The Flyers are still thriving post-John Tortorella firing.
Brad Shaw improved to 3-0 as the interim head coach with home wins over Buffalo and Nashville in the last two games, Matvei Michkov is flying all over the ice in a late-season surge after the Calder Trophy, and the Flyers actually have a few power-play goals to show for in the past week when that couldn't be said for much of the past year – or even three years.
They've played good hockey.
It isn't suddenly going to carry them to the playoffs, nor are some fans with all their stock in the draft going to be thrilled about a few wins when it comes to the standings and lottery odds, but what's showing on the ice in front of everyone is a flash that a building team that might be breathing easier now can work.
Michkov can and will be a star, Travis Konecny can skate with him, that Noah Cates-Tyson Foerster-Bobby Brink line can check relentlessly for all 200 feet, and maybe Owen Tippett can tap back into the powerful skating and quick playmaking ability that he struggled to maintain this season.
The holes are still there, and they're big ones. Center is still a major area of need, so is size, and then a bit more clear-cut star talent that truly separates the good teams from the rest of the league – they still have to figure out goaltending going forward, too.
But the Flyers from the past few days after moving on from Tortorella? They do have something going for them. It's just that, again, it's going to take a long time and a run of additions for them to fully see it through, and a new voice behind the bench to guide them toward it, whoever it might end up being.
But they're not going anywhere right now. They have six games left with an early offseason all but guaranteed, and they're off until Saturday when they pick back up in Montreal.
They very well could've just been playing with the post-firing buff that a lot of teams seem to gain just from having a shakeup, and it very well could wear off by Saturday and send fans right back to hitting the Tankathon sim alongside their fellow Sixers faithful already doing so.
But still, the Flyers have six games left to show that they have a path, that they're on track, and they're going to stay on it.
A few other thoughts…
Michkov and the Calder race
Michkov scored twice in Thursday night's win over Montreal and came an empty-net post away from the hat trick.
In Saturday's win against Buffalo, the rookie scored twice again.
Then for Monday night's 2-1 victory over Nashville, he notched two assists – the former with purpose, the latter…not so much, but a point all the same.
As of Tuesday afternoon, here's where the rookie scoring race stood, via StatMuse:
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts |
| D Lane Hutson, MTL | 73 | 5 | 54 | 59 |
| RW Matvei Michkov, PHI | 74 | 24 | 34 | 58 |
| C Macklin Celebrini, SJS | 61 | 21 | 32 | 53 |
And here's where 5-on-5 scoring across the entire league has stood since coming back from the 4 Nations break, via Natural Stat Trick:
5-v-5 scoring since 4 Nations via Natural Stat Trick.
I mean… pic.twitter.com/1ObBi0IpzS— Nick Tricome (@itssnick) April 1, 2025
On the chance that the Calgary Flames make the playoffs in the Western Conference, which isn't looking the greatest right now, then there's a major case sitting right there for their rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf to win the Calder Trophy.
But Michkov, since late February and especially in the final stretch of the season with the schedule dwindling down, is making a serious push after Rookie of the Year.
He has the rookie lead in goals and he's staying right there with Hutson for the points lead, but a big deciding factor among the Professional Hockey Writers Association in award voting could be whether or not Hutson does end up helping the Canadiens into the playoffs.
Either way, Michkov is going to skate until the end, and wherever he lands when it comes to the Calder, he lands.
"I'm going on the ice and enjoying what I'm doing," Michkov told the NBC Sports Philadelphia broadcast on Monday night through interpreter Slava Kuznetsov. "That's most important or me."
Depth from Dorwart
The Flyers announced their signing of college free agent Karsen Dorwart out of Michigan State on Saturday.
The 22-year-old center received a two-year entry-level contract and will finish the season with the team.
The Flyers had been linked to Dorwart through rumors for a bit before the signing became official, but then Michigan State falling to Cornell in the NCAA Tournament cleared a path.
Dorwart, who went undrafted, scored 13 goals and 31 points through 35 collegiate games this year (his junior season), and should offer the Flyers a bit of depth down the middle to close out the year before figuring out where he could fit in the larger picture. '
They do need help at center, as stated frequently, so it can only help to start getting a look presumably this weekend.
Karsen Dorwart opens up the scoring in the @bigten Championship 💥#B1GHockey on BTN 📺 pic.twitter.com/VfvqpDbb2a
— Big Ten Hockey (@B1GHockey) March 22, 2025
No go for Risto
Rasmus Ristolainen has been out with an upper-body injury since March 11, which contributed to the 1-10-1 spiral that led to Tortorella's firing.
On Monday, ahead of the Nashville game, Shaw said that the big defenseman likely won't be returning for the few remaining games the Flyers have left.
"The plan is to not have him back this season," Shaw told the press in Voorhees. "I'm not a hundred percent on what the timeline looks like, but I can't imagine he would be playing in the next couple weeks."
As a 6'4" blueliner, Ristolainen has improved significantly at his position in the past couple of years under Tortorella's watch, but more specifically Shaw as the Flyers' defensive specialist coach. '
The now 30-year-old grew more effective in using his size in the corners and behind his team's own net, his reach to step in the way of pucks, and his skating just to constantly stay moving.
For a long stretch of this season, he only one of a couple of plus-rated Flyers defensemen and was the subject of trade rumors for a long time leading up to last month's deadline.
General manager Danny Brière, though, opted to hold on to him, or at least never received an offer compelling enough to part with the defenseman and to live with the hole he would've left on the right side.
It turned out the Flyers would have to anyway, as Ristolainen will finish his second straight season on the sidelines after he ruptured his triceps to end last season.
Phantoms call-up Emil Andrae has been getting an extended look with that opening.
Here comes Jett
Speaking of the Phantoms…
Jett’s first point 🥹#LVvsLAV | #LVPhantoms pic.twitter.com/mdLwHTbzih
— Lehigh Valley Phantoms (@LVPhantoms) March 30, 2025
It did not take long for Jett Luchanko to get to Lehigh Valley and start making noise.
MORE: 5 candidates to consider as the next Flyers head coach
Follow Nick on Twitter: @itssnick
Follow Nick on Bluesky: @itssnick
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
