Philadelphia Flyers

One of the best things about hockey is the uncertainty. We make our predictions, study the game to death, pretend to understand the charts that say the players we like are good and hope for the best. A lot of the time all of the preparation works out, but sometimes hockey forces us to throw it all out the window and enjoy the ride.

The 2022-23 NHL season isn't even one month old yet and there's already so much to be wrong about. Yay! I'm sure we'll get to the unpleasant surprises eventually, but for now, why don't we enjoy the good?

As it turns out, a lot of the pleasant surprises through the first two weeks of the season are oddly connected to each other. Noted Ottawa Senators fan Alanis Morissette said it best, "Life has a funny way of helping you out." Clearly, she was talking about the Vegas Golden Knights.

Anyway, let's take a look at the most pleasant surprises in the NHL while the season's still a baby.

1. Rasmus Dahlin and the Sabres

Breaking news, folks: 2018 first overall draft pick Rasmus Dahlin might actually be good.

Sometimes I wonder if we'll ever learn our lesson when it comes to this stuff, but let Dahlin's current tear be another reminder to have some patience with the guys who go straight to the NHL. Next time an 18-year-old draft pick joins a bad team and doesn't immediately blow us all out of the water, shall we give it a few years? No? A girl can dream.

Looking back with context, Dahlin wasn't ever even performing at a level where I'd seriously think he was a bust. He was on a great trajectory before the pandemic, struggled along with his team in 2020-21 and showed more spurts of potential in 2021-22 with 13 goals and 53 points in 80 games. Of course, those spurts of potential came when Dahlin had a greater opportunity following Rasmus Ristolainen's trade, and they also came with a bad plus/minus—such is life as the best defenseman on a bad team.

But is the 22-year-old entering his true breakout season now, following a full season of important experience?

Six games in and the Buffalo Sabres are 4-2-0, and it was a particularly vibey 4-1-0 before Tuesday night's 5-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken. Dahlin is currently leading all NHL defensemen in points with nine and goals with five in six games played, and the five-game season-starting goal streak he just snapped became an NHL record among defensemen.

Then there's goaltender Craig Anderson at the top of the league with his 2-0, 1.0 goals against average and .970 save percentage. We aren't kidding ourselves into believing this two-game sample means more than it does, but it's a good start.

All of this and we haven't even touched on Alex Tuch's seven points in six games or Tage Thompson's hot start, including his selection of "Fishin' in the Dark" for his goal song.

Obviously, it's ridiculous to read too much into things less than a month into the season, and like many, I've been fooled by a Sabres hot start or two in the very recent past. But I like what I see here, we'll see how they bounce back from this big loss to Seattle, and sometimes giving people room to spread their wings is the only way they get off the ground…

2. Jack Eichel and the Golden Knights

Speaking of the Sabres, Jack Eichel is off to a hot start in Vegas with three goals and seven points in eight games. The Golden Knights are doing better than expected in general at 6-2-0.

Eichel's hot start accounted for, you also have to give credit to goalie Logan Thompson, who has worked himself up from the ECHL to Vegas' No. 1 with Robin Lehner likely out for the season following hip surgery. Adin Hill hasn't been a shabby 1a, either.

I described every team with one word heading into the season, and for the Golden Knights, that word was "karma." They'd been flying too close to the sun with all the cap-space maneuvers and coaching hot seats already amassing in their short team history. It looks like they listened to Taylor Swift's new album, Midnights, and adopted her philosophy on karma—"Karma's a relaxing thought"—instead of mine, though.

There's also ironman Phil Kessel, who exudes good karma and sweats blue Powerade everywhere he goes.

And finally, there's new head coach Bruce Cassidy, who the team snatched up just over one week after the Boston Bruins somewhat surprisingly let him go. Now that I've laid it all out like this, I'm starting to feel bad about ever wishing ill upon this team…

3. The Bruins

Speaking of the Bruins, I tried to warn y'all that this team is not done. Despite the naysayers, Boston is 6-1-0 to start the season—and yes, Bostonians, I will mention they're doing that without Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy before you beat me to it in the comments.

What's working?

David Pastrňák, aka Mr. Blank Check, for starters.

Pastrňák not only has five goals and 12 points in seven games, but he's making it look fun in true Pastrňák fashion. That's an easy one, especially with his friend David Krejčí back in the mix. Arguably even more encouraging for the Bruins has been their scoring depth. Of all who have skated in every Bruins game, everyone except Tomáš Nosek has recorded at least one point. Twelve have recorded a goal, and Nick Foligno's three goals already surpass last season's total.

I've long thought this team's performance can be measured in Jake DeBrusk's vibes per 60. If DeBrusk looks like he's having a good time, you can bet the team is in a good place, and this kid seems like he's having the time of his life these days.

Goaltender Linus Ullmark is also having a strong start with a 5-0-0 record and a .936 save percentage.

4. The Flyers

This is where the connections end unless we really want to stretch it and tie Foligno's hot start to his former coach and current Philadelphia Flyers coach John Tortorella.

Say what you will about Torts and his no-nonsense approach, and it definitely doesn't work for everyone, but at least for now it's seeming to jibe with the Philly market and apparently with what was supposed to be a bottom-five team in the league. The Flyers are a team that needed Torts if there ever was one. They started out the season undefeated through three games and currently sit at 4-2-0. I do think the team will trend down sooner rather than later, the offense is already severely lacking at times, and it doesn't help that James van Riemsdyk is going to be out for at least one month after finger surgery.

But what's the point in saying all this when we weren't even expecting a hot start to begin with out of this team? Enjoy it while it lasts.

5. The Retro Reverse Jerseys

The NHL released its latest set of alternate jerseys via Adidas last week, and it might be my favorite batch of jerseys the league has ever put together. Between the Panthers' ode to Florida, the Bruins' ode to the Pooh Bear and the Tampa Bay Lightning's ode to a throwback so bad that it's good, I was thoroughly impressed. I loved that teams were branching out and giving the people what they actually want. More fun, please!

Johnny Gaudreau is a player that can change a franchise, and his hometown Philadelphia Flyers badly need some positive change right now.

Instead, he's going to change one of the Flyers' Metropolitan Division foes because of how badly the club mismanaged its "aggressive retool."

There aren't many tools in Philadelphia's toolbox right now, which is tough considering how many pieces the other Metro teams added in recent days. Every team got better, with the exception of the Flyers and maybe the New York Islanders.

At least the Islanders have the salary-cap space needed to improve, though. They could add someone like free-agent center Nazem Kadri if they wanted to.

Philadelphia, on the other hand, is in a cap crunch of its own creation. They are currently $98,107 over the cap and will need to move some pieces around the get underneath the $82.5 million threshold before opening day.

This prevented the team from making an offer to Gaudreau, who grew up rooting for the Flyers. The speedy, playmaking winger signed a seven-year, $68.3 million contract ($9.75 AAV) with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

When Gaudreau turned down an offer with his previous team, the Calgary Flames, citing a "family decision," it was presumed that he wanted to be closer to his hometown in southern New Jersey, right across the river from Philadelphia.

But an offer was never made because general manager Chuck Fletcher failed to clear enough cap space, partially because he couldn't unload another Jersey native, James van Riemsdyk, and his $7 million cap hit.

Instead, he signed Nicolas Deslauriers, a 31-year-old enforcer, to a four-year deal and 35-year-old defenseman Justin Braun. This came a few days after he traded for defenseman Tony DeAngelo, one of the most polarizing and divisive players in the game.

DeAngelo might provide a lot of offense, but his defensive efforts are nearly non-existent, and his infamous poor attitude could clash with a demanding coach like John Tortorella.

DeAngelo wasn't the only bewildering move made by Fletcher. The offseason started off with the club extending defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen for five more seasons with a $5.1 million AAV. Like DeAngelo, Ristolainen is another defenseman that is better going forward than he is playing in his own zone.

"We're out on all the remaining free agents, with the reality of our cap situation right now," Fletcher said shortly before it was announced that Columbus won the Gaudreau sweepstakes.

"It probably precluded us from looking at some of the more expensive options in the market today. Today, to us, was more about depth signings, getting guys that make us a little bit harder to play against and making sure we have some players on two-way contracts that can move between Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia."

This is far from the "aggressive" plan Fletcher and Comcast Spectacor chairman and CEO Dave Scott promised the fans back in January.

No wonder fans are calling for Fletcher to be fired.

"There's no question we'll be a more competitive team this season," Fletcher said in his press conference Wednesday afternoon. "How competitive? We'll see."

This isn't really a ringing endorsement of the 2022-23 squad. The Flyers went 25-46-11 (61 points) and finished last in the Metropolitan Division. "More competitive?" Is a 10-point increase is acceptable?

It shouldn't be.

Fletcher was hired in the fall of 2018 to replace Ron Hextall, and since then, the Flyers have made the playoffs once (2019-20). They played well in the bubble but still lost in the second round to the New York Islanders.

The core aged, and goalie Carter Hart hasn't been the same since then. Coach Alain Vigneault was fired last December, and interim coach Mike Yeo was let go in May.

Captain Claude Giroux was traded at the deadline to the Florida Panthers, and because he had a no-movement clause, he was able to choose which team he wanted to go to.

Tortorella was recently hired, and though his track record is strong, he can only do so much with a subpar roster. That roster is nothing special, and there is little room for improvements.

The Flyers have a lot of money tied up beyond just van Riemsdyk. Sean Couturier and Kevin Hayes are each making more than $7 million per year, and while you can defend those contracts, it's tougher to defend the Ristolainen deal and the Ryan Ellis move from last year.

Ellis, a veteran defenseman who was acquired last season in an expansion-draft move, is owed $6.3 million for the next five seasons. He was injured for most of last year, and at 31, it's unclear what the Flyers can expect from him next season.

Defenseman Ivan Provorov regressed last year. Hart doesn't have a proven backup. Aside from Joel Farabee, the Flyers haven't really developed any of their prospects. If any team needs cheap talent on entry-level contracts, it's this one.

This is a team with a lot of moving parts that don't seem to move together. It's a lot of developing young players mixed with some aging veterans who have question marks around their health and around their behaviors, in the case of DeAngelo.

Tortorella will no doubt install his signature defensive structure, but this isn't a roster that is ready to compete for a playoff spot, especially not in this division. And yet the playoffs are exactly what was promised to fans back in January.

"I can tell you, everything's on the table," Scott said. "We're looking at the front office, we're looking at the coaching staff—which we have been—players, investment. Whatever we need to do to improve this team. But I don't see it being a three-, four-, five-year thing. We should get this right, we should be in it next year."

There is little hope that this team can deliver on that playoff promise. Fans have every right to be upset with the direction of the franchise. Gaudreau could have changed the trajectory of the team, but instead, it's stuck in neutral with nothing to indicate that any progress can be made in the near future.

The Philadelphia Flyers are out of the Johnny Gaudreau sweepstakes, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun (h/t Rob Taub of News 12 New York).

However, the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils are in the mix for the veteran forward. The Columbus Blue Jackets are also a potential destination, with general manager Jarmo Kekalainen having "made a major play" for him on Wednesday, according to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline.

Gaudreau opted to part ways with the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night, letting the club know of his plans to enter the free-agent market on Wednesday.

Calgary offered Gaudreau a deal worth more than $10 million annually over eight years in an effort to retain him, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, but the veteran still opted to move on.

Flames general manager Brad Treliving confirmed the news while speaking with reporters, saying that he believes Gaudreau was making a "family decision, and I respect that fully."

The Flyers were Gaudreau's top choice, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan. However, Philadelphia was unable to clear the necessary cap space to sign him. According to CapFriendly, the team is currently projected to be over the cap by more than $48,000.

The franchise attempted to trade James van Riemsdyk and his $7 million salary for the 2022-23 season to clear space, but no deal has come to fruition.

The Islanders were among the teams reported to heavily pursue Gaudreau this summer. Former Islanders VP of communications Chris Botta reported earlier this week that the franchise was expected to offer him a seven-year deal worth $9 million annually.

The Isles are projected to have nearly $11.2 million in cap space, per CapFriendly. They have enough space to sign Gaudreau, but they still need to come to terms on contracts for restricted free agents Noah Dobson, Kieffer Bellows and Alexander Romanov.

The Blue Jackets also have enough space to sign Gaudreau as they are projected to have almost $13 million in cap space, per CapFriendly. However, it's unclear if Gaudreau is interested in Columbus, which also needs to re-sign RFA Patrik Laine this summer.

The Devils seem like a real possibility for Gaudreau, who grew up in New Jersey. The franchise is projected to have $23.5 million in cap space, per CapFriendly, which is more than enough room to sign Gaudreau and also add some pieces around him.

The 28-year-old spent the first nine seasons of his career in Calgary, which selected him in the fourth round of the 2011 draft out of Boston College. In 602 regular-season games, Gaudreau notched 210 goals and 399 assists for 609 points.

The left wing broke out in 2021-22, tallying 40 goals and 75 assists for 115 points—all career highs—in 82 games. Whichever team lands him in free agency will be very lucky.

Defenseman Tony DeAngelo insisted Saturday that he is not racist after getting traded to the Philadelphia Flyers from the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday.

DeAngelo made the declaration during an interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia, while also explaining some of his past actions:

Tony DeAngelo: “I’m absolutely not racist at all. … I don’t need to say too much about that. I’m looking forward to proving it as I did in Carolina this past year.” pic.twitter.com/xuka4kTDRh

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) July 9, 2022

Questions regarding DeAngelo potentially being racist date back to his time in junior hockey when he was suspended twice for using "homophobic, racist, and sexist language" and abuse of officials, per ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.

DeAngelo admitted to using a slur toward a former teammate but noted that he took sports psychology counseling classes after the fact and said he is "still friends" with the former teammate.

Philly sent Carolina a 2022 fourth-round draft pick, 2023 third-round pick and 2024 second-round pick in exchange for DeAngelo and a 2022 seventh-round pick, and it was later reported by Sportsnet that DeAngelo signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Flyers.

Despite concerns, DeAngelo was the No. 19 overall pick in the 2014 NHL draft to the Tampa Bay Lighting, although he never played for the Bolts before getting traded to the Arizona Coyotes.

The 26-year-old DeAngelo has bounced around often during his career, going from Arizona to the New York Rangers to the Hurricanes and now the Flyers.

His inability to stick in one place has had more to do with his antics than his play, as he is one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL when focused.

DeAngelo got suspended during his one season in Arizona for shoving a referee, and his tenure with the Rangers essentially ended after he got into a locker room altercation with teammate Alexandar Georgiev.

In 2019-20, DeAngelo had a breakout season with the Rangers, racking up 15 goals and 38 assists for 53 points, as well as a plus-12 rating, all of which were career bests at the time.

DeAngelo's altercation with Georgiev limited him to six games the following season, but he signed a one-year, $1 million contract with Carolina before the 2021-22 season and delivered in a big way.

He finished with 10 goals and 41 assists for 51 points, to go along with a plus-30 rating for a Hurricanes team that reached the playoffs.

DeAngelo brings a much-needed puck-mover and power-play quarterback to the Flyers' blueline, but the question remains whether he can stay on the right track from a behavioral perspective.

Prior to the start of Day 2 of the 2022 NHL draft on Friday, the Carolina Hurricanes reportedly agreed to trade defenseman Tony DeAngelo to the Philadelphia Flyers for multiple draft picks.

According to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, the Flyers will receive DeAngelo and a seventh-round pick in exchange for second-, third- and fourth-round picks that are spread out over the next three years.

LeBrun added that DeAngelo agreed to a two-year, $10 million contract extension with the Flyers after the trade as well.

The 26-year-old is a six-year veteran who has played for the Arizona Coyotes, New York Rangers and Hurricanes.

DeAngelo was the No. 19 pick in the 2014 draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, but before ever appearing in a game for the team, he was traded to the Coyotes in 2016.

He was traded again one year later to the Rangers, and it was in New York where he fully hit his stride as a dynamic offensive defenseman.

His breakout year occurred in 2019-20 when he set career highs with 15 goals and 53 points while also posting a plus-12 rating.

After appearing in just six games for the Rangers in the 2020-21 campaign, DeAngelo was waived in the wake of getting into a locker-room altercation with goalie Alexandar Georgiev.

The Canes signed DeAngelo to a one-year, $1 million prove-it contract last summer, and it turned out to be a quality move, as the right-shot D-man bounced back with a career-high 41 assists to go with 10 goals in addition to posting a career-best plus-30 rating.

While DeAngelo has had some behavioral issues over the years, he is among the best puck-moving blueliners in the NHL, and the Flyers addressed a huge need by acquiring him.

Ivan Provorov, Rasmus Ristolainen and Travis Sanheim are two-way defensemen with perhaps a greater focus on defense, meaning DeAngelo will add some variety to the defense corps.

In the New Jersey native, the Flyers have a power-play quarterback and someone who can lead the rush at even strength, making him a significant addition for a team that went a disappointing 25-46-11 last season.

The agent for Philadelphia Flyers prospect Ivan Fedotov confirmed to the Associated Press he has been transported to a Russian military base in the northern region of the country.

Per multiple reports in Russia, Fedotov was taken into custody in St. Petersburg for allegedly evading military service, an allegation his attorney denied.

Flyers president of hockey operations Chuck Fletcher addressed the situation in a statement to CNN: "We’re aware of the reports and are investigating the situation. We have no further comment at this time."

Alexei Ponomaryev, who's representing Fedotov, said the veteran netminder began experiencing gastritis following his arrest and was moved to a hospital.

"At this moment, we can’t say exactly how things are," Ponomarev said to Russian outlet Match.TV (via CNN). "He was in the hospital, at least in fact, but for some reason he was not listed as the other patients."

Fedotov has played a starring role at the national and club levels. He helped the Russian Olympic Committee team earn a silver medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics and was a key contributor for CSKA Moscow as it claimed a KHL title this season. He boasted a .919 save percentage and a 2.00 goals-against average in the regular season.

The Flyers selected Fedotov with the 188th overall pick in the 2015 draft. In May, Philadelphia signed him to a one-year, entry-level contract to pave the way for his NHL debut.

Amid his country's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an order in March to conscript 134,500 citizens into the military. The AP noted high-level athletes such as Fedotov can be afforded a special status that allows them to continue competing while they fulfill their military obligations.

Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ivan Fedotov has reportedly been detained in Russia on suspicion of evading Russian military service.

According to Radio Free Europe, Russian media outlets are reporting that Fedotov was detained in his native Russia on Friday after police and military officials "launched a manhunt ... at the request of the military prosecutor's office."

Per Joshua Manning of Euro News Weekly, Russian reports said Fedotov was then taken to the military registration and enlistment office. Fedotov could face up to two years in prison if convicted, per Manning.

Fedotov has spent parts of six seasons playing in the Russian KHL, including spending last season with KHL power CSKA Moscow, but he signed an entry-level contract with the Flyers in May and announced his intention to go to the NHL.

Fedotov is 25 and Russian law requires all men between the ages of 18 and 27 to serve at least one year in the military.

Russia entered into military combat this year when it invaded Ukraine in February, and the war is still ongoing.

Fedotov, who was a seventh-round draft pick by the Flyers in 2015, has established himself as one of the top goaltenders in Russia over the past few years.

During the 2021-22 season with CSKA Moscow, he went 14-10-2 with a 2.00 goals-against average and .919 save percentage, marking the fourth consecutive season he had a GAA of 2.21 or better and a save percentage of .919 or better.

Fedotov also led Moscow to a Gagarin Cup win, which is the KHL equivalent to the Stanley Cup.

Additionally, Fedotov represented the Russian Olympic Committee at the 2022 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal.

The plan had been for Fedotov to potentially compete with Carter Hart for the Flyers' starting goalie job next season, as Hart is the only NHL goalie under contract for Philadelphia next season with Martin Jones hitting free agency.

John Tortorella was named the 23rd head coach in Philadelphia Flyers history this week, and he knows he has to do a lot of work to get the team back to a place where it can contend for a Stanley Cup.

"I'm not gonna sit here and say that we're going to be Stanley Cup contenders next year," Tortorella told reporters. "Having said that, I know there's some work to do. That's what I want to do."

Torts is very animated and confident as he talks. Says Flyers will "attack" things, and that he doesn't what to call the season a rebuild or a retool or any other handle. "You're not going to trap me." #Flyers

— Sam Carchidi (@BroadStBull) June 17, 2022

Torts says he needs to see the players in practice and talk to them before he knows how to coach them. "I coach hard and these guys will know where they stand with me each and every day." #Flyers

— Sam Carchidi (@BroadStBull) June 17, 2022

Tortorella: I think coaches get tunnel vision sometimes. And listen, I'm one of them. But sometimes, you have to stop for a second and listen (to the players). We have to make that adjustment. Having said that, there's a fine line there. You can't allow it to run amuck.

— Charlie O'Connor (@charlieo_conn) June 17, 2022

Fletcher on Tortorella: "Players will respond if you're demanding if they know they care about you."

— Bob Rotruck (@BobRotruck) June 17, 2022

The 2021-22 campaign was disappointing for the Flyers based on their roster, including Carter Hart, Cam Atkinson, Sean Couturier, Kevin Hayes, James van Riemsdyk and Joel Farabee.

Philadelphia traded its longtime captain, seven-time All-Star Claude Giroux, to the Florida Panthers in part because of its lack of success.

The Flyers fired former head coach Alain Vigneault last December following an 8-10-4 start. Mike Yeo served as the team's interim head coach and led the team to a 25-46-11 last-place finish in the Metropolitan Division.

With the team missing the postseason for the second consecutive year, the Flyers announced Yeo would not return as head coach.

Tortorella should be able to get more out of Philadelphia's current roster in 2022-23, and he called the Flyers the "right fit" for his coaching comeback, per ESPN. However, it'll be a difficult task getting the team ready to compete with the likes of the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference.

The 63-year-old most recently served as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2015-21, going 227-166-54 and becoming the winningest coach in franchise history. He led the team to the playoffs four times in his six seasons, though it only advanced past the first round once.

Tortorella also coached the Lightning for seven seasons from 2000-08, leading the team to a Stanley Cup title in 2004, and has also coached the Rangers and Vancouver Canucks. He most recently served as an NHL analyst for ESPN.