PhHN Daily: Pick Watch; Vet Goalie Extended; Next Flyers Mailbag

Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers are coming off a 5-2 loss against the Ottawa Senators. They fought hard in the game, specifically in the second period. So far, it was probably the most fun game to watch in the homestand. However, the Flyers seemingly beat themselves Tuesday night, as critical errors led the way. The Flyers are now 0-5 during the homestand, with challenging games against Tampa Bay and Carolina remaining.

If you missed the post-game story (which will be linked below), head coach John Tortorella challenged some of his biggest stars after the game. He needs more from them, and quite honestly, he is right. The Flyers have been nothing short of atrocious during this homestand, and part of it does have to do with the fact that the Flyers’ big names aren’t scoring.

Read More: Three Thoughts After Flyers’ 5-2 Loss on Tuesday

Surprise Performances

You know who has been scoring for the Flyers? Jamie Drysdale. With his goal last night, Drysdale now has three goals in his previous six games and four total points since the 4 Nations break. He is beginning to look comfortable and aggressive, and you can see his confidence is building for him. If he can keep this stretch going, it will be amazing for his development.

More from last night: the Flyers’ fourth line probably deserves some more attention after their effort last night. Rodrigo Abols had a great game, getting rewarded with a goal, his second career NHL tally. He was just out there playing, and you could tell. He was all over the ice, he was playing tough hockey, and he wasn’t getting outmatched. Right before his goal, he bullied an Ottawa defenseman off the puck to keep the possession alive. He earned his goal.

Jakob Pelletier started to show what was advertised when the Flyers got him. He earned the secondary assist on the Abols goal, but that is not what I was looking at. Pelletier is finally playing with that energy. He finally looked like “a dog on a bone” when he had the puck;  he played with physicality, and you could finally see his energy translate onto the ice. That will not win you games, but it is nice to finally see Pelletier come into his own a bit.

Read More: A Look at Jamie Drysdale’s Recent Offensive Aggression

Pick Watch

Realistic Reach

We are at the point in the season where Flyers fans are looking at what draft pick they may get. While there is a lottery system, unless you get some help, you likely fall at the spot you have the best odds for.

That said, the Flyers currently have the top odds for the No. 7 overall draft selection but are tied with Pittsburgh at 62 points. The Flyers have the season series, so Philly would need Pittsburgh to jump them in points to move up a spot. Pittsburgh came away with a big overtime win last night against Vegas to tie Philly at 62.

The next team is Seattle, at No. 5 overall. The Kraken have the tiebreaker over the Flyers, so if Philly can tie them, the Flyers would be the better pick. It’s hockey; I know anything can happen. However, the Kraken may be hard to catch. Four points separate the Flyers and Kraken. Looking ahead at their schedule, there may only be five possible wins left for them. Taking it one game at a time, the Kraken play the Canadiens tonight in Seattle. Maybe they’ll come away with the win like Pittsburgh did.

Read More: Crosby, Jarry, Karlsson Help Penguins Hit Jackpot Against Vegas

Could the Flyers End up in the Top-Four?

A top-four pick always seemed like a stretch, but maybe not so much any more. No. 4 belongs to Nashville right now with 57 points (five behind the Flyers). No. 3 belongs to Buffalo with 56 points (6 behind the Flyers). Both teams have been playing better lately, and did not sell off any major players at the deadline. The Flyers have two games left against Buffalo, and one remaining against Nashville.

Again, taking it one game at a time, Buffalo plays the Red Wings in Detroit tonight in a very winnable game, while Nashville got a win last night and plays another winnable game on Friday in Anaheim. The top-four may be a longshot for the Flyers, but it certainly is not out of the picture yet.

Read More: Flyers’ Draft Prospect Profile: A Physical Swede Center (PhHN+)

Quick Staying in New York

Backup goaltender extensions are not always the most newsworthy. However, Jonathan Quick was set to hit the open market this offseason, and there was no talk of a retirement quite yet for the 39-year-old goalie. Instead, the Rangers opted to give him a one-year extension, likely the last of his career. Quick will be 40 next January. It’s hard to see him playing much after that.

Since coming to New York, Quick has been a solid backup for Igor Shesterkin. He plays at a high enough level that the Rangers don’t feel like they’re conceding games when they play Quick. That allows them not to bury Shesterkin with a heavy workload, allowing him to be the best he can be.

Finding a consistent backup for Sam Ersson might help him as it has helped Shesterkin. Who knows? Maybe I am just stretching to find a way other than a Metropolitan rivalry to connect this to the Flyers.

Flyers Mailbag

Now that it is post trade deadline, it is about that time to do another Flyers mailbag.

If you have any questions about the Flyers, the offseason, the NHL Draft, or the NHL in general that you would like answered in a mailbag coming soon, feel free to leave them in the comments section!

I’ll be collecting questions for the next couple of days, and look to have the mailbag out shortly after!

Read More: Flyers Mailbag: Prospects, Offseason Plan, Torts’ Future