There’s still about 10 weeks to go before the Flyers regular season begins Sept. 30 at home against Pittsburgh. Lots of things could happen between now and then. But if they don’t, and Philadelphia enters the season with essentially the lineup they have in mid-July, then there will be a few players who have a bit more to prove this year. Whether it’s a contract extension that has seen their value increase to the club, players who had somewhat disappointing seasons, or those who are starting fresh with Philadelphia, some have a bit more pressure on their shoulders than perhaps their teammates. Here then are five Flyers (and two honorable mentions) who need to rise to the occasion if the Flyers are to have a successful 2026-27 campaign.
Honorable Mentions: David Jiricek and Joseph Woll
It’s hard for essentially newbies to find themselves in a bit of a hornet’s nest right from the start of training camp. Yet that’s where defenseman David Jiricek and backup goaltender Joseph Woll seem to be before the season even begins. For Jiricek, it’s somewhat unfair as the situation is out of his control. The Flyers traded Bobby Brink last March in exchange for Jiricek, a former first-round pick whose career hasn’t really gotten off the ground. In Minnesota he got lost in the shuffle. And the minute the Wild acquired Quinn Hughes from Vancouver, Jiricek went from being the odd man out to essentially the odd man out of the organization.
Jiricek, selected sixth overall by Columbus in 2022, enters training camp without something other younger players have: waiver protection. The Flyers are hoping like heck that Jiricek is able to show them something in order for him to remain with the club. That way he and Philadelphia avoid the sticky, messy problem of placing him on waivers, and hoping nobody claims him before sending him down to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League. You never want to lose any trade, especially losing it because of Jiricek’s precarious waiver situation. So Jiricek should be given every conceivable look and benefit in order to remain on the roster.
As a result, Jiricek might be feeling as antsy as Philadelphia is entering this season. He wants (and needs) to prove he belongs in the top six (or at worst top eight). That way any noise about him not being good enough can be silenced for the time being. Ideally, Philadelphia would have the luxury of sending him down. But not at the risk of losing him. Should he look good at the start of camp, and look capable of playing sound defensive hockey while possibly adding a bit to the power play, then Jiricek could be a valuable piece this coming season. If there’s any Flyer that needs to get out of the gates quickly, it would have to be David Jiricek.
Joseph Woll
Being a backup goaltender shouldn’t come with a lot of hassle or angst. That would be true in many National Hockey League cities. Just not Philadelphia. Prior to Dan Vladar’s arrival, the Flyer goaltending situation was never a strong selling point in recent years, and goaltender Sam Ersson never materialized into a capable starter or backup given his ridiculously low save percentage the last two seasons. Flyers general manager Danny Briere found a buyer for Ersson in Toronto, and got Joseph Woll (and defenseman Simon Benoit) in exchange. So while Woll is going to ideally adjust accordingly to his new surroundings, he’s must be better than Sam Ersson was.
That might not seem like a high bar, but Woll is going to have to deliver more quality starts (and wins) than Ersson did. Although having a save percentage of .899 in almost 40 games with Toronto, Woll should be able to provide Vladar with some both physical and mental rest. The playoffs shouldn’t rest entirely on Vladar’s shoulders dragging them there like he did most of last year. If Woll, who is 28, can be mentally tough, and give Philadelphia a chance to win each night, then he’ll be doing his job. He should also relish playing in a tighter defensive system under Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet than he did last season in Toronto. Fans, and the team, hope Woll gets off on the right foot to start the year. And judging by the schedule, he’ll get that opportunity in the second half of a season-opening back-to-back when Philadelphia visits the Devils.
5. Jamie Drysdale
Jamie Drysdale and the Flyers agreed on a contract extension. Early speculation of a four-year, $25 million deal seemed to be premature, as Drysdale’s camp was thought to be looking at something north of $7 million in average annual value. However, both sides ironed out a four-year $26 million deal ($6.5 million AAV) before arbitration. What’s also clear is that Drysdale had a very solid 2025-26, looking more often like he was carrying the workload between himself and Cam York, the antithesis of what it resembled in parts of 2024-25. Drysdale looked focused last year. He was aggressive without pinching foolishly. And he managed to shut down a lot of plays at the blueline versus caving in and looking small.
Now that the contract is done, and the number clear, he might feel that added pressure, particularly for a 24-year-old player still trying to establish himself as a quality top four defenseman. He took a huge stride in that direction last year, with no nagging injuries to speak of. If he can repeat the same level of consistency that he showed much of last year, without going into too may funks, then Drysdale won’t be worried about contract and the numbers. Instead, he’ll be able to build on what he’s done so far.
4. Dan Vladar
With as solid a season as anyone could’ve imagined in his first year with the club, Dan Vladar made a lot of people take notice. His first true crack at being more than a backup goaltender was almost a Hollywood movie. Vladar was injured for a part of January, and the team suffered terribly missing him. He returned, and guided Philadelphia to one of the more improbable runs to the playoffs you’ll ever see. Then a stellar string of performances against the Penguins got the Flyers into the final eight clubs vying for the Cup. It was simply magical what happened.
Now, as excellent as all that was for Vladar and the Flyers, it’s history. A new season is on the horizon, and Vladar is going to have to prove to everyone, including himself, that what happened in 2025-26 was not a fluke or one-hit wonder. Especially considering the gamble Flyers general manager Danny Briere might have taken on July 1, giving Vladar a five-year extension worth $27.5 million which begins in 2027-28. While the cap hit is relatively team-friendly, and Vladar doesn’t have a full no movement or no trade clause in the back half of the deal, the goalie is going to have to prove to everyone again that he can stop the puck as much, or nearly as much, as he did last season. He should be more settled, as most of the defense is back, and Rick Tocchet’s scheme doesn’t appear to venture into run-and-gun, firewagon hockey. Still, he’ll have a lot more eyes on him considering the high expectations he left everyone with after last year.
3. Trevor Zegras
Zegras has a few things to prove this season. One, he has to remain as effective as he did most of last season when he was second in team scoring (67 points). Two, provided the Flyers don’t hit a home run between now and training camp in landing a top-line center, Zegras has to continue looking like a credible center who can grow and enhance his game down the middle. Winning draws will still be a work in progress, and “Ziggy” is going to need to ensure the Flyers enter this season a bit deeper down the middle than they did around this time period last year.
The third reason is now his contract. Zegras will enter this year as the highest paid Flyer on the club with a cap hit of $9.125 million in each of the next four years. Depending on how things pan out, it’s possible Zegras won’t be the highest paid this time next summer. However, this coming season he’ll have a lot more eyeballs on him. And especially by those who tie a player’s salary to their expected performance.
Should Zegras come out of the gates with some multi-point efforts, or begin the year making some great plays for his wingers, a bit of that glare or spotlight should be off him for a little bit. If he can be the key cog in a resurgent power play, he might be given the keys to the city. He can’t play outside of himself based on the contract. If he tries to do too much based on the contract, then it’s going to be a long, arduous season for everyone involved. Nobody needs to see Zegras gripping his stick tighter from the get-go.
2. Tyson Foerster
Forget the contract extension, at least for now. Tyson Foerster is coming off a season that was the best of times, and the worst of times. The winger appeared as if he was heading for a career season, with 10 goals in early December. Then came the injury, the rehab, the slim chance of a return, and then the eventual return for the homestretch and playoffs. He didn’t do much of anything in the playoffs, looking like he hit a wall after the adrenaline rush of returning wore off. With a full summer of training and conditioning, Foerster should be able to put the injury behind him. And enter camp ready to pick up where he left off last November.
In some respects, Foerster’s 2026-27 season might be judged similar to Drysdale’s 2024-25. If he stays relatively healthy that might be a victory in itself. That’s even if the goal total isn’t a career high or nearing 30 goals. However, a lot of people are going to want to see Foerster start scoring right off the bet. Most are hoping that he does. Nobody more than himself. The roughly 20-game stint late last year should have reassured him that the shoulder can take the punishment. It’s now crucial he puts last year behind him, and focus on being the sniper Philadelphia needs him to be for the next several years.
1. Matvei Michkov
Who else did you expect it to be? Michkov had a fantastic rookie year, then hit what Briere recently called the “sophomore slump” in 2025-26. Still, if 51 points is a slump or down year, then one can only dream what a great, breakout season will be like, right? Michkov’s soap opera with Rick Tocchet should be over now, the slate should be clean, and a full offseason for both sides to reset should be the perfect recipe for Michkov to succeed, looking like the 2024-25 version of himself and not last year’s. As he enters the final year of his entry-level contract, the Russian winger might also want to ensure last year was the exception and not the rule moving forward.
The various signings this summer, as well as Porter Martone’s first full rookie campaign, should take some of the pressure off Michkov. After all, he’s being paid pennies on the dollar compared to some of his other teammates. What’s incumbent is the winger needs to produce from Sept. 30 onward. He might have far less wiggle room to get going than others, especially after how last season ended for him watching Game 3 and 4 against Carolina from a press box. The longer a draught goes, the more he becomes the center of attention nobody wants him to have. Here’s hoping he has a great camp, works himself into the top six, and goes from there ready to take on the world.
