Hockey season is not just underway for the Philadelphia Flyers, but all of their prospects as well. Some have played more than others, but there have been some early positives for many of them. Who has impressed the most to this point?
Massimo Rizzo, Center
Acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes in a trade that sent away David Kase, Massimo Rizzo already seems to be a solid pickup for what the Flyers gave away. In just two games with the University of Denver thus far, he has piled up a whopping seven assists. Still just 22 years of age, the Flyers might have sneakily found themselves a decent layer.
Rizzo was not a priority in a strong Hurricanes’ prospect pool, especially considering he is a bit older for an athlete still playing college hockey. Nonetheless, he remains one of the better prospects for Philadelphia and is off to a hot start. After 36 points in 39 games in his 2021-22 campaign with Denver and upping that to 46 points in 38 games last season, he looks to be on the way to his best season yet.
Denver Barkey, Center
Denver Barkey, just 18 years old and selected in the third round of the 2023 NHL Draft by the Flyers, has impressed the organization momentously over the past few months. He was one of the team’s best players in their rookie camp and appeared in preseason for the club as well. In the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the London Knights, he has been one of the best players not just on his team, but in the entire league.
With seven goals and six assists for 13 points in his first eight games, he is just one point away from the league lead, while no player in the OHL has scored more goals than him to this point. With how he has performed against players not just his age, but older than him, he might be one of the quicker Flyers’ prospects to play in the American Hockey League (AHL) and feel more comfortable against tougher competition.
The strides that Barkey is making so early in his career are very promising for the Flyers. The team used little draft capital to take him, so if he ever plays an NHL game with the team and potentially becomes a regular lineup player, that would be fantastic news for the rebuild. It will be exciting to see how he develops over the next few seasons.
Cutter Gauthier, Center
With his second collegiate season with Boston College is underway, Cutter Gauthier still appears to be his team’s best player. The former fifth-overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft has just one goal in two games, but that comes with an aggressive 19 shots on goal thus far. He hasn’t been afraid to shoot, which is good news for a Flyers team that lacks superstar talent offensively.
Related: Flyers’ Strengths & Weaknesses for 2023-24
It is likely that Gauthier plays with the Flyers full-time in the 2024-25 NHL season barring a disappointing camp, which is very good news. He could appear late in the season for a few games after his college season ends, so a sneak peak of what he can bring at the NHL level is definitely something to look forward to.
Matvei Michkov, Winger
Matvei Michkov is one of the best prospects in the sport of hockey, and it only cost the Flyers a seventh-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft to land. There are external factors that this comes with, but the Orange and Black should be happy that they took a chance on him at this point. When given an opportunity, he has torn up the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) as an 18-year-old playing against men.
What Michkov has done to this point is completely unprecedented. Really, what he has accomplished has never been seen from a player so young, as a young Alexander Ovechkin was not even scoring at his pace in his time in the KHL.
Michkov remains a point-per-game player in a league where that is uncommon for adults well into their 20s and even some who have played in the NHL before. The 18-year-old is doing it like it’s nothing, and his pace is among those who were considered to be exceptional KHL prospects and dominated at the NHL level.
Michkov is both very skilled and well ahead of the curve. By the time his KHL contract expires prior to the 2026-27 NHL season and he is ready to come to North America, he should be a star in the NHL immediately. Perhaps, he might be ready to compete in the NHL at this point in time already. He is unlike any player before him, and the Flyers’ selection of him in the draft might have gotten them a superstar.
It’s still very early in the season for most of the Flyers’ young guns, but their play and development thus far has been inspiring for the team’s new era. It is always exciting to check in on some prospects, especially for a rebuilding club like Philadelphia.
