It’s the first week of the Philadelphia Flyers’ season (sort of)! We now have four preseason games behind us and just three in front of us, and while it is great to actually see this team on our various screens again, it was overall a somewhat miserable week for our Flyers.
A record of 1-3-0 in these exhibition games does not mean anything with the rotating rosters, but there is just a darker cloud over the team than normal. The prospects we were all extremely excited to watch have been somewhat underwhelming and the Flyers might just limp into the season where the games actually start to matter.
But, there were bright spots. And that’s what we’re here to focus on. Let’s look at the three stars of the week.
3. Sean Couturier
1 A, 3 SOG, 69.35 CF% at 5v5, Having a coach that doesn’t hate him, in 2 GP
In his first week of playing hockey games without John Tortorella breathing down his neck in a few years, Couturier had glimpses of his old self. There might not be another Selke Trophy in his future, but he was certainly able to control play and provide an immense amount of support to his teammates. In classic Couturier fashion, the Flyers were the better team when he was on the ice in just about every category you can think of.
Add that level of control to being able to get on the scoresheet with a power-play assist on Travis Sanheim’s goal against the Boston Bruins. A beautiful display of maybe something to come?
TRAVIS SANHEIM GETS THE FIRST PECO POWERPLAY GOAL OF THE YOGI/TOCC ERA! BEAUTIFUL PASSING FROM COOTS AND DVORAK. 1-0!#LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/vFNjOfj6Vm
— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) September 27, 2025
This coming right after Couturier shot a very blatant and honest jab at Tortorella and the past coaching staff’s way of running a power play is even sweeter. His mention of the team being “scared to make plays” or else they would be pulled from the power play is certainly something to keep in mind when something like this happens and just how free-flowing it looked. Hopefully it translates into games that matter.
2. Trevor Zegras
1 G, 1 A, 6 SOG, Looking really cool on a new team, in 2 GP
Trevor Zegras was actually on the ice playing hockey games for the good team that wears orange and black. In two appearances for the Flyers this preseason, the new center earned an assist, had six shots on goal, and was able to be the receipient of a very, very cool pass from Matvei Michkov (and he was able to actually put the puck into a wide open net).
Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras
— Nasty Knuckles (@NastyKnuckles) September 27, 2025
Your new dynamic duo pic.twitter.com/cUUGBoHk30
Beyond the goal, Zegras also was able to earn an assist on Nikita Grebenkin’s first goal in a Flyers sweater in that same game against the Bruins on Saturday, potentially being just one of those players that can raise a younger player to his level or just utilize a dude who loves to crash the net. Zegras also managed to stay afloat and above the 50 percent threshold in most underlying statistics — while those don’t really matter at all in the preseason, it is at least nice to see something the nerds can praise him for.
It was so important for Zegras to have a good week to start his career in Philadelphia and already with a multi-point performance and being able to show off some slick skill, earns him the silver medal from us.
1. Matvei Michkov
1 G, 2 A, 6 SOG in 2 GP
Yeah, duh. We have a feeling that this top spot will be Michkov’s a lot throughout this upcoming Flyers season, but here he is for the first week. The 20-year-old winger was a demon to start his preseason. He scored a very classic Michkov goal — the entire play running through him and then being able to cash-in after driving to the net just ever so slightly after some quick passing — against the Islanders to open the preseason, and then earned two assist against the Bruins including the perfect linking-up with his new teammate Zegras.
It’s one thing to currently lead the entire team in points in the preseason, but it’s another to be the player that so many are depending on to reach a new level while scoring a whole lot. Michkov is just that player and this past week he has been dominant — a player that an entire team’s defense can and probably has to focus on.
Now we’re just left hoping that this scoring and dominance can continue into the season, so that we can avoid ever thinking about a sophomore slump whatsoever.
