5 bold Flyers predictions
In a surprise, Daily News hockey writer Frank Seravalli believes Brayden Schenn will lead the team in goals.
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1. Brayden Schenn will lead the Flyers in goals. Sound crazy?
Probably, based on the inconsistency he's shown in three seasons as a Flyer. The one caveat is that Schenn has never skated on the top line. After a strong training camp, he will get his shot alongside Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek. He'll make the most of it, too, playing with two players who pass more than they shoot.
2. Sean Couturier will not have a breakout offensive season.
The Flyers said this summer they'd like to prod more offense out of Couturier, but his year will somewhat mirror the 2013 lockout-shortened season. He is an elite defensive player. But when asked to do too much, his game suffers and he doesn't appear to be all that excellent at any one area. At a certain point, the Flyers will have to accept his defensive prowess as his role on the hockey team.
3. The Flyers will have the most productive fourth line in the Eastern Conference.
The fourth line of Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Jason Akeson and Zac Rinaldo will be able to move the puck and create chances. Last year's fourth line produced six goals and six assists. Bellemare will exceed that total on his own. The only thing standing in their way will be Rinaldo's discipline. He'll need to cut down on his league-leading number of minor penalties.
4. Vinny Lecavalier will finally show glimpses of his old self.
He won't be scoring 52 goals, like he did once in Tampa Bay, but he will have a solid bounce-back season. He came to training camp in excellent shape, appears to be skating better, and is extremely motivated after the Flyers gave his agent permission to negotiate a trade but didn't find any takers.
5. For the second year in a row, the Flyers will allow a ridiculous amount of goals but still find a way to claw into the playoffs.
The Flyers allowed 235 goals last season, ranked 20th in the NHL, and 16th among all 16 playoff teams. Steve Mason won't be the culprit, but rather, shoddy defensive play in front of him. Mason will still give the Flyers better than league-average goaltending.
- Frank Seravalli