The Philadelphia Flyers started with a four-game road trip to begin the 2024-25 season. Late-night stints versus the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Seattle Kraken comprised the challenging stretch. They went 1-2-1 on the trip, showing some early strengths and weaknesses.
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson. Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Let's assess how the Flyers goaltenders, rookies, power play and key players are performing so far.
Flyers goaltenders
The Flyers have a goaltender tandem of Samuel Ersson and Ivan Fedotov this season. They both have started two games so far and...let's just say the Flyers may be in some trouble.
Ersson opened against the Canucks and Oilers, and had to replace Fedotov against the Kraken. Through three games, Ersson is 1-0 with a goals-against average of 2.97 and a save percentage of .887. He has kept the Flyers in games by making huge saves with his glove and pads.
Fedotov, on the other hand, has been a cause for concern. He played the entire game against the Flames, but was pulled to start the third period against the Kraken. Through the two games, Fedotov is 0-2 with a goals-against average of 6.09 and a save percentage of .818.
While Ersson has been making important saves, Fedotov has been allowing soft goal after soft goal. He allowed two pucks to go through his legs with minimal traffic in front against the Kraken. If he wants to continue to be a backup goaltender in the majors, he's going to have to step up his game.
Flyers rookies
Matvei Michkov and Jett Luckanko both made their NHL debuts against the Canucks and have played some solid hockey so far this season.
Michkov has two goals and two assists in the four games played and has seen plenty of time on the first power-play unit. He scored his first goal in the NHL against the Oilers on the power play and would score another power-play goal later in the period. Although he is a minus-five in the plus/minus category, he has shown lots of promise with his hands, shooting and ability to read plays and react quickly.
Luchanko has played in three of the four games this season and hasn't recorded any points thus far. He is a minus three in the plus/minus category. However, he has seen time on the second power-play unit and has used his speed to create scoring opportunities all over the ice.
If his lack of direct production continues, there may become a question of whether Luchanko's spot in the lineup is safe or not. As Luchanko gets used to what is being asked of him at the NHL level, he should become a more comfortable and balanced player. His role is safe for now.
The power play
The power play has been a problem for the Flyers for years and they're hoping that with the addition of Michkov, their numbers will improve.
Michkov is tied for fifth in the NHL with four power-play points which is giving the team a 26.3 percent efficiency rate. So far this season, the Flyers have gotten 19 power-play opportunities and have scored 12 goals.
Established zone time has been a problem for the first power-play unit at times, but with more experience, it should get better. If the Flyers can continue to capitalize on the man advantage when given the opportunity, they should have a decent chance at making the playoffs.
Key players stepping up
If the Flyers want to have any chance of making the playoffs this year, they're going to need key players to step up. So far, Scott Laughton and Bobby Brink have been doing just that.
Laughton has played all four games and has recorded two goals and two assists for four total points. He is the only Flyer on the team with a plus number in the plus/minus category (plus two).
Laughton is a player who loves to take his chance on the penalty kill to score a goal. Fans often see him on a two-on-one with Konecny on the other side of the ice. One of Laughton's assists is from a shorthanded goal by Konecny.
Brink is another player who is stepping up his game this season. Through four games, Brink has one goal and three assists. Although he is a minus one, he has shown that he is a valuable piece to this Flyers team with his agility and skillful hands.
One other player who should be mentioned here is Owen Tippett. While he's only registered one assist through four games and is a minus-three, he is all over the ice on his shifts. Tippett is "snake-bitten" as he's come very close to scoring, but hasn't gotten any pucks to go into the net.
