As the Philadelphia Flyers near the Christmas break and other holiday festivities, they are 14-13-4. With their playoff odds as good as anyone else’s in the wildcard hunt, the Orange and Black will need a boost to establish themselves as a clear-cut postseason team in the Eastern Conference.
With the season of giving upon us, what three gifts should the Flyers want from Santa Claus in their time of need?
Gift One: Drysdale’s Continued Success
Since returning from a lower-body injury that kept him out of action for a month, Jamie Drysdale has been one of the best defensemen on the Flyers. If you’ve been paying attention to his tenure with the Orange and Black, it’s a pretty out-of-the-blue revelation but one that is a dream come true. All stats below are at 5-on-5:
Related: Philadelphia Flyers’ Jamie Drysdale Blossoming After Injury Recovery
Prior to his last four games, the 22-year-old had a 42.62 expected goals percentage (xGF%) since joining the Flyers last January. As a result, he was outscored 32-10 for a goals percentage (GF%) of 23.81. Among the 13 defenders who played for the team in that span, the offensively minded blue liner was dead last in both metrics. Opponents thoroughly outplayed him in his minutes, unfortunately making the youngster a considerable liability.
But things have changed. With a 67.42 xGF% since he returned to the ice on Dec. 8, Drysdale ranks second on the team among defensemen. He has outscored his foes 7-0 for a perfect 100.0 GF%. Just to give you an idea of how immense this turnaround is, he was only on the ice for five goals in his first 30 contests as a Flyer. He allowed 28.
The top wish on the Flyers’ Christmas list should be for Drysdale to keep it up. He is an essential part of their future, no way around it—his early struggles were a hard pill to swallow, even if they were to be expected for a player of his age and with his injury history. Now that he is in a groove for, really, the first time in Philadelphia, sustaining it could mean big things.
Gift Two: Andrae Staying in the Lineup
You know how I said Drysdale is second among defensemen in xGF% over the Flyers’ last four games? Emil Andrae is first, and he was a healthy (or maybe not-so-healthy) scratch in back-to-back contests. Getting the Swede in the lineup again is paramount to the team’s success.
Giving a rookie a bit of a break makes sense, but he was red-hot. Andrae, just 22, is a key piece for the Flyers’ defense. Among all NHL defensemen with at least 300 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5, he is second in relative xGF%. This means, relative to his teammates, he’s outplaying the competition more significantly than almost anyone else in the league. That’s an honor he shares with some of the best:
Top 10 NHL defensemen in relative expected goal share at 5-on-5 (300+ TOI):
— Justin Giampietro (@justingiam) December 15, 2024
1. Quinn Hughes
2. Emil Andrae*
3. Thomas Chabot
4. Adam Fox
5. Rasmus Dahlin
6. Victor Hedman
7. Filip Hronek
8. Cale Makar
9. Thomas Harley
10. Noah Dobson
*Rookie
We can back this stat up with the eye test. Andrae has been excellent on the puck, a key player in transitioning from defense to offense. He’s not the most dynamic threat in the offensive zone at this stage with five points in 19 games, but the hope is that he’ll get there someday. Whether he’s involved on the score sheet or not, Philadelphia has complete control over their opponents when Andrae is on the ice. It’s that simple.
With several days between the Flyers’ last game (Dec. 14; a 4-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild) and their next (Dec. 18 versus the Detroit Red Wings), Andrae will most definitely be playing then. But that doesn’t mean the Flyers can’t wish for him to never depart their blue line again, even if it was in his best interest at the end of the day.
Gift Three: Ersson and Kolosov Form a Reliable Duo
For the Flyers’ third and final gift, they should want their now-solidified goaltending duo to lead the way. Even with just modest play in the net since Nov. 7 (.890 save percentage; 22nd in the NHL), the team is sixth in total points (23) since that date. Disastrous goaltending got the Orange and Black in a hole early in the season, but they dug their way out with some good starts here and there. Can Samuel Ersson and backup Aleksei Kolosov continue to impress? Can they improve?
Ersson was rolling before a mid-game injury against the Boston Bruins in November. He missed a week, came back, then was placed on injured reserve following two more appearances. He was sidelined for a month before returning with Drysdale on Dec. 8.
In his last three contests, Ersson hasn’t reached a .865 save percentage once. He has been far from poor, as the Flyers’ defense hasn’t been the best in front of him, but he isn’t stealing two points like he was prior to his ailment. He stopped 53 of 54 shots between Oct. 29 and Nov. 2, then his discomfort began.
So, Ersson has the potential to be a world-beater. When the Flyers’ offense isn’t clicking, the 25-year-old is the calming presence they need to come away with a victory. There should be confidence he sees a return to form in some capacity, but he can’t do it alone. This is where Kolosov comes in.
The 22-year-old rookie netminder probably didn’t see himself in this position considering what went on during the offseason, but he’s the backup. To his credit, he has more than earned that role.
Kolosov’s .889 save percentage is far from spectacular, but he is the only goaltender on the team who has stopped more shots than expected. While he’s had some stinkers, Kolosov brings a lot of hope to Philadelphia. His athleticism is evident—he has the potential to be a useful piece this season. He has played to Ersson’s level, if not exceeded it.
Again, the Flyers don’t need Dominik Hasek-level play from their netminders. League-average goaltending has been enough for them to win games (a theme from last season, too). The last wish for the Orange and Black should be that Ersson and Kolosov can be reliable in the net, perhaps going above and beyond to the tune of a good combined save percentage instead of a passable one.
The Flyers have gotten their act together following a bizarrely poor start to the 2024-25 season. But they’re by no means in the clear yet. Some of Santa’s magic may be needed to end their four-year playoff drought—hopefully, Philadelphia is on the nice list.
Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick (unless specified otherwise)
