© Vitor Munhoz/NHLI via Getty Images

NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, three important questions facing the Philadelphia Flyers.

1. What are realistic expectations for Matvei Michkov?

The Flyers are trying to manage expectations, even though the 19-year-old forward who has just arrived comes with an exceptional level of hype and an offensive skill set that distinguishes him from the rest of the team.

“This year is meant for him to join and get an understanding of what it feels like to compete at this level, and adjust,” said general manager, Daniel Briere. “Frankly, I’m not holding too much expectation for him. I have higher expectations for our more seasoned players to make progress.”

Michkov has expressed his readiness to understand life both on and off the ice in the NHL, with a singular goal in focus.

“He communicated through an interpreter that the initial plan is for the team to secure a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs,” he said. “The goal is to assist the team in achieving consecutive victories to increase fan attendance and enjoyment at the games.”

Michkov arrived in Philadelphia from Russia at the end of July and was on the ice working toward his goal the very next day. His level of initiative has left a strong impression on the management of the Flyers.

“Briere shared that he had a strong desire to arrive early, adjust, and strive to place himself in the most advantageous position to tackle the year. A lot of that drive comes from within him. He has the passion for it and is open to putting himself in challenging positions to achieve success. Briere also appreciates his willingness to always aim for the most favorable position,”

2. How do they fix the power play?

For the third consecutive season, the Flyers finished at the bottom of the NHL, with a power play percentage of just 12.2 percent, the lowest in the league.

Coach John Tortorella stated that assistant Rocky Thompson will once again be in charge of that unit. However, during the offseason, they have sought ideas from Briere, as well as hockey operations advisers John LeClair and Patrick Sharp, and pro scout Dany Heatley. All of these individuals have had successful careers as power-play contributors in the NHL.

Briere said the addition of Michkov and a full season with defenseman Jamie Drysdale should help.

“He said, ‘Undoubtedly, to surpass our success from last season, we need to enhance our power play. It is not about jumping from the League’s bottom to the top five. Rather, we should make minor tweaks and steady progress to return to where we believe we should be.'”

3. Can the goalie tandem be successful?

Samuel Ersson and Ivan Fedotov will begin the season with 66 games of NHL experience, 63 of them for Ersson.

Ersson was thrust into the No. 1 role after Carter Hart took a leave of absence Jan. 23. He had a 2.82 goals-against average and .890 save percentage in 51 games, but noticeably wore down late while starting 28 of Philadelphia’s final 34 games.

Fedotov arrived from the Kontinental Hockey League on March 29, participated in three games, and then on April 23, he signed a two-year contract worth $6.5 million, which averages to $3.25 million annually.

The season will commence with them on equal footing, and Briere is excited about the internal competition for game time.

“He said, ‘I hope this sparks a healthy competition between the two, pushing each other to do better.'”