The Philadelphia Flyers continue to trudge through the dog days of summer while Morgan Frost remains unsigned. While news broke about Russian goaltender Ivan Fedotov, fans shouldn’t read into the seemingly constant updates on a complex and unpredictable situation. With about a month remaining before training camp, general manager (GM) Danny Briere will continue his attempts to finalize the Philadelphia roster.
NHL Network Ranks Michkov, Gauthier, Foerster
NHL Network released its annual prospect rankings ahead of the 2023-24 season, and three Flyers made the top 50. Matvei Michkov finished fourth. Cutter Gauthier landed in the ninth spot, and Tyson Foerster snuck in narrowly at number 49. The list defined a prospect as a player 25 or younger who has played fewer than 25 NHL games. The Columbus Blue Jackets, Nashville Predators, and Buffalo Sabres had four prospects each on the list. The Flyers were one of six teams with three prospects ranked. The Blue Jackets, Flyers, and New Jersey Devils all had two players ranked in the top 10.
Prospect rankings often measure raw talent and the ceiling of a player’s development at the NHL level. The Flyers collected countless draft picks during Ron Hextall’s tenure as GM, but they never built a deep pool of players with superstar potential. They hope that Michkov, Gauthier, and Foerster will provide the offensive firepower the team lacks when the rebuild begins to take better shape.
Morgan Frost Unsigned
The Flyers still haven’t resolved one of the bigger decisions of the offseason. Frost remains unsigned over a month after fellow restricted free agents (RFAs) Noah Cates and Cam York signed two-year deals to stay in Philadelphia. There’s still about a month to go until training camp starts, but the process has taken much longer than originally expected.
“I think they’ll ultimately come to some kind of a compromise. I think (the potential contract is) more likely another one-year deal and then (they’ll) figure it out again next offseason,” Bill Meltzer said as a guest on High & Wide Radio.
Meltzer doesn’t expect the contract negotiations to run past the beginning of training camp. He pointed out that Frost probably wants compensation based on his strong offensive production in the second half of the season. Head coach John Tortorella spoke some revealing words in March about the former Ontario Hockey League (OHL) star.
“I want to be fair with him. I don’t want to overthink it either…He drove me crazy early in the year (with) some of his habits, and he’s corrected those. I just want more time,” he said. “A lot of players that I’m really interested in being here are inconsistent also. That’s what I’ve got to watch myself at.”
Tortorella tends to speak about his players with brutal honesty, even on the record. Reading between the lines suggests that he sees a brighter future for young players around the same age as Frost, like Cates, York, or Owen Tippett, despite inconsistencies in their development. The veteran head coach worked hard to set a new standard for performance during his first year with the Flyers. He understandably wouldn’t want a young player going through growing pains to feel singled out among other players struggling to develop details in their game at the NHL level. However, he was clearly hesitant to compliment Frost.
The need to be fair on the record doesn’t translate to contract negotiations. Tortorella might prioritize upholding the organization’s new standard, but that doesn’t mean the front office will offer Frost the same money as other young players if they don’t think he’s as valuable. The veteran bench boss spoke highly of Cates, York, Tippett, and other young players in the organization at different points in 2022-23. He wasn’t so anxious to praise Frost. Does his silence speak volumes when analyzing the contract negotiations?
Another Murky Fedotov Story
Another week went by, and another Fedotov story passed through the news without any real resolution. Flyers fans have beaten a dead horse about minor developments related to his situation, but they still don’t know if Fedotov will come from Russia to North America to play in the NHL. The IIHF released a complicated ruling that banned Fedotov from playing until Jan. 1, 2024.
“Based on the evidence provided to the IIHF by the involved parties, the IIHF has determined that Ivan Fedotov has a valid NHL Contract with the Philadelphia Flyers Hockey Club for the 2023/2024 season. Accordingly, the IIHF has determined that Ivan Fedotov was in breach of a Professional Player Contract per Article II.4.1 of the IIHF International Transfer Regulations when he signed a contract with CSKA hockey club for the 2023/2024 season.”
–Official statement from the IIHF
The ruling also included the suspension for the breach. The unpredictable situation surrounding Fedotov has gone on long enough to the point when there should be no expectations of him making legitimate contributions for the Flyers. He’ll turn 27 before the suspension ends, and he hasn’t made his NHL debut. The thought that he’ll be able to leave Russia for North America, regain rhythm after a year away from hockey, and earn a roster spot midseason is farfetched, to say the least.
Loose Pucks: Bump, Krejci
Prospect Alex Bump announced on his Instagram account that he’ll play for Western Michigan, the alma mater of Keith Jones, in 2023-24. The Flyers selected him in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. The former Minnesota high school hockey star hoped to go higher based on his offensive output in his draft-eligible season, but he slipped to pick 133. Wade Allison and Ronnie Attard rose through the college ranks to the NHL after careers at Western Michigan.
The NHL world stopped this week to recognize David Krejci after the long-time Boston Bruins center retired from hockey. While the 16-year veteran leaves an impressive legacy overall, Flyers fans still associate him as the victim of a vicious check from Mike Richards in Game 3 of the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinal.
Krejci withstood the hit and dished the puck to Miroslav Satan for a goal that helped put the Bruins up 3-0 in the series. However, suffering the hit meant his team wouldn’t have one of their best offensive players for the remainder of the series. The Flyers rallied from the 3-0 series deficit in the most memorable comeback in franchise history.
Related: Flyers Suddenly Have 6 Goaltending Options
Krejci got Philadelphia back with an overtime game-winner in Game 3 of the 2011 Eastern Conference Semifinal that put Boston up 3-0 in the series once again. The Flyers couldn’t make lightning strike twice facing the daunting task of four consecutive wins. Boston completed the sweep on their way to their only Stanley Cup since 1972.
