Can the Flyers Maintain The Strong Play This Season?

[@andrewfrustaci5693]

As a Flyers fan, I’m cool with just riding the wave while it lasts. Michkov looks like the real deal and the goaltending has started playing better of late. We really need a #1 center to truly compete.

[@mokgable]

The rumors are rangers are selling too....

[@sharkhaos_probably]

The only thing is that I think NYR doesn't want picks, they want players. It'd be more of a retool than a rebuild, and Philly would have to give something up in return.

[@smacky101]

@@sharkhaos_probably Laughton, risto, or maybe even a farabee could all be solid retool targets.

[@ITalk69]

My favorite team. Love how close the team is. Everyone sticks up for each other, there's a lot of great chemistry with everybody, and they play like a unit at times. I wrote off Fedotov very early on, but he's dramatically improved. Kosolov is good as well. I'm just excited to see how they play moving forward.

[@FlYiNgTuRtLe_US]

As a flyers fan who has watched every game this year, I think making the playoffs is more important that getting a higher pick. The reason I say that is this younger group needs to experience the playoffs. I think they need a taste of what playoff hockey is like. I think that benefits them more than a higher pick.

[@TheMemeBorrower.]

I absolutely love the individual team videos. I don’t care what team it is, it’s always interesting. Always some of my favourite videos of yours. Usually I play them in the background and it helps get work done around the house

[@scythian2138]

The important to thing to note about how last year ended for the Flyers was how it ended with basically their *only* goalie being Ersson and basically being forced to ride him into the ground. With both Fedotov and Kolosov this year (and if they continue to play better) I don't see that happening

[@lawrencefine5020]

50 year Flyer fan here, and I like the current direction they're going in. Torts make's sure this team fights for 60+ minutes, which is why this team is getting points right now. Slowly getting better, game by game, inch by inch. Not a super serious contender right now, but if this trend continues, the Flyers will be a contender in a year or 2. Their goal tending situation is going well also having 2 quite good back ups fighting over that position. I can see Briere trading Fedotov to a team that needs a backup. Kolosov has been improving and he's a bit more athletic than Fedotov is I see this team making the playoffs this year and it's always fun when the Philadelphia Flyers make the playoffs. Hopes are high and Michkov is the real deal at 19. Go Flyers!

[@tonymcdonald8727]

Torts will push for playoffs, not to lose. Love lunch-pail attitude. 3 goalies- need to make a decision. Love your videos. ❤

[@dannewbigging6134]

They have 3 first round picks in the next draft, and 3 second round picks. Good chance to pickup some more talent, if they draft well.

[@FlyboyEz3]

Philly is on fire and doing it without their starter. Wins through good defense are wins, even if theyre puck management still looks a bit shaky at times.

[@Breathtaker5000]

When you gotta do important life stuff but THG uploads:

[@_dev_null_]

Need to draft a legit 1c super early in the draft. Imagine a Giroux-esque player next to Michkov 🤑

[@genjiglove6124]

I want playoff hockey back in Philadelphia so, so bad.

[@MarkCMG]

Thanks for the video! A lot of time off for a team with games in pocket. Panthers and the Wild are tough but everyone else is beatable, so the Flyers are in a good position skating into the end of the year. They got Pens, Ducks, Kings, and Sharks for the rest of 2024 beyond the games on the whiteboard. Points are points, so I think you are right to highlight their chances.

[@ComradeDaveH]

The Flyers missed the playoffs last year because Errson was rode into the ground. The 8 game L streak was awful. I hope the continue to play for the wins. Tanking for a better pick is not the way. Lets go Flyers!! 🎉

[@LukeRyanReese21]

I want a top center prospect but I also don’t like to watch my Team lose lmao

[@jacobeberhardt1649]

Just took a quick look at the standings and uhhhhh how do the Islanders have SIX overtime losses already 😂😂😂

[@yearofthesolder4118]

A video on Calgary Flames would be a good comparable

[@BigJuicyJerm]

We also have Denver Barkey, Heikki Ruohonen, Ilya Pautov (sleeper pick) Cole Knuble, Spencer Gill, Yegor Zavragin (top 5 KHL save percentage at age 19), along with Andre and Richard who are new found successes. We don’t need any more future imo. It’s time for playoff experience. No expectations to make it far. Just get the kids exposure for the future, and make some moves when the cap goes up. Plus, we have 5-6 picks in the first two rounds already.

[@Bray_kel]

Underrated fact about this little run the Flyers are on right now, is that almost all of the games the opposing goalies had incredible performances. The team could have scored double the goals during this stretch and it would still be normal scoring %. So the fact they found a way to gain so many points is impressive imo.

[@genjiglove6124]

I will say, we always play Florida hard

[@danielreeves3984]

Winners win. No tank

[@genjiglove6124]

Agreed

[@ClayBall-im1km]

Why would you tank when you could easily move up in the draft by packaging some of the (numerous ) draft picks that they have. As for this season, having 74, 71, 86 & 48 contribute more consistently will help. Overall, keep playing hard. Continue to be a pain in the ass to play against. Be competitive for 60 minutes. Positive development for the younger guys. Look out for each other and take no shit. I say...why not us for a playoff spot.

[@Patrick33456]

Perfect storm for us is we keep playing with heart and the young guns play well and develop and we still come in last place. We really need a #1 C above anything else...

[@sameold5050]

Goaltending has been shaky which was obviously expected with two foreign goaltenders coming in & Ersson being injured. It's definitely better these past few weeks. They weren't expected to be a contender at all. The Flyers are trending in the right direction.

[@Tseuq4gninaem]

I would rather them keep playing better and start to have some veterans join the young guys. There is a massive dead contract on the team with Ryan Ellis still doing his thing (6.25m until 2026-27) but Michkov, Farabee and seven other players are still under 25 years old and if we can get a couple good free agents, we can be a consistent playoffs team. If the Flyers had a top 6 Center, one better defenseman and a Goalie and this team looks a lot more competitive.

[@pipoj5]

Ersson is a good goalie and fedotov and kolosov are playing well

[@rokugougfuoo4479]

Flyers should ride the wave and do their best. You can always make the argument to continue losing and "get more draft picks" in an endless rebuild. The team has a good core of depth talent as a foundation to build on so that they can start trying to sign some of those more skilled players in free agency to push them over the hump, and winning and showing you're capable of winning will help persuade top end free agents to want to come to Philly. Much like last year, I see the team as a fringe-playoff team; we simply don't have the top end talent to compete for the Cup but that's okay. We're building, our young guys are getting valuable experience and seeing the benefits of playing hard (playing hard and tough hockey and losing all the time is demoralizing in and of itself). With Fedotov and Kolosov showing themselves to be better learning the NHL game, the Flyers also hopefully won't fall into the issue that truly sunk them last year which was the Carter Hart situation. Once Hart was out, not only did Ersson have to play beyond his means because of how absolutely horrible Cal Peterson was/is, the entire team morale took a major hit. The fall and Hart coincided. Without it, they would've been a playoff team (and more than likely would have been knocked out in the first round; buy hey! it's something). This year they dug themselves an early hole with that 1-5-1 start, but they've also quickly climbed out of it. The team is only improving. The main moveable pieces here would be Ristolainen, who is playing great so his value on the trade market should be very high, maybe either Kolosov or Fedotov when that time of the year comes and *somebody* is going to need a goalie, Johnson if somebody wants him, and maybe a Morgan Frost or alike if there are takers. With some money coming off the books, perhaps this offseason will be one where they take a stab at a free agent or two to bolster them, and being a playoff team will make the destination more desirable. But whatever happens, I just want them to be competitive. I want those young guys to keep improving. I feel that wishing for failure is a bad strat both in building a team and as a fanbase. Let's enjoy the ride and have fun.

[@michaelwebster5011]

Great video THG! Really interesting breakdown of my favorite team. When the Flyers began their rebuild, it was always more about culture first, talent second to me. Torts was and is the perfect coach for this role, and bringing in Briere and Jonesy to rebuild that pedigree of greatness that they knew as players for the Flyers is already seeping down the roster. Wanting to lose games to hope you get the next big potential star, to *maybe* round out the lineup, would only do more damage to this team than any positive. You're right about what makes them good -- their work ethic. As you said, Torts expects nothing less than 100%. For a team lacking the talent of those Cup favorites, they've still found ways to keep things close with those very teams. Victories over the Wild (7-5), the Lightning (2-1 SO), and the Rangers (3-1) showed that they can hang with the best, and even OT/SO losses to Vegas (5-4), Florida (4-3 SO) and to the Oilers (4-3), suggest similar. They've of course flubbed and choked some games to good and worse alike, but the fight has waned only once or twice through the first 25 games. All this to say, despite their lack of talent comparatively, their work ethic is proving itself valuable -- leading directly to wins against teams like the Rangers that most would undoubtedly have written them off against. The most important thing this does is justify the hard work and buy in to the culture Danny, Jonesy, and Torts are trying to instill in this very young team. As prospects come up, perhaps they aren't the #1 overall picks, but knowing that the team is going to pull every drop of talent out of them, and knowing they are coming into a culture that will work harder than anyone else for them, will reap better results from more draft picks, than tearing the whole thing down to gamble on what is not a guaranteed messiah. The Team plays better, the culture grows stronger, the chemistry grows with it. From a Franchise perspective, when production comes from all these players, trade value increases for those you might be shopping if you do end up selling at the deadline. This would also be true down the road for when they become buyers. They don't necessarily need to make the playoffs in my opinion, but winning more than we lose and remaining competitive night in and night out -- proving that the work ethic is worth it, in spite of the talent -- is vital to the grand strategy for long term success for my beloved Flyers. It would be great if we could have it both ways: Get the #1 pick overall and still grow the culture in nothing but a positive direction; however, I think it has proven to not be true. It'd be different if this was 4 years ago at the beginning of the teardown, but it isn't. We used our draft picks on what could be truly the next generation of great Flyers (Thank you Michkov!). Its time we continue the upward trajectory and keep the work ethic rolling, so that when our roster is filled with developed talent, they have the confidence, support, and buy-in from those legendary Flyers teams that has been missing for many years. Sorry this was such a long comment -- I love and care so deeply for my Flyers! I appreciate you for reading it. Lets Go Flyers!

[@FelixWheatfield]

Was secretly hoping you'd make a video about this. Been kind of exciting watching Philly as of lately, they're showing signs of a great team but they still have lots of tough hurdles in the coming weeks. But I also want them to use the players that they have, sure a bigger name would be great but I feel like there's already been so much trading with this team and it led to the slump they had.

[@EHLShakes]

As a big Flyers fan, I want to get the wins to get back to the playoffs. I just want a playoff berth this year if possible. Normally I am the other way around but with 3 1st rounders, I want playoffs. But pieces do need to be moved this year eventually. We need Scoring centers badly and I do not think Frost is that person. He is just way too inconsistent in scoring. Farabee is another one who I thought would be much better than he is. I would like to get another Sniper personally that can really shoot the puck and hopefully some of Tippett's shots will go in. At defense Emil Andrade is a much different player then last year and he looks much more confident. But when Drysdale comes back who goes out (Johnson I assume). As far as Goaltending I dont know if the Flyers keep all 3 goaltenders or not. I am not as sold on Fedotov as I am with Kolosov. But If they do not keep all 3, then I think Kolosov is the odd man out. The flyers are going to have some interesting decisions to make once Drysdale and Ersson come back from IR thats for sure.

[@Nasty0ldTree]

I 100% as a Flyers fan want this to be more of a commitment to the rebuild. I know that’s not how Torts’ rolls but I really think it’s the right decision with the draft stock they’ve got. Also, Coots has been fantastic at driving the play this season, just doesn’t really have the points to show for it but he really is setting so much of the offense uo

[@milkybone8223]

The flyers look so much better now than the beginning of the season. Playoffs would be nice lol, but im completely fine with these young guys really learning the game and growing. Playing this grind type of hockey is really going to improve these guys for when they have a chance of contending.

[@mellowstray]

the flyers have like 6 picks in the top 45 next draft. preferably, i’d rather the flyers just focus on the rebuild. if they make the playoffs it would be good for the younger players but wouldn’t really help us as far as getting as high as possible in the draft. i do appreciate torts work ethic and holding all players responsible and not dimming down the game for the sake of draft placement. and his work with michkov is by having meetings once a week to stay on the same page is admirable.

[@jscott4431]

As a devoted Flyers fan, it's been a painfully long drought. No matter the roster or coaching staff, the team looks the same every year with little or no improvement. I think it will be the same story again this season. However, I have more confidence in the front office then in years past. I'm ok with unloading some players (Frost, Farabee, Hathaway, Risto, Drysdale, etc.) to stockpile draft picks. I do like what I'm seeing with Flyers goaltending situation.

[@vianegativa9049]

You can’t imagine how starved the fanbase is for wins after so looooooong of just mediocre seasons year in year out, watching them has been fun as hell since last season again. Idk I just want them to play to win, if they fall short again, then we draft higher, I still have trust in Danny at this moment

[@brandensoderlund1381]

As a Flyers fan yes I do want to be bad so we can get another super star player,but at the same time I do like to see them to win even if they go in overtime I am just happy that I am watching team I care and there is vision

[@lucypelisek]

not a flyers fan but i think there's a good team there, with some changes needing to be made. once those changes are made i think they can be really fun to watch and scary to play against

[@Renegade322]

The problem I have with tanking means we gave up trying to develop some of the players I really like.

[@Domoftheyear]

I just want the boys to go out there and play! Win or loose, they’re a young team! Getting better and better each game.

[@andrewptob]

Flyers need a 1C but I’m okay with them playing well as I think it’s good for the development of the players they do have. So, they need to draft well next couple years and be aggressive and smart with roster moves.

[@kod8933]

All I want is Michkov Calder and a 1st OA pick. Only one is likely to happen. Hope we at least sell high on Risto, and cut Frost and Laughton soon after. Farabee I wouldn't mind seeing let go either. Clear cap space, draft higher. Nothing matters until the 2027-28 season when Briere and Jones have said theyd shift to being buyers.

[@TheMrTwizter]

Two things are true at once for me. I wish they'd embraced an actual tank, drafted high, and built from there. But im also really enjoying the team the last 2 years. Conflicted 😮

[@20thCenturyManTrad]

The actual tank takes a long time and does not guarantee success. It is better that they retool while not completely dumping everything. It can be frustrating not getting over the hump, but it beats watching nothing for 5-6 years.

[@LEETCH_2]

When is your next live stream?

[@AnyaWilt]

As a Flyers fan, I probably want losses as it is to get a better draft pick, but I also like fun, so I find myself rooting for them to win every individual game.

[@IAVAIN]

What do you think about this rebuilding - but being competitve strategy, over a sell all your stars and tank strategy? Which is most likely to develop a stanley cup winning team?

[@Andyyy48]

They are a playoff team if they play the rest of the season like their last 10 games or mostly and goaltending holds up, but thats a if😁. Flyers takes all wins they can get, drafting is more question who do you draft, not when😄

[@tripsaplenty1227]

yes but Torts might burn everyone out for next season

[@MarieKaenakapu]

We need a 1C, and we already made the mistake last season of keeping guys we could’ve traded for the sake of the, “room,” just to fall apart at the end and lose a playoff spot to the Caps. We have 3 1st’s coming but we need more support for Michkov to truly look ahead for future contention.

[@Boredhockeytime1776]

They need to lose as much as possible to get the best picks possible especially because briere seems incapable of making a trade for a quality young player

[@kosmicwizard]

I hope they miss the playoffs and get a high draft pick

[@Hockeyboy111]

Celebrini > Michkov

[@ComradeDaveH]

He sure wasn't in that game they played against each other. If I remember correctly your boy even got a smack in his chops for some reason.

[@stephensabo8498]

Lol playing more minutes a game on the first line 😂 michkov will destroy mack by the end of the season

[@MrFlyersFreak]

meh