Two games into the season and already we’ve seen enough drama to fill a month, but thankfully, some early scares are now in the rearview. Goaltender Dan Vladar left an exhibition game against Boston with what looked like a shoulder issue, but the initial reports said it wasn’t a long-term, season-ending kind of injury. Crisis avoided, right? Denver Barkey also had a scare, leaving an opening exhibition game against Washington, only to be back at practice in a non-contact yellow jersey days later. He’s on injured reserve, but it sounds like he could be back sooner than we thought. With those concerns hopefully behind us, and an 84-game marathon officially underway, let’s talk about some individual milestones that are absolutely within reach for a couple of key guys this year. Some of these are practically locks, others will take some grinding and a bit of luck.
Couturier Eyeing Franchise History and 600 Points
Sean Couturier, man, this guy has been around. When he first hit the NHL, Danny Briere was one of his teammates. That’s how long he’s been putting in work. Now, Couturier is just 46 regular season games away from hitting 1,000 in his career. Think about that: 46 more games and he ties Claude Giroux for second all-time in franchise history. If he plays just one more game beyond that, he becomes number two all by himself, and starts gaining ground on the legendary Bobby Clarke, who has 1,144 games. He won’t catch Clarke this season, or even next, but a couple of relatively healthy years in 2026-27 and 2027-28 could put him in the conversation to eclipse Clarke’s mark sometime in the 2028-29 season. That’s wild.
The captain should also hit another big one: 600 career points as a Flyer. He’s currently sitting at 580 points. Even if he’s playing limited minutes on the fourth line and has an “average” season, he absolutely should reach that 600-point mark. If injuries pop up elsewhere on the roster, he could even see himself moving up the lineup, which would just mean more opportunities to smash that total. You love to see a veteran leader hitting those big numbers.
Konecny Ready to Rack Up Milestones
Travis Konecny has a handful of milestones within his grasp this season too, assuming he stays healthy and has a typical campaign. He might bounce around the lineup a bit depending on what combinations the head coach and staff decide to roll with, but he should hit three of these marks, no problem. The toughest one to get might be 800 regular season games as a Flyer. He’s at 725 games right now, meaning he needs to suit up for 75 of the upcoming 82 contests. It’s not impossible, not at all, but a few day-to-day or week-to-week bumps and bruises that come with a long season could leave him just short. We’ve all seen how that goes.
The other three milestones are all about his offense, which is always exciting. Konecny is currently at 545 regular season points, so he’s only 55 points shy of hitting 600 points. A solid 61-point season would see him soar past that. We’re talking about a player who can really light it up, so hitting these scoring marks feels like a given.
What’s at stake here is watching these guys cement their places in franchise history. It’s early in the 84-game grind, but with personal achievements like these on the horizon, every shift, every game, means something more.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Broad Street Hockey.
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