Expect the Philadelphia Flyers To Compete in the Metro Again
NHL Network:Last week on NHL Network, Tony Luftman and Bruce Boudreau discussed the two divisions in the Eastern Conference. They started first with the Metro, and Boudreau was asked which team he thought could be a surprise team this season. He said the Philadelphia Flyers.
** NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Tony Luftman: “Next question for you: A team that could surprise you in the season is to come 2024-25.”
Bruce Boudreau: “Well they didn’t make a lot of additions, but I think the Philadelphia Flyers can.”
Luftman: “They were in the hunt last year.”
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Boudreau: “They were In the hunt and if you look at it, is two years ago they were in the hunt till January, maybe till the All-Atar Break. And then last year they were in the hunt till April. I think maturity. Them knowing Torts, the way he is and not having, okay with this guy, we’ve heard a lot about him type thing.
I mean, they know exactly what they want. I think they could surprise. They’re going to be an enthusiastic team. They’re going to, you know, they’re going to be younger. They’ve got the young Russian coming over, and I think he’s a hell of a skilled player. We’ll see how he deals with this whole game of having to play a 200-foot game and maybe blocking the odd shot or two.
But I mean, I do believe that the Flyers are on the way up. Drysdale being there for a year now, and being healthy to start, I think is going to be a big addition. So it’s all these things to me, make it think that it’s about time the Flyers got back into the hunt.
Luftman: “Bernie Parent, Ron Hextall, you got to have a goalie, especially in that market. There are questions about that position for this team. Taking a look at Ersson and Fedotov, are these guys the answer? One or the other, or both?”
Boudreau: “I think they need both in somebody else, to be honest. I mean, neither one of these guys actually move the needle too much for me to be great, but I don’t know them as well. I’m just know them when you see them on the game every now and again and you watch them.
Obviously, the Flyers Daniel Briere and Keith Jones and Torts, they believe in these guys. Or they would have went out and said, Hey, listen, we can’t do anything without a goalie, and we’re going to go out and get a goalie.
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And there was a lot of goalies available this summer, but I mean, so they stayed with what they have, and they believe in them. So maybe they’re just young goalies, and they’re ready to hit the prime time right now. But I mean, if they believe in them, they know them certainly an awful lot better than I do. So, I got to go along with them.”