GDHQNHL15_4pg-Philadelphia Flyers 1

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Philadelphia EASTERN CONFERENCE FLYERS METROPOLITAN DIVISION Wayne Simmonds Offense An example of the Flyers’ issues here is that the acquisition of left wing R.J. Umberger—for popular Scott Hartnell—is an expected upgrade, even if Umberger scored only 34 points (18 goals) last year. The Flyers did exceed the league average in goals scored last year, but they still averaged under three a game, and that’s not enough for a team that has aspirations beyond the first round of the playoffs. There is no denying the talent of center Claude Giroux, whose 86 points led the team last year. Giroux is a strong scorer and an excellent set-up man on the Flyers’ first line and has the ability to manufacture offense in a variety of ways. He’s a tough player, despite not being overly big, showed his clutch play with seven game-winners last year, and he is clearly the team’s top man. Second-line winger Wayne Simmonds brings a great combination of scoring pop (29 goals) and power to the equation. He’s great on the power play (15 goals) and has the ability to bull his way through and around enemy defensemen. Seventh-year wing Jakub Voracek had his best year as a pro in 2013-14, particularly because he notched a career-high 39 assists. He’s a strong presence on the outside who can play well at both ends. The Flyers spent a lot of money on Vincent Lecavalier last year, but he disappointed. He scored 20 goals but had a team-low minus-16 rating. Lecavalier scored eight times on the power play and had a shot percentage of 15.2, best on the club, but he wasn’t a strong two-way Key Additions: LW R.J. Umberger; D Michael Del Zotto; D Nick Schultz Key Subtractions: LW Scott Hartnell; D Erik Gustafsson; D Andrej Mezaros Strengths: Scoring depth, lack of size, penalty kill Weaknesses: Power play, defense Len Redkoles/NHL/Getty Images


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