The Philadelphia Flyers' start to this regular season through just past the quarter mark is modestly encouraging. They were in playoff position by Thanksgiving, which is a predictor more often than not of which teams will make the postseason by the season's end.
However, if I were a betting man, I would not wager or wager much on John Tortorella's team returning to the playoffs this coming spring. While the team's overall play is good, official year 2 of the rebuild reconfirms more subtraction is needed, holes still abound, and various impact players still need to be added to the National Hockey League roster.
The goaltending has been generally good. The defensive group is better than expected and a nice surprise. Offensively, well, that is the issue.
No team can win regularly with a power play that produces a paltry ten percent efficiency rate. While breakouts from the defensive zone are markedly improved, a lack of finishers is a team weakness. John Tortorella implemented an up-tempo offensive push. That was understandable because he and his coaching staff wanted to squeeze every last opportunity out of a group that was obviously going to have trouble scoring.
Keith Jones and Danny Briere have good heads on their shoulders. They know this team is far from a playoff threat, let alone a Stanley Cup contender. So, some players who are performing well seem bound to be dealt by the trade deadline, which would impact playoff chances this season while strengthening the organization for more realistic future campaigns.
