(Kate Frese)
By Mike Witmer, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 
The Flyers played better than expectations in the 2017-18 season, while still showing there are areas for improvement for this young team. Fans can expect more of the same going forward.
Whether it is another playoff run or not, there is a lot to be happy about with the team going forward as expectations increase as the focus shifts to next season.
The emergence of young players coming up and playing well is one thing to be excited about. The Flyers saw players like Nolan Patrick, Travis Sanheim and Robert Hägg stepping up. While it took some time for these players to get into a groove, they became solid players when they were on the ice. The patience that Ron Hextall has shown with his young core of players is starting to take shape.
As next year these players will have increased roles, and could see new faces coming up at some point during the season.
Not only should fans be excited that these players are coming up to the Flyers, but more future pieces will be making their impact for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, notably Carter Hart and German Rubtsov will join the team.
There will be positions to be earned coming into training camp next season, not only for the Flyers, but the Phantoms too. In addition to Hart joining the pros, the Flyers have Alex Lyon and Anthony Stolarz competing for potential spots on either the Flyers or Phantoms.
Lyon joined the Flyers as injuries hit the team and came into his own at times, coming up with key saves when the Flyers desperately needed them. In his 11 starts last season, he posted a 2.75 GAA and .905 save percentage. His short stint with the Flyers helped the Phantoms go on a playoff run of their own in the Calder Cup Playoffs, in particular Game 4 of the Atlantic Division Final, where he posted 94 saves in the longest game in AHL history.
While last season was filled with injuries for Stolarz, it is too soon to write him off. He too saw time at the NHL level in the 2016-17 season. It will be interesting to see how the goaltending lineup unfolds for the Phantoms for their upcoming season.
The Flyers also have two first round picks in the upcoming NHL Draft, later this month. It will be interesting to see if Hextall makes any moves with the two picks or if the Flyers keep both picks and who they select.
As another season of growth progresses, it will be worth watching to see how this team performs. While there are still areas that need improvement in particular with the special teams, there is a lot to be excited about with this team and to look forward to not just for this season but for the next couple years to come.
