Flyers' Training Camp Begins - 5 Things to Watch For

Flyers' Training Camp - 5 Things to Watch With the Phils in the thick of a pennant race and the Eagles' season underway, most Philadelphia sports fans aren't thinking about Flyers hockey right now. However, the Orange and Black open training camp on Saturday looking to build on last year's run to the Eastern Conference Finals. Here are five things to watch for over the next three weeks of camp. 5. Which young players are capable of making the squad? Claude Giroux won't turn 21 until January but made quite an impression on the Flyers' brass last year. The diminutive forward could have made the team out of training camp but was sent back to Juniors and set a QMJHL record with 51 points in 19 playoff games last spring. He had a brief two-game cup of coffee last year with the big club. He'll certainly see more time than that this season, the only question is when. Steve Downie remains an enigma. The former first round pick has the talent and mean streak to be a fan favorite on Broad Street. The coaching staff seems to be in his corner, but how can any Flyers fan forget the turnovers, penalties and bone-headed plays that cost the team dearly down the stretch and in the postseason a year ago? Has he matured enough as a player to be a regular in an NHL lineup? Ryan Parent was thrown into the fire late last season and responded well. In 22 regular season and four playoff games, the smooth skater held his own and should be a top candidate to remain on Philadelphia's blue line this year. 4. Who will be named captain? With Jason Smith now in Ottawa, the Flyers are in search of a new captain. Usually this isn't a huge deal, but with this Flyers team it will be an interesting selection. One candidate, Simon Gagne, turned down the offer of becoming captain a few seasons ago when Keith Primeau was injured. Both Kimmo Timonen and Danny Briere wore the C on previous teams. The favorite among the fans seems to be Mike Richards. The 23-year old had a breakout season in 2007-08 and his selection could be the start of a long tenure in Philly. Do the Flyers play it safe with Timonen or Gagne, or go for the youthful energy of Richards? 3. How will the defense shape up? When you think about it, only two spots on the defense core are already accounted for with Timonen and Braydon Coburn. What will Derian Hatcher's knees allow him to do? Is Randy Jones ready to turn the corner into a consistent contributor? How will newcomers Ossi Vaananen and Steve Eminger fit in? Is Parent ready to play a full season at the NHL level? Is Lasse Kukkonen forever going to be a spare part for the Flyers? I expect big things from Vaananen, especially if Hatcher is limited by injury. He is a physical player, capable of being a shut-down guy. A familiar name to keep an eye on (no pun intended) will be Bryan Berard. The former number one pick has been invited to camp by the Flyers who are always in search of that elusive puck-moving d-man. An eye injury has forced Berard to bounce around in recent years but it will be interesting to see how he fits in on a talented team after playing in Columbus, Chicago and Long Island in recent years. 2. The Health of Simon Gagne It goes without saying that Gagne could be a huge boost for John Stevens' club. The former 40-goal scorer was limited to 25 games last season by concussions (Uh oh, haven't we heard that before). If a healthy #12 is able to return to the lineup, look out! The Flyers ranked sixth in the NHL in goals and second on the power play last season, basically without him. Stevens is toying with the idea of having Richards center Briere on the RW and Gagne on LW to form a miniature version of the Legion of Doom. Paul Holmgren has claimed he has never seen Gags in better shape as a Flyer, so…..hold your breath. 1. Goaltending What would fall, winter or spring in Philadelphia be without questioning the goaltending. Marty Biron was excellent in his first playoff experience last year. However, is he a championship caliber netminder? Can he build off his postseason success and cut down on the inconsistent play that seems to plague him? One week he's a wall, the next he's an open window. How will Antero's hip surgery affect the team? Maxime Ouellet has been invited to camp in Niitty's place. Does Holmgren need to go out and find an experienced backup? Will Niittymaki ever shake these constant problems with his hips and regain the form that made him an Olympic hero for Finland in 2006? Another year, another season of questions in net. On the Fly Other developments to keep an eye on: How will the new forwards fit in? Will Glen Metropolit take over as the fourth-line center and key penalty-killer? Will we see both Aaron Asham and Riley Cote in the lineup together? Will Jeff Carter continue his late-season surge and develop into the top-line forward we all envision? Who will take key face-offs? Can anyone on this team win a face-off? Will the team actually miss Jim Dowd? How much of a factor will Terry Murray's departure be? Craig Berube joins the staff from the Phantoms in his place. Where will Mats Sundin land? Do the Flyers need him? Do you want him in Orange and Black? The regular season opens October 11th at home against those dreaded Rangers!