{"id":474467,"date":"2025-09-21T08:00:52","date_gmt":"2025-09-21T12:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=474467"},"modified":"2025-09-22T08:34:25","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T12:34:25","slug":"puck-drop-preview-2025-26-philadelphia-flyers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/09\/21\/puck-drop-preview-2025-26-philadelphia-flyers\/","title":{"rendered":"Puck Drop Preview 2025-26: Philadelphia Flyers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last Word on Hockey\u2019s Puck Drop Previews<\/a> are back for the 2025-26 season! As the regular season approaches, Last Word will preview each team\u2019s current outlook and stories to watch for the upcoming year. We\u2019ll also do our best to project how things will go for each team throughout the campaign. Today, we\u2019re previewing the 2025-26 Philadelphia Flyers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2025-26 Philadelphia Flyers<\/h2>\n

2024-25 Season<\/h3>\n

The Flyers endured a tough year, finishing 25th overall with a 33\u201339\u201310 record (76 points). While they showed flashes of progress under John Tortorella, major flaws remained across the lineup. Their offence was inconsistent, ranking just 2.83 goals per game, while defensive lapses pushed them to 28th in goals against at 3.45 per contest. Special teams were especially problematic, with a power play that ranked dead last in the NHL at 14.5 percent and a penalty kill that finished 20th at 77.6 percent.<\/p>\n

Matvei Michkov<\/a>\u2019s rookie season provided some optimism, but he often clashed with Tortorella over defensive play and ice time. Travis Konecny<\/a> led the offence again, while Sean Couturier<\/a> struggled to stay healthy and effective. On the blue line, Travis Sanheim<\/a> shouldered heavy minutes, but overall depth remained thin. Between the pipes, Samuel Ersson<\/a> showed flashes, yet Philadelphia\u2019s goaltending was a bottom-tier weakness all season.<\/p>\n

2025 Offseason<\/h3>\n

Change came quickly this summer. Philadelphia hired Rick Tocchet<\/a> as the franchise\u2019s 25th head coach, replacing Tortorella with a new voice but retaining the hard-working identity established over the past two years. Tocchet\u2019s mandate: improve player relationships, modernize the power play, and instill structure without stifling creativity.<\/p>\n

On the ice, the Flyers\u2019 biggest splash came via trade, acquiring Trevor Zegras<\/a> from Anaheim<\/a>. The 24-year-old centre brings the playmaking spark this roster has lacked for years. Christian Dvorak<\/a> also arrived to stabilize the middle six, while Dan Vladar was added to form a tandem with Ersson in net. Outgoing pieces included Ryan Poehling<\/a>, Freddy Gaudreau, and Declan Chisholm<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For Philadelphia, the focus turns to keeping Michkov on track while navigating a heavy cap sheet that still features Sean Couturier\u2019s long-term deal. Tyson Foerster<\/a>\u2019s development and Bobby Brink<\/a>\u2019s rise also factored into the club\u2019s planning. Philadelphia was ranked 15th in The Athletic\u2019s<\/a> \u201cMost Improved\u201d list, signalling cautious optimism but plenty of ground still to cover.<\/p>\n

Lineup Projections<\/h3>\n

Forwards<\/h4>\n
\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
LW<\/th>\nC<\/th>\nRW<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Matvei Michkov<\/td>\nSean Couturier<\/td>\nTravis Konecny<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Christian Dvorak<\/td>\nTrevor Zegras<\/td>\nOwen Tippett<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tyson Foerster<\/td>\nNoah Cates<\/a><\/td>\nBobby Brink<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nicolas Deslauriers<\/a><\/td>\nRodrigo Abols<\/a><\/td>\nGarnet Hathaway<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Top Six<\/h4>\n

The Flyers\u2019 top line centres on Michkov, Couturier, and Konecny. Michkov\u2019s offensive brilliance is undeniable, and Tocchet has emphasized that he\u2019ll get every chance to succeed, provided he buys into a more complete game. Konecny remains the engine, while Couturier\u2019s health will be crucial to anchoring this unit. The second line could be a swing factor. Zegras will get a long look down the middle, flanked by Tippett\u2019s shot and Dvorak\u2019s two-way ability. If Zegras flourishes, Philadelphia could finally have two legitimate scoring lines.<\/p>\n

Bottom Six<\/h4>\n

The third line blends upside and responsibility, with Foerster and Brink offering scoring punch around Cates\u2019 defensive reliability. The fourth line maintains grit with Hathaway and Deslauriers, joined by newcomer Abols. Compared to last year, the Flyers\u2019 bottom six has more balance, though finishing ability beyond Foerster remains a question mark.<\/p>\n

Defence<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
LD<\/th>\nRD<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Cam York<\/td>\nTravis Sanheim<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nick Seeler<\/a><\/td>\nJamie Drysdale<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Egor Zamula<\/a><\/td>\nNoah Juulsen<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Extras: Rasmus Ristolainen<\/a> (injured), Ryan Ellis<\/a> (LTIR)<\/p>\n

Top Four<\/h4>\n

Sanheim and York will carry the heaviest responsibilities, tasked with playing against elite opponents while moving the puck efficiently. Drysdale\u2019s health and progression are pivotal \u2014 if he takes another step, the second pairing could stabilize. Seeler continues to serve as a steady depth piece.<\/p>\n

Bottom Pair<\/h4>\n

Zamula and Juulsen round out the group, though neither is more than a depth option at this point. Ristolainen remains sidelined, and Ellis\u2019 contract is effectively permanent LTIR relief. The lack of top-end defensive talent remains one of Philadelphia\u2019s most glaring weaknesses.<\/p>\n

Goalies<\/h4>\n

Starter: Samuel Ersson
\nBackup: Dan Vladar<\/p>\n

Goaltending remains shaky. Ersson is the de facto starter after flashes of promise last year, but consistency is far from guaranteed. Vladar, acquired from Calgary, will compete for starts but his track record suggests he\u2019s more of a stopgap. This tandem may struggle to keep Philadelphia competitive, especially if the defensive structure falters.<\/p>\n

Players to Watch<\/h3>\n

Matvei Michkov \u2013 Entering his sophomore season, Michkov is expected to take another leap. Tocchet has challenged him to evolve into more than a pure scorer, and his ability to contribute in all situations will define his trajectory.<\/p>\n

Trevor Zegras \u2013 The new addition brings flair and offensive upside, but he arrives with questions about consistency and his ability to thrive as a full-time centre. If he clicks, Philadelphia\u2019s offence could finally push into the NHL\u2019s middle tier.<\/p>\n

Prediction for the 2025-26 Philadelphia Flyers<\/h3>\n

The Flyers remain in the early stages of their rebuild. Tocchet\u2019s arrival should improve relationships and accountability, but the roster still lacks a true No. 1 centre and elite defenceman. Zegras\u2019 addition adds intrigue, and Michkov\u2019s growth is the franchise\u2019s top storyline. Still, glaring issues in net and on the blue line temper expectations.<\/p>\n

Philadelphia should improve modestly, with potential to climb toward the mid-80s in points if everything breaks right. However, more likely is another finish in the bottom third of the league, with eyes firmly on development and the draft lottery. The contention window remains closed, but the long-term outlook hinges on Michkov, Zegras, and their young core proving they can be cornerstone pieces.<\/p>\n

Main Photo: Eric Hartline- Imagn Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last Word on Hockey\u2019s Puck Drop Previews are back for the 2025-26 season! As the regular season approaches, Last Word will preview each team\u2019s current outlook and stories to watch for the upcoming year. We\u2019ll also do our best to project how things will go for each team throughout the campaign. Today, we\u2019re previewing the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5399,"featured_media":474473,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16,4547,4548,4524],"tags":[7074,6082,5708,2012,3806],"class_list":["post-474467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-flyers","category-hockey","category-nhl","category-nhl-predictions","tag-matvei-michkov","tag-philadelphia-flyers-predictions","tag-puck-drop-preview","tag-rick-tocchet","tag-trevor-zegras"],"modified_by":"Michael Kovacs, ADMIN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5399"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=474467"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474467\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":474584,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474467\/revisions\/474584"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/474473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=474467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=474467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=474467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}