With impending changes coming, Flyers core and more remain

We all know what should be happening starting in a matter of 10 days with the Flyers. The changes should start unfolding early and continue throughout the offseason.

An end to Craig Berube's tenure is only the first step, but really, you can look at the roster and wonder who even should be around for another season.

There are more players than you may think who deserve a further look.

As I said last week with Berube, a coach can sometimes get more or less out of the players on the team in terms of leadership and the ability to handle situations. What has most people calling for Berube's head? Aside from missing the playoffs and the overall inconsistency of the team, it would be his way of handling Steve Mason.

Which brings us to Mason, the first player that can easily retain his position with the team. Mason is not going anywhere. For once, the Flyers struggles and inconsistencies can not be pinned on the goaltender.

If there was one forward that would send fans rioting if he were not a part of next year's team, it would be Jake Voracek. Voracek's career year has turned heads around the NHL and made him a formidable top winger. He will remain.

So will Claude Giroux. The Flyers captain has had ups and downs this season, but not to the level that should see his Flyers career be cut short, especially at 26.

Up until the Flyers win over the Blackhawks, Wayne Simmonds was on his way to a 30-goal season when injury ended the bid. He would have likely made it easily. Still, Simmonds is hovering the fine line between key returning player and valuable trade piece. I'd still lean in the direction that keeps Simmonds with the Flyers.

Finally, Michael Raffl has turned into a solid scoring winger who seems to go to the right places. Raffl has 20 goals this season and has only improved on what was an impressive rookie season in 2013-14. 

Defensively, no one is off limits, except for Michael Del Zotto. Del Zotto isn't a guarantee to remain with the Flyers, as he was only here one-year contract, but he has certainly earned the opportunity to stay. And at 24, he could very well be one defenseman with a future in Orange and Black.

Every team needs role players as well, and that's where three more names can easily step in. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare has had an impressive season from a defensive standpoint, especially on the penalty kill.

Chris VandeVelde has blended a surprising amount of offense – at least for a fourth-line forward – with skilled defense and penalty killing as Bellemare's partner. 

Ryan White emerged late in the season as another role player who could energize and play with energy. He too may have earned another season with the Flyers.

That still only accounts for seven forwards, one defenseman and one goalie, leaving 11 roster spots open.

There won't be 11 new players on the team in 2015-16. But there are more pieces in place for the following season than just the four core players in Mason, Voracek, Giroux and Simmonds.

The Flyers have a lot of additional work to do in the offseason and even then will have to hope that whatever changes they do make, perhaps only minimal at best, will respond to being with next players or a new coach.

There is no instant fix with the Flyers and there are a lot of questions that will follow the team around right up to the start of next season.

But this is the core of the team now and moving forward. And it will be on the core to start off the turnaround into next season.

Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.