The Philadelphia Flyers fell to 1-3-1 in their home opener, blanked 3-0 by the Vancouver Canucks to close out their season series. What were some takeaways for the Orange and Black?
Are the Flyers… Bad?
Personally, I had some expectations for the Flyers this season. I was more inclined to believe that they could channel the version of themselves that was on pace for around 100 points through the middle of last January than the version that lost nine of its last 11 games. Clearly, it has been the latter so far.
The Flyers haven’t felt this helpless to start a season in a very long time. They were technically the better team in terms of expected goal share (3.01 to 1.59 advantage), but it didn’t feel that way. Prime scoring chances were sent wide of the net on countless occasions, giving the Canucks a rather easy victory. The hope was that the Flyers might’ve just been sluggish on a long road trip, but they looked completely lost at home, too—as a collective, there haven’t been many redeeming qualities about this club.
Based on their offseason approach, it’s not clear exactly what the Flyers are going for. If they were rebuilding, why did they extend Travis Konecny to an eight-year contract, a player who turns 28 when the deal begins? As soon as he was eligible for a new contract, general manager (GM) Daniel Brière had no hesitations about this decision. Most players tend to tail off by their early 30s, and that especially applies to a player who relies on his legs to create scoring chances like Konecny—it seems like a win-now move. Even if it’s not, it’s worth mentioning the hastiness of the negotiations, almost as if the Flyers were a contender.
On the contrary, Philadelphia has six selections in the first two rounds of the 2025 NHL Draft. With two teenagers on the current roster, it makes sense how they might be called a rebuilder. The Flyers seem like a team that doesn’t know what they are—they have extended their veteran roster players at the frequency of a contender, yet are young and struggling like a rebuilder.
It may be too early to tell if the Flyers are going to be bad this season, but the signs have been worrying. They don’t look like the same team as they were in their previous campaign, and the numbers back it up. Over the last 10 seasons, only 28 of the 100 teams to have a bottom-10 record in terms of points percentage during the first month of the season have made the playoffs. Unless the Orange and Black can turn it around, they’ll have to defy some serious odds.
Sean Couturier’s Milestone
Losing 3-0 and all, there aren’t a lot of positive takeaways here. However, it’s worth noting that captain Sean Couturier appeared in his 800th contest as a member of the Orange and Black. That’s one serious accomplishment!
While Couturier’s performances maybe haven’t been the best this season, he has given everything he has to the Flyers. Since the 2011-12 season, he has accumulated 191 goals and 308 assists for 499 points, a Selke Trophy victory, and several votes for the same award. He’s been a two-way wizard for many seasons in Philadelphia—he will go down as one of the best players in the history of the franchise.
Related: The Invaluable Flyer Sean Couturier
Right now, Couturier is fourth all-time in games played in the history of the Flyers franchise. With 345 more, he’d rank first. Though he has had some health issues in the recent past, it’d be feasible to accomplish this prior to the expiration of his current contract (following the 2029-30 campaign). Still just 31, he hopefully has a good chunk of seasons ahead of him.
Could a Michkov-Luchanko Duo Be the Answer?
Now that the Flyers have lost four games in a row, they’re in a spot where they should be trying some new things. To head coach John Tortorella’s credit, he did—he changed up the lineup. Next, I think it might be a good idea to see what teenagers Matvei Michkov and Jett Luchanko can do by each other’s side.
Luchanko saw just 12:23 of ice time against the Canucks, but don’t get it twisted—Tortorella has had praise for the 18-year-old’s game. While he has seen only a few shifts next to Michkov, arguably the team’s top player right now, the two have been terrific in that limited action. Is it time to make a commitment?
In 6:34 of ice time at even strength, Michkov and Luchanko have an 85.6 expected goal share with three high-danger chances in their favor and zero against. They haven’t gotten on the board in the scoring department, but they’ve come oh-so-close—that duo might just be the juice the Flyers need.
Both of these players can create on the fly, which is a skill that not every Flyer has. Trying them out together for a full game would not only excite fans, but perhaps provide fruitful results on the ice. At the very least, it’s worth considering.
Next up, the Flyers will take on the Washington Capitals at home on Oct. 22. One of the greatest players in NHL history and an iconic Russian, Alex Ovechkin, will take on the Russian of the new generation in Michkov.
