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A Method to Try and Resolve the Flyers’ Long-Standing Problems in Net
Photo Credit: https://denverpioneers.com/
Well, it is official: the Philadelphia Flyers have missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season, with this tying the longest postseason drought in franchise history.
But while there is a long list of things like the lack of scoring on the power play that needs to be addressed in the off-season, perhaps the longest-standing issue that management and coaching just can’t seem to right is, you guessed it, “GOALTENDING.”
This seemingly perpetual issue dates back to the end of the 1998-1999 season when Ron Hextall, Philadelphia’s long-standing guardian of the blue paint, retired. And, as crazy as that sounds, what might blow your mind more is the fact that over that now 26-year time span, the Flyers have started an astounding 34 different netminders!
Now, with you reading that inflated number, it’s easy to see that it most certainly is not for lack of trying.
Over the years, the team has tried bringing in countless established veterans, the best of whom was John Vanbiesbrouck, who had two great seasons with the Flyers. Still, after the completion of his second season in Philly, the Flyers thought it best to trade away this soon-to-be 37-year-old netminder.
Some years later, the team decided to take another route and take a chance on a young Russian goaltender who was at the time a virtual unknown to anyone over here in the States. That player turned out to be none other than future Hall of Famer Sergei Bobrovsky. Who after just two seasons played with the team, management succeeded in pissing him off by making the impatient long-term signing of Ilya Bryzgalov, which resulted in Bobrovsky wanting out of the City of Brotherly Love. Once he left, Sergei only went on to win multiple Vezina Trophies and a Stanley Cup. After this season is complete (and Marc Andre Fleury retires), Bob will become the NHL’s active wins leader with 427 victories already under his belt.
Of course, we already alluded to when the team tried throwing massive amounts of money at the problem when they signed free agent Ilya Bryzgalov to a nine-year, $51 million contract in 2011, but that did not work out quite the way they had planned seeing that the Flyers then decided to turn around and buy out the remaining seven years of his contract in 2013, resulting in a 14-year buyout agreement, that requires the team to still have to pay him roughly $1.643 million per year until the year 2027.
Then, in 2013, the Flyers decided to try their hand at a little “reclamation project” when they traded for a 24-year-old goaltender in, Steve Mason. Mason was a goalie who seemed like the next big thing after winning such awards as the OHL Goaltender of the Year, an OHL Championship, a World Junior Championship, and eventually the NHL’s Calder Trophy (given to the player deemed the Rookie of the Year) just to name a few. But in Columbus, he never really developed into the player they thought he would, so the Flyers traded for him, hoping that he just needed a fresh start somewhere new.
But, after playing five outstanding seasons with the Flyers, where during that time Steve managed to win 104 games, maintain a 2.47 goals-against-average, a .918 save percentage, and post 14 shutouts, the team just let this still young 28-year-old sign with another team in free agency.
Then, of course, the Flyers thought Carter Hart was going to be our savior, but we won’t even go into his atrocious stat line or the debauchery that he has been implicated in.
So, to this point, it would appear they have tried just about every way they know how to resolve this outstanding issue, but to date, they have failed to solve the problem. And, with the current crop of netminders in town combining for a league’s worst .879 save percentage and allowing 3.42 goals a game, they don’t look destined to get any better any time soon.
So, what else is there to try? Well, for one thing, they should try like hell to get out of having to pay Ivan Fedotov another $3.275 million for next season after he has only managed to win 0.25% of the games he’s started over the last two seasons. Whether it be a trade, a buyout, whatever it takes, just do it.
Then I think they should try to bring in multiple undrafted free agent goalies to camp in an effort to hopefully find one that can hold down the fort until reinforcements arrive in the form of Carson Bjarnason, who the Flyers drafted with their 2023 second-round pick, or an actually good goaltender in Yegor Zavragin who the Flyers took with their third-round pick that same year.
And those netminders that they should be taking a look at and either signing to an entry-level contract now or wait and see if they will be willing to attend their camp this summer are.
Austin Elliott-London Knights
Austin is a 20-year-old netminder who has attended NHL camps in the past but has yet to be offered a professional contract. This season, Elliott started the year with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades. Still, he was dealt (despite winning all three of his starts this season) to the London Knights, where he finished the regular season with a record of 32 wins and one loss while being able to maintain a 2.10 goals-against-average and a .924 save percentage.
Now, seeing that he somehow went undrafted and has not been offered a professional contract to this point, Austin recently decided to take his talents to the collegiate ranks next season, committing to play for UMass-Lowell.
But the good thing is I’m pretty sure he would negate heading there if it meant signing a pro deal.
Matt Davis-University of Denver
Next up is a 23-year-old shot blocker who is still in contention for a shot at winning his THIRD NCAA National Championship for the University of Denver, and that is goaltender Matt Davis.
Now, I’ll admit Denver has a ton of quality players, most of whom have already been drafted by one NHL team or another. Still, perhaps no player has been more impressive over the last few seasons than this undrafted free agent. For Davis, over the course of the previous four seasons out in the Mile High City, has been able to win over 70% of the 89 games that he has played in.
With this season being no different, seeing that Matt managed to accumulate a league-leading 29 wins this season while posting an impressive 2.07 goals against average and a .923 save percentage.
Davis is about as refined as you will find any goaltender who is not currently playing in the NHL because, as you can see in this video from the 2024 Men’s Frozen Four Tournament that I provided below, Matt looks as cool as the other side of the pillow when staring down current NHL Stars like the Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini, and the Canadiens’ Lane Hutson when they played for Boston University. As well as players like the Sharks’ Will Smith, the Ducks’ Cutter Gauthier, the Capitals’ Ryan Leonard, and the Rangers’ Gabe Perreault, who all suited up together against Davis for the Boston College Eagles in that same tournament.
If the Flyers signed either one of these goalies for next season, it would most certainly bring this fragile fan base a little reassurance. For far too long, this great city has been without a goalie that they can trust to stand on his head any given night and win them a game all by himself.
And, although the masses here in Philly understand that the team is going through a rebuild and the majority of them still trust in old #48 (Danny Briere) to lead the team in the right direction, they are going to need a little more than Matvei Michkov to keep them attending games. And the team is going to need someone (in net) who is a little more consistent and can keep them in games.
Prospect Watch: Undersized and Underappreciated
Photo Credit: fournie par Dany Germain/Foreurs de Val-d’Or
Cole Reschny, Victoria Royals (Photo Credit: Kevin Light Photo)
Jordan Gavin Contributed photo courtesy the Wheat Kings
For far too long, the NHL has sought out to find the largest/most physical players they could in order to beat their opponents into submission. You know, back when you would go to watch the fights, and on the rare occasion, a hockey game might break out.
But times have changed. So much, in fact, that now most teams are no longer looking to employ an abundance of those knuckle draggers of old because in today’s kindler/gentler NHL, they are sadly becoming all but obsolete.
The reason for this is that the league noticed they were falling behind in ratings compared to the big three (the NFL, the MLB, and the NBA), and they wanted to try something that would grow their fanbase. And, in order to do that, they felt they needed to increase goal scoring, so they shrunk down the size of the goaltender’s pads and no longer allowed defensemen to get away with all the clutching and man-handling that the refs previously would turn a blind eye to that vastly hindered teams’ star players point production for so long.
When these changes were implemented, certain innovative teams began shifting their focus as far as whom they wanted to employ, with those teams moving away from hiring the gargantuan slow but strong players of old to a more compact, elusive type of player who generally is more skilled and can thus offer them a lot more in terms of offense. The early beneficiaries of this change were guys like Theo Fleury (5’6), Martin St. Louis (5’8), and Brad Marchand (5’9) who broke into the game and had great success, which paved the way for players like the late great Johnny Gaurdreau who was (5’9), Tyler Johnson (5’9), Jonathan Marchessault (5’9) and Jared Spurgeon (5’9). Which you guessed led to more teams being willing to take a chance on the latest crop of diminutive stars like Alex DeBrincat (5’8), Cole Caufield (5’8), Adam Fox (5’11) and Logan Stankoven (5’8).
But, believe it or not, even after all the players’ success that I listed above, there are still some franchises out there that employ superannuated GMs who refuse to draft or sign these types of compact players.
That’s okay, though, because that just makes the teams that are with it and willing to take a chance on one of these young players that much more capable of making their teams better this off-season seeing that the 2025 NHL Draft Class is chalked full of diminutive talent.
With Guys Like:
Cameron Schmidt
Cam is a 5’7 157 pound draft eligible right winger who currently plays for the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL). This season, he has managed to amass an impressive 40 goals and 38 assists for 78 points. Not too shabby, right?
With those kinds of statistics, you can see that Schmidt does not let his size (or lack thereof) limit him. In fact, he uses it to his advantage. With great speed, Cameron manages to stretch the ice to the point that the opposition is going to be forced to converge on him, where he will make a move and skate on by them like they are standing still. Or pass it off early so he can then go set up for the chance to unload one of the most accurate and powerful one-timers of anyone in this draft.
Cameron is only now starting to get the respect he deserves after he recently finished the regular season tied with the Everett Silvertips’ Carter Bear for most goals scored by any WHL first-year draft-eligible player with 40 lamp lighters.
He is projected to go late in the first round, but for those of you who still have your doubts about him, watch this video; before you do, though, remember it’s hard to hit what you can’t catch!
Benjamin Kindel
Another undersized prospect who plays in the WHL, who I think should be on this list, is Benjamin Kindel from the Calgary Hitmen. Ben is a high-scoring forward who only stands at 5’10 and weighs 176 pounds. He is renowned around the league for his intelligent two-way play.
To prove that statement, all you have to do is tune in for a game, and you’ll notice that his hard work and high hockey IQ are what allowed him to garner 35 goals and 64 assists for 99 regular season points. And, if that wasn’t impressive enough for a guy who has to look up to the masses, he finished second highest in plus-minus of any first-year draft-eligible player with a +39 on the year.
So, tell me why a player who was only outscored by one other draft-eligible prospect, Michael Misa, who finished with 134 points) is expected to go so late in the first round if it is not solely dependent on the fact that scouts are doubting his abilities at the next level because of his height?
Cole Reschny
Since we’re apparently taking an extended look at the WHL, I thought it wise to mention Victoria Royals forward Cole Reschny. Cole, who stands at 5’10 and 187 pounds, really opened a lot of people’s eyes this year at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup when we scored three goals and four assists for seven points in only five games played.
But what really convinced me that he could make it to the next level was Reschny’s competitive level. Whether he is forechecking, backchecking, playing on the power play, or the penalty kill, Cole simply never takes a shift off. Night after night, Reschny continues to outwork the competition, no matter how big or strong they are.
This kid has heart, and that’s why he was able to net 26 goals and 66 assists for 92 points in 62 games played. And he is currently scoring at a 2.40 points-per-game pace in the playoff posting four goals and eight assists for 12 points in only five games played.
Not to mention the fact that when you combine the regular season and the postseason, he has managed to maintain a +50 average on the season. I’m sorry, I don’t know why other forwards in this draft who only scored 50-60 points are still projected to be taken higher than him. And Cole somehow is still considered to have a late first-round or early second-round draft grade.
Adam Benak
Adam is a center from Czechia who only stands at 5’7 and 161 pounds. He came over this season to North America after dominating yet again at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where if you combine his totals from this year and last, he became the all-time point leader in Hlinka Gretzky Cup history when he finished with a total of 21 points; which to put that into perspective that means he scored over a two points-per-game in this tournament.
But getting back to what have you done for me lately. Benak wanted to prove that he could be more than just a kid with some international success, so he decided to join the Youngstown Phantoms of the United States Hockey League (USHL) to prove he could produce while playing on the much smaller North American rinks.
Where this season, he was able to score 16 goals and 38 assists totaling 54 points in 54 games played. Not bad for someone who, besides just trying to score goals was tasked with having to figure out a new language as well.
Philippe Veilleux
Moving on now to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, we find an 18-year-old winger who only stands at 5’9 and 165 pounds playing for the Val-d’Or Foreurs. Now, I have to say, depending on where this young man actually ends up getting drafted, he just might be deemed the steal of the draft because while he still has some work to do defensively, he more than makes up for it with his work in the offensive zone.
Where this season, Veilleux has been able to light the lamp an astonishing 40 times during the regular season, and adding to that, he made sure to assist his teammates 47 other times this season, totaling 87 points on the year.
And, as far as the postseason goes, Philippe has shown no signs of letting up, as he has managed to put up three goals and three assists for six points in five games played.
Now, with him producing at that rate in the offensive zone, I would be more than willing to take a chance on him at the draft as long as I keep in mind that I am going to spend some time with him, teaching him how a professional is expected to play within his own zone.
Jordan Gavin
Finally, the last prospect I’ll leave you to ponder about is the 5’11 179 pound Jordan Gavin of the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings. To me, Gavin is a human highlight reel! He is a player who makes everyone who steps on the ice with him instantly better, as the game just seems to appear to slow down when the puck is on his stick.
Being that this is the case, it comes as a big surprise to me that Jordan’s stock has fallen with scouts ever since he was taken second overall by the Tri-City Americans in the WHL Prospects Draft.
Especially since he was able to score 68 points in 68 games last year and added another 57 points in 68 games played this year (this coming after he was traded mid-season, mind you). But my conundrum goes deeper than that still, considering Gavin managed to improve upon his plus-minus immensely this season and personified what it means to play a clean game, seeing he did not manage to obtain a single penalty minute for the second season in a row.
So, you see, lack of height should no longer really be considered an issue when teams are scouting players. For, these six players I just introduced to you are merely clones of the diminutive players that came before them and had success. These players have been told they are too small their whole lives and, because of that, have developed a pretty good “I’LL SHOW YOU” type of attitude that clearly works for them in their respective leagues. So, honestly, who are we to stand in their way? I don’t know about you, but I would rather see my favorite NHL team acquire one or more of these guys in the NHL draft this summer rather than spend the next ten years wishing they had!
It’s Time to Start seeing the Fruits of Briere’s Labor.
Photo Credit: https://www.phantomshockey.com/
With the recent firing of Head Coach John Tortorella, I think we can finally assume that the dismantling of this once-great franchise is finally over. And heck, it’s about time!
Since Danny Briere was officially named the successor to Chuck Fletcher on May 11th, 2023, the fans of this great franchise have been waiting patiently (well, as patiently as a Philadelphia sports fan can) for him to restore the honor and respect that this team worked so hard to earn over its illustrious history.
But now that he has torn down this roster to bare bones by trading away countless rudimental players that the previous administration brought in to try to implement what turned out to be an antiquated-ineffective system. It’s time to see what the fruits of Briere’s labor have brought us.
And, to do so, you don’t have to look too far. Of course, we all have seen what Michkov (Briere’s 7th overall pick in the 2023 Draft) can do, especially after he no longer is getting punished for every little mistake he makes by a crotchety old coach who has always preferred to play veterans over youth as Matvei has somehow still managed to surpass the incredible Simon Gange’s rookie point totals. So, the sky is the limit for this young Russian superstar.
Karsen Dorwart
But, besides him, who else is coming up the pike? Well, the next player that Briere has brought in that you will see play with the Flyers in the next game is a newly signed undrafted free agent named Karsen Dorwart. Karsen is a 22-year-old forward who stands at 6’1 and 194 pounds. The Flyers signed him after completing a season at Michigan State, where he finished with 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points in 35 games played not to mention the fact the finished the season a +20!
He is a good two-way center with great on-ice vision. Dorwart, I believe, can be quite deceptive in terms of him being a pass-first player who can somehow find the blade of his linemates’ stick without even appearing to look their way. But, at the same time, he is not one to play hot potato. Karsen also has a bit of elusiveness to his game where he can evade the opposition’s defensives long enough that they no longer deem him a threat, just to have him reappear wide open in the perfect location to receive a puck from his teammate and fire one past the goalie.
Now, do I necessarily agree with this signing? Ehhh, although multiple teams coveted Dorwart before he eventually chose to sign with the Flyers. I would have probably chosen to sign a more offensively minded dot dweller like Michigan’s undrafted free agent center TJ Hughes, who over the last three seasons has racked up 47 goals and 122 total points in 116 games played and has a much better faceoff percentage. But what do I know?
As far as where Karsen will play, in practice, he was seen running drills with Deslauriers and Hathaway on the fourth line. It’s a job I would much rather see Poehling doing so that Dorwart could replace him on the third line, where his talents could be better suited to assist the underperforming Owen Tippet and newly acquired Jakob Pelletier. But I guess we will have to wait and see how it plays out.
Nikita Grebyonkin
If we look a little deeper in the Flyers Prospect Pool, you can find the recently acquired 6’2 209, pound Russian winger Nikita Grebyonkin, who, since being acquired from the Leafs in the trade that sent Scott Laughton packing, is looking to pay early dividends.
But let me assure you, even though you may not have heard much about this young winger (who can play on either side of the boards), he is no overnight sensation. Grebyonkin won the KHL’s Alexsei Cherepanov Award in 22-23, which is given to the leagues (Best Rookie), a feat that even the great Matvei Michkov did not achieve before joining the Flyers. On top of that, Nikita played in the KHL All-Star game last season and was able to propel his team last season to a KHL Gagarin Cup (their version of the Stanley Cup) by scoring 19 goals and 22 assists for 41 points over 67 games played during the regular season.
What can he bring to the Flyers? Well, if you have been watching any Phantoms games, you’ll have seen that Grebyonkin has been the toothless physical power forward the team has been lacking since they traded away the great Wayne Simmonds. Now, before you take that and run with it, NO, I don’t think he will achieve the kind of success Simmonds had with the Flyers (at least not anytime soon), but what I do believe Nikita will bring is intensity. Seeing that he is fearless, whether it’s dropping his gloves to defend a teammate, joyfully finishing each and every checking opportunity, or gracelessly taking a beating in front of the net, Grebyonkin is willing to do whatever it takes for his team to come out victorious, which is why he has had so much early success in Lehigh Valley playing for the Phantoms. Where he managed to score three goals, and two assists for five points in only seven games played. And I think it is worth noting that two of those goals came while the team was on the power play, which is something the Flyers so desperately need help doing.
Jett Luchanko
So, another possible candidate we could see up with the Flyers in the not-so-distant future is Danny’s 2024 1st round pick Jett Luchanko. In my mind, Jett was a bit of a reach, especially since when the Flyers were initially supposed to be picking at 12th overall before trading that pick to Minnesota, there were still players like the elite defender Zeev Buium, on the board, as well as Cole Eiserman who is greatest American born goal scorer that has ever played in the USA National Team Development Programs history. But I guess they fell in love with Jett, soooo… here we are.
As serious as I am about that last statement, let’s dive into what exactly we can expect from Jett. Well, hence the name Jett has excellent speed. He is able to use it to beat the opposition to loose pucks in order to make some pretty amazing passes out of the corners to the goal mouth, where his awaiting teammates are able to send them past the surprised goaltender.
This season, while playing for the Guelph Storm after appearing with the Flyers in a couple of games, Jett was able to post 21 goals and 35 assists for 56 points in 46 OHL games played.
What can you expect when he joins the Flyers? Well, I think you’ll find that Luchanko will most certainly push the pace of their offense. Few players can match Jett’s speed, and he only seems to increase it more when the puck is on his stick. Therefore, he will be able to create chance after chance. The only thing is, in this upcoming draft, Briere will have to find a couple more guys who are shooters who will be capable of rifling home the kind of setups that Jett will be able to dish out.
As far as other prospects that Danny has in the pipeline. You have:
Forward Denver Barkey and defenseman Oliver Bonk, who both are drafted and already signed by Danny, who play for the London Knights of the OHL, but while you should keep an eye on them as possibles to make the roster next season, don’t look for them any time soon seeing that they can’t seem to stop winning games as they appear well on their way to winning yet another OHL Championship.
Other notables should include:
-Unsigned Flyers draftees like Notre Dame’s Cole Knuble, who Briere took with his fourth-round pick in 2023.
-Western Michigan’s Alex Bump, who was drafted in the 5th round in 2022 (when Briere was considered a special assistant to the GM (whatever that means).
-And SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL’s Yegor Zavragin, who was taken in the third round of the 2023 draft by Briere.
But these players are still unsigned, so for now, we’ll leave them to continue simmering on the back burner until they are inked.
In closing, Briere has done a lot to try and make this team better, and although we have yet to see just what the fruits of his labor will do, in a short amount of time, I think he has been able to come in and bring the Flyers into the 21st century by placing a renewed focus on youth and speed. It is something the Flyers neglected to do for so long while other teams surpassed them in the standings just by getting younger and faster. Time will tell if his methods pan out, but for now, things seem promising. However, I believe Briere’s actual test will be whether he can acquire a few franchise-changing prospects in this next draft since he has decided to give up so much in order to garner draft capital this summer.