Flyers have plenty of business to conduct after '4 Nations' break

As NHL clubs get back onto the ice in the coming days to begin the mad dash to the end of the regular season, the Philadelphia Flyers have plenty of work ahead of them over the next two months as they look to maneuver themselves into a better position for the 2025-26 season and beyond.

From an on-ice standpoint, the Flyers sit six points out of the final playoff spot, which the Detroit Red Wings currently hold. On its face, that doesn't sound unconquerable. Realistically, however, it's not going to happen. The Flyers are not only looking up at Detroit but at six other teams who stand in their way just to scrape their way into the playoffs. Throw in the fact that the Flyers have the fewest regulation+OT wins (ROW) of any of the clubs in question, they would lose almost every tie-breaking scenario. So, barring a level of play for an extended period that the Flyers have not exhibited in several years, their season will be ending with Game 82 on April 17.

The Flyers have plenty of business to conduct after the '4 Nations' break

But this isn't the end of the story, as the Flyers have multiple important decisions to make in the coming weeks and months concerning personnel and shaping the kind of team that they want to put on the ice for the foreseeable future. Danny Briere and the front office likely have things brewing that aren't even on the radar for most, but here are three key items that they will need to be proactive about and make decisions on in a relatively short period.

Showcase Andrei Kuzmenko

One of the newest Flyers, Kuzmenko looked very good in his Orange and Black debut as he finally got into the team's last game before the break, a 3-2 win over the Penguins. A lot of that can probably be chalked up to adrenaline and the fact that Kuzmenko was super fresh after visa issues had kept him out of game action for over a week. Still, with his expiring deal, now is the time to find out what you've got with him.

Viewed by many as just a salary dump by Calgary, Kuzmenko is also handily serving as a touchpoint for Matvei Michkov as the Russian rookie looks to improve on recent results as he enters the home stretch of his first season in North America. The Flyers might as well try Kuzmenko out with Michkov and give him ample power play time. He has most definitely struggled for the last year-plus, but Kuzmenko has shown offensive brilliance before, so maybe he can again.

In one scenario, Kuzmenko looks so good that another club blows the Flyers away with a trade offer to rent him for the rest of the season. And if the Flyers give him ample opportunity but Kuzmenko is underwhelming, no harm no foul as he becomes a free agent. The least likely scenario is that he plays well enough to stick around and then takes a pay cut to stay with the Flyers, but we'll see what happens.

Figure out what Ivan Fedotov is

Assuming everyone stays healthy, Sam Ersson is likely to start somewhere around 16 or 18 of the Flyers' final 25 games this year. The team does, however, need to give Ivan Fedotov some games to determine what future he might have with the team, if any. Unfortunately, Fedotov has lost his last six decisions, and he hasn't looked particularly good in most of the games. He hasn't won since backstopping the Flyers to a Black Friday win over the Rangers. So, maybe there isn't much hope here at all.

Still, this last stretch of games needs to be used to inform offseason goaltending decisions as the Flyers determine if they can afford to have Fedotov on the team if they intend to be competitive. Ersson may well need a new tandem partner unless Fedotov plays markedly better in his remaining starts, so the Flyers have to make the call on that. Most likely, Fedotov and his $3.275 million salary will need to be buried in the minors next year. The ship has also likely sailed on Aleksei Kolosov, as well, meaning that the team may have to bring in a seasoned veteran this offseason while their other netminding prospects marinate.

Trade Laughton and Ristolainen (probably)

The Flyers are taking the right approach with their veterans who are presumably on the trade block, as you don't just hang a giant 'For Sale' sign and attract lowball offers. The Frost/Farabee trade was a promising opening salvo, showing that this Flyers regime will not spurn valuable assets in the name of keeping a harmonious locker room. You can talk about 'clubhouse culture' all you want, but the fact remains that this group has never tasted anything remotely resembling success, and so change has to be expected.

You know what breeds a strong team identity? Winning games. Any assets that will help the Flyers in the future have to be considered when offered for players like Scott Laughton and Rasmus Ristolainen, guys who are respected by their teammates but who could fetch a lot of help for the organization under the right circumstances. Trading both Laughton and Ristolainen also has the added benefit of freeing up over $8 million of contract commitments next year and over $5 million the year after that.

Some of that will need to be spent on in-house extensions and whatever the returning assets are, but it represents a sizeable chunk that the club could put toward free-agent signings, offer sheets, or a whole host of ways that the Flyers can simply become a better team very soon.

On the flip side, if the right trade simply isn't there before this trade deadline, the Flyers still have the luxury of playing the waiting game and listening to offers on both Laughton and Ristolainen all summer and during next season. Someone will probably get desperate at some point, and the Flyers need to be ready to take advantage whenever that occurs.

Further 'business' for the Flyers will involve determining how young players like Bobby Brink and the just-acquired Jakob Pelletier might fit long-term, as well as taking a long, hard look at John Tortorella's role in the organization going forward. In actuality, there is very little set in stone for the Flyers as they face a fifth straight non-playoff season and look to be finally gearing up to compete. There are many more moving parts than the ones just mentioned, but these are the most critical areas facing the club in the here and now as they look to reclaim some kind of foothold in the Eastern Conference.