The Philadelphia Flyers are finally back to their winning ways. After starting their 2024-25 campaign at a disastrous 1-5-1, they are now 4-6-1. It has come at a cost, though—their offense. Is sacrificing that part of their game good or bad for them, seeing as they aren’t expected to be a championship contender? Let’s discuss some positives and negatives.
Positive One: Flyers Have Some Structure
One of the positives to the Flyers’ shift in play is that they have some structure. During their first few games, they played a style atypical to what we saw in 2023-24. This led to the team being outplayed fairly frequently and down in the dumps with the worst teams in the NHL. They looked the part.
Related: Flyers’ Win Over Blues Shows Progress, Room for Improvement
Recently, though, the Flyers have seen a return to their previous form. Goaltending has been there for them (something we’ll discuss more), but that largely has to do with the fact that not much is happening. The Orange and Black aren’t giving up high-danger looks but they also aren’t generating too many of them. Since they aren’t as talented as many of their opponents from top to bottom, this gives Philadelphia an advantage. Their structure has allowed them to win three of their last four games.
Negative One: Michkov’s Offensive Development Is Limited
Per 60 minutes, the Flyers are only generating 2.42 expected goals (27th) and 2.38 actual goals (also 27th) at even strength. They’ve been one of the better chance suppressors in the NHL, too, but the lack of offense aside from the man advantage is somewhat troubling. That’s especially the case for Matvei Michkov.
Because of course, the 19-year-old leads the team in expected goals generated at even strength—but it’s only 2.90 per 60 minutes. He has blown the team’s (strangely low) expectations for him out of the water, yet he is still not achieving his fullest offensive potential. This has to do with the way the Flyers play.
It’s good for Michkov to learn how to avoid defensive blunders, but his offense is being limited. Top-tier offensive players outscore their defensive futility because it’s better for them to keep their full attention on scoring. Nikita Kucherov and Sidney Crosby are prime examples of this. It allows for fun-to-watch hockey that makes it so the superstars truly have a superstar impact.
But that’s not happening with Michkov. He’s not in the same tier as those players (at least not yet), but he is more or less indistinguishable from a standard top-six forward unless you’re really paying attention. He does the little things that make him special (giving him Rookie of the Month honors for October), but he is too focused on playing “Flyers hockey” and not his own game. He brings an element that no one else can, which is why he was drafted. Let him play like it.
Positive Two: Ersson Is Regaining His Confidence
On the flip side, goaltender Samuel Ersson is finally regaining his confidence. It’s comedic timing considering the last piece I published regarding the Flyers’ goaltending, but he is finally starting to play to his upside again. With a more structured defense in front of him, he has been unstoppable in his past two games with 43 saves on 44 shots. He is making saves that he wasn’t before, but the Orange and Black have definitely helped him out.
Related: Philadelphia Flyers’ Goaltending Is Among the Worst in NHL History
Low-event hockey is generally not great for forwards, but the goaltender has to be thankful. If Ersson is a long-term piece of the Flyers’ puzzle, this season is his time to prove it. He went from hero to zero in a flash in 2023-24, giving him subpar numbers overall. Stellar goaltending has been an issue for the Orange and Black historically (at least since around the 1990s), so having one would go a long way. Yegor Zavragin is showing star potential in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), but it’s nice to have an NHL-proven commodity.
Negative Two: Drysdale Is Out of His Element
When the Flyers struggle offensively, so does Jamie Drysdale. Since he arrived in Philadelphia on Jan. 10, 2024, he has been completely out of his element to the point where he really isn’t even an NHL defenseman. The 22-year-old has lost a lot of time to injuries (and battled through them in 2023-24, so he might just need patience), but his play this season has been disappointing. This has especially applied to low-event games.
Drysdale has been at his best when he isn’t in his own head and trying too hard to play the Flyers’ structure. When games have gotten out of control at both ends of the ice, that’s actually been his bread and butter. An offensive defenseman needs his offense, right? He needs to recognize his own potential and start to gel with the Flyers better. It’s just an observation, but he has done that best when games have been exciting and high-scoring. Some food for thought.
The Flyers have won three of their last four, but it has come with a cost. They have been ineffective in the offensive zone but great in the defensive zone, leading to some forgettable games. Is this a good thing, or not?
Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick
