Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - The tendency to choke that had plagued the Philadelphia Flyers in recent years finally dissipated last spring, as the veteran club advanced to the conference semifinals with a gut wrenching seven-game victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

After that, unfortunately, they simply ran out of gas and into a better team.

The Flyers, exhausted and hampered on the heels of their war with the Leafs, were brought to submission in six games by the Presidents' Trophy-winning Ottawa Senators. And while the ensuing tone in the City of Brotherly Love was appreciative disappointment rather than the traditional disdain, it was clear that some changes needed to be made.

Inconsistent goaltending that led to the team's undoing against the Sens was addressed with the trading of enigmatic Czech Roman Cechmanek a few weeks after the season ended. But even though Cechmanek's antics received much of the attention, there was a larger problem at hand. The Flyers didn't look like a veteran team against the younger, quicker Senators. They appeared to be an old one.

And there's a significant difference between the words "veteran" and "old."

Jeremy Roenick, Mark Recchi, Tony Amonte, Keith Primeau, John LeClair and Eric Desjardins -- safe to say the core group of the team -- are all past 30 and clearly on the downward slope. All can still be effective, but if you listened to the comments of second-year Philly coach Ken Hitchcock, some of the above will have to make their marks in different ways than they're accustomed to.

Does that mean Primeau, LeClair and Recchi will make up the most expensive checking line in NHL history? Perhaps yes, perhaps no, but it's safe to say we'll need to see some adjustment by all involved.

It's also safe to say that the temperature will be turned up on the likes of unproven but fresher names like Simon Gagne, Justin Williams, Kim Johnsson and Radovan Somik.

And really, it's about time this club actually tried to develop some of its younger talent. With the exception of Johnsson, this quartet is made up of Flyer draft picks, and there hasn't been a homegrown Philly player in the last decade to develop into a star. Last season, the club's top nine scorers were all obtained via either trade or free agency.

The best-case scenario is the young bucks taking advantage of the challenge, which would give the Flyers hope for not only this year, but the future too. Worst-case is the youngsters falling on their faces and forcing Hitch to turn back to his veterans. That might not be very damaging in 03-04, but it could have a ripple effect for years to come.

The largest microscope will be on Gagne, who missed a good portion of last season with groin problems. The nagging injury hampered his progress on the heels of a 33-goal showing in 01-02 and limited him to nine goals and 18 assists in 46 games. Two years ago the Quebec native was on the verge of stardom, but now he has many wondering if he is the real thing. He'll get his chance to prove one way or the other.

Williams also had his season interrupted by injury, a torn ACL suffered in January. Remarkably the 21-year-old returned for the postseason and put forth a gutsy performance, especially in the team's opening-round victory over Toronto.

Twenty-six-year-old Michal Handzus, obtained in the Brian Boucher trade with Phoenix last summer, wasn't raised on the Flyer farm but he is clearly part of the future. He rediscovered his form of three years ago and tallied a quiet 23 goals in 82 games. The 6-5, 210-pound centerman is also a terrific shutdown forward, providing a similar dynamic to what Jere Lehtinen added on Hitchcock's teams in Dallas.

As for the fresh blood on defense, Johnsson, acquired in the 2001 Eric Lindros deal with New York, led the team in average ice time in 02-03 and has displayed the traits needed to be a No. 2 defenseman -- if not more. The rest of the corps features a veteran base in Desjardins, Eric Weinrich, Chris Therien and Marcus Ragnarsson, but the wild card will be the open-for- competition sixth spot.

Sophomores Jim Vandermeer and Dennis Seidenberg will vie for that final position, as will first-round picks Joni Pitkanen (2002) and Jeff Woywitka (2001). Pitkanen, the fourth overall selection in his draft, is one of the most promising prospects on any club and will play in North America for the first time after signing in July. His playing style at 6-3, 200 pounds has been compared to that of Brian Leetch, and if he can make the team and an impact it could go a long way in determining Philadelphia's success.

The last youngster we'll discuss doesn't yet have a defined role on this team. Goaltender Robert Esche, 25, is whom the Flyer brass would like to see eventually take over as the starter, but he will have to battle it out with 35-year-old Jeff Hackett, who was signed in July. Esche has shown flashes of the brilliance needed to be a No. 1 netminder, but hasn't been given a full season to grow. Last fall and winter he was getting a regular turn every few days, but that ended when Cechmanek insisted on seeing the bulk of the work. When he was able to get in a groove early in the campaign, Esche allowed two goals or less in 13-of-14 starts.

While the judgmental folks in the City of Brotherly Love might have some trouble with the growing pains that come with developing young players, it is a bit refreshing to see Hitchcock taking this approach. As constituted, the Flyers are not in the realm of the New Jerseys, Colorados, Detroits and Ottawas, and for them to get back to that point they will need a guy like Gagne more so than LeClair.

Essentially, it's the proverbial step back for two steps forward as Hitchcock molds this team into his own as he did in Dallas. Will he have the same result? I'll tell you in a few years.