Another week is complete, and the Flyers had their ups and downs. From a near win over the Edmonton Oilers, to a frantic comeback win in St. Louis, to being completely outmatched by the Dallas Stars, the Flyers turned in a 1-1-1 record in three games this week. 

There was plenty that stood out in that stretch. Here’s this week’s Flyers Files:

At the Quarter Mark

Saturday’s game marked 20 games on the season for the Flyers. The 6-3 win over the Devils put them at an 11-6-3 record. That is certainly above expectations, but some other wrinkles make it a little more interesting.

It’s no secret that the Flyers have gone beyond regulation…well, regularly. Nine of the first 20 games have required overtime or a shootout. The Flyers are 4-0 in shootouts, and have two overtime wins to go along. That means just five of their wins have come in regulation. It’s not a formula for long-term success, but it is an indication that they are competitive.

Another indication of being competitive: one-goal games. Of the first 20 games, 12 have been one-goal games. Six of the Flyers’ nine losses on the season have been by one goal. 

Now to something even more interesting. The Flyers schedule has been unique, with extended pauses and a majority of games on home ice early in the season. After play on Saturday, only the Flyers and Winnipeg Jets have played 20 games. The rest of the league ranges from 21 to 24 games played. So, while an 11-6-3 record and 25 points in the standings – currently good enough for the second wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference – doesn’t sound like much, here’s something that does. The Flyers have a .625 points percentage. That ranks third in the Eastern Conference and eighth in the NHL.

Say what you will about the Flyers’ system, style of play, or distribution of ice time, they have turned it into a positive 20 games to start the season.

Has the Flyers Rebuild Been Fundamentally Flawed?

Let’s get to the topic that has certainly generated discussion of late. On Wednesday, Frank Seravalli was a guest on the Snow the Goalie Podcast and was very candid about the Flyers’ rebuild, the path the team has taken so far, what they need going forward, and how they may have to go about obtaining it.

It’s certainly fair to look at the Flyers’ rebuild at present and start to discuss whether it is going in the right direction to ultimately fill the slots that are needed. Do they have a current No. 1 center? No. Do they have a current No. 1 defenseman? No. 

But, does it mean that it is impossible to obtain because the free-agent market has dried up? No, it doesn’t. It may make the path harder, but it’s not impossible, and that’s the job of Danny Briere and Keith Jones: to find the opportunities. 

Trevor Zegras has been a great acquisition so far. It’s only been 20 games, but he looks far more like the player that generated buzz around the league than the player of the last two seasons, even if he remains on wing. That kind of low-risk high-reward trade, all for the cost of Ryan Poehling and draft capital, is exactly why you accrue assets. 

There’s a part of this argument about the Flyers’ rebuild that is heavily laced with recency bias in my opinion. Would we be having the same conversation today if the league wasn’t being taken by storm by Macklin Celebrini, Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson, Matthew Schaefer, and…yes, Cutter Gauthier? I doubt it. 

The youth movement is on in the NHL, and watching Matvei Michkov come out of the gate slow and seemingly unprepared doesn’t help matters. It doesn’t mean Michkov won’t be a star or develop into what his full potential could be. It just hasn’t been there yet this season with consistency. 

I also look at how league perception can be far different than fan perception. Many would look at Travis Sanheim and not see a No. 1 defenseman. He’s probably in the category of above-average No. 2, still an important piece to have. But when it comes time for the Olympic rosters to be decided, there’s a good chance Sanheim is on there for Team Canada. And if he plays with regularity, to be one of the top-six Canadian defensemen on the Olympic roster, that says a lot about how other coaches and executives around the league perceive him.

There’s always the potential that the Flyers’ approach to a rebuild has been flawed and that it doesn’t produce the results that were hoped for from the start. Or there could be more to come in the next few months that changes that perception. 

Finding Minutes for Grebenkin

Nikita Grebenkin was a healthy scratch on Saturday. It marked the fourth time in the last five games that Grebenkin sat out. Those five games have spanned two weeks.

So Grebenkin has played in one game in two weeks, not at all ideal for a 22-year-old trying to learn and develop at the NHL level.

It is starting to reach a point where, if Grebenkin isn’t going to get ice time in Philadelphia, a trip to the minors may be required. Grebenkin’s development isn’t aided from watching four times in five games and playing just once in a two-week span. He had a great rookie camp and training camp, earned a spot, but now looks like he may need to go back to the minors just to get on the ice.

This doesn’t mean the Flyers feel any different about the player in the long run. Grebenkin can still be one of the pieces the Flyers utilize going forward. But in the immediate, as long as Grebenkin isn’t on the ice for NHL games, it’s best for him to be part of a successful Phantoms team.

Kevin Durso is Flyers insider for 97.3 ESPN. Follow him on social media @Kevin_Durso.

Philadelphia Flyers Uniforms Through The Years

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