Writer: Kevin Durso
Motivated Gagner not only Flyer with something to prove
By
Kevin Durso 
I have been writing for Sports Talk Philly since 2011. Currently editor and lead writer of Philadelphia Flyers coverage. Co-host of the YWT Podcast. I also am Flyers insider for 97.3 ESPN-FM in South Jersey. I graduated from Cabrini University in 2014.
All posts by Kevin DursoPublished08 Jul 2015
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After spending 72 hours in limbo, Sam Gagner has found a home for the 2015-16 season with the Flyers.
The 25-year-old forward, who turns 26 in August, comes in with motivation. This is his fourth NHL team in eight NHL seasons.
"I feel like I have a lot to prove," Gagner said. "I have a lot of people to prove wrong and plan on doing that. I'm as motivated as you can get."
Gagner figures to be a middle winger for the Flyers. The top line of Claude Giroux, Jake Voracek and Michael Raffl should remain the same. The second line could feature Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds and Gagner, playing the wing.
In addition, a couple of other Flyers forwards certainly have something to prove.
Schenn is one of them.
Last season, Schenn had the numbers to indicate a modestly successful year, but was very inconsistent in play between center and wing. Despite that, Schenn scored 18 goals and had 47 points.
Matt Read is running out of time to establish himself as a scoring presence on the team. His strong rookie season in 2011-12 and a solid follow-up in 2013-14 vanished behind a season where the forward scored just eight goals and had 30 points, both career lows for an 82-game season.
Sean Couturier may still be a kid in Ron Hextall's eyes, but a new player with a similar story could be emerging onto the Flyers roster soon. If Ivan Provorov does indeed make the team, he'll be in a very similar spot that Couturier was when he was a rookie in 2011-12, also at the age of 18.
He may be one of the best two-way forwards on the team and a rising star in the league in that regard, but he needs to be more consistent offensively. Many are still waiting for Couturier to have his breakout season. He set a new career-high in goals last season with 15 and came up two points short of matching a career-high in points. His highest point output in a season is 39 in the 2013-14 season.
Motivation could go a long way for the Flyers. Last season, there were many moments where the team displayed lackluster play. This season, the motivation could put the Flyers back in the playoffs.
That's the goal for Hextall and the Flyers can achieve that with an improved consistency. Having motivated players should aid the cause.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
