We’ve reached the “so what” portion of this Flyers season. The countdown is on, not to the playoffs, but rather playoff elimination, the end of the season, and entering an offseason of uncertainty that should bring with it a wealth of roster changes.

That said, there are still games to be played and hopefully things to be gleaned or learned about certain players and their desire to fit in here next year, or at least bolster their resume to go somewhere else.

On Thursday, it was more the latter than the former as it was players who GM Chuck Fletcher probably wants to move on from the most – because of salary primarily – who were the difference makers in the Flyers’ 3-2 win over the Rangers in their first game back at Madison Square Garden sine the St. Patrick’s Day Massacre, a 9-0 loss that was pretty much the tell tale sign that this team wasn’t what people thought it was.

But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Let’s break down the Flyers’ three stars of the game and identify how even now, when games don’t matter, these kinds of performances can help the Flyers in the long run.

First Star: James van Riemsdyk

JVR has had a really nice season for the Flyers. Yes, he went through a 17-game drought without scoring a goal, but on the whole, putting up 37 points through 46 games is pretty solid. That translates roughly to a 65-point season in a regular year, which is something he’s never done at any point in his career.

He’s also been a much more responsible player defensively this year than maybe at any point in his career, which is probably a good thing as he is about to turn 32, which is usually the age when you start to emerge from your prime years onto the downside of your career.

The fact that he’s capable of playing more of a 200-foot game than ever before is a good selling point.

And that’s what Fletcher is looking for right now with JVR – selling points. Because Fletcher would love to gain the $7 million in cap space – or at least part of it – that JVR’s contract takes up for the next two seasons.

So when JVR scores two goals in a game, as he did Thursday, leading the team with 16 this season, that’s also a plus in Fletcher’s mind.

When he does it after taking a shot to the face, and then coming back in the game to score again while wearing a modified chin guard, that’s another thing entirely.

JVR’s first goal was scored with his cheekbone, which may or may not be damaged:

JVR immediately went off the ice and to the locker room. He came back the next period with a face guard (hockey player) and scored again, this time using the thing you’re supposed to score goals with:

That goal there is basically the middle finger to the NBA and it’s ridiculous load management crap. Let the inmates run the asylum, that’s what you get. Build a culture of team before player, and this is what you get.

Rant over.

JVR now has nine power play goals this season. The most he’s ever had in a season is 11 – and that was in 81 games. This is nine in 46. Oh, and it’s also the same amount of power play goals this season as Alex Ovechkin.

Might a player with this kind of production, who is a veteran and only locked up for two seasons be appealing to an expansion franchise? Could Seattle help the Flyers and take him?

Keep playing like this and with the kind of moxie to play through a painful injury all the while quoting Tommy Boy in the post game presser, (‘Not so much here, or here, right here’), and there’s a chance.

Second Star: Brian Elliott

At 36, many think Moose is nearing the end of his career. And with each passing day, that is the truth. He is. But, that doesn’t mean he can’t prolong it a little bit.

One thing we’ve learned about Elliott this season is that when he’s not over-worked, he’s still a very viable NHL goalie who competes hard, no matter the situation, and gives the team a chance to win.

Elliott made 33 saves, and really kept the Flyers in the game at times, to secure the win.

No save was as big as this one on Artemi Panarin. All that was missing was Jim Jackson calling it left-handed larceny:

Elliott improved to 12-6-2 this season, and although he went through a pretty bad stretch in March, when the Flyers had to lean on him more than Carter Hart, who was lost in the woods, Elliott has proven to be a very capable No. 2 goalie in this league.

A free agent at the end of the season, Chuck Fletcher has a decision to make here. Do you bring back Moose for one more year, or look elsewhere for maybe a younger option to work in tandem with Hart?

Elliott would be just fine for another year, but even if Chuck decides to go in another direction, performances like this will get Elliott a gig somewhere in the NHL. And deservedly so.

Third Star – Jake Voracek

Technically, Ivan Provorov was voted as the third star, because he had two assists, but Voracek scored the game-winning goal and fits the theme of this story a little better.

First, the goal:

Yep, I thought he was going to try to make the pass to Giroux, too. Nevertheless, as much as people harp on Voracek – and sometimes it’s deserved – the guy has not been bad this season.

He has 34 points in 43 games, and, like JVR, that would translate out to about a 65-66 point season in a regular year. Those are typical Voracek numbers. Yeah, he should shoot more. Yeah, he sometimes makes a low percentage pass in the offensive zone that leads to a rush the other way. Yeah, he’s not the best defensive forward on the planet. But, sometimes you are willing to trade some of those mistakes for this kind of production as well as his ability to be strong with the puck on his stick.

That said, this is another contract Fletcher would love to part ways with as he remakes the Flyers. It might be tough to convince Seattle to take this contract instead of JVR because of the extra year and extra dollars (Jake has three years remaining on his deal worth a cap hit of $8.25 million each season). But might this be a contract he can trade?

If Fletcher is willing to take some salary and/or term back on another deal, might something make sense?

Longtime national pundit Nick Kypreos came on Snow the Goalie last week and suggested the Flyers and Calgary Flames are perfect trade partners this offseason as they both have been disappointments with high-salary players likely in need of a new place to play.

Kypreos suggested a Voracek for Johnny Gaudreau trade, which would send Flyers fans into a tizzy as it would bring a local boy to back to play for him hometown team. But, Gaudreau hasn’t been the same player he was in 2018-19 when he finished with 99 points and was fourth in the Hart Trophy voting.

Since then, Gaudreau had 58 points in 70 games last season and has 33 so far in 45 games this season. He’s basically been Voracek’s equal, just in another city.

Kypreos seems to think Calgary wouldn’t mind taking on a little more salary for two more years longer than Gaudreau (who has a $6.75 million cap hit, but is a free agent after the 2021-22 season) if the Flyers threw in a sweetener. And if the Flyers made this deal, it likely would be incumbent on Gaudreau signing an extension of some kind as well.

That said, I’m not certain how Gaudreau helps the Flyers swapping him for Voracek. He’s more of the same kind of player that already litters this roster. the Flyers need more oomph. They need more players of the Tom Wilson ilk – a player who isn’t afraid of physical contact who can also score.

Now, I know those players don’t grow on trees, but that doesn’t mean the solution in the interim is to continue to load your roster with big money players who don’t fit that style of play at all.

Not to mention, the Flyers’ first focus absolutely has to be to improve the defense. Provorov and Travis Sanheim are truly the only guarantees here next season. Justin Braun is under contract and probably stays, but the Flyers would rather he be a third pair guy than have to play on the top two pairs as he has often this season.

Shayne Gostisbehere remains an albatross, because of his contract. The coaching staff has certainly been wildly disappointed with Phil Myers. Robert Hagg is fine as a third pair/No. 7, but he’s not a long-term answer. Sam Morin is an unrestricted free agent, and I’d be stunned if they re-upped him for next year.

So Fletcher really needs to start on the blue line and work from there. If you find someone who would be willing to trade for Voracek, you have to hope that that deal, or a subsequent sister deal after you open up some cap space, allows you to really address the blue line, which is not only going to need a top pair guy but probably a second pair guy too.

In the interim, with just 10 games to go, as far as Fletcher is concerned, the more Voracek produces, the better.

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