March 25, 2025

Flyers thoughts: Pain is part of the process

The Flyers have been stuck in a brutal stretch, but for their future, it's the best thing for them (hopefully).

By Nick Tricome
PhillyVoice Staff

Ivan-Fedotov-Flyers-Blackhawks-3.23.25-NHL.jpg

David Banks/Imagn Images

It's been hard times for the Flyers of late.

The Flyers tried to claw back from a 3-0 hole on Thursday night in Washington. But they couldn't complete it.

They pushed into overtime on Saturday night in Dallas. But a Sam Ersson fumble trying to handle the puck led straight to the Stars' game-winner within seconds.

Then on Sunday in Chicago, they got into an offensive shootout against the Blackhawks, and they couldn't keep up.

"Their power play works, ours doesn't," head coach John Tortorella said of the difference.

The Flyers have lost five straight, and all four so far of a five-game road trip that will wrap Tuesday night in Toronto.

They're 1-9-1 in their last 12, and with that lone win against Tampa at home back on March 13 requiring everything they had into the shootout just to get a brief breather from all the losses piling up.

It's been brutal.

The lineup is stretched thin, goaltending is uncertain again, the power play is still atrocious, and each passing game as the regular-season schedule dwindles down gets further combated with the feeling of tuning in and just knowing how this is going to go.

Yet as miserable as it is, for the long term, it is the best thing for the Flyers.

As of Tuesday morning, they're 28-35-9 for 65 points, and only falling further and further down the standings with each defeat – they're definitely well out of the Wild Card picture at this point.

They're 28th out of 32 in the NHL, with the Sabres, Predators, Blackhawks, and Sharks as the four teams below them.

Tankathon has them with an 8.5 percent chance of winning the draft lottery and thus claiming the No. 1 overall pick.

They're not ready to compete yet, that roster still needs to be filled out, and they need that top selection, or to get as close to it as possible.

They're still badly in need of high-end centers, too – someone who can consistently drive and create plays through the middle of the ice – and highlighted prospects like James Hagen, Michael Misa, Roger McQueen, and Anton Frondell are projected to be able to help there.

But that's for the summer.

Right now, the Flyers have 10 games left, which includes Tuesday night against the Leafs (who are readying up for the playoffs) and two against the Montreal Canadiens (who are fighting to make a playoff breakthrough).

The players are still going to go out there and put in the effort – a Tortorella-coached team will never allow for less – but their repeated shortcomings in the several weeks since have been the true show of just how much their missing.

It might be painful for a bit longer, miserable for a bit longer, but then again, that's just part of the process, isn't it?

Hopefully it won't be anymore later on.

A few other thoughts...

Michkov's mark

Matvei Michkov recorded two assists in Sunday's loss to Chicago and had one the night before in Dallas, which combined to bring him up to 50 points on the season (20 goals, 30 assists).

He's up there in the rookie points race with San Jose's Macklin Celebrini (52) and Montreal's Lane Hutson (53), and thus the Calder Trophy conversation for rookie of the year along with it, and per the Flyers, he became the fifth-quickest rookie in the past 40 years of the franchise to reach the 50-point mark, doing so in 70 games – Eric Lindros did it in 39 in 1992-93, Peter Zezel in 52 in 1984-85, Pelle Eklund in 56 in 1985-86, and Mikael Renberg in 57 in 1993-94.

Michkov is also the Flyers' highest-scoring rookie since Simon Gagné in 1999-2000, when the former star winger broke out with 20 goals and 48 points; Matt Read in 2011-12, when the college signee surged to 24 goals and 47 points to nearly everyone's surprise; and Shayne Gostisbehere in 2015-16, when the high-flying defenseman was producing highlights and points almost every night on the way to 47 from the blue line.

Talk about taking a hit to make a play! 💪

Look at the effort here from Matvei Michkov! pic.twitter.com/i1ZIaruOZi
— NHL (@NHL) March 22, 2025

There have been ups and highly magnified downs (whether the blame is placed on Michkov or Tortorella for them), but overall the 20-year-old's debut season, a whole three years ahead of schedule, has to be considered a success.

There's still a lot for him to learn and adapt to in North America, but he has flashed the skill, instincts, showmanship, and overall makings of a star.

Now the next couple of years will be about how general manager Danny Brière and the front office continue to develop their prized winger while shaping the team around him.

Jett back

Jett Luchanko, the Flyers' first-round pick from last summer, will be a piece to that Michkov-centric puzzle, and figures to be back within the organization very soon.

The 18-year-old center is expected to join the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL later this week now that his junior season with Guelph in the OHL is over, per The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jackie Spiegel.

Luchanko scored 21 goals and 56 points for the Storm across 46 games, and seems to be getting a better handle on his shot, but Guelph missed the OHL playoffs, which frees the center prospect up to join the Phantoms for the rest of the year with the important caveat of not taking any time off his entry-evel contract.

CLEAR THE RUNWAY FOR TAKEOFF.#StormCity | @NHLFlyers pic.twitter.com/qYFLB3RUaD
— Guelph Storm (@Storm_City) March 21, 2025

Luchanko made the Flyers out of camp, and do like his speed and maturity, but did ultimately opt to send him back to juniors before his nine-game trial limit was up.

Getting him in with the Phantoms now seems like the setup to have him back in the NHL conversation for training camp late in the summer.

Chaos in the crease

March hasn't been kind to Sam Ersson with a 1-4-1 record, a .842 save percentage, and then Saturday night's OT mishandling of the puck that cost the Flyers the game against Dallas all heading into his next start Tuesday night in Toronto.

Ivan Fedotov hasn't fared much better. He had the start against Dallas on Saturday, but was pulled after the first period with two goals surrendered on three shots faced. Then he got another look right away against Chicago on Sunday, and yeah, there's no sugarcoating seven goals allowed.

Tortorella said afterward that he thought about pulling Fedotov against the Blackhawks, but stuck with him in the end.

The 28-year-old netminder's month of March: a 1-5-0 record, a .879 save percentage, and 19 goals allowed, with his place in the NHL still very much needing to be proved, per The Athletic's Kevin Kurz.

"Oh, s*** yeah," Tortorella told Kurz of that after Sunday's loss.

Asked John Tortorella after the game if Ivan Fedotov still has to prove he belongs on the NHL roster next season.

"Oh, shit yeah. Shit yeah."

Earlier, called it a "sloppy game. Sloppy goalies." Admits he thought about putting in Ersson to start the second period.
— Kevin Kurz (@KKurzNHL) March 23, 2025

Then Tuesday morning in Toronto brought a new wrinkle, per AllPHLY's Charlie O'Connor: