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From Oct. 11 to Oct. 17, the Philadelphia Flyers completed a challenging four-game road trip in which they went 1-2-1. Late-night bouts with the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Seattle Kraken had mixed results, as the team was outscored 18-13 but had some good moments. What are the biggest positives and negatives from the seven-day stretch?
Positive One: Jett Luchanko
The first positive of this season’s action has to be Jett Luchanko. His efforts haven’t paid off in the plus/minus department (minus-3), but an on-ice save percentage of .826 combined with a 6.3 on-ice shooting percentage isn’t doing him any favors. The reality here is that, while he hasn’t been perfect, he is more or less indistinguishable from a regular NHLer. Just 18, he may be a key center for the Orange and Black in 2024-25.
Head coach John Tortorella has raved about Luchanko’s game this season. As the youngster gets more comfortable with what the NHL demands out of its players, he should become more balanced. He has elite speed, has shown some chemistry with fellow teenager Matvei Michkov, and is capable of handling various situations. Right now, it seems as though his spot is safe on the team.
Negative One: Ivan Fedotov
After a rocky three-game stint in 2023-24, the hope was that recently extended Ivan Fedotov could improve in 2024-25. With a $3.275 million average annual value (AAV) over two seasons, expectations were high. He had some impressive campaigns in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) but next to zero NHL experience, so this was a boom-or-bust move. So far, it has been the latter.
In his season debut versus the Flames, he allowed five goals on 31 shots and did not look comfortable in the net. Given an opportunity at redemption versus the Kraken, it was reasonable to think that he had nowhere to go but up—he had the worst game of his career. Sacrificing five goals on 24 shots and pulled at the end of the second period, a rest day for starter Sam Ersson became his 35th appearance in the Flyers’ last 42 games.
Though I recently argued Fedotov should have a decent-sized leash, I also didn’t expect him to get worse following an uninspiring first four NHL games. The whole point of putting him in the net is to see what he can provide and get Ersson rest, but that last part didn’t happen. Fedotov maybe has one final chance to prove his worth, otherwise, the 27-year-old will have to regain his confidence in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Positive Two: We Could See Alexei Kolosov
With Fedotov’s struggles, there is a glass-half-full approach. Goaltender Alexei Kolosov was set to join the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL, but rumors over the summer suggested he would rather play in the KHL. He did not arrive at the Flyers’ training camp when it began (never a good sign), leading to trade speculation with a second-round pick emerging as the rumored cost per Elliotte Friedman. Over a month later, he is still a member of the Orange and Black. With the big club’s backup not playing well, Kolosov might soon debut in the NHL.
Kolosov joined the Flyers’ camp in its late stages and even suited up for the Phantoms in a 4-3 win. If the Flyers give up on the Fedotov experiment for a bit, the 22-year-old could be next in line. His youth coupled with a good chunk of professional experience make him an intriguing option between the pipes.
This is the perfect scenario for Kolosov, as it’s what he wanted from the get-go. General manager (GM) Daniel Brière stated that the young netminder wanted instant NHL time rather than serving in the AHL. With Fedotov blocking that, Kolosov felt it would be a better use of his time to return to the KHL. Right now, a stint with the Flyers appears to be on the table.
Negative Two: Flyers’ Defense
The Flyers’ winning formula last season boiled down to a few things, but a rock-solid defense was one of the major keys to nearly making the postseason. In 2024-25, their defense has not been as successful.
Without Nick Seeler due to injury (and Sean Walker due to a trade), the Flyers aren’t shutting down opponents like they used to. It hasn’t been disastrous, but their defensive core seems to be more middle-of-the-road than good. The forwards and defensemen alike have blown a few coverages that led to either high-danger chances or goals in the back of their net.
Other than Cam York, it’s hard to find an impressive player on the back end. Even he hasn’t been perfect, so some new combinations might be in store. The team had some bad moments at the start of their previous campaign, so all hope shouldn’t be lost. Still, this isn’t exactly ideal.
Positive Three: Flyers’ Power Play
One of the biggest undoings for the Flyers over the past few seasons has been their power play, but it has reached new levels with Michkov. The 19-year-old is tied for fifth in the NHL with four power-play points, giving the team a 26.3 percent efficiency rate. As I suspected following the preseason, it could be a solid season for the man advantage.
Related: Matvei Michkov Can Take Flyers’ Power Play to the Next Level
It’s not an exaggeration to say that there was never a four-game stint in 2023-24 where the Flyers’ power play looked as good as it did in the last few days. There are small quirks to figure out, as established zone time has been an issue for the first unit at times, but that’ll come with more experience. By season’s end, this could be a top-10 unit.
Negative Three: Daniel Brière’s Recent Contracts
Brière hasn’t exactly been active in terms of adding and subtracting talent since the 2023 offseason concluded, but he has certainly committed to players. During the road trip, some of the bets he placed aren’t exactly living up to their contracts. It’s early, of course, but a GM wants to see his decisions pay off right away—they haven’t quite done that.
Getting Fedotov out of the way, Brière made a big gamble to acquire the Russian netminder and it just hasn’t worked out. While an AAV of $3.275 million isn’t crushing, it could prevent the Flyers from making a move in the future. They’re cap-strapped, and a deal that looks far more likely to be buyout-bound than legitimately beneficial isn’t ideal. Some fans criticized this contract when the pen was put to paper—there’s still a lot of time, but those people might end up being right.
Brière also brought back depth players such as Seeler, Garnet Hathaway, Ryan Poehling, and Egor Zamula on multi-year deals. Saving money might have been the best course of action, but that’s nitpicking territory. Those decisions are passable.
The real concerns here lie with Owen Tippett and Travis Konecny. Signed to eight-year extensions that will take them until they are 33 and 36 respectively for a combined $14.95 million AAV, these were huge risks to take for a team explicitly in a rebuild. It’s way too early in the process to make a conclusive judgment on either player, but the two have not played particularly well.
Tippett has always been iffy on his accuracy, but that has cost the Flyers in many ways this season. He has let grade-A opportunities slip up, which has reached the point of hurting the team. Though his on-ice metrics are fine, if he’s a $6.2 million player, he has to start scoring goals when they’re being fed to him. Among players with 50 minutes of ice time, his individual Corsi per 60 minutes (iCF/60) is the second-highest in the league. He’s attempting more shots than Nikita Kucherov, Auston Matthews, and David Pastrnak, yet he still has zero goals. While there should be hope for the 25-year-old, he has returned to some bad habits.
As for Konecny, he hasn’t exactly struggled but he definitely isn’t living up to the massive $8.75 million AAV he will receive in 2025-26 and beyond. On-ice metrics aren’t entirely useful just four games into a season, so he deserves some grace there, but Konecny hasn’t been a vital contributor like he usually is. He has been useful on special teams and is still a key top-six player, but this seems like a step below what he was a season prior. Perhaps he just needs time to get into a groove—he tends to be pretty streaky.
It’s best to give the Flyers some time before determining how this season will go. Four of some of the toughest games on the schedule may not be the best sample for long-term assertions, but their play is still worth discussing. Does this roster have what it takes to make the playoffs?
Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick
