The Philadelphia Flyers had an encouraging first regular season under Alain Vigneault, but it was in the 2020 postseason when they really took off.
After winning the No. 1 seed thanks to their round-robin play, the group established a clear identity and had numerous breakout individual performances en route to a strong showing in making the conference semifinals.
As the 2020-21 season looms, they appear to be one of the stronger contenders in the East Division. Here's everything you need to know about the Flyers heading into this season:
Big question: What impact will a healthy Oskar Lindblom and Nolan Patrick have on this team?
Lindblom was on the verge of breaking out last season -- 11 goals in 30 games -- before a rare bone cancer diagnosis derailed his season. Lindblom served as an off-ice inspiration for the team, and after completing his chemotherapy last year, the 24-year-old is poised to return.
The Flyers are also hoping to welcome back Patrick, the No. 2 pick of the 2017 draft. Patrick missed all of last season dealing with a migraine disorder. In an ideal world, these two forwards add a boost to an already well-performing offense: The Flyers ranked seventh in the league last season with 3.29 goals per game.
Did realignment hurt or help?
Philly is going to miss the Metropolitan Division, after going 16-4-4 against divisional opponents in 2019-20. Now, the Flyers won't play the Hurricanes or Blue Jackets, against whom they went a combined 7-0 last season.
Offseason comings and goings, plus the cap situation
The Flyers have $2,261,148 in cap space, according to Cap Friendly. Their biggest offseason loss was the surprise retirement of Matt Niskanen. They signed Erik Gustafsson to fill a hole on the blue line (and help the power play). Philly also said goodbye to depth forwards like Derek Grant, Nate Thompson and Tyler Pitlick.
Bold prediction
James van Riemsdyk bounces back. It wasn't always pretty for the veteran winger last season, as his offensive production sputtered. Van Riemsdyk is the fourth-highest-earner on the roster and was a healthy scratch during some postseason games. It will be key for him to get a hot start; he had only nine points in his first 20 games last season.
Breakout candidate: Ivan Provorov
Of course, you already know the name, and he's coming off the best season of his four-year career. But this will be the season in which Provorov, 23, elevates himself into the conversation as one of the top defensemen in this league, full stop. And the six-year, $40.5 million contract that he signed ahead of the 2019-20 season is going to look like a bargain soon.
Biggest strength: Carter Hart entering his prime
The goalie of the future is here, and at age 23, Hart is ready for the workload and the spotlight. He had two shutouts in 14 postseason games this summer, which followed a regular season where he posted a .914 save percentage in 43 games (40 starts).
Biggest weakness: the loss of Matt Niskanen on the top pairing
Niskanen's surprise retirement left Philly with a void to fill. While it should mean a bigger opportunity for Provorov to shine in his own right, the Flyers will need to figure out who deserves a promotion to play alongside him. Expect the Flyers to cycle through several options to begin the campaign.
Flyers in NHL Rank
No. 34: Carter Hart, G
No. 49: Sean Couturier, C
No. 68: Claude Giroux, LW
No. 95: Ivan Provorov, D
Prospect perspective
Pipeline ranking: 15
Prospects in the top 100: No. 34 Morgan Frost (C), No. 47 Cam York (D), No. 85 Tyson Foerster (LW), No. 89 Yegor Zamula (D)
Fantasy facts to know
They won't always be playing together, but Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny and Claude Giroux are the driving forces on offense, with Jakub Voracek, James van Riemsdyk and Kevin Hayes offering secondary fantasy value.
Ivan Provorov still hasn't peaked with his potential, but is a top-15 defenseman even if he just repeats last season.
Carter Hart could be the best fantasy goaltender in the league if the Flyers come together this season, but even if everything doesn't break right, he'll likely produce top-10 goalie stats. -- Sean Allen