News Flyers Team Notes

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Flyers need to trade for Sam Ersson’s replacement sooner rather than later

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: The Philadelphia Flyers have a goaltending problem.

Coming into the season, the plan was for incumbent starter Samuel Ersson and free-agent signing Daniel Vladar to compete for starts and split time in the crease. It seemed like a fine plan at the time.

Ersson had shown flashes of potential to be a solid NHL goalie, most notably from his 14-8-2 stretch with a .917 save percentage from November 2023 to February 2024, before fatigue set in and he, like the Flyers, faltered down the stretch.

That’s quite possibly the high point of Ersson’s career thus far. He finished that season with an .890 SV%, which dropped down to .883 last season. Bringing in a veteran like Vladar should have been able to help Ersson get the workload he needs to be successful, but the Swedish netminder has folded.

Through 16 starts this season, Ersson has a career-low .858 save percentage and career-high 3.33 goals-against average. That’s the lowest save percentage among 75 goalies with at least five games played this season.

On the other hand, Vladar has held up his end of the bargain and then some.

How long can Dan Vladar hold this up for the Flyers?​

Despite not having started more than 29 games in a season during his NHL career, a mark he hit last year, he’s already tended the goal in 27 of the Flyers’ first 44 games. He’s done well with a starter’s workload thus far, but it’s unusual for a goalie with his experience to suddenly become a guy who can start 40 or 50 games. It can happen, and hopefully, Vladar is able to buck the trend, but the upcoming Olympics and subsequent condensed schedule will test his limits.

The Flyers have a back-to-back this week in Buffalo in Pittsburgh and another one in Columbus and Boston at the end of the month. They’re playing 10 games in 18 days. Even if they give Vladar an extra night off here or there — and there’s not exactly an easy opponent to do that against — that’s a lot of hockey for a goalie that hasn’t had a heavy workload in his career.

Things went from bad to worse for the Flyers’ goalie situation on Saturday night as the Lightning poured in seven goals on 23 shots against Ersson, who is clearly lacking confidence right now. So now the goalie who was given a vote of confidence from the organization time and time again could be on the outs, at least according to a report by Daily Faceoff’s Anthony DiMarco.

And unfortunately for Ersson, that’s exactly what the Flyers need to do.

Flyers need every point if they’re thinking playoffs​

Danny Briere & Co. signaled their belief in this year’s team when they signed Christian Dvorak to a five-year contract extension last week. Dvorak was a pending free agent having a career year who they likely could’ve traded for a nice package at the deadline. Instead, he’s entrenched as one of the team’s top centers for the next five years, and they need to operate as such.

Not only is Dvorak now extended, but the Eastern Conference, and particularly the Metropolitan Division, is wide open.

The Carolina Hurricanes are going to take one of the three playoff spots in the division, but then you have the Islanders, Flyers, Capitals, and Penguins all within four points of each other. The Devils have fallen to barely over .500, and the Rangers are in the basement.

If the Flyers can stay healthy and add a piece here or there without giving up much in terms of future assets, it’s silly not to. Nobody is claiming that this team will be able to win the Stanley Cup or even come close, but playoff experience is truly invaluable in this league. A rebuilding team that is on the cusp of turning that corner needs to get a taste or two of the postseason before it can be considered a true contender.

If this were a year or two ago, perhaps the Flyers could afford to wait it out and see if Ersson can reset in the coming weeks with the Olympic break — and maybe they still choose that route. But they saw two years ago how goaltending cost them a playoff spot with the likes of Cal Petersen and Felix Sandstrom losing costly points in a tight race.

The Flyers can no longer wait it out in the crease with Ersson. He’s shown the Flyers what he is, and although he still has the skills to be an NHL goalie, he’s not playing at that level right now. Maybe he’s able to bounce back in a new environment, but it’d make a ton of sense for the Flyers to swap him in a deal for a more proven veteran to split time with Vladar in the crease.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...erssons-replacement-sooner-rather-than-later/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

3 options for the Flyers to fix their Sam Ersson problem

On Saturday night, against the red-hot Tampa Bay Lightning, the Philadelphia Flyers aspired to take two points. Or at least get a loser point from the formidable foe. They were playing them again on Monday night for an oddly slated two-game miniseries with both games at Xfinity Mobile Arena. But after giving up the first goal to a wide-open Nikita Kucherov less than two minutes in, Philadelphia’s Garnet Hathaway’s first of the year tied things up. After that, Ersson should’ve settled down. Should have.

Unfortunately, Ersson began looking a bit leaky, then a lot leaky. By the third period, Tampa was essentially shooting the puck in the same area against Ersson. And Ersson, whether hoping to get pulled or hoping the Flyers would play with six skaters the rest of the game, had no answers. A miserable 7-2 outing that saw him stop 16 out of 23 shots. That works out to a .696 save percentage. Afterwards, Tocchet said he had a rough night but didn’t put much stock in Ersson getting the Bronx cheers from fans after making a stop. Some players like Owen Tippett and others showed their support for the beleaguered backup, trying to spin what looks like a situation that continues to be in total freefall.

“Well, yeah, listen, we’re in a game of pressure and results, don’t get me wrong,” Tocchet said Wednesday after a practice. “I don’t want to put a ton of pressure on him. Does he know he has to play better? Yeah. Do we need some certain things from him? Yeah. But I don’t want him to go into every game saying, ‘Oh my god, if I let this goal go in, here we go again.’ We can’t have that attitude. So we got to help him out. And helping out is not turning over the puck and giving a guy a breakaway the first 10 minutes of the game. Last night we gave another breakaway to a team because somebody mismanaged the puck at the blue line. You can help your goalie that way. You can play better in front of him.”

Ersson has two wins since the start of December. In 16 starts this year, he has had four games over a .900 save percentage, often considered the line separating competent National Hockey League goaltenders from those who are probably a stopgap at best. And with the Flyers needing to get something far more than an .858 save percentage the rest of the way to keep their playoff chances alive from their “B” goaltender, it appears Philadelphia might have to look at a few different options to get things back on track.

We’ll look at a few options available to the Flyers if they decide to do something with Ersson. This won’t be a dive into available backup goalies and what would be needed to land a new backup. But given how poorly Ersson has been overall (despite some bright spots in overtimes and shootouts), it’s a conversation that Tocchet and Flyers general manager Danny Briere are going to have to have. That’s assuming that chat hasn’t started already.

Option 1: Some time to reset​

As most will recall last season, Philadelphia wasn’t averse to having a three-ring circus in goal last season. Ersson, Ivan Fedotov, and Aleksei Kolosov were up with the big club for various stretches of the 2024-25 campaign. And while nothing really worked, it was an option that Philadelphia decided to go with. Nobody was expecting them to be in playoff contention. And with the team selling pieces off in January 2025, having bad goaltending only improved chances for more lottery balls in the draft.

So, while it would be a situation where some moves down the ladder would be required, especially in Lehigh Valley, it might be an option to call up Aleksei Kolosov for a few games. The simplest thing would be to call Kolosov up as the Flyers sent down defenseman Adam Ginning back to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Tuesday. However, if Jamie Drysdale is back in the lineup, then Briere would have to figure out another way to maintain three goaltenders on the 23-man roster. The only other logical possibility would be sending Denver Barkey back to Lehigh Valley for a few games to get Kolosov some action without making any move with Ersson. But that seems it might be a bit of a long shot given Barkey’s play in his first three weeks of action.

Having Kolosov in between the pipes might briefly help the situation, especially if Philadelphia opted to go that route with a back-to-back against Buffalo and Pittsburgh Wednesday and Thursday night. They also have another back-to-back near the end of the month against Columbus and Boston. Otherwise, it appears Ersson will be in for one of those two games this week. While nobody will come out and say it, it’s no secret that the Flyers clearly can’t be pleased with how Ersson has fared in recent weeks.

Option 2: Sending Ersson down​

Which brings up to the second possibility. If the Flyers decide they don’t want to temporarily rehash the three-man goaltending blueprint like last year, then they could decide to send Sam Ersson down to Lehigh Valley. Being 25 years of age, Ersson would have to be placed on waivers in order to be sent down. Given how undesirable some of his numbers and metrics are, it’s probably a strong chance that nobody would decide to take a chance on the Swedish goaltender and claim him. If another team did, that would take care of Ersson’s cap hit and roster spot. But most likely Ersson would not get claimed. After clearing waivers, that would probably leave Philadelphia with calling up Kolosov to be Dan Vladar’s backup. Or the Flyers could give Carson Bjarnason a shot and see what he could do in a handful of games while Ersson gets some game action in the minors against lesser competition.

A few games where he can regain his confidence, look sharp, and get a few wins under his belt might be the best case scenario currently. Especially if Ersson has any chance of being in the picture once the 2025-26 season concludes. As it stands now, he’ll have to have one hell of a second half if he’s going to remain in the mix for one of the two spots this coming September. Maybe some time in the American Hockey League could be just what the doctor ordered.

Option 3: The ejection button​

Philadelphia would have to have kicked a few tires if they decided to sever ties with Ersson this far into the season. A trade possibility would have to be sweetened with picks and a prospect. And that’s a road Briere doesn’t look like he’ll venture down to remove himself of what’ll be a half season of the Swedish keeper. Nobody is eagerly looking to improve their goaltending position and looking at Sam Ersson as a viable option. It also seems likely Ersson won’t be receiving a qualifying offer for $1.6 million being a restricted free agent at year’s end. As for a buyout, well the buyout window has closed for Ersson, so they can’t simply part company with him and pay him a portion of his salary next year.

So while it’s possible Philadelphia could bury his contract for the rest of the year, it appears that this option of simply cutting ties via trade or some other route might be the most unlikely. It’s been a trying few seasons for Ersson, thrust into a starter’s role he clearly wasn’t ready for the second half of 2023-24. And part of a gong show that composed most of last year with himself, Fedotov and Kolosov. He’s still relatively young for a goaltender being just 25. But it just hasn’t been working like probably he and the Flyers would like it to be. Nobody wanted this to happen to Sam Ersson. But the numbers don’t like. And the current numbers make a playoff position all the more difficult given the condensed schedule. Should Tocchet go the route of using Vladar 30 to 35 games the rest of the way, then the backup position is irrelevant. That’s an option that doesn’t seem to be on the table. At least not right now.

As it stands, Philadelphia have some options. But the option of Sam Ersson providing decent to quality starts as a backup to Vladar is losing his luster daily.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/3-options-for-the-flyers-to-fix-their-sam-ersson-problem/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Takeaways: Flyers fall flat against Sabres, hit three games winless

The Flyers kicked off their two-game road trip this evening up in Buffalo, and in a matchup which they approached with the aim of hitting the reset button and righting the ship after two tough losses to the Lightning, instead they fell flat, dropping this game by another lopsided score of 5-2.

The Basics​

First period: 9:30- Rasmus Dahlin (Doan, Thompson)PPG, 15:13- Mattias Samuelsson (Ostlund, Doan)
Second period: 4:22- Jack Quinn (McLeod, Benson), 10:28- Owen Tippett (Cates), 13:51- Rasmus Dahlin (Norris, Thompson)PPG
Third period: 7:37- Trevor Zegras (Konecny, Tippett)PPG, 19:20- Ryan McLeod (Tuch)EN
SOG: 22 (PHI) – 14 (BUF)

Some Takeaways​

A missed opportunity early

It’s safe to say that, coming off of such brutal losses to the Lightning as they did, and with the team still looking around for answers on how to right the ship, the Flyers came into this game with desperation already beginning to mount, and they really needed to find a way to make a strong statement through the early goings. And the Flyers were handed a prime opportunity to do just that, when not even two minutes into the game, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen officially hooked (effectively tackled) Christian Dvorak in a wild play and sent the Flyers to the power play.

This was a power play, though, that the Flyers ended up pretty completely squandering. They didn’t have much going in the way of dangerous penalties, and not only did they fail to take advantage of the opportunity to pull ahead early, but the big kill handed some momentum over to the Sabres, and, what’s more, they added insult to injury by converting on their first power play of the night a little over five minutes later.

A strange night for goaltending

It wasn’t much of a surprise that the Flyers went right back to Dan Vladar for this start, as he remained the hotter hand, despite still needing a chance to bounce back from a middling showing on Monday against Tampa. His night started out quite easily, as it took more than nine minutes before he had to stop his first shot of the game, but things did pick up through the back half of the period. The Sabres put up five shots through the rest of the frame, including two goals, and Vladar seemed to be struggling a bit with what they were throwing at him (and not getting much support in dealing with it). And, to make matters worse, he seemed to take an injury to the lower body late in the first period, and was pulled from the game at the first intermission.

And the rest of the evening for Ersson, despite the two more goals allowed, was fine, was certainly a big improvement from his last outing on Saturday. This wasn’t a game where he was getting a huge amount of support defensively from the skaters in front of him, but it was a real positive to see him tracking the shots coming at him better, on the whole. Here’s hoping that this can be a first step back in the right direction for him — the Flyers are certainly going to need it, as Vladar’s status remains uncertain.

Some offense, eventually

If there are some small positives to be found in the midst of all of this, it would be in the offense that the Flyers were able to generate in this one. They got their first goal of the night from Owen Tippett in the second period, as the Flyers were able to capitalize on a turnover in the neutral zone to create a rush right back into the Sabres’ zone, and Tippett beat Luukkonen with a quick shot. It was a nice little boost for the team, and an equally nice reward for Tippett, who was buzzing in this one, and very nearly got the Flyers on the board early in this one, setting up Nikita Grebenkin for an excellent shot right on top of the goaltender, which was somehow saved.

The Flyers also managed to redeem themselves a little bit on the man-advantage, as they picked up their second and final goal of the evening on the power play, with Travis Konecny sending a sweet pass across the crease to a crashing Trevor Zegras.

Keep fighting. #PHIvsBUF | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/rJHBY67dHh

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) January 15, 2026​

It may have been too little too late, but it was still a nifty little goal.

Lost battles

There is a lot that can be taken from this game as an area or element in need of improvement for the Flyers, but perhaps the most concerning is their puck management. They struggled in this department in their pair of games against the Lightning, and it seemed that they still couldn’t shake off those struggles in this one. The Flyers’ play with the puck was not their most focused — there were several poorly timed turnovers, and they struggled across the whole of the night to come away with pucks in their battles along the boards. If it was a possession game that they were trying to maintain, they weren’t all pulling in the same direction.

The importance of winning battles and being hard to play against is something which is stressed to the point of being cliche, but it remains that it is a fundamental, and for good reason, as we’re seeing clearly with the Flyers how badly things can go sideways when they don’t stick to that tenant.

Standings check-in

We spoke before this game about the importance of this two-game road trip for the Flyers, as they found themselves tied in the standings with the Sabres and the Penguins, all sitting with 52 standings points, all sitting in that final spot outside of the wildcard picture. Now, as the Flyers lost this first head-to-head, the Sabres have pushed themselves back up into that final wildcard spot, while the Flyers effectively drop back another spot, and are at risk of dropping back even further if they don’t pull off some magic against the Penguins tomorrow night. Desperate times are approaching, and they need to figure something out quick.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...-flat-against-sabres-hit-three-games-winless/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Flyers recall Aleksei Kolosov with Dan Vladar out injured

A nightmare has struck the city of Philadelphia. During the Flyers’ big and embarrassing loss to the Buffalo Sabres Wednesday night, goaltender Dan Vladar suffered an injury and had to be pulled after the first period.

While the Flyers confirmed the swap to put Sam Ersson in was due to injury (and not for allowing two goals on five shots in 20 minutes), the true confirmation that Vladar is going to at least miss Thursday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins came the morning after. According to multiple reports, the Flyers are recalling young netminder Aleksei Kolosov ahead of the game on the other side of the state.

No surprise here, but told from a league source that goalie Aleksei Kolosov will be recalled to the Flyers for tonight's game in Pittsburgh.

— Kevin Kurz (@KKurzNHL) January 15, 2026​

Flyers recall Aleksei Kolosov in middle of potential goaltending crisis​

Kolosov of course has some baggage with the Flyers and the fan base. The 24-year-old Belarussian netminder was part of the nasty and dysfunctional three-goaltender crease last season and through 17 games, earned an .867 save percentage and a 3.59 goals against average — was essentially one of the worst goalies in the entire NHL, but he believed he belonged there. And even so, his stretches in the AHL (when he was sent down last season), weren’t much better as they came together for an abysmal .884 save percentage and 3.11 goals against average.

But this season, after understanding what league he should really be in at his level, has been a different story. In 19 games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Kolosov has earned a much better .908 save percentage and a 2.54 goals against average. And when the Flyers needed him back in November, was sufficient enough. He stopped all seven shots after coming in relief against the Maple Leafs and then during his start against the Flames, saved 19 of 21 shots for a .905 save percentage. That’s a whole lot better than what we all saw last year.

To make this move work, since the Flyers have a full 23-man roster, they are moving forward Bobby Brink to the injured reserve list retroactively to January 6. By doing this, since Brink can be then brought back on the regular roster at any time (having already passed the seven-day minimum that is required for the injured reserve list) — if they moved Vladar to the injured reserve list instead, they would have to wait that whole seven days to then bring him back.

This is basically ensuring that they are not completely sure how severe Vladar’s injury is. They know that he will not be healthy enough to be a part of the tandem Thursday night in Pittsburgh, but beyond that? No clue. There are brief glimpses during Wednesday night’s broadcast where you could see that the Flyers starter was laboring on some saves, but it’s not certain.

According to The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz, Vladar’s injury is “not too serious”, and the team is just waiting for some results to come back. That’s at least some good news that the Flyers’ season isn’t now doomed with Vladar out.

It will be very interesting to see just who starts Thursday night against the Penguins, though. Sam Ersson is the easy answer as the more experienced netminder, but with his massive failures in between the pipes this season and the team allegedly looking for his replacement, could they just throw Kolosov in a starting role right away to see if he can handle replacing Ersson full-time? Maybe.

This game just feels like a loss, anyways.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/flyers-recall-aleksei-kolosov-with-dan-vladar-out-injured/

 

[JJ]

OH BOY where do I even start with this dumpster fire?!

Look, as a Sabres fan I gotta say THANKS FOR THE TWO POINTS PHILLY! Dahlin with two power play goals? Samuelsson getting on the board? You guys basically gift wrapped that game for us. We needed that win just as bad as you did and you rolled over like a dog wanting belly rubs.

But seriously, watching this goaltending situation unfold is absolutely BRUTAL. Ersson putting up an .858 save percentage is legitimately horrific - that's backup goalie in the ECHL numbers, not NHL starter numbers. And now Vladar goes down with an injury? That's just cruel. The hockey gods are NOT smiling on Philadelphia right now.

Calling up Kolosov is... a choice. Kid had a rough go last year but he's been better in the AHL this season. Still, throwing him into a divisional game against Pittsburgh when your playoff hopes are hanging by a thread? That's asking a LOT from a guy who clearly wasn't ready for the show last year.

The real kicker here is you guys are RIGHT THERE in the standings. Four points separating like five teams fighting for wildcard spots. This was the WORST possible time for your goaltending to completely implode. Every game matters and you're out here getting boat raced by Tampa and then handing us a W on a silver platter.

Ersson needs to either figure it out in the minors or you gotta move on. Sometimes it just doesn't work out and that's okay. Not every prospect pans out.

Good luck against the Pens tomorrow - you're gonna need it!

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Takeaways: Barkey shines, Michkov fights, but Flyers fall flat in 6-3 loss to Penguins

The Philadelphia Flyers extended their losing streak, this one a 6-3 loss to the Penguins in a game that saw Denver Barkey with a pair of assists and Matvei Michkov fighting for the first time, sticking up for the youngster in the third period.

The basics​

First period: 2:16- Justin Brazeau (Ben Kindel, Anthony Mantha) (PPG), 12:25- Bryan Rust (Kris Letang, Sidney Crosby) (PPG)
Second period: 1:16- Egor Chinakhov (Evgeni Malkin, Tommy Novak), 2:17- Rodrigo Abols (Cam York, Carl Grundstrom), 18:29- Noel Acciari (Blake Lizotte)
Third period: 3:10- Sidney Crosby (Evgeni Malkin, Rickard Rakell) (PPG), 4:27- Connor Dewar (Tommy Novak), 10:54- Nick Seeler (Denver Barkey, Noah Juulsen), 17:25- Matvei Michkov (Denver Barkey, Sean Couturier)
SOG: 33 (PHI) – 30 (PIT)

Some takeaways​

Ersson back to back?

Sam Ersson replaced the injured Dan Vladar on Wednesday night in Buffalo, coming in relief the final 40 minutes. Although some might have suspected Aleksei Kolosov might have made the start given Ersson’s appearance last night, the Flyers went with Ersson. And the Flyers did absolutely nothing to help him out in the first period. The Flyers took one dumb penalty after another, leaving Ersson hung out to dry. After making it 2-0, Philadelphia gave up another golden chance that Ersson stopped, keeping his team in it momentarily. And later in the first, the Flyers were hemmed in their own zone for nearly 90 seconds. Despite giving up a pair, Ersson made some key saves to keep it from being a laugher so early.

However, under two minutes into the second, Egor Chinakhov buried one by Ersson, quickly turning the game into a slow but steady laugher. It nearly marked the end of the night for the goaltender. Nearly. See below.

A WTF moment

Philadelphia finally got back in the game a little bit, with a Cam York shot deflected by Rodrigo Abols to make it a 3-1 game.

Abols tips home a Cam York shot!#LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/emp6WltxTq

— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) January 16, 2026

After the Flyers scored their first of the night, Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet pulled Ersson, replacing him with Aleksei Kolosov. It seemed like an extremely bizarre time to make the switch, especially considering how the Flyers at least made it a two-goal game. But whether it was because of playing last night, or simply that Tocchet has little trust in Ersson, Kolosov made his second appearance of the season.

Aleksei wasn’t aces

Aleksei Kolosov kept Philadelphia in it despite not having a lot of action. His biggest of the night was with five minutes left in the second when Anthony Mantha was stoned by the Flyers netminder, swallowing the puck and not allowing a rebound. However, the Flyers were just not getting much in the way of good bounces. Late in the second, a back-breaking goal gave Pittsburgh a 4-1 lead as the puck bounced slowly over Kolosov’s back and into the net. Unfortunately, on the next shift, a similar shot at Skinner arced but didn’t end up in the net.

Look at Accairi’s goal

pic.twitter.com/efiytsLUYo

— Ken (@Ken_PittDSEN) January 16, 2026

In the third, Kolosov didn’t make many saves but didn’t have much help.

Barkey returns

After missing Wednesday night’s game against Buffalo (healthy scratch), forward Denver Barkey returned to the lineup. It was a busy day for the youngster, after being named the Lehigh Valley Phantoms representative at the upcoming American Hockey League All-Star Classic. And it was Barkey who finally got the first great chance, drawing a penalty before hitting the iron with a backhand. Barkey, who found himself with Sean Couturier and Matvei Michkov, set up Michkov nicely on the Flyers’ first power play. But as has been the norm, nothing materialized.

Later in the first, on Philadelphia’s second power play, Barkey was the only one who was able to generate a credible scoring chance, delivering a great pass into the slot that was foiled by Penguins keeper Stuart Skinner. Barkey seemed to be one of the few forwards who looked like he has some jump in him. And in the second period, the Flyers followed suit. For some reason, as badly as they looked in the first, they were buzzing in the second. Some great chances by Michkov and Barkey in front were stopped, but all four lines kept coming. Eight minutes into the second, the Flyers had 20 shot attempts compared to the Penguins’ three.

Through 40 minutes, Barkey had a stellar Corsi For percentage (73.33 per cent), second only to his center Sean Couturier who was at 76.47 per cent five-on-five. And he thankfully wasn’t hurt on a hard hit in the third (more about that later). He did get a primary assist on Nick Seeler’s goal to make it a 6-2 affair. And he made a beautiful pass to Michkov late in the game to get a pair of primary helpers.

Special teams are special for the wrong reasons

The Flyers were put to the test right off the bat when, 23 seconds in, Cam York took a hooking minor. The penalty kill, which was been leaking badly since 2026 commenced, held its own through the first minute, with Noah Cates having the best chance short-handed. Yet the Penguins came down, set up a play with a few passes, and Justin Brazeau tipped the puck in on one knee. Once again, another power play goal given up. Another early goal against. And what seems like the 50th time Philadelphia gave up the first goal (actually just the 32nd time).

#137: Justin Brazeau (13) pic.twitter.com/mF7rWWXdU7

— nhlpens (@nhlpens) January 16, 2026

Less than two minutes later, the Flyers took another moronic minor, this time Travis Sanheim with a high-sticking infraction. Although it didn’t end up being four minutes, the Flyers had ample opportunities to clear before finally getting the puck down the ice a minute in. The Flyers killed one. But they clearly learned nothing as, 12 minutes in, Garnet Hathaway took another minor, this one on a tripping call. And seconds later it was 2-0. Overall the Flyers gave up three power play goals, dropping them further down the rankings and looking like they had no answers.

Strong game from Michkov

We’re not entirely sure if Barkey’s presence has rubbed off on the Mad Russian. But Michkov was clearly engaged on this night. He looked like his old self, creating chances with some nice passes and going into the crease, taking the punishment needed to try and get the Flyers goals. Of course, he didn’t end up scoring, but he looked far better in this game then he has in the last few weeks as Philadelphia had a bevy of scoring chances in the middle period.

Michkov also dropped the gloves in the third, the first fight in his career it seems and against a rather tough guy in Blake Lizotte. Seconds after Denver Barkey got levelled in the neutral zone with a clean but heavy hit, Michkov fought and got an extra two minutes for instigating. It might not mean a lot in the outcome of the game, but it might have made huge inroads with his teammates and particularly the coaching staff.

MATVEI MICHKOV DROPS EM TO PROTECT DENVER BARKEY! HE FINALLY GOT HIS FIGHT. GOOD STUFF KID.#LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/cCLKSY5RhS

— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) January 16, 2026

The minor resulted in Pittsburgh scoring another power play goal, making it 5-1. And by then, the wheels fell off, the train tracks caught on fire, and the Flyers headed over the cliff. Sadly, there was still 15 minutes to go. But the pair of Michkov and Barkey found some great magic late. Barkey fed Michkov who put a one-time in the net for his first goal against a goalie in some time. A silver lining in what was a rather miserable night.

Matvei Michkov goal! Beautiful shot, Barkey gets his 2nd assist of the night as well! These 2 have been the only positive tonight.#LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/cVzOTP7HYq

— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) January 16, 2026

Finally some urgency, albeit too late

It’s been a while, but Philadelphia must have got the message after the first period. Whether Tocchet ripped a strip off them or read them a riot act, the Flyers looked like a far different, more disciplined, and more defensive-oriented than at any point in the opening 20 minutes. The energy and passion was there, which should’ve been there from the start. And in the end, the Flyers weren’t victorious. However, if there’s any building block to emerge from this contest, it’s that they looked more like the Flyers the first half of the season in period two than at any point in this now four-game losing streak.

In the third, Zegras had a great chance early, but couldn’t put it home. Then, as mentioned, everything fell apart. Most of the third was spent simply hoping the clock wouldn’t stop and they could get out of town as quickly as possible.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...but-flyers-fall-flat-in-6-3-loss-to-penguins/

 

[JJ]

OH MAN you guys are in a full blown CRISIS right now and I'm not even gonna pretend I feel bad about it! Four game losing streak, getting absolutely TORCHED on special teams, and your goaltending situation is somehow getting WORSE by the day.

But real talk - that Michkov fight was actually pretty awesome. Kid saw his buddy Barkey get lit up and immediately dropped the gloves against Lizotte who is NOT a guy you want to mess with. That's the kind of stuff that earns you respect in the room. Doesn't matter that he probably lost the fight, that's a 20 year old Russian kid showing he'll go to war for his teammates. LOVE to see it even if it is against my interests as a division rival.

The Barkey-Michkov connection is legitimately scary though. Two primary assists and a 73% Corsi? That kid is going to be a PROBLEM for the rest of the league when you guys figure out your goaltending. And that late goal where Barkey fed Michkov for the one-timer? That was FILTHY. Those two have serious chemistry brewing.

But HOLY CRAP your penalty kill is an absolute dumpster fire! Three power play goals against the PENGUINS?! Taking stupid penalties in the first minute of the game?! That's just undisciplined hockey and Tocchet has gotta be losing his mind right now.

The decision to pull Ersson AFTER you scored to make it 3-1 is genuinely one of the most baffling coaching decisions I've seen this year. Like... WHAT?! You finally get some momentum and you yank your goalie? I don't get it.

Anyway, thanks for the points Wednesday and enjoy the basement with us!

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

5 burning questions that will define the rest of Flyers’ season

From where we are right now, the Philadelphia Flyers’ season is one that has given us a lot of hope but at the same time, the same old problems have bubbled up to the surface to give us the most sour taste in our mouths. Some promise, something to look forward to as some players progress, but then things about this team that fans have been complaining about for decades, are still extremely present.

As it stands it shouldn’t be considered a step back or even the status quo, but a slight step forward as they continue this very long path to becoming a consistent Stanley Cup contender. That all depends on how the Flyers finish the season, though.

With 36 games remaining in the season and the Flyers out of a playoff spot for the first time in months due to a recent slide, it’s probably time to really bring some questions to the table. Questions that we should all be asking and then find the answer to after Game 82 and the team is wherever they will be.

Can Dan Vladar keep this up?​

A team lives and dies with their goalie and right now the Flyers are certainly living just enough to get by — maybe not yet considered to be on life support but hanging in there. And it’s all thanks to Dan Vladar. The free agent acquisition was not supposed to be this but he quickly became the Flyers’ top-of-the-pile starting goaltender as Sam Ersson quickly showed that he might not even be an NHL-caliber backup.

Vladar and his .905 save percentage is incredibly important for the Flyers if they even want to think about the playoffs. With the other option being “allow so many more goals that this offensively dry team will never score enough goals to overcome”, the Flyers are going to continue leaning on this career backup to be their starter.

But that’s where the issue and nucleus of this question lies — can Vladar, who is going to play more games than he ever has in a single season before this month ends (if he returns from injury soon), continue this level of play? Even if his save percentage just stays above the .900 mark, that’s good enough for the Flyers to at least continue hanging around the playoff bubble and not tumble down the standings like an endless flight of stairs.

Will Matvei Michkov ever show more of his old self?​

At this point, we are on our knees and begging for Matvei Michkov to revert back to what we saw during his rookie year. There are so many factors as to why Michkov is having an almost disastrous sophomore slump — new coaching, inconsistent teammates, him not showing up to training camp in shape — but at this point we are just wanting to throw all the excuses away and drool at what we see on the ice.

There was several moments last season where we all collectively thought that Michkov could turn into this offensive dynamo that takes over the NHL scoring race and earns points with the wave of his glove. All that has gone away and even if he’s in much better shape, the poor start seems to have affected the 20-year-old’s entire campaign.

Michkov is currently on pace to finish with roughly 43 points this season. It’s not the end of the world, but it will certainly be a blemish on his career statistics page from here on out. He can fix that with just going off for a week or two. Maybe the Olympic break will serve him well and just like he did after the 4 Nations Face-Off forcing the NHL to pause and for him to rest for multiple weeks; Michkov will come back with a fire in his belly and tear defenses apart for the rest of the season.

Let’s just hope — but it really affects the entire thing the Flyers have going on heading into the offseason if we never see it for the rest of the year.

Can the special teams improve at all?​

We all knew the Flyers’ power play sucked and while there was hope at the beginning of the season that it would not — that quickly fell apart. And now, one of the few strengths this team had, the penalty kill, is also being atrocious and losing them games.

The Flyers have been perfectly fine and staying above water at 5-on-5, but it is the complete inability to do anything meaningful on the power play, tied into the fact that they are not even close to being good at preventing opposing power plays from scoring goals, that is truly sinking them.

If the Flyers’ special teams stay where they are — the worst power play in the NHL and a bottom-10 penalty kill — there is no true way Philadelphia is able to climb into the playoffs and find any success. That is what an entire season can hinge on, just being able to have pucks go your way when the teams don’t have the same number of players, and it’s a desperate situation for the Flyers the rest of the way.

How much more can Trevor Zegras do?​

Ever since he stepped foot onto the ice as a Philadelphia Flyer, Trevor Zegras has worked towards completely shedding whatever misnomer he had draped over him due to the past two years in Anaheim. By now, he should be completely clean. One of the team leaders in almost every single offensive category you can think of, Zegras has come to Philadelphia and completely revitalized his career and is looking to stay with the Flyers for a very long time.

But with him doing so as a new member of this team, there is always a creeping doubt that as he nears restricted free agency, that there is just a little bit of luck going into his performances and production. Some nights, Zegras just isn’t really there and it’s becoming more and more often as the Flyers continue down this slight descent out of the playoffs.

It is almost certainly just the entire team being bad affecting his play, but there is always the harsh question of whether or not Zegras is the player you commit long-term dollars to and that question needs to be answered very soon.

Additionally, there might be a whole new level we haven’t see of his. There have been some jaw-dropping plays, but maybe to get out of this slump, it will be Zegras singlehandedly pulling the entire team to some wins — really showcasing that he can be that top-of-the-lineup game-breaking forward that this team has needed for quite a while.

What will the Flyers’ trade deadline look like?​

What’s better than when your favorite team makes some transactions? Almost certainly nothing. While the Flyers aren’t projected to be one of the main characters surrounding the March 6 trade deadline, there are some possible moves that can shake up this roster.

Rasmus Ristolainen could be dealt as the Flyers shed his remaining contract and provide room for a younger defenseman (and one that might actually still be here when the team is consistently good again) to take his place. Other peripheral players like Garnet Hathaway, Nick Seeler, and Nic Deslauriers could be sought-after veterans on the move, but it feels unlikely that this front office would want to get rid of their experience.

Going the other way — could we even see the Flyers bring some more long-term pieces in? General manager Danny Briere has already said that he’s not going to be trading for significant rentals this season, but if a player who they think fits well into their plans suddenly becomes available, could a move be made?

Heck, we might even see a minor trade for a better backup goalie, or a forward brought in to supplement the depth of this team and we’re not depending on Deslauriers to actually play hockey on the fourth line anymore.

Some trades should be made — it would be weird if there were absolutely zero — but what specific kinds of trades is still a mystery.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...s-that-will-define-the-rest-of-flyers-season/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Free-falling Flyers must beat Rangers to avoid full-on panic mode

The Philadelphia Flyers were a resilient team in the first half of the season.

Through their first 41 games, the Flyers only lost consecutive games five times, and only one time were those back-to-back losses in regulation. Their longest losing streak was three games, but they earned a point in each of those losses against top teams in the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes.

So when the Flyers dominated the Ducks again in a Trevor Zegras revenge game to end the first half of the season, it may have been hard to imagine this five-game losing streak they’re now on.

But, in a way, it’s been justified.

The Flyers lost both Bobby Brink and Jamie Drysdale to injury in that win over the Ducks, and then Travis Konecny exited the next game against the Toronto Maple Leafs after two periods. That was a game that the Flyers should have won, but their power-play woes came back to haunt them as they failed to add on any insurance, ultimately losing 2-1 to Toronto in overtime.

Konecny joined Brink and Drysdale on the shelf for their next game, the first of two against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Mind you, the Lightning came into that game on an eight-game winning streak. A hot stretch that included victories over top teams like the Hurricanes and Avalanche. It was already a tall task going against a hot Tampa team, and doing so without three (four if you include Tyson Foerster) rather important players — please don’t argue about whether Brink is “important” in the comments — made it even tougher.

Add on top of that a shaky Sam Ersson in the crease, and the Flyers had no answers for Nikita Kucherov and the Lightning. That resulted in the Flyers’ worst loss of the season on Saturday night, and things didn’t get better in their matchup on Monday night against Tampa Bay, even with Konecny returning to the lineup and Dan Vladar in net.

A loss in a game that they should have won against the Maple Leafs quickly turned into a three-game losing streak, and a road back-to-back in Buffalo and Pittsburgh didn’t help this week. Neither did the sudden injury to Rasmus Ristolainen and Vladar, nor did the Sabres somehow becoming a powerhouse in recent weeks.

You can moan, “It’s the Sabres!” all you want, but this isn’t the same Buffalo squad that you might be thinking of. They’re 15-2-0 with a goal differential of 65-40 since December 9, and took down the Canadiens in their second half of a back-to-back on Thursday night.

It was truly unfortunate timing for the Flyers to run into the Lightning and Sabres, and having to go to Pittsburgh for the back-to-back on Thursday night was a spanking waiting to happen.

It may have been Ersson’s last chance to prove himself in Philadelphia, and after allowing a third goal early in the third period, but not being pulled until after the Flyers scored, that may have been his last game in Orange and Black.

All of this isn’t to absolve the Flyers for their play and, more importantly, effort over the past week. There have been plenty of mental and physical lapses on the ice, and when you combine that with injuries, a condensed schedule, and some hot opponents? Things can go from bad to worse pretty quickly.

Luckily, the Flyers get a bit of a reprieve when they return home to host the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon. This is as close to a must-win game as you can get at this point in the season for the Flyers given their recent skid and upcoming schedule.

Flyers must win Saturday matinee vs. Rangers​

For as bad as things are in Philadelphia right now, things are even worse for the Rangers. They’ve lost their last eight indoor games, getting outscored 41-17 in that span. They somehow kept their perfect record in outdoor games intact in the Winter Classic against the Panthers, but that was the exception to the norm.

It’s gotten so bad for the Rangers that Chris Drury issued a message to the fans on Friday afternoon.

A Message from Chris Drury to Our Fans pic.twitter.com/JVimBJ59B7

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 16, 2026

Since beating the Flyers on December 20 — which, once again, was a game that Philadelphia should’ve won –, the Rangers are just 2-7-2 with 30 goals scored and 47 goals allowed. They’ve been dealing with injuries, most notably to former Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox and former Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin, and are now at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Losing to the Rangers on Saturday afternoon at home simply can not happen.

The Flyers finally showed some fight in Pittsburgh on Thursday night, coming from an unlikely source. Matvei Michkov dropped the gloves for his first career fight to defend Denver Barkey after a hit from Blake Lizotte. Michkov went on to end his goal drought in the third period, thanks to an assist from his new linemate.

Looking at each of the last five losses, you can understand why the Flyers lost those games. You might not have liked the result, or more so the effort, but none of them were particularly surprising losses.

It’s not quite time to panic, but if they lose to the Rangers, the glass case is coming off that button, especially with a road trip out west to Vegas, Utah, and Colorado on tap next week.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...ust-beat-rangers-to-avoid-full-on-panic-mode/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Flyers vs. Rangers: How to watch, lineups, and gamethread

The Philadelphia Flyers are back home for exactly one game and it just so happens to be a fairly big one. The New York Rangers front office had to write their fans a letter for the second time and this is the first game where the team have the opportunity to respond. And, well, the Flyers have issues of their own with a hefty losing streak. Should be a, well, interesting one?

Puck drop: 1:00 p.m.
How to watch/listen:
: NBCSP
: 97.5 The Fanatic

Pregame reading​

• To really get a sense of how big this Saturday matinee can be for this team, Ryan Gilbert went straight for the jugular: If they don’t win against the Rangers then there should be massive panic. [BSH]
• Five burning questions that will define the rest of the Flyers’ season. Everything from special teams to whether or not we see some trade deadline action. [BSH]
• Denver Barkey was a healthy scratch in Buffalo but responded in a massive way against the Penguins, as he was one of the only effective forwards for the Flyers in Pittsburgh. [BSH]
• As the days progress since the Christian Dvorak signing, it really seems like the Flyers are flirting with disaster after signing the career depth center to that deal. [BSH]

Pregame watching​

By the numbers​

Philadelphia Flyers – 22-16-8 (5th in Metro)

Goals: Trevor Zegras (18)
Assists: Travis Konecny (25)
Points: Trevor Zegras (42)

New York Rangers – 20-22-6 (8th in Metro)

Goals: Mika Zibanejad (18)
Assists: Artemi Panarin (35)
Points: Artemi Panarin (51)

Projected lineups​

Philadelphia Flyers

Trevor Zegras — Christian Dvorak — Travis Konecny
Matvei Michkov — Sean Couturier — Carl Grundstrom
Denver Barkey — Noah Cates — Owen Tippett
Nikita Grebenkin — Rodrigo Abols — Garnet Hathaway

Cam York — Travis Sanheim
Emil Andrae — Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler — Noah Juulsen

Aleksei Kolosov
(Sam Ersson)

New York Rangers

Artemi Panarin — Vincent Trocheck — Alexis Lafreniere
Gabe Perreault — Mika Zibanejad — J.T. Miller
Brennan Othmann — Noah Laba — Will Cuylle
Taylor Raddysh — Sam Carrick — Jonny Brodzinski

Vladislav Gavrikov — Braden Schneider
Matthew Robertson — Will Borg

Storylines to watch​

They really need to show something

The Flyers are desperate. Heck, we are desperate for the Flyers. After losing a game they should’ve won against Toronto, suffering two horrible losses to a Stanley Cup contender in the form of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and then dropping games against potential peers, the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins, they need to show some fight.

Maybe the team just used up a month’s worth of effort on January 6 to show off against the visiting Ducks and Cutter Gauthier, but it really seems like they’re drained out there and can’t get a whole lot going. Specifically when it comes to both special teams, the Flyers have been just falling down on their face while on the ice. It’s been a little hard to watch.

On Saturday afternoon, they need to show some sign of life. Not just a couple players playing well, or a nice little defensive showing, but a spark of firepower or someone like Matvei Michkov going off — it would just mean more to see something significant like that happen and maybe even win the game.

The Denver Barkey and Matvei Michkov connection

On Thursday against the Penguins, Denver Barkey and Matvei Michkov were put on the same line for the first time and almost instantly formed a chemistry that led them to actually producing some points. On the Flyers’ second goal, it was Barkey and Michkov doing all the heavy lifting before Nick Seeler put it home (only the former earned a point on the play) and then we all saw what was coming: An outstanding and somewhat classic Michkov goal on an actual goalie, directly assisted by Barkey.

Now, the question is whether or not they will be sticking together (they better) and if we will be seeing the same level of play. Barkey should theoretically keep his tenacious forechecking against the Rangers, and Michkov has been getting better — so maybe we’ll see it continue?

How will the Rangers respond after the letter?

In case you didn’t know, the Rangers published a letter again. And we mean again because under former general manager Jeff Gorton, the team wrote the fans a letter back in 2018 all about their expectation to rebuild and how there will be upcoming pain — all the flowery language to just say that they’re switching paths. Well, that was before they won a couple draft lotteries and Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox fell into their laps.

But now, even with those very good players, they really stink. The Rangers are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a roster full of overpaid veterans and no real path to get to contending with the current assets they have, so current general manager Chris Drury penned another letter. But now it’s a “retool” instead of a “rebuild” — basically saying they will suck this year and maybe next year and they might trade off some long-time players (like Panarin) before the trade deadline on March 6.

So, now, in the first game since that new letter has been published and conversations with the team have been had, the Rangers are visiting the Flyers. It might just be a personal opinion, but this team might be as fired up as ever to try and prove that they don’t need to trade anyone away and they can win some games with the current situation they have going on.

In 2018, the first game after Gorton published his letter had the Rangers earn a 4-3 win over the Calgary Flames and then travel to Winnipeg for a 3-1 win over the Jets. And then, well, they went on a seven-game losing streak after that. So, they really put all the effort they had left into those games following that first letter — could they do the same here and we’ll see the floundering Flyers face a fired-up Rangers team?

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/flyers-vs-rangers-how-to-watch-lineups-and-gamethread/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Flyers recall defenseman Hunter McDonald from Phantoms

With the news made official today that the Flyers have placed defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen on Injured Reserve with an upper-body injury, and his timeline for return remaining a bit murky, the decision was made to bring up some reinforcements from the AHL, as their current mix on defense hasn’t really been cutting it. In the corresponding move to Ristolainen’s IR placement, the Flyers announced Saturday evening that they’ve recalled Hunter McDonald from the Phantoms.

And the choice to recall McDonald is, on the surface, a bit of a surprising one. McDonald has been playing well recently, but this is coming on the other side of a performance back on December 19 that was so off that it bought him a benching for the final period of the game and two games scratched after that. His response to that has been a notable uptick in his level of play, but he’s still not quite at the level of dominating at the AHL level. What’s more, there are others in the Phantoms’ lineup who have more experience at both the AHL and NHL levels in Adam Ginning and Helge Grans (while Grans also has the benefit of ticking the right handedness box as a replacement for Ristolainen as well).

But, at the same time, despite some time spent up on the roster already this year, the Flyers have shown some reticence to actually get Ginning into the lineup, and Grans has already been passed over for a recall this year in favor of getting Ty Murchison up to make his NHL debut last month. So, with Murchison out indefinitely with his injury, and Ginning and Grans both seemingly on the outside looking in on the organization’s favor — Grans also certainly didn’t do himself any favors, delivering a particularly poor showing last night against Bridgeport with Flyers management in the house — McDonald does seem a natural next choice to receive the call up.

In McDonald, though, the Flyers will get the closest stylistic approximation to Ristolainen, with his frame and mobility, his more grounded defensive game, and his heavy, eager physical presence. And while McDonald might not be the sure-thing to settle down their defense group as a whole — this would certainly be a lot to ask of any player coming up to make their debut into the league — his presence might still offer them a different tone, and what’s more, the Flyers will have a chance to see what another one of their prospects is able to do at this next level, with a new challenge in front of them.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/flyers-recall-defenseman-hunter-mcdonald-from-phantoms/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

‘We sucked’: Sean Couturier blunt after another embarrassing Flyers loss

The Philadelphia Flyers had an opportunity to get back on track at home on Saturday afternoon. Following a five-game losing streak that saw a combination of injuries, tough opponents, and scheduled losses pile up, a home matinee against the worst team in the Eastern Conference seemed like the chance to right the ship.

We wrote on Friday afternoon that the Flyers needed to beat the Rangers to avoid full-on panic mode. Hell, a decent effort in a loss would’ve been palatable after a few straight blowout losses. But that was not the case.

The Flyers did score first with Travis Konecny beating Spencer Martin off a great pass from Trevor Zegras, and it looked like maybe they would be able to end their skid. However, Rick Tocchet went with Aleksei Kolosov between the pipes, and his day was short-lived in the crease.

The Rangers scored on their first, second, and third shots of the game in a 1:20 span to end Kolosov’s afternoon. Not all of the goals were on Kolosov, as the Flyers continued their poor defensive play in front of whoever is in net, but the goalie looked lost out there, and he was quickly replaced by Sam Ersson.

Ersson did make some big saves in net, but he, too, allowed three goals, albeit on 25 shots, as the Rangers skated to a 6-3 victory in Philadelphia, and the New York fans made their presence felt.

If this were one loss mixed in with some up-and-down play, perhaps it could be overlooked. But this has become a theme over the last 10 days since beating the Anaheim Ducks. The Flyers haven’t had the effort they’ve needed, and they know it.

“We sucked,” Sean Couturier said after the Flyers’ sixth-straight loss. “Plain and simple.”

Sean Couturier: "We sucked. Plain and simple."

— Charlie O'Connor (@charlieo_conn) January 17, 2026

Couturier has just 25 points (5 goals, 20 assists) in 46 games this season. The captain hasn’t scored a goal since December 7 in a 3-2 loss to the Avalanche.

Things aren’t going to get any easier for the Flyers. In fact, the rest of the month only gets tougher from here.

Rasmus Ristolainen reportedly won’t travel with the team on their upcoming road trip, Bobby Brink remains out, and Rodrio Abols suffered a gruesome leg injury in Saturday’s loss. Dan Vladar may be able to return sometime in the next week or so, but even he can’t save the Flyers right now.

The Flyers now embark on a three-game road trip out west against some formidable opponents.

It starts on Monday night in Vegas against a Golden Knights team that won six straight heading into Saturday. The Mammoth are after that on Wednesday night, and Utah has gone 5-0-1 in its last six prior to Saturday’s game against the Kraken. And finally, the Flyers visit the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night to conclude the road trip. That’s the Avalanche team that is pacing to post one of the best records in NHL history.

The Flyers certainly sucked on Saturday afternoon, and this road trip might extend their losing streak to nine games. Something may have to happen sooner rather than later in Philadelphia.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...blunt-after-another-embarrassing-flyers-loss/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Flyers recall center Lane Pederson from Phantoms

The Flyers have been struck again by the injury bug. With Rodrigo Abols taking an injury in yesterday afternoon’s game against the Rangers and the prognosis immediately not looking so good, the time came again for the Flyers to dip into the well of options from the AHL squad to bring into the mix to help fill that role centering the fourth line.

For this, veteran centerman Lane Pederson was given the nod. Pederson has spent the better part of this season centering the Phantoms’ top line, and with that increase in usage has really carved out a nice role for himself — he sits, as we speak, as the Phantoms’ top producer, with 13 goals and 28 points through the first 37 games of the season.

He will join forwards Denver Barkey and Carl Grundstrom as well as defenseman Hunter McDonald (who was just recalled yesterday) in the growing contingent of Phantoms players now on the NHL roster.

What Pederson offers​

The choice to recall Pederson does not come as a surprise. His production is certainly worth the nod on its own, but what’s been particularly notable about his game is the consistency with which he’s been able to not just produce points, but also create a bulk of dangerous scoring chances. While not overly physical, his game is hard-nosed, and along with the bit of speed he brings along with him, he’s stepped up as an effective puck-possession player.

And even as his production has taken a bit of a dip over these last few games — he has just one point in the last three — he’s been around it a lot, having put 11 shots on goal between those last three games, and as recently as last night had two excellent scoring chances just pass him by as his shots have missed the net. All the same, his game has remained focused, unfrustrated, and he’s continued to show a commitment to getting to the right areas of the ice.

There is, in a way, a resilience to Pederson’s game, which is something which will be sorely needed as he jumps in with a Flyers team in the midst of a six-game losing skid, and the light at the end of the tunnel feeling quite distant indeed. He won’t have the same wealth of minutes at his disposal, nor quite the same caliber of linemates as far as the raw puck skill is concerned — though it is worth mentioning that he did show well in the handful of games he played with Carl Grundstrom on his wing in the early part of the season — but there’s reason for optimism here that he can bring a bit of pace to the mix and help to manufacture a bit of individual offense with that in the minutes he does get.

All in all, this recall is a deserved one for a player who’s been a nicely consistent contributor for the Phantoms so far, as well as a good faith gesture towards an organizational depth piece.

What this means for the Phantoms​

This move, of course, will have its implications of the Phantoms as well. This is a bit of a drain on their center pool, but barring further injuries, they have enough pieces to make it work. This will likely mean that Phil Tomasino will be promoted to center their top line, and most likely Tucker Robertson will slide back into a spot down the middle, while Karsen Dorwart — who had experienced a bit of a break from centering a line in favor of moving him up in the lineup and over to the wing to get his game going again, but saw himself moved back over to center for the first time in a couple of weeks last night — will also go back to centering his own line, meanwhile, they also have Zayde Wisdom as a pinch option to rotate in to a depth center role, as he’s done in flashes already this season.

It will be, as well, a significant drain on their offensive firepower. With Denver Barkey already up on his recall with the Flyers, and Alex Bump officially out week-to-week with his upper body injury, Pederson’s removal from the mix means that the Phantoms are now completely without their once unstoppable looking top line, and as the scoring has slowed down for them already, without one of their most consistent producers.

This all makes for an extra challenging situation for that group, but not one which is impossible to overcome. New opportunities will arise for new players, and it will be interesting to see what they do with them.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/flyers-recall-center-lane-pederson-from-phantoms/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

What a Trevor Zegras contract extension could look like for the Flyers

When the Philadelphia Flyers acquired Trevor Zegras from the Anaheim Ducks in June of 2025, they weren’t sure what version of Zegras would arrive. After tumultuous contract negotiations with Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek, the cover co-star of EA Sports’ NHL 2023 was badly in need of a change of scenery. In his first season in Flyers orange, Zegras has found his game, scoring at a near point-per-game pace, and rekindled his love for hockey. Soon, he’ll need a new deal with the orange and black as he heads into restricted free agency this summer.

His current contract status​

At the time of the trade, Zegras was entering the final year of his deal signed in Anaheim for 3 years and $5.75 million per year. He is considered a restricted free agent this season and every year until 2028, so general manager Danny Briere and the Flyers can negotiate at their leisure. The player is ineligible to sign elsewhere, or speak to other teams, unless he is still not extended by July 1, 2026.

This is information the Flyers — and Zegras, conversely — can leverage for a better deal on their end. Restricted free agents typically sign for fewer dollars than they would be worth on the open market, considering they aren’t eligible for other teams to bid. However, the years of 2028 and beyond would cost the Flyers much more — his “unrestricted” years. A deal that expires in 2028 would be exceptionally cheaper, but would lean heavily in Zegras’s favor, as he would get the earliest look possible at true market value and reach unrestricted free agency at a very young age.

With unrestricted free agency slowly coming up on the horizon, Zegras should get a substantial raise and security that he hasn’t had to this point in his career. He’s made one thing clear: he wants to play in Philadelphia. Pat Brisson, Zegras’s agent, is familiar with the club, with Cam York, Nick Seeler, and three Lehigh Valley Phantoms currently under his umbrella. Brisson also represented Claude Giroux when Philadelphia gave him an eight-year, $66.2 million deal, about 12 percent of the salary cap, after his age 25 season was over the point per game rate.

What is Zegras really worth?​

The Flyers took a chance on high-end skill and left the rest of the equation to coach Rick Tocchet. Once a dynamic center, Zegras has found the bulk of his ice time on the wing with Christian Dvorak. From a salary perspective, centers are simply worth more money for the extra responsibilities they carry. Tocchet is more comfortable playing Zegras on the wing, at least for now, which would likely give the Flyers a bit of a discount.

You might be thinking, “the highest paid player in the NHL is a winger”, but Kirill Kaprizov has a much different set of circumstances than Trevor Zegras — he nearly doubled Zegras’s scoring in 16 fewer games played last season. The Flyers could use a superstar of any ilk, but they won’t need to be paying anyone $17 million per year yet.

By raw production, a better player comparable we could use would be Winnipeg Jets winger Gabriel Vilardi. At age 25, Vilardi played 71 games and compiled 27 goals and 61 points. Prorated to 82 games, it’s a similar scoring pace to what Zegras is currently on, though a bit lower. Winnipeg gave Vilardi a 6 year, $45-million deal this past summer ($7.5 million AAV), or about eight percent of the salary cap, which included buying four years of unrestricted free agency.

The wrench in this particular comparable comes when you see that Zegras had cleared 60 points twice before Vilardi ever sniffed 40. There’s a bigger sample size of success with the Flyers’ hybrid center, and perhaps more to be unlocked. Funnily enough, both players are sitting at exactly 47 games, 44 points, and 19 goals this season, but I would expect Zegras to clear Vilardi’s AAV fairly easily. The salary cap has been approved for a big rise. A contract worth eight percent of next year’s cap would pay Zegras roughly $8.3 million, which should be the base level to start negotiating.

Waiting might have been costly​

What makes the Zegras discourse so interesting is the major turnaround he’s had since leaving Anaheim. He’s going to outscore his previous two injury-marred seasons with the Ducks in this one alone. Was it really just injury related, with a side of seasonal depression? His age 20 and 21 seasons suggest it is — 61 and 65 points in those two years, respectively, and just eight games missed on the whole. Half of those games were spent in the league’s COVID protocol, and not a physical breakdown. Still, you’d like to see proof that Zegras can finish a season, or at least play 60 games for the first time since his age 21 season. This becomes even more important with the schedule increasing to 84 games next season, per the new agreement.

Briere could have signed Zegras as soon as he acquired him. The recent sample size would’ve been disappointing. Now, he’s given you over half a season as your best scorer and stayed healthy in doing so. Maybe he isn’t the top of the lineup center they were hoping for, but there’s still time for that yet — Mitch Marner has just started playing center for the Golden Knights. Having not been able to crack 36 percent in the face-off dot this year, they’ve got some work to do. Either way, he’s an impactful scorer and has emerged as a true locker room presence. They aren’t letting him out the door.

The longer they wait to start negotiating with Zegras though, the more money it seems to be costing them long term. If he can give them a full, healthy season at the 70 to 80 point mark, we’re looking at one of the richest contracts in Flyers history. Travis Konecny’s $70 million deal is the top mark; Zegras will be threatening that number if his reemergence continues.

Danny Briere’s history of contract extensions​

This is the final summer that teams are allowed to extend players for eight years, as the new collective bargaining agreement reduces that number to seven when it kicks in this September. The Flyers should try to squeeze the eighth year out of Zegras for the most potential savings against the cap. Such a deal would expire in 2034, should the world still be turning, and would fit an interesting pattern in Danny Briere’s history of contract extensions.

Examining the long-term deals handed out by Briere, the contracts don’t expire the same offseason — a deliberate choice to avoid having two forwards reach unrestricted free agency in the same summer. Signed by prior administrator Chuck Fletcher, Sean Couturier’s deal expires in 2030, with each following year releasing a forward extended by the current general manager: Dvorak (2031), Owen Tippett (2032), and Konecny (2033). A maximum length extension for Zegras would come in nicely at 2034, and would expire in his age 32 season — his entire prime, and early enough into his 30’s where he can get himself another decent payday.

Worth mentioning among all of the math and long-term outlook: this would run into the inevitable Matvei Michkov discussion, should they choose to give their prized homegrown talent the soon-to-be maximum of seven years, leaving both to be unrestricted the same summer. As much as we love Michkov, Zegras has proven to be more of a sure thing, and I would imagine would take priority at this time. That’s a good problem to have in the very distant future and shouldn’t hold anyone up from doing the business that matters.

With the information we have publicly, I would guess a contract expiring with Dvorak’s would be a likely alternative to the maximum length. It’s less of a gamble on Zegras’s health and productivity while not conflicting with some of the other core forwards on the roster, and he would still be under 30 years old at their next crossroads. Dvorak is unlikely to receive another extension, at least not a costly one, and leaves Zegras and Travis Sanheim as the major deals of that summer to this point.

The extension will be signed, it’s only a matter of when, and as the saying goes, yesterday’s price is not today’s price.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...or-zegras-contract-extension-with-the-flyers/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Takeaways: Flyers deliver strong response, snap losing streak with 2-1 win over Golden Knights

Our long national nightmare is over. The Flyers’ losing streak is over. After hitting the season-high six consecutive losses mark on Saturday against the Rangers, a still-depleted Flyers team went into Vegas to face off against the top team in the Pacific, looking for a reset, and they came out on top. It wasn’t the highest flying of showings, but it was a resilient one, as the Flyers managed to eke out a 2-1 win over the Golden Knights.

The Basics​

First period: 3:46 – Travis Konecny (unassisted)
Second period: 19:28- Tomas Hertl (Eichel, Stone)PPG
Third period: 7:22- Travis Konecny (unassisted)SHG
SOG: 25 (VGK) – 17 (PHI)

Some takeaways​

Flyers strike first

The struggles that the Flyers have had though much of this season to start games on time and find their legs early have been well documented, and we came into this game with the keen sense that avoiding those struggles would go a long way to help the Flyers get things back on track, and that’s exactly what they were able to do here. They came out with some decent pace and were able to find a pretty immediate impact, as they capitalized on a turnover by Tomas Hertl and Travis Konecny put away a goal on the breakaway, on their first shot of the game.

What was notable about these early goings, though, was not just that the Flyers were able to score first — they did that on Saturday against the Rangers and look how much good that did them — but also that they were able to quite well keep their foot on the gas and keep the pressure on for much of the period, playing an effective possession game even if they weren’t able to pour on the chances. Now, the Golden Knights did get a good flurry of dangerous chances late in the period, but the Flyers were able to take care of that, and make it into the first intermission with a tone effectively set.

Penalty kill tested early and often

The Flyers may have been able to jump out to that early lead, but it would end up just as quickly being challenged saw their struggling penalty kill was called upon early in the first period after Christian Dvorak was whistled for a hold. It was a critical moment, a door open for the game to go sideways on the Flyers, but the penalty killers came up big for them — they were able to really frustrate the Vegas power play, getting in lanes and keeping their most dangerous chances bottled up.

Through the rest of the game, the imbalance in penalties tilted to the point of cartoonishness. There’s not arguing that the Flyers didn’t show flashes of true lack of discipline, but a couple of softer calls on them paired with a couple of missed calls on the Golden Knights left a sour taste in the mouth. But, all the same, the Flyers ended up with quite a few penalties to kill in this one, and they fared overwhelmingly well in that task. The Golden Knights were given seven opportunities to work with on the power play tonight, and the Flyers were able to kill all but one of them — and the only goal they did allow was, to their credit, a truly fluky deflection — as they continued that level of disruption nicely, and even created a couple of big shorthanded rushes, one of which culminated in Konecny’s second goal of the game. It was a huge performance from a penalty kill which has had some major struggles recently, and a huge reason why they were able to pull off this win.

Ersson responds in a big way

Key to all of this as well, of course, was the huge effort Sam Ersson was able to deliver in tonight’s start. It’s no secret that things have been difficult for Ersson of late, but he put in some underrated good work in Saturday’s relief appearance, in spite of the outcome, and kept that rolling into tonight’s start.

This wasn’t the absolute busiest game he’s had to work with this season, as the Golden Knights only out up 25 shots across the whole of the game, and had long stretches in which they couldn’t manage to put anything on net, but this still wasn’t an easy game for Ersson. The defense in front of him did better to help him out, but he had to be locked in with his shot tracking and his reaction times, and locked in he was. The Golden Knights got the better of the shot quality in this one, both at even strength and on special teams, and Ersson had to come up with some huge saves, and just about each time he was called upon, he delivered. The one goal he did give up is hard to pin on him, but all the same, it was a positive as well to see him shake it off and make sure that he wouldn’t be beaten again for the rest of the game. It took a tremendous effort, including another big save right in the crease at the final buzzer to pull off this win, but Ersson brought it.

Controlling play

While the overall shot total skews in favor of the Golden Knights in this one — notably aided by the generous proportion of power plays that they had to work with — it’s worth acknowledging that the Flyers were able to control play quite nicely though long stretches at 5-on-5 in this one. After they pulled out to the early lead in the first period and survived the late-frame push by Vegas, the Flyers were able to pull momentum back in their favor to start the second period. They were buzzing nicely for their own part, but their shot suppression was working well along with that, as it also took close to 11 minutes before Vegas was able to register their first shot on goal of the period. Now, this was followed up by another late-period flurry, but this doesn’t undo their possession work entirely.

All told, the Flyers came out of this one with 54.55 percent of the share of shot attempts at 5-on-5, and while they didn’t have the greatest volume of very dangerous chances — which also certainly contributed to the fact that they were still struggling to score more than a couple of goals — the edge on possession was notable.

Vibe shift

This game was a strange one in a number of ways, and we’d be hard-pressed to argue that it was the very best showing that the Flyers were able to put together so far this season. They were undisciplined at times, there were flashes of carelessness with the puck, and there seemed to be bits of fatigue creeping in at times, but at no time did the Flyers let any of these weak points sink them. The tone through a good portion of Saturday’s game was one of deflation, and that was perhaps the most concerning bit of all. But, despite that and the disappointment that came with that loss, the Flyers were able to rebound nicely tonight. This game wasn’t perfect, and there were things working against them throughout, but at no point did they let any notable frustration creep into their game and throw them off it.

There’s still work to be done here, but this was a really resilient effort from the Flyers, and perhaps it’s just the break they needed to get things moving in the right direction again.

All stats via Natural Stat Trick and the NHL.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...sing-streak-with-2-1-win-over-golden-knights/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Sam Ersson delivers season-best performance in Flyers win over Golden Knights

The Flyers picked up a huge win on the road last night in Vegas, taking down the best in the Pacific Golden Knights to snap their losing streak at six games and jolt themselves back to life. And while there were certainly a number of elements which were working well for the Flyers on the way to that win — the penalty kill righted the ship in a big way, and Travis Konecny’s effort was quite singular — none was more meaningful than the bounce back performance goaltender Sam Ersson was able to step up with.

A tough task​

Ersson came up huge in securing this win for the Flyers, and while the skaters in front of him did offer more support in some ways, in others they quite actively made that task more difficult for him. The Flyers didn’t give up an overly high volume of chances in this one — 58 shot attempts but only 25 of which made it on net — but with over three expected goals accumulated and seven power play opportunities doled out to do it, and holding on to control of this game quickly became an uphill battle.

But for Ersson’s part, he was able to keep things nicely settled down in the face of all of that. He was tracking the shots coming at him well, picking up even the more challenging ones through traffic, and bringing an effective quickness in his motions to get himself across laterally and square to shots. The one shot he did let by him was a tough one — a weird deflection that he didn’t stand much of a chance on — but his response to that was exactly what the team needed, as he didn’t let any frustration creep in, no spiraling from that, and he remained perfect for the rest of the game, keeping things in control until the skaters could find their next opportunity to break the game open again.

And on the flip side, to the credit of the penalty killers, they came up with some really excellent work to block some shots and get sticks in lanes to slow down the cross-ice passes to give Ersson more time to read and get himself across in his crease, and that was a big difference-maker as well. There have certainly been times throughout this particularly challenging stretch when the defenders did not seem to be on the same page as Ersson, but last night’s showing certainly had the look of them all pulling in the same direction again.

Breaking the streak​

This win was certainly a meaningful one for the team on a collective level — their losing streak was ended and they were able to avoid the worst-case scenario of extending it to nine games by the end of this very challenging road trip, which the greatest pessimists would have been worried about — but this performance, too, was exactly what Ersson needed to right the ship for himself as well.

Heading into last night’s start, Ersson was sitting on five appearances in a row without a win, and an average save percentage of .784 over that span, along with the appearance of his game looking just a shell of its former self. And with Dan Vladar’s return to play closing in but still not having arrived just yet, and Aleksei Kolosov’s struggles spiraling on them since his recall, Ersson has been the only option for the Flyers, and they’ve never needed him to find his form again more desperately than they did as they headed out on this trip.

With last night’s win, and the .960 save percentage that came along with it, Ersson hit a season-high in single-game save percentage for this year, and added just his fifth appearance in which he broke the .900 mark. It marked a massive high point for his season, to date, and what’s more, there was an even more notable level of confidence demonstrated in his game than we’ve seen from Ersson in recent memory.

“It’s tough, it’s a tough road, right?” head coach Rick Tocchet told media in Vegas after the game. “But I will say, even the tough stretch he’s had, he’s not feeling sorry for himself. He’s facing himself, like in the sense that he’s, in practice, he knows what he’s got to do. That’s all you can ask from a guy. Roll up the sleeves, [if] things don’t go your way, don’t come in the next day [and] pout or whatever, or feel sorry… no one’s gonna feel sorry for… he doesn’t have that attitude. It’s almost like he’s got that closer mentality, you know, of I’ve given up a bunch of home runs but I want the ball again, and he took the ball and closed the game for us.”

Ersson all but certainly isn’t out of the woods yet, but this win will all but certainly be a confidence boost that could go a long way in helping him to spark some positive momentum. Sustaining it will be another challenge entirely, but the weight lifting off the shoulders will hopefully go a long way here.

All stats via Natural Stat Trick.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...erformance-in-flyers-win-over-golden-knights/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Will Nic Deslauriers be the last true Flyers enforcer?

When former Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher signed Nic Deslauriers to a four-year, $7 million deal ($1.75 million AAV) on July 13, 2022, many didn’t see the logic behind the deal. Deslauriers had a 10-goal season for Montreal in 2017-18 in just 58 games. But he wasn’t a playmaker, nor a sniper. In short, he was an enforcer. A fighter. Somebody who was the Flyers’ policeman on the ice, and tried to deter liberties being taken on star players or smaller players by the opposition. Deslauriers understood the role, and in his first year with the Flyers, he ended up with 136 penalty minutes in 80 games. He dropped the gloves a lot, delivered good shots, took good shots.

That season, according to Hockeyfights.com, he had 14 fights. He was paid to do his job. And he did his job. In 2023-24, Deslauriers engaged in 11 bouts, perhaps none more famous (or infamous) than his titanic tilt with Rangers youngster and giant Matt Rempe in February of 2024. Both threw haymakers, both connected, and both parties believed they fared well in the fight. Of course, Deslauriers’ face looked bruised and swollen afterwards, but the crowd’s reaction in Philadelphia was boisterous.

One of the BEST hockey fights you’ll ever see

Matt Rempe vs Nicolas Deslauriers pic.twitter.com/Vuy7lp1g3R

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) February 24, 2024

The Flyers winger and fourth-liner fought twice more that season. But since that Rempe fight, Deslauriers has fought quite sporadically. Last season he dropped the gloves three times. And this season he’s fought four times. And with half a season left in the contract, it seems rather unlikely that the Flyers would resign the soon-to-be 35-year-old to a short-term, team cap-friendly extension in the summer. Most likely Deslauriers’ time in Philadelphia is coming to an end. After 80 games in his first year with the Flyers, he’s seen his ice time diminish. In 2023-24 he played 60 games while the following season he appeared in 31 games. Given how this current season is playing out, Deslauriers will probably be in the 25-game to 30-game range barring a rash of Flyer injuries the rest of the year. He has 17 games thus far, and looks to be playing in his eighteenth game Wednesday night against host Buffalo. Bobby Brink is unable to play and Denver Barkey looks to be a healthy scratch.

So, with Deslauriers’ time with the Flyers in the homestretch it appears, is it safe to say that he will be the last true enforcer the franchise will have? It seems to be trending in that direction, just going from his own usage over the last four years. With the fourth lines of most teams now preferring to score 15 to 20 goals or more if they can to add offensive depth, the likes of guys like Deslauriers seem to be dwindling somewhat in terms of need. Of course, some teams will always wish to have an enforcer in their lineup. But nowadays a lot of teams are opting to draft bigger, stronger, and more talented players who can do more than fight or patrol the ice for 10 to 12 minutes a game. A guy like Washington’s Tom Wilson, as dirty as some of his hits have been, is also able to put between 20 to 30 goals in the net also. So the fighting aspect is just part of his game, not all of the skills in his proverbial toolbox. That appears to be the trend more and more teams are subscribing to. Not simply finding a guy who only has one trick up his sleeve.

Currently, Philadelphia have two guys besides Deslauriers who can fight: fellow fourth-liner Garnet Hathaway and defenseman Nick Seeler. Both guys have skills besides fighting, whether it’s on the penalty kill or blocking shots. Yet both can also handle themselves and some other opponent if they see one of their teammates on the ice hurt. One would be hard pressed to describe either guy as an enforcer though, which is what Deslauriers has been for the last three seasons and change. And with Flyers general manager Danny Briere looking forward, it appears he’s not keen on finding the next younger, fresher Nic Deslauriers to add to the roster. If he did sign such a guy, most likely it’s a depth player who, like Deslauriers current is now, going to be relegated to between 20 to 30 games. And be rather inexpensive.

So where does Deslauriers sit in terms of all-time Flyer enforcers?​

Nic Deslauriers will probably be remembered as the last true enforcer for the Philadelphia Flyers. But as far as where he sits among others who have played for the team since 1967-68, Deslauriers isn’t really in the top 10 or top 20. To put it in perspective, Wayne Simmonds — who was a strong net-front presence while also being able to fight — has 784 penalty minutes with the Flyers. That might seem like a lot of minutes. Yet on the Flyers all-time list, that puts him at nineteenth overall. Simmonds is behind the likes of Behn Wilson, Terry Carkner, Ed Van Impe, Scott Hartnell, and even Eric Lindros who sits in twelfth position (948 penalty minutes).

The top 10 is like a Murderer’s Row of fighting: Rick Tocchet, Paul Holmgren, Andre “Moose” Dupont, and Bobby Clarke are the top four Flyers for penalty minutes. Tocchet has 1815 minutes, 215 more than Holmgren who is second. Meanwhile, behind those players sits Dave “The Hammer” Schultz, Dave Brown, Bob Kelly, Gary Dornhoefer, and Craig Berube. Glen Cochrane rounds out the Top 10 with 1,110 penalty minutes. As it stands now, heading into the Buffalo game, Deslauriers has 264 penalty minutes in 188 games with the Flyers. So while he has done his job over these four years, in the bigger picture he’s dwarfed by a glut of players from the ’70s and ’80s.

Few will truly miss Nic Deslauriers when his time in Philadelphia is up. They’ll remember the Rempe fight but probably little else. But his leaving might be noteworthy for a team that prided itself on being rough and tumble dating back to NHL expansion and year one at the Spectrum. Deslauriers could fight with the best of them. Yet his departure probably makes him the last of the true enforcers the Philadelphia Flyers will ever dress.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/will-nic-deslauriers-be-the-last-true-flyers-enforcer/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Checking in on Flyers prospects after the World Juniors

The 2026 World Juniors have come and gone and all six Flyers prospects who took part in the winter tournament up there in Minnesota, have now returned to their leagues around the world. Finishing off the second half of their seasons as they aim for brighter and bigger futures and potentially even moving up a division or maybe even signing an NHL contract to start that whole new journey.

There were a variety of outcomes at the World Juniors for the Flyers’ prospects. Some excelled on the biggest stage so far in their careers, while other shrunk in minor depth roles and were never truly an impact player while representing their country. We already had a look at just how all six of these lovely, super cool prospects fared at the tournament, but what has happened since then?

It’s been over two weeks since everyone went home and all six of them have at least played a couple games for their respective teams. So, let’s see if any mid-season tournament performances have really kickstarted these guys, or they’re in a bit of a rut.

Porter Martone​

Martone had a productive but fairly quiet World Juniors — he racked up the points to be among the leading scorers but never truly looked the dominant part that some were expecting. Canada sheepishly took the bronze medal after being heralded as an instant favorite and Martone was a part of that. But, he took that momentum of being able to score some points and ran with it back to Michigan State.

In the very first game back for the Spartans, the Flyers 2025 first-round draft pick scored two goals and added two more assists to that total, setting a new season-high in points in a single game with his four. It was a great performance but the three games after that, Martone has managed to register just one goal and two assists. It is great to see him score in every single game he plays in (Martone has only ever left a game for Michigan State without a point four times) but it’s not the world-beating totals that some would expect.

Porter Martone is your Big Ten Second Star of the Week!

The freshman posted a season-best four points on Friday night and followed it up with a game-tying goal on Saturday night to finish the weekend with five points on three goals and two assists pic.twitter.com/qzaoRZRA0Z

— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) January 13, 2026​

The Spartans did face some tough competition in Wisconsin, the fifth-ranked school in the nation, and didn’t get to beat up on New Hampshire or Northern Michigan again, so the point totals in some close wins is somewhat explained. Still, he’s scoring at a great rate for someone who was just drafted several months ago and certainly didn’t let some mid-season tournament mess that up.

Jett Luchanko​

While Martone enjoyed the heights of being at the top of the lineup for Canada, Jett Luchanko rounded out the roster as a regular member of the bottom six. This sort of defense-first role might have continued with Luchanko as he returned to his new OHL team in the Brantford Bulldogs after the tournament.

Since returning to the Bulldogs, Luchanko has scored just one goal and two assists in five games. Three points in five games as his team went on to win four of those games and the only loss came in an overtime bout. It doesn’t feel all that good. For any Draft+2 forward in the OHL who was a top-15 pick, the expectation is that they are leading the team in scoring, or at least dominant in all three zones. But for Luchanko, it’s a much more subtle role than most would want out of the 13th overall pick.

Maybe it is still getting used to his new environment in Brantford — he did just play six games for the Bulldogs before leaving to go participate in the world Juniors — but the recent performances really seem to fuel even more concern that fans had before the trade that sent him to the best team in the OHL.

We’ll have to keep an even closer eye on just how Luchanko is doing, but there is a desperate need for him to just go off one game and not make him look like just a point-per-game 19-year-old in the OHL, which rarely even become NHL players.

Heikki Ruohonen​

Okay back to being positive and seeing Flyers prospects go off.

Heikki Ruohonen impressed a whole lot of people at the World Juniors. He scored three goals and nine points in seven games but beyond that was a transition machine for Finland and was the real second-line driver for that star-starved squad.

The 19-year-old center was having a fairly normal year as a freshman at Harvard, but after gaining some more scoring confidence while playing among his peers, Ruohonen went crazy. In his first game back they had to face a hard-nosed Boston University team, who promptly beat them 4-1. But since then, against St. Lawrence and Clarkson (yeah, not great schools), Ruohonen has managed to score two goals and five points in those two contests.

Heikki Ruohonen with the power play goal

https://t.co/OZp8EHtAAU
https://t.co/QzBI2PwUwZ
https://t.co/EbQzOnw2Ue#GoCrimson | #OneCrimson pic.twitter.com/XFud21hyhe

— Harvard Men's Hockey (@HarvardMHockey) January 17, 2026​

Those are some numbers against some lesser schools (Harvard isn’t that great, either) that make you feel confident that maybe Ruohonen could be ready for the next step. Is it crazy to think that a player that was just playing in the USHL last year could turn pro as soon as this spring? Maybe, but we’ll just have to see. Either way, there’s some good signs from the 2024 fourth-rounder.

Max Westergard​

Max Westergard has a big opportunity after his World Juniors performance. The 18-year-old was a bottom-six winger for Finland for most of the tournament, but still managed to score four goals. And after that, his team back home decided that they should really think of developing him better.

The Flyers’ 2025 fifth-round pick was caught in a hard place — too good for the junior level back in Sweden, but not good enough to carve out an impact role in the SHL and never got more than a few minutes per game in the top division. So, he was loaned to the Allsvenskan (the Swedish second division) to go play for IF Bjorkloven.

Westergard did not score a point, or register any statistic at all, during his first two games in the Allsvenskan, but he is getting much more ice-time, registering 16:10 TOI in the first game and 14:25 TOI in the second. Now, it’s just seeing if he can add a scoring touch to his game in what should be a true test for his level.

Jack Berglund​

The Flyers prospect that upped his stock the most at the World Juniors has to be Jack Berglund. Captain for the gold medal-winning Team Sweden, Berglund scored 10 points in seven games and just used some brute force to push aside some of his peers to play some winning hockey.

But, he has not been able to do too much of the same in the SHL currently. It is one of the best domestic leagues in Europe (maybe the best one), to be fair, but in the three games since returning, the Flyers’ 2024 second-rounder has scored one goal and it happened on his one shot on goal in those three games. He’s not really a offensive powerhouse over there.

Again, top league in Europe, but we at least hoped to see a little more oomph to his post-World Juniors games. We’ll just have to keep an eye on Berglund and see if he can finish the season out strong — he’s certainly being given the opportunities as he registered over 16 minutes of ice-time in two of those three games.

Shane Vansaghi​

Shane Vansaghi didn’t have a great time at the World Juniors. He played in just three games and was a healthy scratch for the rest of them as Team USA got knocked out even before the medal round. But now he’s found a little bit of juice.

In the four games for Michigan State, Vansaghi has managed to score a goal and two points — it’s not some crazy number, but considering his season total now stands at eight points in 20 games, it’s certainly an improvement.

Vansaghi’s game is more about being a disruptor than a scorer anyways, so he has been effective in that sense as he’s been getting some solid minutes in some very big wins over Wisconsin last weekend. The expectations weren’t super high to begin with but it’s good to see his name on the score sheet.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/checking-in-on-flyers-prospects-after-the-world-juniors/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Hathaway can’t pull the trigger, Flyers lose to Utah in embarassing fashion

In their seemingly never-ending quest to torture their fanbase in as many unique ways as possible, the Flyers may have hit a new low.

Despite leading 3-0 in the second period, and then 4-2 with eight minutes left in the third, the Flyers found a way to squander what seemed to be a sure-fire win late against Utah. Clayton Keller scored with 35 seconds remaining in regulation to tie it, and then again in overtime to win it, as the Mammoth completed the comeback in the extra frame.

But the Flyers blowing a lead and losing in overtime, on the surface, is not exactly a cause for outrage on its own. What really makes this loss sting, is just how close the Flyers were to icing it.

With nobody in front of him and the Mammoth net empty with just under a minute and a half to go, Garnet Hathaway strolled into the Utah zone with a wide open cage to aim at. The much-maligned winger has had his fair share of struggles this season, but this time it seemed as if he would have the honors of putting the finishing touches on a scrappy road win.

And, well…

Garnet Hathaway could’ve ended the game if he simply shot the puck

Instead the mammoth tied it with 35 seconds left

What an absolute disaster pic.twitter.com/IzYv5jNtCF

— Philly Sports Sufferer (@mccrystal_alex) January 22, 2026

In what ranks as one of the more confounding decisions of the Flyers season, Hathaway decides to take a beat before letting the puck go. Faced with a situation where most NHL players would more than likely shoot almost immediately upon even sniffing the offensive blueline, the Flyers’ winger inexplicably decides to take his time and pick his spot… on an empty net.

Hathaway’s hesitation and lackadaisical effort allowed the back-checking Nick Schmaltz to track down the sluggish winger and basically pick the puck clean off of his stick, keeping the game going, and setting the Mammoth on track to their eventual game-tying goal.

The blunder brought to mind visions of Patrik Stefan’s embarrassing sequence vs. the Oilers in 2007, and underscores the worst elements of the Flyers season thus far. Offensive indecision, a lack of game sense, and a failure to rise to the moment were all on display during what will go down as one of, if not the most frustrating loss of the season.

On a night where the Flyers actually got two goals from their anemic power play unit, it seemed like a rare chance for them to get a win on a night where they didn’t look incredibly sharp. An opportunity was presented here to get back on track following a stretch where they had lost 7 of their previous last 10 games, but instead of securing a sloppy road win, the Flyers are left to wonder how they let this one slip through their fingers.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...r-flyers-lose-to-utah-in-embarassing-fashion/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Rick Tocchet wanted Noah Juulsen to take a punch in the mouth

The Philadelphia Flyers crumbled under the slightest breeze of pressure Wednesday night as they succumbed to a late-game comeback by the Utah Mammoth and lost in overtime. Head coach Rick Tocchet wanted to see something happen in the game, though. Specifically, one of his players to take a punch in the mouth.

Fingers have been pointed at almost every single member of the organization, looking for someone to blame for the humiliating loss. Whether it is Garnet Hathaway on a breakaway for an empty-net goal to put the game away, being stripped of the puck and the Mammoth scoring seconds later; or just the general lack of carelessness that caused a 3-0 lead turn to a 4-2 lead then turn into a 5-4 overtime loss — lots of attempts to find reasons why the Flyers lost that game where being tossed around.

But the collapse sort of begins with one moment. The Flyers were holding a 4-2 lead with just over eight minutes left in the game and Mammoth center Jack McBain decided to take a run at defenseman Jamie Drysdale, banging him against the boards. It ended up being a little too aggressive for Noah Juulsen’s liking and the Flyers depth defenseman dropped the gloves.

Aside from McBain handing it to Juulsen (maybe it was foreshadowing of the Flyers being extremely embarrassed later that night), the Flyers defenseman also earned a two-minute minor roughing penalty to hand Utah a power play after this fight.

And of course, it just so happened that Barret Hayton scored on the ensuing man advantage and that gives the Mammoth just enough juice to end up scoring the equalizing goal minutes later, and you know the rest of the story.

Head coach Rick Tocchet spoke with the media after the heartbreaking loss and was asked specifically about Juulsen’s decision to fight McBain eventually leading to the Flyers’ collapse.

“No. Take a punch in the mouth,” Tocchet said. “I love Juulsen, but take a punch in the mouth, you got to win the game, or whatever. I don’t even know what happened. You can’t take a penalty there. And then the PK, you got to come out and block a shot and that’s where we sunk. Guenther is one of the best shooters in the league so obviously, we unraveled and we have to put the pieces back together.”

Yeah, that’s a way to put it.

Maybe Tocchet saying that he didn’t even know what happened should be the main point of this quote, but we will instead be focusing on the “wanting a player to take a punch in the mouth” part. Because it doesn’t really make sense. Juulsen was the aggressor in this instance and there wouldn’t have been any fight if it wasn’t for the Flyers defenseman wanting to stick up for his teammate. There would be no said punch to take in said mouth.

Or, maybe he is wanting the entire team to just take the hits and not need to retaliate in crucial situations. If Juulsen knew that Drysdale can just take the physical punishment and more important things, such as winning a hockey game that your team is slowly losing control of, then the Flyers would have almost certainly walked away from last night with a win.

Tocchet spoke more about the Flyers’ collapse.

“Yeah, I mean, obviously we had good parts of it, but that’s unacceptable what happened tonight. So, it’s really not much to say. We sunk in pressure situations, something that we’ve got to get out of this team, right? You got to rise to the occasion. You got to want to be out there in pressure situations. A couple of guys sunk in certain situations — that’s the bottom line, so we got to recover from it.”

Multiple Flyers are certainly to blame for this loss. It felt like the entire team was just laying down and decided the game was over well before the final whistle was even close to being blown. In the third period alone, the Mammoth had a 23-13 advantage in shot attempts and a 9-5 in shots that actually hit the net — it was clear that they were putting massive amounts of pressure on this team.

The Flyers just gave in to that pressure and now we’re sitting here after watching that happen as our most recent example of what this team can do. That’s fun.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...ed-noah-juulsen-to-take-a-punch-in-the-mouth/