As the Flyers' offseason continues through November, it could be the last month before we start seeing the Flyers hit the ice again. December is looking like the time when conditioning/training camps could begin in preparation for the 2020-21 season, which could commence as early as Jan. 1.
Everything, though, is still to be determined. It's very much a wait-and-see time period, similar to the 2019-20 stoppage forced by the coronavirus pandemic back in March and the lead-up to the restart over the summer.
With that said, let's get into three more Flyers thoughts.
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1. Phil-ing the time
There's really no rush to finalizing a new contract for Philippe Myers. The restricted free agent defenseman was not arbitration eligible, similar to Ivan Provorov's situation last offseason. Provorov and the Flyers went the entire summer without agreeing to a deal before the two sides finished a new contract the night prior to training camp.
Provorov's camp was able to wait out Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski's deal, a way to possibly use it as leverage and a framework for its own contract.
Waiting the length of the offseason will not happen with Myers, who has played 71 career games. The 2015 first-round pick Provorov had played 246 games and was already established as a No. 1 defenseman (or at least a top-pair guy).
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But Myers is looking like he could take serious strides over the next few seasons. It'll be interesting to see the term and money on his next deal because his role is about to grow, so his camp likely doesn't want him to become a bargain in a few years on a lengthier contract. There are also some RFA blueliners that are comparable to Myers and haven't signed new deals yet.
You may have to give it some time but Myers' next contract will be done eventually.
2. Frostbite
Much of head coach Alain Vigneault's system is about 200 feet. Entering the offensive zone can't be consistently one and done.
The Flyers aren't asking everyone to be Sean Couturier, but possessing some 200-foot qualities is important.
Vigneault and general manager Chuck Fletcher will want to see more of those traits from 21-year-old center Morgan Frost as he continues to develop, add strength and aim for the Flyers.
"Tons of potential," Vigneault said of Frost in September. "If he can put it together and figure it out, he’ll be a real good player for us. He has taken some strides this year, there are still a lot of strides to be taken. With the right attitude, right commitment and the right work ethic, he can be a real good player if he can put it all together."
"There are some things he has to work on — his play away from the puck, managing the game at certain times, and learning when to fight and when maybe not to fight in terms of trying to make a play through the middle of the ice when something’s there and when it’s not there," Fletcher said in September. "The biggest opportunity he has now is strength. If we don’t play for a few months, this is a great opportunity for Morgan to continue working on his strength, and that’s an area that frankly he needs to improve a little bit if he wants to compete."
3. Stock assessment
Time will tell how high folks are on the Flyers entering the 2020-21 season. Some may be bullish on their potential to take the next step, some may want to see more before buying stock.
Both are understandable.
On one side of the coin, the Flyers were a top-six club in 2019-20 and went into the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed after sweeping the three-game, four-team round robin.
On the other side of the coin, they've had a very low-key offseason and lost top-pair, all-situation defenseman Matt Niskanen.
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