5 rookies that could impact the Flyers in 2024-25
The Flyers have plenty of young players looking to break into the league. These five rookies have a chance to make an impact on the team next season.
As the Philadelphia Flyers continue in their rebuild, they will be looking to further develop the youth they have on their roster.
It's the same youth who learned a tough lesson on how to close out games late in the season. A big part of the rebuild hinges on these younger players' development. Whether it is someone getting their first taste of the NHL or a prospect still looking to make their marks.
Not all of these rookies will make a huge impact on the team. But every player can play a role, even if it's a small one, in a team's success. It doesn't matter the position, the experience, etc. Even the smallest thing can end up helping out in the end.
Doing something big is just icing on the cake.
These rookies could help make an impact on the Flyers next season
Matvei Michkov
This one is obvious. Matvei Michkov adds a dynamic skill set to this Flyers roster. Don't expect him to be this team's savior, though. He's not here to take over and shouldn't be expected to carry Philadelphia on his shoulders. Instead, he can be another piece to the puzzle that Danny Briere is trying to put together.
Philadelphia is already a winner by having Michkov penciled into their lineup this season, two years ahead of schedule. He will have the ability to grow with a team that is looking to climb back into contending status. It might be better that he is not joining a team that is actively competing. This allows him to learn the league and make mistakes with a group that isn't do or die every game.
It's not just his shooting that teams need to look out for, though it's one of his best assets. Michkov's play with the puck will draw defenders to him and could open up his teammates in the meantime. His 22 assists with HK Sochi last season were the most he has had since his U16 days with Lokomotiv-2004 Yaroslavl in 2019-20.
Michkov will get every opportunity, earning it of course, to shine. If the Flyers have success this year, there's a good chance Michkov will have an impact on at least a part of it.
Ivan Fedotov
Now this is a technicality. By NHL rules, Ivan Fedotov is not considered a rookie because he is 27 years old. However, for this list, we are looking at him as one. He has only played three games in the NHL. The numbers are ugly, but it isn't fair to judge him on those. The team was gassed, trying to stay afloat in the playoff race. There wasn't much time for Fedotov to learn and adapt.
Add that into playing in North America for the first time and learning a brand new culture. Especially at a critical time in the Flyers season. This next season will be a good look at Fedotov and if the long wait was worth it for both him and the team.
He signed a two-year contract in the offseason. And while the money might be a touch higher than some like, it can't be based on anything he did in his limited sample size. With an offseason to train and a fresh season ahead of him, Fedotov should yield much better results.
He enters the season as the likely backup to Sam Ersson unless things go wrong. Fedotov is likely to get a handful of games throughout the season as the Flyers should try to avoid burning out Ersson once again. Now, that will depend on how Fedotov performs. If he excels, Philadelphia can afford to rest Ersson on more occasions. If not, then it's back to what happened last season.
Adam Ginning
Adam Ginning earned his first real taste of the NHL during a nine-game stint last season. And he didn't look that out of place. It's a small sample size, but Ginning helped tilt the play in Philadelphia's end when he was on the ice. The young Swede may not make the Flyers out of training camp, but he is certain to be in the mix throughout the season.
It's tough to say any defensemen knocking on the door can make an impact. The backend is crowded as is. With Rasmus Ristolainen and Jamie Drysdale expected to return, there are seven defensemen on the Flyers' current roster. Aside from Erik Johnson, everyone is a regular in the lineup as well. But injuries are unavoidable, the Flyers are well aware of that.
Ginning signed a two-year deal this offseason amid rumors of him potentially returning to Sweden. He's on the bubble and should find himself on the Flyers at some point during the season. It's not a guarantee, but the fact that the second year of his deal will pay him the same no matter where he is could be a sign that the team sees him as a part of their blueline future.
He played valuable minutes during the Flyers' playoff run and showed himself to be reliable. He's a shutdown, physical defenseman who did score his first NHL goal last season. It may not be a huge impact, but if Ginning can give the team the same kind of minutes as he did before, it will go a long way.
Emil Andrae
Emil Andrae should get another chance to show the Flyers that he can handle the NHL. Andrae got his first taste of NHL action last season but faltered during his four games. It was clear that he wasn't ready for the level of play. He returned to the Phantoms where he had a rather successful year.
Andrae posted five goals and 32 points in 61 games. He was second among defensemen in goals, behind Ronnie Attard's 10, and was first in points. He also added three points in six playoff games. Not bad for his first full season in North America. He does have another year after this on his contract so this isn't a make-or-break season for him. But holding his place on the depth chart is important, especially with some of the names coming up.
Just like Ginning, Andrae likely won't make the team out of camp. Unless he blows the team away and shows he has made a drastic improvement to catch up to the NHL level, he will be back with the Phantoms to start the year. He was rewarded with a spot on the opening roster last year, but again, he wasn't strong enough to remain there.
Spots on the backend are extremely hard to come by so Andrae will have to show the Flyers that the inconsistences he had before are gone. No one is perfect, of course, but he will still need to have enough positives to outweigh them. The Flyers have three players 24 years or younger on defense so youth isn't an issue. If Andrae can prove he can hang with players bigger and stronger, he will play NHL games.
Hunter McDonald
While it could be wild to say a player who has yet to play in the NHL could make an impact, it's not impossible for Hunter McDonald. The team has long been a fan of his style of play and the compliments continued to flow at development camp. McDonald plays an old-school style as a bruising defenseman.
He debuted with the Phantoms after two years at Northeastern. While that is where he is likely to play a majority of the season, debuting with the Flyers doesn't seem far fetched. The Flyers have plenty of offensive defensemen on their blueline, but lack a truly physical player. But McDonald can do more than just hit players.
As Nick Schultz said, McDonald's skating is what sets him apart from the old-school defensemen. He's able to get up the ice and involved in the offense. And for a player who plays a physical brand of hockey, he only had 32 penalty minutes during his final collegiate season. In 11 games with the Phantoms, he had 12 penalty minutes. Being able to toe the line with his aggression is an important thing to learn.
Again, he likely wouldn't make a huge impact at the NHL level to start. But the Flyers are very much interested in his potential. If he can show that he has the ability to translate his game, they may find a spot for him during the season.
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