The Philadelphia Flyers surprised a lot of people last year with their playoff spot and a first-round victory. This year, some are expecting them to match those expectations, but a few others are expecting them to fall backwards. Or off a cliff in some instances. But they are predictions or projections, and the games are not won on paper. Here then are a roundup of various outlets and where they are predicting the Flyers end up at the conclusion of 2026-27. And with some outlooks on where Porter Martone might finish in terms of the Calder Trophy race.
NHL.com
NHL.com’s Adam Kimmelman noted how hot the Flyers were down the stretch, but also pointed out they will make things a lot easier on themselves if they play close to that level the first three-quarters of the season. And, per usual, the team’s dire power play was another sticking point. Should Tyson Foerster and Porter Martone excel on the special teams, and Jamie Drysdale continues to develop, “it will go a long way toward a playoff return.” Even something in the mushy middle would be a huge help in getting back there.
The outlet didn’t make and bold predictions, but noted that their acquisition of Joseph Woll should definitely help in terms of earning points when Dan Vladar isn’t on the ice. Defenseman David Jiricek was also highlighted, citing the youngster’s heavy shot and offensive talent, despite having to improve on the defensive side of things.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the piece was the “projected lineup” which had some interesting wrinkles. Matvei Michkov found himself with center Noah Cates and Denver Barkey, while Porter Martone found himself with Christian Dvorak and Travis Konecny. The second line featured Trevor Zegras between Tyson Foerster and Owen Tippett. And Alex Bump was on the fourth line with Sean Couturier and Noel Acciari. The site also gave the sixth spot on the blueline to Oliver Bonk over Jiricek.
The Athletic (Part One)
The Athletic were completely on the fence when it came to whether Philadelphia was going to make the playoffs, putting their percentage at 50 per cent on the dot. The projection was for 94.9 points, while the outlet believed they were the “ultimate ‘anything can happen’ group” in 2026-27. Of course, although written prior to Dan Vladar’s injury during an exhibition game against Boston, the site felt Philadelphia was a “pleasant surprise” last year but the goal was to “prove they’re here to stay.” And as echoed elsewhere, the improvements other clubs in the Metropolitan Division made this summer might make that task of returning to the playoffs much harder.
Bigger questions outside of Vladar’s situation included if Martone could duplicate something similar to the 19-game run last year, and if Jamie Drysdale could take that next step into being a quality blueliner. However, the site were quite high on the depth the Flyers had, despite not having that superstar center in place. It was that depth that was needed across the board in order for Philadelphia to see their best case scenario of 110 points, with Martone and Michkov dominating the opposition. Worst case put them at 80 points. It’s rare that another team previewed would have such a dramatic 30-point swing between good and bad. Yet that’s where the Flyers find themselves heading into game one.
In a different piece, the Flyers were placed in the “Middle of the Pack” division, with the article saying a possible regression in goal “looms like a black cloud.” They were eager to see what Martone could do in his rookie season, while also wanting to see how Michkov would rebound this year.
ESPN
The outlet’s Greg Wyshynski doesn’t have a lot of faith in the club returning to the postseason, believing “the vibe was apprehensive” when he took in the Flyers camp earlier in September. While praising the team’s 2025-26 season, as well as adding Joseph Woll to help out Dan Vladar, the writer didn’t get the sense the Flyers would take that next step this coming year. “I think those concerns are warranted, and Philly takes a slight step back this season while missing the playoffs,” he wrote. “But one year of growing pains is offset by getting to watch Porter Martone lead the franchise for the next decade.”
SDPN
The trio of Steve Dangle, Adam Wylde, and Jesse Blake were all over the place in terms of where Philadelphia would end up at the end of 2026-27. While Wylde was lukewarm on the addition of Woll, Dangle believed former Flyer goalie Sam Ersson’s record of being three games over .500 was insanely good considering his save percentage. The trio also lauded the top four defensemen (Travis Sanheim, Cam York, Jamie Drysdale, and Rasmus Ristolainen) and believing Simon Benoit’s acquisition could placate old-school Flyer fans. They also felt Drysdale’s emergence has eased the loss of William Gauthier in the trade.
The two forwards the trio mentoned were Porter Martone and Matvei Michkov, while Blake was quick to give kudos to Denver Barkey and Alex Bump, adding the Flyers’ “cup is full with young talent.” “For the first time in a long time, the Flyers feel fun at the beginning of the season,” Wylde said. Acknowledging the team had the most points in the NHL after Feb. 3, Blake also added Tocchet’s knack for creating a system that essentially (and effectively) shut down the opposition.
The over/under on Philadelphia at the time of the podcast was 92.5 points after earning 98 last season. Dangle said the Flyers would finish third in the Metropolitan. For all his praise, Blake saw them on par with the Penguins and Rangers, putting them in sixth. Wylde had them fourth in the Metropolitan, and squeezing into a wildcard spot, taking it away from a tough Atlantic Division.
The Score
Like some other places, the six pundits at The Score had a range of where Philadelphia would end up in the Metropolitan Division. Two had the Flyers as high as the third seed in the division, while two had them in fourth position. And the remaining pair of pundits had Philadelphia in fifth place in the Metro. Meanwhile, of those who thought the Flyers were playoff-worthy, two had them facing the Capitals in the opening round of the playoffs while the other had a first-round matchup against Montreal. As for the Calder Trophy, Martone got two first-place votes, a second-place vote, and two third-place votes. Only Kyle Cushman didn’t have Martone in his top three candidates, believing Ivar Stenberg of San Jose would win it, with Toronto’s Gavin McKenna and Winnipeg’s Viggo Bjrock would be nominees.
Daily Faceoff (Part One)
Anthony Trudeau wrote a rather exhaustive piece on the 2026-27 Flyers. After going through the ups and downs Philadelphia had last year, the article gave full marks to the club for their victory over Pittsburgh. However, the outlet said Flyers general manager’s big swing regarding the Leo Carlsson offer sheet would’ve be an enormous add to a burgeoning club. But they still believe Briere hasn’t closed the door on landing a big name, whether it’s Quinn Hughes, Auston Matthews, or Connor McDavid should the opportunity arise. Having missed out on the Anaheim center, it’s up to Tocchet and the young’uns to ensure last year’s playoff run wasn’t a fluke.
While acknowledging the offensive potential and depth up front, they were far less pleased with the defense. And mentioned how any kind of improvement on the power play would be a step forward, however incremental it might be. The other two big questions was whether the Flyers might already have a possible top-line center in Trevor Zegras, and where Matvei Michkov may see his 2026-27 season heading.
Although not slotting them into a certain position in the Metropolitan Division standings, the outlet felt both Washington and New Jersey will be in the running to usurp Philadelphia from that top three seeding. Or a wildcard spot.
Sportsnet
While not giving a number or position in the Metropolitan Division, the Canadian sports site believed Joseph Woll would be healthy all season and play just over half of the regular season. They also had Porter Martone as your 2026-27 Calder Trophy winner.
The Athletic (Part Two)
Finally, the outlet looked into the Metropolitan Division, and put the Flyers in fourth position, with the Devils, Caps, and Canes ahead of them. While lauding a potential 30-goal season from each of Martone, Michkov, and Foerster, the site noted how a lot of the improvements are from within. Meanwhile, the youth factor was a possible hump to get over, as not all of the likes of Martone, Denver Barkey, or Alex Bump will all grew on the same trajectory. The big prediction for the club? They’ll finish in the top half of the league on the power play. If that transpires, and they remain healthy, the return playoff engagement should be much easier to achieve.
Daily Faceoff (Part Two)
As was the case in some other places, there’s no definitive position experts see Philadelphia finishing. This site had the division title going to either Carolina or Washington. After that, it got messy. Two writers had Philadelphia just ahead of the Islanders and ending up in seventh position, while three others had them in the sixth spot in the Metropolitan. One writer (Steven Ellis) predicted them for fifth, while two had the Flyers in the fourth spot. Finally, two writers picked Philadelphia to remain in the top three seeds, ending up in third in the division. As well, all 10 writers felt that there were no wildcard teams coming out of the division, with two Atlantic Division teams claiming those spots.
“There’s a decent amount of momentum for a New Jersey Devils comeback season, but do the math: if teams like Washington and New Jersey make it back in, someone has to slide out, and the group isn’t buying what the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers did last season, with eight voters predicting the Pens to miss the postseason, with seven picking the Flyers to tumble out,” the outlet wrote.
