In this edition of our Philadelphia Flyers news and rumors report, we’ll look at the possibility of center Jett Luchanko making the team, how goaltending prospect Yegor Zavragin has been playing, and a preseason recap. Who have the standouts been?
Is Luchanko Making the Flyers’ Roster?
The Flyers, who are set to play in their final preseason contest on Oct. 3 versus the New Jersey Devils, have most of their roster figured out. In that game, their lineup will consist of few NHL regulars and instead a decent chunk of their top American Hockey League (AHL) players. Notably, there is a key omission from the lower-end group who is sticking with the big club: Luchanko.
Flyers’ lines with big club group:
— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) October 3, 2024
Michkov-Couturier-Konecny
Tippett-Frost-Foerster
Farabee-Luchanko-Brink
Laughton-Poehling-Hathaway
Before the preseason started, I argued that Luchanko making the team was a very real possibility despite being taken 13th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. Right now, it looks like he could, at the very least, get a nine-game trial period with the Orange and Black to see if he belongs. Since that 10-game mark would burn a season off of his three-year entry-level contract (ELC), it makes sense for that to be the cutoff.
Though he turned just 18 years old in August, Luchanko seems to be a likely candidate to make the team at this point. If that’s the case, it feels like the Flyers are turning a corner in how they go about making their rosters. Rather than giving established veterans who haven’t earned a full-time role the nod over a youngster who outperformed them, the Flyers are doing the opposite. It’s refreshing to see more merit-based opportunities instead of ones solely based on height, weight, or experience.
Nothing is set in stone, but Luchanko getting a chance seems like the right move. It could be most valuable for his career to play in the NHL right away, having people who he aspires to be someday at every corner.
Prior to the start of the Flyers’ 2024-25 campaign, none of their prospects in the last four draft classes have an appearance with Philadelphia to their name. The fact that the youngest of all of them is eyeing his debut with the Orange and Black this early is a sign of the player’s maturation.
Yegor Zavragin Is Stealing the Spotlight
Though he was a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, there were some big expectations for Zavragin this season. Following his domination of the Junior Hockey League (MHL) and Supreme Hockey League (VHL), the 19-year-old had his sights set on perhaps the best league outside of North America: the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
Related: Flyers’ Yegor Zavragin Could Mitigate Potential Loss of Alexei Kolosov
It’s very early in the KHL season, so regression should be expected (especially considering his circumstances), but Zavragin has put on a show. Through five contests, he has a whopping .938 save percentage (SV%) and 2.26 goals-against average (GAA) with HC Sochi. You might recognize that club name, as top prospect Matvei Michkov represented the Orange and Black there last season. In case you weren’t aware, that team was still one of the worst in the KHL despite Michkov’s massive contributions.
Zavragin isn’t in the most ideal situation team-wise, but his numbers are among the best in his age group in history. Of the 30 KHL goaltending seasons among teenagers with at least five games played, Zavragin’s SV% is the fifth-best ever recorded (and the second-best among 19-year-olds). There are some key names in there, such as Ilya Sorokin, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Igor Shesterkin—the production here is elite.
Again, it’s unlikely that this kind of pace is sustainable over the course of an entire season. If it’s not, Zavragin has still shown the Flyers that, thus far, he could be a star in the NHL. It’ll take some time before he is actually seen in Philadelphia since he’s under contract in the KHL through the 2026-27 season, but he’s definitely a player to watch out for. He has the potential to be the face of the Flyers’ crease someday.
Flyers’ Preseason Standouts
With the preseason nearing its end for the Flyers, it’s a good time to recap some standouts. Who were the team’s top performers?
Leading off, Michkov has lit up the preseason with a league-best seven points. With more points in less ice time than Connor McDavid, that’s impressive no matter how you look at it. Michkov has helped the Flyers’ power play perform at a high level and he has been exceptional at even strength. This youngster already seems to be one of the best players on the roster, if not the best.
Joel Farabee has also been a pleasant surprise. He has five points in three contests, and that’s not a misleading metric. He has been playing some of his best hockey, being heavily involved at even strength and controlling play overall.
Sam Ersson has only had two preseason appearances, but he was lights-out in both of them. He stopped 67 out of 69 shots, putting up a .971 SV%, 1.01 GAA, and allowing 4.30 fewer goals than expected. Ersson did this whilst facing New York Islanders and Boston Bruins rosters with a good chunk of NHL talent, so he has definitely been challenged. Can he keep it up in the regular season?
Finally, Cam York has looked like the Flyers’ best defenseman in the preseason. Through two contests, he put up a team-best 64.7 expected goals percentage (xGF%) among defenders and looked more than comfortable at both ends of the ice. The 23-year-old is eyeing the next big step in his career—this season could be just that.
With the regular season set to begin on the road against the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 11, “real” Flyers hockey is almost here. A long six-month wait will conclude in a week.
