On the eve of the 2026 NHL draft, Inquirer Flyers reporter Jackie Spiegel hopped on r/Flyers to answer some fan questions in a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) Thursday afternoon. Topics included everything from who the team will select on Friday night to whether or not general manager Danny Brière will make a splashy trade or free agent signing. Here are some highlights …
(Questions and answers have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.)
Q. Who is your No. 1 choice for the Flyers’ pick at 21, and do you see anyone being worth moving up a few spots for if a reasonable deal is possible? For example, moving up to secure someone like Alexander Command.
A. My No. 1 choice at No. 21 would be Command, if he is there. Like Shane Vansaghi last year, he oozes Flyer, and he feels a connection to the team and the fan base. Ilia Morozov and Jack Hextall are also strong candidates at center, as is Maddox Dagenais, who projects more as a wing but can play down the middle. If going the defense route, I wouldn’t be against Tommy Bleyl, who will now be linking up with Matthew Gard at Michigan State in 2027.
Q. What are the chances the Flyers pick Xavier Villenueve if he’s available? … I think he’s a player you should take a swing on because his upside is just so high.
A. Villeneuve is quite small, height- and weight-wise, and there are serious question marks about his competitive level and defensive awareness. Now, assistant GM Brent Flahr did say that a small blueliner has to be dynamic, and there is no question that he is the most dynamic defenseman in this draft class. He will get a lot of coaching at Boston University, where Lane Hutson, to whom he compares his game, went. But from what I’ve heard in my conversations around hockey, I don’t know if he’s a first-rounder. If he is there in the second round, I think it may be a no-brainer, but not in the first.
Q. Is there any sense at all that Flahr’s position might be in question with the organization?
A. I don’t believe so. Are there miscues and missteps? Sure, but it happens to a lot of teams. Thirteen other teams passed on Cole Caufield in addition to the Flyers, and working with Danny Brière, they have restocked the cupboard, especially at center.
Something else to keep in mind, whenever looking at drafts in general, according to a study done by DobberProspects back in 2020, approximately 60 NHL players from a draft class make it to the NHL, which is less than 27%. Since Flahr has been at the helm, 50 players have been drafted. Not counting the 16 players from the last two draft classes, although Porter Martone and Jett Luchanko have played NHL games, 44% have played at least one NHL game. I’m not defending him at all, but that is a pretty good number with seven total coming from the 2022 and 2023 classes, which are just starting to break into the league as a whole.
Q. Due to the crazy sellers’ market lately, why is Brière not doing everything he can to sell obvious pieces like Rasmus Ristolainen and Owen Tippett? Does he think these players will be winning us a Cup before they retire?
A. Good question! Keith Jones told me in 2024: “I can assure you that if there is something that’s happening, it’s going to be highly unlikely that anybody knows about it.”
I think we’ve seen that, so my gut feeling is patience. Also, I do think Ristolainen is getting moved. Brière has held firm on getting a No. 1 pick for guys like Scott Walker and Scott Laughton, and I believe he is holding firm here. Why wasn’t he traded earlier, you may ask? As previously reported, teams wanted to make sure he was healthy. That’s been proved, and now there is a lot of trade chatter. As for Tippett, I know the haul would be huge, especially with what we’ve seen of late, but trading him takes a ton of speed out of the lineup, and the Flyers need that.
Flyers goaltender Dan Vladař stops Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin’s shootout attempt.
Q. Will Danny make a move that will shock the fan base?
A. It wouldn’t surprise me. There have been a few, no? I remember sitting watching a game in January 2024 — couldn’t even tell you off the top of my head who the Flyers were playing that night — and getting the shocking news about the Jamie Drysdale-Cutter Gauthier trade. I do think it’ll be an interesting few days coming up.
Q. Are the Flyers in on Alexander Nikishin? If not, then why?
A. Are they peeking in? Sure, but I don’t believe they are all in, and I doubt Carolina would trade him to a division rival.
DETROIT ― Detroit may be known for Motown, but on Saturday night, on national television, it was Motownphilly.
Coming off a dominating win against the Chicago Blackhawks at home, the Flyers went into Little Caesars Arena, continued the trend, and handed the Detroit Red Wings a 5-3 loss.
The Flyers have won two straight, five of their past six, and 11 of the 16 games since the Olympic break. “It’s long overdue, but now Philly is slammin’,” as Boyz II Men sing.
Philly now has 84 points and moved three points back of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who lost to the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. The Flyers have a game in hand on Columbus.
They are also four points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the three-seed in the Metropolitan Division and five points behind the New York Islanders for the two-seed, with a game in hand on Pittsburgh and two on New York. On Saturday, Pittsburgh lost to the Dallas Stars, and New York jumped into second with a win against the Florida Panthers.
Detroit almost staged a comeback in the final seven minutes of the game, with Mason Appleton scoring off a long dump-in, Alex DeBrincat taking a pass in the right circle and shooting it quickly, and Lucas Raymond curling and scoring from the left circle during a six-on-five.
But Sean Couturier iced it with a goal in his third straight game as he sent the puck into the empty net with just over two minutes to go.
“I loved our game for 55 minutes,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “Obviously, the five-on-six, a couple of things happened that we have to shore up. When the pressure hit us, we ran out of position, but that’s for another day. It’s a big win for us.”
Owen Tippett started things off just over four minutes into the game with his first of three goals. Detroit defenseman Moritz Seider tried to dangle through the neutral zone but had the puck slide off his stick thanks to pressure from Denver Barkey. It went right to Trevor Zegras, who sent the pass up to Tippett, and away the speedster went. He skated in, blowing past Simon Edvinsson and scoring five-hole on John Gibson.
In the second period, he extended the lead to 2-0 with another five-hole goal.
Barkey carried the puck through the neutral zone, pushing the Red Wings’ defense of Seider and Edvinsson back as he entered the zone. He dished it to Tippett on his left a few feet into the offensive zone and cut in front of Tippett as Edvinsson went down to one knee to try and block the shot. Instead, the puck went through the legs of Edvinsson and through Gibson.
“He did a really good job,” Tippett said of Barkey. “I don’t think I have that space if he doesn’t take the route he does and pick the guy he does. He does a great job wheeling it up the ice and grabbing middle and backing those two defenders off. … He opened up that ice for me the whole way.”
Later in the middle frame, the Flyers’ power play collected for the third time in 12 games and 35 opportunities.
Noah Cates won the offensive-zone faceoff, and the Flyers got to work. Eventually, Travis Konecny threw the puck on goal, and it deflected off Matvei Michkov sitting near the left post, off the pad of Gibson, and popped in front.
Cates, who was sitting on the right post, jammed it in for his seventh goal and 15 points in the 16 games since the Olympic break. He leads the Flyers in points during that stretch and has also hit a career high in goals with his 17th of the season.
The Red Wings and Flyers then traded goals; however, each was wiped away by a coach’s challenge for offside. Seider thought he scored on a power play with under two minutes to go in the second period to make it 3-1 — Tocchet gave credit to his video coach, Dylan Crawford, who told him it was one of the easier ones to call — and Christian Dvorak thought he made it 4-0 early in the third; however, Alex Bump went in a little too early.
But Tippett put the game away and completed the hat trick later in the final frame with a beauty of a power-play goal. He got the puck in the Flyers’ end, skated through the neutral zone, appeared to pass it to himself to get around Ben Chiarot, before going bar down to make it a 2-for-2 night with the man advantage for Philly.
Tippett has 27 goals on the season and 48 points — he added an assist on the Couturier goal — putting him one goal shy of his career high set in 2023-24. He has eight goals and 12 points in his past 11 games.
“He’s been an absolute game breaker for us,” said Jamie Drysdale, who had two assists and reached 100 career points. “He’s just someone that you do not want to go up against. You have to know where he is at all times on the ice, and even if you do, there’s a good chance he’s still going to burn you.”
And although he did give up three goals, Dan Vladař was once again masterful in net. In the first period, he stoned Patrick Kane, the holder of the record for the most points by a U.S.-born player in NHL history, with a left pad save off a cross-ice pass. Vladař stopped Justin Faulk and J.T. Compher on consecutive shots in the third period before the Red Wings tallied their three.
But he shut the door in the end, stopping a DeBrincat slap shot, a Dylan Larkin tip-in, and using the blocker to rob DeBrincat again after Couturier’s goal. Vladař made 30 saves and now has 24 wins on the season, almost doubling his previous career high of 14 set in 2022-23 with the Calgary Flames.
Breakaways
Defenseman Travis Sanheim made a big block on a one-timer by Raymond in the last minute of the second period during a Detroit power play. He went down in pain, stayed on until the horn, and then gingerly got off as his teammates came off the bench to check on him and tap him for the big play. Sanheim was back out there for the start of the third. … Michkov now has 39 points with six assists coming in his last six games. Konecny had two assists to give him 62 points in 68 games. … Gibson was pulled after Tippett’s third goal, and former Flyers goalie Cam Talbot entered the game. He made four saves. … Defenseman Noah Juulsen and forward Garrett Wilson were healthy scratches. They watched from the press box alongside forward Tyson Foerster, who participated in morning skate. … Defenseman Cam York played in his 300th NHL game. … Flyers prospects Porter Martone, Shane Vansaghi, and Michigan State lost to Wisconsin in the regional final on Saturday. The expectation is that Martone will sign his entry-level contract in the coming days and could make his NHL debut Tuesday in Washington, D.C. against the Capitals.
Up next
The Flyers get right back to it at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Sunday, when they host the Dallas Stars (7 p.m., NBCSP). The Stars have already clinched a playoff spot.
This time of year, fans, reporters, and insiders’ phones will be dinging constantly with notifications, but there’s a good chance several phones in hockey will be off.
“I’d say most guys probably stay off their phones around this time. You don’t want to see any tweets from guys that are breaking stuff,” forward Garnet Hathaway said with a bit of a grin, a laugh, and a glance as Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman was in earshot in the Flyers locker room in Toronto on Monday.
The NHL trade deadline is fast approaching, with the final horn sounding on Friday at 3 p.m. But while everyone speculates and debates what Flyers general manager Danny Brière and management will do, the players are trying to stay in the moment.
“Focus on what we do on the ice and play some good hockey, try to win some games. Those are things that we don’t control,” captain Sean Couturier said. “It’s more you guys [the media] that talk about it and make big stories out of it. In the locker room, it’s not something we really talk about. We’ve got other things to focus on.”
It’s totally fair for Couturier to say the media makes it a big deal. After all, is it not entertaining when the wheelin’ and dealin’ can come fast and furious? But what we all don’t see is the toll it can take.
Last season, several players acknowledged that the trade of Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee in January to the Calgary Flames and Scott Laughton at the deadline to the Maple Leafs impacted the room. Two seasons ago, it was Sean Walker being dealt to the Colorado Avalanche that sent the defense into a tailspin, leading to a team looking at a playoff spot finding itself on the outside at the end.
General manager Danny Brière could move a couple of Flyers players by Friday’s trade deadline.
“One day you’re in one place, and the next morning you’re in a different place, getting ready to play a game,” recalled Owen Tippett, who was acquired by the Flyers in the Claude Giroux trade two days before the 2022 deadline. “I think I was traded at 6 o’clock at night and played the next day at 2 o’clock. So, pretty quick turnaround [after] you pretty much lift up your whole life and move. For me, I kind of had an idea it was coming. But it all happened so fast, so you don’t really have time to think until everything dies down.”
“So, it’s a tough time of year,” he added. “Obviously, you don’t want to see anyone go, and you never know who could be on the move or, if it’s you, then you just have no choice but to roll with it and deal with it and settle things down as quick as you can.”
If the Flyers do make moves — and rumors continue to swirl around defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen being one such player expected to find himself in a new jersey — the player they get in return will be facing an interesting time in Philly. Because the “other things” the captain alluded to are that the Flyers are not just focusing on their first four-game winning streak in over two years when they take on the Utah Mammoth on Thursday (7 p.m., NBCSP), but a playoff spot.
Entering Wednesday, they were eight back of second and third in the Metropolitan Division, held by the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Islanders, respectively, and six back of the Boston Bruins, who hold the last wild card in the Eastern Conference.
“We’re in the thick of it. We’re fighting for a playoff spot,” defenseman Nick Seeler said. “So that’s where our heads are at, and that’s what guys are focusing on, getting wins here, and that’s the most important thing.”
With just over 48 hours remaining until the 2026 NHL trade deadline, Inquirer Flyers reporter Jackie Spiegel hopped on r/Flyers to field some fan questions in a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) Wednesday afternoon. Here are a few highlights …
(Questions have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.)
Q. There’s been a lot of talk about selling at the deadline, with guys like Owen Tippett and Rasmus Ristolainen as top candidates. Is there anyone else who might be on the block and could be a ‘surprise’ player dealt at the deadline?
A. It’s a good chance that Ristolainen is gone with how he’s been playing, his friendly contract, the farm system, and that he’s a right-shot defenseman. Tippett is less of a sure bet as he brings elements — size, speed, goal-scoring ability — that any team, including the Flyers, would want. However, Tippett does have a modified no-trade clause that begins on July 1, so if they’re going to do it, time is ticking.
The Flyers do have a logjam on the wings, and one surprise, at least for this week, could be Bobby Brink, who has long been rumored to be on the way out because of who is waiting in the wings. There’s always a chance Danny Brière could do right by some veterans like Noah Juulsen and Nic Deslauriers, each on expiring contracts, and trade them to a contender looking for depth.
Owen Tippett is a potential trade candidate for the Flyers
Q. At what point do we finally trade away some of our right wings to fix the log jam we have? And why is it taking so long?
A. The expectation was always that this process would begin over the summer, but it could come sooner. Names like Brink and Tippett have popped up in recent trade-deadline chatter. The only crux of trading Brink now is his size, as playoff teams are always looking to get bigger this time of year, but he is a pending restricted free agent. … But there is no denying that the Flyers need to make room for right winger Porter Martone.
As to why it has taken this long — you can’t trade someone if you don’t have someone ready to take the spot. Some of the wait was the hope of reeling in a big fish during this summer’s free agency — that is gone — but more recently, the wait has been on Martone, with all signs pointing to him inking his entry-level contract once Michigan State’s season is over.
Q. Where do you see us getting an actual top-line center option from and what would it realistically take?
A. This is a great question. I think part of the issue for the Flyers is that they were banking on this upcoming offseason to get that No. 1 center and all those guys inked extensions. Could Trevor Zegras be that guy? Maybe. Could they swing for a Robert Thomas? Maybe, but from what I’ve been told, that deal would require sending at least one of the Flyers’ young centers in the system the other way. I’m starting to wonder if a true No. 1 center is needed, because if you have enough talented high-end wingers — like Tyson Foerster, Martone, Travis Konecny, Matvei Michkov, Tippett — maybe a less elite center works too?
Sean Couturier has been the Flyers captain for a little over two years.
Q. What do the Flyers plan to do about Sean Couturier? Having the captain of the team be the guy farthest from living up to his contract and visibly frustrated seems like a less-than-ideal leadership situation. Not to mention he’s signed for four more seasons after this one and his contract is buyout proof.
A. From what I can tell, there are zero plans for Couturier. From the outside, yes, his production is down, but a lot of that, in my opinion, has to do with his focus on defense as he lets his younger, more skilled wingers take charge offensively. And heading into the return from the Olympic break, his analytics were actually some of the best on the team. There’s also the leadership in the room that fans do not see. As assistant coach Todd Reirden mentioned, while he was taking over media responsibilities with Rick Tocchet at the Olympics, Couturier’s “voice carries a lot of weight. He’s not [a captain] that’s rah rah, but when he does talk, no one’s not listening. I can tell you that much. So he’s the leader of our team for a reason.”
Q. If you had to look for a funny quote for a story after a win who would be your best bet on the team this year?
A. This is a great question. Funny is good, but what we call money bites (at least that was the term when I worked in TV) are always better. Dan Vladař is always good for that and usually has a funny quote or two. Zegras is always on with a quick, funny response. And Garnet Hathaway is always insightful, but brings a good quote too.
Owen Tippett isn’t on Twitter these days. He has dropped some social media platforms that he didn’t feel were necessary or healthy for his mental space.
But he had heard through the grapevine about the artwork; he just hadn’t seen it yet.
“That’s unreal,” he said, almost in shock when shown the drawing of himself from the weekend. “Unreal,” he said, covering his agape mouth with his hand, still in shock. “Wow. That’s sick.”
On Saturday, the Flyers’ social media accounts had a picture of Tippett in his game-day fit, sporting a Kith sweater, baggy black jeans, and sunglasses. Local sports artist Dhwani Saraiya, who designed the Flyers’ opening night T-shirt, tweeted, “fit was so fire I had to draw it.” And the Edison, N.J., native did.
Tippett, who has popped up in Annie O’Donnell’s rapid-fire NHL fit reviews on Instagram for his style, followed that up with a Canadian tuxedo, fittingly in Toronto, on Monday. The two-piece set, also from Kith, was ordered just a few days earlier and arrived on his doorstep on Saturday before making the round on social media, notably on the NHL’s platforms.
(Editor’s note: The Canadian tuxedo ended up in O’Donnell’s latest fit review that dropped right after this story was published, stating: “This is the coolest Canadian tuxedo I have ever seen in my life.”)
This is the first year the players are not required to wear suits or business attire.
“I think when we found out we weren’t going to have a dress code, I think my wife had a little bit more fun with it than I did,” Ontario native Tippett said of his wife, Taylor. “Kind of got me out of my comfort zone a little bit, which is fine, from what I’m used to wearing, but yeah, I’ve had fun with it.”
Now, this isn’t a fashion story, but it’s about the old-fashioned mantra: “If you look good, you feel good.”
It’s about goalie Dan Vladař noting that the Flyers had swagger in the room on Saturday.
It’s about the Flyers feeling good on the ice, having won three straight for the first time since around Thanksgiving, and back in the playoff picture.
And it’s about the forwards, notably Tippett, who was promoted to the top line on Monday, needing to step up with Travis Konecny’s status up in the air. Konecny, who leads the team in goals (23), assists (34), and points (57), missed his second game of the season on Monday with an upper-body injury.
“Yeah, he’s a huge part of our team, both on the ice and in the locker room,” Tippett said. “Obviously, it’s a big, big role to fill. But I think I’ve said it a couple of times this year with [Tyson Foerster] going down and [Rodrigo Ābols] going down, and there’s been a few guys in here who have kind of missed games or missed some time.
“We all have to step up collectively.”
Coach Rick Tocchet said on Tuesday that he is hopeful Konecny can play Thursday when the Utah Mammoth visit Xfinity Mobile Arena (7 p.m., NBCSP). But if not, his absence will test the team’s depth. The expectation is that Tippett will remain on the top line with Trevor Zegras and Christian Dvorak.
According to Natural Stat Trick, in the Flyers’ 3-2 shootout win against the Maple Leafs, when the trio was on the ice at five-on-five, the Flyers had 10 shot attempts, five shots on goal, two scoring chances, and 57.15% of the expected goal share.
Owen Tippett has discussed the need to complement Flyers center Trevor Zegras (46).
“Obviously, it’s different with everyone you play with,” Tippett said of his game style. “I think the biggest thing [Monday] night was, obviously, making the simple plays and not trying to overcomplicate things. I know they play an offensive line, and when Trevor has the puck, he can create a lot, so it’s more just kind of give him space, but also support him at the same time.”
Tippett, Dvorak, and Zegras also played together at the beginning of the season, beginning in Game 2 against the Carolina Hurricanes, and Tippett has spent the second-most time with Zegras and Dvorak this season, trailing only Konecny.
Among the Flyers’ seven line combinations that have played at least 100 minutes together, Money Puck has the line ranked No. 2 in minutes (196.5), expected goals for (8.8), and expected goals against (8.7). Although shot attempts, shots on goal, scoring chances, and high-danger chances are almost even with what they give up — but above 50% — according to Natural Stat Trick, when they are on the ice at five-on-five, the Flyers have outscored the opposition 13-8. That’s the number that counts.
“Played with them a little bit at the start of the year,” Tippett said, “but it’s been a decent stretch since I’ve played with them. So, a little bit of chemistry was already there, but just trying to keep things simple and communicate as much as we can on the bench and on the ice.”
Tippett is sitting on 19 goals for the season, one shy of reaching the 20-goal mark for the fourth straight year.
“Yeah, I did,” Tocchet said when asked if he liked Tippett with that pair. “He had some speed. I thought there were some moments there [that if he had] one inch or two inches, he would have been gone. So he had a game where I thought he could add to that line.”
Breakaways
Defenseman Nick Seeler did not participate in practice on Tuesday after leaving Monday’s game late in the second period with a lower-body injury. Seen limping after the game, Tocchet said he is also a game-time decision. … Dvorak and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen also did not skate, but Tocchet said they had maintenance days. Ristolainen’s name has been prominent in trade chatter, but there is currently nothing imminent, The Inquirer has learned. Offers should start picking up soon with the trade deadline on Friday at 3 p.m.
The Flyers were desperate to pick up momentum heading into the Olympic break, especially against the Washington Capitals, a Metro Division opponent that they’re chasing in the standings.
The Flyers got out to a strong start, building a 2-0 lead in the first period before conceding two Capitals goals to tie the game. But the Flyers finally snapped their four-game losing streak with the 4-2 win thanks to Jamie Drysdale and an empty netter fromRasmus Ristolainen to earn two points and keep their playoff hopes alive.
Owen Tippett opened the scoring, tucking one past Washington rookie goalie Clay Stevenson, who was starting his second game in as many days. Travis Sanheim and Matvei Michkov, who general manager Danny Briere came out to publicly defend after warmups, picked up the assists.
Carl Grundstrom, back in the lineup after missing the last two games, scored a goal in his return. His shot from the circle bounced off the skate of Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun to make it 2-0.
But the game changed during the Flyers’ second attempt on the power play. The Flyers are among the league’s worst on the power play, converting on just 15.9% of their opportunities heading into Tuesday’s game.
Their woes continued in the second period, after Washington’s Aliaksei Protas scored on a shorthanded rush to pull the Caps within 2-1. Things went from bad to worse when Anthony Beauvillier picked up a Dan Vladař rebound and buried it to tie the game at 2-2.
Flyers’ Rasmus Ristolainen (center) celebrates after scoring an empty net goal in the third period on Tuesday.
The Flyers got a third chance at a power play late in the third period, and this time, it was clinical. Drysdale buried a shot from the point 30 seconds into the man-advantage to give the Flyers the 3-2 lead, which was ultimately the game-winner. Ristolainen sealed the win for the Flyers with an empty-net goal, his first of the season.
Breakaways
Garnet Hathaway was a healthy scratch … Travis Konecny played in his 700th NHL game. He ranks 13th among Flyers players all-time in games played for the franchise … A source tells the Inquirer that Ty Murchison is out for the year after undergoing surgery for an upper-body injury, and Alex Bump is expected to return for Lehigh Valley on Feb. 14.
Up Next
The Flyers will play their final game before the Olympic break against the Ottawa Senators (7 p.m. ET, NBCSP) on Thursday.
Losers of five straight, the Flyers are spiraling.
To be clear, it’s not that they’re spiraling because they’ve lost five straight. The issue is how the Flyers have been playing during this stretch.
And have they been facing some adversity regarding injuries? Yes. Across the past five games, defenseman Jamie Drysdale missed three with an upper-body injury; forward Bobby Brink (upper-body) has missed five and is now on injured reserve; defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is day-to-day with an upper-body injury; and Dan Vladař was injured against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday.
But all teams face adversity. The Flyers just need to play better.
Saturday, the Flyers face a New York Rangers team that is not just spiraling but plummeting. Facing the Rangers is a prime opportunity to get back in the win column, but it won’t happen unless the Flyers correct a bunch of things.
Aside from the power play, which is at 12.5% during the slide, and goaltending — the Flyers went from 2.80 goals-against per game in the first 41 to 5.00 in the past five — needing to, be better, here are five things they need to do to right the ship.
1. Stop taking bad penalties
Is every penalty a bad penalty? No. Is every penalty the correct call by the officials? Absolutely not, and there have been some horrendous calls this season against the Flyers.
But when the penalty kill has been struggling — it went from 80.2% across the first 41 games and is at 61.1% during the five-game losing streak — you have to stay out of the box.
The Flyers have taken 28 penalties during this stretch, which is the most by any team, have been shorthanded 18 times, tied for the second most, and have been shorthanded more than 5 minutes per game. They’ve also allowed the most power-play goals against (seven), three of which came on Thursday in the 6-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Flyers left Sidney Crosby all alone to score a power-play goal in Thursday’s 6-3 loss to Pittsburgh.
“Yeah, I think it’s just being smarter, not letting frustration creep in. I think it’s, I don’t know, a lot of away from the puck stuff that’s kind of creeped in recently, and I think that’s due to frustration,” forward Owen Tippett said after Wednesday’s game when the Sabres scored twice on the man advantage.
2. Maintain the diamond on the penalty kill
What’s going wrong on the penalty kill? A lot. But the biggest issue is that it has lost its structure.
“Yeah, just really disappointed, like, I’m pretty disappointed,” said coach Rick Tocchet after the Sabres game. “I’m a PK guy, and the reads that we gave them weren’t good. They’re just unacceptable for me, so we’re going to have to tidy that up.”
Tocchet prefers the diamond PK setup to take away point shots, the player in front of the net, and passes to the bumper. The diamond shape is designed to take away specific passing lanes from the player who is typically set up right in the slot in the 1-3-1 structure typically employed by NHL teams.
Buffalo scored two power-play goals on Wednesday, including this one, where all four of the Flyers’ penalty killers got caught too tight together in front of the net, allowing Rasmus Dahlin to walk in and score.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you should ignore the other guys — see Sidney Crosby’s goal Thursday from the right flank. But the Flyers’ structure has fallen apart, and if you’re going to be a team to take penalties, this needs to be airtight.
Remember the good old days of fans yelling, “Shoot the puck?” It was always kind of annoying and probably didn’t come at the right time, but maybe it’s time to start doing that again because, as Wayne Gretzky and Michael Scott said: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
The Flyers have never poured the shots on in Tocchet’s system. They averaged 26.3 in the 41 games before the losing streak, which had them ranked 25th in the NHL. And they have only put more than 30 shots on goal in a game 11 times.
Flyers center Denver Barkey skates with the puck against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday, January 12, 2026 in Philadelphia.
Across the losing streak, that average has dipped to 23.8, which is the sixth-fewest — and only looks better than it is because of the 33 shots they put on Stuart Skinner on Thursday night, including 17 in the second period.That’s by far the most in a single period during a stretch in which the Flyers did not have more than 23 shots on goal in a game; in 12 of their previous 13 periods, the Flyers hit double digits just once.
The problem is that at five-on-five, they are getting chances but not scoring. Natural Stat Trick has the Flyers tied for 13th in the NHL at shot attempts (205), but with only 86 shots and six goals during the losing streak. The Flyers are also No. 2 in missed shots during that span (92).
“I think there were a few chances tonight that could have changed, maybe the momentum of the game, but at the end of the day, that’s the part of it, you’ve got to score more goals than the other team,” Drysdale said in Buffalo. “So I think we got better [as the night wore on]. We will be better.
4. Follow Owen Tippett’s lead
Tocchet has long talked about Tippett being a guy he can unlock and how, with his size, speed, and scoring ability, he can be a power forward in the NHL. He just hadn’t put it all together — until maybe now.
The winger has been using his size to lay timely hits — he has 10 in the past five games — that create turnovers, and speed and footwork to drive to the net.
During the Flyers’ loss to Tampa Bay on Monday, he used his speed and body to drive down the boards and set up Sean Couturier for a Grade A chance that went off the post.
And in the overtime loss to Toronto, he was the one who turned on the jets and tried a wraparound that just missed before Trevor Zegras thought he scored an insurance goal on the power play.
His speed pushes defenses back, which led to another Grade A scoring chance, this time for Denver Barkey as he streaked to the net against the Leafs.
Owen Tippett has six goals in his last 13 games.
Now, does Tippett miss the net too much still? Yes. But he has 31 shot attempts across the five games with 18 shots on goal. He also has two goals and one assist.
According to Natural Stat Trick, the Flyers have 60 shot attempts to 43 when he is on the ice at five-on-five across the slide. Individually, he leads the team in five-on-five in individual scoring chances (12), shots (14), and individual shot attempts (25).
5. Let the kids play
The Flyers have three kids 22-and-under who bring different elements but have shown they can add to the lineup.
Barkey, 20, was a healthy scratch on Wednesday and bounced back with a two-assist performance against the Penguins. He set up Nick Seeler for a goal and connected with Matvei Michkov on a two-on-one after Couturier made a nice play along the boards to spring them.
Matvei Michkov had a goal and an assist on Thursday. Could he be coming out of his slump?
Despite playing juniors last year, Barkey has shown he has an extremely high hockey IQ and a motor that gets him up and down the ice with efficiency. Did he have two not-so-great games with turnovers leading to goals by the Lightning? Absolutely. But it’s obvious what he can bring, whether teaming up with Tippett or Michkov.
Grebenkin, 22, is a fireplug. He’ll make coverage mistakes and is still uncertain as to when to jump into piles vs. staying back, but he drives to the net, throws the body around, and stands up for his teammates. Considering Tocchet wants his team to go to the net more, he’s heeding the bench boss’s edict — and as noted, he did just that on Tippett’s goal against Buffalo.
And then there’s the polarizing Michkov. The 21-year-old is still learning the North American game, and does appear to be “stuck in mud” at times — watch his skating in the overtime against the Toronto — but his vision and desire for the puck is unmatched.
He scored against a goalie for the first time in 20 games in Buffalo, playing it perfectly by driving to the net on a two-on-one and shooting right off the pass. It’s what the Flyers need to do as a whole, as a lot of their shots are not quick enough, giving the opposition and goalies a chance to stop the play or make the save.
Across the past five games, he has shown that he can provide offense, but he also needs to work on his defensive game. Across all strengths, according to Natural Stat Trick, the Flyers have a 63.99% expected goal share when he is on the ice; Barkey is No. 1 at 81.86%, and Tippett is No. 2 at 67.50%.
And although he’s been on the ice for two goals by the Flyers and six against at even strength — plus the short-handed goal by Laughton — he has the second-highest expected goals for on the Flyers (4.27) behind Zegras 4.99. He even made a nice defensive play on Peyton Krebs in the first period on Wednesday, and has seemingly stopped taking bad penalties
The Flyers need offense — going from 3.02 goals per game in the first 41 to 1.80 the past five — and the Russian has shown he can bring that, whether scoring himself or setting up his teammates.
And while it was raining and sleeting outside the KeyBank Center in Western New York for most of the game, it was stormy inside for the Flyers, too.
Handed a 5-2 loss by the Buffalo Sabres, extending their losing streak to a season-high four games, the Flyers also lost two key players in the process — although Jamie Drysdale returned after missing three games with an upper-body injury.
Rasmus Ristolainen didn’t even make it onto the ice for warmups. The defenseman was a full participant and was on the point for one of the power-play units during morning skate, but did not dress for the game. He is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
Goalie Dan Vladař got the start but did not return after the first period with an undisclosed injury. According to the Flyers, he will be re-evaluated after the game. Coach Rick Tocchet did not have an update when he spoke postgame.
On the first Sabres goal in the first period, during a power play, it appeared that Vladař moved awkwardly when he wasn’t sure where a missed shot by Josh Doan went. He was slow to get up and was able to reset, but Rasmus Dahlin beat him from the point with Jason Zucker setting a screen.
It was just the second shot of the game for the Sabres. Buffalo then scored on its fourth shot. Mattias Samuelsson, the son of former Flyers defenseman Kjell Samuelsson, made it 2-0 with a sweeping snap shot from the inside of the right circle. The goal came after Travis Konecny and Trevor Zegras had a two-on-one but lost the puck in the neutral zone to Doan.
“I think right from the start, I think we maybe respected them a bit too much,” forward Owen Tippett said. “Few of those guys, you kind of have to play hard and take their time and space away. I think some penalties crept in that might have ended up hurting us, too. But, yeah, at the end of the day, I think we just need to be ready to play right from the start.”
Vladař allowed two goals on five shots. Sam Ersson entered at the start of the second period and allowed two goals on six shots in the middle frame.
Buffalo’s Jack Quinn made it 3-0 when he was left alone in front as the Flyers’ defense collapsed. Ryan McLeod got the puck behind the net and fed the open Quinn for a quick shot past Ersson.
Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson replaced Dan Vladar in the second period and allowed two goals.
The Sabres’ power play, which entered the game ranked 22nd in the NHL and had one goal in the last 21 opportunities dating back to Dec. 21, got its second on the man advantage off the stick of Dahlin, too.
Dahlin got the puck above the circles, walked down, and sent a wrister past Ersson with Zucker atop the crease again. The Flyers’ penalty kill fell into the box setup, which allowed Dahlin the time and space to skate down the middle to make it 4-1.
“Yeah, just really disappointed, like, I’m pretty disappointed,” said Tocchet. “I’m a PK guy, and the reads that we gave them weren’t good. They’re just unacceptable for me, so we’re going to have to tidy that up.”
The penalty kill went 4-for-6. The Flyers’ power play had chances, too, but only capitalized on one of five opportunities.
Philly got an early power play when Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen wrapped his arms around Christian Dvorak as he tried to corral the puck and do a wraparound. But the Flyers’ power play is struggling, and entered the night 31st in the NHL (15.3%).
On the first power play, they did have two shot attempts, with Zegras’ shot forcing Luokkonen to stop it. A positive was that it looked better than Monday against the Tampa Bay Lightning when it went 0-for-2 with two shot attempts, zero shots on goal, and an icing.
After going 0-for-3, the power play finally cashed in with Zegras scoring — albeit off his skate in the third period. With the Sabres focusing on the other side of the ice, the forward crashed the net with Konecny’s pass going off his skate and past Luukkonen.
The goal, to make it 4-2, was Zegras’ 18th of the year and seventh on the power play. Konecny now has 39 points in 44 games.
In the second period, Tippett got the Flyers on the board to make it 3-1 with a pull-and-shoot.
The forward started the play when he deflected a pass by Dahlin near his own blue line that was intended for Tage Thompson diagonally at the Flyers’ blue line. The puck bounced to Noah Cates, who sent it up to Tippett, and he used Samuelsson as a screen.
Flyers right wing Owen Tippett scored his 15th goal of the season against the Sabres on Wednesday night.
The goal is Tippett’s sixth in the past 12 games. Postgame, he gave Nikita Grebenkin — who was on his line for the first time this season — credit for driving through the defense and creating a bit of a distraction on his goal.
“I think if you have that guy going to the net, it kind of switches things up,” Tippett said. “At that point, you just want to try and create as much as you can and try and impact the game and crawl back. So, yeah, obviously, whenever I have a chance, I’m going to try and shoot. But that one worked out being a good opportunity.”
It’s hard to gauge when things went off the rails, as the Flyers put up shots quickly. And things would have probably gone differently if Luukkonen hadn’t committed highway robbery on Grebenkin 6 minutes, 5 seconds into the game.
Tippett drew the attention of the Sabres’ goalie and sent a backhand pass over to a wide-open Grebenkin at the right post. A left-handed shot, Grebenkin attempted a shot off the pass, but Luukkonen flashed the leather and stole a sure goal.
The Flyers had a six-on-four power play chance with 2:15 left in the game with Ersson pulled, but were unable to score. McLeod added a short-handed empty-net goal.
“I don’t know,” Zegras said when asked what went wrong. “I just think maybe we’ve got to get like, our spark, our mojo back a little bit. We just got to, I guess, reboot our brains a little bit, and know that it’s a hard league, and that you’re going to go through these tough stretches, and that’s part of it.
“And we’re a pretty young team, and I know we have played well up to this point, but we haven’t really accomplished a whole lot. Got to keep the foot on the pedal and just keep going.”
The Flyers had 22 shots on goal and allowed 14. … Noah Juulsen had a shot go off the post with 9:58 left in the third period. … Forward Denver Barkey was a healthy scratch for the first time in his NHL career.
Up next
The Flyers get right back to it on Thursday in Pittsburgh, facing the Penguins (7 p.m., ESPN), who have lost three straight.
SEATTLE ― Mike Gartner once said, “Goals for me are a little like bananas; they come in bunches.”
Considering that the pure goal scorer finished his Hall of Fame career with 708, that’s a lot of potassium.
It summarizes Owen Tippett’s start to the year. And yes, he has heard the quote.
“I don’t know if it’s anything in particular or it’s just nice to see one go in and it gives you the confidence going forward,” he said. “But definitely, I definitely feel that way at times.”
In the first 36 games of the season, the forward has 11 goals and 22 points. Five of those goals came in the first seven games of the season, and two have come in the last three games — which means 26 games in the middle saw him find the back of the net just four times.
Flyers coach Rick Tocchet recently said Tippett is chasing consistency and wants to see him stack games. But it’s not just goal scoring, it’s about playing well overall. Essentially, he wants to see him lay a strong foundation — brick by brick.
“Yeah, for me, it’s just the details,” Tocchet said at Climate Pledge Arena on Sunday. I think he’s been starting to play real well. [Denver] Barkey has helped him, and [Sean Couturier], and I think the line’s been pretty good for us.
Flyers right wing Owen Tippett scoring a third-period goal against Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko.
“I think Tipp, there’s the little things for him, he can stay detailed, he looks really good out there, especially off the neutral zone or off the rush — that’s what his talent is. But I still think there’s stuff around the net, in the slot … that he’s getting better at, and we’re going to keep working with him when it comes to those things.”
It’s been only three games, but the line of Tippett, Barkey, and Couturier has been off to a hot start.
Among Flyers lines that have played at least 20 minutes together this season, Money Puck has the trio No. 2 in expected goals percentage (73.3%). They are tied for eighth in expected goals (2.2) and have the fourth-best expected goals against (0.8).
According to Natural Stat Trick, when they are on the ice at five-on-five, the Flyers have 61.29% of the shot attempts, including 10 high-danger chances to just four against. They have outshot opponents across their almost 28 minutes together, 19-8, have had 17 scoring chances to nine against, and have two goals to one allowed.
Both of the goals were scored by Tippett.
“We try to talk a lot, as much as possible,” Couturier said. “Me being in the middle, try to control the play as much as I can and let him use his feet wide when he can. And then offensively, I think it’s just about finding the support areas and the open areas to create some chances, some opportunities.
“Lately, with Denver joining our line, it’s been clicking. He’s a smart little player who makes a lot of good little plays. So, yeah, just trying to build, and I think we have a lot of potential as a line to grow, and it’s fun to be a part of.”
The trio is having fun, and Tippett has been excelling lately. He scored a highlight-reel goal against the Vancouver Canucks, whom the Flyers play in British Columbia on Tuesday. And while Tippett is dazzling to watch when he can get into open ice, Tocchet says the next step for the 6-foot-1, 210-pound winger is to bury pucks around the net.
But it all comes down to consistency.
“I think, obviously, there’s a little bit of a kind of dip there, I think halfway through the first half,” he said. “I guess, but I’m feeling better about it now.”
“I think just doing everything I can to be ready,” he added when asked what he’s doing to try and be more consistent. “Obviously, body first, and making sure the mindset stays the same each and every game, no matter kind of what happens game to game or even within a game.”
Considering that Tippett has four goals in nine career games against the Seattle Kraken, whom the Flyers play on Sunday (8 p.m., NBCSP), it’s not a bad place to keep stacking.
“He’s a hot streak type of guy. He’s got a [heck] of a shot,” Tocchet said. “Sometimes I’d like to see him kind of just hit the net a little bit more, because he’s got a [heck] of a shot. You don’t have to be so fine sometimes.”
“A lot of goal scorers, they can hit the little orange in the net type of thing. But sometimes you just got to shoot it like it’s a basketball and the goals will go in.”
Breakaways
The Flyers will sport the same lineup that they’ve been using for the last few games. It means Barkey and defenseman Travis Sanheim, who each left the last game in Chicago before the holiday break early, are good to go. … Dan Vladař will get the start in goal against the Kraken. The Czech netminder is 7-1-1 with a 2.05 goals-against average and .905 save percentage against the team from the Pacific Northwest.
Guests surrounded the roulette tables, lined up their chips, and prepared for a night of giving back at the fourth annual Flyers Casino Night. Each year the fundraiser invites fans to interact with players as they participate in casino-style games, making it a team-favorite event.
“It’s a great night for a good cause,” said goaltender Samuel Ersson. “It’s one of those nights you always look forward to and circle on your calendar. So it’s nice to finally be here.”
Similar to last year’s Casino Night, the event featured a silent auction that included signed memorabilia from a number of different Philly athlete of all sports — including a pair of signed Allen Iverson Reeboks — as well as trips to destination vacation spots such as Italy, Mexico, and Croatia, and plenty of signed Flyers merch.
All proceeds from the event go toward Flyers Charities, to support their mission of “creating strong communities by eliminating financial barriers and reviving play spaces to grow the game of hockey and aiding local families affected by cancer throughout the Greater Philadelphia region.”
According to Blair Listino, the president of Flyers Charities, the event continues to grow each year — adding more sponsors and even more fan activations, including a new venue, a new area for guests to get live watercolor portraits, and a spot to make their own Boxbar charm bracelets.
“Every year we try to be a little bit creative about different prizes,” said Listino, who is also CFO of Comcast Spectacor and the Flyers’ alternate governor. “And every year there’s a lot of new faces. We have a lot of new sponsors and I think it’s really exciting. It’s just showing that this event has been growing every single year and more people want to get involved.”
Jamie Drysdale shows off his new suit on the red carpet.
Vie, located on Broad Street, rolled out the red carpet and players dressed to impress as they prepared to interact with fans. Flyers centers Christian Dvorak and Trevor Zegras arrived in Christian Dior and Ferragamo dress shoes, respectively. Meanwhile, 23-year-old defenseman Jamie Drysdale made a last-minute trip to State & Liberty on Walnut Street.
“Well, I didn’t have a black suit,” Drysdale said. “And I figured Casino Night you kind of need a darker suit — navy, black. So, I went out and got this yesterday.”
Although each player had a different red carpet look, they each shared the same answer when asked what they were looking forward to the most from the night: celebrating a good cause with fans.
“It’s awesome,” said forward Owen Tippett. “The fan interaction is a lot of fun. You get to meet all the fans that come out and support us, as well as mingle around and play games.”
Last season, through fundraising events like their Casino Night, Flyers Carnival, and Gritty 5K, Flyers Charities raised over $1.5 million.
