For the last 21 years (12 with The Hockey News) Dobber has reviewed each team from a fantasy-hockey standpoint and graded them.

The 22nd annual review will appear here on DobberHockey throughout the summer. This is not a review of the likely performance on the ice or in the standings, but in the realm of fantasy hockey both for the season ahead as well as the foreseeable future. Offensively, will the team perform? Are there plenty of depth options worthy of owning in keeper leagues? What about over the next two or three years? These questions are what I take into consideration when looking at the depth chart and the player potential on that depth chart.

Enjoy!

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Gone – Cam Atkinson, Ryan Johansen, Marc Staal, Victor Mete, Denis Gurianov

Incoming – Matvei Michkov

Impact of Changes – Michkov, the early favorite for the Calder Trophy, will define the Flyers' season. Betting on anything that John Tortorella has a hand in may be a fool’s errand, but the pedigree on Michkov is undeniable. He wanted to be a Flyer, made strides to shorten his timeline to get to the NHL, and seems to be genuinely excited to be in Philadelphia. Following news of Alexei Kolosov wanting to return to the KHL and Cutter Gauthier requesting to be traded out of Philly, Michkov's enthusiasm for the Flyers will come as a reprieve. 

Travis Konecny, ink barely dry on an 8-year, $70 million extension, has spent most of the past few years as Philadelphia's top line right wing and should be there again. Michkov will likely start out on the second line and top power-play unit but will undoubtedly make a case on a game-by-game basis for that top-line spot.

Ready for Full-Time – Michkov is going to be an exciting player right out of the gate. A projection for 60 points or more is a very real possibility. He has all the characteristics to be a generational talent in a tier with Bedard, and he should pay dividends in his rookie year. The obvious caveat is John Tortorella… no one is safe from the press box in Philadelphia. 

Samu Tuomaala should see games if injuries pop up and there is a need for him. Tuomaala does not project to be a high impact player but his speed and above-average shot could eventually produce as much as 55-60 points. Elliott Desnoyers, on the other hand, should be a staple from Day 1 as long as his camp proves worthy. Desnoyers is not a high-ceiling prospect, but his off-puck proficiencies will be useful to the team. 

Fantasy Outlook – Philadelphia was a wasteland for fantasy value in 2023-24 outside of Travis Konecny and Owen Tippett. Philly hosted the league's worst power play in 2023-24, as well as in 2022-23 and 2021-22. On the power play, Danny Briere believes that the power play can improve, citing the injection of Michkov onto the PP as well as getting a full season from Jamie Drysdale. This should signal Drysdale as the presumptive QB1 on the top unit. 

The goaltending duo of Samuel Ersson and Ivan Fedotov enter the 2024-25 season with 66 games of NHL experience – 63 of those 66 games belong to Ersson. Briere truly is letting the kids play. 

Expectations are low going into the 2024-25 season when viewing the Flyers as a whole, but when you dial in to the premiere players for fantasy in Konecny, Tippett and Michkov, things start to look promising. After all, we don't need to roster all of the Flyers – just the good ones.

Tippett started to make a real name for himself in Philadelphia, showing a proficiency for shot volume and goal scoring relative to his surroundings. Tippett also provides a better-than-average edge to fantasy GMs who value hits. Konecny will likely be the first player from PHI off the draft board in redraft leagues this fall. There is nothing glaring under the hood in his underlying stats that suggest he should fall from that 70-75-point plateau with an upside for 80+ if everything bounces right. Michkov will be the centerpiece to any of the potential successes here. If Michkov can rejuvenate the power play – a rising tide should raise all boats. If he can push the needle on the Flyers' 2023-24 second-worst goals for/game, another rising tide. This team just needs some offense. 

Fantasy Grade: C (last year was a C-)