Flyers 2015-16 roster

The Dave Hakstol era of Flyers hockey begins Thursday. Here is the 23-man roster general manager Ron Hextall has given his rookie head coach.

78 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare

A good penalty killer, last year he became the ninth France-born player to reach the NHL.

14 Sean Couturier

He is a shutdown defender. The Flyers think it's time for his offensive game to grow.

89 Sam Gagner

Gagner is one of the team's few newcomers. The Flyers hope he can live up to the expectations created when he was drafted sixth overall by Edmonton in 2007.

28 Claude Giroux

The NHL's leading point producer over the last five years, the captain still has room for improvement, particularly in five-on-five play.

21 Scott Laughton

A solid defender who plays with an edge, he needs to show he can be an offensive contributor.

40 Vinny Lecavalier

Buried on the fourth line by Craig Berube last season, the onetime scoring machine is trying to prove he has something left.

12 Michael Raffl

The Austrian burst onto the scene with 21 goals last year and fit in nicely on the team's top line.

24 Matt Read

He is hoping to rebound from an injury-plagued season that limited his effectiveness and saw him score 14 fewer goals than the previous year.

10 Brayden Schenn

He can play all three forward positions, and the Flyers think he's ready for a breakout season.

17 Wayne Simmonds

He has blossomed into an elite power forward and is a dynamic scorer on the power play.

20 R.J. Umberger

Hip and abdominal surgeries have enabled him to regain quickness, and he is primed to erase the memories of a forgettable 2014-15.

76 Chris VandeVelde

A gritty player who is a penalty-killing specialist, he also provided fourth-line offense last season.

93 Jake Voracek

He has blossomed into the NHL's best right winger and combines with Giroux to provide one of the league's top duos.

25 Ryan White

White is a hard-nosed player who creates energy on the ice, and the Flyers played with more fire when he was in the lineup last season.

15 Michael Del Zotto

The offensive-minded defenseman had a rebirth of his career last season, equaling a career high with 10 goals despite missing 18 games.

3 Radko Gudas

Acquired in the Braydon Coburn trade, the rugged Gudas is making a comeback from knee surgery.

23 Brandon Manning

He played well in a physical, 11-game stint with the Flyers last season and he gives the team depth on the blue line.

82 Evgeny Medvedev

A four-time all-star in Russia's KHL who is in his first NHL season, the smooth-skating Medvedev was the Flyers' best defenseman in training camp.

22 Luke Schenn

A stay-at-home defenseman who has been the subject of trade rumors, Schenn is one of the Flyers' most physical blueliners.

55 Nick Schultz

Signed to give the Flyers depth, he emerged as one of their better defensemen and was rewarded with a two-year contract.

32 Mark Streit

The winner of the Barry Ashbee Trophy as the Flyers' premier defenseman, Streit was one of the league's top offensive blueliners last season.

35 Steve Mason

He quietly emerged as an elite NHL goalie last year, but injuries limited him to just 51 games.

30 Michal Neuvirth

The Czech Republic native gives the Flyers a much better backup option than the goalie he replaced, Ray Emery.