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
