The Philadelphia Flyers could come out of this gruelling 10-game stretch as buyers before the NHL trade deadline, a rarity for the team in the past five years.
Will the Philadelphia Flyers finally end their playoff drought, or are they just teasing their long-suffering fans with their surprisingly strong play in the season's first two-plus months?
Their brutal schedule will give us a good indication. They started a stretch Sunday in which nine of their next 10 games are on the road.
The 16-9-6 Flyers lost 3-2 in a shootout Sunday in Carolina, salvaging a point on Trevor Zegras' game-tying goal with 1:52 left in the third. Philly had a 15-7 shots domination in the stanza.
That said, the Flyers, which currently are the wild-card leader in the Eastern Conference, need to play 60 (or 65, if needed) good minutes if they are going to still be in a playoff spot after this difficult stretch.
That didn't happen Monday against the gifted Hurricanes, the Metropolitan Division front-runner. The Flyers played a miserable first period, were outshot 14-4 and were fortunate to be down just 2-1 after 20 minutes.
Philadelphia lacks offensive firepower, especially with winger Tyson Foerster sidelined with an apparent shoulder injury. They need to win games with their defense and goaltending as a result.
The defense will get a boost with Rasmus Ristolainen returning this week – perhaps on Tuesday in Montreal – and he will add some needed size and physicality on the back end.
Ristolainen will help a defense that has gotten consistently strong play from goalie Dan Vladar, who has a 2.48 goals-against average and .908 save percentage. With Vladar leading the way, the Flyers are ninth in the NHL in goals allowed per game, with 2.77.
Improving the power play is also needed during this crucial span. The Flyers have dropped to 25th in the NHL on the power play, clicking at 16.5 percent. They are a combined 0-for-7 in their last three games – all one-goal losses that went past regulation.
How The Flyers' Stretch Will Affect Their Trade Deadline Plans
Should the Flyers collapse during this road stretch and fall several points out of a playoff spot, it might cause GM Danny Briere to be a seller near the March 6 trade deadline.
The deadline will sneak up on teams because the NHL will be idle for 19 days in February for the Winter Olympic break.
On the flip side, if the Flyers remain in a playoff spot after this 10-game journey, Briere could become a buyer at the trade deadline, something that is rare for a Flyers GM during a five-year playoff drought. Briere might shop for a sniper, even if it's just a rental.
The eight remaining away games on this Trip to Potential Trouble are against Montreal, Buffalo, the New York Rangers, Chicago, Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.
For the Flyers, the good news is that none of the opponents are powerhouses, like during a recent five-game stretch in which four of Philly's five games were against Colorado, Vegas and Carolina twice – going 0-1-3 in those matchups.
The bad news is that playing on the road for nine of 10 games can drain a team. So look at the upcoming stretch as a proving ground for the Flyers, a chance to show they are, indeed, a playoff contender.
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