Flyers Can Still Win With Claude Giroux, But Youth Is Up Against Clock

VOORHEES, N.J. -- Ron Hextall sat at the press conference table and made his edict.

The kids are coming.

"Our young players, they've done enough," the general manager said Thursday at Flyers Skate Zone. "We'll continue to monitor some of them through the playoffs, but our young players are going to get a long look. We don't plan on going out and signing veterans on the back end. Our kids, it's time to give them a shot, and we're going to do that."

Those words should be momentous to Claude Giroux.

As the Flyers' captain heads into the offseason with a career low in goals for a full season and a fourth straight drop-off in points, many are pondering not only Giroux's future in orange and black, but also the club's future with him as its maestro.

The Flyers are now watching the playoffs for the third time in the last five seasons, while their core continues to climb the ladder in age. This group of Giroux, Wayne Simmonds, Jakub Voracek, Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier has not won a postseason series since 2011-12.

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It's clear time is ticking and the Flyers need more than what's here. Hextall won't make some sexy signing or big trade -- no outside ammunition because he's staying true to his mantra of building through the draft and the organization's youth.

"We're not going to put roadblocks in place where two years from now, we want to be able to sign Player X and we can't do it where Player X is a better fit than the guy we would have signed July 1 this year," Hextall said. "I think most of our moves at this point right now are going to come internally."

Which means Giroux's success and much of his legacy will be heavily reliant on how fast these prospects blossom into NHL difference-makers.

Yeah, no pressure, youngsters.

"I really think that we're not far off," Giroux said Tuesday.

The kids will dictate that.

Giroux can still win here. He's not getting traded. The plan is for the prospects to meet the core, and who says they can't?

There is a lot to like with the reinforcements on the horizon, players to augment the core and Giroux into his 30s. Travis Konecny and Jordan Weal are already here. Konecny, 20, has a full NHL season under his belt and we all know of the playmaking potential. Weal, who turns 25 on Saturday, showed his scoring ability with eight goals and four assists in 23 games as the Flyers went 6-2-0 when he lit the lamp. Oskar Lindblom, a 20-year-old wing prospect drafted in 2014, is looking more and more ready, putting up 60 points (25 goals, 35 assists) in 65 SHL games this season, including the playoffs.

"Oskar, he's had a great year," Hextall said. "He's in a really good league. He's a good hockey player. He's come a long way since his draft year. The Swedish Elite League is a very good league and he's done a good job.

"I hope he's here in September fighting for a spot along with a number of other guys."

And the area most plentiful for opportunity is on the blue line. We all know the names: Sam Morin, Robert Hagg, Travis Sanheim, Philippe Myers, just to name a few. A younger, faster, more versatile defense can only help as it gains experience. One of the biggest discrepancies from this season to last was the Flyers' allowing 2.82 goals per game compared to 2.56 in 2015-16.

Two spots have already opened up on the 2017-18 defense.

Yes, more youth will be surrounding Giroux and company as Hextall's prudence finally gives way to such.

"It's got to all happen together," Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol said Thursday. "It's one of those things that as a group, the challenge of 82 games of consistency is in front of us. You have to have both the young guys in the lineup stepping up and adding that energy and that ability and some of that youthful enthusiasm, and that has to work in conjunction with your veterans that really, as a group and as a core, are entering into prime years.

"The strength of that core group is what ultimately will drive our team. I believe the two can happen in conjunction with each other. We've got to go out and do that job."

Obviously, none of this means everything will magically change in the Flyers' favor next season. A touted prospect doesn't translate to immediate success and a better team. The Flyers aren't jumping into Stanley Cup contention overnight.

Remember this, though: Giroux is only 29 years old. Never one to admit injury, it was evident Giroux was not himself during the 2016-17 season, whether it was lingering effects from his hip and abdominal surgeries or a separate issue.

"When you try to do something and you can't do it; your mind wants to do something but your body doesn't do it, it's frustrating," he said.

What couldn't he do?

"I think just a little bit of everything," Giroux said. "Like I said, it's frustrating. But you've got to keep working on your game, get stronger and faster. I'm very excited to have a whole summer to work out and really do what I want to do."

Giroux fuels on motivation. This past season might push him more than ever.

"I don't think G had a great year," Hextall said. "He's not on the decline. I know this: I'll be shocked next year if you guys don't ask me in January, 'Well, how has G turned this around?' He's a very driven athlete, he's very driven. I know he's going to train hard this year. We're going to make some minor tweaks in how he trains. He trains hard."

As Giroux trains, the Flyers will start to change, too.

"Two years ago, we were the 29th-oldest team in the league," Hextall said. "It depends on how you crunch the numbers. Last year, we were 17th. This year, I think we were 12th and next year I would project us to go into single digits. That matters, being young."

It matters greatly to Giroux. How fast the youth grows up will matter most.

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