Defense Will Be The Main Focus For The Philadelphia Flyers

They took this same approach with the forwards last season, and it had some success to varying degrees with several different players; some of those players expected to take the next step to full time NHL this coming season. Even with the youngsters moving up to "full time" status, the offense is still obviously a long way from being "elite" or "scary" to opposing teams, but if they continue trying to implement the youngsters as they become ready, while getting "help" from the many vets that will filter through the team over the next couple seasons, the offense should, hopefully, round into shape by the time their 2023 7th overall pick, Matvei Mitchkov, is ready to join the ranks.

The main point of focusing so heavily on the defense this coming season may have to do with how heavy the 2024 draft is expected to be in the defense department. This past draft had a plethora of players from all positions to make it a very deep draft, but 2024 is expected to be defense-heavy and have many more very good to elite defense prospects compared to the forwards. Ultimately, this coming season will be the true judge into how defense-deep the 2024 draft will truly be. However knowing that's the expectation, the Flyers need to prepare as if it's already a fact to start to determine which younger defenseman are worth keeping and which are worth cutting loose to make room for the new crop that will start to filter in from the 2023 and 2024 drafts over the next couple of years.

After an awful 2022/23 season, Travis Sanheim was a candidate for a trade before his no trade clause kicked in on July 1st. Given how bad Sanheim's season wad and the fact his newest contract was 8 years in term and included the no trade clause, it's not surprising that Danny Briere kicked the tires and explored the trade option heavily. He never could find the right fit in a deal to execute the idea, and as the no trade clause kicked in on July 1, Briere said the team would honor it; meaning he wouldn't be asking Sanheim to waive the clause anytime soon.

That, of course, doesn't mean he can't change his mind in the future, or that both parties won't decide a trade is needed for everyone involved somewhere down the line, but it does mean that for now, Sanheim will be in "prove it" mode while also taking on the mentor role by veteran status virtue to whoever his defense partner winds up being.

Sanheim is only one of many that will be in "prove it" mode over the next couple of seasons, despite being on a contract that has a no trade clause and is extremely lengthy in term. That's what happens with a rebuilding team. Clauses and term don't mean much when you're on a team that is not good. All it means is the team's GM may need to get creative in the future to make a deal work, and how creative he's able to get could essentially ultimately determine the players future. Given his lack of experience in being a GM, whether Briere will or can do that still remains to be seen. His early moves indicate he can be creative, but the depth at which is still a mystery.

In a season that is not expected to produce much in the way of overall team points in the standings, it will be a "prove it" season for the young defensemen who are on the cusp of "aging out" of being a prospect, and vets on contracts that on their face appear to be unmovable.

Time will tell who stays and who goes, and it'll also determine how creative Briere can be to move those he and his cohorts determine need to go to better the team.