Speaking to reporters Tuesday for the first time since leaving the Flyers’ preseason game Sept. 22 with an upper-body injury, goaltender Dan Vladař said he’s ready to go for Wednesday night’s season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins (7:30 p.m., TNT, HBO Max, and TruTV).
“Yeah, the whole training staff, especially [head athletic trainer Alex] Ambrose … obviously did an awesome job with me, so I owe him a couple bottles of wine for sure,” the netminder joked when asked if he was ready for Wednesday.
He said his mentality will remain “stop the first shot” and that he probably could have played Saturday in the final preseason game if needed. While Rick Tocchet would not confirm Vladař as Wednesday’s starter, the expectation is that he will man the home crease when the puck drops on the 2026-27 season.
But Vladař’s availability was very much in doubt just a week ago after the Czech netminder left the Flyers’ second preseason game in Boston. He was injured when Bruins forward Tanner Jeannot crashed into his outstretched arm while pursuing a rebound. Vladař immediately dropped his stick after the contact and looked to be favoring his right shoulder or arm. At the next whistle, he skated directly to the bench, talked briefly with the Flyers’ training staff, and then exited down the tunnel in noticeable pain.
Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet says the team dodged a bullet with goaltender Dan Vladař expected to return to the fold. Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
While the injury sent an immediate panic throughout Flyers Nation, Tocchet quelled fears the next day by saying that the Flyers looked to have “dodged a bullet” with their prized netminder. Vladař returned to practice in a full capacity Sunday and “looked good,” according to Tocchet.
“Someone is watching after me, I guess. It was close, but thank God it was nothing too crazy, so glad I can be here,” Vladař said Tuesday of the injury scare.
Having a healthy Vladař will be critical if the Flyers are to replicate or surpass last season’s run to the second round of the playoffs. In his first season in Philadelphia, he was the team’s unquestioned MVP, posting a 29-14-7 record and ranking in the top 10 in the league in goals-against average (2.42, third) and save percentage (.906, tied for eighth) among goalies to play 40 games. On the heels of his breakout season, the Flyers inked Vladař to a five-year, $27.5 million contract extension that will keep him in Philadelphia through the 2031-32 season.
The Flyers believe they have two starting-caliber goalies in Dan Vladař and Joseph Woll (pictured).Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Vladař isn’t concerned with the pressure of increased expectations entering the 2026-27 season.
“Obviously, you cannot really be listening to the outside noise, whether it’s good or bad. We just got to know what’s in here and focus on ourselves,” he said. “And for me, it’s focusing on me and helping my players, my buddies, [and] my teammates. … Nothing’s changing for us in that way. We’re one year older, maybe one year wiser. So hopefully we’re going to show it on the ice.”
With the Flyers playing back-to-back games to open the season, Vladař and new backup Joseph Woll are expected to split the two games.
Following a season where the Flyers largely struggled on nights Vladař didn’t play, the team made it a priority to upgrade the backup position. In acquiring Woll from Toronto, they did just that, as Woll boasts a .906 career save percentage and quality experience as a starter.
Inquirer writer Jackie Spiegel contributed to the reporting for this article.
The Flyers released their opening night roster a little before Monday’s 5 p.m. deadline, and the injury news was mixed.
The good news? Starting goaltender and last year’s team MVP Dan Vladař is good to go after suffering an upper-body injury on Sept. 22.
The bad? The Flyers will be without young forward Denver Barkey to start the season. Barkey, who is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury, will go on injured reserve and is required to miss at least seven days.
Barkey, who had five goals and 17 points in 43 games last season as a rookie, first sustained the injury in the Flyers’ preseason opener against Washington on Sept. 21. The 21-year-old left the game 15 seconds into the second period after taking a big hit from Capitals defenseman Martin Fehérváry earlier in the game. Barkey tried to give it a go twice more but pulled up on both occasions after trying to generate speed. Since suffering the injury, Barkey has skated twice, once by himself and once with a group — he left the latter session early.
While Barkey won’t start the season for the Flyers, he seems to be progressing.
“They’re both kind of day to day,” Rick Tocchet said Sunday when asked about Barkey and fellow forward Nikita Grebenkin. “Barks is getting a little bit better every day, and Grebby, a little banged up after last game, is working on a couple of little things.”
Grebenkin was named to the team’s initial roster on Monday with no injury designation. Tocchet confirmed that the injury is not related to the upper-body injury that cost him the second half of last season.
Despite a preseason injury scare, it looks like Dan Vladař will be ready for the opener.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
While the Flyers have not yet confirmed that Vladař will start opening night on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins (7:30 p.m., TNT/HBO Max/TruTV), all signs point to that being the case.
“It looks very promising. [Vladař] should be ready for Game 1,” said general manager Danny Brière during Saturday’s preseason finale. “Probably could have played if we had played a regular-season [game] tonight, but we just want to play it safe and let him get as close to 100% for the start of the regular season.”
Vladař’s injury occurred in the Flyers’ second preseason game when he left 13 minutes, 31 seconds into the first period after allowing a deflection goal against Boston.
In the lead-up to the goal, Vladař mishandled a dump-in and was spread down with his arms extended on the ice when Tanner Jeannot crashed the net for the rebound. While it didn’t look like there was significant contact between Jeannot’s leg and Vladař on the play, the netminder let go of his stick immediately and appeared to be holding his right arm awkwardly in the sequence that led to Michael Eyssimont’s goal.
In other injury news, the Flyers listed Helge Grans as “Injured nonroster” in Monday’s release. The 24-year-old defenseman left Thursday’s game with a lower-body injury and did not return. He was expected to be sent down to the American Hockey League but is not eligible to do so while injured.
Trevor Zegras has been one of the bigger personalities and characters in the NHL since he entered the league in 2021.
Whether it’s his California surfer guy resemblance to Fast Times at Ridgemont High’s Jeff Spicoli, his creative nicknames for teammates — see “Taco” for coach Rick Tocchet — or his silly intermission interviews, Zegras is always good for a chuckle.
So it was no surprise that Zegras, a day after he was penalized for tucking in his jersey in the Flyers’ preseason game against the Boston Bruins, took to social media Friday to vent his frustrations over his delay-of-game penalty for “improperly wearing his equipment.”
Trevor Zegras heads to the box for a two-minute minor for "improperly wearing equipment" as he started his shift with his jersey tucked into his pants 🫣 pic.twitter.com/WTDe9BEkXr
On his Instagram story, Zegras posted two pictures of him playing with a tucked-in jersey, first as a kid and later in his teens. This backed up his comments Thursday night that he’s always worn his jersey that way.
“I started the game with it tucked; that’s how I usually play,” Zegras said. “Must have just went back down the bench and came out and forgot.”
But after posting the two pictures with the tucked-in jersey, the New York native and proud Giants fan (yuck) couldn’t resist getting another jab in. This time, the Flyers center posted a picture of old Super Bowl rival Tom Brady and the “tuck rule” play against the Oakland Raiders that ultimately kick-started the New England Patriots’ dynasty.
Trevor Zegras posted a photo of him playing from his youth with his jersey tucked, and then a Tim Brady photo from the “Tuck Rule” game 🤣 pic.twitter.com/uuMmYJbofE
While we know Hall of Fame defensive back Charles Woodson is no fan of the NFL’s tuck rule, he has yet to weigh in on the NHL’s iteration.
Don’t be surprised if you see more tucking infractions on the ice this season either, as Tocchet told reporters Thursday that the NHL has warned teams that they will be enforcing this type of delay-of-game penalty. It’s also worth noting that Zegras received a warning from referee Jon McIsaac earlier in the game before his saunter to the penalty box.
We guess whether to tuck or not to tuck is no longer a question.
After 12 seasons and 805 NHL regular-season games, former Flyer Kevin Hayes announced his retirement from professional hockey on Monday.
Hayes, who signed with Russian club Ak Bars Kazan last month, played just five games there before electing to call it a career.
“I have decided to end my hockey career,” the 34-year-old Hayes said in a statement issued by the Kontinental Hockey League. “I can no longer play at the level I am capable of because my body does not allow me to perform at my best. And I cannot accept not being in top form.”
After 861 games in NHL and 5 games in KHL, Kevin Hayes 🇺🇸 announced his retirement.
"I have decided to end my hockey career. I can no longer play at the level I am capable of because my body does not allow me to perform at my best. And I cannot accept not being in top form." pic.twitter.com/ItcQb18FA0
Hayes, who was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks but never played for the franchise, tallied 185 goals and 446 points in the NHL with the New York Rangers, Winnipeg Jets, Flyers, St. Louis Blues, and Pittsburgh Penguins. He posted six 40-point seasons in his first nine years, including a 54-point campaign with the Flyers in 2022-23 when he was named an All-Star for the first and only time in his career.
Signed to a seven-year, $50 million contract in 2019, Hayes experienced an up-and-down four years in Philly, with the highlights being a deep playoff run in the 2020 COVID bubble and his All-Star nod. The centerman averaged 16 goals and 39 points during his time with the Flyers while dealing with a plethora of injuries, as well as the tragic death of his brother and former NHLer, Jimmy Hayes, in 2021. After being traded by the Flyers to St. Louis in 2023, Hayes spent the past two seasons with the Penguins.
Kevin Hayes (right) with his late friend and former Boston College teammate Johnny Gaudreau during the 2023 NHL All-Star Game.BRUCE BENNETT
Hayes, who primarily played in a middle-six center role during his career, was also a regular contributor on the power play and penalty kill. He won the Gene Hart Memorial Trophy for being the Flyer who displayed the most “heart” after the 2019-20 season and served as an alternate captain during his time in Philadelphia.
Known for his sense of humor, the beloved teammate was also a finalist in 2022 for the NHL’s Masterton Trophy, which is given to the player who best displays the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. That season, Hayes dealt with the death of his brother and returned to play after undergoing multiple core muscle surgeries and a blood infection.
Before turning pro, the Boston native was a decorated player at Boston College, where he won the 2012 national championship alongside close friend Johnny Gaudreau. Hayes also represented Team USA at the IIHF World Championships in 2014, 2017, and 2024.
It’s that time of year again. No, not the return of football, the leaves changing color, or weekend trips to the apple orchard. On Thursday, it’s officially time to “do that hockey,” as the Flyers assemble for the start of training camp.
On the heels of the Flyers’ first non-COVID playoff appearance since 2018, the team enters 2026-27 with serious expectations and excitement for the first time in almost a decade. Can Rick Tocchet’s team live up to the hype and build on last season’s breakthrough? Here are five story lines to watch for as camp opens at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees.
The biggest question surrounding the Flyers’ offseason was whether Matvei Michkov would take his training seriously and show up in better shape after getting behind the eight-ball from the onset last season.
We probably won’t have a definitive answer until the games begin for real on Sept. 30, but the early signs have been promising. Michkov, 21, notably participated in a training group for Russian players run by Artemi Panarin this summer, and also facilitated a visit from Flyers training staff member Lorne Goldenberg to his homeland. Time will tell if that work will translate to on-ice production, but he appears leaner in social media pictures and videos. In a recent interview in Russian, the winger took accountability for showing up out of shape last season and claimed he has lost 29 pounds since then.
Interesting, introspective conversation here with Matvei Michkov discussing his weight and fitness. Says he’s down about 30 pounds from where he was a year ago. Seems like he’s in a good headspace. I’m excited to watch him play this year. pic.twitter.com/gL0H4YlSiN
General manager Danny Brière said Tuesday that since returning to the area earlier this month, Michkov has “a different swagger” to him. “He’s got a pep in his step. He feels good. He looks good. So I’m excited about Matvei’s season,” the GM said.
Tocchet said he’s anticipating a “vengeance tour” this season from Michkov, who will need a new contract at season’s end. Showing up in shape would go a long way in setting himself up for a breakout Year 3.
Numbers game
With the new 84-game schedule and condensed training camp, young players and roster bubble guys will have fewer opportunities to make an impression. Add in that the Flyers bring back a young and relatively unchanged core, and barring injury, there aren’t many obvious roster spots up for grabs.
With 20 virtual roster locks by my count, plus defenseman David Jiříček, who is no longer waiver-exempt and thus almost assured a place to start the year, that leaves two spots for the bubble guys to compete for. The Flyers could elect to keep 14 forwards or eight defensemen, with forwards Nikita Grebenkin, Carl Grundström, and Zach Aston-Reese, and defensemen Oliver Bonk, Ty Murchison, Hunter McDonald, and Helge Grans essentially battling for two spots.
Defenseman Oliver Bonk is one of the players who figures to be right on the roster bubble to open the season.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Bonk’s training camp will likely decide whether the Flyers go with seven or eight defensemen. With seven defensemen already ticketed for the roster, the 2023 first-rounder will have to blow the brass’s doors off to make the team, especially since he isn’t subject to waivers. The Flyers won’t want the 21-year-old sitting long, so if he isn’t going to have a pretty regular spot in the top six, he’ll likely be headed for Allentown to log big minutes for the Phantoms.
While the Flyers didn’t make a ton of offseason moves — their big swing for Leo Carlsson didn’t connect — there will be some new faces this week in Voorhees.
Backup goaltender Joseph Woll, who owns a .906 career save percentage, and depth defenseman Simon Benoit were acquired from Toronto in a trade that sent Emil Andrae and Sam Ersson north. The Flyers also signed former Pittsburgh Penguins grinder extraordinaire Noel Acciari to a two-year contract to elevate the team’s much-maligned fourth line.
Newcomer Joseph Woll should represent a significant upgrade to Sam Ersson as the Flyers’ backup goalie.Connor Hamilton
Forwards Aston-Reese, Danila Klimovich, Jack Studnicka, Nolan Foote, and Riley Thompson, as well as defensemen Jiříček, Jackson Edward, Andrew Perrott, and Toms River’s Cam Dineen are the other newcomers who will make up the numbers at camp. Towering 2026 first-round pick Maksim Sokolovskii will also be present, although he is expected to be returned to London of the Ontario Hockey League at some stage.
Power-play progress?
It’s a fool’s errand to place too much stock in preseason NHL games, but the Flyers’ dormant power play could really benefit from some experimentation — and, fingers crossed … momentum — leading up to the opener against Pittsburgh.
The unit, which has been the Flyers’ Achilles’ heel dating back to when Achilles roamed the earth, has finished dead last in the league four of the last five seasons, including a paltry 15.7% mark a year ago.
With Trevor Zegras, Michkov, Porter Martone, and others in tow, the excuse can no longer be we just need more high-end talent. And if that is the excuse, why did the Flyers elect to run it back with the same cast of characters and not look to add a power-play specialist on the blue line or someone to man the front of the net?
Brière said Tuesday that Tocchet and power-play coach Jaroslav “Yogi” Svejkovský spent a lot of their summer dissecting the power play and trying to figure out where it went wrong from an operational standpoint. That’s all grand, but we’ve heard that before.
The Flyers acquired David Jiříček from Minnesota last March in part because of his booming shot and power-play potential.Bailey Hillesheim
The Flyers are betting that a fitter Michkov, a full season of Martone, and Jiříček’s big shot from the point will be enough to yield better results. In what should be a tight Metropolitan Division, that calculation could be the difference between making or missing the playoffs.
Finding some continuity, flow, success, and confidence with the extra man in the four-game preseason would do wonders for a young team that seems burdened by the team’s recent struggles in that area.
September surprises
As much as the Flyers’ roster seems set, there seems to be someone every season who comes out of nowhere in training camp to push for a spot.
Last year, long shots Rodrigo Ābols and Adam Ginning earned their way onto the squad, while in 2024, an 18-year-old Jett Luchanko shocked the entire league by making the team just a few months after he was drafted 13th overall. Back in 2023, the Flyers kept three goalies, and a year earlier, a murderer’s row of Hayden Hodgson, Tanner Laczynski, Wade Allison, and Ronnie Attard all survived the chop.
That brings us to Bonk, who leads this year’s list of breakout candidates and seems to be the player in the best position to force his way onto the roster with a good camp. The consensus top defensive prospect in the organization, he has regularly showcased a poise and calm on the puck beyond his years.
Bonk is also highly motivated, as his chance to make the team last year ended before it started thanks to an upper-body injury in rookie camp that ultimately kept him out until December. After a strong showing — and nifty assist — in the Rookie Series, Bonk seems destined to play more than the one NHL game he got into last season. But will he be able to do enough in a short camp to convince the Flyers to keep eight defensemen out of the gate?
🚨 GOAL! 🚨
Denver Barkey gets the game’s first goal off the feed from Oliver Bonk! Jett Luchanko had the other helper.
The other roster dark horse is rapidly rising center/wing Cole Knuble, whose dad, Mike, played for the Flyers. Knuble, whom the Flyers have gone out of their way to praise for a few years now, has turned heads whenever he’s attended a prospect camp, with player development head Riley Armstrong telling The Inquirer he was his biggest standout at the recent Rookie Series. The 22-year-old, who played three years at Notre Dame, is a high-IQ, high-motor forward who keeps improving and always seems to be in the right place at the right time. While there isn’t an obvious roster spot open for him, if Grebenkin’s injury lingers or someone else gets dinged up in camp, Knuble could pounce.
Murchison, 23, is a third name to watch, as he caught Tocchet’s eye with his combination of physical strength and smooth skating during an impressive three-game stint with the Flyers in December. The Californian, who missed the second half of last season with a shoulder injury, was also notably picked to captain the Flyers in one of the games at the Rookie Series.
Former fourth-round pick Cole Knuble is a player the Flyers think is close to challenging for NHL playing time.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Flyers and goaltenders go together like oil and water. But it hasn’t always been that way.
Original Flyer and franchise icon Bernie Parent backstopped the team to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1974 and ‘75 with arguably the best two-year run by a goalie in NHL history. But fast forward 51 years, and the Flyers are still waiting to hoist Lord Stanley again, and still searching for a franchise goaltender who can hold a candle to the man that Philadelphians joked saved almost as much as the Lord.
There have been aspirants along the way: Pelle Lindbergh tragically died just as he was entering his prime. Ron Hextall never quite reached the hype of his Conn Smythe-winning rookie season. Future Hall of Famer Sergei Bobrovsky was shipped out in favor of Ilya Bryzgalov, and most recently Carter Hart’s promising start here ended in disgrace.
That brings us to the next great hope to solve the Flyers’ longstanding conundrum in the crease: Dan Vladař.
Signed to a two-year, $6.7 million contract before last season, the 29-year-old career backup was a revelation for the Flyers, finishing sixth in Vezina Trophy voting and leading the team to an improbable run to the second round of the playoffs. For his efforts, the Flyers rewarded Vladař this summer with a five-year, $27.5 million extension, one that will pay the Czech netminder through his age-34 season.
Given Vladař’s exploits and the Flyers’ perpetual void between the pipes, you’d have expected his extension to be greeted warmly. Instead, due to his age and short track record, it has become a point of contention among the faithful. Here’s a closer look at Vladař’s new deal and why it was a no-brainer from a Flyers perspective.
Vladař’s the team’s most important player
Why were the Flyers so eager to extend Vladař even with a year remaining on his contract? Well, to start, he was really bleeping good.
Among goalies who started 40 games last season, Vladař ranked third in goals-against average (2.42), tied for eighth in save percentage (.906), was ninth in goals saved above expected (13.8), second in quality start percentage (72.5%), and third in even-strength save percentage (.923). He was even better in the postseason, leading all qualified goalies in save percentage (.922) and ranking second in goals-against average (2.18) and goals saved above expected per 60 (.805), according to Money Puck.
Dan Vladař came to Philly to prove he can be a No. 1 goalie. He passed that test with flying colors in Year 1.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
For a Flyers franchise that has recycled goalies like soda cans over the years, and that was just one year removed from posting a historically bad .879 team save percentage among Sam Ersson, Ivan Fedotov, and Aleksei Kolosov, Vladař stabilized the problem position beyond imagination and showed he was capable of handling the workload of a No. 1. He also demonstrated the calm demeanor and bounceback ability needed to play the much-scrutinized position in a city like Philadelphia.
But what if he is a one-year wonder?
While never a full-time starter, the 6-foot-5 Vladař showed promising signs before last season and was well regarded in the goalie analytics community. He posted a .906 save percentage in 23 games in 2022-23, and in his final year with the Flames, he ranked 18th in the NHL in even-strength save percentage (.913), only to be done in by the league’s 25th-ranked penalty kill. That’s not to say anyone expected a top-10 Vezina glow up, just that he’s long been a solid NHL netminder.
Vladař’s value to the Flyers goes beyond his play in the crease as well, as, rather atypically for a goalie, he was a team leader and a prominent voice in the dressing room. Rick Tocchet and several of his teammates praised his positivity in tough moments, while Owen Tippett said he’d “never played with a goalie that’s been that vocal, both on the ice [and] off.”
“Dan Vladař wanted to be a Flyer,” general manager Danny Brière said on July 1. “He was adamant … when you have your MVP from the previous year who says,’ I want to be here, this is my team, I want to lead this team,’ it made it really easy for us to [sign him] — especially at the number that we got [him at].”
The force (environment) is strong in Philly
As good as Vladař was, and anyone who watched him last season will vouch that he was excellent, he was also helped by the way the Flyers played.
The Flyers were one of the league’s best shot suppression teams, surrendering just 25.5 per game, the fourth-best mark in the NHL. That correlated to high-danger shots as well, as the Flyers allowed the fourth-fewest high-danger chances at five-on-five and had the fourth-fewest expected goals allowed mark, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Flyers general manager Danny Brière is confident Dan Vladař can live up to his new contract extension.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
This was no fluke either, as Tocchet is a defense-first coach who has a track record of keeping opposing teams’ shots to the outside and insulating his goaltenders. Thatcher Demko came second in Vezina voting during Tocchet’s time in Vancouver, while the Arizona Coyotes ranked in the top five in team save percentage in two of Tocchet’s four years in the desert.
The Flyers upgrading the backup position with a starting-caliber goaltender in Joseph Woll should also only help Vladař. Last season, the gap in quality between Vladař and Ersson was so vast that the Flyers were forced to overplay Vladař, especially as they pushed for the playoffs late in the year. Woll, 28, comes with durability concerns, but if he’s healthy, he’s a .906 goalie for his career and someone who should allow the Flyers to divide the 84 games up more evenly and keep Vladař fresh.
While many are harping that Vladař is over the hill, he only turned 29 in August and should still have a lot of good hockey in front of him.
Being 29 as a goalie is not nearly the same as being 29 as a skater, as many goalies’ primes run into their early-to-mid-30s. In fact, five of the last six Vezina winners have been 29 or older, while each of the top four goalies in save percentage last season was at least 29.
Like with a starting pitcher, Vladař should also age more gracefully than most given he’s been relatively healthy throughout his career and has an extremely low number of games under his belt for someone his age. Theoretically, the lower number of miles on Vladař’s speedometer should mean his body is fresher and less taxed than the typical 29-year-old netminder.
For context, Vladař has started 156 games (including playoffs) entering his age-29 season. That number pales in comparison to contemporaries like Andrei Vasilevskiy (535), Connor Hellebuyck (407), Igor Shesterkin (252), and Ilya Sorokin (202) at that age — the latter two also had 117 and 244 Kontinental Hockey League games played, respectively, before coming to North America. How little has Vladař played comparatively? Jake Oettinger, who is entering his 28-year-old season, has already started 365 games, and Jeremy Swayman (27) has 261 under his belt.
Flyers goaltender Dan Vladař established himself as a leader on and off the ice in his first season in Philadelphia.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Those numbers all bode well for a goalie who started 51 games last year in the regular season and all 10 in the playoffs after previously never starting more than 29 in a season. Vladař did so without showing any signs of fatigue or his play dropping off, case in point being his stellar play in Round 2 vs. Carolina.
All these factors make a five-year contract, at a below-market average annual value of $5.5 million per year, a good bet for the goalie-starved Flyers. When his contract kicks in after next season, Vladař will only rank 21st in terms of goaltender AAV. If he continues to play anywhere like he did last year, when he finished sixth in the Vezina and even received MVP votes, for even half this deal, that would represent one heck of a bargain and maybe, just maybe, another parade down Broad Street some day.
While the majority of the Flyers still have a little time to enjoy the fleeting moments of summer before reporting to training camp on Sept. 17, the countdown for others is down to just over a week.
On Thursday, the Flyers released the roster and schedule for the team’s rookie camp, which will commence on Sept. 11. This year, the team’s rookie camp will begin at the PPL Center in Allentown, where the Flyers will play games on Sept. 12 (7:05 p.m.) and Sept. 13 (5:05 p.m.) against the New York Rangers. The camp then shifts back to the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees for three practices beginning on Sept. 14.
The 27-man roster is highlighted by several players who are expected to be key contributors for the big club, led by forwards Porter Martone, Alex Bump, and Denver Barkey. The 19-year-old Martone, who tallied four goals and 10 points in nine games to help the Flyers make the playoffs, will be participating in his first rookie camp. He was heading off to college at this time last year and thus was not eligible to attend.
Former first-round picks Oliver Bonk (2023), Jett Luchanko (2024), and Maksim Sokolovskii (2026) will also be present, with Bonk expected to push hard in main camp for a spot on the Flyers’ blue line after getting into a couple of games late last year. The 6-foot-7 Sokolovskii will head back to juniors with London in September, so this will represent the final chance to see the defenseman up close this season.
Speaking of Luchanko, he figures to be desperate to build some positive momentum for training camp on the heels of an underwhelming season in the OHL. The speedy center is likely ticketed to start the season with Lehigh Valley, as are a couple of organizational favorites in defensemen Ty Murchison and Spencer Gill, and center Cole Knuble. The three listed goalies for the camp are 2023 second-rounder Carson Bjarnason and 2026 draft picks Martin Psohlavec and Marek Sklenička.
Forwards Jack Nesbitt, Jack Berglund, NUShane Vansaghi, and Jack Murtagh, defenseman Carter Amico, and goaltender Egor Zavragin are among the most high-profile absences. Nesbitt is off to the University of Michigan for his freshman season, while Amico and Murtagh are heading back to Boston University. Vansaghi will be a junior at Michigan State this fall. The Flyers revealed last month that Berglund would play this season on loan at his hometown club Färjestad BK, while Zavragin remains under contract in Russia and was recently traded to Metallurg Magnitogorsk.
Flyers prospect Jack Berglund, seen here playing for Sweden, will not be at rookie camp as he prepares for his pro season in Sweden.Matt Krohn
One Russian player who will be present is Ilya Pautov. The winger, who was a sixth-round pick in 2024, signed with the Flyers in June and is making the move to North America this season. Phoenixville’s Owen McLaughlin, a seventh-round pick in 2021, will also participate after wrapping up his collegiate career last season at BU. Forward Sawyer Dingman, the son of former NHLer Chris Dingman, is one of two camp invites alongside defenseman Riley Steen.
The Rookie Camp on-ice sessions in Voorhees are free and open to the public. Fans interested in attending the Rookie Series games can purchase tickets at PPLCenter.com.
No, we’re not just talking about the start of the NFL season. Flyers hockey also returns this month, with the Orange and Black opening up training camp on Sept. 17 before officially dropping the puck on the season on the 30th against the Penguins at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
So on theheels of the team’ssurprising run to the second round of the playoffs and the increased expectations that come with it, how willRick Tocchet line up his upstart team for opening night? Here’s our suggestion for what lineup we’d like to see — not necessarily what we expect to see — to start the season.
Forward lines
Here’s how The Inquirer would like to see the Flyers line up on opening night against the rival Penguins.Steve Madden
The Flyers enter the season, at least on paper, with their strongest roster in quite some time. There is serious competition for spots at forward and on defense, and not a ton separating the two wingers who will play on the first line from the four that will comprise the second and third lines.
Trevor Zegras remains entrenched as the team’s No. 1 center, although who his wingers will be remains up for debate. We like the idea of pairing Zegras with the team’s other creative mastermind, Matvei Michkov, especially with the Flyers hell-bent on getting the latter back on track after an up-and-down sophomore season.
Michkov and Zegras also showed instant chemistry during the preseason and had some success in sporadic minutes over the course of the year. According to Natural Stat Trick, in 169 minutes together at five-on-five, the pair earned basically an even share of the shot attempts, outscored opponents 7-6, and created 38 high-danger chances compared to 30 against. The Athletic recently reported that the Flyers are intrigued to see if the two can develop chemistry.
Rounding out our top line is a volume shooter in Tyson Foerster, who would relish a first extended chance to be set up by playmakers of the ilk of Zegras and Michkov. Foerster’s defensive responsibility would also offset some of the risk/concerns with Michkov’s game away from the puck.
Travis Konecny, Christian Dvorak and Porter Martone stay together on our second line after a quietly impressive run in April. The trio logged a Corsi percentage of 50.93% and won the scoreboard battle 5-1 in 80 minutes together last season at five-on-five. This line wouldn’t be a ton of fun to play against either, as Konecny and Martone both play in-your-face hockey and thrive at getting under opponents’ skin. This could just as easily be considered the top line depending on how you look at it, too.
After Porter Martone’s impressive late-season cameo, the Flyers have high hopes for the 19-year-old as he enters his first full NHL season.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Our third line is centered by Noah Cates, who continues to develop into one of the league’s better defensive forwards. On one flank he’d have speedy power forward Owen Tippett, who raised his game a level last year and could finally be poised to crack the 30-goal plateau.
The other wing will likely come down to a battle between goal scorer Alex Bump and diminutive playmaker Denver Barkey. While Barkey is ahead of Bump in the pecking order, if the Flyers want to squeeze their 12 best forwards into one lineup, Barkey’s feistiness and versatility to play up and down a lineup make him a more natural fit on the fourth line than Bump. Bump could also play out of his element on the fourth line or be the odd man out altogether if the Flyers believe Barkey, who they are extremely high on, needs to play in the top nine and Nikita Grebenkin is healthy enough to start the year.
Sean Couturier, who thrived in a bottom-six role in the postseason, is poised to slot in as the team’s fourth-line center. Veteran free agent acquisition Noel Acciari represents an upgrade on Garnet Hathaway and should provide some beef and nastiness at right wing, as well as the versatility to take some draws at center when needed. That leaves Barkey, Grebenkin, and the speedy Carl Grundström competing for the final spot in what could be a rotation at least out of the gate. Grebenkin’s health remains a question mark, but he is reportedly ahead of schedule in his rehab from an upper-body injury.
Defensive pairs
The Flyers’ defensive pairs will look quite similar to last year, if Rasmus Ristolainen sticks around that is.Steve Madden
Any discussion about the Flyers blue line starts with Travis Sanheim, who has elevated himself into a bona fide top-pair defenseman and is playing the best hockey of his career at age 30. Sanheim played the 10th-most minutes in the NHL last season and posted career highs in goals (11) and plus-minus rating (plus-12), all while shutting down opposing teams’ top lines.
His partner to start the year is projected to be Rasmus Ristolainen, who is still around despite the latest cycle of trade rumors swirling around his name. The rugged and defensively solid Finn complements Sanheim well and allows his partner the increased freedom to jump into the rush. Ristolainen, who is a free agent at season’s end, might not be here come March, but for now he remains a big part of the Flyers’ blue line.
Rasmus Ristolainen remains a Philadelphia Flyer for now despite widespread speculation that he would be traded during the summer.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Jamie Drysdale and Cam York have long been close off the ice, so it came as no surprise that they thoroughly enjoyed their time playing together on the second pair last season. In almost 500 regular-season minutes, the results were mixed, while in the playoffs the two got caved in at points, particularly against Carolina (31.76 Corsi %). This pairing probably isn’t ideal long-term given their size and lack of physicality, but they’ll get another shot to prove they can play together in 2026-27. The Flyers are counting on both, particularly Drysdale, to take another step forward this season.
As long as Ristolainen remains in Philadelphia, the third pair figures to feature some sort of rotation. The selfless Nick Seeler is the most veteran option on the left, while former Toronto Maple Leaf Simon Benoit, beyond being Ristolainen insurance, could push for playing time due to his combination of size, skating, and snarl. The Flyers also like Ty Murchison, who impressed before suffering a season-ending injury last season, quite a bit on the left as well.
Former top-10 pick David Jiříček, 22, will try to revive his career with his third NHL team after being acquired from Minnesota last March for Bobby Brink. The towering Czech, who can handle the puck and possesses a booming shot, was tasked with working on his defensive game in the American Hockey League last year and figures to get the first shot on the right given he’s no longer waiver-exempt. He also should get a look on one of the power-play units given the team’s longstanding ineptitude in that area. Righty Oliver Bonk, 21, will push hard for a roster spot as well, but he’ll have to blow the Flyers’ doors off to usurp Jiříček given the team has the option to send him to Lehigh Valley without waivers.
Goaltenders
Projected Flyers goaliesSteve Madden
Long the biggest sore spot in the organization, goaltending improbably became the team’s biggest strength last season thanks to the revelation that was Dan Vladař. The 29-year-old career backup enjoyed a breakout season, starting a career-high 51 games and posting a .906 save percentage (eighth among goalies with 40 starts) and saving 13.8 goals above expected (10th-best), according to Money Puck. Now, after signing a five-year, $27.5 million contract in the summer, the question becomes: Can Vladař do it again?
All signs point to yes based on his mental makeup, play in the postseason, and the way this team is set up to defend under Tocchet. Vladař also may not have to, as the Flyers significantly upgraded the backup position by swapping Sam Ersson for Joseph Woll.
Woll, 28, has a .906 career save percentage and, when healthy, has shown the capability of being a No. 1 goalie in this league. Woll’s presence should not only ease the physical burden on Vladař but also allow the Flyers to feel much more confident about their chances on days the Czech netminder gets a rest.
In his first year with the Flyers, goaltender Dan Vladař came out of nowhere to finish sixth last season in the Vezina Trophy voting.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Flyers report to Voorhees for training camp in just over two weeks, and there will be plenty of new faces around the rink.
On Wednesday, the Flyers announced a series of changes to their hockey operations staff both with the NHL club and the team’s American Hockey League affiliate in Lehigh Valley.
The most notable change is Alex Ambrose being promoted to head athletic trainer, a post held by Tommy Alva since 2022-23. A league source told The Inquirer that Alva was let go from the position. Ambrose, who has 10 years of experience, has served as the Flyers’ assistant athletic trainer for the past three seasons.
The Flyers also announced they have hired Zach Casinelli as an assistant athletic trainer. Casinelli most recently served as the head athletic trainer for the Florida Panthers’ American Hockey League affiliate in Charlotte.
Some of the other hires include Abe Edson, who was previously an assistant strength and conditioning coach with the Minnesota Wild for the past two seasons, as head of athlete performance; Jake Rogers, who will replace John Peters as an new equipment manager; and former NHLer Dave Morrison (amateur scout).
The full list of hires is below:
Alex Ambrose: Head athletic trainer
Zach Casinelli: Assistant athletic trainer
Melissa Rucker: Head massage therapist
Abe Edson: Head of athlete performance
Chris Gratton: Performance coach
Lorne Goldenberg: Performance development coach
Ryan Adkins: Director of athlete rehabilitation
Jake Rogers: Equipment manager
Dave Morrison: Amateur scout
Kevin Braeunle: Manager of team services
Joe Hurley: Head athletic trainer, Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Evan Hanberry: Head strength and conditioning coach, Phantoms
The Flyers’ offseason was highlighted by the massive acquisition they almost made rather than any of the moves team completed.
After catching lightning in a bottle last spring and riding that wave all the way to the second round of the playoffs, the Flyers went for broke this offseason — almost literally — by tendering a $90 million offer sheet to budding star Leo Carlsson. While the bold act firmly announced the Flyers’ ambitions and eagerness to become a contender again, it ultimately fell flat as the Anaheim Ducks matched the offer and retained their prized youngster.
Not landing Carlsson means the Flyers’ offseason, at least to this point, has amounted to upgrading the backup goalie spot with Joseph Woll, adding a bottom-pair bruiser in Simon Benoit, and bolstering the fourth line with 34-year-old Noel Acciari. Nice depth adds, sure, but hardly the needle-movers you’d expect for an up-and-coming team looking to build on the momentum from its first non-COVID playoff run in eight years.
Instead, general manager Danny Brière and the Flyers are banking on internal improvements from young players being enough for the Flyers to repeat — or better — last year’s success in what should be an improved Metropolitan Division that already includes the Stanley Cup-winning Carolina Hurricanes. Will that gamble pay off? Here are five players the Flyers will need more from if they are to avoid taking a step back.
1. Matvei Michkov, RW
No surprise here. Michkov will be looking to rebound from a sophomore season that saw him start slow, face public criticism for his conditioning, and clash with coach Rick Tocchet. Michkov’s play was markedly better post-Olympic break — 22 points in 26 games — but he struggled mightily in the playoffs, culminating with him being benched for the Flyers’ playoff finale.
Michkov expressed in May that he wasn’t happy with his season overall and acknowledged that he needed to work harder this summer. To his credit, it appears he’s followed through. He was spotted on the ice in Voorhees the day after exit interviews and participated in a renowned summer training group in Russia with NHL players like Artemi Panarin. He looks considerably leaner based on pictures that have surfaced on social media in recent months.
Panarin, Sergachev, Michkov, Lyubushkin, Kuzmenko, Podkolzin, Khusnutdinov. NHL players are training together under the guidance of Dmitry Yashankin pic.twitter.com/BctASqMF2L
When you consider the 21-year-old finished with 20 goals and 51 points in a down year, with a better offseason of training and added motivation, the sky really seems to be the limit for the Russian winger. Brière, Tocchet, and Co. are expecting a “vengeance tour” from Michkov in 2026-27 as they seek a second consecutive playoff berth.
2. Jamie Drysdale, RHD
After a couple of underwhelming years split between Anaheim and Philadelphia, Drysdale took a major step forward last season and flashed glimpses of the skill set that made him the No. 6 overall pick in the 2020 draft. But is there even more meat on the bone?
Drysdale’s biggest progression last season came defensively, as he cleaned up some of his poor habits and became a more reliable defender. He improved his plus-minus from minus-32 to minus-3 and set career highs in average ice time (21:33) and goals (eight), while also equaling his career best of 32 points.
With a sturdier defensive foundation and a new four-year, $26 million contract to boot, the Flyers will hope a more confident Drysdale can take another step offensively and channel his effortless skating and puck-moving ability into increased production. While many expected the Flyers to add a proven power-play quarterback this summer to address the last-ranked unit, the team did not, meaning Drysdale likely will get the first crack at the point. The Flyers will need to click at a much higher rate than 15.7% with the man-advantage if they are to remain a playoff contender, and Drysdale grabbing the PP1 job with both hands would go a long way toward that aim.
3. Porter Martone, RW
After a banner collegiate season at Michigan State, the 2025 first-round pick didn’t miss a beat once he signed with the Flyers on March 29. Martone racked up six goals and 15 points in 19 games (including playoffs) down the stretch and, at 19 years old, was consistently among the Flyers’ most noticeable skaters during the postseason.
While the burgeoning power forward is still just scratching the surface of his immense potential, he showcased the skill set and moxie of a player who looks destined for stardom. The question now will be how quickly Martone can make that leap to become a top-of-the-lineup player and whether that can be as soon as this season.
Rookie Porter Martone, 19, has bona fide star potential and doesn’t seem like someone who gets daunted by the moment.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Flyers will be wary of heaping too much pressure too soon on the teenager, but Martone looks to have the broad shoulders and mental makeup to handle it. Given Martone’s pedigree as one of the top prospects in all of hockey — The Athletic ranked him No. 3 — the Flyers see having him for a full 84 games as one of their most obvious avenues toward improvement.
4. Tyson Foerster, LW
Amid Dan Vladař’s breakout season, Trevor Zegras’ resurgence, all the drama surrounding Michkov, and the late-season Martone hype train, it was easy to forget that the Flyers played most of last season without one of their top players in Foerster. To make matters worse, the 24-year-old’s arm injury came right as he looked to be breaking out.
Flyers winger Tyson Foerster missed 39 games last year after injuring his arm on a one-timer in early November.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
With 11 goals in 21 games before his injury, on the heels of nine in nine to conclude 2024-25, Foerster was quietly playing at a 40-goal pace for the first quarter of the 2025-26 season. The Flyers rewarded him handsomely this summer with an eight-year, $56.8 million extension that will keep him in Philly until 2035. Now Foerster, who is also one of the top defensive wingers in the league, will need to prove he can live up to his contract and stay healthy, the latter being something he has struggled with to this point of his career.
Foerster has the shooting release to become a consistent 30-goal scorer in this league and should provide a major boost for an offense that ranked 21st in goals last season. If all breaks right, could he even become the Flyers’ first 40-goal scorer since Jeff Carter in 2009?
5. David Jiříček, RHD
The Flyers are going to need a young blueliner to take a major step forward in 2026-27, and the likeliest candidates are Jiříček and Oliver Bonk. Jiříček, who turns 23 in November, will probably get the first chance, given he is almost two years older and, more importantly, no longer waiver-exempt.
Acquired from Minnesota at last year’s trade deadline for Bobby Brink, the 2022 sixth-overall pick is on his third team and is looking to revive his once-promising career. Blessed with great size at 6-foot-4, puck-handling ability, and a booming shot, Jiříček is a worthy gamble for a Flyers team that lacks a true high-end offensive defenseman in its pipeline. The team can also point to its strong recent track record with reclamation projects like Zegras, Drysdale, and Vladař as a reason for optimism.
The Flyers were patient with Jiříček last season as they sent him to the minors to have him rebuild his defensive game and learn the team’s style of play. Now, he will get a chance in training camp to show he’s made the necessary improvements and is finally ready for a full-time NHL role. Jiříček projected as a power-play quarterback when he entered the league, and given the Flyers’ persistent struggles in that area, he should be another option there given his big shot from the point.
“The potential is high … 21-, 22-year-old, 6-foot-4 defensemen of his caliber are tough to find,” Brière said after acquiring Jiříček in March. “We know we have to work with him. … But that’s why I go back to the Jamie Drysdale learning curve. That gives us hope that he can get on the same track and eventually become a difference-maker for us.”
Long fans of David Jiříček going back to his draft year, the Flyers believe they can get the best out of the toolsy defenseman.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
