**Rating system for “Plus/Minus” Series**
+3 = Major Upgrade
+2 = Upgrade
+1 = Slight Upgrade
0 = Same as prior year
-1 = Slight Dowgrade
-2 = Downgrade
-3 = Major Downgrade
Team: Philadelphia Flyers
2010-11: 106 points, #2 in Eastern Conference
GOALIES
Returning: Sergei Bobrovsky
Arrivals: Ilya Bryzgalov
Departures: Brian Boucher
Grade: +3
Say what you want about Bryzgalov’s poor playoff performance and his crazy contract, this is still a major upgrade for the Flyers at a position that has been a sore spot for many years.
DEFENSE
Returning: Chris Pronger, Andrej Meszaros, Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn, Matt Carle, Oskars Bartulis
Arrivals: Andreas Lilja
Departures: Sean O’Donnell, Nick Boynton
Grade: 0
Philly’s strong defense in 2010-11 will be returning in 2011-12, with only a small tweak at the #6 spot.
FORWARDS
Returning: Claude Giroux, James van Riemsdyk, Danny Briere, Scott Hartnell, Blair Betts, Jody Shelley, Andreas Nodl
Arrivals: Jaromir Jagr, Jakub Voracek, Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds, Max Talbot
Departures: Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Ville Leino, Kris Versteeg, Nikolai Zherdev, Dan Carcillo, Darroll Powe
Grade: -2
The Flyers lost 5 players on their top 3 lines who combined for 115 goals in 2010-11. They replaced them with Jagr from the KHL, Schenn who has 9 games of NHL experience, Max Talbot who has never scored 15 goals in a season and Jakub Voracek and Wayne Simmonds both of whom have never scored 20. The Flyers are looking to change the culture of their team and they are hoping that some of these young players start to reach their potential as soon as this season. These downgrades are a -3 in the short run, but in the long run Philly may even come out ahead; hence the -2 grade.
OVERALL RATING: +1
2011-12 Prediction: #4-#6 in Eastern Conference
The Flyers will still be a good team this year, but I don’t think they will win the division again. This should be one of the more interesting teams to monitor given all the changes.
About the Author
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Written by Corey Krakower
I am the Director of NHL Content & Habs writer for ProSportsBlogging.com; I have spent 8 seasons behind the bench as a minor hockey coach; and I am the future GM of the Montreal Canadiens (according to my mom). I spend my days managing the Harrow Sports brand in my hometown of Montreal and I moonlight as a Hockey Advisor for Pi Athlete Management. Most importantly, I'll throw anyone under the bus for a laugh.
