The season ended. The playoffs weren’t a part of it. The NHL Draft long gone. Free Agent Frenzy is in the rearview mirror. The Philadelphia Flyers missed the playoffs for their fifth consecutive season. But fear not, there remains reasons to be hopeful heading into October.
So, here’s are 82 reasons to see the glass as being half full and not half empty when the Flyers open their season Thursday against the Florida Panthers and for the rest of what should be an interesting season in Philadelphia.
1) Matvei Michkov has an NHL season under his belt
Matvei Michkov earned Rookie of the Month honors twice in his rookie year, eclipsing the 60-point mark on a team that was horrid with the man advantage. Michkov made the team better. And he made Sean Couturier look less of a player still recovering from a devastating injury. Next year the travel, spotlight, and language barrier should be a little less cumbersome for the Mad Russian. An off-season full of training should also hopefully help him avoid hitting that mid-season wall.
2) Power play will get better
Be careful of such predictions, right? Well, just how much worse could the Flyers’ power play be in 2025-26? It’s almost not possible, outside of the club ravaged by injuries and Egor Zamula, Nic Deslauriers and other bottom-six forwards make up the first unit. The power play under interim coach Brad Shaw for a short spurt was purring at a rate over 30 per cent. And the power play was decent for the first three to four weeks of the season compared to where it was most of the year.
With more players getting accustomed to Michkov’s playmaking, look for a few more one-timers or backdoor plays to result in far more goals for the Flyers next year. Even a surge to the middle of the pack league-wise would be cause for celebration. Oh, and the addition of Trevor Zegras should help move the Flyers up in the power play rankings.
3) Sean Couturier and “buyout” not used as much together
Sean Couturier has five more seasons on his contract, a deal that some rued after last season. Well, Couturier bounced back last season. It was nothing near his Selke-winning season but he wasn’t a liability on the ice. Offensively, Couturier had his best year since 2019-20 while averaging 17:17 TOI a game. Most importantly, he was healthy and didn’t look like he ran out of gas at season’s end. The goal is to get the most out of Couturier the rest of the contract while adding additional talent at center to ease him into a credible, effective third-line center. Hopefully Couturier can still be a good center but not depended on being a top-six center in the coming years.
4) No John Tortorella
As much as he did for the team’s culture and compete level, John Tortorella’s time ran out. Although the interim tag was briefly tied to Brad Shaw before Rick Tocchet became the new head coach, the Flyers played a little looser. They weren’t afraid to make mistakes, knowing a miscue wouldn’t result in a benching. Tortorella’s absence should bring a sigh of relief to those who butted heads with him over his roughly three years in Philadelphia.
The Flyers probably won’t be Stanley Cup contenders next year, but they will go into the season knowing such a mercurial, testy taskmaster isn’t behind the bench to start the year. And also….
5) Flyers have new assistant coaches
The Flyers hired Yogi Svejkovsky and Jay Valardy in early June. Todd Reirden joined the staff a few weeks later. Svejkovsky was with Tocchet in Vancouver for a season while Valardy and Reirden go back to Tocchet’s days in Arizona. Valardy apparently can explain the analytical side of hockey without overloading Tocchet, which should be a good thing. And if Svejkovsky can somehow help the terrible power play to a level of not so bad, that’s a win in itself.
6) Better bookkeeping
There’s still some retained salaries and buyouts on the books, but the contracts and cap holds belonging to Cal Petersen, Tony DeAngelo, and Andrei Kuzmenko are over and done with. Add in the fact that the Flyers were unscathed by Ryan Johansen and they were able to move both Ivan Fedotov and Ryan Ellis, and the books are much more in order.
That money should be used to deal with a few restricted free agents at the end of the 2025-26 season in Jamie Drysdale, Bobby Brink, and Zegras, as the cap ceiling increases rather substantially compared to the last few seasons.
7) Flyers sly move last year pays off
With the Oilers losing to Florida in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Flyers gained one slot in this year’s NHL Draft. Last season Philadelphia had pick No. 32 in the first round, but traded that pick to Edmonton for the Oilers first-rounder in 2025. The worst-case scenario would’ve been status quo had the Oilers won the Cup. But by being second best, the Flyers moved up to #31. That pick and the twenty-second pick was later used to jump up to the twelfth spot, selecting Jack Nesbitt.
8) Refused to quit
The homestretch could’ve seen the Flyers roll over and be doormats for the competition. But Philadelphia won more than its share of games to end the year, much to the consternation of fans looking at the draft selection order. They never quit. One just had to look at Nick Seeler blocking a rocket in overtime in Ottawa to show they were still competing despite being eliminated. It’s a mentality that might have hurt them in terms of landing a top four pick, but knowing the compete level is almost always there is a credit to the team in general.
9) Olympic break
This past season saw the 4 Nations Face-Off. And, aside from a few Flyers, the tournament was a two-week rest for most of the players. This coming season sees another break in play as the Winter Olympics in Italy will see NHL players competing for the first time in a while. While no team will have a large advantage with the break, it should give the Flyers some time to rest or recuperate from any nagging injuries. And a rather exhaustive two months that sees them playing nearly every other night in December and January. Post-Olympics Philadelphia should be ready to go down the stretch, possibly to seek a wildcard spot or maybe maintaining a spot.
Of course the downside might be if any Flyer fortunate enough to play for their country gets hurt. That could put a snag in any playoff hopes. Time will tell how it all plays out, but you can’t ignore the fact Travis Konecny and/or Travis Sanheim are hoping to wear Team Canada’s uniform next year.
10) Addition by subtraction in goal
It was almost a guarantee that the trio of Sam Ersson, Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov would not be on the same roster starting in September. It would’ve been almost impossible and criminally insane to see these guys all back together for another kick at the can in 2025-26. Nobody believed Ersson would be the guy but thankfully Briere decided to make a move and move out Fedotov to Columbus.
The wise, term-friendly addition of Dan Vladar will almost certainly guarantee a tandem of Ersson and Vladar. And Fedotov’s removal should enable the tandem of Kolosov and Carson Bjarnason to be getting some playing time and development in Lehigh Valley.
11) Thank you again Torey Krug
What was considered a missed opporunity for dumping Sanheim’s lengthy contract in the summer of 2023 to the Blues has turned out to be a huge stroke of good luck. Sanheim’s 2023-24 season was a revelation, seeing him eating him a considerable amount of minutes while looking like a whirling rover during some stretches of this season. This year was no different, as Sanheim only solidified his play as worthy of top pairing. The point total took a dip this year but the time on ice was similar (or a tad more) than 2023-24. Losing Sanheim would’ve been a huge hole to fill had Krug agreed to be traded to Philadelphia. As it stands now, the Flyers are reaping the benefits. And at a cap hit that will look rather ridiculously frugal in two or three seasons.
12) Speaking of a Travis
Travis Konecny’s first half of the season was great. The second half not so much. But ending with a career high in points on the cusp of a new contract extension beginning should be promising. Konecny should be looking forward to 2025-26 to prove he belongs on Team Canada while also trying to take the Flyers towards being consistently competitive. Along with Sanheim and Tyson Foerster, Konecny was added to Team Canada’s roster at last spring’s World Hockey Championship. Another year with Michkov (although lines could be mixed and matched given personnel changes) could see him end up with career highs in goals and points. Of course, that’s assuming the power play have some semblance of a pulse.
13) Better bookkeeping II
In addition to the aforementioned contracts being off the books, this coming season will see the retained salaries and buyouts of Kevin Hayes, Cam Atkinson, and Scott Laughton sent out to pasture. That will be another roughly $6.7 million freed up so general manager Danny Briere can allocate towards improving the team.
14) Clean slate of new coach with players
This writer hoped Brad Shaw was named head coach. He hoped he’d stay on. Neither happened. However, Rick Tocchet will in with a clean slate when looking at the Flyers roster. It’s probably safe to say the coaching staff comes in with no bias or preconceived notions towards any skater or goaltender. A change in coach should cause a honeymoon period between the new coach and the players.
Even with Shaw as coach, the Flyers appeared to be playing with more offensive oomph. Four-goal games were not once in a blue moon. At the very least, there is no Flyer who should feel they are entering September’s training camp in the coach’s doghouse.
15) Todd Reirden added to Tocchet’s staff
Todd Reirden joined Tocchet’s staff as an assistant coach. Reirden looks to be in charge of the Flyers’ defense corps. He will have big shoes to fill given how well-received Shaw’s tenure was in the same position. Hopefully he helps the current crop of blueliners improve while the prospects on the way learn from him.
16) Tyson enticing
An eight-goal outburst in the closing games of the year put Tyson Foerster among the Flyers’ leaders in goals with Michkov and Konecny. It was a bright spot down the stretch as the sophomore slump has seen him with more goals and points than his rookie year.
Getting his first career hat trick against the Rangers was probably a personal highlight in a season that saw him on the outs of sorts both with Shaw and Tortorella. Perhaps the biggest concern now is Foerster off-season injury. Fears are he’s going to miss some time to start the year, it’s unclear just how much time it’ll be.
17) Draft lottery, check your tickets!
For all the debate about tanking, trying to get a better spot and move up in the draft, the lottery is just that: random. Although the odds are leaning towards the worst team to get the top pick, we all know that doesn’t happen sometimes (remember Patrick Kane?). The Flyers dropped two spots to sixth while the Islanders ended up with the top pick, proving again that tanking is only as effective as those lottery balls.
18) Flyers start against an injured Florida lineup
The Flyers open their regular season against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. However, with news that Matthew Tkachuk will be out of the lineup for a few months is one less thorn to worry about. As well, the devastating news that Aleksander Barkov could be out for the entire season due to an injury during training camp certainly puts the Panthers behind the eight ball for a three-peat. As for the Flyers, seeing a team down two of its best players should make game one a little closer and more interesting.
19) Lots of size from the 2025 Draft
The Flyers’ first five picks in the 2025 Draft had one thing in common: they’re big and Danny Briere literally looks up to them. Aside from the opening picks in Porter Martone and Jack Nesbitt, Philadelphia beefed up with Jack Murtagh, Carter Amico, Shane Vansaghi, and Matthew Gard in round two. Amico, who turned 18 in March, is 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, a big blueline presence the Flyers hope develops into a force down the road. Meanwhile Gard is 6-foot-5 and a center, again making the club bigger and one would think more physical. The idea is this physicality should give the smaller Flyers a little bit more room to strut their stuff.
20) Penalty killing should get back to snuff
Philadelphia had one of the more potent, counter-punching penalty killing teams in the league in 2023-24. Then they had one mired in the middle of the league most of the season. The short-handed goal total dropped substantially while the coverage seemed to be lacking at times. Of course when your goaltenders are sieves more often than not, that doesn’t lend itself to an effective penalty kill.
With Scott Laughton gone, the tandem of he and Konecny are done. Now it’s up to the likes of Foerster, Noah Cates, Karsen Dorwart (possibly) and Jett Luchanko to see if they can get the job done with more of the aggressive, attacking style that proved to be successful in previous years.
21) Jamie Drysdale had a healthy season
One of the biggest concerns with Jamie Drysdale was whether he’d be able to avoid getting hurt over 82 games. He did just that. He wasn’t jaw-droppingly amazing on most nights. He did show snippets of his skating ability and talent. But he’s still a diamond in the rough and needs time to develop.
While people constantly seek out the metrics for the player also involved in that January 2024 trade, Drysdale should turn a corner of sorts in 2025-26, even if Brad Shaw isn’t guiding him along. The injuries were not a concern this year, which was a huge plus heading into 2025-26.
22) Diminishing roles for veterans
Another indicator that the Flyers were going towards youth was how minimal both Nic Deslauriers and Erik Johnson were used. Johnson appeared in just 22 games before he was dealt at the deadline to Colorado. Clearly he wasn’t taking time away from Egor Zamula or Emil Andrae most of the season. Meanwhile, Deslauriers saw his role drastically reduced. He was injured for portions of the season but only saw action in 31 games, a far cry from the 60 he played during 2023-24 and the 80 he played in during John Tortorella’s first year with Philadelphia. Also, Deslauriers had 15 penalty minutes all year. By comparison Morgan Frost had 16.
Whether that means a veteran like Garnet Hathaway might be heading down a similar path remains to be seen. It’s not out of the realm of possibility.
23) Rocky Thompson now has other employment opportunities
Nobody likes to see someone lose their job. But Rocky Thompson was shown the door based on almost historically inept power plays the last few seasons. It was almost comical (and tragic) to have Thompson trying to solve the glaring problem. At times he looked to be way over his head. A fresh look and new face could pay off. It couldn’t really end up much worse.
24) Shootouts? Yes, good in shootouts!
When it came to watching the Flyers in the shootout historically, it was almost a lost cause. A loss. They couldn’t win. Well this season they won six games in nine chances, a very strong record for a team so bad at beating goalies on breakaways. Ninth overall in fact!
With next season, and a bit more talent added to the mix, look for the Flyers to improve on that rather strong record this year. But seeing more than two shootout victories in a season, which seemed like it was the case often, was a good sign of things to come.
25) Rising cap ceiling
Assuming the world doesn’t go to hell in a handbasket, the National Hockey League will see a substantial jump over the next three seasons regarding the ceiling for the salary cap. A new broadcast deal with Rogers in Canada (for $11 billion Canadian, or $7.93 billion US) should help pad the war chests. A nearly $20 million jump to $113.5 million in 2027-28 opens up the playing field for the Flyers in terms of landing free agents. Yes, the cap is the same for every team, but some teams may not have the drive to spend to the ceiling. While it should lure some players wanting to play for a contending team the Flyers hope to be, it should also ensure that some key future prospects and current roster players are locked up long term. Yes, I’m talking about Michkov!
26) No major surgeries required in offseason (except for Ristolainen)
The Flyers had their share of off-season surgeries and medical procedures the last handful of years. From Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson to Jamie Drysdale and Rasmus Ristolainen, Philadelphia kept tabs on a lot of its roster’s rehab and recuperation. This upcoming offseason hopefully doesn’t have too many banged up bodies. Ristolainen’s situation is the one hiccup, but it’s a big one. He underwent surgery near the end of the year to try to fix the same issue he underwent surgery for last year. As for Foerster, he’s ready to start the season. Surgery was required but an MRI determined things were heading in the right direction. So Foerster is good to go.
Regardless, the Flyers weren’t bitten by the injury bug much, an incredible stat given how often everyone on the roster threw themselves in front of pucks. Maybe next season they don’t have to block as many shots. You don’t have to if you have the puck more, that much is clear.
27) No Morgan Frost drama
That’s it, that’s the reason.
28) Return of Gloified G?
A return of Claude Giroux to Philadelphia is debatable. Very debatable. But given how productive he was in his three years in Ottawa, including his first trip to the post season with the Senators this season, the idea of him returning for a season could be intriguing. Ottawa re-signed him on the cheap and short (one year at $2 million). It’s probably a pipe dream as Giroux’s stomping grounds are relatively near Ottawa and he’s raising his family there. But if Flyers somehow find themselves with playoff seeding, and the Senators are out of the picture, maybe he returns?
It would be nifty to see him on a power play unit with Michkov and Zegras however. Probably not something to hang your hat on, but it’s a nice idea to consider anyway.
29) Offer sheet options
They tried it ages ago with Shea Weber. No dice. But after what the Blues did last year by making two offer sheets on two Oilers last summer, the offer sheet landscape around the league has changed. There are a few forwards who Briere might consider being worthy of such an offer. How that plays out though is anyone’s guess. Ideally one would hope the Flyers would secure any pending RFAs they have themselves before venturing out into rival territory. It’s perhaps still a long shot. But after last summer, and with the dramatic rise in the cap ceiling, an offer sheet is possible.
30) July 1 Free Agency Frenzy
Philadelphia has been rather dormant the last few years when July 1 rolled around. Basically a few bottom-six additions, a few veteran adds but nothing head-turning. This July 1 Philadelphia added pieces that were affordable and all seemingly making sense. Whether it was adding Christian Dvorak to a one-year deal, goaltender Dan Vladar on a two-year contract or signing big defensemen Dennis Gilbert and Noah Juulsen to one-year deals, the Flyers were resolved some glaring issues.
31) Noah Cates is the best of the Cates
Noah Cates was the most reliable center the Flyers had all season. As a third-line center, he was responsible for checking a lot of the league’s bigger stars. And held his own against most of them. As well, he had a career high in goals and his line with Foerster and Bobby Brink was one of the hardest working lines. The line might be changed depending on what happens over the summer, but it was a definite bright spot and perhaps a sign of what’s to come. Particularly with a full season together which can’t hurt their chemistry.
32) Ah yes, Bobby Orr Brink
Brink’s first full season in the NHL was a good one. He worked his butt off most nights, using his rather smallish frame to be a willing checker, fighting for pucks in the corner against most opponents who outweighed him. Brink was sixth in team scoring with 41 points, including 12 goals.
Brink should be rewarded with another bridge deal of sorts when the time comes, something that gives him a bit more security while also giving the Flyers more of a look to see what the 23-year-old winger can do with perhaps a little bit more ice time and responsibility. He’s come a long way since Tortorella’s screed on him and Olle Lycksell back in 2023-24.
33) Sam Ersson can’t be worse, can he?
Sam Ersson looked okay days after the Flyers goaltending issue changed dramatically in January 2024. He imploded down the stretch as did the team. This year, knowing he would be the starter, Ersson had moments of being a quality netminder. But too often he was the best of three very bad goaltenders. Historically bad at times, which is saying a lot for a franchise synonymous with not having the goaltender to get them over the top.
Ersson probably hasn’t played his way out of town yet. But it would be foolish to think he’s still deemed the starter in 2025-26. Particularly with the addition of Dan Vladar. Whether it’s time to get away and clear his head, or possibly becoming a tandem with Vladar, Ersson needs to show a lot more moving forward. If he’s close to as bad as this past season, the Flyers will have a lot more lottery balls this time next year.
34) Rocky Thompson found a head coaching job in Bridgeport. That’s 155 miles away from Philadelphia!
35) Jett Luchanko should be here
Jett Luchanko impressed in training camp, and during the exhibition season, showcased his dynamic speed alongside some heady play away from the puck. Luchanko earned his four-game tryout to begin 2024-25. He went down to Guelph but didn’t whine, instead getting down to basics with 56 points in 46 games. After ending his Ontario Hockey League career, the 18-year-old played a handful of games with Lehigh Valley. He also helped the Phantoms defeat the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL playoffs. And took Hershey to the brink in the best-of-five playoff series.
Nobody expects Luchanko to match Michkov’s production in his rookie year. At least, they shouldn’t be. Now after a good-enough showing in training camp, the 19-year-old center is on the team to start the season. No matter what, he’s a reason to at least be interested.
36) All 32 teams start the season at zero!
It sounds foolish but every team starts the regular season tied. Of course the haves from the have nots are slowly but steadily separated. But for now we can hope the Flyers get off to a strong start in the first 20 games.
37) Owen Tippett breakthrough?
The Owen Tippett we saw a lot last season we didn’t see much of in 2024-25. Tippett got on a hot streak at one point, but often looked a bit lost on the ice. As bad as the power play has been, Tippett had zero power play goals during the year. Hitting the 20-goal mark on a nifty empty net goal against the Rangers was perhaps the minimum most expected.
With any luck, Tippett finds the net a lot more next year, possibly reaching the 30-goal or 35-goal mark that most expected given his contract and term. The fact Tippett didn’t know he took roughly 100 fewer shots this season versus last season should be cause for concern. Hopefully more goals come next year.
38) Goal differential improvement
If the Flyers get better goaltending that puts them even 20th in the league, and more offensive help thanks to more talent, they should score more. And allow fewer. A horrible goal differential (even with some brief offensive outbursts the last handful of games) needs to be rectified. More consistency, particularly stopping the puck, should significantly improve that stat. They aren’t the Sharks who are toying with a -100 goal differential. But they are miles away from Winnipeg and Tampa, both of who sported differentials north of 70 goals.
39) Matvei Michkov
Need I say more? I might write more later on. Can’t say enough about what the future holds for him.
40) Tippett and Hathaway avoid lingering concussion issues
Garnet Hathaway took a heavy check during a Penguins game and returned before season’s end. And Owen Tippett took a hard open ice neutral zone check that caused him to miss a few games. Both of them looked to be head or concussion issues.
Fortunately neither have suffered with concussion-related effects after the fact, playing as well as they did before they got hit. With any luck they don’t have any recurring issues from those hits and avoid similar incidents next season. Any brain injury is nothing to be fooled with, but so far they appear to have recovered.
41) Pipeline prospects coming?
A few more moves have to be done in order to see Oliver Bonk and/or Hunter McDonald make the step to the big leagues. Bonk will more than likely see some time in Lehigh Valley after he recovers from his current injury. And if he performs well, he should see some time with the Flyers in some capacity this season, even if it’s a few call ups due to injuries.
Hunter McDonald, the large, lumbering blueliner who Keith Jones has been gushing about to anyone who asks, may also be another callup at some point. Nothing is guaranteed, but knowing these newcomers could make inroads next year is another promising idea.
42) New defensive pairings could work
After Tortorella’s firing, Shaw juggled the defensive pairs and they seemed to have a decent result. Having Nick Seeler with Sanheim seemed to enable Sanheim to attack a little bit more than he did with Cam York. The York and Drysdale pairing was a work in progress as both needed more time to iron out the kinks. This left the Zamula and Andrae tandem playing serviceable third pairing minutes. It might not be the pairs that Shaw (or a new head coach) work with in September. But it was good to see a little more flexibility in the personnel on the back end. After the season Shaw said he didn’t love the York/Drysdale pairing, but that doesn’t mean Tocchet won’t try it.
43) More in the 20-goal club
This year Michkov, Konecny, Tippett, and Foerster cracked the 20-goal mark. If you’re a playoff club, and particularly a contender, typically six to seven guys are nearing that benchmark or over it rather easily. Perhaps if Sean Couturier finds the net a little more on the power play that will add to that total. Maybe Noah Cates is sniffing around 20 goals also. Toss in Trevor Zegras at the end of a contract also!
If the 12 forwards up front can increase their production that should get them to a half dozen 20-goal scorers. They need more goal scorers.
44) Cam York won’t be fighting a coach…we think
We’ll never know what specifically took place between York and Tortorella that fateful day. We are safe to assume a war of words will not take place between York and the head coach this upcoming season. At least I hope not.
45) Cam York won’t be fighting poverty either
After coming to terms on a five-year, $25.75 million contract, Cam York will be a relatively team-friendly, cap-friendly part of the future. An AAV of $5.15 million seems very easy on the eyes as York could’ve been looking for another million or million plus per year. As it stands now one hopes York improves from last season. If for some reason York’s play plummets, it’s a contract that shouldn’t be an albatross or anchor to carry with the rising salary cap ceilings (and floors).
46) Perhaps a better schedule?
The upcoming season will be just as condensed as this past one as the Olympic break will mean squeezing in a batch of games on either side of the event. Philadelphia had some exhaustive stretches, particularly in March and leading up to the 4 Nations Face-Off. It’s obvious because of the gaps in games the team had in April. They played five games from March 23 to March 31. Then played 5 games from April 1 to April 17. Granted, everybody has problems with scheduling, but with any luck the Flyers see the number of back to back, three in four, or four games in six nights reduced. Wishful thinking but you can always wish for regardless.
(NOTE: That wish is gone. The Flyers play 14 back-to-back games, 19 times where they play three games in four nights, and a mind-numbing 24 times where they’re playing four times in six nights.)
47) Michkov III
Michkov didn’t win the Calder Trophy. He wasn’t even nominated. It pissed off many Flyers fans. But maybe that snub could fuel Michkov into hitting the 70-point or 80-point mark in his second season. He’s clearly driven and determined, telling a befuddled Danny Briere at the exit interviews all the things he did wrong. And things he has to improve on. Having something else to prove this coming season could be exciting for Philadelphia and pure hell for the opposition.
48) Danny Briere
Whether it’s the increase in the cap, the draft picks, the way he dealt with Tortorella or the way he has no issue trading nice guys to make the team better, Danny Briere is doing a strong job so far. This offseason was quite important to the Flyers hope to get better sooner. And Briere certainly looked like he did quite well in doing that.
At times this season one might have hoped Briere played the bumper on the power play. It might have worked! But if he continues to push forward with this rebuild the way he has so far, he and the Flyers will be fine. The Flyers high grades after the NHL Draft is reassuring the path Philadelphia is on is the correct on. And his work on July 1 was another successful day.
49) Oodles of OTs
Philadelphia had 21 regulation wins. Of the other 60 contests, 22 of them went into overtime or a shootout. That’s a lot of close games. Much like the Flyers were in the first year under Tortorella, the team hung around, managing to squeeze a lot of loser points in those tilts. With more talent, better goaltending and perhaps some puck luck, Philadelphia increases those regulation wins to 26 or 28.
The plus side this season is that the dearth of regulation wins meant the Flyers had an excellent advantage regarding tiebreakers and the draft lottery. Only Chicago and San Jose had lower regulation win totals.
50) Trevor Zegras is a Flyer…and a center
On June 23 — a day the Flyers like to do things — the Flyers acquired Anaheim forward Trevor Zegras, giving up Ryan Poehling, the 45th pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and a fourth-round pick in 2026. The deal is a low-risk, possibly high reward one as Zegras will most likely play at his preferred position of center. After battling injuries, Zegras hopes to recapture that scoring touch and swagger he had earlier in his career. It’s a player the Flyers were interested in for some time. Now they have him.
51) Soap opera free
He was great for content and controversy. But there was rarely a stretch of four days let alone a week when John Tortorella did or said something that might have ruffled somebody’s feathers. From the scratchings and benchings to post-game AWOLs and some extremely terse scrums, Tortorella put the spotlight on himself more than the team. Maybe it was a ploy to distract from the product on the ice and the obvious needs the Flyers had. It will be a lot less exciting off the ice this coming season. Maybe that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
52) Foerster got nod for Team Canada
When Team Canada announced its roster for the World Hockey Championships in May, most suspected Sanheim and Konecny would make the cut. Tyson Foerster was also a welcomed surprise. And despite the loss to Denmark late in the quarter-final, all three Flyers fared quite well, with Sanheim scoring the lone goal in the Denmark game (with an assist from Konecny). The nod could have a huge benefit for the winger going into 2025-26, assuming the injury in the summer isn’t as catastrophic as some fear. Having more experience in international might be enough of a boost to see Foerster possibly hit the 25-goal or 30-goal mark next year.
53) Matvei Michkov uninjured in Dubai car accident
Michkov was involved in a fender bender in mid-May in Dubai while on vacation. While the initial details were rife with speculation as well as talk of possible extortion, Michkov was not driving the vehicle at the time. The BMW sustained some damage on the front passenger side but Michkov wasn’t hurt. The Flyers were also notified of what happened but were busy with other things, namely….
54) Rick Tocchet becomes Flyers head coach
The jury will be out long after the former Flyer forward and Canucks head coach finishes his tenure in Philadelphia. There was no grey area with the hiring, people either loved it or loathed it. Tocchet will be two seasons removed from his Jack Adams award with Vancouver when training camp starts. Ideally Tocchet and his key players (Michkov) don’t butt heads enough to run the Mad Russian out of town.
55) Tocchet’s teams hold down leads after two periods
Not many of his teams have staged third-period comebacks. But my goodness they certainly do know how to shut down the opposition over her tenure. The record is almost comically staggering (153-12-21) and should bode well for the Flyers during the season, not losing crucial points to blown leads.
56) Improving on home record
The Flyers ended 2024-25 with a meh record at home: 20-20-1. The most home games they’ve won since 2017-18 was 22. Given the franchise’s history, that total would be abysmal to the records the team had at the Spectrum.
Philadelphia needs to improve on that home record if they wish to move up the ladder somewhat next season. Nobody is expecting them to be as dominant as the Los Angeles Kings were this year at home. But it would be great to see that winning percentage pushed to around the .550 or .570 mark.
57) Adios Lappy, hello Lappy
Ian Laperriere amicably decided that his days as a head coach for Lehigh Valley to seek greener opportunities. The upside is that a new head coach for the Phantoms will be more in lockstep with what Briere wants in a farm club, developing them into a style that will work well with the big club. Although it’s not a big surprise (despite Laperriere signing a two-year extension which runs through this upcoming season), the change should help the organization as a whole.
Laperriere has ended up with another organization in the Islanders as a scout.
58) Michkov gets Olympic break
With the Interational Ice Hockey Federation announcing in late May that Russia would not be participating in ice hockey at the upcoming Winter Olympics, Michkov will be well rested for the homestretch of the Flyers regular season. That can only help Philadelphia.
59) No rope skate
No strenuous, dreaded rope skate to start training camp, something York and nearly everyone else not named Jett Luchanko hated.
60) Cates on a 4×4
Noah Cates was signed to a very team-friendly four-year, $16 million contract in early June. The deal is a good bit of business for Briere as one of the team’s best and most reliable centers comes in at a fraction of a rising cap ceiling the next few seasons.
61) Bonk and Barkey, Memorial Cup champions
Both Oliver Bonk and Denver Barkey of the London Knights were part of the Memorial Cup championship team, defeating the Medicine Hat Tigers 4-1 in the final. Barkey was stellar throughout the game, scoring twice. The championship might not immediately translate to becoming Flyers this season or next. However, any time a prospect is winning or on a winning team, that’s a plus.
62) Tocchet’s assistants might know how to run a power play
Tocchet has hired “Yogi” Svejkovsky and Jay Varady as assistant coaches. Svejkovsky was an assistant to Tocchet while he was in Vancouver. Varady meanwhile spent some time with Tocchet during his days coaching the Coyotes. Varady is also known for being able to take analytics and make them into language that makes sense to Tocchet. Hopfully either one of them or both of them might have some ideas to get the power play up to respectable levels. And in Flyers land, “respectable” might be all the way up to 25th in the league at the end of 2025-26.
63) Michkov NHL All-Rookie Team nod a nifty accolade
Along with the Anaheim rookie, Columbus defenseman Denton Mateychuk and the three Calder Trophy nominees, Michkov was one of the six rookies that comprised the 2024-25 NHL All-Rookie Team. The honor should cast a bit more of a well-deserved spotlight on the Russian star in the making.
64) Eetu, Makiniemi?
In early June, weeks before the NHL Draft, Eetu Makiniemi (who was about to become an Unrestricted Free Agent), decided to shift his career back to Europe. Makiniemi, who missed a chunk of 2024-25 due to injury, signed a contract to play with TPS in the Finnish league. The departure means a little more housecleaning was done to clear up space, and for Aleksei Kolosov to be able to take the main starting job for Lehigh Valley.
65) Divisional foes not exactly spring chickens
The Penguins are ancient regardless of what Kyle Dubas does. The Islanders? Old. Rangers? State of flux but not exactly youthful. Washington’s season was centered on an aging forward (and team in general) and achieving a record. And after that accomplishment they didn’t do a lot when it mattered.
The Metropolitan division is getting older with the Flyers and Columbus looking a bit younger overall compared to the rest of the division. With Jett Luchanko and possibly one or two more young’uns making the roster for the Flyers in 2025-26, look for the divisional record to improve somewhat.
66) Flyers held their own against the Panthers
The Flyers have a long way to go to build a contender like the now two-time Stanley Cup Champions Florida Panthers. Yet, they fared okay against the Panthers last year, going 1-1-1 last season against Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett and Sergei Bobrovsky. Whether that bodes well for next year is to be determined. However, having played three games against Florida and not getting blown out of the building is another positive. The Flyers will face the Panthers twice early in the season, including the season opener on the road against Florida.
67) RIP Wells Fargo Center, welcome the “Xbox?”
The Flyers aren’t pulling up stakes and relocating. It’s just that the Flyers home will have a new name this coming season as the naming rights are up for Wells Fargo. The Flyers didn’t have much success in their home rink during the recent Wells Fargo stint. Now with the name being Xfinity Mobile Arena, fans are leaning towards deeming the rink the “Xbox.” We’ll see if that sticks or ends up with poor reception.
68) Dylan Crawford becomes Flyers video coach!
Not a lot to get excited about here but Crawford has followed Tocchet from Vancouver where he was the previous four seasons.
69) Locker room remains tight
The Flyers parted ways with Erik Johnson, Scott Laughton, Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee this year. Laughton was considered a glue guy in the locker room and one of the leaders younger players looked up to. All of them are gone, and there was no serious infighting among the players afterwards. The “culture” was as tight as it was starting the year. Thankfully the only fighting that transpired this year was between players and Tortorella. The tightness was apparent when William Gauthier visited Wells Fargo Center earlier in the year. The Duck was not welcomed at all from Philadelphia, from the fans down to Konecny and others.
70) There could be a 50-goal scorer on the horizon
It’s probably not next season but maybe it’s just around the corner.
71) Flyers added Porter Martone to their ranks in NHL Draft
On a night where many expected to select one of a handful of talented centers with their first-round pick (and the sixth overall), the Flyers called an audible of sorts and picked winger Porter Martone. Martone scored 37 goals to go along with 61 assists for 98 points in 57 games. He’s also got size to burn at 6’3″ and 208 pounds. Although it’s unclear if Martone will be making the big club after training camp, Martone should be turning some heads in the Flyers rookie camp and development camps on the horizon. It’s expected he’ll head to Penn State to continue his career.
72) Oh, and they got Jack Nesbitt too
Philadelphia also made a bit of a splash somewhat six picks later. Although scheduled to pick twenty-second and thirty-first in the opening round, Briere and Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas swapped picks. The Penguins swapped their twelfth pick in exchange for the remaining picks in the first round the Flyers owned. The Flyers then selected center Jack Nesbitt, a player who Detroit reportedly was coveting with the subsequent pick but was snatched from them at the last minute.
Nesbitt’s biggest drawback is his speed, namely his lack thereof. But he does have the size down the middle and in a few years should bulk up (and out) to become a formidable forward. So with Jett Luchanko, Trevor Zegras, Noah Cates, and Sean Couturier ahead of him in the depth chart, look for Nesbitt to take the first steps towards becoming a Flyer with more seasoning elsewhere.
73) And the Flyers clearly won the NHL Draft introductions in Round One
With actors who were in the Mighty Ducks, Full House and golfers who hooted like a, er, mammoth, the Flyers decided to hit a home run in landing Charles Barkley to announce their first-round pick. Although doing it via videocall, Barkley’s name recognition soared above all of the other teams, some of whom (Penguins) simply used a player, or the player’s child, to make the announcements. Yes, this has no factor on the team’s success, but at least it wasn’t embarrassing.
74) Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras on the same line (and power play)
No more words needed, folks.
75) Martone must-watch at Michigan State
While Martone could have probably made the Flyers this season, he made the choice to go spend a season in college hockey and further develop other aspects of his game. And now, we have some appointment viewing for the Michigan State Spartans.
76) NCAA prospects signed
The Flyers burned a year of Devin Kaplan’s entry-level contract and signed him (which included a $95,000 signing bonus). They also signed Alex Bump to an amateur try out with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League which included the tail end of the 2024-25 season. Bump’s entry-level contract kicks in at the beginning of the 2025-26 season. Both played in the NCAA Frozen Four championship game with Bump’s Western Michigan Broncos coming out on top. And Bump dazzled at times for the Phantoms in the AHL playoffs. The contracts should help avoid another fiasco with an NCAA player who avoided meeting the Flyers’ front office and wanted out of town.
77) Briere 1, Johansen 0
On Aug. 12, the Flyers came out on the winning side of an arbitration hearing into the messy situation involving Ryan Johansen. Johansen arrived in the Sean Walker trade to Colorado in 2024. But with John Tortorella behind the bench, it wasn’t going to be a great fit. So Johansen was shown the door to Lehigh Valley. Except he didn’t report, citing an injury. The Flyers cited a “material breach” of the contract and put him on waivers to terminate the contract. Johansen and his agent filed a grievance. After a lengthy wait for a decision, the Flyers won when the arbitration ruled in their favor, ensuring the Flyers weren’t on the hook for any portion of what they owed the center. Philadelphia’s front office probably did a little dance on hearing the news, much like the one Johansen did when he was supposedly injured.
78) Zamula is No. 1 at something
A string of data released in mid-August revealed that Egor Zamula was tops in the league among NHL defensemen when it came to “Transition Contests.” Namely getting the puck out of the zone in these battles and cutting down the space quickly when the opponent entered the Flyers’ defensive zone. As well, Nick Seeler and Rasmus Ristolainen were second and sixth, respectively, when it came to “Net-front play.” This stat was basically measuring how effective the defender was in getting the opponent out of the net front area either physically or simply tying up sticks or with good positioning.
79) Zegras second best ever…at shootouts
An odd statistic revealed that Trevor Zegras currently has the second-highest success percentage all-time in terms of shootout goals. He is 13-for-21 before the puck is dropped on the 2025-26 season, which is good enough for a 61.9 per cent success rate. He’s second only to Petteri Nummelin, who scored eight times in 10 attempts. That could be a key stat down the stretch should Zegras be able to get a few more points in the crucial three-point games during the season.
80) A 100-point season from a Flyer?
It’s possible. A lot of things would have to line up for one of Travis Konecny, Matvei Michkov or Trevor Zegras to hit the century mark. But anything can happen with some talented forwards who remain healthy and somehow begin to gel on a power play.
81) The Flyers could make the playoffs this year
Six years is a long time without a playoff game. And when they were in the playoffs last, they were in an empty Toronto arena during the pandemic. Not ideal. With any luck, a new influx of talent and a new head coach, the Flyers could be on the inside looking out this coming year. A lot would have to go right, but there is a path. At least that’s the hope. And of course, with that…
82) Another year closer to ending the Stanley Cup drought
Nobody would say it’s coming this year, but at some point one realizes they are getting closer to that third Stanley Cup.
