While the local fan base fixates on the Eagles and the Phillies, the winter sports teams will ramp up for the regular season.
The Philadelphia Flyers opened training camp on Thursday at Flyers Training Center in Vorhees, NJ. The infamous John Tortorella bag skate set the tone for a tough camp for an organization looking to set a high standard for performance during their first long-term rebuild in franchise history.
Matvei Michkov will control the headlines during the preseason, the regular season, and probably for most of his NHL career. The 19-year-old will debut as the most anticipated Flyers prospect since Eric Lindros. He’s at the top of every Flyers fan’s mind.
Related Content: The Real Appeal of Matvei Michkov For Flyers Fans
Another discouraging story made headlines, however. Alexei Kolosov has not reported to training camp. What does it mean for his future with the Flyers?
Matvei Michkov: The Mad Russian
The Mad Russian will debut in orange and black two years earlier than expected. Matvei Michkov brings an offensive skill set the Flyers lacked last season when they finished 27th in the NHL in goals.
Everyone inside and outside the organization has lauded Michkov’s superstar ceiling. He’s among the favorites for the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year, and he’ll be a feature of a Philadelphia power play in desperate need of dynamic scoring after three consecutive seasons as the league’s 32nd-ranked unit.
However, Michkov will need time to transition from the KHL game and develop into a complete player. The Flyers expect growing pains and possible fireworks between a polarizing head coach like John Tortorellas and a competitive spirit like Matvei Michkov.
However, Keith Jones told Kevin Cooney he expects a productive relationship between player and coach.
“The kid’s work ethic is going to be something that endears him to his coach, but that’s not all it takes for Torts. You have to play the game properly when you’re in game situations. You have to obviously be committed in practice to learn those things, and I don’t think there’ll be any issue with that with Matvei. Some of the defensive coverages, etc., there’s going to be a learning curve. But for Torts, as long as you’re putting in the effort and not stubborn about it, then he’s going to find a way to make it work.” –Keith Jones on 97.5 The Fanatic
Tortorella has repeatedly acknowledged his roster’s offensive shortcomings. He’s even granted Travis Konecny some leeway taking offensive-minded risks that can leave the Flyers vulnerable in the defensive zone.
A head coach doesn’t win two Jack Adams Awards and a Stanley Cup without properly recognizing the need to generate offense.
Tortorella also spoke about his impression of Michkov’s assimilation to American culture and life in the Philadelphia area.
“Really, really good (that) his family’s here. I think brother and mom, brother in school. He’s picked up the language pretty quickly, has hung with the guys for a couple of months now which has been very important. My initial look at him, he loves playing hockey. He’s a hockey player, and he wants to be on the ice all the time.” -John Tortorella
Briere’s first major risk as an NHL GM fell into place when Michkov emigrated to the United States. The top prospect has arrived early, and the Flyers playoff legend spoke with optimism about Michkov’s dynamic skill set.
“What I’ve really (been) impressed (by) is how hard he plays in traffic. I guess he’s a little shorter, but he’s stocky, strong. If you looked at the two rookie games, (you saw) how physical he was, how strong he was on the puck, holding onto pucks, and extending plays.” -Danny Briere
Expectations for the 2024-25 Flyers
The Flyers exceeded expectations with 87 points in 2023-24. They occupied a playoff spot for long stretches of the season and finally fell out of the Eastern Conference playoff race in their 82nd and final game.
Will they take another big step forward in 2024-25 with a dynamic offensive addition like Matvei Michkov?
A less impressive Metropolitan Division kept the Flyers afloat for parts of last season, but the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals are among teams that made more impactful offseason additions.
Philadelphia’s goaltending tandem of Sam Ersson and Ivan Fedotov also has a lot to prove without a more established netminder like Carter Hart available.
The Flyers might not exceed their point total from 2023-24, but they will heavily prioritize the internal development of young players, which was arguably their most encouraging sign for the rebuild resulting from last season.
“A lot of our lineup’s going to be a lot like last year, so we have to get better. There’s no help coming in free agency, not for a couple of years. It’s just where we are as an organization, and quite honestly, I’m glad it’s that way. Because I think when you think you need a free agent now, you forget about the process of building.” -John Tortorella
The organization recognized major strides from Cam York as a building block for the future of the blue line in Philadelphia.
Owen Tippett showed flashes of a power forward capable of playing at the top of the lineup for a Stanley Cup contender. Tyson Foerster developed an excellent two-way game that Tortorella consistently complimented.
Who else on the roster might gain favor and join the group as an integral part of the rebuild?
“There’s no doubt that Jamie Drysdale is a big one. Being healthy, we’re excited to see him. Maybe a guy like Bobby Brink. (He) had an up and down season, but we didn’t have him pegged in to make the team last year. When he showed up, he had a great training camp, provided some sparks here and there throughout the season, so maybe he can expand on that… Another one from me would be Noah Cates. He had an excellent rookie season. Last year was a little tougher for him. I expect him to bounce back, but again, the exciting part is we’re a young group, still developing.” -Danny Briere
