After starting off their 2024-25 season with a 4-8-1 record that placed them last in the NHL on Nov. 5, the Philadelphia Flyers have turned it around. Winners in four of their last six contests, the team is nearing the exact area that was more or less expected of them—the middle of the league’s standings.
Although the potential face of the franchise, Matvei Michkov, is playing as advertised in his rookie campaign, the Flyers are still in a position where they need more talent. The roster has regressed offensively to this point, with only Travis Konecny, Michkov, and Travis Sanheim sitting on more than 10 points. If the team really has rebounded record-wise, the problem is that the 2025 NHL Draft may not offer them a sure-fire solution on this front.
While the consensus is that center James Hagens will be selected first overall in the summer, he’s far from a lock to go in that spot. In fact, there are about three other players who have a legitimate case. Finishing with a bad record would have theoretically solved much of the Flyers’ talent woes, but these athletes will be unattainable if the team continues to be competitive. Where they could be picking with their three first-round picks—the middle of the first round and later—appears reminiscent of the 2024 NHL Draft. That is, the number of projectable star players falls off quite fast. The cookie jar might just be empty by the time the Orange and Black finally get to reach their hand in it.
This isn’t to say the Flyers won’t be able to draft a star, but that game-changing sidekick for Michkov probably won’t be there. The team selected Jett Luchanko at 13th overall in their last draft, and though he’s far from a complete product, we can safely assume that he won’t be topping the league’s scoring charts at any point in his career. That’s simply not a reasonable expectation.
Related: 6 Flyers’ Prospects Who Could Make 2025 World Junior Championship Rosters
It’s far from a guarantee, but this season seems like the team’s last chance at a get-out-of-jail-free card, of sorts. Acquiring superstar talent will be fairly challenging, if not logistically impossible if they don’t get a top-end pick for this class. Is this bad? Is the rebuild doomed? What are some alternatives?
The Flyers Don’t Need Another Superstar
Yes, I said “another” superstar. In the 83rd percentile for…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Hockey Writers…