There's been a lot of talk lately, and justifiably so, about how the Philadelphia Flyers are a huge success story.

Most people thought they would be quite bad this season, based on the fact that they were quite bad the previous few seasons, and did little to add to the roster this past summer. They have several very good players, but none that really qualify as star talents, let alone superstars. The fact is that while hockey is probably the sport where having elite-level talent matters the least in terms of making the playoffs, you still need stars to succeed long-term.

As of the start of 2024, the Flyers are third in the Metropolitan Division — due at least in part to some rather notable underperformance from the New Jersey Devils — but certainly have more wins than most people would have