Friday’s camp session at the Flyers Training Center.
Laughton was a first-round draft pick way back in 2012. Since his arrival, and through very little fault of his own, the Flyers have failed to make the playoffs two seasons in a row. The only real bright spot was the 2019-20 pandemic-shortened season in which the Flyers somehow made it all the way to the Eastern Conference finals.
Now Laughton looks around the room and sees some of the guys who have been around for some time, including captain Sean Couturier and alternate captain Travis Konency. All three can sense the frustration of fans and the urgency to finally extend the season beyond the normal 82 games.
“I think any year, being in this market, you want to succeed and do well, be a part of something,” Laughton said. “I don’t think there’s any time where players are thinking a different way.
“I know the guys in here who have been here a while definitely kind of want to push over the edge. We were close last year (in a playoff spot for 124 days before they were done in by a late collapse). We want to get there. You want to feel the energy from the crowd and be a part of something.”
Having a veteran like Erik Johnson on board can only help. The big defenseman played a role in Colorado’s Stanley Cup triumph in the 2022 season.
It’s players such as Johnson who can lead the way by example.
“Not much has been said, I think guys are hungry this year,” Laughton said. “We know what to expect. You’re pushing each other and I think camp has been that way.”
Even though some of the young players weren’t around for the good times, they understand what it means to a franchise, and a city, to get back to those as soon as possible.
“I think guys have an understanding of that already,” Laughton said. “They know how passionate it is here.
“Even a guy like E.J. (Johnson) knows how historic this franchise is. And how much you want to push to get over that (non-playoff stretch). It starts with ‘Coots’ (Couturier) but I think it goes all the way down. I think we’ve done a job with it so far.”
A seasoned pro such as Johnson can help make the difference. He was viewed as a catalyst with that Colorado team and this year, with a chance to go elsewhere via free agency, he chose to come back to the Flyers on a one-year deal because he saw a chance to make a difference once again.
In fact, in a recent press session, Johnson said he “loves it here.”
As someone who’s helped rebuild the culture here, Laughton expressed gratitude with regards to Johnson’s sentiments.
“When guys like E.J., who have won a Cup and played in numerous playoff games, see something here and see something with the guys, I think it makes you feel good,” Laughton said. “You can have a good room that doesn’t translate over (to winning) all the time.
“But I think this room, we push each other. I think that’s why he wanted to come back. He saw that with us. Guys have a good time off the ice and I think that translates over.”
