Capitals vs. the Metro: Flyers Building Toward Bright Future

Looking at the Philadelphia Flyers, they are a team in transition. They have been drafting significant talent to start a new era for the franchise. The next chapter began when Keith Jones left television and became the club’s President of Hockey Operations, and Danny Briere became the Flyers’ new general manager. John Tortorella, meanwhile, remained head coach of the team. Fast forward to now, and some of those pieces in the Flyers’ next chapter are starting to arrive. A lot of hype this offseason swirled around their 2023 first-round pick in forward Matvei Michkov.

Philadelphia finished last season with a record of 38-33-11 for 87 points. They were ranked in sixth place among the Metropolitan Division teams and in 11th place in the Eastern Conference.

2024 Offseason Re-Signings

The Flyers did not really bring in any free agents. Danny Briere was more focused on bringing back talent. He re-signed winger Garnet Hathaway on a two-year extension worth $2.4 million as an average annual value (AAV). Hathaway played in all 82 games for the Flyers last season. In that span, he scored seven goals and provided 10 assists for a total of 17 points.

Briere also kept veteran blueliner Erik Johnson, who was re-signed on a one-year contract. Johnson split the 2023-24 campaign between the Flyers and the Buffalo Sabres. For Philadelphia, he had two goals and an assist for three points in 17 games. The 36-year-old won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2022 NHL playoffs.

The biggest re-signing for the Flyers was announced on July 25. The club announced they agreed to terms on an eight-year extension with forward Travis Konecny. Last season, Konecny led the team in points with 68 in 76 games (33 goals and 35 assists). In his entire career to this point, he has 174 goals and 226 assists for 400 points in 564 games.

Michkov Mania in Philadelphia

Matvei Michkov has been one of the most important stories for the organization this offseason. There had been speculation around how long it would take for the young player to come out of the KHL over to North America. It turns out the team did not have to wait a long time. Michkov inked his three-year entry-level contract on July 1. The 2023 seventh overall pick suited up for HC Sochi in 2023-24. He played in 47 games for the team, and accrued 41 points (19 goals and 22 assists). He is going to be a key piece to the Flyers’ offense for many seasons to come.

Matvei Michkov signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Flyers on July 1. (Wikipedia)

It will be interesting how the Flyers proceed to use him following training camp and the preseason. A key point will be how he transitions his game from how he played over in the KHL to his NHL game in North America. He will be someone to keep an eye on throughout the 2024-25 hockey season.

2023-24 Season Series

The Washington Capitals went up against the Philadelphia Flyers a total of three times. The teams first met on December 14 in Wells Fargo Center. The Flyers defeated the Capitals in the shootout by a final 4-3 score. Washington goals came from Connor McMichael, Tom Wilson, and Dylan Strome. Meanwhile, Philly got contributions from Bobby Brink, Joel Farabee, and Owen Tippett. Brink scored the deciding shootout winner for the Flyers, and they took the first win of the regular season series.

The two clubs next met on March 1 at Capital One Arena in D.C. This time, Washington got the victory, 5-2. The Capitals got offense from Alex Ovechkin, Sonny Milano, John Carlson, Anthony Mantha, and Dylan Strome. Philadelphia got their two goals from Bobby Brink and Owen Tippett.

The third and final game between these two franchises was on April 16 in Philadelphia. The Capitals broke the season series tie with a tight win on the road, 2-1. This loss for the Flyers eliminated them from postseason contention for 2024. Ovechkin and Erik Johnson each had a goal which had the game tied after two periods. A third period goal by T.J. Oshie gave them the 2-1 victory.

2024-25 Divisional Matchup

The Capitals square off with the Flyers four times throughout 2024-25. Half of the battles between both clubs take place on back-to-back nights as well. The first two games are a home-and-home, with the teams starting in Philly. That puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 P.M. on October 22. The next day, both squads face off in D.C. at Capital One Arena for a 7:30 P.M. matchup. The third game between both sides will be on February 6 in Philadelphia at 7:00 P.M. Then, the regular season series wraps up on March 20 in Washington at 7:00 P.M.

It will be intriguing how the Flyers do this upcoming season. A lot of the hockey world is curious how successful they are going to be. They are still working on building something great over there, and are in the middle of transitioning eras. John Tortorella will be doing everything he can to get the best out of his players every game. When they play against Washington, it will be interesting how things shake out and who comes out on the winning side.