With the 2024-25 season bringing its fair share of highs and lows, the Flyers' front office has made it overtly clear that they are moving on from certain players (Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee) and relying on long-term pieces of their core in Travis Sanheim, Travis Konecny, and Owen Tippett. Signing Tyson Foerster and Noah Cates to their respective extensions also indicates that the Briere and company aren't hesitant to reward players they see as valuable for the team's rebuild.
Young guns such as Jett Luchanko, and potentially Alex Bump, Denver Barkey, and Oliver Bonk, are all in the pipeline for the orange and black as well. Centered around a potentially breakthrough season for Michkov, what identity should the Flyers adopt as their own with the expected influx of blossoming talent? Now that Rick Tocchet is taking the reins next year, the team may have a drastically different playing style than fans have seen under former Flyers' bench boss John Tortorella.
It's no surprise that the Flyers played a semi-predictable style that was consistent with a more "old-school" brand of coaching. Due to the speed of Tippett, Konecny, Poehling, Brink, etc., and the offensive rushing ability of Sanheim and Drysdale, Tortorella adapted an interesting game plan night in and night out: defensively focused with quick transitions in the neutral zone to generate rush-based offense.
After all, it was no secret that the Flyers were never afraid to block shots (looking at you, Nick Seeler) and spring odd-man rushes to Michkov and Konecny. In the 2023-2024 season, this worked tremendously well. In the 2024-25 season, not so much. With a reasonably young roster and a blank canvas for Rick Tocchet, which NHL teams should the Flyers model their playing style after?
Dallas Stars
For the second straight season, the Dallas Stars have fallen to the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Final. With that being said, they have continued to bolster their incredibly talented core of elite young players amongst notable NHL veterans. With a seamless blend of emerging and proven NHL players, the Stars relished in the talent of all four forward lines and three defensive pairs. When Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson are on a team's third line, it goes without saying that depth isn't a concern.
With the leadership of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, coupled with the superstar abilities of Mikko Rantanen and arguably Miro Heiskanen, Dallas has proven to be a force to be reckoned with. Oh, don't forget their all-star goalie, Jake Oettinger. Could the Flyers create a star-studded lineup with free agent signings, successful prospect development, and well-executed trades? Only time will tell for Danny Briere and Keith Jones.
Florida Panthers
This goes without saying because who wouldn't want to be part of this phenomenally run franchise? The Panthers have made it to a Stanley Cup Final three years in a row and find themselves two wins away from winning their second consecutive Stanley Cup. Starting from their brick wall in the net courtesy of (former Flyer) Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida has created a stellar concoction of grit, skill, and cohesiveness.
Defending this team is a tumultuous task, as the pure skill speaks for itself. Whether it be the superb two-way play of Alexander Barkov, the net front presence of Sam Bennett, or the consistent defensive prowess of Gustav Forsling and Aaron Ekblad, the Panthers wear down opponents one shift at a time. Plus, Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe, and now Brad Marchand have swarmed the scoresheet each night.
No, the Panthers don't have a dynamic duo like McDavid and Draisaitl. But they are intelligently coached and play with a sense of team unity that was on display for the world to see in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. Not dissimilar to the Stars, the Panthers' front office has made splashes in the trade market, free agency, and hit on a large proportion of their draft picks. Flyers fans can only hope some luck and swift roster management could provide their beloved hockey team with an ideal mixture of physical dominance and finesse a perfect recipe for winning hockey games.
All in all, the Flyers will likely assimilate into their own unique identity in the coming years. Although many teams in the NHL have found success with diversified playing styles, it all depends on the amount of talent the Flyers are able to fill their roster with. Yes, it has been a mental and emotional challenge to be a Flyers fan for the past several years, but 2025-2026 should bring positive growth extending from the front office to behind the bench, and thus on the ice.