When Danny Brière, Keith Jones, and the Flyers’ “New Era of Orange” regime took over in 2023, they silently targeted the summer of 2026 as the potential turning point for the team’s rebuild.
They did so with an eye on a loaded free agent class headlined by MVP candidates like Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, and Kirill Kaprizov — not to mention top-of-the-lineup players like Artemi Panarin, Adrian Kempe, Kyle Connor, and Martin Nečas. Fast forward three years, and each of those players has already come off the board via a contract extension or trade, forcing the Flyers to pivot in their so-far elusive quest to land both a No. 1 center and a bona fide power-play quarterback on the blue line.
While they won’t be able to plug those holes via unrestricted free agency once business formally opens on July 1, that doesn’t mean they can’t find creative solutions via trades or even the all-too-infrequent offer-sheet route. With that in mind, here a dozen players the Flyers, who currently have over $33 million available in cap space, could target as they look to build on their momentum from last season and make Philadelphia a destination once again.
1. Zach Werenski
LHD | Columbus | Trade candidate
The Flyers have stated they want to be in the mix when elite players become available, and reports say their interest in Werenski is high. Why wouldn’t it be for a player that just won the Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman and is coming off back-to-back 20-goal, 80-point seasons? Werenski, who turns 29 next month, is exactly the type of offensive defenseman and power-play quarterback the Flyers have long lacked, and is signed for two more seasons at a $9.5 million cap hit.
The two questions will be: 1) Would Werenski entertain a move to Philly over other cities that are closer to Stanley Cup contention? and 2) Do the Flyers have the pieces outside of Porter Martone to get him? The Flyers are definitely interested here, and you’d think every player on their roster, aside from Martone, would be available for a player of Werenski’s ilk.
Robertson’s name is out there and he’s looking to get paid after reportedly turning down a $15-million-a-year contract offer from Seattle. While the Flyers are well-stocked on the wing, Robertson, who is coming off a 45-goal, 96-point campaign in Dallas, would immediately jump to the top of the pile and is the type of player you move furniture around for. Dallas hasn’t closed the door on keeping Robertson, but he could also be a trade or offer-sheet candidate. The Flyers have the money to pay him and would be wise to look into a move for the highly skilled and well-rounded winger.
3. Dylan Larkin
C | Detroit | Trade candidate
The Flyers are clearly looking for a No. 1 center, and the speedy perennial 30-goal scorer certainly fits the bill. Larkin, who turns 30 next month and is signed for the next five years at an $8.7 million cap hit, has a full no-move clause and seems hell-bent on choosing his next destination. Detroit GM Steve Yzerman doesn’t seem nearly as inclined to trade Larkin to one of his three preferred destinations — Florida, Vegas, and Minnesota ― so Larkin has reportedly expanded his trade list. If the Flyers are on Larkin’s list, they’d likely be very interested.
Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli is a restricted free agent. But could someone price out Columbus?
4. Adam Fantilli
C | Columbus | Restricted free agent
If the Flyers are willing to take a swing on an upper-tier offer sheet (more on others later), Fantilli would seem more attainable than Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson or Chicago’s Connor Bedard with a mammoth offer in the $15 million AAV range. Might Columbus still match? Sure, but if the Flyers are serious about finding a young No. 1 center, making a play for Fantilli would be a worthy gamble. Fantilli, who will only be 22 next season, already has a 30-goal season under his belt and possesses an enticing combination of size (6-foot-2, 200 pounds), speed (95th percentile in 22 mph speed bursts), and competitiveness.
Fantilli is almost certainly staying put, especially with Werenski and Kirill Marchenko wanting out of Columbus, but he’d be worth the offer-sheet compensation of four first-round picks over the next five years. The Flyers and Blue Jackets could also work out a deal in place of an offer sheet if that appealed to Columbus.
5. John Carlson
RHD | Carolina | Unrestricted free agent
The oldest player on this list at 36, the New Jersey native is reportedly a target for the Flyers as they try to fix their anemic power play. The idea behind signing Carlson would be paying him a high AAV (likely over $10 million) on a two-year deal to act as the team’s bridge power-play QB. The former Stanley Cup winner can still generate offense (60 points last season in Anaheim) and run a power play, but could the allure of another Cup chase trump the financial incentives Philly could offer? He might not even make it to free agency either, as Carolina acquired his negotiating rights on Saturday and now has a head start on the competition.
Dallas has the aforementioned decision to make with Robertson and is also circling when it comes to Werenski and Larkin. That could make Bourque a prime candidate for an offer sheet. Bourque, 24, has played mostly as a wing on a deep Dallas team but is a natural center who would fit a Flyers need as well as the team’s ideal age range. He’s a highly intelligent offensive player who topped 20 goals last season and has room to grow. A former AHL scoring champ and MVP, an offer sheet for Bourque over $5 million AAV would cost the Flyers first- and third-round picks in 2027. This might be the Flyers’ most realistic shot at a potential top-six center this offseason given Dallas’ cap pinch.
Ottawa Senators center Dylan Cozens would check a lot of boxes for the Flyers if he is available.
7. Dylan Cozens or Shane Pinto
C | Ottawa | Trade candidates
The Flyers have been linked before with Cozens and Pinto, both of whom are 25, and acquiring either would represent an upgrade down the middle. The Sens may not want to move another top forward after having to trade Brady Tkachuk against their will, but the Flyers do possess a player they are reportedly high on in defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.
The 6-3, 205-pound Cozens, who scored 28 goals last season and is signed for five more years at a bargain $7.1 million, is probably the more attractive of the two given he’s faster (one of the NHL’s fastest per NHL Edge), more physical, and more of a point producer (59 to Pinto’s 46). Pinto, meanwhile, carries a $7.5 million cap hit for the next four years and is an elite defensive center coming off career highs in goals (23) and points (46). How far would Ristolainen and a first-round pick get you in conversations with Ottawa?
Nikishin is a name I didn’t expect to be on this list given he’s not eligible for an offer sheet and arrived in Carolina a year ago with so much hype after a prolific career in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League. But reports over the weekend have indicated that Carolina is at least taking calls on the 6-4, 216-pound offensive blueliner. Nikishin, 24, figures to be expensive both in terms of trade compensation and his next contract, but he’s the prototype offensive defenseman the Flyers are looking for with his passing vision, skating ability, and booming shot from the point. There are some defensive warts, but the youngster’s upside is immense, not to mention he’s a former teammate and friend of Matvei Michkov’s. He had 11 goals and 33 points, including 10 on the power play, as a rookie.
9. Darnell Nurse
LHD | Edmonton | Trade candidate
Nurse, who is the nephew of former Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, might be the NHL’s poster boy for being judged by the numbers on your contract ($9.25 million AAV) and not your on-ice play. The 31-year-old is certainly not a $9 million defenseman, but he is still a solid second-pair guy who blocks shots, eats up minutes, and provides toughness. The Inquirer has reported there is mutual interest between Nurse and the Flyers, with the Flyers on the short list he sent to the Oilers. Sportsnet reports that Nurse has added Pittsburgh and Boston. Nurse only truly makes sense if the Flyers are moving Ristolainen AND Edmonton is willing to retain 25-30% of the rugged blueliner’s salary over the next four seasons.
Seattle Kraken center Shane Wright, a former top-five pick, could be a worthwhile reclamation project.
10. Shane Wright
C | Seattle | Trade candidate
The 2022 fourth-overall pick’s name has been out there in trade rumors, but his value seems to have taken a significant hit following a disappointing 2025-26 season that saw his point total drop from 44 to 27. The Inquirer has learned that Wright isn’t high on the Flyers’ list and that the team has some serious doubts about his ability to stick down the middle in the NHL. Regardless, Wright is still just 22, came up as a center, has draft pedigree, and a year ago had 19 goals and 44 points without top-of-the-lineup deployment.
Could the Flyers circle back to Wright with centers like Robert Thomas, Mason McTavish, and Connor McMichael off the board? They’ve had success with these types of reclamation projects in recent years, even if Wright doesn’t seem an ideal fit on paper. Matty Beniers would represent a more attractive center from a Flyers’ perspective.
11. Teddy Blueger
C | Vancouver | Unrestricted free agent
The Flyers’ fourth line could use some help, particularly after trading Garnet Hathaway last week. Blueger has experience playing under Rick Tocchet in Vancouver, won a Cup with Vegas, and is a solid left-shot defensive center who kills penalties and can provide some secondary scoring. The Flyers seem to be considering bringing back 37-year-old Luke Glendening, but if they don’t, Blueger and right-shots Colton Sissons, Kevin Stenlund, Oskar Sundqvist, and Noel Acciari would all make some sense as 4Cs who kill penalties.
12. Noel Acciari
C | Pittsburgh| Unrestricted free agent
The Flyers’ fourth line could use an infusion of energy, and Acciari brings that in spades. A right-shot center who is excellent in the dot (53.5% since 2022-23), kills penalties, and plays an in-your-face game, he also chipped in 13 goals last season (his fourth double-digit goal campaign). Acciari is older at 34, but he is still someone who empties the tank on every shift and relishes getting under opponents’ skin.
Nic Deslauriers has thrown his last punch as a Flyer, as the tough guy was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for a conditional seventh-round draft pick in 2027 on Friday before the trade deadline.
The 35-year-old, who was in the final year of the four-year, $7 million contract he signed with the Flyers in 2022, was one of the team’s few pending unrestricted free agents. Deslauriers has played in just 24 of the team’s 61 games this season and recently told The Inquirer that “it’s frustrating” and that “I still think I have some in the gas tank.”
OFFICIAL: We have acquired a conditional seventh round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forward Nick Deslauriers. https://t.co/Bq8ukZ5FiO
While the return isn’t much, the move was more about the organization doing right by a popular veteran who seemed to want a change of scenery and a chance to chase a Stanley Cup, which he certainly will get with the Metropolitan-leading Carolina Hurricanes.
“I’m happy for him. I think he still has gas in the tank, too,” forward Garnet Hathaway told The Inquirer on Friday after the Flyers’ practice, in which Deslauriers participated. “I see it every day. I see the work ethic, I see how much he cares, and I see the teammate he is. So Carolina has got a great player [and a] great guy.”
Deslauriers’ time in Philly will be defined by his willingness to stand up for his teammates and take on all comers. Long one of the most feared and toughest customers in the league, the fourth-line winger managed nine goals and 20 points in 195 games with the Flyers. He also had 33 regular-season fights, including spirited bouts against heavyweights like Matt Rempe, Ryan Reaves, and Tanner Jeannot.
“One of the toughest guys in the league around. So we’ll definitely miss him,” center Noah Cates said.
He also was beloved by his teammates for his selflessness, toughness, leadership, and the space he created for teammates with his physicality. Whether Deslauriers will have a nightly spot in Carolina’s lineup remains to be seen, but he does bring a physicality and toughness that many have criticized the Hurricanes for lacking in recent playoff runs.
Nicolas Deslauriers played in his final game with the Flyers on Thursday night against the Utah Mammoth.
“A heart-and-soul guy who has your back no matter what, competes every night, and is a guy, regardless of how many minutes or how many games or how things are going, you know he’ll be a guy to support you, and will always be around to help too,” said Hathaway, who laughed when asked if he’s happy the Flyers don’t play the Hurricanes again this year.
“It’s probably tougher than most people think, to be so competitive, as I think all of us are in this league, and not have the role you want, or the ice time you want.
“And so be able to have that role, and personality-wise, not let it affect you, is special for a locker room to have and intricate for it to have, too. So I’m going to miss him.”
In a corresponding move, the Flyers claimed veteran center Luke Glendening from New Jersey. The 36-year-old, who had four points in 52 games with the Devils, has played over 900 career NHL games and is known for his dexterity in the faceoff circle (55.6% career mark). He figures to be a fourth-liner or the 13th forward for the Flyers.
Staff writer Jackie Spiegel contributed to this article.
When the curtain rose on the Flyers’ 2025-26 season on Oct. 9 in Sunrise, Fla., it almost seemed preordained that they would be in the exact position and dilemma they find themselves in at the NHL trade deadline.
Entering Thursday’s game against Utah (7 p.m., NBCSP), the Flyers’ final tilt before Friday’s 3 p.m. deadline, Rick Tocchet’s seesaw club finds itself on a sudden upswing and just six points out of a playoff spot with 22 games to play. That brings us to the all-important question: Should the Flyers be buyers or sellers before Friday’s buzzer?
Just a week ago, that answer seemed clear-cut. The Flyers emerged from their three-week Olympic sabbatical sitting eight points out of both third place in the Metropolitan Division and the final wild-card spot, and reeling from having lost 12 of their previous 15 games. A sleepy loss in Washington to the Capitals last Wednesday in their first game back from break, followed by an early 2-0 deficit in New York the next night to the lowly Rangers, seemed to be the final nails in the coffin. The Flyers were open for business … as sellers.
But after rallying to beat the Rangers in overtime, followed by wins over wild-card rival Boston and then Toronto, the Flyers players have made that buy-or-sell decision a little more difficult on shot-callers Danny Brière and Keith Jones. Jones said before the season that “in the previous two years, we would be quick to make changes in order to get better for the future. Now, it would be about staying on course, which is advancing. It’s not about moving back.”
So are the Flyers still taking the long-view approach to rebuilding or has patience worn thin? The next 48 hours will tell us a lot about how the organization views itself and those in charge.
Why the Flyers should sell
The proof is in the pudding. The Flyers are a wildly inconsistent team that hasn’t won more than three games in a row all season, and whose minus-11 goal differential ranks 12th of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference. In the conference, only the Rangers (14) have fewer than the Flyers’ 19 regulation wins, which also happens to be the first playoff tiebreaker.
The Flyers have largely ridden an excellent season from goaltender Dan Vladař (.908 save percentage, 11 goals saved above expected, according to Money Puck), and some hot shooting at five-on-five (11th in shooting percentage, according to Natural Stat Trick). They’ve also been able to grind out points by getting to overtime in 20 of their first 60 games. Those three factors have largely papered over more worrying cracks, such as the team’s 24th-ranked Corsi For percentage, which measures control of shot attempts, 29th-ranked power play (16.2%), and the ongoing absence of a No. 1 center with no clear heir apparent in the organization.
Dan Vladař has covered up a lot of the Flyers’ warts this season with his stellar play in goal.
The team’s recent 3-1-0 stretch post-Olympic break is also a bit of fool’s gold, as two of the wins came after regulation, while the Flyers have lost the expected goals percentage in three of those four games. The Flyers still need to leapfrog five teams to make the playoffs, which would likely require them to take at least 27 or 28 points from their final 44, or to play at somewhere near a .620 points percentage the rest of the way. They’ve played at a .558 clip so far this season.
Even if the Flyers — who, according to Money Puck, have just an 11% chance to make the playoffs as of Wednesday — did pull off a miracle and reach the playoffs for the first time in six seasons, they would likely get steamrolled in Round 1 by Carolina or Tampa Bay, whom the Flyers haven’t beaten in six tries this season.
While the Flyers are desperate for postseason hockey to return to the newly named Xfinity Mobile Arena, Jones, the team’s president, told The Inquirer in January that while it is “important that we reward our players,” the goal remains being “a playoff team that is a sustainable one. Not just a one-and-done.”
If he’s true to his word and takes a good look at the Flyers in the mirror, the team won’t be adding short-term pieces to try to get over the playoff hump.
What the Flyers have to move
The Flyers aren’t moving Vladař, Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim, Matvei Michkov, Trevor Zegras, or top prospect Porter Martone, but everyone else would seem to be — and should be — in play.
Topping that list is rugged but oft-injured defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who has been on the trade block each of the past two seasons but has so far stayed put. The 31-year-old doesn’t fit the team’s timeline, has a year remaining on his contract, and is exactly the type of player that contenders tend to overpay for due to his physicality and “playoff brand of hockey.”
Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is an in-demand player as the trade deadline nears.
Trading him at this deadline would at minimum land a second-rounder and a legit prospect, and potentially a first-rounder. The Flyers should look to cash in on the 6-foot-4, 208-pound Finn on the heels of his eye-catching Olympics and should be seeking a first-round pick or a high-end center or blueline prospect in return.
The Flyers also have a surplus of wings with Konecny, Michkov, Zegras, Tyson Foerster, Owen Tippett, Bobby Brink, Denver Barkey, and Nikita Grebenkin, and more on the way, headlined by Martone and Alex Bump. Sooner or later the Flyers are going to have to make room for guys, and parting with Tippett or Brink would start that process and recoup the Flyers something in return, potentially at a position of need.
With teams always looking for a scoring punch this time of year, trading the 27-year-old Tippett, who is cost-controlled for the next six seasons and on his way to a third 25-plus-goal season in four years, would yield the largest return, assuming Konecny and Zegras are off limits. The Flyers reportedly have a high ask on the speedy Tippett, including a first-round pick, but could a package that includes a center be enticing? The Flyers could opt to hold fast for a better return at the draft, when this type of trade may be easier to complete, but trading a winger or two before next season seems inevitable.
The Flyers don’t seem willing to meet the high price for St. Louis Blues All-Star Robert Thomas, but Detroit’s Nate Danielson, Minnesota’s Danila Yurov and Charlie Stramel, Buffalo’s Noah Ostlund, Tampa Bay’s Conor Geekie, and Seattle’s Shane Wright are some younger center prospects who could be available in a package involving Ristolainen, Tippett, or someone else.
Detroit Red Wings center Nate Danielson, 21, is the type of young center the Flyers need to add to their system.
In addition to trying to move pending unrestricted free agents Nic Deslauriers, Noah Juulsen, and Carl Grundström, the Flyers could explore trading depth center Noah Cates or restricted free agent defensemen Jamie Drysdale and Emil Andrae, all young players with runways to improve who would generate some interest around the league. Like Ristolainen, Cates is a player that contending teams could view as a final piece due to his versatility, penalty killing, and two-way play. Andrae looks to be in need of a change of scenery and could be swapped for a player in a similar boat.
Nick Seeler would have some value as a steady, stay-at-home defenseman, but the 32-year-old, who is currently nicked up, would have to waive his no-move clause. Maligned backup goalie Sam Ersson also could be offloaded for a mid-round pick, especially if the team has already decided it won’t extend a qualifying offer to the pending free agent.
Brière has said he expects a quiet deadline, but trading Ristolainen is a must, while being creative to try to add another young center prospect to the pipeline should also be on the agenda. The Flyers aren’t ready to contend yet and still have several needs to address. We’ll see if they agree come Friday at 3 p.m.
It’s been three years since the Flyers fired Chuck Fletcher and replaced him with Danny Brière. Here’s a look back at everything that’s happened since.
Flyers president Keith Jones (left), governor Dan Hilferty (center), and GM Danny Brière (right) have been overseeing the team's years-long rebuild.Anton Klusener/ Staff illustration. Photos: Tyger Williams, Yong Kim/ Staff Photographers; Miguel Martinez
Wednesday marks exactly 1,083 days since Danny Brière grabbed the wheel of the rudderless ship that the Flyers had become under previous captain Chuck Fletcher, and a lot has happened since.
From Brière’s use of the previously taboo term “rebuild” at his introductory news conference to the dawning of “New Era of Orange” to the arrival of Matvei Michkov to the team’s ongoing search for a No. 1 center, where do the Flyers stand three years into their process — and are they close to turning the corner?
story continues after advertisement
Ahead of the upcoming March 6 trade deadline, here’s a look at all the key moments and moves from Brière’s first three years as general manager of the Flyers.
The Flyers fire general manager Chuck Fletcher less than a week after the NHL trade deadline and name Danny Brière as interim GM. At his introductory news conference, Brière notably uses the word “rebuild” to define the Flyers’ situation.
May 11-12, 2023
‘New Era of Orange’ begins
The Flyers make the Brière hire permanent and hire former Flyer Keith Jones, who was then covering the NHL on TV, as the team’s president of hockey operations. The moves are unveiled as part of the team’s “New Era of Orange” ceremony as the organization’s leaders lay out a broad vision and plan for the team’s future.
June 6, 2023
‘Trader Danny’ announces himself
MIGUEL MARTINEZ / For the Inquirer
Brière makes his first major move as GM, trading top defenseman Ivan Provorov to Columbus in a three-team deal. The Flyers land the No. 22 overall pick in 2023 (Oliver Bonk), defenseman Sean Walker, goalie Cal Petersen, defensive prospect Helge Grans, and two future second-round picks (from the Kings and Blue Jackets). The Flyers later traded the two second-rounders in deals to move up and select Carson Bjarnason and to acquire Trevor Zegras.
More on the Flyers
From trade bait to untouchables, here’s where the Flyers roster stands less than two weeks before the deadline
The Flyers haven't committed to being buyers or sellers, but they have some pieces they could move for the right price by March 6.
June 24, 2023
Sanheim trade falls through
Brière gets close on a trade involving defenseman Travis Sanheim and center Kevin Hayes, but it is nixed after St. Louis defenseman Torey Krug exercises his no-trade clause. Sanheim’s full no-trade kicks in the following week.
June 27, 2023
Offloading Hayes
After the larger trade with the Blues falls through, Brière ships the 31-year-old Hayes to St. Louis for a 2024 sixth-round pick. Hayes’ relationship with coach John Tortorella had deteriorated to the point where a trade seemed unavoidable.
story continues after advertisement
June 28-29, 2023
Michkov falls to the Flyers
With his first draft pick as Flyers GM, Brière takes winger Matvei Michkov with the seventh overall selection. The Flyers draft Bonk later in the first round (No. 22), as well as Bjarnason, Denver Barkey, and Yegor Zavragin on Day 2.
July 1, 2023
A quiet free agency
As expected, the Flyers are relatively quiet as free agency opens, with Brière signing only depth players Ryan Poehling and Garnet Hathaway. Later they add veteran blueliner Marc Staal.
More on the Flyers
Flyers hit the Olympic break at a crossroads. Will they sell for the future or try to push for the playoffs?
The Flyers are eight points out of a playoff spot but have games in hand with 26 remaining. Is it time to stick or twist for GM Danny Brière ahead of the March 6 trade deadline?
July 15, 2023
The subtraction continues
Brière continues to clean house as the Flyers place defenseman Tony DeAngelo, whom Fletcher traded three picks for the previous summer, on waivers for a buyout. The Sewell native had been benched by Tortorella to end the season.
Jan. 8, 2024
The Gauthier-Drysdale shocker
Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Brière trades No. 2 prospect Cutter Gauthier, then playing at Boston College, to Anaheim for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick. Brière soon reveals that Gauthier’s camp had demanded a trade for unspecified reasons and that his camp had cut off all communication. Days earlier, Gauthier had been named the best forward at the World Junior Championship as Team USA won gold. Gauthier has never confirmed the exact reason he forced a trade, whether it was because of Tortorella, the team’s decision to send him back to college for a second year, or the Flyers’ overall direction.
Jan. 26, 2024
Tippett signs eight-year extension
The Flyers hand 24-year-old winger Owen Tippett a lucrative eight-year, $49.6 million contract extension ($6.2 average annual value). Tippett, who was acquired in the Claude Giroux trade, had 18 goals in 46 games at the time of the extension, and had tallied a career-high 27 the year before.
Jan. 30, 2024
Hart charged with sexual assault
Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
A week after taking a leave of absence, franchise goaltender Carter Hart is charged alongside four other professional hockey players in connection with an alleged sexual assault in 2014 in Canada. Hart is acquitted in July 2025 but never plays for the Flyers again.
March 6, 2024
Flyers land first-rounder for Walker
The Flyers flip Sean Walker, a salary dump by Los Angeles in the Provorov trade, to Colorado with a fifth-round pick, for a first-round pick and half of Ryan Johansen’s contract. The Flyers, who were in a playoff spot at the time of the trade, prioritize the long term in moving the thriving pending free-agent defenseman for future assets. On the same day, the Flyers extended veteran defenseman Nick Seeler, another potential trade chip, with a four-year, $10.8 million contract.
story continues after advertisement
March 23, 2024
A surprise playoff push
Having punched above their weight all season, the Flyers enter their final 11 games with a 36-26-9 record and four points above the playoff cut. According to hockey analytics company Stathletes, they have an 88% chance of making the postseason.
March 24-April 9, 2024
Colossal collapse
Steven M. Falk / Staff Photographer
The Flyers lose eight straight games to fall below the playoff cut, culminating with a 9-3 embarrassment in Montreal. They win their next two to push their slim playoff odds to their final day of the season, but are officially eliminated on April 16 with a 2-1 loss to Washington. They finish four points out of a playoff spot.
June 28, 2024
Jumping for Jett
The Flyers go off the board to select center Jett Luchanko with the No. 13 overall pick in the draft. Brière and the Flyers had moved back one pick in a trade with Minnesota that netted them an additional third-rounder. Minnesota selects defenseman Zeev Buium. The Flyers then trade their second first-rounder — Pick No. 32 from the Giroux trade — to Edmonton in exchange for a 2025 first-rounder. Edmonton selects Sam O’Reilly with the pick.
July 1, 2024
Michkov arrives early
After much speculation, the Flyers sign Michkov to his entry-level contract, after reports circulated in late June that he would come over to North America two years earlier than expected. He arrives in Philly on July 23.
July 25, 2024
Flyers keep Konency
The Flyers sign 27-year-old winger Travis Konecny to a massive eight-year, $70 million extension ($8.75 million AAV). Konecny, who was coming off career highs in goals (33) and points (68) and was the team’s most valuable asset, had one year remaining on his contract.
story continues after advertisement
Jan. 30, 2025
Bye-bye, Beezer
The Flyers continue to subtract as they move Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee to Calgary for Andrei Kuzmenko, Jakob Pelletier, a second-round pick (Shane Vansaghi), and a 2028 seventh-round pick. The Flyers are five points out of a wild-card spot at the time; Farabee has 3½ years left on his contract at a $5 million cap hit.
March 7, 2025
Laughton to the Leafs
Sitting five points out of a playoff spot with 19 games to play, the Flyers trade beloved glue guy Scott Laughton and two late-round picks to Toronto for a package that includes a protected 2027 first-round pick and forward prospect Nikita Grebenkin. Laughton has one year remaining on his deal. On the same day, the Flyers flip Kuzmenko, whom they acquired a month and a half earlier, to Los Angeles for a third-rounder.
March 27, 2025
Tortorella fired
Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
With the Flyers losing 11 of 12 games, Tortorella is fired after almost three seasons. The firing comes a day after the coach said, “I’m not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season, where we’re at right now.” It later leaks out that Tortorella and Cam York had a heated verbal exchange during the Toronto game a night earlier. Tortorella, who was hired by the Fletcher regime, leaves with a 97-107-33 record with the Flyers.
April 17, 2025
Playing out the string
After winning five of interim coach Brad Shaw’s first six games in charge and seeing several young players thrive, the Flyers lose their final three games to ensure they will have the fourth-best draft lottery odds. They finish with a 33-39-10 record.
May 5, 2025
Bad bounce
The Flyers drop the maximum two spots in the lottery and learn they will pick sixth in June’s NHL draft.
May 14, 2025
Flyers name Tocchet head coach
Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Flyers Hall of Famer Rick Tocchet is named the 25th head coach in franchise history, becoming the sixth former Flyer to hold the post. The 61-year-old arrives with a 286-265-87 career record and is a year removed from winning the Jack Adams Award as Coach of the Year with Vancouver. Brière cites Tocchet’s passion for the Flyers and his communication and teaching skills as reasons he is the right fit to oversee the next stage of the rebuild.
More on the Flyers
The Flyers are in Rick Tocchet’s ‘blood.’ Now he’s tasked with returning the once-proud organization to prominence.
Tocchet, who was beloved as a player in Philly for his combination of toughness, heart, and goal-scoring ability, believes he can be "part of the solution of bringing the Flyers back to dominance."
May 29-June 3, 2025
Keeping the kids
Brière extends two homegrown pieces of the Flyers’ young core, signing winger Tyson Foerster to a two-year bridge deal ($3.75 million AAV) and center Noah Cates to a four-year contract ($4 million AAV).
June 10, 2025
Michkov Mania
Charles Fox / Staff Photographer
After leading all rookies with 26 goals and tying for second in points (63) with Macklin Celebrini, Michkov finishes fourth in Calder Trophy voting. Brière calls Michkov’s rookie campaign “exciting” and says the Russian surpassed all expectations.
June 23, 2025
‘Z’ is for Zegras
After years of speculation, the Flyers acquire Trevor Zegras from Anaheim in exchange for Ryan Poehling and second- and fourth-round draft picks. Zegras goes on to post 20 goals and 49 points in his first 56 games with the Flyers.
June 27-28, 2025
Porter’s house
The Flyers draft power forward Porter Martone with the sixth overall pick, then send their other two first-rounders (Nos. 22 and 31) to Pittsburgh, moving up to take center Jack Nesbitt with pick No 12. On Day 2, the Flyers select seven players, highlighted by second-rounders Carter Amico, Jack Murtagh, Vansaghi, and Matthew Gard.
Subscribe to The Philadelphia Inquirer
Our reporting is directly supported by reader subscriptions. If you want more in-depth stories like this, please subscribe today.
The Flyers sign goaltender Dan Vladař, depth center Christian Dvorak, and defenseman Noah Juulsen on the first day of free agency. Brière reiterates that the Flyers are focused on “flexibility” and “short-term” deals with an eye on the 2026 free-agent class. As expected, the star-studded 2026 class that included Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, and Kirill Kaprizov dries up in the months that follow as all of the top players sign extensions.
July 7, 2025
York extended
The Flyers sign the 24-year-old York to a five-year extension that carries a $5.15 million cap hit. Brière says York has untapped potential and says the organization views him as “a main piece on our blue line.”
Sept. 10, 2025
‘Not moving back’
Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Jones and governor Dan Hilferty won’t commit to making the playoffs but tell the media that the Flyers are done making “changes in order to get better for the future,” adding that “now, it would be about staying on course, which is advancing. It’s not about moving back.” Jones says they owe it to the players to add to the team after years of subtracting.
Oct. 5, 2025
Exiting the Ellis contract
The Flyers get out of the final two years of the injured Ryan Ellis’ contract by trading it to San Jose. The blueliner, who played only four games in 4½ years for the Flyers, had a $6.25 million cap hit for this season and next. The move, which cost only a sixth-round pick, frees up significant cap space for the Flyers.
Jan. 5, 2026
Dvorak’s new deal
Months after they signed Dvorak to a one-year, $5.4 million deal, the Flyers extend the center for five years and $25.75 million ($5.15 million AAV). After citing “flexibility” and the importance of “short-term” deals in the summer, Brière reverses course by signing Dvorak through his 35-year-old season, while also handing him full trade protection in the first two years of the deal. Dvorak, who was having a career season and was on pace for 53 points at the time, would have been an attractive trade chip as a rental at the deadline.
More on the Flyers
Contract grades: Was signing Christian Dvorak for the long haul the right move for the Flyers?
Dvorak turns 30 next month and is now signed with the Flyers through age 35. Here's what our writers think of the team's decision to lock up the center, who is enjoying a career year.
Jan. 6, 2026
Flying high
The Flyers hit the halfway mark in style with a 5-2 beatdown of Gauthier and the Ducks at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Zegras scores two goals as the Flyers improve to 22-12-7 and climb to ninth overall in the league standings.
Jan. 8-Feb. 5, 2026
Hitting the wall
The Flyers win just three of their next 15 games entering the Olympic break and go from two points above the playoff cut line to eight points below it. Injuries also strike as Drysdale, Vladař, and Bobby Brink all miss time.
Feb. 3, 2026
Tocchet-Michkov saga comes to a head
Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Days after Tocchet reiterates on several podcasts that Michkov came to camp out of shape, contributing to his sophomore slump, Brière calls a news conference, trying to quell speculation about the relationship between player and coach. Brière says the two “have a good relationship” and that “Matvei Michkov is not going anywhere. Let’s make that clear. … Matvei is going to be here for a long time.” He confirms that Michkov was out of shape and says this situation will be a learning moment for the young player.
Feb. 25, 2026
Stick or twist?
Sitting eight points out of a playoff spot, albeit with two games in hand, the Flyers return to game action against Washington. With just 10 days and five games until the March 6 trade deadline, the Flyers have one last chance to impress Brière. Will the Flyers be buyers, sellers, or stand pat? Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is among the players who could generate a significant return on the trade market.
So are the Flyers in a better place than they were three years ago when Brière took charge? In short, yes. The prospect pool is now top 10 leaguewide and much deeper than before, a product of several savvy long-term-view trades that netted a haul of first- and second-round draft picks. They have also added three star-level talents to the organization in Michkov, Martone, and Zegras, and may have finally solved their longstanding goalie riddle with Vladař.
On the other hand, the Flyers haven’t fully bottomed out and thus have missed out on landing top-5 picks — where teams usually land stars at premium positions like center and defense — and also were forced to trade a high-end prospect in Gauthier. With those gaping holes still to fill, Brière will need to get creative both in the draft and the trade market over the next six months if the Flyers are to truly shift their rebuild into the next gear in 2026-27.
The dramatic Olympic gold medal win by the United States men’s hockey team on Sunday, which snapped a 46-year drought for the Americans, will be remembered forever.
But amid the celebrations and flowing tears of joy in Milan after Jack Hughes’ overtime goal against the Canadians, Team USA’s players had one of their fallen teammates at the front of mind.
Former USA Hockey and NHL star Johnny Gaudreau grew up in Salem County and was killed in August 2024 alongside his brother Matthew by an allegedly drunk driver in Oldmans Township, N.J. Gaudreau was supposed to be on this team in Milan skating around with a gold medal around his neck. But as they have all tournament, and in previous ones since his tragic death, Johnny Gaudreau’s former U.S. teammates ensured that he was there in spirit, as captain Auston Matthews and close friends Matthew Tkachuk and Zach Werenski skated around the ice holding up his No. 13 Team USA jersey. Tkachuk and Werenski played with Gaudreau in Calgary and Columbus, respectively.
The moment was especially touching given that Gaudreau’s parents, Guy and Jane, his widow, Meredith, and two of his children, Noa and Johnny Jr., were in the stands Sunday at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. The American players later brought Noa and Johnny Jr. onto the ice to sit in for the team picture alongside their father’s jersey. Werenski and Dylan Larkin held the children during the photo, while Tkachuk held up Gaudreau’s jersey front and center. Sunday, in addition to being the anniversary of the 1980 Miracle on Ice at Lake Placid, was Johnny Jr.’s second birthday.
Gaudreau, who represented Team USA at the 2013 World Junior Championship as well as World Championships in 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2024, is the United States’ all-time leading scorer at World Championships. His mother told reporters in Italy on Friday that playing on this team was their dream.
After Team USA’s win in the semifinals, Larkin, Werenski, and several other teammates spoke about how important Gaudreau was to them and USA Hockey.
“It means everything — we all know he should be here with us,” said Larkin, who played with Gaudreau at multiple World Championships. “He should be with us. We love him, and I like that we continue to think about him and I wouldn’t imagine it any other way.”
Werenski added Friday how excited he was to have Gaudreau’s family in Italy cheering them on: “It’s great having them here, and it’s super special,” Werenski said. “We’re happy that we made it to the gold-medal game so they can watch that and be a part of it. It’s on us to make them proud.”
Gaudreau, who had just turned 31 before his death, racked up 743 points in 763 NHL games across 10-plus seasons, eight plus one game with the Flames and two with the Blue Jackets. He is considered the best hockey player to hail from the Philadelphia/South Jersey area, and his career 0.97 points per game mark in the NHL is the 10th-best all-time among Americans.
The United States’ Dylan Larkin (21) holds Johnny Gaudreau Jr. while posing with teammates after the gold medal victory against Canada.
The former Gloucester Catholic star, who later went on to win an NCAA title and the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in college hockey at Boston College, was a seven-time NHL All-Star. His brother Matthew also played at BC and carved out a four-season pro career, reaching as high as the American Hockey League. “Matty” was 29 when he and Johnny, riding bicycles on the night before their sister’s wedding, were run off the road on Aug. 30, 2024.
After the brothers’ deaths, tributes poured in across the hockey world, including in South Jersey and with the Flyers, and across the NHL and beyond. USA Hockey has repeatedly honored Gaudreau’s legacy over the last few years and has made him and his family a constant presence. Gaudreau’s jersey has hung in the locker room at several international tournaments, including this year’s Olympics, while Guy Gaudreau, a longtime coach in South Jersey, has been invited to speak and help coach with Team USA.
“It meant everything,” said Werenski, who assisted on Hughes’ golden goal Sunday. ”This is something John would have been at. And to see his family here supporting us and seeing his kids, bringing them on the ice, we talked about playing for him, making him proud, and I think we did that. Super special to see them and to have kids on the ice, he was a huge part of USA Hockey.”
Penn State hockey star Gavin McKenna, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL draft, will be due in court next on March 11, according to Centre County Courthouse documents.
McKenna, who is facing three charges relating to an alleged assault in State College on Jan. 31, was initially set to have his preliminary hearing on Wednesday. He is alleged to have punched a 21-year-old man twice in the face, resulting in a fractured jaw that required corrective surgery. According to police, the incident occurred after a verbal exchange between the two on the 100 block of South Pugh Street in the hours after Penn State’s outdoor hockey game against Michigan State at Beaver Stadium.
The preliminary hearing’s postponement comes less than a week after prosecutors dropped an initial felony charge of aggravated assault. The Centre County District Attorney’s Office and State College Police said in a statement that “a review of the video does not support a conclusion that Gavin McKenna acted with the intent to cause serious bodily injury or with reckless indifference to the value of human life,“ which is the standard for probable cause for aggravated assault in Pennsylvania.
McKenna, 18, now faces a misdemeanor charge of simple assault, as well as charges of harassment and disorderly conduct for engaging in fighting. The simple assault charge carries a maximum of two years in prison, while fines are attached to the three charges. He remains released on $20,000 unsecured bail.
With the preliminary hearing postponed, McKenna is expected to play for the No. 6 Nittany Lions on Friday at No. 2 Michigan, a source confirmed to the Inquirer. That game will mark Penn State’s first action since the alleged assault. Penn State’s regular season ends on March 6, with the Big Ten tournament set to commence on March 11, the same day as McKenna’s preliminary hearing.
Penn State’s Gavin McKenna, who is projected to be the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, has 32 points in 24 games so far as a freshman.
“We are aware that charges have been filed; however, as this is an ongoing legal matter, we will not have any further comment,” Penn State said in a statement on Feb. 4.
McKenna’s adviser Pat Brisson has not commented publicly on the matter.
A native of Whitehorse, Yukon, the Canadian winger is ranked No. 1 on the NHL’s 2026 Central Scouting list among North American skaters. After a new rule was passed granting Canadian Hockey League players NCAA eligibility this season, McKenna left the CHL in the summer to play college hockey.
McKenna, a freshman, is one of the biggest recruits to ever play college hockey and one of the faces of the changing landscape of the sport. He has 11 goals and 32 points in 24 games this season for Penn State, which reached its first Frozen Four in school history last season and entered this season as one of the favorites to win the national championship.
We made it, folks. After 12 years, 4,371 days, a global pandemic-enforced false start, and a little late drama about whether the rink in Milan would actually be ready in time, best-on-best men’s Olympic hockey is officially back.
The puck drops Wednesday at Santagiulia Arena with Slovakia playing Rasmus Ristolainen and Finland (10:40 a.m., USA and Peacock), and host Italy facing off with Sweden (3:10 p.m., USA and Peacock) to begin the highly anticipated Milan Cortina Olympic tournament. On Thursday, the other eight nations are in action, including the United States and Canada.
With NHL players back in the Olympics, there are storylines aplenty as the tournament commences. Here are four things we are watching for in Milan.
Flyin’ high
The Flyers weren’t exactly flying high entering the Olympics, having lost 12 of 15 games, but they will still be well represented in Milan.
Defenseman Travis Sanheim will play for gold medal favorite Canada, while Dan Vladař (Czechia), Ristolainen (Finland), and Rodrigo Ābols (Latvia) were named to the rosters for their respective nations. Unfortunately for Ābols, who represented Latvia at the Beijing Games in 2022, he won’t be able to play in Milan after suffering a severe ankle injury in mid-January. Flyers coach Rick Tocchet will also be busy in the homeland of his parents, as he will serve as a jack-of-all-trades assistant on Jon Cooper’s Canada staff.
Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim (left) will play for Canada at the Olympics.
The Flyers connections don’t end there, as some old friends will be participating, some more well-remembered than others. Radko Gudas and Lukáš Sedlák will play alongside Vladař with Czechia, while ex-coach John Tortorella, who was fired in March, will be an assistant with the Americans under Mike Sullivan.
Last but not least, Pierre-Édouard Bellemare (yes, you read that correctly) will be captaining France. Now 40, Bellemare, who made his NHL debut at 29 and played three seasons with the Flyers (2014-17), will be the oldest men’s player at the tournament as France makes its return to hockey after a 24-year wait. France’s most decorated NHL player, Bellemare, told NHL.com the “Olympics are the highlight of a lifetime … by far.”
Simply the best
While Macklin Celebrini, 19, will be making his Olympic debut, and Sidney Crosby, 38, has famously done this before given his Vancouver heroics in 2010, there are so many players in their mid- to late 20s who will be participating in their first Olympics because of the NHL’s lack of recent participation.
That includes stars like Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Leon Draisaitl, Auston Matthews, Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar, Mikko Rantanen, David Pastrňák, Jack Eichel, and so many others. Wow.
United States forward Auston Matthews takes part in practice Sunday in Milan.
Seeing a mostly full best-on-best tournament for the first time since the 2016 World Cup should provide some exhilarating hockey and drama, especially given how much the players have pushed for this over the past decade. The overall speed and skill the players possess has grown by leaps and bounds since the league last participated in 2014, and that should only enhance one of the top events of any Olympic Games, even with Russia and its star-studded roster led by Nikita Kucherov, Kirill Kaprizov, and Alex Ovechkin notably absent due to the country’s involvement in the war in Ukraine.
Heated rivalry
Last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off was designed to serve as a tasty hors d’oeuvre to the Olympics’ main course, and it left the dinner guests more than satisfied.
The NHL probably felt the tournament could be a modest success and help conjure up interest in the sport a year out from the Olympics. It exploded into something well beyond Gary Bettman’s wildest dreams, thanks in large part to three spirited bouts in nine seconds to begin a preliminary game between Team USA and Canada.
Fight Night at the Bell Centre, however premeditated it was on the U.S. side, and bolstered by the already tense political backdrop between the countries, went viral and put hockey in front of a whole world of eyes that it doesn’t usually reach. Canada would enact revenge in the final in overtime five days later, but a rivalry was renewed and the bad blood was boiled.
That rivalry, and the battle for hockey supremacy, will resume over the next few weeks in Milan as the United States and Canada seem to be on a collision course for the gold medal game. They have always been geographical rivals but never truly equals on the ice. Team USA has closed the gap on its northern neighbor, though, even to the point where a U.S. win could signal a changing of the guard to some. For the last 10 years, everyone has wanted to see the U.S. vs. Canada for all the marbles on the biggest stage. After last year’s two thrilling matchups in the 4 Nations, here’s hoping they get their wish.
United States coach Mike Sullivan skates with the puck during his team’s workout Sunday in Milan.
The American dream
Winners of two of the last three World Juniors and last year’s senior World Championship, and a few Jordan Binnington highway robberies away from 4 Nations glory, USA Hockey is sending its best-ever team to an Olympics and the message is clear: gold or bust.
On the surface, that goal might seem lofty for a U.S. team that hasn’t won gold since 1980’s Miracle at Lake Placid and that hasn’t won gold in the previous five tournaments when NHL players participated. But the Americans have been coming on for some time now and have long wanted a chance to prove they are not only Canada’s equals but have surpassed them at their own game.
After a close call at the 4 Nations, the Tkachuk brothers are back to wreak havoc as they look to unseat Canada as international hockey’s top dog.
Last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off did nothing to quell those ambitions, as the U.S. beat — and beat up — Canada on Canadian soil in the preliminary round before going toe-to-toe with the star-studded Canadiens in a nail-biter of a final. That one ended with a McDavid overtime winner that was probably a bit harsh given the quality of the Americans’ chances and Binnington’s heroics in goal. Add that Team USA’s best defenseman, Quinn Hughes, was unavailable for the tournament, and that one half of the Bash Bros., Matthew Tkachuk, was severely hobbled and mostly relegated to a cheerleader from the bench, and the U.S. has reasons to be confident. Add Canada’s uncertainty in goal and the case for the U.S. gets even stronger.
Canada is still a slight betting favorite thanks to names like McDavid, MacKinnon, Makar, and Crosby, but many think this could go either way, and with the Russians not involved and Finland and Sweden decimated by injuries in the lead-up to the tournament, this seems like the likeliest final.
Can the U.S. team get over the line this time against its archrival and claim hockey’s heavyweight title belt? If it does, there won’t be an underdog movie that begins with an “M” this time around.
Penn State hockey star Gavin McKenna remains in hot water after allegedly assaulting a 21-year-old male last weekend in State College. But the temperature cooled a bit on Friday after prosecutors dropped the felony aggravated assault charge against McKenna, the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft.
The decision comes two days after McKenna, 18, was charged with aggravated assault and three other related crimes for allegedly punching a man outside of a parking garage in the 100 block of South Pugh Street in State College. The altercation came hours after McKenna had played and tallied a goal and two assists in No. 6 Penn State’s 5-4 overtime loss to No. 2 Michigan State in the first-ever outdoor hockey game at Beaver Stadium.
“In order to establish probable cause for the crime of Aggravated Assault, the Commonwealth must establish that a person acted with the intent to cause serious bodily injury or acted recklessly under circumstances showing an extreme indifference to the value of human life,“ read Friday’s statement from the Centre County District Attorney’s Office.
”Both the District Attorney’s Office and the State College Police Department have reviewed video evidence of this incident and do not believe that a charge of Aggravated Assault is supported by the evidence. Accordingly, the District Attorney’s Office will be withdrawing the felony count of Aggravated Assault and correcting the record regarding the injuries suffered by the victim. A review of the video does not support a conclusion that Gavin McKenna acted with the intent to cause serious bodily injury or with reckless indifference to the value of human life.”
BREAKING UPDATE | Prosecutors in Centre County say they will be withdrawing the felony aggravated assault charge against Penn State's star hockey player Gavin McKenna.https://t.co/ana1PIzTcbpic.twitter.com/wZYORkx7Rp
According to State College Police, McKenna allegedly punched a man in the face twice Saturday night, resulting in a fractured jaw that required corrective surgery. The altercation came after an exchange of words between the victim and his friends and McKenna. Friday’s statement clarified that the man did not lose a tooth as previously reported and confirmed that the victim is recovering from surgery.
Penn State freshman Gavin McKenna in in the top 20 in the nation in scoring with 32 points.
While the aggravated assault charge was the most severe charge that McKenna faced, and carried a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, he is still facing a misdemeanor charge of simple assault, as well as charges of harassment and disorderly conduct for fighting. The simple assault charge carries a maximum of two years in prison, while fines are attached to the three remaining charges.
McKenna, who was released on $20,000 unsecure bail, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 11 at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa.
Penn State sent the following statement to The Inquirer after the charges were filed on Wednesday: “We are aware that charges have been filed; however, as this is an ongoing legal matter, we will not have any further comment.”
The Inquirer also attempted to reach out to McKenna’s adviser, Pat Brisson of CAA, but has yet to receive a response.
McKenna, a native of Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, is ranked No. 1 on the NHL’s 2026 Central Scouting list among North American skaters. The Penn State freshman, who was considered one of the biggest college hockey recruits ever, has 11 goals and 32 points in 24 games this season for the Nittany Lions. McKenna’s playing status is currently unknown, with Penn State’s next game scheduled for Feb. 13 at Michigan.
BOSTON ― Last week’s seemingly galvanizing trip west, which resulted in the Flyers grabbing five of a possible six points against some of the NHL’s best, looks to have been just another false dawn, as the sinking Orange and Black dropped their third straight game at TD Garden on Thursday.
Here are three takeaways from the Flyers’ 6-3 loss to the Bruins, which marked the team’s 10th defeat in the last 12 games.
Travis Konecny leads the Flyers in goals (21), assists (29), and points (50), and is second behind Noah Cates (plus-15) among the team’s forwards with a plus-eight rating. The veteran sniper fired a hat trick in Columbus on Wednesday and followed it up with a goal and an assist in Boston a night later.
But while Konecny has played like an All-Star and led from the front of late, the alternate captain’s raw emotion after Thursday’s game made it clear that he’s only concerned with stacking wins.
“Yeah, it’s frustrating because I’ve been through this so many times. I’m tired of missing the playoffs,” said Konecny, who has seen recent Flyers seasons slip away at this time of the year. “That is kind of all I look at right now, just want to get points for the team, and we need to figure something out.”
Forward Travis Konecny, captain Sean Couturier and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen met with the media following #PHIvsBOS. pic.twitter.com/xPUaNFJ7ff
The answer was a painfully honest one from a player who has endured a lot of losing in recent seasons and is desperate to return to the playoffs after a five-year hiatus. Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet has talked about wanting guys who care and aren’t going to “accept” losing, and Konecny, who has matured and grown immensely as a leader in recent seasons, is clearly one of those guys who wants to be part of turning things around.
“Some guys spoke after the game, I think everyone knows where we’re at,” said Konecny. “We just got to execute. And like I said, there’s mistakes all over the ice, but you ask any of the leaders, it starts with us. Their second goal, I made a mistake there, and [we] can’t be doing that game after game. I think we all need to look in the mirror.”
There has been much social media debate about the 28-year-old Konecny, who has played 22 career playoff games but none since the 2020 COVID-19 bubble, but the Flyers could use more guys like him, and it’s concerning to think where this team might be without him.
Flyers right wing Travis Konecny has been red-hot with 16 goals and 31 points over his past 28 games.
Sam’s struggles
Sam Ersson’s struggles are well-documented, as the Swede’s .856 save percentage is the lowest among the 56 NHL goalies who have played at least 15 games this season. The analytics are no better, as according to Money Puck, Ersson’s minus-18.1 goals saved above expected is the third-worst mark in the NHL and 25 goals worse than his partner, Dan Vladař.
But Thursday provided a perfect snapshot of the enigma Ersson has been, as his performance showcased why fans have grown so frustrated with the backup netminder, but also featured some flashes of why the Flyers have stood by Ersson for so long despite his struggles.
Ersson started the game brilliantly, shutting down Marat Khusnutdinov from in close just 14 seconds in, followed by a couple of 10-bell saves on Sean Kuraly from point-blank range that showcased the netminder’s athleticism. Ersson, who was always going to need to have a big game given the Flyers’ tired legs on a road back-to-back, was keeping the Flyers in it.
But then the Mr. Hyde side of Ersson reared its ugly head as it has so often over the past two seasons. Ersson was in good position to stop Viktor Arvidsson’s one-timer from 25 feet out, but the shot from the right faceoff circle, which Arvidsson didn’t get all of, snuck through the goalie’s five-hole for Boston’s opener.
The script soon repeated itself, as after Ersson made a few big saves to close the first period, he allowed another soft goal early in the second period. Fraser Minten was the beneficiary this time, as just like on Arvidsson’s tally, his shot beat Ersson five-hole on the ice. The goal served as a backbreaker as the Flyers had begun the second period strongly and were close to halving the deficit.
Ersson’s talent was on display minutes later, as down 3-1, he made a miraculous, toe save on Andrew Peeke, albeit right before Casey Mittelstadt flipped home the rebound.
“I don’t know, it’s not just [Ersson], just some of the goals, weakside stuff that we are giving up, that’s a tough one for any goalie when you give weakside goals up,” said Tocchet.
Ersson, who did not speak with the media post-game after leaving the contest after two periods with a lower-body injury, allowed five goals on 20 shots and was culpable for two tough goals against.
While Ersson has shown flashes and stretches of being an NHL goalie, he has been far too sporadic and unreliable the past two seasons for a Flyers team that needs a steady backup. A restricted free agent at season’s end, his days in Philly look to be numbered.
Grebenkin’s growth
If there was a silver lining from Thursday’s loss, it was the effort of winger Nikita Grebenkin.
The 22-year-old, who has been in and out of Tocchet’s good graces over the course of the season, had one of his best games since being acquired by the Flyers last March in the Scott Laughton trade.
Elevated to the top line for the game alongside Konecny and Christian Dvorak, Grebenkin, who Rasmus Ristolainen said “brings energy every day,” seemed to be directly involved in most of the Flyers’ best moments offensively.
Flyers winger Nikita Grebenkin is starting to play the type of game that Rick Tocchet is looking for from the power forward.
With 12 minutes gone in the first period, Grebenkin pounced on a puck in the neutral zone with speed and carried into the Boston zone. As Tocchet has so often pleaded with the Russian to do, Grebenkin used his 6-foot-2, 210-pound frame to strongly shield the puck from Jonathan Aspirot before shifting it quickly from his backhand to forehand to try and jam one by Jeremy Swayman.
Swayman stopped the initial shot, but a crashing Dvorak slammed home the rebound. While the goal was ultimately disallowed as Grebenkin was ruled to have interfered with the goaltender, it was the kind of power forward-type play teammates enjoy seeing from the youngster.
“I just love how hard he works,” Konecny said of Grebenkin. “He’s trying to learn the details of how to play the right way and he’s a great guy, too, so I love working with him. ”He’s got a lot of skill, too. So I think the more opportunity he gets, he’ll just keep running with it.”
Grebenkin was also involved in the Flyers’ first goal that stood, as directly after he fired a shot on goal, he delivered a big hit on Mark Kastelic that knocked the Bruins’ tough guy off his skates and prevented him from retrieving the puck. Seconds later, Dvorak deflected a clearing attempt from Kuraly into the slot for a wide-open Konecny to score.
Konecny responds! Great work from Grebenkin led to the disallowed goal, story is the exact same here. Having a great game.#LetsGoFlyerspic.twitter.com/QsMKl4Zq26
Grebenkin would be rewarded for his efforts with a goal at the end of the second period, as he was first on the scene to bury a rebound after Konecny’s breakaway and follow-up attempt were both stopped by Swayman. In 13 minutes, 43 seconds of ice time, Grebenkin registered a goal, five shots, and one hit, while leading the team with four scoring chances at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.
It remains to be seen if Grebenkin retains his spot on the top line come Saturday, but his encouraging performance in Boston suggests he’s earned more ice time and deserves a longer look there.
BOSTON ― Across an arduous 82-game NHL schedule, some games are bound to be uphill battles, particularly back-to-back games on the road.
Thursday night’s matchup against the Bruins was always going to be one of those games, even before the Flyers sat on the tarmac in Columbus due to mechanical issues — after Wednesday’s 5-3 loss to the Blue Jackets ― and were delayed arriving into Boston until past 3 a.m. It proved to be just that as the weary Flyers struggled to find their legs early, dug themselves too big a hole, and were blown out6-3 at TD Garden.
The opening seconds of the contest would foreshadow what would prove to be a long night, as just 14 seconds in, Boston winger Marat Khusnutdinov walked Noah Juulsen and forced Sam Ersson into a big save from in tight. Ersson would make three more athletic stops on Mark Kastelic and Sean Kuraly (x2) in the opening minutes, but the Bruins soon found a way through the Swedish netminder via his countryman, Viktor Arvidsson.
While the Flyers were running around a bit in their own zone in the lead-up to the goal, the shot was one Ersson should have stopped, as Arvidsson didn’t get all of his one-timer from the right faceoff circle following a Casey Mittelstadt feed. But the shot still managed to trickle through the Flyers netminder’s legs to give the Bruins the lead at 9 minutes, 49 seconds of the first period.
Before the Flyers could regroup it was 2-0 Boston, as Pavel Zacha snuck behind the Philadelphia defense to score the Bruins’ second just 41 seconds after their first. The route looked to be officially on, although Ersson made a few big saves to keep things at 2-0.
The Flyers looked to get back into the game midway through the opening period as Nikita Grebenkin, a rare bright spot on the night, barreled into the Boston zone with speed. His initial shot was stopped by Jeremy Swayman but Christian Dvorak was there to fire home the rebound and split the deficit … at least momentarily.
Christian Dvorak does NOT SCORE. It's overturned on a challenge.
The goal would quickly be taken off the board as Boston successfully challenged for goaltender interference, with the situation room in Toronto ruling that Grebenkin’s stick, which was caught in Swayman’s equipment, impeded the goaltender from resetting and making the save. The teams would go to their respective dressing room’s with the score at 2-0.
Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson held off the Bruins as long as he could in a 6-3 loss.
After a more energetic start to Period 2 from the Flyers, Boston made it 3-0 just over two minutes into the frame. Fraser Minten glided down the left wing and beat Ersson five-hole with a shot on the ice. after the Bruins had turned a Bobby Brink turnover into a transition three-on-two. The goal was another that Ersson will feel he should have stopped, especially after he had made a couple more difficult saves just prior.
Travis Konecny, who had a hat trick Wednesday in Columbus but was a game-time decision after taking a puck off the foot, got the Flyers on the board less than a minute later, thanks to great hustle from Grebenkin and Dvorak, which forced a Bruins turnover in their own end. Konecny corralled the loose puck alone in the slot and beat Swayman clean for his 21st of the season.
Konecny responds! Great work from Grebenkin led to the disallowed goal, story is the exact same here. Having a great game.#LetsGoFlyerspic.twitter.com/QsMKl4Zq26
The Flyers then earned a power play and made a bit of a push, only for Boston to increase its lead back to three goals through Mittelstadt. The former Buffalo Sabre flipped a backhander over a sprawling and helpless Ersson, who had just robbed Andrew Peeke on the initial shot, and just under the bar. Tanner Jeannot then would make it 5-2 Boston with a tip on a Peeke point shot at 18:40 of the second. Ersson, who allowed five goals on 20 shots, suffered a lower-body injury at the end of the second period and would be replaced by Dan Vladař for the third.
Grebenkin would finally get a well-deserved goal to wrap up the scoring in the second, hustling in to bury a rebound after Konecny had a breakaway and follow-up attempt stopped by Swayman. The Russian winger, who was the Flyers’ best forward of the night, seemed to be at the center of most of the good things the Flyers did offensively and was praised afterward by his teammates for his energy.
With Boston well in front, the Flyers controlled most of the third period, outshooting Boston 15-7 in the frame and 36-27 for the game, but it would be for naught. The Bruins would stretch their lead to 6-2 with 3:30 remaining in the third, as Khusnutdinov found the empty net after Tocchet had thrown caution to the wind and pulled Vladař.
Matvei Michkov would pull one back on the power play with under two minutes remaining to improve the optics on the scoreboard. Denver Barkey dug the puck loose with some good work in front and a few whacks and, after kicking the puck to his stick, found the Russian at the back post for a tap-in. The goal was Michkov’s 13th of the year, while Barkey notched his ninth NHL point in 19 games since being recalled on Dec. 19.
But it was too little, too late for the Flyers, who dropped their third straight and fell eight points below the playoff line in the Metro and 10 behind Boston in the wildcard.
Breakaways
Rasmus Ristolainen, who was a game-time decision and did not take line rushes during warmups, suited up and played just under 22 minutes. He said he felt good afterward and was frustrated that he left Wednesday’s game after landing awkwardly on a puck. … The Flyers went 1-for-3 on the power play and killed off the lone Boston opportunity with the man advantage. … The Flyers have Friday off and will return to action Saturday at 12:30 p.m against the Los Angeles Kings at Xfinity Mobile Arena (NBCSP).
