Ivan Provorov at July's development camp scrimmage. (Photo Courtesy of Kevin Durso)
After an offseason that's been lengthier than usual (isn't the offseason always long?), the Flyers are set to take the ice yet again for training camp this week. Players have been making their returns to the City of Brotherly Love over the past few weeks with informal workouts, and will take the ice on Friday morning in Voorhees for the formal opening of camp. With this in mind, here are several storylines to look out for when camp opens:
How the team reacts to a new coach
For the third-consecutive season, the Flyers will have a different coach running training camp (Peter Laviolette ran 2013's camp before being canned three games into the season, while Craig Berube had the benefit of his house in order at the start of last year's camp and was Laviolette's right-hand man for previous camps). Not exactly a common occurrence amongst NHL clubs. New coach Dave Hakstol has made a positive impression on some players throughout the offseason — even heading out on a one-night trip to the Czech Republic for dinner with Jakub Voracek — and this year's camp will provide the first glimpse at how players will react to their rookie coach on the ice. With Joe Mullen, Gord Murphy and Ian Laperriere returning as assistants, the players will have a trio of familiar faces as well.
First-rounders Ivan Provarov and Travis Konecny
Holding two first-round draft picks for the first time since 2003, the Flyers snagged steady defenseman Provarov at seventh-overall, and traded up to 24 for the versatile forward Konecny. While Provarov is widely-considered to be a pro-ready blueliner, it's easy to believe that the combination of the logjam at defense, combined with Ron Hextall's patient approach to prospects, could see Provarov returning to the Western League's Brandon Wheat Kings. Konecny is also expected to return to the Ontario League's Ottawa 67's this season, and a strong training camp will solidify both of their rankings in the Flyers' prospect pipeline,
Rookie camp
Camp opened on Monday for Flyers prospects, giving them an extended look before full camp opens. In addition to Provarov and Konecny, several familiar faces will return, including Samuel Morin, Nicolas Aubé-Kubel, Shayne Gostisbehere (who will get his first looks after missing the bulk of last season with a torn ACL), Robert Hagg and Travis Sanheim. Cole Bardreau and Danick Martel will also take the ice after inking deals with the club this past spring, and subsequent stints in Allentown after the end of the Phantoms season.
Defense
It's been no secret that defense has been a significant weak spot for the Orange and Black over the past few seasons, and fans will certainly look for improvement from the much-maligned unit. Any combination of Mark Streit, Andrew MacDonald, Michael Del Zotto, Brandon Manning, Radko Gudas, Yevgeni Medvedev, Luke Schenn and Nick Schultz will make the team (with one man out — possibly via waivers or a trade). The Flyers will also get their first look at Gudas following the deadline deal that sent Braydon Coburn to Tampa Bay, after he sat out the rest of the season while recovering from knee surgery. Additionally, Medvedev will get his first look on NHL ice, after spending the entirety of his 10-season career in Russia.
Michal Neuvirth
Not a whole lot to watch for here — after all, it's basically tacit that Neuvirth will assume the role of Steve Mason's understudy — but nonetheless, Neuvirth will get the opportunity to establish himself as a capable goalie should Mason be out of commission. While he signed a two-year deal with the club in July, he's become all too familiar with the harsh reality of trades over the past two seasons, and will still look to find a stable home in the NHL.
Training camp will begin on Friday at the Skate Zone in Voorhees, and players will take the ice for sessions at 9:45 a.m. and 1 p.m. The same schedule will apply to Saturday and Sunday, with the team planning a "Super Saturday" event featuring free t-shirts, key chains, interactive games and prize booths. As usual, all events are free and open to the public.
Preseason games will also begin next Monday with split-squad games against the New York Islanders in Allentown and Brooklyn. The rest of the preseason schedule can be found here.
Rob Riches is a contributor to Flyerdelphia and Sports Talk Philly. Follow him on Twitter @Riches61
