In their 2024-25 preseason opener on Sept. 22, the Philadelphia Flyers were soundly victorious over the Washington Capitals, 6-2. Although the Capitals only had a few of their NHLers in the mix, the Flyers sat some of their key players, too. None of Travis Konecny, Sean Couturier, Cam York, or Travis Sanheim suited up, for example.
Both Bobby Brink and Morgan Frost had two goals, meanwhile Joel Farabee and Olle Lycksell got on the board once. Brink, Frost, Farabee, Matvei Michkov, and Jett Luchanko all had multi-point contests. Between the pipes, Ivan Fedotov had 10 saves on 12 shots (with 1.72 expected goals against, so his .833 save percentage is better than it seems) through the first two periods while 19-year-old Carson Bjarnason stopped all eight shots he faced in the final frame, plus three more in a practice shootout. In said shootout, Brink and Owen Tippett found the back of the net.
With the stats recap aside, what were some takeaways for the Orange and Black? Who were the standouts?
Farabee & Brink Duo Should Get an Extended Look
The Flyers played a line consisting of Farabee and Brink with 2024 first-round pick Jett Luchanko down the middle (who I’ll get to in a bit). That trio combined for eight points on the afternoon (six of which were at 5-on-5), showing some nice chemistry as they feasted on the rush and put up plenty of scoring chances. Specifically, both Farabee and Brink shined, providing some evidence that they should be by each other’s side at least entering the 2024-25 regular season.
At even strength last season, Brink played just over half of his ice time (331:16 in total) alongside Farabee. Together, they scored 18 goals, allowed 14 of them, and put up a 48.0 expected goals percentage (xGF%). While the two didn’t necessarily dominate when looking at expected goals (a measure of chance generation), it’s important to note that Brink was on the ice for 11 goals and 12 against with a 43.7 xGF% in 328:09 of ice time away from Farabee.
In April of 2024, the two played just a hair over six minutes together over the course of six contests. In the first two months of the season, they spent a decent majority of their time together before that share decreased. Based on what the two showed in this contest, they should be together to start out once again.
Both Farabee and Brink had some dangerous scoring chances against Washington, largely due to their strengths on the rush. Just like they exemplified in several instances last season, they kept defenses honest. Their line with Luchanko in the middle generated 1.02 expected goals at 5-on-5 with a very solid 73.9 xGF% and a plus-2 rating. Shooting the puck on net 10 times and allowing just two shots against, the trio couldn’t have been better. The NHL veterans here, Farabee and Brink, are making their case to be on each other’s line on Oct. 11 (opening night).
Can Michkov Save the Flyers’ Power Play?
The Flyers’ power play was dead last in the NHL last season. In fact, it has ranked 32nd in the league for its last three campaigns, going all the way back to 2021-22. However, you wouldn’t be able to tell that if the contest against the Capitals was your first time watching the Orange and Black. Led by Michkov, the seventh pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, that unit scored twice in three attempts. So, the following question looms: Can Philadelphia’s man advantage be saved by a 19-year-old?
It’s hard to really analyze Michkov’s individual impact after one game, but he certainly added an extra element to the Flyers’ power play. Sure, it was mostly against the Capitals’ sub-NHL talent and with players like Tippett and Frost by his side, but he looked really solid. At the very least, his craftiness inspires that the team won’t have a fourth straight campaign in the power-play basement.
Frosty nets his second of the night and the boys are buzzing in The District.#PHIvsWSH | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/vC9qkfazcZ
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) September 22, 2024
Michkov was on the ice for 1.14 expected goals and two goals in total on the man advantage. In 2023-24, the Flyers had just 3.07 expected goals and two actual goals on the power play in six preseason contests (and an extra 30:52 of ice time)—the shift here is very real. This unit probably won’t lead the NHL, but it is undoubtedly poised to see some improvement.
Things might not go swimmingly right away in 2024-25 as the Flyers find their chemistry, but one would expect Michkov to make a real difference. His playmaking upside is sky-high and he is a weapon behind the net. Additionally, he can shoot a puck as good as anyone on the team—he is the full offensive package. But is that enough to help Philadelphia’s man advantage return to respectability? We’ll have a few more preseason contests to come closer to a conclusion.
Luchanko Trying His Best to Make the Flyers
In his preseason debut, Luchanko furthered the narrative that there’s a non-zero chance he’s in the NHL in 2024-25. The 18-year-old was excellent between Farabee and Brink, generating a large share of scoring chances and putting up two 5-on-5 assists on top of that. It’s obviously best not to rush a prospect, but he might legitimately be ready for the next step if he continues to impress.
Related: Philadelphia Flyers’ Jett Luchanko Could Make the Team in 2024-25
In the article above, I mocked Luchanko as the center for Farabee and Brink if he were to make the team, which is exactly what he was in this contest. He’ll have to prove himself even further, but he looked comfortable and seems poised to make it a real challenge for bottom-six centers Scott Laughton and Ryan Poehling to retain their roles full-time.
Luchanko is set to play in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the Guelph Storm this season, but his battle for an NHL spot should be an intriguing one to monitor moving forward. This is basically a win-win situation—this will be a worthwhile experience regardless of the end result.
Next up, the Flyers will visit the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre on Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Since it’s a back-to-back, expect some new players to get some ice time in.
Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick
