Rookie camp is a wrap, the Flyers reported for the full training camp on Wednesday, and on Thursday morning, they'll take the ice for that first skate – and oh man, is John Tortorella going to make them skate.
The new NHL season is near. Matvei Michkov is here, Alexei Kolosov isn't, and the next phase of Danny Brière's rebuild plan is going to take shape.
There's going to be a lot of excitement, a lot of questions, and a lot of speculation as the weeks and months go, more than the Flyers have had in a long, long time.
Here are five quick thoughts about it all before camp over in Voorhees really gets the ball – erm, puck – rolling…
A quick glimpse into the future?
As a part of rookie camp, the Flyers' prospects went up to Allentown last Friday and Saturday to play in a pair of exhibitions against the New York Rangers' prospects.
Michkov skated in his full Flyers uniform for the first time, so did Jett Luchanko, the Flyers' first-round draft pick from this past summer. The organization paired the two together and they flew around the ice, fans finally got to see the creativity and strength on the puck that makes Michkov special, too, and then, the incoming face of the franchise's future scored and the crowd at the Phantoms' PPL Center lit up.
In the celebration along the boards, the Flyers' social media team captured this photo:
This one's gonna live rent-free in my head until all three are on the NHL roster. https://t.co/EDljECloGq pic.twitter.com/mdsUwzfARg
— Nick Tricome (@itssnick) September 18, 2024
That's Michkov, Luchanko, and defenseman Oliver Bonk all at once, all first-round draft picks within the last two years, and maybe the big three for the Flyers' grand long-term plan.
Can another glimpse come sooner?
Brière met with the media ahead of camp on Tuesday to discuss a number of topics, with one of them being the logjam at defense and the number of blueliners pushing for a spot.
Emil Andrae, Adam Ginning, Ronnie Attard, and Helge Grans are all on in that conversation, possibly Bonk, too, Brière said.
The Flyers' GM didn't want to close the book on any potential route yet, even the idea of carrying an eighth defenseman.
"We'll see who plays well, who earns it," Brière said.
Bonk's interesting though.
The expectation is that the 19-year old will go back to the London Knights in Canadian juniors for one more season, but his game is kind of caught in that weird middle ground where he's developed past that level but can't jump into the AHL yet until he turns 20.
However, junior prospects signed to their entry-level deal, like Bonk is, can be afforded a nine-game NHL tryout before starting the clock on their contract – Sean Couturier got one way back when until he played well enough to make the team full-time.
I do wonder if the Flyers might consider that option before returning Bonk to give him a good look at the top level and a list of things to work on in the leadup to his eventual pro transition.
"I don't want to say no," Brière said. "We'll see how it is. I've read some of the comments on Luchanko. These guys are here. They have the mindset that they want to make the team, and I don't want to take that away from them before camp starts. Their play is going to speak on the ice, and we'll see.
"But when you talk about guys like Luchanko and Bonk it's more than just 'OK, are they ready? But what about the future, too?' So you gotta consider what's best for the development. What's best for 3-5-7 years down the road when you talk about guys that are 18 or 19 years old."
The Kolosov aftermath
Goaltending prospect Alexei Kolosov is still in Belarus. He isn't coming over. You can read all about that situation HERE.
The whole thing is odd, and even odder, it's the second time within a year that a notable prospect is refusing to come play for the organization following former 2022 first-round pick Cutter Gauthier's trade away to Anaheim.
Brière said that there are always going to be internal looks at what the organization could've done and can do better, but here are two instances where prospects were ready to be Flyers up until they suddenly didn't want to be.
So did the front office just completely miss something in their evaluations of these guys?
"That's always something that you try to get to know the players better, you do some background search, but it's not easy," Brière said. "Sometimes you think one character [trait] can be a strength rather than a flaw."
And then there's the opposite, to which Brière pointed to Michkov as an example. Before the Flyers drafted him at seventh overall in 2023, Michkov had a lot of mystery surrounding him over in Russia. His talent was undeniable, but there was a lot of doubt over whether he actually would come over to North America if a team took him, along with rumors that he wasn't a great teammate.
But he's here, Brière said he's been great at every step, even though he's still getting a grasp on English. He's been everything the Flyers wanted so far.
Yet you still have these two substantial misses in Gauthier and Kolosov hanging over your head.
"It's really tough to do, but believe me, our guys put in the work," Brière said. "They try to dig in, and they try to find out as much as they can on every prospect. Sometimes you miss some of those character – I wouldn't call them flaws, but character [traits] that you're not looking for, trying not to bring into the culture that you're trying to build."
Two are already too many here. This can't be a habit.
Healthy and capable of more?
Shifting to the guys already at the NHL level: Sean Couturier, Jamie Drysdale, and Rasmus Ristolainen were among the guys who were banged up by season's end and needed surgery. Hopefully they're fully healthy now.
Joel Farabee survived a summer of trade rumors, is still only 24 and coming off a career year, but at a lot of points late last season, it really didn't feel like it.
- MORE FLYERS
- GM Danny Brière says Flyers 'have to move on' with Alexei Kolosov's status still up in the air
- Matvei Michkov arrives at Flyers rookie camp wanting to be 'a difference maker'
- A quicker Emil Andrae is trying to make his way back to the Flyers
Morgan Frost had his flashes and still has some room for growth at 25, too, but can he put the puzzle fully together at center, especially now that he could have Michkov on his wing?
Plus, what do the next steps look like for Owen Tippett, Cam York, Bobby Brink, Egor Zamula, Sam Ersson, and so on?
Much of the roster is getting run back from last season, plus Michkov. How good they can be will depend on how much they all grow and how far Tortorella can bring them along.
Speaking of Tortorella…
There will be fireworks between Michkov and Tortorella
Michkov is hyper-competitive and won't have all the answers in the NHL. As good as he is and can be, there's going to be a learning curve.
Tortorella is just as competitive and won't ever let the small stuff slide, not for a 19-year old nor a 39-year old.
If Michkov slips, he's not going to hesitate to give him an earful.
They're going to butt heads. It's inevitable. Brière knows that, but thinks it's all going to be for the better in the end.
"Look, we're we're constantly talking," Brière said. "At the end of the day, Torts is the coach and he's going to manage him. Torts' goal is to make Matvei the best player he can be.
"I have no doubt that there's going to be some fireworks here and there, just like he has with almost every single player, but he's going to teach him to be a pro. He's going to teach him to be the best player he can be. That's what I'm excited about. I really feel for Matvei, this is the best possible scenario, to come in early, have the chance at such an early age in his development to be working with a coach like like John Tortorella."
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