James van Riemsdyk

The guys are back to look back on the offseason, the impact on the James van Riemsdyk signing, prospects they are watching in training camp and expectations for the upcoming season.

The Flyers have a number of players who put together solid seasons in 2017-18, but still have something to prove or need a big season in 2018-19. Here are five players who need a big season in 2018-19.

Wayne Simmonds addressed his contract and a possible extension with the Flyers for the first time on Wednesday in a meeting with reporters in Toronto. “We continue to talk,” Simmonds said, but directed more attention to getting healthy first.

Ron Hextall’s goal from the day he took over as GM has been to build the Flyers into a Stanley Cup contender. With the roster where it is now, how close are the Flyers to being a true contender?

Six years ago, then Flyers GM Paul Holmgren made a trade that is widely regarded as the worst in franchise history when he sent James van Riemsdyk to Toronto for Luke Schenn. The Flyers president is among the many in Flyers management excited to have JVR back in Orange and Black.

With the Flyers offseason plan essentially complete — with the exception of training camp happenings — have the Flyers done enough to show improvement in key areas from a season ago?

With the 2018-19 NHL season approaching, Mikhail Vorobyev may be able to earn his spot on the roster as the Flyers third-line center after playing a solid defensive role with the Phantoms.

Whatever the top line and second line look like on Opening Night, the Flyers not only have a solid top six, they have flexibility in how they utilize it.

The smart decision in the 2018-19 season is to keep Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier together with Giroux still manning the wing, where he had so much success in the 2017-18 season.