Mark Streit, Ray Emery and Vinny Lecavalier hope to make Flyer fans forget last season.
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PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

2013 Record: 23-22-3 49 Pts

East Rank: 10th

OUTLOOK: After a disappointing year out of the playoffs, the Flyers went out and signed Vincent Lecavalier. He replaces Danny Briere, who was bought out. Most laughed at the move. On paper, it’s an upgrade. But is a goalie duo of Steve Mason and Ray Emery enough to compete in the Metro? As usual, the Flyers are about to find out if the goalie jinx will strike again.

FORWARDS: Claude Giroux is recovering from finger surgery after a golf mishap at a charity event. He’s close to returning. So, the fore jokes will be put on hold. There were moments last year where he missed Jaromir Jagr. Briere’s injuries hurt the Flyer offense which better explains Paul Holmgren’s addition of Lecavalier. He has more left in the tank and has looked good so far. Believe it or not, that will take pressure off Giroux and allow the club to have better balance. Jakub Voracek had a big season pacing the club in goals (22) and power play goals (8). He should continue to improve. Scott Hartnell battled injuries but is healthy. Wayne Simmonds gets better all the time. Matt Read just signed an extension and is a key part of the top six. A solid two-way player who can hit twine. If Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier take positive steps, the Orange and Black will be able to score with anyone. Max Talbot, Zac RinaldoAdam Hall and Jay Rosehill supply depth. Keep an eye on Tye McGinn and Scott Laughton.

DEFENSEMEN: The first question with the Flyers is their D. Without Chris Pronger, who continues to battle PCS and is doing scouting, the back end remains shaky. Kimmo Timonen remains their steadiest but is getting up there. They added ex-Islander Mark Streit in the offseason. He’ll provide offense and make a good power play stronger but is suspect defensively. How much will he help? Braydon Coburn is probably their most dependable. Andrej Meszaros is back which will help. Luke Schenn is probably the key. He was decent in his first year. After that, it’s all question marks. Nicklas Grossmann is probably their sixth with Bruno Gervais an extra. Erik Gustafsson is a cheaper alternative who can help Holmgren get under the cap. They Flyers currently are $2.05 million over. Expect some moves soon.

GOALIES: Goaltender is always a sore spot. It’s a Flyer tradition. At least they no longer have to worry about what Ilya Bryzgalov will say. Bringing in Ray Emery is a solid addition. He performed well last year for Chicago helping them win the Cup. Even if he was Corey Crawford’s backup, he had a tremendous 2013 posting a 17-1-0 mark with a 1.94 GAA, .922 save percentage and three shutouts. That was in front of the league’s best team. Amazingly, he’s only 30. It’ll be interesting to see how the goalie situation is handled. Mason was good after coming over from Columbus winning four of seven starts with a 1.90 GAA and .944 save percentage. Now comes the real test for the former Calder winner. Is he just a flash in the pan or can he rediscover his ’08-09 form that saw him win 33 games with 10 shutouts. He’s never been consistent. It could be goalie by committee until someone establishes themselves.

SPECIAL TEAMS: The Flyers power play ranked third best clicking at 21.6 percent trailing only division rivals Pittsburgh and Washington. As long as Giroux comes back 100 percent and Streit bombs away, they should be dangerous. Not to mention Voracek, Timmonen and crease crashers Hartnell and Simmonds. Toss in Lecavalier and opponents better stay out of the box. Interestingly enough, their penalty kill placed fifth (85.9 percent). They had two shorthanded goals (Giroux, Talbot). Special teams weren’t the problem. Five on five was. In a full season, good special teams should help more.

COACHING: Peter Laviolette is a proven bench boss. A former Cup champ in Carolina who once guided the Flyers to the 2010 Cup Final, he’s on a short leash. Unfortunately, that’s how quickly it changes. Coaches have short shelf lives. Look no further than John Tortorella, who a year removed from a Conference Final was fired by the Rangers after losing in the second round. Philly didn’t even make the playoffs and Laviolette survived. How he handles the goalie carousel and D will determine if he stays.

ANALYSIS: Offensively, the Flyers can score with anyone. It’s all a matter of whether they can keep goals out. Can a goalie tandem of Mason and Emery work? What about the blueline? Who gets cut? There likely are trades coming. If it comes together, they can compete for eighth. However, there are too many question marks.

PREDICTION: 6th Metro Division