Nothing is certain yet, but it’s looking like 19-year-old prospect Matvei Michkov will be a member of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2024-25. He is the type of talent that every rebuilder hopes to end up getting—he is one of the best prospects that the Flyers have ever had. Aside from how good he is as a player at such a young age, he ultimately represents something far bigger.
In the somewhat recent past, the Flyers have not done their superstars justice in their attempts to bring Philadelphia its first Stanley Cup since 1975. Michkov, more than anything, represents a chance at redemption. This time, the Flyers cannot afford to fail.
Flyers’ Shortcomings with Lindros
After nearly two decades of not having an offensive superstar, Eric Lindros became available for trade. Since the Flyers were amid a rebuild, they stopped at nothing to acquire the next big thing in Philadelphia. He brought an incredible level of talent, youth, leadership, and size. The Orange and Black had their next franchise-altering talent, and it was an opportunity to end their Stanley Cup drought.
The Flyers did a pretty good job of acquiring talent for him to play with, which gave him and his team a high ceiling. By the time the Flyers exited their rebuild around the mid-1990s and were truly ready to win games, Lindros had one of the best peaks in franchise history. Winning the Hart Trophy and leading the league in points in 1994-95, he lived up to every single expectation and more. While Philadelphia lost in the Eastern Conference Final to the New Jersey Devils that season, it was clear that there was a lot to look forward to.
However, there was a catch. Lindros was notoriously prone to concussions in an era where, frankly, head injuries and ailments in general were not taken very seriously. The Flyers didn’t put enough emphasis on making sure their superstar was both happy and healthy, but we’ll revisit this point in a little bit.
Related: Philadelphia Flyers’ 1990s Rebuild: Decisions, Winning, & Collapse
Despite the injuries, the Flyers made the Stanley Cup Final in 1997, led by Lindros’ 23-point playoff run in 15 games to that point. Facing one of the greatest teams ever assembled, the Detroit Red Wings, the Orange and Black fell apart and were no match—they were swept. In the end, this was the furthest that they got in the Lindros era.
The Flyers were still a very good team during Lindros’ reign…
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