While we’re waiting for the Flyers to decide on a new coach, it might be worth going over what the new guy is going to need when he gets here.
For instance, at least one headline player at the center position.
Or probably some more depth there, which we’re pretty sure general manager Daniel Briere is going to address, either at the NHL Draft on June 27-28, trades or free agency.
Think about it: In just the past few months, center Morgan Frost was part of the trade (along with winger Joel Farabee) with Calgary well before the trade deadline and then center/wing Scott Laughton was shipped to Toronto on the final day of player transactions.
On top of that, Sean Couturier’s days at or near the top of the Flyers’ depth chart in the pivot position are probably coming to a close. He’s the longest-serving athlete in Philadelphia professional sports and, with two back surgeries in his medical history, might have a tough time keeping up with speedsters like Travis Konecny and Matvei Michkov.
Noah Cates and Ryan Poehling are fine players but don’t even have a 20-goal season on their resumes yet.
Defense is also a position the Flyers might have to put under a magnifying glass.
While Travis Sanheim and Cam York make up a pretty good top pair, there are a number of question marks after that. Veteran Rasmus Ristolainen won’t be ready for the start of next season (triceps surgery) so that’s one concern.
Then you have the issue of whether the Flyers have enough of a physical presence on the back line. York, Jamie Drysdale and Emil Andrae do not leave 220-pound forwards shaking in their skates.
And perhaps the biggest concern is whether the goaltending is up to the task.
Samuel Ersson, who will be on Sweden’s roster for the World Championships, had a respectable season but has this tendency to go through mini-slumps. In postseason interviews, Ersson revealed he was recovering from injuries more than people knew, so maybe 2025-26 will provide an opportunity to show what he can do if healthy.
The backups, both Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov, had their moments but there were too many nights when a bad goal allowed at a crucial moment led to defeat.
As for restricted free agents, the Flyers still have to get York, Tyson Foerster, Cates and Jakob Pelletier signed to new deals.
It promises to be a busy summer for the Flyers and Briere, who gave the impression that his team may have turned a corner in a positive way after five straight dark springs. Let the personnel moves begin.
>Offseason entertainment
Since fans of the local hockey team don’t have a lot to cheer for in the Stanley Cup playoffs, there’s always the option of pulling for players who used to be on the Flyers’ payroll.
This year, there seem to be an unusual number of Philadelphia alumni patrolling the rinks through the first round-and-a-half of the quest for the championship.
At least 16 ex-Flyer players have seen action so far. Some were traded away from Philadelphia, others left via free agency.
We’ve put together our own “Ex-Flyer All-Star” team who have competed in the playoffs this year. This is not to pass judgment on the current Flyers regime or the ones of Chuck Fletcher or Ron Hextall in the past. It’s just having a little fun on the “what if” side of things.
*FIRST TEAM:*
Forward: Claude Giroux, Ottawa Senators
Forward: Brayden Schenn, St. Louis Blues
Forward: Ryan Hartman, Minnesota Wild
Defense: Shayne Gostisbehere, Carolina Hurricanes
Defense: Sean Walker, Carolina Hurricanes
Goaltender: Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers
*SECOND TEAM:*
Forward: Scott Laughton, Toronto Maple Leafs
Forward: Andrei Kuzmenko, Los Angeles Kings
Forward: Cam Atkinson, Tampa Bay Lightning
Defense: Luke Schenn, Winnipeg Jets
Defense: Erik Johnson: Colorado Rockies
Goaltender: Anthony Stolarz, Toronto Maple Leafs
*HONORABLE MENTION:* Nick Cousins, F, Ottawa Senators; Phil Myers, D, Toronto Maple Leafs; Robert Hagg, D, Vegas Golden Knights; Cal Pickard, G, Edmonton Oilers
*COACH:* Craig Berube
Which players do the Flyers wish they had back the most?
Well, Giroux is the biggest name on the list but he’s 37 now and, while he’s about to become an unrestricted free agent, potential landing spot teams might be put off a bit by his current salary of $6.5 million. If he re-signs with the Senators, he probably gets a home-team discount.
Until he was recently injured, Stolarz was really improving his stock in these playoffs. The Flyers might have given up a little too early on the big netminder but Berube, who saw first-hand the work Stolarz did in Philadelphia, is bringing out the best in him.
Parting ways with Bobrovsky probably wasn’t the best move ever made by the Flyers, either. He’s still going strong at 35, has won the Vezina Trophy twice (2013, 2016-17) plus a Stanley Cup (2024). Maybe if Philadelphia hadn’t put so much faith in the “level-headed” Ilya Bryzgalov but. . .oh, well, that’s a story for another day.
