The rumors started May 19. Sport-Express, a Russian sports newspaper, was the first to start the conversation. All signs were pointing to Matvei Michkov being a Philadelphia Flyer in the 2024-25 season. 

On the 50th anniversary of the Flyers’ 1974 Stanley Cup win, it looked like the “New Era of Orange” was officially underway. 

Michkov signed an entry-level contract July 1 and officially landed on American soil July 23. 

It was finally time. The season Flyers fans have been waiting for since the franchise drafted the Russian forward seventh overall in the 2023 draft was near.

During the preseason, Michkov put up seven points across four games (three goals, four assists).  While the 19-year-old skater won’t be the solution to every issue the Flyers are looking to fix, he does seem to be the master key to unlocking multiple doors in problem areas for Philadelphia. 

One area that Michkov can’t fix: goaltending. 

Samuel Ersson went 23-19-7 for the Flyers last season, with a 2.82 goals against average and a .890 save percentage. Ivan Fedotov arrived in Philadelphia from the Kontinental Hockey League in late March, playing in just three games. While both have the makings of what the Flyers need from a starting goalie, the two also have to prove themselves between the pipes and have to step up if the Flyers hope to improve on last season’s unexpected success as a team.  

Jamie Drysdale, the 22-year-old blueliner the Flyers acquired from the Anaheim Ducks Jan. 8 as part of the Cutter Gauthier trade drama, is another member of the Flyers roster hoping to improve upon last season. Drysdale played through 24 games last season with a sports hernia, a soft tissue injury in the lower abdomen. Drysdale underwent surgery in the summer to repair it. Now healthy, the sixth overall pick in the 2020 draft is expected to be a big contributor to the Flyers 2024-25 season.

Some other off-season moves by the Flyers included a number of contract extensions, including an eight-year, $70 million contract for alternate captain Travis Konecny, the team leader in points for the past three seasons. 

Along with Konecny’s contract extension came a one-year extension for defenseman Erik Johnson, a trade deadline acquisition for the Flyers last season. The 36-year-old veteran brings championship experience to a rather young Flyers roster. 

The Flyers’ core features a large number of players under 25, including the 18-year-old Jett Luchanko, the Flyers’ top prospect of the 2024 draft. With the roster now down to 24 players, Luchanko’s name has remained, a move that has garnered mixed reactions from fans but a unanimous sense of surprise. How this shakes out and whether Luchanko is just on a nine-game trial run or a new face on the Flyers roster remains to be seen. 

While this still isn’t going to be “the year” for the Flyers, it certainly marks an important moment in their rebuilding timeline. They aren’t going to be Stanley Cup contenders this year, but the Flyers are going to be fun to watch again as they enter a season that is going to mark a significant part of Flyers history: the Michkov years.