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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?

Arriving amidst significant hype and with an offensive skill set that sets him apart from the rest of the team, the 19-year-old forward is being gingerly handled by the Flyers in terms of managing expectations.

“This year is an opportunity for him to get a feel for playing at this level and adjust,” stated General Manager Daniel Briere. “Frankly, I don’t hold high expectations for him. I anticipate more from our other players who have been with us for some time to progress.”

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

“He conveyed through an interpreter that the initial strategy is for the team to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs,” he said. “The goal is to assist the team in securing victories each night to continuously attract and entertain the fans.”

Michkov impressed the Flyers management with his initiative when he was on the ice working towards his goal, the day after he arrived in Philadelphia from Russia at the end of July.

Briere stated, “He aimed to arrive here early, adjust, and strive to place himself in the most advantageous position to start the year. A lot of it also comes from his own desire and willingness to put himself in positions that lead to success. I give him great credit for being prepared to position himself in the best way possible.”

2. How do they fix the power play?

For the third consecutive season, the Flyers have finished at the bottom of the NHL with the lowest power play percentage, which stood at 12.2 percent.

Coach John Tortorella confirmed that assistant Rocky Thompson will continue to manage the team. However, during the offseason, they have sought advice from Briere, hockey operations advisers John LeClair and Patrick Sharp, and pro scout Dany Heatley. All of them have been successful power-play contributors during their NHL career.

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

He stated, “Undoubtedly, if we aim to achieve more success this season compared to the previous one, we must improve our power play. It’s not about jumping from the League’s bottom to the top five instantly. Rather, it involves making minor adjustments and constant progress to get us back to where we believe we ought to 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.

On March 29, Fedotov arrived from the Kontinental Hockey League and participated in three games. Subsequently, on April 23, he signed a two-year contract worth $6.5 million, with an average annual value of $3.25 million.

The season will commence with everyone on an equal playing field, and Briere is eager for the internal competition for game time.

“He said, “I hope this instigates a constructive competition between the two, enabling them to push each other.”