Flyers Can’t Compare Their Rebuild To Other Teams’ Retools

The Philadelphia Flyers face the New York Islanders on Saturday afternoon with both teams eager to make strides in the Metropolitan Division. The game will be hard to read into. It features two rebuilding teams early in the season in an afternoon game. 

The game, however, will have fans wondering how the Islanders, a team that ended last season with minimal positives, retooled on the fly. The Flyers, meanwhile, have been rebuilding for a while and still feel like a team that can’t contend. The reality is that these teams are on separate timelines and have different outlooks. The Flyers can’t compare themselves to other rebuilds, and certainly not the Islanders, who look impressive but don’t have the same trajectory, even as promising as they currently look. 

Islanders Had Luck & A Veteran Roster to Help Them Retool

Looking at the Islanders, it’s easy to see how they retooled. They did it with the help of the top pick, which they weren’t expected to win but got anyway. It allowed them to select Matthew Schaefer and the rising star (and presumed Calder Trophy frontrunner), allowing them to rebound quickly. The Islanders have a number one defenseman to build around, someone they are already playing in all situations. It’s changed the outlook for this team. 

It’s worth noting that the Islanders took other steps to retool quickly. The Brock Nelson trade, which previous general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello made, got them Cal Ritchie, a top-six center who drives play. The Noah Dobson trade landed them three young players to help them now (Emil Heineman) and in the future (KaShawn Aitcheson and Victor Eklund). That said, there’s a good chance the Islanders are tearing things down if they don’t end up with Schaefer. 

It’s possible that a teardown still happens. The Islanders are playing great at the moment but have a roster, one that is aging and declining, that can use a reset. They might trade the rest of the veterans at the trade deadline to kickstart that rebuild, especially since GM Mathieu Darche has no ties to any of them (and didn’t give them the extensions like Lamoriello). 

The Flyers, meanwhile, had to build through the draft and by developing the prospects. It’s what they’ve done, and it’s taken time as a result. Schaefer is one of the rare prospects who can make an impact from day one. Most take a few seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL) to round out their game before they come to the NHL. 

The rebuild is starting to show progress. It’s coming at an ideal time as well, since new head coach Rick Tocchet is around and not John Tortorella. Tocchet will take the prospects and the team as a whole to the next level. 

Flyers Are Building With The Long Game in Mind

This is the third full season of the Daniel Briere tenure. He was the first GM that the Flyers have had in a while who took a step back and realized that the best way to build a contender was by trading the veterans and building through the farm system. 

The Scott Laughton trade is a prime example. Yes, the Flyers moved on from a steady presence but it allowed them to add Nikita Grebenkin. He’s a power forward who has played with the NHL team and has plenty of upside. Similarly, the Flyers traded Cutter Gauthier (when he made it clear he wasn’t playing for them) for Jamie Drysdale, a defenseman who is still working out the kinks in his defensive game but can become a key part of the roster. 

The draft picks also reflect Briere’s focus on the big picture. He’s made some risky selections. That said, the picks have high upside, notably Matvei Michkov, Porter Martone, and Jack Nesbitt. It’s what gives the Flyers a good core to look forward to in a few seasons. 

Flyers Ultimately Have The Higher Upside

The Islanders have one young star to build around. It’s Schaefer who can be a game-changer at the defense position (like Cale Makar or Quinn Hughes). The Islanders lack that player in their forward group (Ritchie is great but not at that level). 

The Flyers have a few of those players in their forward group. While they lack a difference-maker on the defense, they have the forwards to build around. There’s a chance their top six in two seasons includes Michkov, Martone, Trevor Zegras, Jett Luchanko, and Alex Bump or Denver Barkey. Throw in the other prospects, and they can have a forward unit that comes at teams in waves. 

It’s why the Flyers have one of the best rebuilds in the NHL. Making the playoffs this season would be a pleasant surprise. However, the way things are shaping up, this season looks more like a step in the right direction, which is what they need. In the long run, they can look like a Cup contender, especially if they stick to the process mapped out by Briere.