In a single week, the Philadelphia Flyers start coaching camp, ending a five-month low season following a surprisingly aggressive 2023-24 season. Although the Flyers undertaking to have a really related roster to final season and made the default variety of choices on the NHL Draft (seven), it was hardly a quiet summer time.
The Flyers have lengthy held the status as one of many NHL’s prime headline-making groups, and so they lived as much as it over the previous few months. From signing one of many greatest extensions of the summer time to a number of standing modifications among the many staff’s prospect pool, right here’s a evaluation of what you missed for those who’re getting back from a hockey hibernation.
Flyers Had a Busy Draft
The Flyers entered Sphere on June 28 with lots of prospects. Philadelphia held the No. 13 choose, which initially belonged to them, and the No. 32 choose, acquired two years in the past from the Florida Panthers as a part of the Claude Giroux commerce. Additionally they had the prospect to have a second second-round choose, because the Columbus Blue Jackets needed to resolve whether or not to present the Flyers their 2024 or 2025 second-rounder from final summer time’s three-team commerce centered round Ivan Provorov.
The Flyers solely made two as a substitute of a potential 4 picks inside the highest 50. Columbus saved its 2024 second-round choose (No. 36 general). Nonetheless, the staff added one other excessive 2025 choose by shifting choose No. 32 to the Edmonton Oilers for his or her first-round choose subsequent yr. It’s top-12 protected, so don’t get any massive concepts, however until the Oilers win the Stanley Cup, the Flyers will a minimum of get a better choice.
The Flyers didn’t make the thirteenth choose both, shifting down one spot with the Minnesota Wild so as to add a third-round choose (which they used to maneuver up later within the draft). The Wild made out nicely by deciding on defenseman Zeev Buium, whereas the Flyers addressed a necessity at middle by including Jett Luchanko one choose later. Buium is a higher-upside swing, however there’s lots of time to study who the higher choose actually is.
Free Company: Hathway Prolonged, Johnson Re-Signed
Few groups spent much less on July 1 than the Flyers, which is to be anticipated for a staff not pushing for short-term success. They didn’t have lots of cap area anyway, even after shopping for out Cam Atkinson. However basic supervisor Daniel Brière did come to phrases with two acquainted faces.
Garnet Hathaway was the staff’s greatest free-agent signing a yr in the past, offering physicality and driving play as the first fourth-line right-winger. Although it took some time for his offense to get going, a robust end to the season (11 of his 17 factors got here after Feb. 1) earned him one other two-year deal at an almost equivalent cap hit ($2.4 million) to his present contract ($2.375 million).
Not like Hathaway, veteran defenseman Eric Johnson was set to hit the open market this summer time earlier than he re-upped. Per Pure Stat Trick, the Flyers have been outscored 16-7 at 5-on-5 with Johnson on the ice after he arrived on the commerce deadline from the Buffalo Sabres, however a team-worst .847% on-ice save proportion goes a protracted strategy to explaining that. Johnson’s underlying numbers in Philadelphia have been strong, and the 36-year-old is trusted to mentor the staff’s younger defensemen. So long as John Tortorella doesn’t overplay him (a entice he prevented with Marc Staal, who began final season in the same position), it’s a reasonably low-risk transfer.
Michkov Arrives, Kolosov Might Not
The Flyers have had rather a lot occur with Russian prospects over the previous few years. It began when Ivan Fedotov was prevented from coming to the NHL as deliberate in 2022 resulting from navy obligations, solely to finally arrive late final season (a couple of days earlier than free company, he signed a two-year, $6.55 million deal to keep away from free company).
Brière took a danger by drafting the hyper-talented Matvei Michkov together with his first choose as basic supervisor in 2023. Michkov had a three-year contract within the Kontinental Hockey League, which, mixed with Russia’s warfare with Ukraine, created uncertainty that closely contributed to Michkov being out there to the Flyers at No. 7 general.
By way of attending to North America, the gamble paid off. Michkov’s KHL staff, SKA St. Petersburg (which loaned him to HK Sochi for primarily all of final season), terminated his contract. As an alternative of including a longtime expertise on July 1, the Flyers inked Michkov to his entry-level contract, formally securing a few of the high-end expertise they desperately wanted.
Nonetheless, issues aren’t as constructive with goaltender Alexei Kolosov. The 22-year-old was drafted by the staff in 2021 and has put up good numbers in Russia. However after a short stint with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on the finish of final season, stories began trickling out that Kolosov was sad and reportedly needed to remain again in Russia. These have continued all through the summer time, and contemplating Kolosov isn’t on the staff’s rookie camp roster, issues aren’t trying good.
The Flyers may mortgage him again to the KHL, however the group prefers he study the North American sport this season (from ‘Philadelphia Flyers Prime 20 Prospects: AGM Brent Flahr on the defensemen and goalies,’ PHLY, Sept. 4). He would additionally presumably be No. 3 on the staff’s depth chart, placing Kolsov an harm or an prolonged chilly streak from Fedotov or Samuel Ersson away from reaching the NHL. Nonetheless, with the NHL-KHL memorandum of understanding (mutual recognition of contracts throughout the leagues) suspended, there’s no assure of a easy resolution.
Konecny Right here to Keep
One participant who received’t be leaving the Flyers group anytime quickly is Travis Konecny. Brière took care of enterprise with restricted free brokers Egor Zamula (two years, $3.4 million) and Bobby Brink (two years, $3 million) early within the offseason, then started working with Konecny, who was set to hit unrestricted free company in 2025. The 27-year-old has taken one other step within the final two seasons, setting career-highs in targets (33) and assists (35) whereas main the NHL with six short-handed tallies.
Re-signing Konecny wasn’t a complete slam dunk. The Flyers may have gotten a major return in the event that they determined to maneuver him, as he could also be beginning to decline simply when the staff’s present prospect group hits its stride. However given the staff’s deal with tradition and Konecny’s want to remain, it wasn’t a lot of a shock when each side put pen to paper on an eight-year, $70 million contract. It’s the biggest contract in staff historical past, a testomony to the staff’s perception in him as a participant and chief.
Johansen’s Unsure Future
This closing storyline received’t have an effect on the Flyers on the ice this season however is vital for the staff’s wage cap image. Ryan Johansen was acquired as a pure cap dump to pry a first-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche for Sean Walker. After being unable to commerce him, the Flyers deliberate to ship Johansen to the American Hockey League, however he knowledgeable the staff he had a hip harm, which prevented him from being demoted.
It additionally prevented the Flyers from with the ability to purchase him out throughout the offseason. Nonetheless, on Aug. 20, the Flyers introduced they have been inserting Johansen on unconditional waivers to terminate his contract for a “materials breach.” Elliotte Friedman reported the Flyers had the NHL’s backing on the choice, whereas Johansen’s agent Kurt Overhardt strongly denied Johansen was within the improper.
As of now, Johansen continues to be a member of the group, though it’s clear he won’t ever play for the Flyers. Considerably related conditions in recent times with Evander Kane and Corey Perry have resulted in settlements, which is a potential final result right here as nicely.
What’s Subsequent for the Flyers?
Everybody’s consideration can be on Michkov as the following potential face of the franchise will get his first style of what being a Flyer is like. There’ll in all probability be some rising pains for the 19-year-old, as there are for many rookies. Determining his linemates can be an intriguing subplot, as will seeing how Tortorella handles the highly-skilled teenager.
Associated: Flyers’ Matvei Michkov May Soar in 2024-25 Primarily based on Historic Tendencies
Past the standard monitoring of prospects, regulate the staff’s goaltending state of affairs. The Ersson-Fedotov tandem is without doubt one of the league’s least skilled. Ersson confirmed promise final season however ran out of fuel by the top of the yr. A wholesome Jamie Drysdale needs to be enjoyable to look at, and his growth is arguably extra vital than anybody’s outdoors of Michkov.
