Despite Danny Briere and Rick Tocchet\u2019s comments on how this is a \u2018young team\u2019, the Flyers\u2019 reluctance to consistently play their young prospects shows that they might be more focused on short-term stability than long-term growth.<\/p>\n
The Philadelphia Flyers have undoubtedly been struggling \u2014 losing 12 of their last 15 \u2014 and during a skid like this, you\u2019d expect the young guys to be getting heavy minutes, right? Well, that hasn\u2019t been the case.<\/p>\n
The kids aren\u2019t alright<\/p>\n
With The Offspring reference out of the way, it\u2019s important to establish who the \u2018young guys\u2019 are that the Flyers coaches and front office refer to. The Flyers currently have nine players under 25 on their roster. 25-year-old Cam York. 24-year-olds: Bobby Brink and Trevor Zegras. 23-year-olds: Jamie Drysdale, Emil Andrae, and Tyson Foerster. 22-year-old Nikita Grebenkin and 20-year-olds Matvei Michkov and Denver Barkey.<\/p>\n
Head coach Rick Tocchet has taken a liking to Cam York, Jamie Drysdale, and Trevor Zegras. York and Drysdale rank second and third on the team in average time on ice, while Zegras sits second among Flyers forwards \u2014 trailing only Travis Konecny. Bobby Brink has also been a solid piece for Tocchet, particularly on the first power-play unit. Tyson Foerster was playing extremely well, too, averaging just under 18 minutes a night before going down with an injury in November.<\/p>\n
However, on the flip side, Nikita Grebenkin, Emil Andrae, Denver Barkey, and \u2013 especially \u2013 Matvei Michkov have all been on the negative end of Rick Tocchet\u2019s usage this year, even amid the team\u2019s slide in the standings. Denver Barkey and Nikita Grebenkin rank tenth and twelfth, respectively, in average time on ice for Flyers forwards this season, and Emil Andrae has seen extended periods as a healthy scratch over the last few weeks. And that brings the focus squarely to Matvei Michkov \u2014 the most high-profile example of Tocchet\u2019s deployment decisions and the one with the most significant long-term implications.<\/p>\n
Matvei Michkov<\/p>\n
The Matvei Michkov drama has been a hot topic on Flyers fan pages over the last few months, ever since it was announced that he came into camp out of shape by Rick Tocchet, and his ensuing offensive struggles.<\/p>\n
Michkov has been averaging around 14:34 of ice time this season, down from 16:41 last season. 14:34 ranks him ninth in Flyers forwards\u2019 average time on ice, sitting just behind Bobby Brink who averages 15:17. While his offseason ankle injury and conditioning issues could be factors in his limited usage, it\u2019s notable that despite Michkov looking sharper and more like himself from last season, Tocchet still gave him only 10 minutes of ice time on January 31 versus the Los Angeles Kings.<\/p>\n
Tocchet then went on the PHLY Flyers podcast<\/a> at the Flyers Charity Carnival and was asked about Michkov\u2019s usage as of late, and Tocchet fought back on the idea of Michkov getting more minutes, saying that he \u201ccame into camp out of shape\u201d and went on to talk about players missing treatments. This spiraled into a national media backlash over the situation, with fans on social media openly criticizing Tocchet\u2019s response to the question. The social media storm ultimately led Danny Briere to have to hold a press conference on February 3 before the Flyers\u2019 game against the Washington Capitals to address the situation.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The Michkov situation has not been sorted out just yet \u2013 and it likely won\u2019t be until the start of next season \u2013 but as many online fans understand, Michkov\u2019s success is extremely important for the Flyers\u2019 future, and if it comes down to keeping Michkov or the head coach, I think we know which direction the Flyers will lean.<\/p>\n Denver Barkey<\/p>\n Denver Barkey has been a bright spot for the Flyers this season, emerging as a young prospect who has stuck at the NHL level. According to MoneyPuck, the tenacious 5-foot-10 forward leads the Flyers in On-Ice Shot Attempt percentage with 59 percent, two percent ahead of the next closest Flyer, Trevor Zegras \u2013 who has been having a career year. He also leads the team in On-Ice Expected Goals percentage at 68.3 percent. He has been one of the Flyers\u2019 best play drivers, and at 20 years old, it\u2019s really impressive.<\/p>\n Denver Barkey is a Philadelphia Flyer. #PHIvsEDM<\/a> | #LetsGoFlyers<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/7MIGtZvsTu<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) January 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Despite his underlying numbers ranking at the top of a Flyers team that has struggled over the last few months since Barkey\u2019s call-up, the rookie prospect ranks tenth in average time on ice, sitting at just 13:33 per game. Barkey is still young, so sheltering your young players is normal in the NHL, but for a guy whose underlying stats blow everybody else out of the water, it might be smart to play him in a more extensive role.<\/p>\n In the two games the Flyers played in February against the Washington Capitals and the Ottawa Senators, Denver Barkey played 11:06 and 9:44. Considering this team currently sits eight points out of a playoff position, Barkey\u2019s lack of ice time is head-scratching, especially considering how well he has played since being called up from Lehigh Valley.<\/p>\n Nikita Grebenkin<\/p>\n Nikita Grebenkin \u2013 who was acquired last year at the trade deadline in exchange for long-time Flyer Scott Laughton \u2013 has been in an interesting situation to start this season. He made the team out of camp but began the season in and out of the lineup. As of recent, however, his role has been up and down the lineup, playing some games on the first line with Christian Dvorak and Travis Konecny, or falling all the way down the lineup, playing with guys like Garnet Hathaway and Carl Grundstrom.<\/p>\n The 6-foot-2 winger has also seen his minutes reduced in the last two games of February, playing 13 minutes against the Capitals on February 3 and then only 10 minutes against the Senators on February 5. Grebenkin has played really well this season, despite his limited usage. He\u2019s shown git and toughness \u2013 something this Flyers team lacks \u2013 and has been really effective working along the boards and using his 6-foot-2 frame to win puck battles.<\/p>\n NIKITA GREBENKIN GETS REWARDED FOR HIS GREAT GAME#LetsGoFlyers<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/KHGmiHt4Pp<\/a><\/p>\n