Missing the playoffs for the second time in three seasons hasn’t dampened Flyers owner Ed Snider’s enthusiasm when it comes to the 2015-16 campaign.
“Quite frankly, I’m looking for big things,” Sniders said, per the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I think we’re going to turn things around. I think we’re going to be a playoff team this year.”
Aside from replacing bench boss Craig Berube with new head coach Dave Hakstol, the Flyers have made some noteworthy, but not major moves this summer. However, the complimentary players that Philadelphia did bring in, like backup goaltender Michal Neuvirth and defenseman Evgeni Medvedev, do help address some areas of concern from the 2014-15 campaign. More importantly though, Snider thinks they already have the core to compete.
“That same team last year that did not make the playoffs, made the playoff the year before,” he said. “It’s not like they’re chopped liver. We have a good team. We have some good stars with (Claude) Giroux and (Jake) Voracek. We have second-level guys that are getting older and more mature ... (Sean) Couturier and (Wayne) Simmonds. I expect a lot from these players.”
Couturier in particular is a player they need more from -- at least from an offensive perspective. While he’s earned a lot of praise for his defensive work, the 22-year-old has yet to reach the 40-point mark in a single season despite appearing to have a substantial amount of offensive upside when he was drafted. Along with Brayden Schenn, Couturier could be the difference between Philadelphia being a mediocre and good team offensively this season.