Filppula’s Leadership, Depth Making Impact on Flyers  

(Kate Frese/SB Nation)

By Jeff Quake, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 

Ever since being traded to the Flyers from the Tampa Bay Lightning, Valtteri Filppula has quietly been an impact player for the Flyers whether people realize it or not.

Over the course of his short career so far with the Orange and Black, the 33-year-old Finn has 15 points in 31 games.

His numbers from the young 2017-18 season are already similar to last year’s stats with the Flyers. Filppula has five goals and two assists for seven points in 11 games this season. In the final 20 games of the 2016-17 season, Filppula scored five goals and had three assists for a total of eight points. He totalled 34 points with the Bolts prior to the trade for an overall total of 42 points.

While he is not a team's star player, he is the kind of player that a team must have to be a winner. In order to have the right team, you have to have them in your blend of players. The great Fred Shero always used to say, "I don't need the best players; I need the best team."

A solid veteran with internal leadership is as important as what he does on the ice and sometimes even more so. The Flyers have always tried to have one or two players like this both at the NHL and AHL level as they are essentially "player coaches" to the younger players. Filppula certainly fills the role with the big clue, hence why he was voted as one of the alternate captains for the team by the players.

Filppula a great leader and a veteran presence who is strong on the penalty kill, and fitting in on the powerplay. He is even providing guidance to his linemates.

Another aspect of Filppula’s career that cannot be ignored is that he has made an appearance in the Stanley Cup Final three times — twice with the Detroit Red Wings, including one title, and one with Tampa Bay. Filppula is the only player on the Flyers roster to have won a Stanley Cup. For a young team trying to make a name for themselves and be a darkhorse playoff contender, that experience can only prove to be valuable.

It is a team game, and most people tend to forget that. Don’t get me wrong, star players are important to have, but it is also key to have a great group of the other type of players. There are your grinders, checkers and so on, but the bottom line is that in today’s NHL, what really matters is that your team requires depth to contend.

Filppula has the talent and tenacity to continue to strive in Philadelphia, and not just this season in what is a contract year. As long as the production and value continue to be a part of Filppula's tenure with the Flyers, the one question that GM Ron Hextall will have to consider is whether or not Filppula is worth a contract extension.

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