It’s quickly coming up on five seasons without playoff action for the Flyers and under normal circumstances that would be cause for alarm.
However, this is far from a normal scenario.
For the better part of three of those seasons, the Flyers were under the leadership of former general manager Chuck Fletcher, who meant well yet seemed a bit overmatched.
Ownership decided a change was needed and at the end of the 2022-23 season, Daniel Briere and Keith Jones were brought in to take over the roles of GM and team president respectively.
Both ex-NHL players, they saw the need for what amounted to a total rebuild. Briere and Jones knew this wasn’t going to happen overnight. It would take a lot of patience and resilience and that plan was often brought to the fans’/season ticketholders’ attention.
So while the Flyers were in contention for a playoff spot for the better part of four months last season, the fact of the matter was there remained a lot of work to be done.
That plan continues now. Most recently, the trades of former first-round draft picks Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee were proof of that.
It wasn’t that these two productive players weren’t giving their best – it’s just that their present (and future) contract numbers didn’t fit into the team’s long-range plans.
Currently the Flyers have the sixth-youngest roster in the NHL at 26.58 years of age.
And it could get younger if Briere decides to become an even more active seller before the March 7 trade deadline.
With the Flyers in last place in the Metropolitan Division with only 25 games to play, it wouldn’t be a surprise if a few more established players aren’t shown the door.
Philadelphia already has a stockpile of draft picks at its disposal. Plus, there are several prospects, including Emil Andrae, who have already seen action in a Flyers uniform.
These are the kinds of players Briere is counting on to build around – the list including No. 1 prospect Jett Luchanko (who saw four games in Flyers colors at the beginning of the season), defenseman Oliver Bonk and Samu Tuomaala.
Plus, fans have already seen Rodrigo Abols, Anthony Richard and Olle Lycksell.
Chances are the Flyers are going to be taking more lumps before things get better. Still, in the long run, Briere & Co. are hoping to achieve “sustainable” contention status. Some veteran fans remember when the Flyers once went from 1973 to 1989 and made the playoffs every year.
A talented player such as the 18-year-old Luchanko will be the model upon which the Flyers build. Right now he has registered 15 goals/39 points in 29 games with the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League.
According to Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr, who oversees the team’s player development system, Luchanko might still be a year or two away from a steady job on the Flyers but the progress he’s making is very encouraging.
“Jett is going to be a big part of our future,” Flahr said. “He brings a lot of different things to the table with his speed and his competitiveness, along with his details on both sides of the puck.
“He’s a pretty young guy to come in and play the way he did in camp. At the World Juniors, he killed penalties, did whatever they asked him to do. If he’s available next year, then he’ll have a much bigger role and hopefully have success.”
As for Bonk, the future looks equally bright. He’s a big part of the OHL London Knights’ success this season. The son of former NHL star Radek Bonk was running around pro locker rooms at an early age.
“He made huge strides last year,” Flahr pointed out. “We need to get him up against NHL players, the pace, the talent. It’s a different ballgame than junior.
“Oliver’s an intelligent player who logs huge minutes. He’s got a good mind for the game. I would say his hockey sense is his forte. I don’t think being around NHL players will rattle him.”
Flahr is completely on board with the Briere-Jones plan.
“We’re certainly going in the right direction,” he said. “It’s a process and we have to be patient.”
