It’s been four years since the Philadelphia Flyers reached the postseason. Turning over a portion of their roster over the last few years, the Flyers opted to build for the future.
However, the team looks to be on the upswing. The Flyers hold a 12-10-3 record thus far and find themselves in the playoff mix early on.
So below, we take a look at the team’s biggest reasons for hope, and concern, through 25 games.
Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim are leading the way
Amidst a lot of turnover over the last few years, two of the Flyers’ key veterans who have stayed put are Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim.
This offseason, Konecny signed a huge eight-year extension with the Flyers, worth $8.75 million per year. It doesn’t kick in until 2025, but will look like a bargain if Konecny can sustain this production. So far this season, Konecny has already posted 13 goals and 30 points, across 25 games.
While Konecny has scored at an 82-game pace of 78 points over the last two seasons, this still marks a step up. He leads the team in both goals and points by a large margin, and with no other player on the team even at 10 goals or 20 points.
Sanheim, on the other hand, has taken on a huge role as expected. He’s averaged 25:30 per game this season, marking an increase of almost two minutes per game from last year. Sanheim is also one of five players on the team with a positive plus-minus rating.
He’s also contributed offensively, with five goals and 15 points already, sitting third on the team in points. If he can sustain that pace across 82 games, it would mark the highest number of his career.
So while the Flyers may be a young team, it’s been the two key veterans carrying a lot of the weight.
Others are struggling out of the gate
While Konecny and Sanheim have been good, some of Philadelphia’s other core pieces have been a little cold.
Owen Tippett, who posted 28 goals and 53 points last season, has just five goals and 12 points. Meanwhile, Sean Couturier, who’s seen his impact decline in recent years, doesn’t look to be set for any type of real resurgence. The Flyers’ captain, whose contract carries a $7.75 million cap hit, has six goals and 14 points over 24 games. His underlying numbers are strong, but the offense hasn’t come yet.
Joel Farabee also looked like he could be a candidate to take a step, but he’s struggled early on. After setting career highs in goals and points last season, Farabee has scored just three goals and eight points over 25 games.
Other young pieces have also struggled. Tyson Foerster has just eight points in 24 games, while Morgan Frost appears to be a possible trade candidate.
On the blue line, Jamie Drysdale has been out of action for almost a month. Meanwhile, Egor Zamula has struggled to grow his role, facing the lowest quality of competition of any Flyers defenseman.
With a really young group, the Flyers are relying on their young stars to take a step. Thus far, that hasn’t really been the case.
Matvei Michkov is delivering as expected
Selected seventh overall by the Flyers in 2023, the were questions about how long it would take before Michkov would arrive in the NHL. Playing in the KHL and spending his entire career in Russia, it seemed like Michkov could be a ways off from joining the Flyers. This summer, however, Michkov signed his entry-level contract, quickly building hype around his arrival.
Early into his rookie season, Michkov hasn’t disappointed. The winger has posted nine goals and 19 points across just 23 games, becoming an impact player at just 19 years old.
For context, Konecny is the only player on the Flyers with more goals and points than Michkov. Every player on the team other than Michkov and Konecny is scoring at an 82-game pace of less than 50 points. Michkov’s 82-game pace is 68 points.
Needless to say, the Flyers haven’t gotten a ton of offense this season, ranking 22nd in the NHL in goals per game. But so far, Michkov has been one of the clear bright spots.
For Michkov to have already joined the Flyers, and now immediately be making an impact, all signs point to him becoming a star in the NHL as anticipated.
Flyers are building for a brighter future
Despite some of their key pieces not providing the desired impact, the Flyers are building long-term. The Flyers weren’t really expected to be a serious postseason contender, and the year should be based on development. So while we’ve seen a slow start from some of their young talent, there’s still a lot of season left.
The Flyers have even managed to keep up thus far, despite many of their pieces not contributing a ton. Philadelphia sits ninth in the Eastern Conference in points percentage and has been very hot as of late, holding a 7-2-1 record across their last 10 games.
The biggest thing for the team this year is seeing progress. So while it hasn’t been a perfect year, the fact that the Flyers remain in the mix for a playoff spot is still a bright spot.
