As the Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens continue their rebuilding process, they are planning for the future and have been pretty successful in doing so thus far. Once finished, however, these teams could be rivals for years to come.
Cole Caufield vs. Cam York
The Flyers made a series of decisions at the 2019 NHL Draft that helped the Habs land one of their most prized players in Cole Caufield.
The Flyers originally held the 11th overall pick but traded down for the 14th pick to land defenseman Cam York, who was arguably the team’s best defenseman in 2022-23. But, at the time, the team was ridiculed for this pick because the Canadiens selected Caufield with the very next pick, gifting them with a pivotal goal-scoring talent.
Although the two players have no ill will toward each other necessarily, both teams selected great players who fit their needs perfectly. They will always be compared to one another based on where they were drafted, which will add fuel to the fire of a potential rivalry for as long as the two are with their respective organization.
David Reinbacher vs. Matvei Michkov
The roles were reversed in 2023 when the Flyers were the ones who landed a goal-scoring gem, while Montreal opted for a defender who was important for their rebuild.
One of the main focuses of the 2023 Draft was Russian phenom Matvei Michkov, given that his contract in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) will last until the 2026-27 NHL season, among other political factors. Instead of that game-changing prospect, the Canadiens chose to fill one of their biggest needs by selecting a right-handed defenseman, David Reinbacher, fifth overall. Just like Philadelphia, many Habs fans were not happy with the selection but eventually warmed up to it, much like Flyers fans did with York.
Philadelphia was more than happy to select Michkov with the seventh-overall pick and give themselves a potential generational talent.
Related: Flyers’ Matvei Michkov Will Be an Immediate Star in the NHL
Again, both teams selected the player that was important to them. In the future, the Canadiens could have one of the best defensive pairings in the league with Lane Hutson and Reinbacher. As for the Flyers, they needed a prospect who would not only get the fans on their side, but also help give the team an identity. Both teams did exactly what they set out to accomplish, but these two players will be compared throughout their careers, especially if they both live up to the hype.
Kent Hughes vs. Danny Brière
Funny enough, Montreal considered hiring Danny Brière as their general manager (GM) before the Flyers swooped in and named him GM on May 10, 2023.
Canadiens’ GM Kent Hughes and Briere may differ slightly in their approach, but they are at a similar place in terms of current roster talent and prospects. While Hughes has bought low on young players such as Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, Briere has sold some of his veteran pieces to establish a new locker room feel for head coach John Tortorella, like Kevin Hayes, Ivan Provorov, and Tony DeAngelo.
According to Hockey Prospecting, a site specializing in the analysis of young players not yet in the league, the Flyers currently hold the third-best prospect core in the league, while Montreal sits just ahead of them at second. It is uncanny how well these two teams seem to be matching up, with both of them being a similar distance away from being contenders, given their finishes in last year’s standings.
If Philadelphia and Montreal complete their rebuilds at the same time and are successful in doing so, we could see a revitalization of a once-heated rivalry.
Related: Philadelphia Flyers’ History With the Montreal Canadiens
Teams that are good for a while simply have a habit of becoming rivals. Before the 2022-23 season, the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils rivalry was something that existed, but it wasn’t as intense as it was in years past, given the Devils had not made the playoffs since 2017-18. That all changed when they both started winning again and met in the first round of the playoffs. If playoff visits become frequent between Philadelphia and Montreal, expect a bitter rivalry to form.
Flyers vs. Habs Rivalry in the Making
The Flyers and Canadiens both have young talent and promising prospects in the pipeline. With them frequently running into one another in the draft yet with different philosophies, they could see themselves butting heads in the future.