What the Philadelphia Flyers' Opening Night Lineup Should Look Like

Defensive Pairing #1: Travis Sanheim — Rasmus Ristolainen

Out of the Flyers' defensive combinations last year, Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen spent the third-most time together, playing 433.5 minutes. They weren't that bad as a pairing together, proven by Philadelphia outscoring its opponents 14-12 when they were on the ice.

Sanheim and Ristolainen are talented enough to bounce back. As long as they continue to use their body to wear down the opposition and block shots, I can see them being one of the better shutdown pairings in the Metropolitan Division.

Defensive Pairing #2: Cam York — Sean Walker

The Flyers expect big things from Cam York, who impressed with 20 points in 54 games last season. He's a talented puck-moving defenseman who could be the backend playmaker Philly needs after moving on from Ivan Provorov and Tony DeAngelo over the summer.

Having said that, York needs a steady partner to truly thrive. Fortunately, Sean Walker is exactly that type of player. The 28-year-old veteran was defensively reliable over five seasons with the Los Angeles Kings and is capable of handling defensive responsibilities while York moves the puck and does his thing.