Flyers offseason: Danny Brière’s trades and the hype surrounding Matvei Michkov among the 4 big questions
A flurry of trades and a talented top draft pick have made it an intriguing offseason for the Flyers. Will these decisions pay off?
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It has certainly been a busy summer for the Flyers, as the organization has overhauled the front office, made a pair of significant trades, and drafted what it hopes is a future star in Matvei Michkov.
With things quiet for the moment now that the draft, the initial free agent frenzy, and development camp are all over, it’s a good time to answer some key offseason questions.
New general manager Danny Brière has gotten a crash course in being a GM this offseason. What has been the biggest takeaway from the flurry of trades he has made?
Don’t let his friendliness trick you. Just because he’s well-liked and takes people’s well-being into account doesn’t mean he’ll hesitate to do what he thinks is best for the team. He was quick to trade all the players who don’t fit in with the long-term plan, showing guts where the Flyers front office hasn’t before. It just so happens that those players are all probably better off being traded, as well. But Brière clearly isn’t letting his inexperience stop him.
» READ MORE: Evaluating Danny Briere’s first offseason as Flyers general manager
There seems to be a renewed sense of hope among Flyers fans after the team drafted Matvei Michkov. Are Flyers fans right to be so excited about the Russian winger?
They’re justified. The challenge will be holding on to that excitement if they can’t see or hear from him over the next three seasons. For all the questions surrounding Michkov, his skill hasn’t been one of them. It’s crazy to think Brière brought in a consensus top-three talent with a seventh overall pick. In this draft class, being top-three means you’re a game breaker, and that’s exactly what the Flyers need. It also signals to fans that this general manager is willing to be bold in his rebuild. And who knows, maybe the mystery of Michkov will build up the excitement rather than make it fizzle out.
What were your initial impressions of the other new draft picks, particularly first-rounder Oliver Bonk, at development camp?
Bonk didn’t immediately stand out, but he got up to the speed pretty quickly. Also, keep in mind Bonk isn’t known for being flashy but for being solid. Development camp is kind of hard for evaluation purposes, though, because everyone is there to learn. No one’s making the team out of development camp. On top of that, the other top picks, Michkov and Cutter Gauthier, were not in attendance. However, Bonk kept up with defensemen Hunter McDonald, Emil Andrae, and Helge Grans, who all had great camps.
Off the ice, I got the impression that Bonk is beyond excited to be a Flyer. He was all smiles when talking about the fans who came out to see him, and he was extremely impressed with the facilities. He seems like an eager student and was taking notes to bring back to the OHL this season.
» READ MORE: Flyers’ Oliver Bonk learning intensity of NHL, relishing first development camp experience
Barring a late move, the Flyers roster seems mostly set heading into training camp. Which player do you believe most needs to have a huge summer before reporting in September?
Joel Farabee had an impressive 2022-23 season considering he missed offseason workouts following neck surgery. But this season, he won’t have that asterisk to go with his evaluations. He needs to rest and then to get back to the form he flashed the last few seasons. He is well aware of how important this offseason is, and he said in exit interviews that he’d be sticking around the area so he could make the most of the Flyers’ resources.