Holiday joy has come early this year to the Flyers and their fans. While it isn’t quite time to deck the halls with a Stanley Cup, making the playoffs is a more likely reality with every game. With that in mind, even with a high-level success, a few players still have a few wishes they hope Santa can come through on. With that in mind, here is the Flyers’ 2019 Christmas wish list.
A High Glove Hand for Carter Hart
According to Sportslogic, Carter Hart has let in 36% of this season’s goals against high glove. That’s a pretty high number, considering the diversity of shots-against Hart faces. At times, this is a knock against small goalies. When a goalie plays more aggressively, it opens up the top half of the net more so, and Hart is still learning how to balance positioning with aggressiveness.
No Headaches for Nolan Patrick
Poor Nolan Patrick is still out with migraines. It’s a testament to the deep roster the Flyers boast currently that they are seemingly unaffected at the center position. However, Patrick has spent a significant amount of time on the injured reserve the past few seasons, and you have to feel for the kid. At this point, the hope for Patrick is that he is somehow ready for the stretch run to the playoffs, but these types of injuries are always unpredictable.
New Skates for Justin Braun
Preferably one with rocket packs. At age 32, we all knew better than to expect Braun to be anything but a third-pairing defender. That has continued to be the case this season. Braun has visibly struggled, particularly with his skating, especially when he is in transition.
A New Stick for J.V.R.
Preferably, a stick that can increase his shooting percentage from a horrid 7.8% to his career average of 12%. Van Riemsdyk is on pace for the lowest goal total of his entire career, mostly due to bad puck luck. Hopefully his luck increases in the very near future.
A Vintage Gostisbehere
Gostisbehere has been anything but his normal self. With the increased depth on defense, Gostisbehere has even found himself a healthy scratch. He has yet to consistently prove himself to Alain Vigneault or solidify his position in the lineup.
