I have zero faith that the Philadelphia Flyers will repeat the near-miracle run they enjoyed until the last week or two of the 2023-24 season. Sorry, but it’s not happening. This team is too young for the most part at forward, and they have a mixture of youngsters and aging or past-their-prime veterans on the blue line.
As for goaltending, Samuel Ersson and Ivan Fedotov may be the worst one-two combo in hockey, at least for the moment. But that doesn’t mean they’re not going to be an exciting team because, despite the bleakness that I just talked about, there’s a lot to like and enjoy about this Flyers team in 2024-25.
For one, I can see immense growth from Ersson and Fedotov as the season progresses, assuming they stay healthy. Ersson responded well when he was thrust into the spotlight last year, and Fedotov had a full offseason, so good days are coming here.
As for the forwards, we’re also going to see a lot of growth, and I’ll be specifically watching Matvei Michkov and Jett Luchanko. Both were among my favorite prospects in their respective draft classes, and the fact they earned a spot with the big club to kick off the year shows that, in Luchanko’s case, he was one of the better value picks in this year’s draft. Whether he sticks around all season is anyone’s guess, but it’ll be an interesting trial phase.
Philadelphia Flyers may not be a good team, but they’re exciting
Not only in hockey but throughout the professional sports world, young teams not slated to go far have historically been my favorite ones to follow. Watching them grow as a unit from Game 1 to 82 in the NHL is what has kept me interested in the sport for two decades. And while everyone else likes to talk about playoffs late in the season, I’m always more interested in how teams like this can further improve to reach the next level.
There are a few teams who fit this mold in 2024-25, like the Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, and San Jose Sharks. But the perfect influx of incoming youngsters, those still in their early-to-mid-twenties who are returning, and just enough seasoned veterans gives one of the NHL’s youngest and least experienced teams a lot of intrigue.
The best-case scenario for me would be this: Continued growth and consistency from players like Travis Konecny, Joel Farabee, Owen Tippett, Tyson Foerster, Morgan Frost, Cameron York, and Yegor Zamula, just to name a handful, would be ideal. Plus, youngsters like Matvei Michkov, Jett Luchanko, Jamie Drysdale, and Bobby Brink making their marks are something myself and many will be looking for.
I also wouldn’t mind seeing the Flyers move some players like Rasmus Ristolainen, Erik Johnson and even Scott Laughton at around the trade deadline to make room for even more young talent. This isn’t to say I’d like to see a long season in Philadelphia, but one of growth so this team can be ready to roll and contend in 2025-26.