Just for fun .... Projecting the Flyers as a playoff team for 2026-27 — "if the rebuild works" (Part 1 - Forwards)

[pilldoc]

Because it is summer and I am bored .....  (from Charlie O'Connor from the Athletic)

 

Projecting the Flyers as a playoff team for 2026-27 — if the rebuild works

 

The Philadelphia Flyers are in a rebuild. They’ve used the word repeatedly in public, they’re beginning to make the moves — namely, the Ivan Provorov trade — to back up their promises and fans have largely embraced the organizational pivot.

 

One problem, however? Rebuilds take time. And in the here and now, it can be quite painful for fans to watch a club for years without any real hope of title contention. The light at the end of the tunnel is what keeps them from total demoralization — the idea that brighter days are ahead, even while it remains an open question whether those days will actually come.

 

So with July winding down, let’s be optimists and have some fun, via a very specific thought experiment: What might the Flyers look like if their rebuild does indeed work?

 

The drafting of Matvei Michkov in June set a very clear target for the “end” of the rebuild, or at least when the team might be ready to pivot back to relevancy: 2026-27.

 

So let’s use our imaginations and conjure up what something of a best-case (and totally fictional) scenario for their planned rebuild might resemble, assuming that the NHL salary cap does indeed easily clear $90 million (as expected) come the 2026-27 season.

 

Disclaimer: All of the yet-to-be-completed moves in this piece are completely made up. This piece is meant to be a fun and optimistic look at a plausible future, and not a prediction of what will actually happen. Do not blame me if the Flyers are still terrible come 2026. Thanks.

 

 

Michkov finally makes it to Philadelphia. And he’s bringing help with him.

 

After patiently avoiding the high-end of the UFA market for three consecutive summers, Briere finally decides — with Michkov signed and ready to make his NHL debut — it’s time to get aggressive. Frustrated with Minnesota’s continued inability to break through their first-round-and-out mediocrity, Kirill Kaprizov is ready to relocate when his contract expires in the summer of 2026, and he’s intrigued by the idea of pairing with the next Russian superstar. Briere opens the checkbook, luring Kaprizov with a seven-year, $84 million contract offer and giving Michkov a mentor from his home country to help ease the transition.

 

As for Cutter Gauthier, after a tumultuous rookie season in 2024-25 featuring multiple clashes with head coach John Tortorella, he breaks out as a sophomore and proves he can stick in the middle at the NHL level, finishing with 36 goals and 66 points. Briere bets that with Kaprizov and Michkov on his wings, Gauthier will take the next step to point-per-game status and solidify himself as a top-of-the-lineup center for years to come.

 

 

Ah, the “old-school” holdovers line.

 

Despite constant trade rumors, the Flyers make the controversial decision to hang on to Travis Konecny throughout the rebuild — and midway through the 2024-25 season, they lock him up to a six-year extension worth $8 million per season. Briere just can’t bring himself to lose the player who reminds him so much of himself, a player he feels will be essential when the young Flyers start making playoff runs. (In addition, after something else breaks the Flyers’ way in the summer of 2024, Briere feels like contention isn’t too far away after all.) Owen Tippett progresses but doesn’t explode from a production standpoint in 2023-24, putting him in line for a sizable raise on his next contract, but not one that truly breaks the bank. He signs a five-year, $30 million deal set to keep him in Philadelphia through the rest of his 20s.

 

As for Couturier, he successfully returns from his double back surgeries, and while he’s a step slower in the wake of the injuries — and simply due to age — his hockey IQ allows him to remain a play-driving, 50-point-per-year center well into his mid-30s. It’s not an ideal contract, but the high cap hit plus no-movement clause makes it effectively impossible to trade him anyway. There are worse things than overpaying a bit for a high-end defensive center, and they can survive his occasional injuries by simply sliding their third-line left winger over to the middle to take over the role when needed.

 

 

Yep, in this universe, the Flyers win the 2024 lottery. (I said we were going to have some fun, remember?)  LOL

 

After finishing with the fourth-worst record in the league in 2023-24, the Flyers catch a big-time break, jumping up to the No. 1 slot via the draft lottery and nabbing Macklin Celebrini, the consensus top pick in the draft. It’s that stroke of luck — combined with continued positive reports from Russia that Michkov will indeed be able to come over in 2026 — that drives Briere to keep Konecny, as he sees the team’s contention window opening in the near future, with all of Michkov, Celebrini and Gauthier on ELCs. Celebrini makes the unorthodox choice to spend one more year at Boston University rather than go pro immediately after being taken No. 1, and joins the club in 2025-26, showcasing flashes of brilliance in a promising 48-point campaign that has many pegging him for a breakout sophomore season in 2026-27.

 

He’s reunited with former college linemate Devin Kaplan, with whom he tore up Hockey East during his two collegiate seasons. Kaplan (a 2022 third-round pick) by now has developed into an intriguing power forward prospect and makes the team after a strong camp with the Flyers looking to add some size on the wing after losing Tyson Foerster that offseason. As for Cates, he gets a comfortable raise on his post-bridge deal contract in 2025 and settles in as a strong center/wing hybrid capable of playing up and down the lineup and driving strong chance differentials in the process.

 

 

Speaking of players that Briere ultimately can’t bring himself to trade, there’s Scott Laughton. (This will haunt @CoachX ... LOL ... just having gun with you ..   )

 

Laughton sticks around through the entirety of the rebuild as a team leader, ultimately being named the Flyers’ first captain since Claude Giroux in 2025. With his contract set to expire in the summer of 2026, Laughton re-ups on a two-year, $4 million contract, taking less money than he would have gotten on the open market because he desperately wants to be there when the team finally makes the full turn into Stanley Cup contention. He’s found a willing pupil in Elliot Desnoyers, who quickly establishes himself as a chippy, versatile NHL bottom-sixer in the Laughton mold.

 

As for 2023 third-round pick Denver Barkey, he proves to be the surprise of 2026 camp, beating out older and more established prospects for the final spot in the Game 1 starting lineup with his relentless, energetic style, which endears him to the new coaching staff and to Tortorella, who is no longer the head coach but still has influence within the organization as a senior adviser.

 

 

Edited July 22, 2023 by pilldoc

[Howie58]

Interesting.  I wonder if Coots will be around?  I give a 50/50 shot at his career ending by this year or next.  

[pilldoc]

I like Charlie's article but I don't see both TK / Coots still here.  Until I see Coots play pain free and under Torts this is an assumption I just can't get on board yet.

 

I don't know what happens with Frost as Charlie fails to mention him anywhere. Frosty the goal man, had to hurry on his way, but he wave goodbye saying, "don't you cry," "I'll be back again some day!" LOL

 

 

Edited July 22, 2023 by pilldoc

[pilldoc]

1 minute ago, Howie58 said:

Interesting.  I wonder if Coots will be around?  I give a 50/50 shot at his career ending by this year or next.  

 

Exactly ....  I thought the same thing AND Coots has yet to play under Torts .....  I personally don't see Coots past this year.

[pilldoc]

Another thing I would change is I would insert Zayde Wisdom in there somewhere, (hopefully) the kind of guy Laperriere was in his days as a player with the Flyers

[Howie58]

I've commented before that Coots is an "Old" 30 because of his hard use as de facto third defenseman for lousy teams.  I will be amazed if he's anywhere close to what he was a few years back.  

 

I might put Farabee up there, but it's possible he is an overpaid bust.  

[tucson83]

14 hours ago, Howie58 said:

I've commented before that Coots is an "Old" 30 because of his hard use as de facto third defenseman for lousy teams.  I will be amazed if he's anywhere close to what he was a few years back.  

 

I might put Farabee up there, but it's possible he is an overpaid bust.  

i think coots, farabee, tk maybe laughton are deadline deals, none of them are worth long term too inconsistent.

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

Charlie must be snorting coke with some of this stuff. First, Gauthier is NOT a center. Yes, he plays center at BC, but the style he plays is more suited for the wing at the NHL level.  Great skater, great shot, great playmaker, but there's so much more to the center position than that and Gauthier will get eaten alive at the NHL doing the stuff he does in college. Just watch and you'll see what I mean. Could he learn? He could, but are you willing to destroy his confidence in the process and completely change everything about his game? Exactly. The best spot for him is the left side. The Flyers will have to draft a center.

 

As for line two and three, I'm switching Couturier with Celebrini. Having Celebrini play with two offensive wingers in Tippett and Konecny will do a lot more good for him reaching his offensive potential than playing with Cates and Kaplan. If you're drafting someone first overall, you aren't playing them on what is usually considered a checking line. Couturier, though, would be the ultimate mentor for Cates and Kaplan. You could also interchange Couturier and Cates to really mess with the opposition. 

 

I actually like the fourth line. Denver Barkey is a sleeper and he's going to get a ton of ice time with the Flyers. I get that he's "small", but he plays big, he's fast and he can do it all. Of course, like Celebrini, Gauthier, etc....it's going to be about development as to whether or not he's successful at the NHL.

 

And as a side note, the Tampa Bay Lightning have replaced Benoit Groulx with Joel Bouchard. Groulx is perhaps the best development coach in the game. If the Flyers were smart, they're targeting Groulx to be one of the assistants in Philadelphia. He'd be the perfect fit to help get a lot of these guys over the hump.

[hmc687]

19 hours ago, Howie58 said:

Interesting.  I wonder if Coots will be around?  I give a 50/50 shot at his career ending by this year or next.  

 

This fantasy writing is entertaining and all but not based at all in reality.

 

Sadly, Coots is very likely done and, if not, going to be a shell of himself.  And the likelihood of him playing to that age is very low.  It's hard to be motivated in recovery when youre coming back to a bottom 5-10 team for at least 2-3 more seaaons.

 

But that LTIR contract may come in handy to exceed the cap and/or acquire an asset

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

8 hours ago, hmc687 said:

 

This fantasy writing is entertaining and all but not based at all in reality.

 

Sadly, Coots is very likely done and, if not, going to be a shell of himself.  And the likelihood of him playing to that age is very low.  It's hard to be motivated in recovery when youre coming back to a bottom 5-10 team for at least 2-3 more seaaons.

 

But that LTIR contract may come in handy to exceed the cap and/or acquire an asset

I'm cautiously optimistic. From what I read about the back revision surgery that Couturier had, it usually has to do with going in and correcting something that didn't properly heal the first time around. It's not a disc surgery or a fusion, so he should have full range of motion. And being off for two years, I'm certain Couturier had other aches and pains that needed to heal up. As well, he wanted to play and was ready to play at the end of the 2022-2023 season, so the new medical staff wouldn't have cleared him if he wasn't 100%. That's kind of how I'm looking at things. As well, with Cates and Frost in the lineup, Couturier won't be asked to carry the team, so there's a bit of ease of burden there. Will there be rust? Absolutely. But there's going to be certain things (on ice awareness, hockey IQ and fresh skating legs) that will more than make up for getting up to speed. We'll need to see, but once again, cautiously optimistic.

[hmc687]

42 minutes ago, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

I'm cautiously optimistic. From what I read about the back revision surgery that Couturier had, it usually has to do with going in and correcting something that didn't properly heal the first time around. It's not a disc surgery or a fusion, so he should have full range of motion. And being off for two years, I'm certain Couturier had other aches and pains that needed to heal up. As well, he wanted to play and was ready to play at the end of the 2022-2023 season, so the new medical staff wouldn't have cleared him if he wasn't 100%. That's kind of how I'm looking at things. As well, with Cates and Frost in the lineup, Couturier won't be asked to carry the team, so there's a bit of ease of burden there. Will there be rust? Absolutely. But there's going to be certain things (on ice awareness, hockey IQ and fresh skating legs) that will more than make up for getting up to speed. We'll need to see, but once again, cautiously optimistic.

 

Hope everything goes exactly as described in your post.