Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images
Fueled by failure: Flyers believe pain is part of the climb
VOORHEES, N.J. — Travis Konecny was driving in his car last Wednesday. At the time the Flyers were down 2-0 in an Eastern Conference Semifinal series in which they would eventually be swept by the Carolina Hurricanes.
Two nights earlier, they had lost Game 2 in overtime. Prior to Carolina scoring the winning goal, Konecny had a breakaway in overtime. He had the game on his stick … and missed the net.
Konecny was in the car, and out of the blue he let out a primal shout of anger.
“I was just randomly driving and (all of the sudden) I was like ‘Fuck!’ I was just thinking, ‘This could be 1-1 right now,” he said.
Dan Vladar, who was far and away the most valuable Flyer in this season and the biggest reason the team reached the second round of the playoffs, said as good a year as it was, there’s something still haunting him — and that was the fact that the last shot he faced, he did not stop.
Jackson Blake’s shot hit off of both Vladar’s glove and shoulder pad before fluttering up over him and into the net, ending the Flyers’ Cinderella season.
Asked what it was like reconciling with that fact, Vladar was direct.
“It’s awful,” he said. “That goal, I watched a lot of times to be honest with you. I watched it 150 times and I was getting more and more mad and I was still watching.”
Each player can find something they did wrong. Something that they didn’t like. Something that stood out as to why instead of practicing and preparing for a game on Wednesday, they were marching into the press conference room at the Flyers Training Center one-by-one to reflect on what was, what could have been and what lies ahead.
If nothing else, it seems like losing in this way may shape the future of the team. There wasn’t a sense of complacency from any player. While they each understood that what they had accomplished this season was an important step forward for the franchise, to a man, they each knew it was just a step.
“It circles back to the Flyers fans giving us a standing ovation after we lost like that,” said Garnet Hathaway. “If that doesn’t show you what this city cares about in sports, I don’t know what will. I didn’t know going in. I had heard about it, but to see the growth that this team has made … aligned with that as well. Like, it’s an exciting place to be right now. And so, yeah, I got a lot of work to do this summer. I’m excited about it. I’m happier about that other than family. That’s why I wake up in the morning, right? I can’t wait to do it. … Yeah, I’m hungry.”
Others echoed Hathaway’s hunger. The Flyers built their playoff push on belief and they still believe – even though they didn’t qualify for the NHL’s version of the Final Four. There is still belief in what the organization is doing and with where it’s headed.
“I would love to be here for a long time,” said Trevor Zegras. “I love playing here. I love the fans. I love the group that we have and that would be something I’m excited for. … Having that excitement about the game (of hockey) was great. To find that passion for winning and success as a team was big. I think I had lost a little bit of that (before being traded to Philadelphia). The drive. The passion. Winning and being a really good team.”
The Flyers will have to address some issues this offseason. As hunky dory as most of the guys made everything sound, the team is not without it’s question marks.
The biggest elephant in the room is Matvei Michkov, who also spoke Tuesday and was visibly frustrated with questions about his season, his relationships with coaches and his teammates, and his plan for the offseason.
And it’s understandable. He had a down year and there was a lot of unnecessary drama surrounding him. There is a perceived rift between him and his coach, Rick Tocchet, that gets exacerbated with every comment made buy the coach, even when the comments are not about Michkov, it somehow always goes back to Michkov in Flyer fan social media circles.
So, to hear Michkov describe his relationship with Tocchet today through an interpreter as a “good relationship,” maybe it quells some of that hysteria.
But Michkov mania aside — and make no mistake, his improvement in year three is vital — the Flyers need to find solutions to their abysmal power play – most notably someone who can quarterback it from the point, clear up the winger log jam, improve in the middle of the ice, specifically at the center position, and possibly find an upgrade in goal from Sam Ersson to be Vladar’s backup.
General manager Danny Briere has a lot on his plate this summer to address those issues, all the while looking to re-sign restricted free agents like Zegras and Jamie Drysdale and possible offering Vladar an extension.
The 2026-27 Flyers will look mostly similar to the current group, but there’s almost certainly going to be a few changes.
How Briere gets there is going to be most intriguing, as the free agency class is the weakest it has been, maybe in the history of the salary cap era, meaning he likely has to get creative on the trade front.
Rasmus Ristolainen wasn’t traded at the deadline, but after an excellent playoff performance which followed an equally impressive Olympics for Team Finland, maybe he becomes a moveable asset this summer.
TSN insider Darren Dreger has twice reported that the Flyers went pretty far down the road in conversations with the Ottawa Senators about a deal for Ristolainen at the deadline that didn’t come to fruition and recently said he thinks the teams could revisit that conversation this summer.
As for the glut of wingers — especially on the right side — somebody is going to have to be moved out, as there just isn’t enough room for everybody to get quality minutes.
The Flyers could look to move Owen Tippett, who endured both a sports hernia and internal bleeding (separate injuries) which knocked him out of the Carolina series. Or, if they go after a bigger name in a trade, could look to add a previously thought untradeable piece to make it happen.
There are kids coming. Oliver Bonk will likely be a regular next season. David Jiricek has a one-way contract and is no longer waiver exempt, so the Flyers will need to find room for two young defensemen. It’s fair to assume guys like Denver Barkey and Alex Bump will be regulars and it’s a stone cold lock that Porter Martone will be on one of the top two lines. Martone will once again rep Team Canada, as he’s headed to the IIHF World Championships that begin this weekend in Switzerland.
There’s reason to believe in the Flyers again, and not just in the locker room but outside of it. The Flyers are once again a destination in the NHL, and word is spreading.
“I think guys are going to start to realize that this is a great spot to play,” Konecny said. “Hopefully we can get that back where people want to sign here and be here. I know I do my part whenever teams practice (here) and I have a buddy (on that team). I’ll swoop them into the gym and be like, ‘Look how sweet this is. Come hang out here.’ I think what we did was great for the players. The organization. Everybody.”
And maybe if things keep progressing as planned in the future, he won’t have curse at himself in the car 48 hours after the fact.
