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For a team in the midst of a rebuild, the Philadelphia Flyers were surprisingly competitive last season. Ultimately, they still missed the playoffs, but they hung around longer than anyone would've predicted. Coming off a couple of tough seasons, simply finishing with a record above .500 was a surprise. By the time the season ended, their 11th-place finish in the Eastern Conference was respectable.
The Flyers are still a little ways off from really competing in 2024-25, but they've managed to slowly pivot to a younger roster. So below, we take a look at their projected roster, and what we can expect their season to look like.
Projected defense group and goaltending
On the blue line, Philadelphia enters the year with a group of all returning players. Travis Sanheim can be expected to take on the largest role again, but the team will also count on both Cam York and Jamie Drysdale taking a step. Meanwhile, Nick Seeler, Rasmus Ristolainen, Egor Zamula, and Erik Johnson will round out the group.
While there are some solid pieces within the group, there aren't enough established defenders in place. Development will be at the forefront, but there could be some growing pains.
In net, the Flyers are running with a fairly inexperienced tandem as well. Samuel Ersson ended up taking over as the team's starter last season, playing 51 games for the team. He posted just a .890 save percentage over that time, but there's hope that he could be a long-term fit.
Meanwhile, Ivan Fedotov finally joined the Flyers last season, nine years after being drafted by the team. Fedotov had an excellent KHL track record, but it still remains to be seen how he'll adjust to North America. Ultimately, we don't know exactly what the Flyers are going to get with the tandem.
Projected forward group
Despite being a rebuilding team, the long-term core of the Flyers' forward group is now starting to take shape. Both Travis Konecny and Owen Tippett inked long-term extensions, while Joel Farabee still has four years remaining on his contract.
Then while the Flyers may not have taken a big swing in free agency, they do have one notable addition to their forward group. Matvei Michkov, selected seventh overall in 2023, ended up coming over from Russia earlier than expected and has legitimate superstar potential. While expectations need to be realistic for a rookie season, Michkov is a massively exciting add to the team's offense.
Down the middle, the Flyers are notably a little thin, however. Sean Couturier really took a step back last season and while Morgan Frost could continue to get better and Scott Laughton can be a quality third-line center, the team doesn't have enough high-end offense down the middle at this point.
Still, Tyson Foerster and Bobby Brink should continue to develop as well. Meanwhile, Ryan Poehling, Noah Cates, Garnet Hathaway, and Nicolas Deslauriers all provide solid depth.
Overall, the Flyers' forward group isn't elite by any means, but there's enough young talent present that there's some reason for excitement. They finished 27th in goals last season, but we could see a small improvement this season. Considering they retained all key forwards this offseason, their young talent could see them take a step in the right direction.
Playoffs remain a long shot for Flyers
Though the Flyers surprised early last year, their 2024-25 season outlook doesn't look wildly promising. Comparing them to other teams around the East, they probably fall into a group of lower-end teams with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Montreal Canadiens, and Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Metropolitan Division is stacked with several teams who are locks for the postseason. The New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils both look very well-rounded, while the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals will compete as well. Even in terms of competing for a wildcard spot, they'd face tough competition from Atlantic Division teams as well.
Again, the Flyers are building for long-term success. They're slowly putting the pieces in place to be good for a long time, and have a good base of young talent within their roster. But in terms of short-term success, the Flyers will have a tough path to the postseason. The most realistic outcome is a finish within the bottom half of their division.
Still, there's reason for excitement around this season. Matvei Michkov is the highlight, but any of Owen Tippett, Joel Farabee, Tyson Foerster, Bobby Brink, and Morgan Frost could take another step up front. Meanwhile, Cam York and Jamie Drysdale – still in their early 20s – are positioned to develop into long-term pillars of the blue line. In goal, either of Samuel Ersson or Ivan Fedotov have the potential to become key pieces as well.
So while the Flyers likely won't have a ton of success in the standings, the greater emphasis should be on how much their young talent can contribute.
