Is it TK looking for a long-term deal?
Is it Drysdale looking to prove he can stay healthy and contribute? Same goes for Coots and Risto.
Is it Errson proving he's a number 1?
I say it's Frost. It's the last year of his contract. He's gonna be Michkovs C right? I mean who else? Coots is 31, Laughts is 30. Poehling, Cates don't seem likely.
The entire org and fanbase have their hopes and dreams rightfully pinned on Michkov. What if he falters? Frost will get the blame. What if they give him another C and it works – Frost looks twice as bad.
Or the opposite happens. They have great chemistry and Frost has a killer season, signs a new deal and everyone's overjoyed for years.
That's a fair amount of pressure.
by scratchydaitchy
28 Comments
Not looking forward to news media covering what’s going to happen to TK every day until he’s signed or traded.
Totally thought that was Briere for a second
Frost is probably the biggest one. I’ll also add Farabee. If he plays like he did in the second half for another stretch of time, I don’t see him being on the roster next season.
It’s gotta be Michkov himself, right? The hopes of the franchise are being pinned on him
I think Drysdale is under the most pressure from an organizational standpoint being a part of the future, being the swap for a top pick, having to prove he can excel in the NHL and can contribute on the power play. But yeah these guys are all at the top, they all feel pressure all the time unless they have no frontal lobe
I just had a similar convo with my friends on what it would look like for Morgan to be successful. He would need to have a Zach Hyman like change of scenery in Edmonton to be successful. He potentially could have that with Michkov. Can Morgan Frost up his point production 20-40 points in the upcoming season?
We see glimpses of Frost being special, between the leg goal against Boston is a good example. He’s got good tools. Here’s hoping he takes a step this year.
Imagine Drysdale, Farabee, Brink, Frost, Foerster, York, and Zamula all showing improvement this year?
If Michkov can play, mixed with the prospects we currently have, 6 picks next year, and upcoming salary cap money: the Flyers are in a great position to make a big splash toward ending the rebuild and actually competing.
Anybody else smelling a big trade coming after this season? Whether in the draft or after???
It’s getting excited!
Couts maybe not the most but an honerable mention. Dude needs to be healthy and get back on track, should be one of the best two way players in the league.
Samuel Ersson. He needs to prove he can be a #1 goalie in this league
Farabee just in regards to not being traded or healthy scratched by Torts. Joel could be in for a very interesting season. On 1 hand he is signed through 2028 and has shown glimpses of being a high end $5M cap hit. On the other hand he has shown glimpses of atrophy and if his play is in decline and Torts start to scratch him there will be a lot of interest around the league for the 24 year old left winger
Cooter… He needs to regain his Selke skin
I feel like it’s Ersson, he’s got a team in front of him that is going to be structured defensively but simply due to personnel he’s going to see chances. He has to prove that he can handle starters minutes (within reason not like what Torts put him through in February), and he also has to find ways that when he doesn’t have his A game that he allows 3-4 goals and not 7.
I see why people are picking Frost, but to me he has a 1st round pedigree and has produced enough in spurts that he’s going to get another look somewhere if it flames out here. If Ersson isn’t able to prove he’s at least a 1A/1B in these next two years I’m pretty sure he just slides into a career backup role.
Low key, John Tortorella. Does the room get past his antics at the end of last season? Will he and Michkov see eye-to-eye? I don’t think he’s on the hot seat by any means, but Michkov’s early arrival changes a lot.
I agree with Frost. If he doesn’t score much above 50 points again he is probably off the team after the upcoming season.
It’s gotta be the goalies. Doesn’t matter who’s the starter.
Ers and Michkov are going to feel the world on their shoulder unfairly from the fans to be perfect. The players that SHOULD feel is are Drysdale to stay healthy and Coots to live up to being a captain.
Gotta be Ersson. He fell off HARD at the end of the season and probably blames the fall from the playoffs on himself. He was young but now that he KNOWS he’s the #1 option, he’s got to lock in.
I wanna say Michkov because knowing Philly sports fandom.. if this kid doesn’t come in and isn’t immediately a superstar ignorant people will be on his ass. But I don’t think that’s fair.
Depending where the flyers sit weeks before the trade deadline. Ideally, this is Michkov’s team now and they should sell players who are not going to be part of the rebuilding process. I am hoping Coots rebounds and ups his trade value. Do you think injury and father time is going to catch up to Coots 4-5 years from now? Will he be healthy enough to anchor Michkov’s line? We have to think long term by piling up draft picks, so we could draft an elite #1 center for Michkov or trade assets to acquire one.
Michkov, Fedotov, and Couturier
Honestly Michkov, a lot of people are gonna be watching/attending games just to watch him play
All the goalies in the organization. Specifically in terms of how this season impacts the player’s personal/professional life, Fedotov has a lot riding on this season. There’s a broad range of options depending on how this season goes.
Maybe not the most pressure but Tipp and Foerster have the opportunity to prove if they are top of the lineup guys that can drive play and put up solid numbers. Could end up being just nice middle six options. Probably more pressure for Tipp since he’s got the extension kicking in but I’m curious if Foerster can have a breakout offensively.
Drysdale is going to need to show he can be healthy and take huge strides forward.
It will be bad if he has another injury riddled mediocre year where hes not even good when he does play.
Deslauriers.
Last year he proved he simply can’t keep up with the play, even on a team with such a mediocre talent level. Statistically, I think he was the very worst “regular” forward in the league. Combine that with Tortorella’s now proven late season track record of consistently scratching him, and Deslauriers projects to be in the hurt locker. The team won’t waive him, but he’ll be lucky to play in 50 games, and there’s pretty much nothing he can do about it heading into his age 34 season.
The pressure comes from him not as of yet accepting this brutal reality.
Frost has been under pressure for like 4 years now. He is what he is. A good scoring option for a second or third line that is a defensive liability. Other teams will take him if we let him go. He probably needs a system that’s more oriented to his style anyways.
I don’t think torts game fits him at all, tryna round peg the square hole.
Briere is under the most pressure…
The GM.