Philadelphia Flyers: 5 Players with Great Expectations for 2011-12

No diehard sports fan enjoys the offseason, but we find ways to occupy ourselves by discussing the big moves made by our favorite team and establishing expectations (that, as any good fan knows, inevitably end in a championship ring).

This season more than most, Philadelphia Flyers fans may have trouble coming up with expectations for a team with so many new faces joining the squad and so many familiar faces wearing new uniforms.  But, while predicting the team’s overall performance this year may be a shot in the dark, there are five key players whose roles could not be more clear.

Living up to these expectations may be the difference between a leisurely walk on the 18th green and a dramatic run at the Stanley Cup when the playoffs roll around.

Chris Pronger

As Pronger enters his third season with the Flyers, his role is very clear: be the anchor on one of the strongest, deepest defenses in the league, and quarterback a powerplay that underachieved last season.  Pronger, who is now among the most experienced and capable defensemen in the whole league, needs no one to help him understand these roles.

He does, however, need his back (and knees, and hand) to get healthy and STAY healthy.  While the Flyers’ defense has impressive depth, the loss of Pronger forces Peter Laviolette to utilize Andreas Lilja and Oskars Bartulis (or Erik Gustafsson) or give too much ice time to the top four defenseman (a strategy that wore down the defense during the 2009-10 run to the Finals).

During the 2010-11 playoffs, Pronger tried to return quickly from an injury and was ineffective on the point.  Because so much of this team’s long-term success is built around Pronger’s presence, the team cannot afford to have him spend the season breaking down time and again like a junker car.

What we expect:  No matter how long it takes, be healthy and effective by the spring.

Jakub Voracek

The former No. 7 overall pick (and key component of the Jeff Carter trade) never lived up to the hype in Columbus, despite relatively impressive numbers.  The soon-to-be 22-year-old Czech is yet to put up more than sixteen goals and 50 points in a season, but the Flyers feel that a change of scenery and a more competitive setting may be just what Voracek needs to find the next level.

Can we expect Voracek to equal Carter’s 46 goals from 2008-09?  Certainly not this year.  But Voracek will be expected to play a role as a top-six forward, which means point production is going to be a major part of his responsibility on the ice.

20-25 goals and 60 points would be enough to conclude that GM Paul Holmgren was right to see potential for Voracek to thrive in Philadelphia.

What we expect:  Development.  Put up career highs in goals and points.

Brayden Schenn

In the last month or so, no player has gone from “off the radar” to “under a microscope” in the eyes of Flyers’ fans more than Brayden Schenn.  The supposed crown jewel of the Mike-Richards-for-future-Mike-Richards trade solidified Holmgren’s commitment to a youth movement on offense, leaving fans wondering exactly what this big-time prospect can bring to the table.

Initial speculation indicated that Schenn may be a year away from beginning his NHL career full-time, but an impressive rookie camp performance now has die-hard fans and management optimistic that he will fit right in on the opening day roster.

For fans as impatient as Flyers fans, it might be easy to be disappointed in Schenn’s contributions next season; he may not crack the top six on offense and likely won’t be a monster on the score-sheet.  However, with players like Danny Briere and Claude Giroux bearing the burden of responsibility for scoring, Schenn can focus on learning the game and building himself as a force in Philadelphia for years to come.

What we expect:  Show potential.  Score a few flashy goals, contribute on the PP and PK, play with passion.  Make us want to love you.

Ilya Bryzgalov

In an active Philly offseason, no move was more important than signing Ilya Bryzgalov.  While the length of his contract and its overstated role in moving Carter and Richards may be debated by fans for quite some time, no issue in Philadelphia has been more nerve-wracking than solving the goaltender quagmire the team finds itself in each season since Ron Hextall left.  Knock on wood, Bryzgalov is the answer to a fifteen year-old question.

Optimistic Flyers fan will argue that Bryzgalov is among the top five goalies in the league; cynical fans who question the contract will argue that he doesn’t crack the top 10.  Regardless of where he falls, Bryzgalov’s job is clear: stop the shots you are supposed to stop.

The solid defense in front of him should make Bryzgalov’s job easier than it was in Phoenix, but Flyers fans saw that approach fail in the playoffs last year when Boucher/Bobrovsky/Leighton struggled to save very simple shots.  The team doesn’t need Tim Thomas-like numbers, they just need reliability game-to-game, season-to-season.

What we expect:  Give the team a chance to win each and every night, and establish yourself as the clear #1 goalie on the team.  Also, a shutout once in a while would be nice.

James Van Riemsdyk

For all the pressure on Ilya Bryzgalov, there is twice as much on James van Riemsdyk.  The No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 draft has found himself a permanent spot on the roster in the last two years as his development has progressed.  The 2011 playoff run, while short, was a breakout period for JVR as he led the team with seven goals in eleven games.

Claude Giroux had a breakout playoff year in 2009-10 (23 points in 21 games) and had high expectations for the following season.  Though Giroux ended with a career-high 76 points, his production was slow to begin and left fans wondering what happened to the Giroux they saw in the playoffs.  Luckily, the team still performed well behind the leadership of more veteran players.

JVR does not have the luxury of letting other players pick up the slack.  Richards, Carter and Ville Leino are gone and Schenn, Voracek and Sean Couturier may still be a few years away from being offensive factors.  That leaves JVR as a 22-year-old “veteran” under the watchful eye of a rabid fan base that believes it is time for him to become an All-Star.

What we expect:  Finish among the top three on the team in scoring and establish yourself as a leader on the team and a force in the league.

Is This the Year?

Each season, a Stanley Cup Championship is an obvious and uncompromisable goal for the Philadelphia Flyers.  This season, the path to that goal may be more ambiguous than it has been in years. 

With a fresh, new team poised for long-term success, the Flyers are banking on key players living up to the expectations set by both management and the fans.  Even without a Cup next June, if these key players perform up to snuff, Flyers fans will have reason to believe that this team will only get more dangerous in the coming years.

If one or more of these players falter, fans may be in for a full season of questions about the moves made in the past and concerns about the team's success in the future.  Championship or no championship, success and progress in 2011-12 is as important as it has ever been.