(Kate Frese/Sports Talk Philly)
VOORHEES, N.J. — This past Sunday, the on-ice portion of the Flyers' 50th Anniversary season wrapped up with a shootout loss — save for Bryan Bickell, it was about as anticlimactic as it could get.
But now, the door can formally be closed on the season that was. Players gathered at the team's Skate Zone practice facility for the annual locker cleanout and exit interviews with Ron Hextall and Dave Hakstol, and from here, their offseason begins.
Of course, for the players, breakup day came a little earlier than anybody wanted it to. Frustration was paramount, and in the case of a few, it got emotional. Here's what some of the players had to offer, before embarking on a long offseason.
Steve Mason
Of the players who held court, perhaps Steve Mason's words made the biggest impact. Mason enters the offseason as a free agent, after Michal Neuvirth's two-year contract extension — and at this juncture, it looks like Mason is very well on his way out.
"They're well aware of where I stand, and we'll see what happens," Mason said, when asked if he can see himself coming back. "I've said it all along — nothing's changed. But they've got to make their choice, and we'll see what happens with that."
In his fourth full season with the Orange and Black, Mason established at some points of the season how reliable of a netminder he can be, and reached several personal milestones as well. Not only did he reach the 200-win plateau, but he earned his 100th win as a Flyer and became just the third goalie to hit that mark.
Though his numbers this season haven't been optimal — both his 2.66 goals-against average and .908 save percentage are career-worsts since joining the Flyers — Mason is still open to the possibility of a contract extension.
"I just told [Hextall] 'do me a favor and make the decision as soon as possible, I have other things to take care of as far as a house and moving things from here.'
"I never thought it would come to this, I envisioned a number of more years here."
Another point Mason touched on was splitting the starter's role with Michal Neuvirth. This is the second year that both goalies have shared time, and never established a clear starter's role.
While Mason did shoulder the lion's share of starts between the pipes — 54, compared to Neuvirth's 24 — he established the ambiguity of the situation did neither netminder any favors.
"Every single team needs to have a defined starter and a backup goalie, and just having that clarity would have simplified a whole lot of things," Mason said. "At the end of the season, there was that clarity, and the results showed.
"It would have been nice to have this more clearly-defined role earlier in the season…it's shown through the league that it doesn't work. Tampa got rid of their situation, St. Louis got rid of their situation. It's got nothing to do with Neuvy and I as people — I've got no issues with Neuvy — it just doesn't work for the goaltending position."
Whether or not Mason does return remains to be seen. There's the possibility of Neuvirth being claimed in the upcoming expansion draft, which could open a door back up for Mase. Until then, though, it looks like the Steve Mason Era in Philadelphia is reaching its end.
Sean Couturier and the Flyers' core
No, this isn't a sweet new band name I just thought of. But with the Flyers missing the playoffs for the third time since 2013, it's time to evaluate core players like Claude Giroux, Wayne Simmonds, Jakub Voracek, Sean Couturier, Brayden Schenn and Matt Read.
It's a core that was assembled six years and one general manager ago, and though it got off to a smooth start, the results lately leave much to be desired. They beat vaunted Pittsburgh in their first playoff series, but that was five years ago. Since then? Nada.
"I like our core," Couturier said. "Next year, if all those guys are back, we're a good team."
Couturier found success playing alongside Schenn and Dale Weise towards the end of the season, after the acquisition of Valtteri Filppula meant he could ease back to his natural third-line center role. Since March 2, Couturier scored five goals and 12 assists, while playing some of the best hockey of his career.
"It goes back to when we played together in minors during the lockout year," Couturier said, about playing with Schenn. "We always seem to make plays and find each other out there.
"It's just too bad we never really got to play a whole lot together after that, but it was nice to be back with him and keep having that success."
Considering the lack of success, though, the Flyers' core is worth taking a look at. In the midst of Hextall's rebuild, adding a few pieces to the puzzle wouldn't hurt.
Mike Vecchione
Mike Vecchione joined the Flyers just a few weeks ago, after a stellar season at Union College led to his nomination as a Hobey Baker Award finalist. Not only does add to the Flyers' prospect pipeline, he reunites with an old Dutchmen teammate, Shayne Gostisbehere.
He earned the chance to play in two games, just to get a taste of NHL action. Hasn't gotten too much into the technical aspect of the Flyers' system, but he got a quick sample.
"It's been pretty simple this past week-and-a-half, we didn't get into too much detail," Vecchione said "Coach Hakstol just told me 'go out and play your game, it's gotten you this far,' so we don't need to go over systems or anything like that. Just go out there and have fun.
"The welcome the guys gave me was really helpful, too. It was just open arms, everybody taking me in and making me a part of the family."
It's a busy stretch for Vecchione, and one not a lot of us get to experience. One second, he's graduating college, and right away, he signs a deal with an NHL club and takes the ice in The Show. Between prospect camp in July and training camp in September, he'll have plenty of time to get acclimated to the organization.
Shayne Gostibehere
After a rookie campaign that saw him shatter every expectation set forth of him, Shayne Gostisbehere taught us this season that he is human, after all. He had been playing through a nagging injury — though he said it wasn't bothersome to him — and was healthy-scratched more than a player of his caliber should be healthy-scratched.
"When things aren't going your way, it's easy to feel sorry for yourself," Gostisbehere said. "It just comes down to working hard and finding a way out of it. It's not gonna happen overnight."
A 17-goal, 46-point campaign that also featured a historical 15-game point streak ended with a second-place finish in the Calder Trophy race. It's a season that's near-impossible to replicate, and in a sport where sophomore slumps are prevalent, he fell victim. But it's a chance for the 'Ghost Bear' to learn from, and improve next season.
"I've had the ups, and I've had the downs," Gostisbehere said. "I have the skills, I just have to trust my abilities. I wasn't questioning myself — my confidence on the ice comes from my offensive abilities."
It may seem hard to believe, but Gostisbehere could be well on his way to a mentorship role. With all the young prospects that are getting set to make the jump, Gostisbehere could see a way where he can impart some of what he's learned in two seasons on the job.
"Everyone's gonna be different — we all have different styles of play," Gostisbehere said. "Some guys are offensive, some are defensive. If they want to bounce some ideas off me, I've got some wisdom now.
"It's awesome, those couple guys that came up and played and seeing how well they're doing in the minors… Sammy Morin and [Robert Hagg], they did great in their debuts. The best thing is they looked like they belonged — they didn't stick out for the wrong reasons in any way."
Ivan Provorov
Speaking of young defensemen, one of the Flyers' biggest bright spots was the play of Ivan Provorov in his rookie campaign. Playing in all 82 games, the 20-year-old wunderkind looked like a grizzled veteran.
He was leaned on heavily, with a team-leading 21:58 of ice time per game (also second in the NHL amongst rookies, behind Toronto's Nikita Zaitsev at 22:01). Six goals and 30 points also aren't a bad touch for him, either, especially after being saddled along the much-maligned Andrew MacDonald.
Provorov also established himself as somewhat of an underrated rookie. He won't garner Calder consideration, thanks to players like Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and Patrik Laine. Regardless, his future is bright.
"It's been a good year for me, on a personal note," Provorov said. "I got better as the season went on. After the first 15 or 20 games, I started to find my game."
Provorov's not just the only one who is satisfied with his game, though. The rest of his teammates have taken notice, and are eager to see what else he can provide.
"Ivan's game is so mature," fellow defenseman Gostisbehere said. "He has no risk in his game, so he's so sound. The way he plays and makes it look easy, it pisses people off. Just the thing he does, he's awesome to watch. He's a great professional already."
The future has arrived, and it's only getting brighter from here.
Michael Del Zotto
There comes a time in every player's life when he realizes that he either can't keep up with the physical pace of the game, or realizes his presence doesn't make the most sense from a business standpoint. In the case of Michael Del Zotto, it's the latter.
An emotional Del Zotto told the press corps that his time in Philly is pretty much done. He's about to hit unrestricted free agency, and with a good crop of young blueliners coming up, he realizes the writing is on the wall. Shortly thereafter, he thanked fans in an Instagram post.
"I'm pretty positive it's my last day at the Skate Zone," Del Zotto said. "It's unfortunate, I've been here for three years, made some great friendships. This year was a little up and down and very frustrating at times.
"You understand the business side of it, we learn that at a young age, and you see where this team's at. Lot of kids coming up on the back end, and me being an unrestricted free agent, it is what it is. I had a great time here. Amazing hockey market, amazing fans…it's a little bit of a tough day."
The past two seasons for Del Zotto have seen him play in just 52 and 51 games, respectively, due to injury. When healthy, though, he was a serviceable player.
At the time the Flyers picked him up in 2014, he was on the free agent scrap heap. The team that had drafted him in the first round in 2008, the NY Rangers, had given up on him, sending him to Nashville. He didn't figure in the Predators' plans either, and it looked like he was all but done for. But as the Flyers learned Kimmo Timonen was going to be out with blood clots, they took a chance on him.
The Flyers represent a renaissance for Del Zotto's career, and he's keenly aware. Not only is he aware, he's appreciative of the second chance.
"That summer was unfortunate with Kimmo's injury, but there was a hole that needed to be filled. Start of the year was a little rough, trying to get used to things with my new team. From there, second half of the season, I found my game.
"It was a perfect fit for both sides, for the team and for myself."
His time with the Flyers led to quite a few memories, though he did express regret that he couldn't play in any playoff games. What he enjoyed most, though? A game-winner in 2015 against the team that stuck it to him.
"It was a pretty big feeling, against my old team in a huge rivalry. That was a pretty big one."
