Questions the Flyers Face Heading in to Training Camp

It is almost here, folks. Hockey season is right around the corner and every team faces questions about their roster and the chemistry that the players will have. Flyers rookies head in to Voorhees, New Jersey on Monday, hoping to make a lasting impression on the Flyers front office before the veterans show up on the 17th. Here are a few of the main points the Flyers will have to address during this year's training camp and preseason.


Will Sean Couturier be able to make the team in his first season? Since the 6-foot-4 center was drafted with the eighth overall pick in this year's draft, questions on whether or not Couturier has a reasonable chance to make the team straight out of camp have swirled. He spent the first half of this year with mononucleosis. Anybody who has had "mono" knows how much energy that it sucks from your body. This caused Sean to drop from his preseason No. 1 prospect position and into the lap of the Philadelphia Flyers at number eight. He's a bit lanky, and many are saying that he needs to bulk up before actually being considered for a spot with the big boys. His skating also came in to question during this season, and while it can't be that bad, it is his one real weakness.

However, being compared to the likes of Jordan Staal, who went No. 2 overall in 2006, can't be that bad when you're only 18. Couturier boasts an excellent two-way game, very much alike to that of Mike Richards. He sees the ice extremely well for a player his age. His shot and passing ability are amazing as well. I wouldn't be surprised to see Couturier get a very serious look during this preseason.

How will Brayden Schenn react to the pressure being placed upon him? The centerpiece of the trade that sent former captain Mike Richards to Los Angeles is widely considered the best prospect in all of hockey. Seriously, you type "NHL best prospects" in to any search engine, and Schenn is atop all of the lists. He played eight games with the Kings during this past season and registered 2 assists. Here in Philadelphia, everyone expects Schenn to make the roster full-time and put up 35-40 points, maybe more. Schenn's game is very well-rounded for a 20 year-old. He provides, scoring, hitting, passing, and isn't afraid to drop the gloves every now and then. Who does that remind you of?

Does Schenn, still technically a rookie, have what it takes to play at a consistently high level in the NHL or will he be the bust of all busts here in Philadelphia?
Will Ilya Bryzgalov live up to his contract? Shortly after Philadelphia parted ways with pillars Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, the Flyers announced the had signed goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov to a 9-year/51-million dollar contract. The internet exploded with joy and shock and so many other emotions as the hockey world reeled from shock. Many applauded general manager Paul Holmgren and owner Ed Snider for going out and finally getting a goalie who can be considered Philadelphia's first bonafide #1 goalie since the days of Ron Hextall. Others despised the Holmgren and Snider for trading away two franchise players for a goalie to such a long-term contract when we have Sergei Bobrovsky waiting in the wings. To those people I say this: Wouldn't you rather have a tandem of Bryzgalov and Bobrovsky, essentially both starters, or Bobrovsky and Backlund/Bacashihua/Leighton?

Will Bryzgalov be the goalie that Philadelphia has been craving for so long, or will we have to add his name to list of goalie's careers that have died in our blue paint?
Will Michael Nylander rekindle the old magic with Jaromir Jagr? The Flyers invited 39-year-old center Michael Nylander to training camp on a pro-tryout basis. Nylander, who most recently was in the news for having his neck broken in a game against the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL, has played with Jagr on two separate occasions on two separate teams. Both times,. the pair fed off of each other and expressed amazing chemistry. With almost a half-new roster, any preexisting good connections are just what the Flyers need. However, Jagr hasn't played in the NHL for three years, and Nylander hasn't for a little over one year. Does that chemistry still exist?

Speaking of Jagr, how well does he perform this season? The Flyers kept the shock-grip on the hockey world when they signed forward Jaromir Jagr to a 1-year/3.3 million dollar deal. The same Jaromir Jagr who walked all over the Flyers and the rest of the NHL for the majority of his career. He has spent the last three years playing in the KHL, and put up some decent numbers while doing it. He has decided to play one more year in the NHL, but you have to wonder what factor his age will play during this season. Projections put him around 60 points this year. Does the 39-year-old Jagr have that much left in the tank?

Who will occupy the 12/13th forward slot? The Flyers traded forward, and excellent penalty-killer, Darroll Powe to the Minnesota Wild for a 2013 3rd-round draft pick. With that, they opened up a spot for one of the Phantoms to take. Will it be deadline acquisiton Tom Sestito? Maybe one of last year's call-ups, such as Ben Holmstrom or Eric Wellwood? There are always dark horses such as Jon Kalinski, who has spent time with the Flyers, and Mike Testwuide as well. Whoever it is will most likely join Blair Betts and Max Talbot when Jody Shelley isn't playing on the fourth line, but who will it be?