(Kate Frese/Sports Talk Philly)
By Jeff Quake, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 
During his rookie year, Flyers forward Travis Konecny registered 28 points in 70 games played. He got jumbled back and forth on every line at one point during the season.
The now 20-year-old London, Ontario native struggled at times with turnovers, along with defensive play. Konecny was also a healthy scratch for a few games, and missed a good amount of games down the stretch due to an foot injury.
It was a very up-and-down season for Konecny, but fairly typical for a guy who is still eligible to play at the junior level but somewhat unexpectedly made the team. Because he could not play in the AHL, Konecny had to learn skills at the NHL level on the fly that would be easier to learn in the AHL. So with a year under his belt, is Konecny due to break out in his sophomore season?
There is always room for improvement for any rookie, and Konecny will look to have a stronger sophomore year as his role surely increases. His rookie season did show an upside to his play with his great urge to drive to the net, able to get under the skin of others, and create tremendous chances for Philadelphia’s offense.
Now will Konecny be able to rebound from some of his struggles and become more of a presence in the offense? He has the capability to do that, however it also depends on what line he plays on.
Konecny could be on the second line with Wayne Simmonds and Nolan Patrick. Another option is the top line with the captain Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek.
Let’s rewind a few months back when Konecny played for Team Canada and played alongside Brayden Schenn, now a St. Louis Blue, and Mitch Marner from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Imagine if head coach Dave Hakstol plays Konecny alongside two of the best players on the roster. If that is the case, Konecny's point total should easily increase with consistent playing time on a line with two of the team's top points producers. A reasonable increase would be reaching the 40-point mark at least.
Overall, Konecny needs to continue to prepare himself to have an impactful NHL career with the Flyers. Konecny should have an improved year with the team posting strong numbers and that should help him solidify a place as a a vital piece to the future of the organization.
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