At the official end of every season, players sit down and reflect on the year that’s now behind them. For the Flyers, this one ended much later than it had in previous season, and it was clear they took solace in the accomplishments of a season where they defied expectations.
But with the offseason now in front of them, they were tasked with one last obligation to speak on a variety of topics.
Rasmus Ristolainen excited for healthy offseason
It’s not often that Ristolainen has been able to say that he won’t need to spend the offseason rehabbing after an injury or surgery. He has not played a full season with the Flyers, coming close in 2022-23 when he appeared in 74 games.
And while he only appeared in 44 regular season and 10 postseason games, he made it to the end without any serious ailments. There’s no doubt he has some bumps and bruises, but it’s his first almost fully healthy offseason in quite a few years.
“Yes, thank God,” Ristolainen said on finally having a healthy offseason to train. “And it's first normal, somewhat normal offseason in four years. So kind of excited about that and not need to worry about rehabbing.”
Being able to train normally is huge for any player, but it’s especially important for someone who hasn’t had that opportunity in more than a few years. Ristolainen has turned things around and become a player the Flyers have been able to depend on. This will be huge for him to train normally.
Travis Konecny, Dan Vladar not forgetting series misses
There are many moments that, looking back, the Flyers could’ve changed the momentum. But there are two specifically that Travis Konecny and Dan Vladar haven’t been able to get out of their heads.
For Konecny, it was his breakaway chance against Frederick Andersen in Game 2 of the Carolina series. A moment like that stuck with him for a while as he wanted to have that playoff moment to help the Flyers.
“Oh yeah. Because I just think, I remember it was like two days after and I was just randomly driving and I was just like ‘F—!’ I just like randomly thought about it. And I was just thinking like, could be 1-1 right now, you know?”
Konecny did have a moment in Game 4 as his assist on Alex Bump’s goal helped the Flyers tie the game early in the third period. Ultimately he finished the playoffs with one goal and five points.
Vladar was rather frustrated with himself for the goal he allowed that won the series for the Hurricanes. The puck deflected off his glove, went over his shoulder, and trickled into the net.
“Obviously, that goal I watched a lot of times to be honest with you. I probably watched it 150 times and I was getting more and more mad, and it's still in me.”
That one moment won’t define Vladar’s postseason with the Flyers as he stopped an onslaught of shots during that game, and prior ones as well. He has proven that the Flyers got it right in the goaltending department, something they’ve desperately needed.
Matvei Michkov owns postseason struggles
The Matvei Michkov conversation has lasted all year and into the postseason. It came to a head once again when he was scratched in two games, one in each series. Leading up to the playoffs, he has played his best hockey of the season.
Unfortunately, it didn’t follow him into the postseason. He only managed one assist in eight games, which isn’t going to cut it for someone the Flyers rely on for offense. And Michkov was very open about that and tried to determine what went wrong.
“In the playoffs, the whole team plays really good. I was trying to help in defense and try to do what the coach told me. What the coach told me to do, that’s what I was trying to do. It was the first playoff for me, and I cannot say it was easy. I’m not happy with my game in the playoffs. I’m a player that the team expects me to score and make plays. At the end of it, it’s eight games and one assist, and that was a fluke.”
His one assist happened to be on Cam York’s overtime goal. It was a risky play at the blue line, but showed the skill that Michkov possesses to make the play happen. It’s no doubt that he’ll use this frustration to fuel his offseason training and come back with a vengeance next season.
Flyers free agents eager to stay
The Flyers have a handful of free agents that they will need to make decision on. But many made it clear when asked that this is a place they want to stay.
That’s exactly what Dan Hilferty, Danny Briere, and Keith Jones set out to do. They hoped this city would once again become a destination that other players wanted to come into. Sam Ersson mentioned this being the only place he’s known during his North American career. Rodrigo Abols specifically mentioned what the Flyers’ leadership was building as something players want to be a part of.
Trevor Zegras, who is one of the biggest free agents, didn’t hide his desire to remain in Philadelphia. Neither did Jamie Drysdale. Both are deservedly expected to earn long-term deals as both of key pieces to the team’s future.
“Hopefully something will get done sooner than later, but yeah, I love it here. I've made that very clear cut of the second that I got here. Everyone's treated me amazingly since I've gotten here,” Drysdale said.
Standing ovation stuck with players
Almost immediately after Jackson Blake scored the overtime winner that clinched the series for the Hurricanes, the tide shifted for the Flyers. The fans rose to their feet and showed the players how much this season meant to them. All everyone has wanted was for this team to get back to the playoffs and play meaningful games.
Many spoke about it immediately, including Rod Brind’Amour who was encouraged to see the city of Philadelphia being brought back into their hockey team. But the Flyers were encouraged by what they saw and has continued to bring excitement to where they are trending. Travis Konecny specifically noted how maybe players around the league will start to notice how fun Philadelphia is to play in.
“I think it was really cool for another team to see [the ovation] even though they swept us out of the playoffs, our fans are chanting us off the ice like that. It was just a really cool moment. I think guys are going to start to realize this is a great spot to play, and hopefully we can get that back where people want to sign here, want to be here,” Konecny said.
Hathaway pointed out the where the team is now and how that moment only makes things more exciting for what’s to come next.
“It circles back to Flyers fans giving us a standing ovation after we lost. If that doesn’t show you what this city cares about in sports, I don’t know what will,” Garnet Hathaway said “I didn’t know that going in. I heard about it. But to see the growth this team has made over the years, aligned with that as well? It’s an exciting place to be right now.”
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