News Flyers Team Notes

Guelph Storm make it obvious they don’t expect Jett Luchanko back in OHL

Philadelphia Flyers prospect Jett Luchanko is about to compete as hard as possible in training camp later this month to try and ensure a spot on the NHL roster. It’s either be with the Flyers or go back to the OHL’s Guelph Storm for him — but his junior team may have just signaled that the decision for where the 19-year-old center will be playing next season has been already made.

This January, after a team-wide poor performance from Canada at the World Juniors earlier that month, Luchanko was named the 33rd captain in Storm history. By getting the “C” on his chest, it cemented him not only as the leader for the remaining few months but it raised some questions. If Guelph is suddenly giving him such a large role — aside from being the best player on that team — then does it mean they expect him to return for his final year of junior eligibility for the 2025-26 season?

Well, now we have a coinciding piece of news. Late Thursday afternoon, the Storm announced that the captaincy has been moved to forward and Dallas Stars 2025 seventh-rounder, Charlie Paquette.


C-Paq with the C ‼️

Charlie Paquette has been named captain of the club for the 2025-2026 season, making him the 34th captain in franchise history. Charlie will be joined by assistant captains Quinn Beauchesne and Rowan Topp.

Read More | https://t.co/2bIsJs5Tgg pic.twitter.com/d2OCZ3xa8K

— Guelph Storm (@Storm_City) September 4, 2025​
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While a junior team naming a new captain is nothing special — it’s typical for a leadership group to overturn so often since players are really only dominant or deserving of a senior role for the last two years of eligibility. The timing feels like the Storm know something, or are at the very least assuming that Luchanko is going to be making the Flyers as a full-time player this season.

There was no real reason for the Storm to make this decision on September 4. Yes, OHL training camps are taking place across the league and the preseason is already underway, but it would not be abnormal for them to start a season without a captain. They could have just waited until the Flyers made their decision regarding where Luchanko is going to spend his year, and then if he’s back in Guelph keep the leadership group the same (Paquette was already an alternate captain and it would made sense to still name defenseman Quinn Beauchesne the other). Or, if they find out Luchanko has made the Flyers in early October, then name Paquette as captain. It’s not like they haven’t already done this.

What makes this an even stronger signal of Luchanko being in the NHL, is that the Storm already did this last season. During the 2023-24 campaign, Braeden Bowman was the team captain as an overage player. That’s simple. And then, since Luchanko made the Flyers out of camp last season, the team just didn’t have a captain. They didn’t have an interim or anything of the ilk, just went without someone wearing the “C” until they placed it on the Flyers prospect in January, when they knew he was staying in Guelph for the rest of the season.

Maybe we’re going down the rabbit hole a little too far, or wanting to make assumptions while wearing our tinfoil hat tuned directly to Southwestern Ontario. But we don’t think the Storm were dying to name a captain or couldn’t continue the preseason without having one. It would be a little awkward if Luchanko goes back to Guelph and isn’t even wearing a letter as he dominates that league, right?

We will have to wait for the official declaration, but this (and the obvious reality that the Flyers need a center) could mean that the Flyers have already communicated to the junior team that they shouldn’t expect their star center back.

Or, maybe not. Who knows?


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Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...s-they-dont-expect-jett-luchanko-back-in-ohl/
 
Flyperblog: How one Flyers fan prepares to be mad

It is extremely important to note that absolutely none of the below quotes are real. This is an entirely fake work of satire by an individual who could and should probably put his brainpower to better use. Thanks for reading!

Lifelong Philadelphia Flyers fan Dante DeAfogatto is preparing for the 2025-26 NHL season. He has watched highlights of last season’s team, done research on their recent draft picks, and run 352 simulations of the team in NHL 25. He has programmed his smart home device to play Flyers podcasts every night in his sleep. While the Flyers are preparing for their season to start, Dante is doing preparation of his own. DeAfogatto has started his annual process of building up his anger levels in small increments in order to be able to withstand the rigors of watching an 82-game hockey schedule.

A typical day starts with purposefully getting stuck in traffic. DeAfogatto works from home, but simulates a commute on I-76 every morning. He’ll spend his lunch break bringing half-filled forms to PennDOT while filling out 311 requests for broken streetlights. The anger exposure program continues with a 4:30 p.m. Microsoft Teams call that could have been an e-mail. This all culminates in diving into the ultimate anger inciting entity – a thorough scrolling of social media and YouTube comments.

DeAfogatto was blasting Metallica’s album St. Anger and boxing an orange and black punching bag in his basement. He told me that he plays the worst album by his favorite band to really get the fire burning. The bag? “I like to picture this as all of the captains who have let me down over the years. Take that, Derian Hatcher! Thanks for nothin’, Kevin Dineen!”

Now 47 years old, DeAfogatto has never seen his favorite team hoist the Stanley Cup. He has never once felt joy in his time rooting for the Flyers. His favorite pastime takes a toll. DeAfogatto makes sure that he takes time to decompress during the offseason.

“Rooting for the Flyers is dangerous. My doctor always tells me that I should quit, that my heart is going to explode. I love it too damn much. I always book two weeks in Boca Raton for mid-July after free agency. The sun and fresh air really helps me reset before another season screaming, ‘SHOOOOOOOT!’”

Dante’s wife, Sierra, folded a pile of faded Flyers t-shirt jerseys, and occasionally sipped from a large tumbler of white wine. “I’m not sure I would call what Dante does ‘hate-watching’ per say. I think he hates himself for sticking with them? The summers are nice, but then once training camp starts, well.” Sierra took another sip and clutched the Mike Knuble shirt in her hands until her knuckles turned white.

When asked how he felt about the coming season, Dante seemed hopeful, “I think Michkov is really going to take off and reach the next level.” He then put on a Ryan Ellis jersey and went back to watching the game-winning goal from the 2010 Stanley Cup Final.


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Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/flyperblog-how-one-flyers-fan-prepares-to-be-mad/
 
How the Flyers could end up in the 2026 Draft Lottery

The season hasn’t even started yet. Hell, the pre-season hasn’t started yet. So there’s a long way to go before the 2026 NHL Draft rolls around. As is the case every year, the NHL holds its draft lottery during playoff time, with those teams with the most lottery balls possibly looking to land Gavin McKenna, the forward who, as of now, is the consensus top pick in 2026. The Philadelphia Flyers were pining to move up in the 2025 lottery. Instead they moved down to sixth but still ended up with Porter Martone, a highly-skilled blue-chip winger who should be a key piece down the road.

This offseason saw the Flyers take baby steps to address some issues. Goaltending? Well, they signed Dan Vladar, who should help ease the burden on Sam Ersson’s shoulders. Defense? With the injury to Rasmus Ristolainen and the departure of Erik Johnson last season, the Flyers signed Dennis Gilbert and Noah Juulsen in free agency. But prior to free agency and the draft, the Flyers addressed their center depth with the trade for Trevor Zegras, giving up Ryan Poehling and some picks in the process. The goal in addressing these concerns was obviously to improve the Flyers in 2025-26. In a perfect world, these adds get the Flyers deep into the season with playoffs still in their minds. Or having a chance in April to get into a wildcard spot. Flyers general manager Danny Briere wants to turn the corner, and wants that turn to start this season.

But what Philadelphia looks like on paper and what might be the on-ice product could be two drastically different things. And a bevy of different problems could arise that could see the Flyers out of the playoff picture before the Winter Olympics begin in February. If that’s the case, you could see Briere sell off a few pieces for picks to open up more slots for the younger talent in the pipeline? And at the same time make the team a bit worse to possibly end up in the lottery.

Anything is possible, but here’s a few key items (in no particular order) that would have to happen for the Flyers’ 2025-26 season to go quite pear-shaped, leaving them with the same amount or possibly more lottery balls than they had in 2025.

Dan Vladar gets injured​


Last season Ersson, Ivan Fedotov, and Aleksei Kolosov provided Flyers fans with the worst exhibition of goaltending in their franchise history. That’s saying an awful lot for a franchise who has had goaltending issues over the decades. With the addition of Vladar, the idea is to help Ersson while at the same time provide the Flyers with a credible backup this year. And with the extremely condensed, concentrated schedule, Vladar is going to be called on a lot this year.

An early-season (or mid-season) injury to Vladar that takes him out of the lineup for weeks (or months) puts the Flyers back to square one. Ersson would be left holding the proverbial bag most of the time, with either Fedotov or (if he’s still with the Flyers) Kolosov trying to fill in. Maybe one of them would be solid between the pipes and get the job done in Vladar’s absence. Yet based on logic, there is nothing to indicate that the 2024-25 versions of Ersson, Fedotov and Kolosov would be vastly different for the 2025-26 season. It’s rare that a backup goaltender has had the chance to possibly be a starter coming into training camp. Vladar may have that opportunity if the other three are looking bad. Which is why it’s crucial for him to remain healthy. If Vladar is on the sidelines, or has a recurring or nagging injury that limits his appearances, then the Flyers are behind the eight ball in terms of a playoff spot. And an awful lot closer to the draft lottery.

Power play pitfall​


It’s difficult to imagine a power play as pitiful as the last three seasons. But until the Flyers prove over a lengthy stretch or half of a season they can score rather regularly on the power play (or roughly once every five times), not much will change during the regular season. Fortunately, a new head coach in Rick Tocchet (and his staff) should be able to find out what Rocky Thompson attempted to do and do the antithesis of that. And the addition of Trevor Zegras should help get the Flyers to respectability (ideally in the middle of the pack in terms of effectiveness).

However, the idea of Zegras gelling with Matvei Michkov, Travis Konecny, or Owen Tippett on the power play is just that for now. Maybe the power play gets off to a horrid start and the mistakes they made last year start to creep back in. A slow start would also result in little to no confidence, making the rather stationary, over-thinking and ridiculously deliberate power play emerge. Again. The Flyers have a bit more high-end talent over last year. Regardless, they are still going to have to fight for every goal on most nights. And if the power play doesn’t help them get goals that can tie a game up (or put Philadelphia ahead), then it’s going to be pushing a boulder uphill a majority of these upcoming 82 games. If anyone assumes Zegras immediately improves the power play, one only has to remember the Penguins drooling over acquiring Erik Karlsson and how it would help Pittsburgh’s power play. It didn’t.

Trevor Zegras acquisition becomes a disaster​


If Zegras doesn’t pan out, it shouldn’t be a huge issue. It’s a season, one to see if Zegras can deliver the good and end up creating a lengthy second chapter with the Flyers. Granted, injuries could play a part as it could with any player. However if a healthy Zegras is a miss on far more nights than he’s a hit, then the effect will be two-fold. For one, it will definitely affect the power play. And secondly, it will also mean that Philadelphia is still going to be looking for a center (or two) next summer in free agency. A lot of that would depend on if Jett Luchanko is ready to step into the lineup on a regular basis. But let’s not get that far ahead of ourselves.

Zegras putting in the work and the effort every shift should keep him out of Tocchet’s doghouse. If he begins missing assignments, jumping the zone or cheating a bit when it comes to defensive zone coverage, that’s a problem. That might mean Tocchet cutting his ice time. Which could see Zegras go from being the happy-go-lucky newbie eager to prove doubters wrong to a forward with an axe to grind and looking forward to getting out of town. It’s a one-year experiment. If it blows up in Briere’s face it doesn’t bode well for this year. Other than possibly landing McKenna.

Michkov and the sophomore slump​


Matvei Michkov enters his second year as a pro with a lot to live up to in terms of his own expectations. They are quite high, higher than even Briere thought was doable in his rookie year. So with that bar so high, and the dreaded sophomore slump possibly awaiting him in 2025-26, Michkov might take a step sideways or a step backwards regarding his production. A slow start could see the Mad Russian flustered and frustrated, putting more pressure on himself and trying to do everything alone. He may also see the opposition paying a lot more attention to him than in his first year. Being one of the biggest threats on the Flyers may have him playing against the opposition’s best checking line or shutdown unit.

There’s nothing better than knowing Michkov is starting his second season when many believed he was still a season away from playing for the Flyers. Here’s hoping that he (and Zegras) are able to find some magic or chemistry off the bat. A lengthy pointless streak or goal drought could have Michkov looking a bit out of sorts. And the Flyers out of the loop early on.

Sanheim sags​


There’s nothing to indicate Travis Sanheim is going to reverse course on what has been a very fine couple of seasons of late. He’s eating up minutes galore, is a credible top pairing defenseman and should find himself wearing Canada’s colors in February for the Olympics. He should remain one of the key and best blueliners the Flyers have to offer for the next few years.

What would an average or sub-average season from Sanheim do for Philadelphia? Well, nothing really good. The first pairing would be struggling, leaving the middle and bottom pairs with a lot more responsibility to pick up the slack and play above their heads. And that would certainly put more pressure on the goaltenders, something that nobody needs to see or bear witness to. It’s unlikely Sanheim regresses drastically this year, but a poor year from Sanheim means a pretty poor season for the Flyers. And a lot of lottery balls at the end of it.


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Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/how-the-flyers-could-end-up-in-the-2026-draft-lottery/
 
Philadelphia Flyers 2025 Top 25 Under 25, No. 13: Denver Barkey

Welcome to Broad Street Hockey’s Summer 2025 Top Under 25! The series is back and with the Philadelphia Flyers focusing so much on the future, it’s more important than ever. Join us as we rank the 25 best players under the age of 25 for the next few weeks.

No. 13: Denver Barkey

2024-25 Primary League/Team: London Knights (OHL)
2024-25 Statistics: 25 G, 57 A in 50 GP
Age as of 9/2/2025: 20
Acquired Via: 2023 NHL Draft — Round 3, Pick 95

We are in the heart of the 2025 Top 25 Under 25 now. We’re no longer diving into the depths of the organization looking at players who might never leave the AHL or freshly drafted prospects who have so many years of development ahead of them — it’s now players who are either considered one of the top prospects for the Flyers or actual, real-life NHL players. Denver Barkey falls into the former category, obviously.

While he does have his detractors due to his 5-foot-9-ness, Barkey has reliably been one of the better players in the entire OHL and it’s not just racking up the points either, but showing why he can make such an impact as he has for the powerhouse London Knights.

How did Barkey’s 2024-25 season go? Is his stock trending up or down from where it was entering the year?

If we want to sell Denver Barkey’s past season to even the most casual of fan, it’s the fact that he captained a team to a Memorial Cup win and led one of the most dominant rosters in junior hockey we’ve seen since some other rendition of the Knights that featured future NHL All-Stars.

In more detail, he took a small step forward in production — going from 1.59 points per game in the 2023-24 season to 1.64 points per game last season — but it was his details game that really shone as the Knights kept on racking up the wins. Barkey essentially peaked for how much he would be able to score in junior hockey, since it is still very hard to exceed that rate unless you’re some generational-level talent, but was able to put more of his focus on things that will make him a solid pro hockey player.

Joined by prospect expert and analyst Will Scouch of scouching.ca, during last season we watched an entire game of Barkey’s and broke down everything that we saw. If we want to go beyond the numbers and how he led London’s forwards in scoring once again and continued to be an agitator while not taking many penalties — this breakdown is for that.

As for his stock, it would probably be reasonable to say that it stayed the same compared to where it was at the start of the season. There was nothing more Barkey could do except win championships (which he did) so now it will just be about where he goes from here. If he suddenly scored 150 points in the OHL, then we might be able to say the stock rose, but considering the production stayed roughly the same and while we love all the details, the main issue of his size and his projectability to the NHL, hold the hype at status quo.

What are we expecting from Barkey this season? What should we be looking for from him?

The expectations for Barkey are maybe the most uncertain expectations in this whole ranking. We have seen smaller players that score heaps of points in juniors suddenly cave under the increased pace of professional hockey and never be able to recover from that. But, those smaller players typically don’t have the underlying tendencies and smarts that Barkey possesses.

Reasonably, we can all expect there to be some struggles in his first pro season with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms but eventually would need to see a sign of improvement or at least him on the right path to eventually making the NHL. If he finishes the year with under 20 points and finding himself stapled to the bottom six, then we should consider that a bit of a letdown. But, there is also a world where his attention to detail make new Phantoms head coach John Snowden fall in love with him and he adapts incredibly well to the pro game and could even be in contention as one of the best rookies in the AHL next season.

The spectrum of outcomes for Barkey next season is so incredibly wide, but let’s just say that we want him to at least look comfortable by the last couple months of the season.

How does Barkey fit in the Flyers’ rebuild? Is it likely he’s going to be a part of the next good Flyers team?

Barkey is such A Flyer. And while we have some of that already on the team, having someone that can be that scoring pest winger down the lineup would be so useful. Or even just a complementary piece like a Brendan Gallagher on those mediocre Montreal Canadiens teams — if Barkey becomes what he could be in the NHL, he would be incredibly useful for the Flyers when they want to be good again.

His game actualized on the Flyers is someone who just is innately a playoff performer and someone every other team looks at and can’t find an answer for since they have all their resources tied up in Matvei Michkov and Porter Martone. Barkey won’t be the star of the team but could provide the scoring depth that makes or breaks so many Cup-hopeful rosters.

Determining if it’s likely Barkey makes it or not is near impossible. Even London and Lehigh Valley teammate Oliver Bonk has some reliability when it comes to his projection as some serviceable, NHL-level defender. For Barkey, it feels as likely that he’s a top-six staple for the Flyers in five years, as it is that he’s not even playing pro hockey in North America anymore. But, in saying that we are extreme fans of what he is right now and what we can dream of him becoming.

13-denver-barkey.jpg


Previously in Philadelphia Flyers Summer 2025 Top 25 Under 25:


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Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...cts-2025-top-25-under-25-no-13-denver-barkey/
 
Friday Morning Fly By: Here comes the action!

*FOLKS Danny Briere is out here making BIG MOVES in early September!! That’s right, GMDB made another huge move this week, trading <checks notes> JR Avon for Tucker Robertson. Big Moves Briere baby that’s what we call him. [BSH]

*If you’re a subscriber over at Charlie’s website you can check out part two of his interview with Flyers’ AGM Brent Flahr, which is all about centers, defensemen, AND goalies. [PHLY]

*Speaking of this team’s centers, we speculated about what the best and worst case scenario might be for each of them this season. [BSH]

*While we’re speculating, how about one question for each player on the roster ahead of the 2025-26 season? [The Athletic]

*Anyhoo, next up on 25U25, New Guy Jack Nesbitt! Welcome to the party, kid. [BSH]

*If you were ranking all 32 goalie tandems in the league, you’d probably have the Flyers last, right? I’d probably have them last. AND YET! [Bleacher Report]

*The Wild are determined to keep Kirill Kaprizov. Like… obviously. Don’t do it though Kap come home baby, play with Mich. [TSN]

*And finally, did you realize the Olympics are only five months away? That may have been obvious to you but some of us did not realize. So yeah why not start talking about what Team USA is going to look like? Because it’s probably going to be good. [ESPN]


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Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/friday-morning-fly-by-here-comes-the-action/
 
Flyers acquire Tucker Robertson from Seattle Kraken

The Philadelphia Flyers are just several days away from taking the first step of the 2025-26 NHL season with rookie camp starting next week, but they decided to make a quick trade and shuffle up some organization depth before doing that.

Announced by the team Thursday afternoon, the Flyers have acquired center Tucker Robertson from the Seattle Kraken in exchange for forward J.R. Avon.


TRADE ALERT: We’ve acquired forward Tucker Robertson from Seattle in exchange for forward Jon-Randall Avon. https://t.co/qqLjli342H

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) September 4, 2025​
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Robertson was a fourth-round draft pick of the Kraken all the way back in the 2022 NHL Draft and is now a 22-year-old center who hasn’t yet found any relatively consistent level of success in pro hockey. While with the Peterborough Petes of the OHL, he was a regular goalscorer, putting up 41 goals in 68 games during the 2021-22 season and 36 during his final year in junior, in 68 games as well. As soon as he took that giant leap up to the pro level, the 5-foot-10 center had his production halted with just six goals and 10 points in 39 games for the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. But, during a stint in the ECHL for the Kansas City Mavericks, he did score four goals and 14 points in 13 games.

Just last season, Robertson scored four goals and nine points in 38 games for Coachella Valley — so we’re not talking about someone who will instantly become something desirable even in the AHL.

But going the other way was someone with a similar profile. J.R. Avon signed with the Flyers as an undrafted free agent back in September 2021 and was loaned back to the same Petes that Robertson played for and put up roughly a point per game as a member of the Flyers organization with 128 points in 123 games through his last two seasons of junior hockey. He made the step to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms where he scored 18 points in his rookie year and followed it up with…17 points in his sophomore season last year.

These two former OHL teammates are now being moved for one another — to start afresh in new environments that can utilize their skill maybe just ever so slightly more.

Both players are listed as centers but were not regulars down the middle for their respective AHL clubs. Maybe the Flyers see Robertson more as a sure thing at the center position than Avon ever was and could play him there, because they certainly need more of that down in Allentown.

As it stands right now, the rough estimate of who will play center for the Phantoms is a collection of Jacob Gaucher, Karsen Dorwart, Rodrigo Abols, and maybe Oscar Eklind. That is not the most inspiring group of players to foster in some young talents like potentially Alex Bump and Denver Barkey down in the minors. Robertson is probably nothing more than a bottom-six AHL center (if he does play the position) and might not even be better than the older Eklind right now. But, this move is certainly just to give some players who are on the cusp of fading into minor-league obscurity, a new start for their hockey careers.

We’re now the No. 1 Tucker Robertson fanblog in existence.


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Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...acquire-tucker-robertson-from-seattle-kraken/
 
Monday Morning Fly By: We’re getting close

*Welcome to the second week of September, Flyers fans, a week in which you will see hockey players on a sheet of ice wearing Flyers jerseys. It’s just the rookie exhibition game in Allentown, sure, BUT IT’S REAL HOCKEY. Anyhoo, speaking of The Kids, next up on the 25U25 at lucky number 13 is one of those kids we are pretty psyched about getting a look at. [BSH]

*Another kid we might think about getting psyched about is Jack Berglund, who has apparently taken some big steps forward. [NBC Sports Philly]

*If you are one of those insufferable fans obsessed with the idea of tanking, don’t you fret, grumpypants! It is not out of the realm of possibilities for the Flyers to end up, once again, in the lottery. [BSH]

*In something that might be relevant to your interests, noted Flyers disliker Corey Pronman takes a look at which rebuilding teams are the closest to actually competing for the Stanley Cup. [The Athletic]

*Getting back to Kids On Ice for a sec; the NHL Rookie Showcase recently took place and it turns out these youths have lots of thoughts about lots of things. [ESPN]

*Here it is, September 8, and we’ve still got several pretty darn good RFAs walking around without contracts. [Sportsnet]

*And finally, because what’s better on a Monday morning than a good chuckle, it’s the return of the Flyperblog! Flyers fans need to starting preparing themselves for the long, unrelenting NHL season and here’s one strategy that might help you get ready. [BSH]

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Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/monday-morning-fly-by-were-getting-close/
 
Flyers release 2025 Rookie Camp roster, schedule

The Philadelphia Flyers got the ball rolling on the 2025-26 season by announcing their 2025 roster and schedule for their annual rookie camp which kicks off Thursday and will run through Sept. 16. The few days will spotlight key prospects playing amongst themselves and then a couple games facing off against other team’s all-rookie teams.


The kids are ready to roll!

Check out the full 2025 Rookie Camp roster and schedule. #LetsGoFlyers https://t.co/fAXFjyalMJ

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) September 8, 2025​
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The Rookie Camp will be highlighted by two games in the coming days against roster of the New York Rangers Rookie Camp. Both games will be held in Lehigh Valley with the first game Friday night (7 p.m. Eastern) and the second game the following day (5 p.m. Eastern). Both games will be streamed on the Flyers official website. The Rookie Camp begins with a practice on Thursday morning and conclude with a practice on Sept. 16.

The roster features the highly touted prospect Carson Bjarnason in goal alongside Joey Costanzo who is on an amateur tryout. Costanzo played 51 games for the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL last season, posting a 2.94 goals against average and an .892 save percentage. The blue line features quite a few familiar faces (Oliver Bonk, Hunter McDonald, Spencer Gill, and Ethan Samson) along with a few newcomers in 2025 fifth-round pick Luke Vlooswyk and Andre Mondoux, a 6-foot-4, 203-pound defensemen who is also on an amateur tryout. The Flyers’ 2024 seventh-round pick Auston Moline and Ty Murchison round out the defense corps.

Up front, the forwards will be highlighted by the debut appearances in this September camp of three 2025 draft picks: Jack Nesbitt, Matthew Gard and Nathan Quinn. And it will also see three Flyers acquisitions in the Rookie Camp led by Nikita Grebenkin, Karsen Dorwart, and Tucker Robertson who the Flyers obtained last week from Seattle in exchange for Lehigh Valley Phantoms forward JR Avon. In addition, Jett Luchanko and Alex Bump, two forwards who are expected to make some noise at the Flyers’ training camp, will also be in attendance. Denver Barkey, Sawyer Boulton, Jacob Gaucher, Alexis Gendron, Devin Kaplan, and Samu Tuomaala round out the 13-man forward unit.

The Rookie Camp was highlighted last year of course by Matvei Michkov making his first appearance against competition but also showcased Luchanko’s strengths. This year’s roster is also notable for the absence of Porter Martone, who has committed to the Michigan State University Spartans in the NCAA. However, getting to see the likes of Nesbitt, Gard and even Robertson for the first time will be interesting at the very least.

The Rookie Camp leads into the main training camp which will kick off next week. The first game of the official exhibition season for the Flyers will be Sept. 21 against the Islanders.


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Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/flyers-news-rumors-release-2025-rookie-camp-roster-schedule/
 
Tuesday Morning Fly By: Did it all for the rookies

*It’s pretty much All Rookie Stuff Week here in the Flyers Cinematic Universe, what with the games coming up this weekend and also the Flyers releasing the full schedule and roster for this year’s rookie camp! Lots to look forward to this year. [BSH]

*Don’t forget that rookie camp stuff is open to the public and totally free, so if you’re one of the folks looking forward to all of these Kids getting on to the ice, be sure to check it out if you can! [NBC Sports Philly]

*Next up on the 25 Under 25 is a guy who is decidedly no longer a prospect, but definitely not the finished version of himself. Hopefully. Time will tell. [BSH]

*While we are talking rookies and prospects and stuff; oh boy nothing gets people going like a redraft, eh? Especially just one year later, when most of these dudes have played very few, if any, NHL games. Surely the reactions among Flyers fans will be measured. [The Athletic]

*I dunno, I always think its neat to watch them get the ice at The Farg The Xbox ready for the season. It’s like the world’s chillest hype video. [Inquirer]

*And finally, Garnet Hathaway made a beer! For a good cause! With Delaware’s most famous brewery! Everything about it is cool. [Inquirer]

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Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/tuesday-morning-fly-by-did-it-all-for-the-rookies/
 
Philadelphia Flyers 2025 Top 25 Under 25, No. 11: Alex Bump

Welcome to Broad Street Hockey’s Summer 2025 Top Under 25! The series is back and with the Philadelphia Flyers focusing so much on the future, it’s more important than ever. Join us as we rank the 25 best players under the age of 25 for the next few weeks.

No. 11: Alex Bump

2024-25 Primary League/Team: Western Michigan (NCAA) / Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL)
2024-25 Statistics: 23 G, 24 A in 42 GP (NCAA) / 3 G, 2 A in 9 GP (AHL)
Age as of 9/15/2025: 21 (11/20/2003)
Acquired Via: 2022 NHL Draft – Round 5, Pick 133

If there’s one prospect whose star is on the rise in the Flyers’ system, it’s Alex Bump. After a sneaky very positive sophomore season on a Western Michigan team which was still flying a little under the radar (relative to some of the more powerhouse programs in college hockey) Bump came into his final collegiate season as an intriguing player to watch, and managed to turn himself into a player you couldn’t look away from.

How did Bump’s 2024-25 season go? Is his stock trending up or down from where it was entering the year?

As we sort of alluded to above, Bump came into this past season with a bit of hype surrounding him already — after all, he finished that second season at Western Michigan producing just shy of a point per game in the most difficult conference in college hockey, and made such an impression on the Flyers’ staff that already at that 2024 Development Camp, Flyers AGM Brent Flahr stated plainly that they view him as an NHL player. It was high praise indeed that he earned, and it certainly put some extra eyes on him heading into this season, and he made sure not to disappoint.

Playing in a top line role for the Broncos, Bump not only managed to increase his production from the level hit in the previous season, but he hit a really notable level of consistency in doing it. Across their regular season, Bump was something of a go-to guy when the team needed offense, and more often than not, he delivered for them, going no longer than three games without registering a point (a cold streak he only hit once back in November, and after that, there were only five games through the rest of the season where he was held off the board entirely). But the postseason is when things cooled off for him, to a degree — when the Broncos hit the NCAA tournament, Bump was shut down (kept off the board but certainly not prevented from creating shots, which he did at a high volume) but all of the extra defensive effort drawn to him opened up some of his teammates nicely, and still allowed them to march their way to their first National Championship win in program history.

From here, Bump opted to go the more strenuous route, declining to sign his entry level contract for the end of the 2024-25 season but for the next, which allowed him to join the Phantoms for the last weekend of their regular season, as well as for their playoff run. And while that postseason time was in some ways a rude awakening for him (more on that later), Bump brought some real flash to his professional hockey debut, and made it clear that he’s ready to at the very least push for a role at the next level with the Flyers. It’s about as successful of a season as he could have hoped to string together, all things considered.

What are we expecting from Bump this season? What should we be looking for from him?

This season, then, is going to be a big one for Bump, and this upcoming training camp is going to be even bigger. The numbers game as far as spots on the NHL squad go make things a little more complicated — particularly as it looks like Tyson Foerster is going to be good to go to start the season after all — but Bump is in a prime position to get a long look through the preseason, and potentially still earn himself a spot on the opening night roster.

But even if this does pan out, we’re still being mindful and measured about our expectations for Bump this season. There’s still some work that needs to go into maturing Bump’s game further, and whether that means a demotion to the AHL at some point to work on it, or some extra grace given while he adjusts on the fly at the NHL level, we’re not expecting the transition to a full time NHL role to be a seamless one. After all, what became most apparent in Bump’s stint with the Phantoms in the spring was that he wasn’t going to be able to get away with the same slippery cuts to the middle for those high danger shots, and he was going to have to work to both get stronger to get around being defended more tightly, and also work to keep from getting frustrated when defenders are hanging on him. He’s not going to have as much time and space to work with, and it’s going to be a process while he figures out how to continue growing and playing a little smarter.

How does Bump fit in the Flyers’ rebuild? Is it likely he’s going to be a part of the next good Flyers team?

As is stands, Bump is in a fight for a spot playing somewhere in the Flyers’ top-6, and while he certainly has a leg up on some of the other prospects in that same tier, it’s a crowded group vying for those spots, between the prospect pool and those already established as contributors at the NHL level. Given the momentum he’s bringing in with him, this isn’t a situation where Bump is at the risk of getting boxed out of a lineup spot for the rest of the foreseeable future if he doesn’t make an impression fast, but it’s also not as though the Flyers are starved for talent and he’ll be able to waltz in and grab a spot with ease. But all of that taken into consideration, while his spot in the organization’s long term plan isn’t a certainty, there’s a lot of value that he can bring with a high-effort, sharpshooting, well-paced game to the whole of what the Flyers are looking to build. This year will be a big one for him as far as carving out a role with the NHL team and their future focused plan, but if he buys in and continues building his game in the right direction, he could well prove that he has some staying power.

What do we think Bump’s ultimate NHL upside is, and how likely is it that he gets to something approaching that?

The good news is that while Bump still has some work to do on his game, it isn’t any major overhauling or targeted growth that needs to be done, it’s more about tinkering with some of the finer points while continuing to build into a more pro-ready frame. Bump is already coming into this camp likely vying for a spot in the Flyers’ middle-6, and that’s about the longer-term role that the Flyers could hope to get from him. This also isn’t a situation where they’ll be looking to introduce him to the NHL game with consistent fourth line minutes and hoping that he can work his way up in the lineup from there, the role that he’ll be introduced into is more or less where they’ll be hoping he can stick. The tools are all there for him to be a useful middle of the lineup winger for the Flyers, and he’s knocking on the door for a spot right there as soon as this season.

11-alex-bump.jpg


Previously in Philadelphia Flyers Summer 2025 Top 25 Under 25:


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Philadelphia Flyers 2025 Top 25 Under 25, No. 10: Yegor Zavragin

Welcome to Broad Street Hockey’s Summer 2025 Top Under 25! The series is back and with the Philadelphia Flyers focusing so much on the future, it’s more important than ever. Join us as we rank the 25 best players under the age of 25 for the next few weeks.

No. 10: Yegor Zavragin

2024-25 Primary League/Team: SKA St.Petersburg/HK Sochi (KHL)
2024-25 Statistics: 6 GP, 2.21 GAA, .941 SV% (Sochi)/ 37 GP, 2.55 GAA, .912 SV% (SKA)
Age as of 9/2/2025: 20 (8/23/2005)
Acquired Via: 2023 NHL Draft – Round 3, pick 87

As the Flyers continue to search for the ever-elusive starting goaltender that will secure their future, younger options in the system keep popping up as the most likely options. And despite a contract that will keep him overseas for the next couple of years, Yegor Zavragin’s KHL play has started to get fans excited for his NHL future, even if they have yet to see him play.

How did Zavragin’s 2024-25 season go? Is his stock trending up or down from where it was entering the year?

Zavragin started this past year so hot that he was recalled early from his loan period at HK Sochi, and returned to his parent club at SKA St. Petersburg (sound familiar?), after his first six games. Out of his first six starts, Zavragin faced over 30 shots in five of them, the one exception being a strange start against his former SKA teammates where he was pulled in the middle of the second period after allowing just two goals. He only allowed 12 goals on 204 shots during his brief time in Sochi, good for a sterling .941 save percentage on a team that struggled to limit chances in their own end.

After transitioning to SKA, Zavragin saw his raw numbers take a downturn, but he also saw a downturn in shots against. He saw 40 shots three times with Sochi, and then never again with St. Petersburg. The sheer quantity decreased significantly, but those quality chances still managed to squeak through when defensive breakdowns occurred. And it’s not as if Zavragin was bad, he still held a .912 save percentage throughout the rest of his season, but it just wasn’t the same heights that he hit early on.

Regardless, Zavragin has asserted himself as one of the most intriguing new KHL goaltending prospects to watch, and the fact that he has already made it to the marquee position of starting at one of the best non-NHL teams in the world, while still only being 20 years old, is pretty impressive.

What are we expecting from Zavragin this season? What should we be looking for from him?

Zavragin should be the starting goalie for SKA this season, who will intend to get the most out of their young goaltender’s last year in the KHL. The team actually had a down year last season, but should be back near the top of their respective conference’s standings, if history is anything to go by. The 5 ’10 Artemi Pleshkov and Columbus prospect Sergei Ivanov will be along to try and compete, but they both don’t have the pedigree and numbers of Zavragin, who will look to become one of the best young goaltenders in the league once again.

The world of goaltending is always difficult to parse through, Zavragin could play another season behind a team that doesn’t quite gel, or, he could 20 shots a night and spend most of the game as a spectator, that is the nature of the position. But Zavragin has the talent to be one of the very best goalies in the league, and while it isn’t a guarantee, it’s definitely a possibility. When he is on his game, he can cover every inch of the net with just a simple push of, and with that sort of game saving ability, it will be intriguing to see if he can bottle that potential up for an entire season. If he can? With a seemingly solid squad in front of him, SKA could make some noise once again.

How does Zavragin fit in the Flyers’ rebuild? Is it likely he’s going to be a part of the next good Flyers team?

Whatever young goalie in the Flyers’ system decides to perform at a high level will have a chance to be their #1 goaltender. Samuel Ersson has shown flashes of good play over his young career, but expecting him to become a starting-caliber goalie on a playoff team seems overly-optimistic at this point. However, he should get another crack or two at being the 1A, especially as the roster around him continues to take shape.

By the time Zavragin’s contract at SKA St. Petersburg runs out in 2026-27, the ultimate decision on Ersson’s own future should already be made. Whether it be him moving to a different team or ultimately becoming a stop-gap/backup, Zavragin should be offered a long enough runway to make himself comfortable at the highest level.

In addition, much of the reason why the organization was so open to the idea of Zavragin staying at SKA for his full deal was due to the fact that the 2026-27 expiration of his KHL contract fits near perfectly with their internal timeline. While this year is likely just going to be another fact finding mission, with a new coach getting acclimated and a potential playoff push somewhere along the way, the season after will certainly be one where the competition clock starts ticking.

If Zavragin can translate the majority of what we’ve seen in the KHL to the NHL, he could end up being the most important piece of the puzzle that ends this rebuild once and for all.

What do we think Zavragin’s ultimate NHL upside is, and how likely is it that he gets to something approaching that?

Again, this is a bit easier to square due to Zavragin’s pro experience, it’s easier to project him as opposed to some of the other goaltending prospects that the Flyers have, mostly due to the fact that he is currently playing in a highly competitive professional league. You would think, that even despite his young age, his experience in the KHL would make the transition a little bit smoother, and when he gets here and is ready for full-time duty, he has the potential to not only be a starter, but maybe a top-15, or even top-10, goalie in the NHL.

Zavragin has kept SKA in this game #hcSKA #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/SML6AtC8LU

— Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) October 30, 2024
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While the last two KHL imports that the Flyers have had in net may not have panned out very well, Zavragin has always been a different level prospect-wise. He has the raw skill, size, and explosiveness in his lower half to become something really, really special.

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Previously in Philadelphia Flyers Summer 2025 Top 25 Under 25:


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Keith Jones on Flyers’ future, Foerster’s health, Tocchet’s role, and more

Flyers Governor Dan Hilferty and President of Hockey Operations met with the media Wednesday morning. The topics veered from the role Rick Tocchet will have to the status of Tyson Foerster and the goaltending situation. Here’s some of what they had to say about the organization and the future.

On what they would define as success for the 2025-26 season:

Dan Hilferty: I feel really good about where we’re headed. This patient approach is working, I’m excited about coach Tocchet coming in and I feel really good that we’re going to have a successful year. How we define a successful year consistent with last year is not necessarily the playoffs although that would be great for the fans and the fan in me. But just to see improvement throughout the year and our players and that competitive edge continue to grow.

Keith Jones: I would agree with Dan on all of that. I’m really excited to get things started this year. It feels a little bit different from the first two years. Starting to progress, our players are continuing to move forward and we’re doing everything we can to ensure that continues to happen. I feel really good about where Danny has the team now and for the future. I like the way the plan is coming together. I like the way Danny has laid out the plan and is sticking to it. Some of that is by design, sometimes you need a little bit of luck along the way too. So far things are working out the right way. So we’ll continue to grind away and get it right.

On why now was the right time for the team to start adding pieces:

KJ: Yeah, I think we owed that to our players that are here. They’ve done everything that we’ve asked of them. We’ve moved out a lot of their friends. We’ve taken away players at a time when other teams are building to make a playoff run. We’ve continued to accumulate assets to help us in the future. A lot of our top players have been patient with that. So I do think a lot of that played into it. Really, we’re just in a better position to move forward. A lot of things go into that. But our execution so far has been solid and I’m really looking forward to seeing the next steps come into play.

We’re a deeper team. I think there are way more options for our coaching staff. And at the trade deadline, just as an easy example, we’re not going to be giving away players to gain future assets. Unless it was something crazy that happened, that’s the plan as we sit here today.

On if last year was considered a step back for the organization:

KJ: Not at all. I do believe the year before we felt pretty good about our team that season. But we recognized that we needed to be more flexible in the future. And I think that’s what led to some of the selling off at the trade deadline. Sean Walker comes to mind when I think back to that time. Last year was kind of a steady type of progression up until the trade deadline. It was clearer that that was the way we had to go. It was easier in that regard. But recognizing what was on the horizon made us feel pretty good about things.

I think the execution of the draft was another very important step for us. With Danny in charge I think it’s three drafts now and feel really good about the accumulation of talent. Not just assets, there are some talented players that are coming. I think that’s going to help us as far as building that foundation from our younger players advancing and some of our top young guys who have been in the NHL for a few years now in a position to really take on roles of leadership and help us continue to advance to becoming a team that eventually will become a playoff team on a regular basis which is not an easy thing to do in this league.

On which current Flyers need to take that step forward:

KJ: The ones that I comfortably predict will are Tyson Foerster, Noah Cates I think both of those guys showed a lot. I think Bobby Brink continues to become a better player. Konecny’s been there. He’s done that. Sanheim has developed into not just a very good player for us but a real leader on the back end. I really appreciate his development and commitment to the team. I’m looking for really solid contributions from Cam York. I think his game will come back into a place where it was two years ago. I think last year wasn’t a great year for him, but I think he’s going to be a big part of our blueline as well. And I’m a big believer in Sam Ersson. I think that Sam is in a position now age-wise and being pushed by the depth at that position that’s there now is going to benefit him as well. I think that Sam is going to stand up to the test this year.

On if a similar season this season like last season would be considered a step back:

KJ: That would be disappointing. We definitely want to continue to take steps forward. I believe that we will. I think we’re going to do everything that we can to make sure that happens. So in the previous two years we’d be quick to make changes in order to get better for the future. Now it would be about staying course now and advancing. It’s not about moving back.

On balancing patience with the five-year playoff drought:

DH: The way I look at that. As the fan you want every year to compete to get into the playoffs. You want fans to get excited, you want to sell tickets, you want people in the arena. The way I look at this and the stage in my career — the relationship with Comcast — they agree, we agree, Keith agrees, Danny agrees that we’re going to take our time and do this the right way. The point being there’s no pressure from me in my role or from an ownership perspective beyond me to say we need to do something drastic, dramatic because we need to have a better shot at the playoffs. This is about that steady growth, building the number of young players coming up through the system, making sure positionally we’re doing the right things, bringing the coaching staff in starting with Tocchet who we think can continue to develop these players. We’re going to wait this out. I’m not getting any younger but I said this to the players the other day, we want to build a culture of sustainable excellence. Not just a shot next year and it falls off after.

On if Tocchet will have any impact on player personnel:

KJ: Not a lot. Coaches coach. Obviously if he has an experience with somebody, yes. You talk to everybody you can before you go out and make a transaction to add somebody. It would be foolish not to. But his number one priority will be to coach this team.

On the status of Tyson Foerster:

KJ: I know he’s doing well. That’s the great news there. I’ll leave that for Danny, I think he’ll talk next week probably. Tyson’s on pace to be there for us when the season starts. But Danny will get more into it.

On what he’s learned about Danny Briere since he became general manager:

KJ: I think both of us have been impressed by Danny. He’s an extremely intelligent, dedicated person to his job. Methodical, thoughtful, sharing in the ways he does thing not just with us but with our Flyer community and you guys as well. He deals from a position of honesty and has a really good plan in place that he has so far executed very well. I am extremely happy with Danny.

DH: His attention to detail and his willingness to allow analytics to come into his thinking along with the eye test has been very impressive. From a communications point of view he’s been terrific.

On whether the Flyers were worn out from John Tortorella:

DH: Well first of all we can go back to all the things I’ve said about Torts since I’ve been here. I have a great deal of respect for Torts as a person and as a coach. I think everything he did here can be viewed as foundational to what we’re trying to build. And part of that was that players would be in the best shape they could be in, would compete every second on the ice. And I think this will pay off for these players later having played for John Tortorella. We’re grateful for that. I think the one thing he did say to me at the beginning of last year was, ‘The third year is sometimes hard.’ Maybe the players are hearing the same thing over and over again. But I have nothing but great things to say about the things Torts did around here.

On whether Matvei Michkov’s arrival affected the Flyers timeline for rebuilding:

KJ: There’s no doubt that it helps. It helps in the Flyers fan community as well, he’s a very excitable player to watch. He embraces trying to be the best. It’s an interesting thing to watch him operate. We’re really excited that obviously he’s here. He’s going into year two so that’s always a challenge for young players that got their first taste of the National Hockey League. But he is a driven type of personality that wants to be a star in this league. And we really appreciate what he brings. So he does help us get to a point where we continue to advance maybe a little bit earlier because he’s here. And we need to help and add players to that mix.

On the fact two of the brightest stars on the horizon in Michkov and Porter Martone are wingers and not centers:

KJ: I’m happy that we have them. If there were starts or potential superstars at those positions when we drafted then of course you’re having a different discussion. I’m just really excited about what they bring. To me if you look at Kucherov, he’s a winger, I’ll take him any day. He’s a superstar. So when you can get those types of talents you take them. And you want to add pieces around them to make sure you complement them. A very good young center ice man coming up would certainly be something that we’re always going to be looking out for. We feel like we have a couple in our system now. But they’re going to take time to develop. But we’ll be patient.

On if the goaltending problems should have been resolved earlier and if the goaltending issue will be problematic moving forward:

KJ: I don’t think there were mistakes made. We brought in players that we’re drafted by the organization, to give them an opportunity. I think there were adjustments that we hoped their ability to adjust to would occur quicker than it did. I wouldn’t write off either guy in Fedotov or Kolosov. Kolosov’s obviously younger and is an extremely athletic goaltender if he can put all the pieces together in the future he could be a very good goaltender. He’ll be here. And we’re excited about that too. He has an opportunity like everybody else to come in here and show what he has. Developmentally we would have preferred that he spent a little more time in the American Hockey League, it was just not in the cards. I wouldn’t do it differently, but I’m excited about the depth that we have. Dan Vladar is somebody that we targeted and we’re very happy that he’s part of the mix. And the other guys are going to have to really show that they have the ability to get there again. We’ll see how it plays out.

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Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...ture-foersters-health-tocchets-role-and-more/
 
Jett Luchanko not participating in first day of rookie camp as injury concerns rise

The Philadelphia Flyers have taken their first step in the 2025-26 season. On Thursday they opened the doors to their Voorhees practice facility for the official start of rookie camp and while we saw lots of familiar faces, there was one top prospect not on the ice with the rest of them.

Jett Luchanko was not seen on the ice for the first day of Flyers’ rookie camp and did not participate in the on-ice drills or anything of that nature alongside the other prospects. While sometimes an absence is not explained or there is some other excuse, concerns about Luchanko’s existing groin injury started to rise earlier in the week and now we know it’s severe enough for him not to participate.


No Jett Luchanko on the ice for Day 1 of rookie camp. https://t.co/Yyr9WC5HRL

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) September 11, 2025​
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The injury in a vacuum is not too much of a concern. Players get bumps and bruises as they start skating more seriously with training camp around the corner, but this is something that has been nagging the 19-year-old center and has affected his offseason greatly.

Luchanko finished his season with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, performing quite well and looking like he truly belonged in that league for the time being as one of the team’s better players through the playoffs down there. But shortly after being ousted from the postseason, Luchanko picked up a groin injury that kept him absent from the Flyers’ development camp in July.

We would have assumed that this injury would be healed and Luchanko would be able to be a full participant over two months after missing development camp, but that is not the case. It has now stretched through his entire summer. Now we have to wonder how greatly it has affected his ability to train in the offseason if he can’t even get on the ice during rookie camp and the timing couldn’t be worse.

Luchanko played the majority of his season on a not-so-good Guelph Storm team in the OHL after initially making the Flyers’ roster out of training camp this time last year and looking pretty good for someone that just turned 18 years old. But with the CHL-NHL Agreement rule still in-tact for this season — starting next season, with the new CBA each team can have one 19-year-old from the CHL play in the AHL — it is going to have to be the Flyers or the Storm for the 2025-26 season. Considering Luchanko seems done with the OHL and it would be a slight step back, he has been slated to be in Philadelphia for a full-time position.

Now with Luchanko’s first potential taste of training camp being significantly affected and delayed because of this injury, it is probably the worst way to start a very important couple of weeks.

For some good news, the London Knights duo of defenseman Oliver Bonk and winger Denver Barkey were dealing with some minor injuries through the summer after winning the Memorial Cup in their final year of junior hockey. Both of them were absent from development camp earlier this summer due to some bumps and bruises and a minor injury, but now they are very present and out there skating at rookie camp.

Flyers rookie camp will run through this weekend as they are set to take on the prospects of the New York Rangers in two exhibition games on Friday and Saturday.


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Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...ot-participating-rookie-camp-injury-concerns/
 
Friday Morning Fly By: And we’re off

*Happy Rookie Game Weekend, Flyers fans! The unofficial kick-off of the season, in my opinion, and the point at which we are firmly no longer in the offseason. Yesterday The Kids took the ice for practice in Voorhees, and one Kid was noticeably absent. [BSH]

*Two guys noticeably NOT absent were Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk, who are aiming to make a big impression on the Flyers’ brass at this year’s camp. [Inquirer]

*Our old pal Chuck was boots on the ground at the Flyers Training Center and observed all kinds of interesting things during the kids’ practice sesh. [PHLY]

*In fact it seems like a lot of stuff was learned yesterday, with lots of updates available for all of us to enjoy. [The Athletic]

*Anyhoo we’re up to number nine on the 25 Under 25 countdown and we’re moving away from prospects to young guys that are firmly a part of this hockey team. [BSH]

*Pronman’s redraft extravaganza continues unabated with a whole new version of the 2021 entry draft. [The Athletic]

*And finally, it’s Friday, how’s about an Olympic roster debate? WHY NOT! [ESPN]

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Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/friday-morning-fly-by-and-were-off-3/
 
Flyers vs. Rangers Rookie Game 1: Coverage, how to watch, lineups, and game thread

Puck drop: 7:00 p.m.
How to watch/listen:
📺: Flyers website

Pregame reading​

Pregame watching​

Projected lineups​


Philadelphia Flyers

Alex Bump — Jack Nesbitt — Samu Tuomaala
Devin Kaplan — Jacob Gaucher — Denver Barkey
Nikita Grebenkin — Karsen Dorwart — Alexis Gendron
Sawyer Boulton — Matthew Gard — Tucker Robertson
Nathan Quinn

Hunter McDonald — Luke Vlooswyk
Andre Mondoux — Ethan Samson
Ty Murchison — Spencer Gill
Austin Moline

Carson Bjarnason
(Joey Costanzo)

New York Rangers

The specific lines for this evening are still up in the air, but the lineup for the series on the Rangers’ side at least is as follows:


It’s that time again!

The Rookie Camp roster is set: https://t.co/vF1mKNrvin pic.twitter.com/Up6lZGN2Cm

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) September 8, 2025​
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Storylines to watch​


Big name absences

The Flyers will certainly have no shortage to interesting names worth keeping an eye on that they’ve brought with them to this series, but it remains that the lineup isn’t going to be quite as stacked as it could be. As it stands, the Flyers will be without both Jett Luchanko — who was not on the ice for development camp back in July and was also held off from yesterday’s practice — along with Oliver Bonk — who missed development camp but was able to take place in yesterday’s skate — as they’re both being held out for precautionary reasons. It’s a shame for the both of them in each of their own ways, as Luchanko was likely hoping to use this as a springboard for another run for a lineup spot through main camp, while Bonk, though all but certainly Phantoms bound to start the season, did gain some really high praise from his soon to be head coach who was running the day’s session, who felt that his pace had taken a marked step forward since he saw him last, but it won’t be something he’s able to showcase in this game, at least. We’ll see when they’re able to get back to action, but this also opens the door nicely for other prospects to jump forward into a larger role and make an impression.

Bump, Grebenkin stepping up

All of that said, there are still some big-name prospects taking part in the series, and we’re expecting them to make some real noise. Both Alex Bump and Nikita Grebenkin, fresh off of solid showing with the Phantoms back in the spring, are coming into this hoping that they can keep that momentum rolling as they head into main camp, and make their push for spots in the Flyers’ opening night lineup. They’re both off to good starts, as they were standouts in Thursday’s practices sessions, bringing both notably high compete levels in drill settings and also allowing each of their shootings to pop. This isn’t an absolute make or break situation that they’re stepping into with these games, but we do recall years not too long ago when players who we expected to come into these rookie games with the leg up ended up having middling showings and putting themselves back foot heading into main camp, as a result. So, while the stakes aren’t sky-high here, they’re also not nothing, and it will be important for these two to not to put the cart before the horse, as it were, and phone it in for these games and place their focus too soon on the NHL preseason. This is their foundation before they move to the next step, and they have to make sure they’re taking care of it.

Goalie Watch (prospect edition)

The Rangers might not be bringing with them the same amount of firepower that they’ve had at their disposal in some of these tournaments past, but we can still expect to see Carson Bjarnason reasonably tested throughout this weekend. And it will be a pretty big test for him as well, ramping up after being banged up at the end of his WHL season (which also prevented him from playing in the Calder Cup playoffs for the Phantoms) and somewhat limited in Development Camp (as is just sort of the nature of the setup for goaltenders broadly), as he heads into his first professional season with the Phantoms, as he’s set to join them on a more full-time basis. He’s not in the position like someone like Bump or Grebenkin, where they’re hoping that a strong showing in this rookie showcase can springboard them and help their chances of making the big club, he’s not there yet, but it will be important for him to settle in quickly, as things are going to be ramping up even more for him in not too long. This is just the first step, but it’s worth seeing how he handles it, all the same.

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Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...overage-how-to-watch-lineups-and-game-thread/
 
Some takeaways from Flyers 4-3 overtime win over the Rangers

The Flyers survived two quick goals on New York’s first two shots to defeat the Rangers in a 4-3 overtime win, one highlighted by a few of the fine prospects the Flyers have on the horizon.

The basics

First period: 3:58 – Brennan Othmann (Noah Laba, Scott Morrow), 4:34 – Dylan Roobroeck (Scott Morrow)
Second period: 3:07 – Denver Barkey (Tucker Robertson), 6:16 – Alexis Gendron (Karsen Dorwart) (SHG), 13:29 – Raoul Boilard (Bryce McConnell-Barker, Artem Gonchar)
Third period: 10:02 – Jacob Gaucher (Devin Kaplan)
Overtime: 0:57 – Nikita Grebenkin (Karsen Dorwart, Ethan Samson)
SOG: 35 (PHI) – 24 (NYR)

Some takeaways​


No Bonk, Moline, Quinn

The Flyers didn’t dress three skaters: forward Nathan Quinn, defenseman Austin Moline and defenseman Oliver Bonk. Bonk is expected to play Saturday afternoon but his absence looked to be felt somewhat on the backend. The Rangers didn’t really hem the Flyers in their own end much in the first period, but the blueline wasn’t able to establish much in terms of transition early on, simply content to get the puck out and let the forwards try to win one-on-one battles. However, as the game unfolded, Bonk’s absence seemed to be less of a factor. He should get into Saturday’s game but time will tell.

Slow start

The Flyers had the first shot on goal of the game but the opening moments were a feeling out process between both sides. Alex Bump, on a line with Samu Tuomaala, made a nifty pass towards the slot early but no Flyer was there to take advantage. That shift was followed up by another decent one featuring Jacob Gaucher centering Denver Barkey and Devin Kaplan.

Perhaps the biggest chance for the Flyers was late in the first when Bump was fed a pass by Tuomaala who was stopped by Rangers goalie Hugo Ollas.

Power play pleasurable

The Flyers got their first power play in the second period. The first unit featured Ethan Samson as the high man with Bump and Barkey also buzzing around. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, a Samson shot from the point beat Ollas but hit the iron.

On the second power play, Bump and Barkey were electric, making fantastic and crisp quick passes all over the ice to get prime scoring chances. In short, the Flyers might have had three or four power plays like that all of last season. Combined. Although there was some carryover time into the third, Philadelphia lost the opening faceoff of the third and the Rangers easily killed the remaining 25 seconds.

Carson’s iffy start

Carson Bjarnason had a bad start to start the game. The Flyers’ early momentum went up in smoke when the Rangers Brennan Othmann scored on Flyers goalie Carson Bjarnason through the wickets for a 1-0 lead. And shortly thereafter, Bjarnason again looked a bit leaky as the shot by Dylan Roobroeck from the boards somehow found its way between his arm and body to give New York a quick 2-0 lead before the game was five minutes old. Not a great confidence boost.

Minutes later, the Flyers needed to kill a roughing penalty to Gaucher to keep themselves from getting into a hole. Fortunately the newly acquired Tucker Robertson was fine on the kill, making a nice transition play to give himself a decent shot. For the most part, the Flyers seemed to insulate Bjarnason a bit more in their own zone as the keeper steadied himself the rest of the opening frame.

The second period wasn’t a busy one for Bjarnason but he gave up his third of the night, this one a tie-breaker as Raoul Boilard snapped a wrister high over Bjarnason to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead. He made some important saves down the stretch in the third, especially on an odd-man break for New York that he managed to get a piece of. And strong stops came on Gabe Perreault midway through the third. Overall he showed composure after a shaky start.

Barkey has some bite

Denver Barkey had a decent opening period, racing hard down the ice for a scoring chance to try and cut the lead in half. But the pass was too far ahead of him to get good wood on it. Barkey hit paydirt in the second with a great shot that eluded Ollas. Barkey was the recipient of a fantastic cross ice pass from Robertston, finishing with a shot that cut the deficit in half.

🐶 BARK! 🐶

💻: https://t.co/0nWZ7p2m4u | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/tVHcN7gGXd

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) September 13, 2025
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Late in the second Barkey beat defenseman Scott Morrow and almost beat Ollas on what would’ve been a pretty tying goal.

Nifty Nesbitt

Forward Jack Nesbitt opened the second period with a subtle body check behind the net prior to getting a good scoring chance early. Once again the line of Nesbitt, Bump, and Tuomaala were making things happening, just not capitalizing from their hard work. He also threw a nice reverse hit early in the middle frame as the Flyers began to get their game going.

A turning point of sorts took place after a slashing penalty to Andre Mondoux about five minutes into the second. The Flyers went up ice and Karsen Dorwart looked to have a glorious chance to score, as did Alexis Gendron. But it looked like he hit the post. Moments later, officials determined Gendron’s shot went in, tying things up 2-2.

After review, it's a shorty from Alexis Gendron and we're tied up at 2! 🚨

💻: https://t.co/0nWZ7p2m4u | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/RPfya3NTG5

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) September 13, 2025
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But back to Nesbitt. The first thing you noticed with him is his size, and his ability to use that size to his advantage. After the Flyers first man advantage, Nesbitt went to the dirty area to get the go-ahead goal. He wasn’t successful but the Rangers had a very difficult time moving him from Ollas’ doorstep.

Big bodies

The Rangers seemed to be feeling pretty good taking the body a bit more to the Flyers although defenseman Ethan Samson was throwing his weight around. A lot of the Rangers big guys are massive, some pushing north of 6’4″ and 6’5″ like Nathan Aspinall and Roobroeck. However, the Flyers didn’t back down, with the Rangers Corbin Vaughan and Tuomaala got together. It was evident the two teams didn’t really like each other from the get-go.

Two minutes into the second Vaughan and Gaucher dropped the gloves with Vaughan seemingly getting the upper hand. The tussle seemed to energize the Flyers somewhat as Dorwart had a good shot that Ollas once again stopped. Later in the second, Vaughan and Sawyer Boulton went at it and Boulton filled him in quite nicely, clocking him with an uppercut that stopped Vaughan. Boulton then called out the Rangers bench before heading to the locker room.

Tuomaala makes most of it

Samu Tuomaala might have had the odds against him in terms of other draft picks ahead of him in the Flyers pipeline. Yet, he made the most of the first game on a line with Bump and Nesbitt. Whether he was the beneficiary of having two highly-talented linemates with him, or the fact he was making his own chances, Tuomaala was very good. He was especially fine on the second power play when he fed Nesbitt in close before having a stellar attempt himself. The Flyers were dominant in the second and it showed in the 20-6 shot advantage.

Gaucher gets equalizer

After two great saves from Bjarnason to keep the Flyers in it, Philadelphia tied things up on what looked like a nothing play. Devin Kaplan took the puck over the blue line and made a fine pass to an open Jacob Gaucher who beat Ollas clean to tie the game 3-3.

Jacob Gaucher has 2/3 of a Gordie Howe Hat Trick for those counting at home. 😤

💻: https://t.co/0nWZ7p2m4u | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/7NaKabPZJb

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) September 13, 2025
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Nikita, I need you so

Just under a minute into overtime, Nikita Grebenkin made a great play and better shot in overtime, beat Ollas and giving the Flyers an exciting 4-3 victory in the opener.

🚨 NIKITA GREBENKIN WINS IT IN OT! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/w02JelBc7S

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) September 13, 2025
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Finally, kudos to Jason Myrtetus

Doing the color commentary for the Flyers broadcast, kudos to Jason Myrtetus who has had an incredibly arduous 2025 to say the least but is coming out the other side of things doing what he does best. All the best moving forward, my good man!

Source
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Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/some-takeaways-from-flyers-4-3-overtime-win-over-the-rangers/
 
Some takeaways from Flyers 5-2 loss to the Rangers

Nikita Grebenkin had a pair of assists but that was the high point of what was a choppy, chippy affair between the Flyers and the Rangers Saturday afternoon at PPL Center. The result was a 5-2 loss that concluded the Rookie Series at a win apiece.

The basics

First period: 5:46- Scott Morrow (Dylan Roobroeck)
Second period: 0:51- Jackson Dorrington (Scott Morrow, Brennan Othmann), 5:10- Ethan Samson (Nikita Grebenkin), 11:14- Jaroslav Chmelar (Gabe Perreault, Scott Morrow) (PPG), 15:09- Alexis Gendron (Nikita Grebenkin), 17:19- Noah Laba (Brennan Othmann)
Third period: 17:30- Gabe Perreault (Unassisted) (ENG)
SOG: 23 (PHI) – 31 (NYR)

Some takeaways

Carson returns

Carson Bjarnason played the first half of the Rookie Series finale Saturday afternoon. And he didn’t see a lot of rubber early as the Flyers opened the game with a few strong shifts highlighted by the line of Alex Bump, Jack Nesbitt and Samu Tuomaala. Bjarnason was tested on a quasi-breakaway while New York was short-handed and made the save on the first shot, unlike Friday night. Unfortunately, on the Rangers initial power play, he couldn’t make the save on a Scott Morrow wrister in the slot.

Scott Morrow is a #NYR

pic.twitter.com/NlkX70RBFA

— Leo (@Leo__260) September 13, 2025
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Down 1-0, the Rangers quickly came back down the ice and nearly had their second but the puck didn’t beat the post. Bjarnason stopped 14 of 17 shots he faced before Philadelphia switched goalies midway through the second.

Few tussles

Although there was a few fights Friday night, the Saturday tilt started off chippy. Halfway through the first Brennan Othmann threw a punch at Jack Nesbitt who obviously got under Othmann’s skin, drawing a penalty. The referees weren’t quick to break things up and roughly a minute later both sides were back at it again, although no fights ensued. The parade of penalties didn’t really create much of a flow in the game, with special teams being front and center most of the opening frame. And to end the first another scrum ensued, causing a few more pushes and shoves as the officials continued to slowly but surely lose control of the proceedings.

In the third Hunter McDonald appeared to be cut with a high stick and was bleeding. But the officials never saw it. It was indicative of what was essentially a rather chippy, choppy affair from start to finish. Finally Samu Tuomaala (not a typo), dropped the gloves against Rico Gredig and gave more than he took. Thankfully he wasn’t injured in the fight after playing just 46 games last year in Lehigh Valley.

Rico Gredig drops the gloves #NYR pic.twitter.com/lXoxbF2kVi

— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) September 13, 2025
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Minutes later Devin Kaplan delivered a heavy check on Case McCarthy and they fought. Kaplan fell after taking a punch and the officials quickly stepped in.

Sloppy in own zone

The Flyers didn’t give up much on Friday night, nor did they spend a lot of time hemmed in their own zone. Sadly, in the opening 10 minutes of the first, Philadelphia was guilty of a few miscues. And just bad giveaways. Tucker Robertson’s attempt to skate through some Ranger forecheckers resulted in a giveaway and a Flyers minor penalty. Fortunately as the first went on they appeared to be tidier.

In the second, with two minors to the Flyers, the Rangers had a great five-on-three for roughly 90 seconds. However the blueshirts were content with staying around the perimeter. Toss in Flyers defender Spencer Gill breaking his stick and there was all kinds of fun for Philadelphia. Seconds later the Rangers made a nifty passing play ending with Jaroslav Chmelar putting it in for a 3-1 lead.

Beautiful puck movement here. #NYR pic.twitter.com/jEl1n02VQI

— Snark Messier (@NYRFanatic) September 13, 2025
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Bump good, not great

While nothing amounted to any prime scoring chances, Bump drew an early penalty. The power play wasn’t given much of a chance to work as Philadelphia was called for a minor about 30 seconds into the man advantage. In the second, Bump had more ice as both teams played 4-on-4. That space unfortunately caused an odd-man rush for the Rangers. Defenseman Jackson Dorrington put a nice shot behind Bjarnason to give New York a 2-0 lead early in the second.

Jackson Dorrington makes it 2-0 #NYR Othmann has 2 Assist pic.twitter.com/lnd9f5sD8W

— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) September 13, 2025
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Unfortunately, Bump, Nesbitt and Tuomaala were stuck in their own zone for some time midway through period two. After an icing, Tuomaala had a chance to dump the puck in for a much-needed change but couldn’t deliver. However seconds later Bump had a chance to tie things up, nearly beating Tung close in but the puck went wide. On the whole Bump’s first 40 minutes paled somewhat to Friday’s game. Yet he did have his moments. He probably would like to have the play back late which resulted in an empty-netter for the Rangers which made it 5-2.

Murchison steady at times

Ty Murchison didn’t make a lot of noise or heads turn in the first game. In fact, he looked to be banged up after crashing heavily into the boards in the third period. But he was no worse for wear Saturday. In fact he was pretty good initially. Paired with Spencer Gill, Murchison was making some solid, quick, high percentage plays when he wasn’t winning puck battles and keeping the puck (and most defenders) in front of him.

The drawback? Well, Murchison looked rather foolish late in the second period when he was undressed by Brennan Othmann. Othmann fed Noah Laba for his first of the contest to make it a 4-2 game. While there was a lot of hockey left to play, it appeared that took some of the wind out of the sails for Philadelphia. Nothing was coming easy for the Flyers after two periods.

Laba makes it 4-2, That was gross by Othmann, he now has 3 Assist in this game. #NYR pic.twitter.com/SQuVP25WkE

— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) September 13, 2025
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Murchison had a chance early in the third to redeem himself, getting a pass from Bump and taking the wrister which hit the post. He also took a penalty in the third, sending Cooper Moore dangerously into the boards with a check in the back.

Not generating much

With so many penalties, the Flyers couldn’t sustain hardly any momentum for roughly the first half of the game. Whether it was the second of a back-to-back pair of games or that the Rangers were simply doing a better job of making life a little more miserable for Philadelphia, the Flyers didn’t create much. The few chances they had were essentially one-shot affairs. That was before Ethan Samson’s shot cut the Rangers lead in half. Defenseman Austin Moline made a great backhand pass from the boards to Nikita Grebenkin who fed Samson for the goal.

Samson from the spot. 🎯

💻: https://t.co/0nWZ7p2m4u | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/bikUmiE5Zq

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) September 13, 2025
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That goal seemed to energize the Flyers and finally woke them up a bit in subsequent shifts.

Hey Joey, how you doin’?

Joey Costanzo took over from Bjarnason with roughly 29 minutes left in the tilt. And he made his first save with ease, a good confidence boost for him with having no warm-up before taking the ice. He was also nearly tested on a short-handed breakaway by the Rangers but the shot went wide. Costanzo, on a tryout, was probably just happy to be playing anywhere as he’s hoping to land a spot somewhere in the Flyers organization. Given the goalies in the system it’s probably doubtful he sticks around.

Costanzo had little to no chance on the Rangers fourth goal. He did make a few good saves in the third to give Philadelphia a puncher’s chance down by two. This was highlighted by a save he made on Casey Terrance six minutes into the third.

With about three minutes to go in the third the Flyers pulled Costanzo for an extra attacker. On the whole Costanzo stopped 10 of the 11 shots he faced.

And who can forget Nikita

Grebenkin had two assists on the first two Flyers goals, the second resulting from some battles he won just inside the Rangers zone. Grebenkin fed Alexis Gendron who beat Tung clean to make it 3-2. A solid Rookie Series for the forward who continues to make a case to find a place somewhere in the Flyers lineup.

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Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/some-takeaways-from-flyers-5-2-loss-to-the-rangers/
 
Monday Morning Fly By: So long, offseason

*Hockey is truly officially back, and we certainly had ourselves a busy first weekend back in action. The Flyers played their annual rookie series against the Rangers up in Allentown, and the Friday game was a real thriller, and ended in a big overtime win for the Flyers. [BSH]

*The rematch, though, was not so kind to them. [BSH]

*But, despite the disappointing end to the series for them, there was still much that could be gleaned from that loss. [PHLY]

*Nikita Grebenkin is making a name for himself as a favorite personality around here. [BSH]

*He, along with Alex Bump, have also already earned some high praise from their head coach of this camp in John Snowden. [BSH]

*And so too is Denver Barkey stepping up as an exciting player to watch through this camp, even if he’s pretty well outside of the discussion for an NHL roster spot immediately. [PHLY]

*While we’re talking players to watch, Ethan Samson is an interesting case, with some stock on the rise but a skillset still in need of some polishing out. [Inquirer]

*Samson’s still working through some of the bumps in that steep adjustment to professional hockey, but the Flyers are hopeful that the transition can be smoother for someone like Oliver Bonk. [The Athletic]

*Speaking of Bonk, he’s our most recent addition to our Top 25 Under 25 ranking, breaking onto it at the eighth spot. [BSH]

*He has yet, though, to break into rookie camp. Not fully, at least, as he was held out of both games this weekend. [Inquirer]

*Trevor Zegras is a Flyers, and we got our first look at him on their ice last week. [BSH]

*Oh, by the way, we had some actual real news break this weekend! Ivan Fedotov, get ready to learn Columbus, Ohio. [BSH]

*Our pal Charlie has his very serious and detailed breakdown of the trade and the circumstances surrounding it. [PHLY]

*We also have a more zoomed in look at how the move affects the Flyers’ cap situation. [BSH]

*And finally, a return to Philadelphia for Carter Hart appears to have been ruled out. [The Athletic]

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Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/monday-morning-fly-by-so-long-offseason/
 
Flyers’ Jamie Drysdale can use Trevor Zegras arrival to explode offensively

20240110_Flyers-vs-Canadiens-114.jpg


In the 2019 NHL Draft, the Anaheim Ducks selected Trevor Zegras ninth overall. The following year, Anaheim took defenseman Jamie Drysdale with the sixth overall pick. Both scored their first NHL goals in the same game within a few minutes of each other. Drysdale first and then Drysdale assisting on Zegras’s tally.

Fun fact: Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale scored their first NHL goals within minutes of each other! Drysdale even assisted on Zegras' goal! 🤝 pic.twitter.com/ZfukUo4WXs

— NHL (@NHL) June 23, 2025
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Both showed promise at times in California. But within a span of 18 months both players found themselves on the outs on the West Coast, and then members of the Philadelphia Flyers. As is well known, Drysdale was the key piece of a trade that shipped out Cutter Gauthier to Anaheim after his kerfuffle with the Flyers, ignoring both Flyers general manager Danny Briere and president of hockey operations Keith Jones. Drysdale had his ups and downs to begin his stint in Philadelphia but in 2024-25 had a milestone season: his first nearly fully healthy year since the 2021-22 season while playing 70 games. And last year saw him score against Anaheim in a 6-0 pasting in Gauthier’s return to Philadelphia. Revenge is sweet sometimes.

Now, with Trevor Zegras hoping to provide the Flyers with a great season that is essentially a make-or-break year for him with Philadelphia, Drysdale could find himself being the truly huge benefactor of Zegras’ arrival. It’s doubtful he’ll see the same chemistry Zegras might find with Matvei Michkov, Travis Konecny or some other Flyers winger. Yet there is nobody currently on the Flyers roster who has played more games or minutes with Zegras than Drysdale. Nobody knows his moves, what he’s thinking, or what he’s capable of on the ice (or on the power play) more than the blueliner.

So, with Drysdale and Zegras both playing out the final year of their respective contracts, could it be a case of a great Zegras year translating into a career season for Drysdale? Or possibly Drysdale, being used as the high defenseman on a power play unit with Zegras, being the catalyst for the center finding his game again? There’s a very strong case that Zegras could bring out the best in Drysdale, which would certainly make the Gauthier trade look a lot better than some skeptics think it currently does. Either way, there’s proof the two have played together. And on the power play.

That’s not to say the duo haven’t played tons together. Not by a long shot. But a lot of that was circumstances, namely injuries to Drysdale. In 2020-21, Zegras and Drysdale both played a total of 24 games over the course of the season. Yet in those 24 games, Zegras played with Drysdale a total of 21:24 on the power play. That ranked sixth overall on the team (including goaltenders) and second only to Kevin Shattenkirk in terms of defensemen. Shattenkirk led all blueliners in time played with Zegras on the power play with 33:32. But again, not a huge sample size because both Zegras and Drysdale combined played a mere 48 games.

The biggest sample size (and possibly the most amount of proof the two have some synergy) came in 2021-22. Zegras that season played 75 games while Drysdale played a career high 81 contests. So neither player was hampered by injuries. That season, Drysdale led all Anaheim players (including the goaltenders and the forwards) with 132:40 time on ice with Zegras on the power play. It ended up being 5:52 more than goaltender John Gibson and 7:39 more than forward Ryan Getzlaf. It was also the year that Zegras and Drysdale found themselves earning points on the same power play goal eight times. So eight of the 32 points Drysdale earned in 2021-22 came on goals, primary assists, or secondary assists that Zegras also either scored or assisted on with the man advantage. That’s a quarter of Drysdale’s production all season! If you break down that a bit more, that’s a tad over 10 per cent of Drysdale’s offensive production in his career as he has 70 points in 217 games.

The first of these eight instances came on Nov. 24, 2021 basically during garbage time against the Colorado Avalanche. Down 5-1, Zegras set up along the boards with Drysdale at the point and being one of the safer, high percentage options. A few passes between the two resulted in a shot from the point which Sonny Milano deflected in. And although it was a small amount of time, it looked as if the power play was being run through Zegras, much in the same vein as Claude Giroux once did with the Flyers. The second goal featuring both earning power play points was on Dec. 3, 2021 against the Flames. Here the goal was set up on some nice feeds, with Drysdale passing across his body to Zegras. With a lot of Flames paying attention to Zegras, he found the seam and fed a lovely cross ice pass to Vinni Lettieri for a one-timer.

In their Feb. 11, 2022 contest against Seattle, the pair almost scored 30 seconds prior to eventually getting their points. Getzlaf received a pass from Drysdale. He one-timed it but the save was made. The rebound went directly to Zegras who missed a golden chance. However the next rush up ice hit paydirt. Zegras, looking quite comfortable along the boards, made the Kraken defender cheat towards him. Zegras passed it to Drysdale who, with a lot more space and time, ripped a shot that Rickard Rakell got a piece of.

Rick Rolls To Lead
✅

Rickard Rakell (11) Goal
Jamie Drysdale (17) Assist
Trevor Zegras (21) Assist
Chris Driedger Against

Kraken 2 – #Ducks 3 2nd
Credit: NHL / ESPN🤦‍
♂
️#SEAvsANA #LetsGoDucks #AnaheimDucksGoooaaalll pic.twitter.com/V2Lx03kvVH

— Anaheim Sports (@AnaheimSports1) February 12, 2022
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Less than a week later against the Oilers, Zegras got a pass from Drysdale in the Edmonton zone. Zegras had ample time to find a play and slid a gorgeous pass that Sonny Milano deflected. And two days later, against Vancouver, Zegras again held the puck quite a while before seeing one of the defenders move towards him. From there Drysdale found more space after Zegras passed him the puck, and got a clear shot to the net for a Rakell deflection.

Ricky Makes It Three
✅

Rickard Rakell (12) Goal
Jamie Drysdale (19) Assist
Trevor Zegras (23) Assist
Thatcher Demko Against#Ducks 3 – Canucks 0 1st
Credit: Ballys#ANAvsVAN #LetsGoDucks #AnaheimDucksGoooaaalll pic.twitter.com/dOBL56VYl2

— Anaheim Sports (@AnaheimSports1) February 20, 2022
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The last three instances were all Zegras goals. The first of these was March 1, 2022 against Boston. Late in the game, with the scored tied 3-3, Drysdale again up near the blueline found Zegras to his left. Zegras had three defenders approaching him but managed to get a great shot off for the game-winning goal. On March 4, 2022 against Vegas, Zegras was the benefactor of a Drysdale slapshot from the point. The shot never got to the net but instead was shoveled over to Zegras who got his wrister over the goalie and under the crossbar.

Now that's a Zegras zinger. 😮 pic.twitter.com/FITNDEmBKo

— NHL (@NHL) March 5, 2022
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Again, it wasn’t the most jaw-dropping, highlight-reel goal. But it demonstrated that there’s a chemistry or synergy Zegras has with Drysdale, and Drysdale has with Zegras. They are both able to either find an opening for the other. Or create enough space for themselves to generate a great scoring chance.

Finally, on April 9, 2022, Zegras scored again on the power play, this time against what is now his new team. Drysdale earned a secondary assist and former Flyer Gerald Mayhew was on the ice for Anaheim as Zegras scored. The goal made it 3-2 for the Ducks late in the middle frame. It was the last power play goal both Zegras and Drysdale were a part of together.

Trevor Zegras gives Anaheim the 3-2 lead with a nifty one-timer on the power play!#FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/jgYKYBTXAV

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) April 10, 2022
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In 2022-23, Zegras was healthy and played 81 games while Drysdale was reduced to eight due to injuries. As a result, Zegras and Drysdale were on the ice for a total of 2:22 of power play time all season, and just 42:48 at even strength. In 2023-24, their final season (or part of a season) as teammates, Zegras played 31 games while Drysdale played 10 with Anaheim. Yet even in this short sample size, Drysdale was on the ice with Zegras with the man advantage for 20:28, which was second among Anaheim defensemen who were on the same power play unit with Zegras. In terms of even strength, the pair were on the ice together for 50:10 before Drysdale was traded to Philadelphia in January 2024.

It’s probably a safe bet that Zegras and Drysdale won’t be tied at the hip on the ice, although Drysdale jokingly hinted the pair were so close off the ice they “peed” together. That intangible is probably just as welcoming for Drysdale as it is for Zegras, knowing the other will be there through the ups and downs of a regular season. What is fairly evident is that the Flyers are hoping both Zegras and Drysdale can recapture some of that magic that made them look so promising. And that both remain healthy to make the case that they are at the very least two pieces of the Flyers future.

Of course that synergy also depends on how Rick Tocchet sees the Flyers power play. If he goes with Travis Sanheim or Cam York over Drysdale, then obviously Drysdale might have his work cut out for him. However if both have played together before, and had some effectiveness on the power play, why wouldn’t you try them out to start the season? It seems like a very low-risk, high-reward proposition.

If that happens, there’s a very good chance the power play will end up being improved (not counting the likes of Michkov or Konecny). And with that it’s conceivable both Drysdale and Zegras are extended for a few more seasons as the Flyers turn the corner not just towards the playoffs but contention for 16 post-season victories. Should both players get the best out of the other, and the sum being greater than the parts, then that’s the best-case scenario for the players, the general manager and the team.

Source
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Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...trevor-zegras-arrival-to-explode-offensively/
 
Which Flyers put on most weight ahead of training camp

The time has finally come. The Philadelphia Flyers are all going to step on the ice together this week as training camp kicks off Thursday. Young prospects will try to make the team, veteran will try to warm up for the season, and others will just be skating around with the group. But what sometimes makes the sport of ice hockey easier is gaining some mass — and some Flyers certainly did that over the offseason.

The Flyers announced the full training camp roster and schedule Tuesday morning and of course with it, we get the new measurements for each attendee. While we don’t expect any height differences — unless someone experiences a growth spurt at 25 years old — a big deal is the weight a player can gain to really live with the physicality through an entire NHL season.

And there were some massive gainers on the Flyers’ training camp roster. Let’s break it down — comparing the player’s weight from last year’s training camp to this year.

Flyers who gained some mass​


Spencer Gill — +25 pounds

The young blueliner put in some work over the last 12 months. Gill, the 2024 second-round pick, was a slight 189 pounds for his 6-foot-4 frame but now as he just turned 19 years old, he is now at a comfortable 213 pounds and that should go very far in all aspects of his game. Strength and power, baby.

Adam Ginning — +14 pounds

Ginning may not have a game played for the Flyers by the end of this season but he’s certainly gearing up to be one of the more reliable depth defenders for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Samu Tuomaala — +11 pounds

Tuomaala will need to change the type of player he is to make the Flyers. The speedy winger was either going to be a scorer or bring nothing to the table, but maybe gaining 11 pounds over the last year will get him to be a nasty, grinding bottom-six scoring threat instead. We already saw him drop the gloves in a rookie game.

Oliver Bonk — +11 pounds

Bonk filled out his frame and we all saw that over rookie camp last weekend. He was always willing to play with physicality for the London Knights, but as he makes his jump to professional hockey, gaining some pounds was necessary.

Bobby Brink — +10 pounds

We don’t even know where Brink could fit 10 pounds on his frame. We kid, we kid. Brink has established himself as a very good third-line winger that can produce some offense, so him building even more mass is only a good thing for his projectability.

Nick Seeler — +10 pounds

Did Nick Seeler really need to gain muscle? The tough guy on the Flyers blue line was able to somehow go from 197 pounds, all the way to 207 — maybe it’s just to add some more padding on his body for when he’s blocking dozens of shots every night.

Noah Cates — +7 pounds

Cates is going to grind and grind and grind in the corners all season long so an additional several pounds is going to treat him well. Some good stuff.

Jamie Drysdale — +5 pounds

Jamie Drysdale isn’t the tallest defender but he was already pretty sturdy on his feet, now that he sits at 190 pounds with his 5-foot-11 frame — that’s a pretty comfortable size for a regular NHLer to play an entire season. Let’s hope that means something.

Jett Luchanko — +2 pounds

Luchanko put all those two pounds into his legs so he’s even faster to retrieve pucks and help out his linemates. But in all seriousness, the 2024 first-rounder is now, like Drysdale, a comfortable 190 pounds at 6-foot tall. That’s more than enough and we didn’t need Luchanko to gain dozens of pounds, or else he could lose that mobility.

Matvei Michkov — +1 pound

That’s right. After a terrific rookie season, Matvei Michkov could have chilled out and just maintained his mass because he knew it worked. But no, he gained one single pound. Just think of how much puck protection he can do, or how much more muscle that is in his wrists so he can get the Michigan off faster and actually score one.

Dang, some Flyers actually lost weight​


It wasn’t all players who put on some muscle or just maintained the same weight. A couple of guys actually lost some weight comparing their poundage from last year to this year.

Massimo Rizzo — -3 pounds

The depth prospect forward was already slight to begin with, but now he is standing at 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds with not being that fleet of foot either. Maybe, he could’ve used to gain a little bit more to carve out a future bottom-six role for himself. Unfortunately, that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen,

Christian Dvorak — -2 pounds

Maybe it was shedding all of that Montreal smoked meat or giving up poutine for a few months, but the veteran centerman who signed with the Flyers this summer is down a couple pounds and now sits at 190 on his 6-foot-1 frame. Since he has already proven to be a quality NHL regular, maybe this shed was just to get around the ice quicker than he has in past seasons.

Source
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Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...rs-put-on-most-weight-ahead-of-training-camp/
 
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