NHL Preview 2024-25 95 SportsForecaster.com

Forwards

Bobby Brink [RW]

  • Age: 23
  • Ht: 5-8
  • Wt: 169
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Phi 57 11 12 23 1 10 0.40
Career 173 30 50 80 -20 46 0.46
Forecast 66 12 14 26 - - 0.39

A big scorer in college hockey, Brink is still trying to figure things out in the NHL. He showed promise in his first lengthy NHL stint in 2023-24, exhibiting skill and drive in the offensive zone and reaching double figures in goals. His size (5'8'', 169 pounds) can be detrimental, especially on defense. Brink enters a pivotal year.

Noah Cates [C/LW]

  • Age: 25
  • Ht: 6-1
  • Wt: 165
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Phi 59 6 12 18 -8 0 0.31
Career 262 46 71 117 12 38 0.45
Forecast 75 12 22 34 - - 0.45

In '24-25, Cates will try to put the wheels back on his career after a foot fracture cost him 22 games last campaign. Offensive struggles cut his average ice time by nearly four minutes per game. He was sound defensively, helping to suppress shots and limit the opposition's high-danger scoring chances. He just could not score enough.

Sean Couturier [C]

  • Age: 31
  • Ht: 6-3
  • Wt: 211
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Phi 74 11 27 38 -10 29 0.51
Career 900 211 349 560 75 359 0.62
Forecast 76 10 24 34 - - 0.45

Philadelphia's captain was healthy in 2023-24 after missing much of '21-22 and all of '22-23 following two back surgeries. Production was another issue: Couturier bore little resemblance to the elite two-way center who scored 30 goals in consecutive seasons and won the Selke Trophy in '19-20. He scored no goals in his final 25 games.

Joel Farabee [RW/LW]

  • Age: 24
  • Ht: 6-0
  • Wt: 186
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Phi 82 22 28 50 -13 37 0.61
Career 445 100 121 221 -42 238 0.50
Forecast 82 20 31 51 - - 0.62

His numbers suggest he is coming off a career year, but it was more like a half season. The 24-year-old registered 39 points in his first 47 contests but got just 11 (five goals, six assists) in his last 35, when he was also minus-24. His late-season collapse led to a reduced role and fewer minutes, as well as some in-game benchings.

Tyson Foerster [LW/RW]

  • Age: 22
  • Ht: 6-2
  • Wt: 194
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Phi 77 20 13 33 0 32 0.43
Career 187 58 38 96 0 107 0.51
Forecast 80 25 20 45 - - 0.56

The 22-year-old's 20 goals in his first NHL season were a pleasant surprise. He was taken in the first round of the 2020 draft largely because of his dynamic shot, but his all-around game is the key to his emergence as a full-time NHL forward who does all the right things. His average ice time (17:16) was third among Flyers forwards.

Morgan Frost [C/RW]

  • Age: 25
  • Ht: 6-0
  • Wt: 193
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Phi 71 13 28 41 4 22 0.58
Career 340 60 103 163 -42 100 0.48
Forecast 77 20 30 50 - - 0.65

After being scratched 11 times in the first half of '23-24, Frost's play improved markedly. Then, he fell off at the end: he had no points in his final six games. Consistency has always been a major problem. Only three of his 13 goals came on the power play, though he was third on the team in average power-play time (2:37 PP TOI/GP).

Garnet Hathaway [RW]

  • Age: 32
  • Ht: 6-2
  • Wt: 212
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Phi 82 7 10 17 -7 132 0.21
Career 633 75 85 160 42 703 0.25
Forecast 82 5 7 12 - - 0.15

The 32-year-old is a useful bottom-six forward who will chip in some offense to go along with his physical style of play–he was first on Philadelphia with 132 penalty minutes and second in the NHL with 326 hits last season. He spent parts of '23-24 playing higher up in the lineup, but he is not really suited for it. He is what he is.

Travis Konecny [RW/LW]

  • Age: 27
  • Ht: 5-10
  • Wt: 175
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Phi 76 33 35 68 4 67 0.89
Career 673 205 294 499 -35 480 0.74
Forecast 80 35 35 70 - - 0.88

The Flyers' top point producer last campaign, Konecny will be going for his third straight 30-goal season in 2024-25. He has also emerged as one of the NHL's most dangerous penalty killers, leading the league with six shorthanded goals in '23-24. Konecny can drive the attack and has really stepped up in performance in recent seasons.

Scott Laughton [C/LW]

  • Age: 30
  • Ht: 6-1
  • Wt: 191
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Phi 82 13 26 39 -9 69 0.48
Career 691 111 161 272 -43 401 0.39
Forecast 80 15 25 40 - - 0.50

Despite persistent trade rumors, Laughton did not let it bother him last campaign; he posted a career high in assists. He has never reached 20 goals or 45 points in a season, and his late-season slump in '23-24 was a catalyst in wrecking Philadelphia's playoff hopes. The 30-year-old Laughton did pile up 155 hits, third on the Flyers.

Matvei Michkov [LW/RW]

  • Age: 19
  • Ht: 5-10
  • Wt: 172
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
KHL 48 19 22 41 -6 26 0.85
Career 107 34 45 79 -21 74 0.74
Forecast 78 18 24 42 - - 0.54

At age 19, Michkov has everything needed to be a big scorer in the NHL; he has already put up good numbers in the KHL (19 goals, 41 points in 2023-24). The Russian dynamo thinks the game at a genius level, makes few mistakes with the puck and could become a game breaker, although his lack of size (5'10'', 176 pounds) may be an issue.

Ryan Poehling [C]

  • Age: 25
  • Ht: 6-2
  • Wt: 204
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Phi 77 11 17 28 -11 6 0.36
Career 305 44 57 101 -42 44 0.33
Forecast 78 8 12 20 - - 0.26

His NHL career has not matched his debut, when he scored a hat trick and the shootout winner. However, after four up-and-down seasons, Poehling set career highs in goals, assists, points and shorthanded goals for the Flyers (his third NHL franchise) last season. Improving his defensive play helped boost his average ice time to 15:00.

Owen Tippett [RW/LW]

  • Age: 25
  • Ht: 6-1
  • Wt: 207
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Phi 78 28 25 53 -5 12 0.68
Career 374 102 102 204 -47 82 0.55
Forecast 81 32 29 61 - - 0.75

Part of Philadelphia's return in the Claude Giroux trade needed time to find his footing in the NHL, but he has found the back of the net 55 times in the past two seasons–including 23 at even strength in 2023-24. Tippett should score more in '24-25, if only because he figures to get more ice time than the 16:35 he averaged in '23-24.

Defensemen

Goaltenders

Jamie Drysdale

  • Age: 22
  • Ht: 5-11
  • Wt: 175
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Ana/Phi 34 3 7 10 -20 8 0.29
Career 244 19 62 81 -93 70 0.33
Forecast 52 4 13 17 - - 0.33

The No. 6 pick in the 2020 draft has played all of 42 games in the past two seasons because of a variety of injuries, including a core problem that hampered his skating in 2023-24. His struggles increased after the midseason trade that brought him to Philadelphia, for whom he fought through injuries and was minus-18 in just 24 games.

Rasmus Ristolainen

  • Age: 29
  • Ht: 6-4
  • Wt: 221
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Phi 31 1 3 4 -6 8 0.13
Career 776 56 248 304 -179 383 0.39
Forecast 69 2 11 13 - - 0.19

Ristolainen's '23-24 season started late because of a nagging injury and ended in February due to a torn triceps tendon that needed surgery. His absence hurt: the Flyers were 17-9-5 when he was in the lineup and 21-24-6 without him, though he contributed almost nothing offensively. Ristolainen is not the point producer he used to be.

Travis Sanheim

  • Age: 28
  • Ht: 6-3
  • Wt: 181
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Phi 81 10 34 44 -20 48 0.54
Career 606 56 168 224 -51 269 0.37
Forecast 81 8 20 28 - - 0.35

After growing into a top-pairing defenseman last season, Sanheim aims to continue developing his game. He finished with career highs in goals, assists and points, led the team in average ice time (23:48 TOI/GP) and was third in blocks (149). Although his minus-20 rating was second worst in his NHL career, he is a good penalty killer.

Nick Seeler

  • Age: 31
  • Ht: 6-2
  • Wt: 201
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Phi 71 1 12 13 9 78 0.18
Career 400 11 54 65 11 307 0.16
Forecast 72 1 11 12 - - 0.17

The 31-year-old has become a fan favorite because of his hard-nosed play and willingness to give up his body. Seeler was fifth in the NHL with 205 blocked shots in '23-24. He also dished out 132 hits and contributed a little offense despite missing 11 contests with an ankle injury. He also tied for the team lead with a plus-9 rating.

Cam York

  • Age: 23
  • Ht: 5-11
  • Wt: 175
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Phi 82 10 20 30 -13 44 0.37
Career 258 20 69 89 -41 104 0.34
Forecast 82 11 28 39 - - 0.48

After taking big leaps in all areas of his game in 2023-24, York begins this season as a confident defenseman. He played all 82 games for the first time and registered career bests in goals, assists and points. York was second on the squad in average ice time (22:37 TOI/GP) and blocked shots (174). His play improved down the stretch.

Egor Zamula

  • Age: 24
  • Ht: 6-3
  • Wt: 200
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Phi 66 5 16 21 3 32 0.32
Career 168 8 33 41 -12 48 0.24
Forecast 70 3 12 15 - - 0.21

The 24-year-old's first full NHL season went about as well as may have been hoped. Injuries created an opening on the blueline and Zamula took advantage, earning a regular bottom-pairing role and occasionally playing higher. His 79 blocked shots ranked sixth on the squad, and he was fourth in goals and points among Philly defensemen.

Samuel Ersson

  • Age: 24
  • Ht: 6-2
  • Wt: 176
'23-24 GP W L OT SO GAA Sv%
Phi 51 23 19 7 4 2.82 0.89
Career 120 56 42 14 7 2.98 0.887
Forecast 46 20 - - 2 2.92 0.898

Ersson's first full NHL season was a roller-coaster ride, featuring stretches of good play mixed in with a couple of big slumps. The workload he wound up carrying after Carter Hart's departure and no reliable backup might have been too much; he looked a split-second slower down the stretch. A better blend of starts and rest may help.

Ivan Fedotov

  • Age: 27
  • Ht: 6-7
  • Wt: 214
'23-24 GP W L OT SO GAA Sv%
44 21 22 1 4 2.37 0.914
Career 29 6 14 5 0 3.29 0.874
Forecast 38 19 - - 1 3.02 0.9

The 6'7'' Russian 'tender made his first NHL appearance last April, nine years after he was a seventh-round draft choice in the 2015 draft. Fedotov was the KHL's best netminder with CSKA Moscow in 2021-22 and was also solid last campaign. He has good athleticism for his size, but his conditioning and rebound control need improvement.