In this edition of our Philadelphia Flyers news and rumors report, a lot of big things are going on for the Orange and Black as they close out a largely successful 2023-24 campaign. With just eight games remaining, we look at what goaltender Ivan Fedotov can bring to the Flyers, some good (and bad) injury updates, and take a look at which prospects from the team will try to win the Memorial Cup in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) playoffs which began late in March.
Could Fedotov Be the Future Backup?
By now, the 6-foot-7 Fedotov and his story have been making quite a scene across the NHL. The 27-year-old Russian product, who signed a two-year contract with the Flyers on May 7, 2022, was forced to stay in his home country due to evading required military service shortly after signing the deal. It was a nightmare come true for Philadelphia.
It seemed like the former seventh-round pick by Philadelphia would spend the rest of his career in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) due to his large success in the league and his situation in Russia. Instead, he and his KHL club agreed to part ways after they were eliminated in the playoffs, and the rest is history. He is now the team’s official backup.
Related: Goalie Ivan Fedotov Leaving KHL; Likely to Sign With the Flyers
After this season, Fedotov will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA), so he doesn’t have much time to prove why the Flyers should keep him long-term. Regardless, though, general manager (GM) Daniel Briere has already been leaning toward extending his contract.
During an introductory press conference with Fedotov, he said, “As far as a contract extension, it’s something that we’re working on. I don’t expect it to be an issue, but nothing has been done as of yet.” It’s worth noting that the Flyers’ backup spot could be completely vacant heading into the offseason, especially with the team’s backups this season, each having a sub .870 save percentage (SV%). Instead of free-agent hunting for the 2024-25 campaign, Fedotov could be their answer.
Regarding his workload now that he is in the NHL with former backup Felix Sandstrom being sent down to the American Hockey League (AHL), Briere said that only the coaching staff can decide whether Fedotov plays for the Flyers right away. It probably won’t be too long before he does, though. Philadelphia has a back-to-back starting on April 5 and ending on April 6, so that will most likely be his time to shine.
Starter Sam Ersson has had a heavy workload recently (23 starts in the team’s last 28 games), so Fedotov might get more than one of those contests. He is eligible to play in the postseason if the Flyers make it, but he likely won’t get any starts unless things get dire.
Seeler Healthy, Drysdale Close to Return, Ristolainen Could Be a While
Getting into some injury updates, Nick Seeler, Jamie Drysdale, and Rasmus Ristolainen have missed the entirety of March. The absence of the three defenders has undoubtedly been an adjustment for the Flyers, but they’ve managed to do fine without them. Still, those are some highly impactful players who could significantly help the team’s hunt for the playoffs.
Seeler will be in the Flyers’ lineup for their contest with the Chicago Blackhawks on March 30 after missing 11 games with injury. He went down after blocking a shot against the St. Louis Blues on March 4, and that hobbled him for quite a while.
According to Briere, “Drysdale is getting better and better. I don’t think he’s as close as Seeler is, but he’s moving in the right direction.” In his update on March 28, he mentioned that Seeler could return shortly, and he did.
At the very least, Seeler and Drysdale should return before the playoffs start. With the former already back, the latter might not be too far behind. Briere had an unfortunate update on Ristolainen, though. “[Ristolainen], I would say, is a little longer ways away. In his case, we’re still not sure if he’s going to be able to come back,” the GM said.
In the Flyers’ morning practice on March 29, both Seeler and Drysdale were skating, but Ristolainen was not. He hasn’t played since early February, so the hope is that his issue doesn’t leak into next season. It’s unclear what he’s dealing with, but it is upper-body.
The Flyers getting just one of these three back is a huge step in the right direction. Seeler’s shot-blocking prowess and Drysdale’s elite skating ability have been sorely missed over the team’s last dozen or so games. The former will be a significant addition to the lineup.
Flyers’ Prospects Participating in CHL Playoffs
CHL playoff season is finally underway, and some important Flyer prospects will try their best to win the Memorial Cup. Philadelphia has six total prospects competing, two of each in the three leagues represented: the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), the Western Hockey League (WHL), and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
OHL — Denver Barkey & Oliver Bonk
Looking at the OHL, the high-flying London Knights have been led by two key players in the Orange and Black pipeline. As the top seed in their conference, they have a legitimate shot at going all the way.
Forward Denver Barkey is the first of the two Flyers, and he has exceeded his third-round draft selection in his first post-draft campaign. The 18-year-old surpassed 100 points in 64 games this season, tying for the fourth-highest point scorer in the league with 102 total.
With him, defender Oliver Bonk has also taken charge in London. With 24 goals and 43 assists for 67 points in 60 games, he finished third among OHL defensemen in goals and fifth in total points. Uniquely, he plays in the bumper position on the power play despite being a defenseman, earning him the nickname “Bumper Bonk.”
Currently, the Knights are up 1-0 in their seven-game series with the Flint Firebirds. Barkey had an assist and a plus-1 rating in Game 1, while Bonk had no points but a plus-1 rating himself.
WHL — Carson Bjarnason & Carter Sotheran
Getting to the WHL, a couple of notable prospects are competing there for Philadelphia, starting with a goaltender; Carson Bjarnason of the Brandon Wheat Kings (33-28-7) is out there to try and upset a solid Moose Jaw Warriors squad (44-21-3) in the first round. The netminder had a .907 SV% this season, which ranked ninth among the 35 netminders in the league with 25 or more games played.
He started to heat up during the end of the season, so that’s something to note. Unfortunately, he was shelled in Game 1, allowing five goals on 22 shots and being pulled less than halfway through the game. To his credit, Brandon did not help him much at all, but it’s still not a good look. He has plenty of time to bounce back.
As for defenseman Carter Sotheran of the Portland Winterhawks, his team entered as the favorite against the Victoria Royals with one of the most stacked rosters in the entire CHL. Sotheran might not have the best pure offensive numbers with 40 points in 66 games, but his plus-46 rating is pretty absurd. He’s a very solid defenseman with NHL potential who can play at both ends of the ice.
In Game 1, he scored a clutch goal to tie his game at two, which his team eventually won, giving the Winterhawks a 1-0 series lead. He had two points and a plus-2 rating in the 4-3 win, making himself perhaps the most impressive Flyer on the day.
QMJHL — Alexis Gendron & Matteo Mann
In an ironic twist, prospects Alexis Gendron and Matteo Mann are having their teams play each other for their first-round series in the QMJHL. Both former seventh-round picks by Philadelphia, one could have their squad go on a deep run while the other is guaranteed not to.
Gendron spent a lot of time in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms but was sent back to juniors after putting up seven points in 17 games. With his Drummondville Voltigeurs squad, he scored 18 points in 16 contests. His team was victorious in Game 1, but he was out with an injury — he hasn’t played since February. It’s unclear when or if he will return.
As for Mann, his 13 points and minus-7 rating in 42 games this season aren’t too impressive, but the 6-foot-6 defender also had 68 penalty minutes on the campaign. He’s a project player with little NHL potential, but if he makes enough positive strides, he could be a seventh defender. He had zero points and had an even plus-minus rating in his contest.
With the NHL regular season ending on April 18, the Flyers need to close out the season to clinch their first playoff berth since 2019-20. The third-place spot in the Metropolitan Division still belongs to them, but they only hold it by a single point. They’ll need to finish strong.