Photo Credit: Philadelphia Flyers PR

With the 2025 NHL Draft now officially in the books the Philadelphia Flyers selected nine prospects with picks at #6, #12, #38, #40, #48, #57, #132, #157, #164.

A key theme of the draft for the Flyers scouting staff appeared to be focusing on players with size and skill that are willing to bring the puck to the net.

Along with that, it’s evident Philadelphia valued prospects who not only had size but are intelligent and think the game at a very high level.

One trait the Danny Briere regime certainly seems to covet is a player’s hockey IQ and this 2025 draft class has only further cemented that.

In relation to overall draft strategy the major trait that stands out is compete level. Every single prospect Philadelphia selected has work ethic as a feature of their play.

When analyzing the combination of wing prospects and center prospects that are now in the organization you can see how their skill sets complement one another.

The wingers have dynamic abilities within their games and the centers are big, with strong sticks who can open up space for those skilled wingers. 

If we look at the overall identity being built moving ahead that to me is what the Flyers have attempted to put into place with the prospects they’ve added to the organization today.

It’s apparent the combination of size, hockey IQ, and, compete level are all traits they were looking for in their draft selections.

Below is a full analysis of each prospect selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2025 Draft and some insight regarding their skill sets and what they could project to be at the NHL level. 

Pick by Pick Analysis

#6 Porter Martone – 6’3, 208Ibs – RW – Brampton Steelheads (OHL)

In terms of hockey IQ Martone has an abundance of it and could be considered one of the most adept playmakers in the draft class.

Impressively enough, he improved his assist totals from 38 in the 2023-24 season to 61 assists in his draft year.

That exemplifies Martone’s willingness to work on areas of his play and hone his skills despite already being an impactful player just a season ago.

As the Steelheads Captain the left winger registered 37 goals and totalled 98 points in just 57 games. 

What propelled Martone to produce 27 more points this season than last were a multitude of factors. The winger showed his compete and tenacity on a nightly basis, while his passing ability was on full display.

His decision making with passes, pass accuracy, and, vision from behind the net while battling defenders allowed him to create lanes for teammates and find them around the net and slot for scoring opportunities.

Martone’s phenomenal stick handling is one other trait that stands out from a majority of other forwards in this draft.

He typically uses his size to protect the puck and draw defenders in towards him. From there he will stick handle around the defenseman to open up plays and lanes to use his plus shot.

When assessing areas to potentially grow in, Martone can certainly work on his defensive support, as well as his skating mechanics.

The big winger gets to the places he needs to be on the ice but he can improve upon his first step and explosiveness to become an even greater offensive threat moving forward.

Ultimately, Martone projects to be a first line talent in the power forward mold at the NHL level, and could be compared to wingers such as Mikko Rantanen or Corey Perry. 

Philadelphia drafted a top 4 talent and arguably the most talented winger in the draft with the Porter Martone selection.

The premium value on center allowed Martone to slip, Briere and the Flyers took advantage. 

#12 Jack Nesbitt – 6’4, 185Ibs – C – Windsor Spitfires (OHL)

A center with size, Nesbitt rose up draft boards throughout this season and Philadelphia executed a trade to ensure they could select a prospect that appeared to have considerable interest around the league.

There were rumors that if Philadelphia did not trade up to select Nesbitt, Nashville likely would have.

In relation to Nesbitt’s overall play he is a high compete and high motor type of player that’s always working hard out on the ice.

He racked up excellent totals in takeaways (4.8 per game), as well as retrievals of pucks this past season. What allows him to be so efficient in those areas are his stick details, reach and defensive positioning. 

Offensively Nesbitt had a close to point per game season. The 18-year-old center registered 25 goals and 39 assists for 64 points in 65 games.

Typically, Nesbitt was most effective offensively around the net, behind the net, in front of the net and in the slot.

In these high danger areas the big forward can use his size to protect the puck and bring pucks towards the net. 

Around the net is where his puck handling ability can come into play as well, to try and open up lanes for teammates. Additionally, Nesbitt has shown prowess with deflections in a net front role.

The concern regarding Nesbitt’s game is primarily his skating. It’s quite clear the forward needs to improve upon his ability to get up to top speed in a quicker manner.

One way this can negatively affect his game is when trying to race to loose pucks. His off puck reads can help him compensate in certain situations however, his skating can still put him in tough positions.

Jack Nesbitt likely projects to be a third line NHL center or even a second line center if all things break right in his development path. One comparable NHL center might be Adam Lowry.

#38 Carter Amico – 6’6, 232Ibs – RHD – USNTDP (NTDP/USHL)

Amico is a talent that could potentially be late first round level quality and a value selection at 38th overall.

The towering 6 ‘6 defender suffered a devastating knee injury (broken knee-cap) early in the season which naturally pushed him out of being a realistic first round option.

Nonetheless, one quality in Amico’s game that makes him so intriguing is his ability to shut down opposing players during one-on-one battles. Coupled with decent mobility and high hockey IQ.

Amico seems like a defender that can be a valuable player for a team looking to add size on the back-end.

Another facet in Amico’s game is his physicality, the defender has a mean streak and seems to put forth some devastating body checks.

The defenseman plays a premium position being on the right side and is committed to Boston University next season. 

#40 Jack Murtagh – 6’1, 200Ibs – LW – USNTDP (NTDP/USHL)

Murtagh could be considered a value type pick at 40th overall due to the fact he was rated in the 20’s as a potential late first rounder by many.

Additionally, he has positional versatility within his game because he’s played some center as well, not just left wing. 

One thing to note is the fact Murtagh is just 17-years-old and one of the youngest players in the 2025 NHL draft. In terms of growing and filling out his frame that may not be quite complete as of yet.

This past season Murtagh registered 22 goals and 31 assists for 53 points in 56 games. He also loves to shoot the puck and led his team with 165 shots on net.

Puck handling might be his biggest strength, but he’s also a pure finisher that uses his puck protection skills in the offensive zone to create space for himself to fire the puck on net.

Along with that, the left winger does not hesitate to bring the puck to the net when the opportunity arises as well.

In terms of comparables one NHL player Murtagh has similarities to would be Colorado Avalanche forward Ross Colton. 

#48 Shane Vansaghi – 6’3, 216Ibs – RW – Michigan State University (NCAA)

Vansaghi is a high motor, high energy type power forward that is best suited in your bottom six of the lineup.

He brings all the typical traits you’re looking for in an energetic player from the hard hitting, to his tenacious forechecking, and never giving up on a play.

To simply put it Vansaghi brings physicality to the table and a lot of it, making him a difficult player to play against.

There’s a variety of aspects within Vansaghi’s play that already make his game pro ready, but the one thing the big winger loves to do is bring the puck out of the corners and towards the net.

Vansaghi realizes that’s where he can make the most difference through getting the puck in and around the net.

The 18-year-old right winger played for Michigan State University this past season in the NCAA and registered 16 points in 37 games.

One player in the NHL that Vansaghi’s game resembles would be Minnesota Wild left winger, Marcus Foligno.

#57 Matthew Gard – 6’5, 195Ibs – C – Red Deer Rebels – (WHL)

The trend of selecting sizable players continued with Philadelphia’s final second round selection.

Gard, a lanky center, registered 19 goals and 17 assists for Red Deer in the WHL throughout 2024-25. Strengths of his game include, hockey IQ, size, and defensive play.

Although his game didn’t jump off the page offensively this season it’s worth noting he did score 19 points in his first 26 games.

However, the center’s production slowed down significantly in the second half, with only 17 points in the final 40 games of the season. 

His hockey IQ might be his strongest trait as he uses his defensive positioning and reach to battle in his own zone and take space away from opposing players.

Gard is a prototypical checking center that played in all situations and was routinely called upon to take important defensive zone faceoffs as well.

A particular facet of Gard’s game that will need work as he continues to develop is his acceleration, specifically due to the fact he can have troubles separating himself from defenders at times.

#132 Max Westergard – 5’11, 168Ibs – LW – Frolunda HC J20 – (J20 Nationell)

Westergard is another value type pick for the Flyers in the fifth round. He was projected to be a second or third round level talent by many but fell all the way to round five.

The 17-year-old is also one of the youngest players eligible for the 2025 draft.

Essentially, Philadelphia takes a swing with this pick on a gritty, tenacious winger, who plays with a lot of pace to his game, and has a very high compete level. 

One trait of Westergard’s that really stands out is his skating speed, which helps him create opportunities off the rush and get to high danger scoring areas.

If all were to go right in Westergard’s development path he could top out as a middle six winger.

When looking at skill sets, one NHL player that Westergard could be compared to is Tampa Bay Lightning forward Yanni Gourde.

#157 Luke Vlooswyk – 6’5, 200 Ibs – RHD – Red Deer Rebels – (WHL)

Vlooswyk is a right shot, shut down defender with size and mobility.

The defenseman typically uses his stick work and long reach to break up plays in his own end and in front of the net. Not to mention his ability to line opponents up for hits when the opportunities present itself.

One key component to Vlooswyk’s game is using his size in board battles to retrieve pucks in the defensive zone. 

There’s certainly room for improvement in the right shot defender’s play, particularly in relation to his skating and puck moving abilities.

Nevertheless, Vlooswyk’s combination of size, mobility, and, physicality make him an intriguing fifth round pick with bottom pair NHL upside.

#164 Nathan Quinn – 5’11, 173 Ibs – C – Quebec Remparts – (QMJHL)

With their final selection in the sixth round the Philadelphia Flyers added another center to the prospect pool in Nathan Quinn. Similar to Max Westergard, Quinn is also one of the youngest draft eligible prospects.

The forward registered 17 goals and 29 assists for 46 points in 54 games for the Quebec Remparts in the QMJHL last season.

A specific facet of the 17-year-old’s game that stands out is his positioning and hockey IQ. To add on, he has also shown flashes of a very sneaky wrist shot release that can beat goaltenders as well.

One final thing to mention, the center uses deception quite well through his puck handling and skating ability to throw defenders off balance.

Nonetheless, Quinn will really need to mature physically to have a shot at the NHL despite the fact his compete level is high. 

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Photo Credit: Vasili Gianarakos

With the 2025 NHL Draft set to begin later this evening at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles the Philadelphia Flyers have six draft picks in the first two rounds they may potentially use on prospects.

Aside from that, there’s always the possibility the picks could be traded for other draft capital, prospects or NHL roster players.

According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Philadelphia appears to be interested in moving their 22nd and 31st overall selections if the right trade presents itself.

Considering the Flyers are likely only interested in trading said draft capital for roster players aged 22-26, it may limit the chance of any trades actually occurring.

Most NHL organizations typically aren’t in a hurry to part with young players entering their prime-aged seasons. Though there are always outliers, such as we just saw with Trevor Zegras.

For the purpose of this article we’ll assume Philadelphia will select all three picks within the first rounds of the draft. 

Below is my Flyers mock draft and the prospects I believe the organization would possibly select with the sixth, 22nd and 31st selections.

6) James Hagens, C, Boston College (NCAA)

The 5-foot 11-inch and 176-pound center from Hauppauge, NY, was a scoring machine with the US National Team Development Program during the 2023-24 season, registering a dominant 102 points (39 goals, 63 assists) over 58 total games. Along with that, Hagens put forth 47 points (18 goals, 29 assists) in 26 contests in the USHL that same season. 

(stats credit: Elite Prospects, https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/597747/james-hagens)

Similarly to Hagens, current NHL stars such as Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Clayton Keller, and Jack Hughes also scored over 100 points in the USNTDP in their draft seasons.

Another impressive feat for Hagens was securing the record for points at the U-18 World Championships which was previously held by Nikita Kucherov.

These stats don’t guarantee the young center is penciled in to be as impactful as the NHL players listed above but it’s certainly something to consider and take note of.

There’s no other way to describe Hagens other than exceptional playmaker. He sees the ice and can distribute the puck to open areas better than the whole draft class.

While his hockey IQ allows him to think several steps ahead of the opposition. He understands the areas of the ice he needs to place the puck to have success. Hagens demonstrates his ability to attack scoring areas on the ice because he passes with precision at the perfectly timed moments to find his teammates.

One component of Hagens play worthy of critique is his shot selection and shot generation. His shot has power but he needs to be more aggressive with his shooting and provide more frequent looks to the net. 

This past season Hagens made the jump to Boston College of the NCAA and did not dominate as he did with the USNTDP.

As a result, his stock has fallen amongst league circles over the past 12 months, from potential first overall pick to out of the top five of the draft.

This is what has allowed Hagens to become a realistic option at sixth overall for the Flyers.

Despite the criticisms, fifty percent of his 26 assists were primary assists and Hagens also scored 11 goals for a total of 37 points in 37 games in his freshman season. 

If James Hagens is available to select when Philadelphia is on the board for the sixth pick he’ll undoubtedly be the best player left in the draft at that point.

It would be a selection very reminiscent of when Matvei Michkov fell into the Flyers lap at seventh overall in 2023.

22) Blake Fiddler, RHD, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)

Blake Fiddler is a 6-foot 4-inch right shot defender and is the son of former NHL forward Vernon Fiddler.

Fiddler’s size makes him an attractive defender teams will be looking to target in this draft but his skating ability is what really allows him to stand out. 

Typically, defenders of Fiddler’s mold don’t have the skating and transition ability that he does. This is just one reason as to why the defender is such a fascinating selection at 22nd overall.

This past season with the Edmonton Oil Kings, Fiddler registered 10 goals and 23 assists for 33 points in 64 games.

Offensively there is room to improve, however what allows Fiddler to be a pick most teams are comfortable with is the fact he plays the premium position of right defense.

Fiddler is a high IQ defenseman, who’s physical and extremely mobile for his stature. If he manages to improve his offensive game the 17-year-old could end up being one of the steals of this draft. 

That alone makes Fiddler worth the selection for Philadelphia at 22nd overall.

31) Alexander Zharovsky, RW, Ufa Tolpar (MHL)

Alexander Zharovsky is an intriguing forward with high-end skill prominently featured within his game. 

The 6-foot-1 and 176 pound right winger registered 24 goals and 26 assists for a total of 50 points with Ufa Tolpar of the MHL last season.

Zharovsky finished with the most points of all U18 players in the MHL during the 2024-25 season. Additionally, he scored 35 points in his final 22 games and appeared to start dominating the league.

The aspects of Zharovsky’s game that make him stand out as a prospect are his elite puck handling abilities and overall creativity.

He can weave through defenders seamlessly and create offensive opportunities in very tight spaces due to his stick handling prowess. 

Some other facets of the wingers game that make him a swing on talent are his abilities to execute high danger passes and draw defenders to him using his puck handling skills.

One flaw of Zharovsky’s game is that he doesn’t use his wrist shot nearly as much as he could.

Despite that particular flaw and the questionable skating which mainly surrounds his explosiveness and acceleration, the talent Zharovksy possesses is too abundant to pass up on.

One piece of information to note that may tie the Flyers to Zharovsky is Danny Briere attending the Gold Star Hockey Development Camp recently.

The camp took place in Florida between June 20th-26th, and apparently 20 teams sat down with the prospect.

Philadelphia has been rumored to be interested in Zharovsky’s skill set due to that.

On Wednesday, May 14th the search for the 25th head coach in Philadelphia Flyers franchise history came to an end.

In the days prior, rumors swirled that the Flyers were highly interested in Rick Tocchet’s coaching services.

Such as the cryptic post below from ESPN’s John Buccigross foreshadowed:

The organization finally made it official and hired the former Flyer as John Tortorella’s replacement shortly thereafter. 

Tocchet returns to Philadelphia in a full-circle moment, the city where he began his NHL career back in 1983. 

Other candidates that were in the running for the position appeared to be, Brad Shaw, along with Western Michigan University’s head coach, Pat Ferschweiler.

The former Flyers captain ultimately received a five-year $5.25 million dollar deal, effectively making him one of the highest paid coaches in the NHL.

Tocchet’s contract is quite lucrative considering the fact he hasn’t necessarily had the most tangible success as an NHL head coach. 

In nine seasons the Flyers new bench boss put forth a record of, 286-265-87 with only two playoff berths. Although, it should be noted Tocchet did win two Stanley Cups as an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

With multiple teams in pursuit of Tocchet to be their next head coach that likely played a factor into the value of the contract he eventually signed with the Flyers.

Now that the dust has settled, what exactly Rick Tocchet brings to the table as the new Flyers head coach remains to be seen. 

However, one facet of his coaching repertoire that was consistently mentioned during Friday’s introductory presser was his communication skills.

General manager Danny Briere stated that Tocchet’s ability to build long lasting relationships, coupled with his teaching, and communication skills, all factored into the decision making process behind the hiring.

Specifically, Briere noted that Tocchet’s tenure with the Arizona Coyotes impressed him because he took an underwhelming team and made them competitive. 

To Briere, those seasons Tocchet coached the Coyotes and his work as an assistant with the Penguins was more important than his Jack Adams winning season in 2023-24 with the Canucks. Due to the fact, it highlighted Tocchet’s ability to be an impactful teacher to NHL players.

When taking into consideration that the Flyers former head coach John Tortorella may have not been the most adept communicator, bringing on a coach that communicated well certainly seemed to be a prerequisite for whoever was going to land this job. 

The situations that unfolded the last two seasons with captain Sean Couturier, Cam York, and John Tortorella may have played a part in ensuring the next Flyers head coach is one that communicates in a manner that is more receptive to the roster.

One statement Tocchet made regarding communication with players provided insight into how the player/coach relationship has evolved significantly over the course of the past few decades in the NHL.

Tocchet mentioned that while he was a player, typically you would do anything the coach wanted you to without much care as to why. Whereas today’s athlete is always asking questions and wants to understand the reasoning behind the strategies or tactics being put into place on the ice.

“You have to be a partner with the players, it’s not a dictatorship. There has to be accountability don’t get me wrong. But it’s important to let the players help steer the ship too” Tocchet, said.

Based on the statement above, having an open dialogue surrounding on ice strategies is something Tocchet wants his roster to do. Once again this is an approach that may not have been relied upon by the prior coaching regime.

Another significant positive the Tocchet hire brings to the forefront is just how respected the former Flyer is around league circles and amongst players.

General manager Danny Briere believes that having Tocchet in the fold will help make Philadelphia a destination players want to go to.

“On my end there’s no doubt that Rick is going to make us more enticing for players to come here, there’s no doubt about that.

There’s already agents calling and letting us know that. And that’s kudos to him to the relationships that he’s built and the reputation that he’s built over the years. It’s so positive in that regard that there’s no doubt in my mind that yes, it’s going to make us more of an attractive team to join.”

If Tocchet’s cache and relationships around the NHL as a whole can boost Philadelphia’s ability to entice high end talent to the team that will certainly be a welcome addition.

Over the past decade one could argue the Flyers have not been at the top of many high end players lists, in terms of organizations they are looking to play for.

Changing that narrative amongst elite level talent and the Flyers becoming a desirable destination is something that should be a top priority for this front office moving ahead.

Hiring Rick Tocchet or any well respected coach for that matter isn’t the only way to accomplish that, but it’s a good place to start. 

The most interesting aspect of the Tocchet hire is that despite Briere’s insistence there will be no change to the front office’s current plan, it certainly feels as though the team is poised to make significant off-season acquisitions.

When looking at the roster make-up and overall asset pool for the Flyers that only becomes even more apparent.

Tocchet’s hiring may signal the beginning of several key additions for Philadelphia this off-season and beyond.

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The 2025 NHL Trade Deadline has come and passed and it was an eventful day for the Philadelphia Flyers. General Manager Danny Briere traded away Scott Laughton, Erik Johnson and Andrei Kuzmenko all in separate deals.

Based on the Flyers trajectory as an organization and their position in the standings this season it was a no-brainer the team had to sell certain players when considering some of the assets Philadelphia received in return.

Here is a full picture of all three trades executed yesterday by Philadelphia:

Laughton Trade

The most impactful trade of the day for Philadelphia was long time Flyer of over a decade Scott Laughton (a 2025 fourth-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick) being sent to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a 2027 first-round pick (top 10 protected) and 21 year-old left winger Nikita Grebenkin.

The Flyers also retained fifty percent of Laughton’s $3 million dollar cap hit for the remainder of his contract.

Laughton has been a fixture within Philadelphia’s lineup and locker room for years at this point and losing such an integral part of their team’s culture will be tough for the Flyers to overcome.

However, the team appears poised to allow some younger pieces to step into leadership roles going forward, such as Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim, Noah Cates, Tyson Foerster, Owen Tippett and Bobby Brink.

When dissecting the return the Flyers received for Scott Laughton they got beyond fair value for a player that has only produced 27 points so far this season.

If Laughton’s play were to have starkly declined next season or if he were to have gotten injured, the Flyers could have opened themselves up to a scenario where they missed out on a very valuable trade package for the center. 

There was no guarantee Laughton would command such a return in a year from now. As a result, Philadelphia decided to maximize their asset in Laughton and take advantage of the opportunity that presented itself in a sellers market. 

The prices to acquire top nine centers were at a premium throughout this particular trade deadline and there’s no telling if the same premium would continue to be paid moving ahead. Philadelphia chose to part with Laughton now due to the fact this may have been the best return they could have ever gotten for the veteran forward.

Although, the first-rounder the Flyers got from the Leafs is a 2027 pick, draft capital is always valuable and there’s a possibility Philadelphia may choose to use the asset in another deal to acquire other players.

Acquiring a talented prospect like Grebenkin that has the potential to top out as a 50 point winger in the NHL if all goes right with his development made this an even more attractive deal for the Flyers. 

Scott Laughton has never had a 50 point season in his career, there’s no guarantee Grebenkin ever does either, but the skill and upside is certainly there. Philadelphia will need to do their part and assist Grebenkin with his development to ensure he reaches his ceiling and finds success as a Flyer.

Grebenkin will start in the AHL for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and the goal should be to provide the forward with extended minutes and looks in various different situations.

It will take several seasons to judge which team came out on top in this trade whether it be Philadelphia or Toronto.

Nonetheless, this is a deal that benefits both teams for different reasons. Toronto is looking to win now and they believe this will help them do so. While from the Flyers point of view this is a move geared towards the future. 

Kuzmenko and Johnson trades

In terms of the other two trades executed by Briere they clearly indicated the Flyers wanted to sell off expiring assets and contracts on trade deadline day.

Philadelphia traded Andrei Kuzmenko and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a third-round pick in 2027. 

Additionally, the Flyers dealt veteran defenseman Erik Johnson back to the Colorado Avalanche for right winger Givani Smith.

In both cases above the Flyers sold off expiring contracts. Philadelphia being able to flip Kuzmenko for a third round pick is solid value when taking into account the winger was almost a waiver wire candidate for Calgary earlier this season.

The Johnson trade appeared to be a favour to the veteran defenseman. Essentially, Briere gave his former teammate in Johnson one last shot at a Stanley Cup run with the Avalanche, a team Johnson was formerly the captain of for several years.

Givani Smith was a player Philadelphia needed to take back for cap purposes and will likely not be signed once his contract is up at the end of this season.

Overall Outlook

After this Trade Deadline here are the additions and subtractions made by the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2024-25 season.

Subtractions:

-Laughton (50 percent of cap hit retained)

-Kuzmenko (50 percent of cap hit retained)

-Frost

-Farabee

-Johnson

-2025 4th round pick

-2025 7th round pick

-2027 6th round pick

Additions:

-2025 2nd round pick

-2027 1st round pick

-2027 3rd round pick

-Jacob Pelletier (RFA)

-Nikita Grebenkin

-Givani Smith (UFA)

-Created millions of dollars in cap space from trading Laughton, Frost, Farabee

In light of the transactions above it’s evident Philadelphia is currently a rebuilding team. They subtracted several players this season with the intention of likely using the cap space created to eventually make additions to their roster in the upcoming off-seasons.

Since becoming the General Manager of the franchise in 2023 the Danny Briere led Flyers have removed 19 of the 35 players he inherited either through trade, buying players out, or by letting them reach unrestricted free agency.

Ultimately, it seems the Flyers have positioned themselves to start making additions to their roster in the next two off-seasons. When looking at the cap flexibility they’ll begin to have and the draft capital that’s been accrued over the past few years, Briere has put Philadelphia in a spot where they should be able to take big swings for highly skilled players fairly soon.

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On Thursday, January 20th the Philadelphia Flyers suffered a 3-0 loss to the New York Islanders. What overshadowed the loss was the rumors of a trade possibly being in the works between the Flyers and the Calgary Flames as both teams played games.

Once these matchups ended a deal was struck between Flyers GM Danny Briere and Flames general manager Craig Conroy. The trade was made official at 12:40 AM on early Friday morning.

As reported by Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, the Flyers dealt former first round picks Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost for Andrei Kuzmenko, Jakob Pelletier, a 2025 2nd round pick and a 2028 7th round pick.

On the surface level there’s a lot to unpack when analyzing this trade from a Flyers perspective.

Philadelphia traded two established NHL regulars in Farabee and Frost and there’s no denying that both put forth respectable production with recent seasons of 50 points (for Farabee) and 41 points (for Frost).

Nevertheless, the two have struggled to be contributors consistently during their tenures with the Flyers. For every hot streak Frost and Farabee put together while members of the team there was typically a cold streak to follow. To put it simply, Farabee and Frost’s development appeared to have stagnated in their final few seasons with Philadelphia.

Due to the inconsistencies, and overall stagnation the Flyers front office staff made the decision to move on from both players.

There is a risk Farabee and Frost become more consistent contributors as they find new roles on a new team. But even if that’s the case it’s quite evident that cap space and overall roster flexibility may have been just as important an aspect of this deal as acquiring Kuzmenko, Pelletier and the draft picks involved.

Essentially, by trading Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost the Flyers have likely created almost $9 million dollars of cap space for themselves to add to their budget this upcoming off season. If you safely estimate that Frost’s next contract might be worth around $4 million dollars average annual value, and Farabee’s cap hit is currently $5 million dollars.

According to Puck Pedia, the Flyers are now projected to have $25.245 million dollars in cap space heading into this upcoming off-season. That could even rise to roughly $31.5 million dollars if defenseman Ryan Ellis is placed on long term injured reserve.

Removing both Farabee and Frost not only provides opportunities for younger players on the team and other prospects to grab roles, it allows Philadelphia to target players that specifically fit the roster they’re trying to construct moving ahead and the style of play the coaching staff wants to execute.

What did the Flyers get in return?

Aside from the cap space created by removing Joel Farabee’s contract and not having to re-sign Morgan Frost, Philadelphia did acquire two interesting pieces in Kuzmenko and Pelletier.

Despite Kuzmenko being on an expiring deal, this may be a tryout of sorts to see if he can fit with the Flyers and if there’s chemistry with his former teammate in the KHL Matvei Michkov.

Say what you will about Kuzmenko’s recent decline but he’s only a few seasons removed from a 39 goal season.

Is there any guarantee he replicates that with Philadelphia, no. However, you have to look at the fact that Frost’s career high in goals is 19, while Farabee’s is 22. 

Considering Kuzmenko outscored them significantly when you compare career highs in goals, assists and points between the three forwards, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Kuzmenko provides more offensive production than both would have for the Flyers.

Additionally, by acquiring Kuzmenko you make Michkov feel more comfortable bringing in a former teammate who’s Russian.

The other piece to this deal Jakob Pelletier is an interesting addition for the Flyers as well. He has good hockey sense, a strong shot and is a tenacious forechecker. With the way he’s produced at the AHL level it seems as though he might be poised for a breakout in the NHL soon, if the Flyers provide him the ice time and opportunity to do so.

Unlike Kuzmenko who is a UFA, Pelletier will be under team control once the season ends due to his current RFA status. I would imagine Pelletier is re-signed as he wouldn’t be commanding any substantial cap hit.

Kuzmenko on the other hand is a wild card, his on ice play, production and how he meshes with head coach John Tortorella could dictate if the Flyers choose to re-sign him or not.

It should be interesting to see where both Kuzmenko and Pelletier slot into the Flyers lineup once they take on the Colorado Avalanche this Sunday afternoon. Kuzmenko might find himself playing with his former SKA St.Petersburg linemate Matvei Michkov. As for Pelletier, his place in the lineup could be elevated due to the injuries to Ryan Poehling and Owen Tippett.

Another important asset the Flyers picked up in this trade was Calgary’s 2025 2nd round pick. Securing that extra draft pick now gives the Flyers seven draft picks in the first two rounds of the 2025 NHL Draft.

What that does is further strengthen an already well established pool of draft capital that Danny Briere could potentially use to move up in the draft or in a trade for available roster players.

The added salary cap and roster flexibility from removing Farabee and Frost could point to Philadelphia becoming more active in the trade market or even free agency this upcoming off-season.

Final Thoughts

After this trade the Danny Briere led front office has effectively removed Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost, Ivan Provorov, Kevin Hayes, Sean Walker, Tony DeAngelo and Cam Atkinson from the Flyers roster since his tenure began.

What this signifies is an inflection point for the Philadelphia Flyers moving forward. It appears a variety of talent evaluation has been completed which led to trades and buyouts of certain players throughout Briere’s time as general manager.

With the trade deadline on the horizon we’ll see if Philadelphia attempts to accrue more assets that could be used to make additions down the line at the draft or this off-season.

Briere and the Flyers may be at the point in their rebuild where they start to add pieces to the roster instead of solely subtracting.

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The Philadelphia Flyers are now 3-6-1 in their last ten games after the overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

With the loss Philadelphia went 2-3-1 on the six game road trip, which is respectable considering the level of competition they faced in certain matchups.

The Flyers could have earned points in their last five games with the way they’ve performed. But shaky goaltending was a key factor as to why they were unable to, specifically in Los Angeles and Vegas.

After the Flyers loss to Vegas an interesting question surrounded the team in regards to their goaltending situation, and which netminder would get the start taking on the Maple Leafs.

Would the coaching staff go back to Aleksei Kolosov despite his struggles in the past few outings or would they start Ivan Fedotov. Even though, his last start was back on December 5, 2024 against the Florida Panthers, 31 days prior.

Head Coach John Tortorella opted to give Fedotov the opportunity, and regardless of the long layoff between starts the 6 foot 7 netminder put forth a respectable showing. The rookie gave the Flyers the chance to win the game and stopped 22 of 25 shots for an .880 % save percentage.

Other than the goaltending conundrum, the major storyline heading into the final outing of Philadelphia’s road trip was the team’s overall process and play on the ice. Despite only securing two wins over the span of the trip the Flyers played well at five on five and controlled play for stretches in several of their losses.

As a result, the message to the players from the coaching staff has been consistent. It centered around the idea that if the players continue to execute within their structure and maintain their current style of play, they will achieve better outcomes in future games.

When dissecting what occurred in the matchup taking on the Leafs, both the themes of goaltending and consistency in all three zones as it pertains to Philadelphia’s on ice structure was an integral factor.

Considering the Flyers out chanced the high-octane Leafs, 31-26 and created 15 high-danger scoring chances to the Leafs, 13( as per, https://www.naturalstattrick.com/game.php?season=20242025&game=20635&view=limited) the Flyers executed on that mentality.

It seems Philadelphia emphasized continuing to play in the same manner as they have been for majority of the road trip. Assistant captain Scott Laughton mentioned this after the Flyers morning skate on Sunday.

I asked Laughton what the message to the team was after playing well and not getting the win taking on Vegas.

Laughton stated, “Like you said we’ve played good 5 on 5, need to play better to get the results and find a way. It will be a decent road trip if we pull one out here tonight. We have to continue to do the same things. Our structure has been a lot better from the start of the year and our defense has been better, which has led to more offense for some guys.”

Philadelphia’s defensive play throughout the game set the tone for them during the matchup taking on the Leafs.

Primarily, the way they checked in the neutral zone and used their aggressiveness was effective. Along with their quick transition plays and puck rushes up the ice.

Although the Flyers didn’t give Fedotov as much help as they would have liked in the first period, they played defensively sound hockey during the remainder of the game.

Philadelphia limited the Leafs to only 10 shots and nine total scoring chances in both the second and third periods (five shots allowed in each period, five scoring chances allowed in the second period, four scoring chances allowed in the third period, as per https://www.naturalstattrick.com/game.php?season=20242025&game=20635&view=limited).

In addition, Fedotov settled into the net and looked quick while moving from post to post in this matchup.

The netminder made some huge stops throughout the game at important moments to keep things tied. He delivered the saves needed to get Philadelphia to overtime and gave them a chance to win against the Atlantic Division’s top team.

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One line that was the most impactful for Philadelphia in this matchup was once again the trio of Noah Cates, Tyson Foerster and Bobby Brink.

The three players support one another quite effectively in all areas of the ice. Coupled with their forechecking ability and the way they cycle the puck, it’s allowed them to consistently create scoring chances in the past several weeks while still being reliable defensively.

Due to their continued effectiveness, it appears the Flyers are using this particular line to set a tone for the team in certain situations.

John Tortorella stated the following about the play of Cates, Brink and Foerster, “They have played well for well over five or six weeks. It’s an example for all our lines, they’re just playing with confidence, and they just support one another very well.”

Overall, Philadelphia performed strongly taking on a top tier team in the Toronto Maple Leafs. On a positive note, the Flyers secured one much needed point and with the game being lost at three on three either team could have secured the win.

In their last five games played the Flyers have only won two. However, it could be argued they had opportunities to secure points in all five games, with the way they performed from a scoring chance creation perspective.

Instead of letting frustration sink in Philadelphia will need to use their recent stretch of play as motivation.

Carrying over their current style of play will be critical with games taking on the Leafs, Stars and Panthers on the horizon in the next seven days.

The Flyers will need to execute their system efficiently to remain competitive in these matchups and they’ll at the minimum require league average goaltending performances from Fedotov and Kolosov.

Interview Content, Pregame and Postgame:

John Tortorella:

Scott Laughton:

Morgan Frost:

Ivan Fedotov:

Photo Credit: Our very own Michael Reaves

On this week’s episode of the Gettin Gritty Wit It podcast Yariv and Vasili discussed a variety of topics.

Mainly, they went over the likelihood of Emil Andrae remaining a healthy scratch for Philadelphia’s matchup taking on Detroit later this evening. 

Along with the recent trade rumors that have surfaced surrounding the Flyers and Kings.

During that conversation the idea of current roster players such as Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost, Bobby Brink, Tyson Foerster, Scott Laughton, Rasmus Ristolainen and if the Flyers would consider moving any of them was analyzed.

Overall the two discussed the topics below in depth:

•Andrae remains out

•Luchanko, Bonk, Bjarnason make Canada’s World Junior team (no Barkey)

•Heikki Ruohonen makes Finland
•Jack Berglund makes Sweden

•Flyers 5v5 play has improved. 10th in 5 on 5 expected goals for per 60

•Torts quote on Michkov’s michigan attempts

•Line combinations staying the same
• 1. Tippett – Frost – Michkov combo
• 2. Foerster – Cates – Brink
• 3. Andrae vs Zamula (Andrae Not returning)

•Kolosov was named the official backup by Tortorella. What will happen to Fedotov?

•Flyers trade rumors with the Kings

•Jones on Sportsnet interview says Flyers goal is to follow a similar format to last seasons trade deadline…Expect vets to move

•TDA/Dom Luszczyszyn interaction

Thanks for listening and happy holidays everyone!

Photo Credit: Our very own Michael Reaves

After Wednesday’s loss taking on the Carolina Hurricanes, the Philadelphia Flyers find themselves 8-10-2 to start the 2024-25 season.

Interestingly enough in comparison to the team’s record through 20 games last season Philadelphia’s record so far is not that far off. 

After 20 games last year the Flyers were 10-9-1. What that puts into perspective is how early it still is in the season. 

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There’s a ton of hockey left to be played that will determine what exactly the Philadelphia Flyers identity is as a team this season.

Over these twenty outings, there’s been ups and downs which have provided some interesting trends to take notice of.

With this being my final article of the three part series I plan to dissect and provide analysis on the most interesting trends I’ve examined throughout the first 20 games of the Flyers season to date.

Five Observations

1) Konecny’s contract is well deserved, his production is proving that

Travis Konecny signed an eight year, $70 million contract with an average annual value of $8.75 million on July 25th this past summer.

At the time many criticized the contract, however when assessing Konecny’s play this season thus far he’s been Philadelphia’s most consistent point producer.

In 20 games, the right winger has recorded 11 goals and 12 assists for a total of 23 points. That places him 21st in the NHL in scoring currently.

Taking that into consideration it’s evident why Konecny received such a lucrative contract this summer. At this point in his career he’s proven to be a consistent point per game player at the NHL level which is something Philadelphia clearly lacks. 

With that being said, paying Konecny $8.75 million per season to lock him up long-term was fair value for what a player of his caliber brings to the table.

When looking at some of the players surrounding Konency on the NHL scoring leaderboard some of them make significantly more money.

One can only imagine what Konecny’s offensive numbers could look like if the Flyers had a high powered offense surrounding him. As the NHL salary cap looks poised to rise further in the years to come the contract appears to be one that will age well. 

When dissecting the total percentage of the salary cap the contract will occupy in relation to Konecny’s point production, if the forward can continue the 1.15 point per game production the contract could be a steal mid-way through the deal.

2) Andrae looks like a legitimate top four option in small sample size

Although he’s out of the line-up with a mid-body injury that’s been classified as day-to-day, Emil Andrae has impressed in the ten games he’s suited up for.

The key element of Andrae’s game that makes him an asset to the Flyers and the style they’re looking to play is his passing ability and willingness to be aggressive with the puck.

In just eight games Andrae has averaged 18:27 time on ice per game and in certain matchups over 20 minutes of ice time. Additionally, Andrae’s expected goals for percentage is 57.9% in ten games played and that’s second on the Flyers to only Sean Couturier.

Most importantly, with Andrae receiving such usage in a top four role and succeeding in a small sample size it adds another useful player to Philadelphia’s defensive core.

When Andrae, York and Drysdale all return to the lineup coupled with Sanheim, Ristolainen and Seeler, that makes for a defensive group that should be able to transition the puck up ice effectively.

3) Penalty-Kill is consistently a difference maker

One consistent theme for the Philadelphia Flyers through the first 20 games this season and even dating back to last season is the positive impact their penalty-kill has had.

Philadelphia typically does not allow their opposition to set-up in the offensive zone cleanly and consistently due to their mentality of constantly trying to pressure puck carriers.

Their strategy to pressure opposing power-plays as they attempt to enter the offensive zone has proven to be successful, considering the fact that the Flyers hold the fourth most effective penalty-kill in the NHL with an efficiency rating of 86.6%.

With the Flyers power-play still eleventh last in the NHL this season Philadelphia’s penalty-kill will need to continue to execute at a very high efficiency rate for the team to remain competitive going forward in most matchups.

4) Michkov can handle adversity

It’s certainly extremely impressive that 19-year-old Matvei Michkov has scored 15 points in 18 games to start his NHL career and is tied for the lead in rookie scoring at the moment.

However, what’s stuck out to me most is not just the offensive ability, puck handling skill, hockey IQ and deceptiveness but more importantly how Michkov responded to being a healthy scratch for two games.

It’s never an easy thing for a young player to be scratched so there’s no telling how they might potentially handle it.

When dissecting how MIchkov reacted to not playing against Tampa and Florida earlier this season, look no further than the score sheet in the games to follow.

In the three games after being scratched Michkov recorded two goals and three assists for five points. This shows the response to being scratched was not only a positive one but in the five games prior the young winger only managed to score one point. 

Seeing a rookie that can’t even speak the English language yet respond in such a manner to being benched is a very positive outcome and signifies that Matvei Michkov is a very determined and coachable hockey player.

5) Young Forwards underwhelming through 20 games

One theme that’s been prevalent to begin the season is aside from their top of the lineup level players Philadelphia’s depth scoring has been fairly underwhelming through 20 games.

Several of the players the Flyers were relying on to take further steps in their play and progress in relation to point production have not yet done so.

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Forwards such as Owen Tippett, Joel Farabee, Tyson Foerster, Bobby Brink and Morgan Frost have all only scored 10 points or fewer this season thus far.

With the secondary scoring depth struggling to score on most nights this season that’s resulted in Philadelphia being the 21st team in the league in terms of goals for with 2.7 per game. 

Based on their current production none of the players above are projected to score above a 46 point pace this season according to PHLY’s Alex Appleyard.

For a Flyers team that was hoping to take the next step this season and challenge for a playoff spot some of the struggles their forwards in the mid twenties have been having is concerning.

Ultimately, if Philadelphia is to improve its offensive output and scoring ability in order to remain competitive going forward this season they’ll need a lot more offensively from the aforementioned forwards listed above.

Photo Credit: Our very own Michael Reeves

After Saturday’s loss taking on the Boston Bruins, the Philadelphia Flyers find themselves 4-7-1 through 12 games to start the 2024-25 season.

Through these 12 outings, several interesting trends have come to the forefront.

Most recently the team has won three out of the last five games after coming off a six game losing streak.

With this being the second article of my four part series, analysis will be provided showcasing the type of team the Flyers are shaping into, as we move past the ten game mark. 

Five Observations

1) Konecny-Couturier-Michkov and Sanheim/Ristolainen have played well

Philadelphia’s top of the lineup players have been playing well as of late. Specifically, the offensive line of Konecny, Couturier, and Michkov and the defensive combination of Sanheim and Ristolainen.

Obviously, Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen have played together in the past and have been an effective pairing. This has allowed them to pick up where they essentially left off when playing together a few seasons ago.

Due to this, Sanheim and Ristolainen don’t have to do any guess work in relation to how they will defend certain situations and scoring opportunities the opposition creates. It also ensures both defenseman are familiar with where the other will be in most circumstances.

The fact both have played together before has allowed them to seamlessly reunite as a defensive pairing and give the Flyers quality minutes as their de facto number one pairing with Cam York sidelined.

According to Money Puck, Sanheim and Ristolainen hold an expected goals percentage of 53.3 % while playing together. That is the 46th best expected goals percentage of any defensive pairing in the NHL.

The steadiness of the top defensive pairing has played a key component in Philadelphia turning around their fortunes defensively over the past few games. 

Additionally, the Flyers newly formed top line of Konecny, Couturier and Michkov has contributed to Philadelphia’s improved play as of late. Mainly their effectiveness in creating scoring chances, driving play and the ability to sustain pressure in the offensive zone when out on the ice has helped the Flyers control play in more situations.

Unfortunately, they have not capitalized on many of their scoring opportunities or else they would likely have produced a lot more points.

The Flyers trio of Couturier, Konecny and Michkov has also been one of the best offensive lines in the NHL since being put together by head coach John Tortorella,

The forwards have put forth an expected goals percentage of 64.2 % as specified by Money Puck. Currently they have the 15th best expected goals percentage of any forward line in the NHL.

If Philadelphia’s top line and defensive pairing can both continue this type of effectiveness while out on the ice in regards to expected goals for percentage, it will give the Flyers a better chance to remain competitive in the majority of their games moving ahead.

2) Defensive play and structure has improved in last few games

Philadelphia’s overall defensive structure has drastically improved compared to how the team was playing through the first five games of the season.

Structurally, the team was not supporting one another down low in the defensive zone and during board battles.

Another thing to note, is the wingers have acted as better support for their defenseman as they exit the zone in the past few games. 

Wingers have ensured they open themselves up as potential passing targets even if it’s for shorter passes and not the home run stretch pass.

This is something many of the forwards were not doing to begin the season. Which led to their inability to break the puck out of the defensive zone effectively until very recently.

One thing that points to the overall defensive play becoming considerably stingier is the goals allowed by the Flyers the past four games as compared to earlier in the season.

In the last four matchups taking on the Canadiens, Bruins and Blues the Flyers allowed a total of eight goals.

While in the three games prior against the Wild and Capitals, a total of 15 goals was allowed.

Based on that alone it’s evident the defensive play and limiting high danger scoring opportunities has greatly progressed from where it was just a few games ago.

3) Special teams is a positive 

Through 12 games special teams as a whole has been a strength for the Flyers.

Not only has the penalty-kill remained one of the best in the NHL but Philadelphia’s power-play (yes that’s right the power-play that was ranked last in the league for three seasons straight) has drastically progressed.

Despite still having struggles entering the offensive zone on the power-play and getting set-up, the man advantage has looked more dangerous.

A lot of which can be attributed to power-play quarterback Matvei Michkov.

Michkov’s elusiveness and deceptiveness with the puck not only allows him to create passing plays and open up passing lanes for his teammates. But, it has afforded him the opportunities to beat goaltenders from distance with traffic in front using his accurate wrister.

Michkov’s playmaking ability and vision on the power-play on a whole has been a major reason why the Flyers currently have the 17th ranked power-play in the NHL with an efficiency rating of 19.1 %.

On the other hand, Philadelphia’s penalty-kill has picked up right where it’s left off after last season. Assistant coach Brad Shaw has a lot to do with that. He has both units playing an up tempo aggressive style of penalty killing.

Such a penalty killing approach involves forwards trying to pressure and interrupt the oppositions zone entries and how they carry the puck into the offensive zone. This is done to mitigate other team’s power-plays from getting set up accordingly offensively during their power-play attempts.

The Flyers penalty kill is currently ranked 4th in the NHL with a 88.4 % efficiency rating.

This cements the penalty-kill and power-play as critical assets to Philadelphia this season considering their five on five play has been sub-par.

4) Still struggling to produce offense at five on five

Although the Flyers have won three of their last five games they’ve struggled mightily to produce offense at five on five.

The most prevalent symptom of the lackluster five on five play has been their inability to sustain puck possession in the offensive zone and a forecheck for more than a handful of seconds.

This has forced Philadelphia to rely on their defense and goaltending quite regularly to bail them out of situations when other teams have controlled play. 

As a result, the Flyers have focused on getting to the net to score goals instead of the typical transition style offense the team was executing last season. Mainly, this is due to the lack of puck possession in comparison to their opposition in certain outings this season.

What’s extremely puzzling about the Flyers lack of offensive production at five on five is that the roster has largely remained the same as the 2023-24 team, aside from a few new players entering the fold.

It’s quite strange to see a team that outscored the majority of their opposition at five on five last season struggle to even create high danger scoring chances at five on five over twelve games so far.

5) Flyers backups questionable while Ersson shines

Through 12 games it’s been a tale of two tapes when taking the Flyers goaltending situation into consideration.

On one hand you have Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov who are essentially unknown commodities at the NHL level.

Fedotov has consistently posted a sub 0.830 save percentage so far this season when he’s gotten into action. As a result, Kolosov appears to be the more reliable goaltender of the two at this point.

The 22-year-old settled in nicely taking on the Bruins yesterday. He entered the game in relief of Ersson and stopped 20 of 22 shots to record a .909 save percentage.

On the opposite spectrum is Philadelphia’s starting netminder Sam Ersson. Ersson was very sharp these past three games and posted a combined .984 save percentage before leaving the matchup taking on the Bruins with an undisclosed injury.

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Ersson’s save percentage on the season as a whole is 0.901. When taking into account Philadelphia’s early struggles it should likely be higher considering they did not provide the goaltender much defensive support or goal support.

In terms of goaltending, the Flyers were in good hands with Ersson as the 25-year-old appeared to be improving on a game to game basis. However, with Ersson leaving the prior game in the first period due to an injury the club may potentially be in a wealth of trouble when it comes to their goaltending situation.

As of now, Philadelphia has classified Ersson’s injury a “lower body injury” but they failed to supply any further details on what exactly happened to Ersson and what might be plaguing him.

Ersson has arguably been Philadelphia’s most consistent and impactful player on a night to night basis this season. He’s been an instrumental part of securing their last two wins as well.

If the young goaltender is out of the lineup for any extended period of time it will be a huge loss for the Flyers. The main concern is the backup goaltenders that would step in to replace Ersson have very limited NHL experience.

It’s not the ideal situation for Kolosov and Fedotov to learn the NHL game and pace of play essentially swapping starts. If this becomes the reality for the Flyers it’s likely they will not be as competitive as they would have been with Ersson in the crease moving forward.

Unfortunately, if Ersson does have to miss any significant time, the important aspect will be finding some sense of stability with the backup position. 

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, it’s been a rollercoaster of a start to the 2024-25 regular season for the Philadelphia Flyers through 12 games.

Despite the Flyers having difficulties both defending and scoring, things are coming around when it concerns their defensive play and cohesiveness on the ice as a five man unit.

One critical facet to note moving forward, is that Philadelphia’s five on five offensive output and transition offense will need to improve in the coming weeks for the team to stay afloat amongst the other Eastern Conference playoff contenders.

There’s only so much they can rely on their defense and goaltending and continue to pick up points in the standings.

Photo Credit: Our very own Michael Reeves

After Saturday’s 3-0 loss taking on the Vancouver Canucks the Philadelphia Flyers find themselves 1-3-1 to start the 2024-25 season.

Through these five games there’s been a plethora of trends and statistics to point out. I’ll be releasing articles in five game intervals analyzing the interesting facets and trends I’ve noticed within the Flyers play.

As we get closer to the end of the article series, a better understanding of what exactly this Philadelphia Flyers team is this season, including their strengths and weaknesses should be developed.

5 Observations

1) Struggles at five on five:

In relation to their even strength play Philadelphia has not looked like a cohesive unit through the majority of the first five games this season. 

Although they’ve had stretches where offensive opportunities were created, there’s been a lack of finish associated with many of their scoring chances. Along with an inability to sustain offensive pressure for prolonged periods of time once a chance has been created. 

Much of this stems from their transitional play and the struggles the team has encountered moving the puck up the ice effectively and quickly on certain breakouts from their defensive zone. 

In a lot of situations once the Flyers finally moved the puck up through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone, their players on the ice would have to go for a shift change.

This has resulted in the Flyers overall offensive zone pressure and transitional offense not generating as many scoring opportunities as their opposition at five on five early this season.

When examining total scoring chances and high danger scoring chances created at five on five through five games this season, Philadelphia has been significantly out chanced in both metrics.

In total, the Flyers created 91 scoring chances and 30 high danger scoring chances through the first five games. On the other hand, they’ve given up 108 scoring chances and 44 high danger scoring chances.

That cements the idea that Philadelphia’s struggles sustaining offensive zone pressure and puck possession has likely had an effect on their scoring chance creation as a whole. In addition to their goal output at five on five. 

It’s no surprise that the Flyers have been outscored 16-6 in five on five scoring to begin this season. When considering that statistic it explains why Philadelphia has started the campaign 1-3-1. 

The ability to control the puck at 5 on 5, and move the puck up the ice in a timely fashion directly leads to scoring chance creation and goal scoring within the NHL. Ultimately, the disjointed play in this area has a direct correlation with the Flyers lack of scoring to start the season.

One thing to note, is the Flyers were a very good five on five team throughout the 2023-24 season.

With most of the roster being similar there’s certainly a possibility the habits that made Philadelphia an effective five on five team last season start to creep back into their game.

2) The power-play has improved:

A very large question mark heading into the 2024-25 season was the Flyers power-play and if it could improve. Obviously, it’s still very early into the season however the power-play has continued to look better, just as it did during the preseason.

Primarily, the puck movement on the power-play has looked less hesitant. That was a major flaw of Philadelphia’s man advantage last season. 

There’s been struggles with zone-entries on the power-play that will require some adjustment, but when Philadelphia has effectively entered the zone and controlled the puck they’ve typically created scoring opportunities. Largely due to their quick puck movement and attempts to create plays from low to high. 

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Another key factor in the power-play’s early proficiency has been Matvei Michkov. Michkov’s creativity and the skill he possesses to create offense when he has time and space adds a whole new element to Philadelphia’s power-play.

Currently, the Flyers are 11th in the NHL in power-play efficiency. They’ve converted 5 out of 22 total power-play opportunities so far this season for a 22.7 % conversion rate.

3) Shot Suppression has regressed compared to last season:

One common trend that has spanned the Flyers first five games has been their regression in shot suppression. 

Last season the Flyers were second in the NHL in shots against per game played (SA/GA) and allowed on average 27.13 shots per game.

Comparatively this season Philadelphia is 21st in the same metric and has allowed on average 30.0 shots per game. 

Despite the difference in shots allowed per game being roughly three more this season than last, it’s still a considerable surge to note. Such an increase could impact overall scoring chances and high danger scoring chances allowed for Philadelphia if it continues. 

4) Michkov looks like Philadelphia’s most dangerous offensive player:

Over the span of five games Matvei Michkov consistently looks like Philadelphia’s most dangerous offensive weapon. 

When assessing scoring chances and opportunities created this season, Michkov is typically at the center of them for Philadelphia.

His playmaking ability and hockey IQ has been on full display in just five games. There’s already several occasions where he’s set up his teammates for quality scoring chances in all types of offensive situations.

In certain circumstances it appeared as though there may not be a play to make. But Michkov’s vision and creativity still found a teammate or opened up a passing lane to create a play nonetheless.

Through five games Michkov has registered two goals and two assists for a total of four points.

This places the talented rookie at second overall in rookie scoring at the moment behind Logan Stankoven who has seven assists in six games played.

5) Sam Ersson has been very sharp while Ivan Fedotov has not:

The final observation I’ve had during the course of these first five games relates to Philadelphia’s goaltending situation. Both Sam Ersson and Ivan Fedotov are on completely different spectrums as it relates to their on-ice performances.

Through four appearances Ersson has registered a pedestrian 0.894 % save percentage and 2.99 goals against average.

Despite that, the 25-year-old netminder has been Philadelphia’s most consistent player to start the season and arguably their best player as well.

Ersson had a stellar showing in the opening game of the season and played very well taking on Edmonton and Vancouver.

His save percentage and goals against average does not reflect the fact that he kept Philadelphia in all three of the games he’s started during specific stretches of play. 

Unfortunately, the Flyers defensive shortcomings and missed coverages led to situations where Ersson did not have a chance to make the save. Or he was being overwhelmed by scoring opportunities in a short interval that eventually led to goals against.

Ersson’s back-up goaltender Ivan Fedotov’s performances over two games has been nothing short of atrocious.

There’s been many times when the netminder has reacted very slowly while tracking the puck laterally and when cross ice passes were made by the opposition.

Additionally, it looks like the 27-year-old has experienced difficulties with screens in front of his net. In particular, how to deal with traffic trying to block his view of the puck. 

Instead of trying to look around screens situated in front of him, Fedotov has attempted to look over-top of skaters on the ice. With his large stature this has opened the rookie up to allowing several goals through his five hole or his body over his first two starts. 

In two games Fedotov has recorded a 0.818 % save percentage along with a 6.09 goals against average.

To ensure he remains the back-up goalie for the Flyers moving forward and is not supplanted by (fellow former KHL goaltender) Alexei Kolosov in the coming months; Fedotov will have to provide more stability and reliability in net for Philadelphia. 

One aspect to take into account when it relates to Fedotov is it’s still very early in his NHL career.

Ersson started off his NHL career in a similar manner to Fedotov with an abysmal save percentage. In his first three starts last season Ersson put forth save percentages of 0.800 %, 0.720 %, and 0.778 % respectively.

As a result, the example above with Ersson exhibits that Fedotov and his ability to rebound should not be entirely dismissed.

Evidently, a larger sample size is needed to determine the 6’7 netminder’s overall dependability as a back-up at the NHL level.