The Flyers are at the 11-game mark, and already they have been looking pretty good at times. They’re 6-4-1 and had a 5-game winning streak at home, their first such streak since the pandemic. The goaltending thus far has been above what fans saw last year, but then again, could it get much lower? Outside of the Toronto performance, Dan Vladar is holding the Flyers in games and has been fantastic! Heading into Sunday’s games Vladar was sixth in goals-against average (2.11) and save percentage (.924). Meanwhile, prior to getting injured, Sam Ersson still occasionally looks like he’s fighting the puck. In the shootouts and overtime he’s been gold, now finding himself seventh-best goalie all-time when it comes to save percentage in the shootout (stopping 37 of 47 attempts).
Defensively, Jamie Drysdale has taken a step forward in the underlying metrics and the power play is starting to look like it’s trending towards more effectiveness. The power play is nineteenth overall! Not last! Not second last! Meanwhile the penalty killing is ranked second overall, humming at 90 per cent efficiency. Excellent special teams compared to last year. It’s going quite well! Yet while it’s only the 11-game mark, we can try and take a look at who (or how many) 20-goal scorers the Flyers will end up with at season’s end. Of course a lot of that depends on several factors, none more important than health. If a forward is injured or dealing with a lingering issue, chances are it’s going to hurt his chances. Also, if a key playmaker is out of commission, that isn’t going to help forwards in trying to get to that number.
In 2024-25, the Flyers had four hit the 20-goal mark: Travis Konecny (24), Matvei Michkov (26), Tyson Foerster (25) and Owen Tippett (20). The previous season? Well again, it was four as Konecny (33), Foerster (20) and Tippett (28) were all in the club along with Joel Farabee (22). In 2022-23, only Konecny (31) and Tippett (27) reached that plateau. In the franchise’s history, the Flyers have never gone a season without a 20-goal scorer. In 2012-13 and 2020-21, they both had one apiece. That’s been their lowest. Their highest? Well, on three different occasions they’ve had eight 20-goal scorers in a season. In 1975-76 the Flyers had Bobby Clarke (30), Bill Barber (50), Reggie Leach (61), Orest Kindrachuk (26), Gary Dornhoefer (28), Mel Bridgman (23) Don Saleski (21), and Rick MacLeish (22) all have at least 20 goals (Ross Lonsberry would’ve made it nine but ended up with 19 goals). The following season Clarke (27), Barber (20), Leach (32), Dornhoefer (25), Lonsberry (23), Saleski (22), MacLeish (49), and Bob Kelly (22) hit the mark. And in 1982-83 Clarke (23), Barber (27), Darryl Sittler (43), Brian Propp (40), Mark Howe (20), Ron Flockhart (29), Ray Allison (21), and Ilkka Sinisalo (21) all had a minimum of 20 tallies.
To wrap one’s head around how consistent the Flyers were in the ’70s and ’80s, the team had 18 consecutive seasons where they had at least five 20-goal scorers on their roster (1973-74 through to 1989-90). Since that time they’ve hit that mark 11 times, the last being in 2018-19. So, will Philadelphia at least surpass last year’s total of four? Well, let’s have a look shall we? We’ll obviously group some Flyers into different batches, some who would have to have a miraculous season to hit the 20-goal mark. And others who might have an extremely good chance to hit that milestone.
On the fence
Christian Dvorak
If you were to do simple layman’s math, you would see Dvorak has three goals through 11 games. So multiply that rate of scoring by eight then Dvorak is going to hit between 21 and 22 goals. But it’s not that simple. Dvorak has never scored 20, coming close with 18 in Arizona back in 2019-20. He scored 17 the following year, but his highest total since then was 12 with Montreal last season. So looking at the raw data, it is probably doubtful he gets there.
The only possibility which could see him playing far more top-six minutes than middle-six minutes would be if Sean Couturier (or another center) gets injured for an extended period of time. If that happens, more playing time with better wingers and offensive producers could see him getting close with a puncher’s chance of squeezing into that club.
Bobby Brink
Brink has been praised by Rick Tocchet for his big play despite his smaller size. And he has three goals already through 11 games. He scored his third of the 2024-25 season on Nov. 14 against Ottawa. So far he has 25 per cent of his 12-goal total from last year. And given just how well he’s played on the third line with Noah Cates and Tyson Foerster, Brink could end up scoring a career-high possibly before the Flyers take their much-needed break during the Winter Olympics.
A lot of Brink hitting 20 goals might come down to health obviously and if Brink, Foerster, and Cates still look quite appealing as a cohesive power play unit. Granted, Brink might have dry spells like he did last year. However, it would seem that the winger is probably going to average three to four goals a month, which would make Brink not a long shot to reach 20, but probably the team’s dark horse to reach it.
BOBBY BRINK FILTH. #LetsGoFlyers | @fwwebb pic.twitter.com/GnNoBfuTiY
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 29, 2025
Sean Couturier
Couturier has come a long way in a short amount of time. The healthy scratch controversy is in the rearview mirror, and Couturier looks to have a fresh outlook and open line of communication with Rick Tocchet. Couturier’s health might be the biggest issue here, after taking a Noah Juulsen shot off his elbow in the Nashville contest. If it’s a day-to-day injury he might only be out a handful of games. If it’s something that’s four to six weeks, then that probably takes him completely out of the running.
Should Couturier hit roughly 70 games, then it stands to reason he could be close to knocking on the 20-goal door, especially if he’s still on a line with talented wingers (named Matvei Michkov or Owen Tippett) and the power play begins humming on all cylinders. He has a pair of goals to go with seven assists so far, an outstanding start for the veteran and captain. But 18 goals in the remaining 72 games (or fewer if injured) might be a tall order for Couturier. He’s capable, but it’s probably a big ask.
Travis Konecny
Hear us out. Konecny has three goals in 11 games. He has two 30-plus goal seasons to go with four other 20-plus goal years. That’s six seasons hitting at least 20. No shame in that at all. And the start he’s had this year is promising, with his third coming against Nashville, making it three goals in his last five starts. The draught to start the season is over, he’s moving on.
Unfortunately, the five-game span doesn’t negate the fact Konecny’s production dropped off a cliff in the second half of 2024-25. He had a 23-game span where he had one goal. That’s not great, particularly for a guy who had yet to begin his eight-year, $70 million extension. Konecny is going to have to be far more consistent this season if the Flyers are to have any hope of being in the mix for a playoff spot in mid-March and beyond. And that includes not going weeks at a time looking to put the puck in the net.
If Konecny, who generally isn’t considered to be as streaky as Owen Tippett, keeps scoring, then the misery that was early 2025 for him will be just a memory. The jury is still out to determine whether Konecny can keep scoring at a pace that makes him the 30-goal score and not struggling to get to 20 or 25. Yes, he has three goals in 11 games, that’s good. But he has to do that a lot more for a lot longer to shut up skeptics.
Travis Konecny – Philadelphia Flyers (2) pic.twitter.com/B583u5evGw
— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) October 29, 2025
Better than 50/50
Noah Cates
Cates wasn’t supposed to be anything but a hard-working third-line center, relegated to bottom-six minutes and at best, possibly filling in the middle-six of a team that wasn’t very good. What a difference a few seasons make. Cates has been gangbusters! With seven points and three goals so far in 2025-26, he has essentially picked up where he left over last year. He, Brink, and Tyson Foerster all have seven points apiece so far. And each of them have at least three goals to boot (Foerster has four). Simply put, Cates has been working and earning every bit of his four-year, $16 million extension he signed in the offseason.
Should Cates remain healthy, it’s probably not a stretch to predict he’ll be closer to 20 goals then at any point in his career. His two-way play has been the envy of many opponents (and many NHL GMs of late), resulting in scoring 20 goals a distinct possibility. Not a guarantee but very close. He will also see a bump in production provided the power play finds itself in the middle of the pack, or can show it can hurt the opposition when the situation arises. A 20-goal to possibly 25-goal scorer locked up for a $4 million AAV for the next few seasons would be criminal from a team-friendly salary cap perspective. Cates is looking more and more like such a steal!
Owen Tippett
Owen Tippett is one of the few Flyers who can change the course of a game with a shift, turning on the jet engines and scoring a highlight reel goal. He’s done it before. He’ll do it again. Tippett was life and death to get to 20 goals last season, just getting to the finish line after a very dry second half of the season. Tippett had some wondering if he was worth the contract he received after coming over in the Claude Giroux deal with Florida.
Well, it’s a long season, but Tippett is a quarter of the way to 20 in roughly one-eighth of the season. He has five in 11 games. More importantly, he is not being precious in his shot selection like he was last year. Tippett has 32 shots on goal so far, this after ending up with 186 last year, or just over two per game. An extra shot on goal per game on average should result in more goals. Perhaps the biggest surprise so far has been how willing Tippett has been to take the bull by the horns and be a play driver on whatever line he’s on.
Tippett, like any other Flyer, is going to reap the benefits of an average to slightly above average power play. If that transpires, he will probably hit 20 goals a lot quicker this year, with his sights probably being set closer to 30 or beyond. However, he does have some streaks in his game, both good and bad. If he can limit those dry spells to two or three games, and not weeks at a time, Tippett will see his role on the Flyers grow into a power forward that will do damage.
Trevor Zegras with a perfect tip pass to assist on an Owen Tippett rush snipe. pic.twitter.com/qcfbt1N1jp
— Big Head Hockey Clips (@bigheadclips) October 24, 2025
Locks, we think
Tyson Foerster
Foerster, much like Tippett, was iffy to get to 20 goals most of last season. Then he found an extra gear or two in April and put seven in the net for 25 on the year. A torrid pace to finish but 25 goals is 25 goals. Now, with four in his back pocket so far, and looking like he, Cates, and Brink share the same brain, Foerster is looking to improve on that 25-goal mark. He has a bit of work ahead of him (especially if lovely goals he scores like he did against Pittsburgh get called back), but it’s probably a question of when, not if, he gets to 20 goals. And if he can deliver more on the power play, then it makes the road to 20 that much easier. A healthy Foerster (and healthy linemates) will be the biggest key. He still hasn’t hit his ceiling or potential, which can only make Flyer fans smile.
Matvei Michkov
After the ankle injury he didn’t look right in the early part of 2025-26, but in the last handful of games, Michkov is moving far more in a north-south direction and not lollygagging east to west or vice versa. Nor are the Andrew MacDonald-esque feeble backhand passes rampant in his game. He’s looking better, he’s playing better, and the points are starting to come.
Michkov, who had 26 goals last year, has a goal and five assists for six points. It’s been a slow start. But he’s starting to rev up. Michkov has the talent — even the dreaded sophomore season and the notorious slumps many players suffer — to score 20 goals this year. With Trevor Zegras on his line, Michkov finally has someone who is on his play-making level, which can only be a plus. That, combined with the notion Michkov can easy put multi-goal games together over a week to 10 days, makes 19 goals in the remaining 71 contests more of a likelihood than it does a stretch.
The Mad Russian and Tocchet are basically on the same page, with Tocchet sheltering him a bit from his poor play early with news of the ankle injury. He also sat him, but not in the taskmaster manner John Tortorella did last year. That’s also good news. It appears Michkov should start stacking good shifts, games, and point streaks together, to steal a line from the head coach. He’s not off to the start many would’ve wanted, but Michkov is probably going to deliver another quality season. And that includes getting 20 goals or more.
Trevor Zegras
With a multi-goal night Thursday night against Nashville, Trevor Zegras looked well worth parting with Ryan Poehling and some draft picks. Zegras has 13 points so far with four goals and nine assists. He didn’t hit 12 points in 2024-25 until Jan. 25 against Nashville. Granted he was injured for a part of last season. But Zegras seems to have found new life and a fresh start in Philadelphia. Although a “hybrid” winger/center, Zegras and his play-making wizardry has been a revelation. One only has to look at the pass he made to Couturier against Florida to know what he’s capable of.
Zegras had two consecutive 23-goal seasons (2021-22 and 2022-23) before the last two seasons were shortened by injuries, leaving him with just 18 goals over those two years. With the forward looking like he’s capable of having career highs, and making an excellent case for a healthy, happy, and lucrative extended stay with the Flyers, look for Zegras to hit 20 goals this year. And maybe much closer to or beyond 30 goals. The team has found a key piece to its core, and the player has found a fresh start with a rebuilding team.
TREVOR ZEGRAS ONE TIMER!!!! IMMEDIATE POWER PLAY GOAL!!! 3-1!!#LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/ZAXqQE1G3G
— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) October 31, 2025
