You don’t have to be a hockey expert to know that the Philadelphia Flyers need to improve on the man advantage. They’ve been one of the worst teams on the power play year over year, no matter the personnel or coaching staff. It almost seems like a curse at this point.
Last season, the Flyers converted on a league-low 15.7% of their power-play opportunities. That was somehow an improvement over the prior year when they went 15% on the power play, and 12.2% the year prior.
Since the 2021-22 season, the Flyers have had two of the three worst single-season marks on the man advantage (12.2% in 2023-24, 12.6% in ’21-22), and five of the bottom 15.
Rick Tocchet mentioned during his spot on the Anthony Gargano Show this week that he wants his coaching staff to think outside the box this summer. He also brought up how the Flyers’ failed 5-on-3 against the Hurricanes in Game 3 could’ve been a turning point in the game and series.
So, what are some outside-the-box ideas the Flyers could use on the power play?
Go all-in with a five-forward power play
Power plays have changed a lot over the years in the NHL. One of the most recent wrinkles is using five forwards on the man advantage. It was popularized by the Toronto Maple Leafs with their core four a few years ago, and the Flyers even tried it out for a bit at the end of the 2024-25 season.
The Flyers certainly have the personnel to load up their top unit with five forwards. In fact, the Flyers have more than five forwards who could vie for a spot on such a unit.
In order of their overall production last season, Travis Konecny, Trevor Zegras, Matvei Michkov, Owen Tippett, Tyson Foerster, and Porter Martone all deserve at least a look on the top power-play unit. That’s not to mention either Christian Dvorak or Sean Couturier, who could be their faceoff guy and then change when they can, à la Jordan Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes. And then you have guys like Alex Bump, whose shot could be a weapon on the power play.
So why not give the five-forward unit a shot?
The main question becomes who would be the point-man on the unit, as teams usually have a defenseman at the top to provide some safety if a rush goes the other way. The Flyers could utilize someone like Tippett, who could use his speed to get back, or Foerster, who is one of the best defensive forwards on the team, as one of the men on the point.
If they’re looking for a more offensive quarterback and someone who has good vision at the point, perhaps a Zegras or Michkov-run power play could do some damage. We’ve already seen Michkov survey the ice at the top of the slot at times to either get a shot through traffic or dish it off to a teammate for a chance.
There are a lot of moving parts, but a unit with Martone at the netfront, Zegras and Michkov as playmakers, and Foerster and Tippett as shooters could work for the Flyers. And then you could mix in Konecny for Michkov if you want a more responsible forward out there.
Keep it simple with two defensemen at the point
Has power-play strategy perhaps evolved too much?
Most teams have gone away from using two defenseman on the man advantage, opting to get a fourth forward out there for some offensive pressure. However, for a team like the Flyers, who have been unable to get anything going on the power play for years, maybe they should go back to the basics.
The Flyers seem to be at their best when they’re cycling the puck in the offensive zone with their defensemen activating at the blue line. Why not see if that can carry over onto the power play?
Jamie Drysdale and David Jiricek are the top two candidates to run the power play this coming season. I’m not sure if the Flyers would go with two right-handed shots in a scenario like this, but it could work.
Otherwise, both Travis Sanheim and Cam York have spent time on the power play in their careers. York, in particular, was touted as an offensive defenseman coming up through the system after putting up 65 points in 63 games with the U.S. National U18 Team in his draft year, and then 20 points in 24 games in his second and final year at Michigan.
The downside here is that the Flyers do have an abundance of forwards to use on the power play, as mentioned above, but sometimes keeping it simple is the best option.
Set up from the goal line
Some of the most dangerous plays in hockey are passes that come out from behind the goal line to the slot. It makes sense, as the goalie has to track the puck from behind him, or to the side, out to the front. This gives the attacking team an advantage as they can see more of the ice as the play is developing.
The Flyers have two players that they could use in a spot like this to quarterback from down low. Zegras and Michkov are both capable of it, and they could even double up with one playing on each side.
Going from the point down hasn’t worked for the Flyers, and while running a power play exclusively from down low may be tough, it’s a strategy that should be used more both in Philadelphia and around the league.
