The Philadelphia Flyers’ season officially ended in April. But it was over long before because of a disastrous season that started when they fired Alain Vigneault last December.
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The NHL has already turned the page to the 2022-23 season as the league released the full schedule on July 6. The Flyers, now headed by veteran coach John Tortorella, have plenty of work ahead of them.
PA online sportsbooks have Stanley Cup Finals odds posted for the 2022-23 season and the Philadelphia Flyers are longshots to win the Cup for the first time since 1975. Pennsylvania sports betting apps will add more betting markets as the season gets closer.
None of Tortorella’s teams made playoffs his first year as coach
If nothing else, the Flyers will be more entertaining this season with John Tortorella on the bench. The fiery veteran is coaching his fifth team. He took last season off after coaching the Columbus Blue Jackets, compiling a 227-166-54 record over six seasons. Tortorella won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004.
Tortorella has a reputation for pushing his players to get the best out of them. Here’s how Tortorella’s teams have fared in his first full season as a head coach:
- 2001-02 Tampa Bay Lightning: 27-40-15
- 2009-10 New York Rangers: 38-33-11
- 2013-14: Vancouver Canucks: 36-35-11
- 2015-16 Columbus Blue Jackets: 34-33-8
None of the teams reached the playoffs during Tortorella’s first year as coach of the team. The Flyers haven’t advanced to the second round of the playoffs since 2012.
Tortorella’s second season behind the bench is where his message starts to resonate. Here are his second season results:
- 2002-03 Tampa Bay Lightning: 36-25-21
- 2010-11 New York Rangers: 44-33-5
- 2016-17 Columbus Blue Jackets: 50-24-8
Each of those three seasons resulted in postseason appearances
Flyers offseason outlook
Before the Flyers look for help outside the organization, their hope is the players they do have are intact.
Left winger Joel Farabee sustained a neck injury while lifting weights last month and underwent disc replacement surgery in his cervical region. He’s expected to miss 3-4 months.
In addition to getting healthy, the Flyers need a lot more talent and they don’t have much cap space ($5.1 million) to make enough moves to move the needle.
One of the ways the Flyers can get back to prominence is by building through the draft. The Flyers drafted 18-year-old left wing Cutter Gauthier with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. Gauthier has played for the U.S. National Team over the last two seasons.
The Flyers also bolstered their defensemen corps by trading for former Hurricane Tony DeAngelo. DeAngelo, 26, led Carolina’s defensmen last season in goals, assists and points. He set a career-high in assists last season with 41.
With the Flyers already busy this offseason, something they desperately need is goal scoring, especially after trading Claude Giroux to the Panthers last season. James van Reimsdyk led the Flyers in goals with 24 as Cam Atkinson followed with 23 – the only 20-goal scorers on the team. Though it can be true for any team, the Flyers need more punch.
The Flyers have not had a player score 30 goals or more since Sean Couturier (33) in 2018-19.
2022-23 Flyers schedule analysis
Schedule makers did not do the Flyers – or their fans – any favors. The Flyers play the Pittsburgh Penguins just three times this season, and only once at home on Nov. 25. Flyers fans always enjoy a home game against the Penguins.
The Flyers have a tall task at the end of the season, when five of their last eight games are on the road. One of those opponents is Pittsburgh and the others include St. Louis, Dallas, N.Y. Islanders and Chicago.
If the Flyers need to make up ground in the division, only three of their final 13 games are against division opponents.
The Flyers’ longest homestand is seven games between March 14-28 and the longest road trip is five games between Dec. 22-Jan. 2.
Wells Fargo Center new features
Fans taking in a Flyers (or Sixers) game at the Wells Fargo Center will be able to enjoy the new club level that’s expected to debut in time for this season.
The club level is adding four new bars, which will be spaced out all over the club.
East and West Bar
- Located on opposite sides of the arena
- Bar top tables will change from an icy surface to a hardwood floor top to match what team is playing that night
- Life-size holograms of Flyers, Sixers or musical stars welcoming guests
- Full transformation of digital content brought to life on more than 300 screens
Center Bar
- A tequila bar with a modern design where guests can explore memorabilia and memories over the last few decades of Philadelphia sports, music and culture
Showplace Bar
- A whiskey bar with a traditional design where guests can explore artifacts and portraits from The Spectrum
The new club will also include exclusive retail of high-end products and custom streetwear from local designers.
There will also be a new seating layout that comes with loaded value for food, drink and merchandise.
In addition to the loaded value, perhaps the Lge section provides the most interesting features. This part of the club includes USB ports to charge cell phones and controllable, heated seats.
2022-23 Philadelphia Flyers odds
Oddsmakers do not have much hope for the Flyers this season. DraftKings PA sportsbook has the Flyers odds listed at +6000 to win the Stanley Cup.
BetMGM PA sportsbook list the Flyers at +6600 to win the Stanley Cup. BetMGM is also the only sportsbook to have conference champion odds. They have the Flyers at +3500 to win the Eastern Conference, which is 12th out of 16 teams.
All sports betting apps have the Colorado Avalanche as the clear favorite to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.
Odds to win 2023 Stanley Cup at PA Sportsbooks
lead image Derik Hamilton/AP
