Q&A: Do the Flyers have a solution to their goaltending woes? What does the future hold for Noah Cates and Cam York?

TORONTO ― It’s certainly been a season of ups and downs for the Flyers, who just concluded a 2-2-1 road trip with a hard-luck overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Flyers have lost 10 of their last 15 games overall, a run that has seen them slip further down the pecking order in the Metropolitan Division. What’s gone wrong? Ahead of a pivotal four-game homestand, we asked our Flyers beat writer Jackie Spiegel to weigh in on some of the biggest storylines surrounding the team.

» READ MORE: Flyers takeaways: Ivan Fedotov and Scott Laughton earn high marks despite OT loss to Maple Leafs

A: Ivan Fedotov has to play. Why coach John Tortorella stopped playing him is a head-scratcher. Three days before he pulled Fedotov after he allowed two goals on seven shots in 20 minutes against the Florida Panthers, Tortorella said: “I’ve learned lessons daily is you just, you don’t give up on people because they struggled, and you don’t give them the house because they played well for a few games. You’ve got to go through the process of this.”

Well, the grizzled bench boss appeared to give up on him. Tortorella banished him to No. 3 on the depth chart, mandating goaltending coach Kim Dillabaugh to spend more time with Sam Ersson and Aleksei Kolosov, and never appearing to think twice about putting him in net again. Is Fedotov incredibly awkward and stiff in net? Yes. But he has put in the work during each extended time off and has gotten better and looser since the beginning of the season. And he does make some pretty big saves — the saves Tortorella keeps preaching about needing.

Fedotov missed an entire season due to military obligations in Russia just two seasons ago and is still adapting to a new league with a smaller rink surface, more traffic in front of him, and different equipment guidelines. As for Kolosov, who just turned 23, he should be back in the American Hockey League once Ersson is healthy. The game has gotten too quick for him at the NHL level and he is waiver-exempt, unlike Fedotov. The Flyers cannot carry three goalies indefinitely and it makes the most sense to send down Kolosov. Whether Kolosov would be receptive to that is a different question entirely.

A: The Flyers have now played 40 games, with Michkov skating in 38. And while the rookie got off to a red-hot start and is still No. 2 on the Flyers in points (29), he has definitely cooled off. Still the NHL’s rookie points leader — by one entering Monday — Michkov has just two points in his last 11 games and is an eye-popping minus-14 during that stretch.

*Michkov played eight of the Flyers’ 10 games from Oct. 31-Nov. 20.

It’s pretty clear he’s run out of gas, and Tortorella appears to think so, too, based on some interesting comments on Saturday after the Flyers practiced in Toronto. “I think there’s some struggles with him right now, just understanding the schedule of the National Hockey League, the conditioning that you need for the National Hockey League, how you eat,” the coach said. “Before you even get on the ice, there’s so much to learn about playing in this league, and we’re getting him so early now, so that’s a big plus for us.”

The NHL’s schedule is more condensed this year due to the 4 Nations Face-Off, and Michkov played in only 47 games in the Kontinental Hockey League last season because he had pneumonia for several weeks. While he still has his moments, and you can see he’s working on his defensive game, he doesn’t have the same pop right now. It’ll be interesting to see how he does between now and the league-mandated two-week break for the tournament — when beginning Tuesday the Flyers have 17 games in 33 days — and after the time off.

A: The season hasn’t been the easiest one for those four players, although in the past few weeks, Cates and Foerster have turned things around. There is no reason the Flyers should trade Cates — unless he’s part of a package for a No. 1 center — after he has found his game from two seasons ago by becoming a key cog in the Flyers’ 200-foot game. He has proved to be a relentless puck pursuer who can pressure opponents all over the ice. Playing with Foerster and Bobby Brink, the trio has easily become the team’s top line of late and they are setting the tone for the Flyers on a nightly basis. For his part, Foerster has gone from a guy who could have been sent to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League — he is one of four current players who are waiver-exempt — to being an offensive juggernaut. Sunday night he opened the scoring for the second straight game and has started to score, whether with a pretty shot or a garbage goal.

Tortorella isn’t high on York these days but the defenseman should be in the team’s long-term plans; the only thing is his payday may not be as big right now as it would have been after last season. “Still inconsistent,” Tortorella said Sunday about the blueliner’s game. “The big thing with Cam is, just a little bit too deliberate. I’d just like to see him play quicker. ... I think his reads have been a little bit slow. I think his puck movement has been a little bit deliberate. I think he’s improving, but as I’ve told him and I’ve told you guys [the media], Cam York, I’ve seen him play at a level that, I was honest, never thought I’d see him play it. Trying to get him back there.”

» READ MORE: The Flyers’ New Year’s resolutions should include finding a No. 1 center for Matvei Michkov and more Emil Andrae

Frost’s position is always in question with the Flyers. For much of the season, he has been Michkov’s center but he has just 18 points in 36 games along with an icky minus-11 rating. The thing with Frost is he has incredible skill and vision, but where does he fit on the Flyers? His future may finally be decided by the trade deadline this year as a few teams need center depth, including his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. The Vancouver Canucks reportedly want a center in the return package for Elias Pettersson. Could Frost be a smaller part of the deal that gives him a change of scenery and the Flyers the 1C they crave to play with Michkov? Tortorella has already said Frost is not the guy for the Russian phenom, adding: “It’s been up and down. I’m not sure if that’s the right marriage.” Pettersson has impressive skill and size and would not only score off the passes from Michkov but would set him up nicely, too. Obviously, money always comes into play, and Pettersson, 26, is in Year 1 of an eight-year, $92.8 million contract ($11.6 million per year) that has a no-movement clause starting next season.