The Philadelphia Flyers returned to the ice on Tuesday night to open up their preseason slate in all-too-familiar fashion, losing to the New York Islanders — the team that beat them in seven games two seasons ago in the Eastern Conference semifinals — in overtime 3-2.
It was the first opportunity to see the re-tooled side in game action after a disappointing 2021 season left more questions rather than answers.
At least early indications suggest that franchise goaltender Carter Hart is ready to put last season’s struggles behind him. The defense also looks improved as the newly-acquired Ryan Ellis stood out in his first action in a Flyers uniform.
However, the Flyers are seen as sizable longshots to win their first Stanley Cup in four-and-a-half decades considering how far they fell last year. It remains to be seen if general manager Chuck Fletcher was able to check off all the boxes in one offseason — but such a start turnaround is rare in the NHL.
It’s why the bookies have placed the Flyers firmly in the middle of the pack of Stanley Cup contenders with five teams from their division — the Metropolitan — ranked above them:
2022 Stanley Cup champions odds
- Colorado Avalanche: +475
- Vegas Golden Knights: +700
- Tampa Bay Lightning: +700
- Toronto Maple Leafs: +900
- Boston Bruins: +1300
- New York Islanders: +1500
- Florida Panthers: +1800
- Edmonton Oilers: +2000
- New York Rangers: +2200
- Carolina Hurricanes: +2500
- Pittsburgh Penguins: +2500
- Minnesota Wild: +2500
- Washington Capitals: +3000
- Dallas Stars: +3500
- Seattle Kraken: +4000
- Philadelphia Flyers: +4000
- Winnipeg Jets: +4500
- Chicago Blackhawks: +4500
- Calgary Flames: +4500
- St. Louis Blues: +5000
- New Jersey Devils: +5000
- Montreal Canadiens: +5000
- Vancouver Canucks: +6000
- San Jose Sharks: +10000
- Nashville Predators: +10000
- Los Angeles Kings: +10000
- Detroit Red Wings: +15000
- Columbus Blue Jackets: +20000
- Buffalo Sabres: +20000
- Arizona Coyotes: +20000
- Anaheim Ducks: +20000
- Ottawa Senators: +20000
Odds courtesy of DraftKings
