Flyers don't need to look far for contending recipe

by Bob Herpen

Phanatic Hockey Editor

Although it’s been 16 years, featuring 9 head or interim coaches, four GM tenures and one irreplaceable ownership loss since their last appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals, it’s pretty clear the Philadelphia Flyers are insistent they’re going to do it their way.

On the Nasty Knuckles podcast released on July 9 – 25 days after the Carolina Hurricanes won the second Cup in franchise history – the boys welcomed former beloved Flyer, ‘Canes head coach and 2-time Cup winner, Rod Brind’Amour to the fold. 

In general terms, the path toward winning the title during the 2-month war of attrition, usually encompasses four things: overall health, systemic buy-in, near perfect execution, along with outstanding play by at least three players: one forward, one defenseman and a goaltender.

Oddly enough, these are the elements which elevated failed Flyers head coach Craig Berube in 2019 when he took over a moribund Blues club and rode the wave to the championship: near freakish health up and down the roster; stellar performances from Ryan O’Reilly, Alex Pietrangelo and the lack of a book on rookie netminder Jordan Binnington.

But that was an eternity on the NHL timeline. 

Brind’Amour and the Hurricanes – whose core has been together for 8 years – finally broke through after 7 long years of losing in either the conference semifinals or conference finals, by tapping into that formula, which does, admittedly, rely on some freakish luck. 

“A perfect example in these playoffs, you gotta be healthy at the end,” he said. “You’re not going to beat the best teams if you don’t have your best. We went through this playoff, I had one forward miss one game. (Nikolaj) Ehlers missed one game in the Ottawa series, that’s it. Our sixth defenseman (Alex Nikishin) missed two games.”

There’s the rub. 

Flyers hockey has always been about parroting the same abstract nouns you’ll find in any TV advertisement for the military: honor, sacrifice, taking the hit to make the play, protecting teammates, etc. Problem is, that sacrifice has *always* caused issues that damage durability.

Not that they are difference makers, but Nikita Grebenkin and Rodrigo Abols’ lack of availability due to injury killed bottom-six depth. Owen Tippett missed 4 games and was injured internally for however many before that; Dan Vladar hurt his right upper body area 3 games in and played for the remainder. 

The list goes on: Trevor Zegras had a sprained elbow ligament, Travis Konecny broke multiple ribs and one nose; Alex Bump sprained an MCL in one knee, Christian Dvorak a separated shoulder and broken rib, Cam York a broken rib and Garnet Hathaway a broken leg. That was only across 10 games in 2 rounds, while Carolina played 19 over 4 rounds. 

It is asking A LOT of the current coaching staff and even more of the hockey gods to bless the Flyers with excellent playoff health for 2 months straight, given their franchise ethos in the spring is nothing short of coming in like a wrecking ball. 

“There is a learning curve to all this,” Brind’Amour continued. “You don’t really know it when you’re in it, but now that you’re on the other side of it … there’s little things we’ve figured out.”

Could Tocchet, as bench boss, “figure it out” having been on the losing end of two Cup Finals vs. Edmonton and a Wales Conference finals run vs. Montreal whose hopes of victory were scuttled by repeated serious injuries to key personnel (Tim Kerr, Dave Poulin, Brad McCrimmon)? Or is he too caught up in the hero worship in this town from all the heroic, broken bodies pushed to their limit against superior foes?

One of those big “little” things the ‘Canes learned, is how to maximize their strengths by subduing the opposition through puck possession – and the fatigue that comes with the opposition chasing whoever has it – rather than brute strength shown in big hits and corner/netfront play. 

They surely did so by embracing analytics, which Brind’Amour admitted he’s not crazy about, but which owner Tom Dundon and GM Eric Tulsky are clear devotees.

“Even in the playoffs that we lost, he’d (Dundon) come to me (and say), one year we got beat by Florida four straight and he said, ‘You guys should have won all those games.’ If we lost 4 straight and we were getting pounded analytically, there probably would have been a change,” he admitted.

They’ve also figured out how to maximize what Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet calls “low-event hockey” with respect to keeping pucks out of the net: in an era of increased offense, only 12 times during the regular season and 3 more in the playoff over a total of 101 contests did the ‘Canes surrender 5 or more goals.

When co-host Riley Cote asked Brind’Amour about “organizational patience” given Carolina came up short 7 straight years in the 2nd or 3rd round before making the finals and winning it all this year, hit answer might have hit on something deeper than the usual. 

“I think what probably happens is you get GMs in place who are worried about their job, so they don’t really have the vision, the long term vision, so that hurts,” he offered. “I also think, from our standpoint here, our owner wants to win. When we won, he came to me and the first thing he said was, ‘Well, that took a long time!’ Why did it take so long? He really didn’t understand.”

I bet a lot of you reading this are with Dundon. However, what’s unstated is the imbalance between a relatively new hockey market in the Triangle region of a southern state and one of the league’s legacy franchises. 

Success often depends on building from a clean slate. Front office regimes can’t realistically bear the cement parachute of previous failed attempts. By nature, the inherent confidence of the new group, starting at Day One, has to be the driving force behind their decision making. 

On the other hand, there are multi-generational families of Flyers fans who have seen failure after failure with different cooks concocting different recipes in the vain attempt to distill the glory of half a century ago. Young men have married, become fathers and grandfathers and some have passed on with no significant replication of whatever formula each generation utilized to reach the top. 

And yet, Danny Briere is constantly asking for renewed patience as he waits for deals which “make sense” to move this roster forward. 

Keep it here 2 weeks from now where the next Phanatic Offseason Biweekly completes the examination based on Brind’Amour’s interview.

Flyers, Drysdale avoid arbitration with new 4-year deal

With five days remaining before an arbitration hearing, the Philadelphia Flyers avoided that prospect with restricted free agent defenseman Jamie Drysdale, agreeing to terms on a 4-year contract extension worth a reported $6.5 million per year average annual value.

First with the report, per usual, was Elliotte Friedman of Canada's Sportsnet. 

In a statement issued by the team shortly after the initial tweet, Flyers GM Danny Briere said: "We're excited to have Jamie remain a key part of our organization for years to come. Since we acquired him, Jamie has worked extremely hard and taken big steps in his development and has established himself as a reliable piece on our back end with the ability to impact the game in all situations. 

"We believe his best hockey is still ahead of him and he's going to play an important role in strengthening our blue line as we continue to build."

Per club policy, no specific terms of the contract were revealed, but PuckPedia reported the breakdown is as follows:

2026-27: $4M salary, $4M signing bonus

2027-28: $4M salary, $3M signing bonus

2028-29: $6M salary

2029-30: $5M salary

As it was reported in the Zegras extension announced on Wednesday, Drysdale's contract also includes a 6-team modified no trade clause (NTC) Year 3 and a modified 4-team NTC in Year 4.

"In this league, there's always moving parts. I've been fortunate, played with most of the group here," Drysdale noted when asked during a Monday afternoon video conference call about the confidence of playing with a stable roster. "I think there's a lot of guys (who are) ready to take steps year in and year out. Everyone knows we're going to work our butts off in the offseason, come back with higher expectations."

The 24-year-old Drysdale completed his 6th NHL campaign by posting 32 points (8G, 24A), while averaging 21:33 of ice time over 78 regular-season games. He added 2 power-play goals and 4 points across the club's 10 playoff contests. 

As a result of reducing his plus-minus rating from minus-32 to minus-3 as well as earning an uptick of more than a minute-and-a-half per game compared to 2024-25, Drysdale was given the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Award. The honor, inaugurated in 1994 and voted on by fellow teammates, recognizes the most improved player.

"I did not have a good year the year before. I needed to step up, so that was part one of going into this year with a different mindset," Drysdale said when asked about the driving forces behind his improvement during the presser. "And part two, the staff, the coaches, teammates, everything across the board. So many people played a part in it and ... it was a good year and I think there's still a lot more in the tank."

Acquired in January 2024 from the Anaheim Ducks -- who selected him 6th overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft -- in the infamous deal which sent Flyers draftee and former Boston College forward Cutter Gauthier to the West Coast, the native of Ontario has collected 102 points over 295 career regular-season appearances since moving up to the NHL during the COVID-shortened 2021 season.

When prompted at the presser about the atmosphere around the teams in the wake of the deal, Drysdale smartly failed to take the bait. After all, despite the Flyers' 5-2 victory over Anaheim in Philadelphia on Jan. 6, which took on the distinct air of Broad Street Bullies hockey, Drysdale was the victim of a dirty hit by the Ducks' Ross Johnston which caused him to miss the next 3 games.

The agreement removed the possibility of an arbitration hearing scheduled for Monday, July 20. As it stands, the lone loose end among RFAs is Nikita Grebenkin, who is not arbitration eligible.

Flyers 2026-27 schedule announced

The National Hockey League revealed the respective schedules for its 32 member franchises on Thursday afternoon, which for the Philadelphia Flyers, means an 84-game slate to commemorate the club's 60th season.

While no times or broadcast schedule were disclosed with the announcement, here's what we know about the full slate at this time:

The Flyers will open up in September for the first time in their history, a Sept. 30 home opener vs. the rival Pittsburgh Penguins -- followed by a road game the next night as the opponent for the New Jersey Devils' home opener.

Previously, the earliest the Orange and Black began a regular season was Oct. 1, 1997, when the NHL paused for 3 1/2 weeks to send its best players to international Olympic competition for the first time. In addition, this season is expected to be the first full 84-game regular season since 1993-94, with the planned 84-game schedule shortened to 48 games per team due to the lockout which wiped out games from Oct. 1 through Jan. 19.

The club will play its most games in the month of January, with 16 scheduled and split evenly between home and road dates.

The season is set to conclude on Apr. 10 with the second of two matchups with the Washington Capitals -- which may be the final regular season game in the storied career of all-time goals leader Alex Ovechkin.

Key dates and matchups are as follows:

• The defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes come to Philly on Oct. 3, the third scheduled game of this upcoming season.
• There is a Black Friday home slot open for Nov. 27 against the Vancouver Canucks, which is typically played in the afternoon since the league began to regularly schedule home games on this date since 1989. 
• There will be no New Year's Eve game, but instead a New Year's Day contest at San Jose.
• Embedded in the schedule is a 10-day break for the Flyers between Feb. 3 and Feb. 13, presumably an extended pause for All-Star festivities. 
• Nathan McKinnon and the Presidents' Trophy winning Colorado Avalanche make their lone visit on Oct. 19, while the Anaheim Ducks return to Philadelphia on Oct. 24. 
• Mike Babcock, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl head to Philly with the Oilers on Nov. 15.

For more information on the full schedule, head to the official team page.

No hearing for Zegras, who becomes Flyers' highest paid player with 4-year extension

Late Wednesday night, the Philadelphia Flyers announced a deal securing one of their two remaining arbitration-eligible players, with center/winger Trevor Zegras signed to a 4-year pact worth an average annual value of $9.125 million.

Zegras, whose contract status was up in the air as GM Danny Briere began to sift through the rubble of some unrestricted free agents and other RFAs to shape next year's roster, was set to have a hearing next Wednesday, July 22, if no deal could be finalized. 

"We're thrilled to have Trevor committed to our organization for the next 4 years," Briere said in a team-issued statement which accompanied the extension. 

"The growth he showed this past season, proving that he is the skilled player he entered the league as, reinforced our belief that he will be an impact player for the Flyers for the years to come. He's the type of player who can help take our team to the next level and we're excited to continue building alongside him."

For Zegras -- now the highest paid player per AAV on the club, eclipsing Konecny's $8.75M AAV -- this new deal is set to expire in July 2030 when he will become a UFA, when he will be 29 years old. Coincidentally, termination of the extension occurs at the same time as long-time center and team captain Sean Couturier's $7.75M deal as well as defenseman Cam York's $5.15M AAV contract. 

"When we negotiated with Trevor ... we looked at everything from 1 to 8 years, going back and forth. Four seemed to be the sweet spot. There was some give and take on both sides," Briere noted about the progression of contract discussions during a Thursday morning video press conference. "There's a lot of details that goes into a negotiation. That's where we ended up with 4 (years) with more traction in this case."

No additional terms of the contract were made publicly available, but multiple reports suggest it carries a 10-team no-trade clause in the 3rd year, with an additional 6-team NTC in the final year of the deal.

Although suffering through some rough patches in terms of production at the beginning of his first season here as well as a pre-Olympic slump, the 25-year-old put together career highs of 26 goals and 67 points over 81 regular-season games, including team highs of 23 points (10G, 13A) on an eternally struggling power play. 

His point total, second only to Travis Konecny's team-high 68, arrived despite periods when head coach Rick Tocchet would slot him in as both center and wing, sometimes both in the span of a single game when necessary. 

This, along with stretches of team-wide goal droughts and injuries which stretched the forward lines thin during the winter, affected his game-to-game output with respect to shot totals; although Tocchet favors "low event games" which solidified Zegras' two-way play, that purposeful lack of offensive force was another factor in Zegras' relatively low shot totals and shooting percentage. 

While hampered by injury like many of his teammates in brutal series against the Penguins and Hurricanes, Zegras added 6 points (2G, 4A) and 26 penalty minutes while participating in all 10 postseason outings.

In the wake of the Ducks matching Briere's offer sheet to RFA Leo Carlsson late last week, as well as the known unknowns of the remainder of the summer, it is unclear whether Briere will try to find another top center. It also remains to be seen whether Tocchet would install Zegras or Christian Dvorak as a permanent 1C if no further impactful roster moves are made.

"That's not up to me to decide," Briere admitted in the video presser, while also later revealing, "The Leo Carlsson offer sheet and Trevor Zegras contract had nothing to do with each other."

On Tocchet's challenge to Zegras to de-emphasize the highlight reel and become a more complete player, Briere said: "He wanted to prove to 'Tocc' that he's more about winning. Even in this negotiation, he took charge. He said he wanted to be in Philly. Trevor was really involved. I have to give him a lot of credit for how he carried himself last year."

Heading into his 7th NHL season, the native of Westchester County, New York and one-season wonder at Boston University has totaled 253 points (93G, 160A) over 349 regular-season appearances, which includes 37 PPGs and 15 game-winning tallies for Anaheim and Philadelphia.

Briere has one more loose end remaining, that of the pending arbitration hearing of defenseman Jamie Drysdale, scheduled for next Monday, July 20. In addition, RFA Nikita Grebenkin's contract status is also as yet unresolved, but he, unlike Zegras and Drysdale, is not arbitration eligible.

"I'm glad it's done," Briere said. "It's much nicer to get a deal done, and a long-term deal done, rather than go through arbitration."

Pair of locals selected to lead off Tuesday's All Star Game

On Tuesday night in Philadelphia, two household names were given the honor of snagging the leadoff spot for each league.

Angels outfielder Mike Trout, a native of Millville, New Jersey, will finally see the bright lights in his hometown as the first batter for the American League. Trout, now in his 16th Major League season, earned a nod by compiling a 13 doubles, 18 home runs and 39 RBI with a .23 average over 78 games for the Southern California franchise. 

For the oft-injured soon-to-be-35-year-old, it is his 11th ASG nod and first since 2023. Trout a 3-time AL MVP and Rookie of the Year in 2012, had a streak of 8 consecutive Midsummer Classic bids from 2012 through 2019.

The home squad will have Kyle Schwarber as the leadoff man. Schwarber, 33, leads the entire majors with 32 longballs this year, and also tops the list with 144 strikeouts. Now in his 12th season and fifth in Philadelphia, the 4-time All Star (3 with the Phillies) is batting .254 with 59 RBI and 59 walks.

Sanchez to start All-Star Game for National League

Major League Baseball announced on Sunday that Dylan Cease would be the starting pitcher for the American League and Cristopher Sanchez would take the hill first for the host National League for Tuesday's All Star Game.

Sanchez, who ended the first half by working 7 innings for the win on Saturday, a 4-2 decision in Detroit, during which he struck out 7 and walked 1 while allowing 2 runs on 10 hits. The left-hander improved his record to 11-4 with a 2.62 earned-run average across 127 1/3 innings over 20 starts.

The left-hander, who earlier in the season gained a place in the record books by throwing more than 50 scoreless innings, will become the first Phils' hurler to kick off a Midsummer Classic since Roy Halladay at Chase Field in 2011. Halladay tossed 2 scoreless innings in a 5-1 victory for the Senior Circuit.

Arbitration dates for pair of Flyers RFAs finally known

Taking over for the dear, departed Cap Friendly -- which allowed thousands of hockey fans pretend they're amateur armchair GMs and let loose thousands of endless conversations on social media -- PuckPedia managed to pull off a coup over the weekend. 

The comprehensive site listed the entirety of the restricted free agent class in the NHL, as well as their presumed arbitration hearing dates with their respective teams.

For the Philadelphia Flyers, there are two players with a pending meeting: forward Trevor Zegras and defenseman Jamie Drysdale. The latter is set for a meeting with GM Danny Briere next Monday, July 20, while the former is scheduled for Wednesday, July 22.

Zegras is coming off a career season where he posted 67 points (26G, 41A) over 81 games while in the final season of a 3-year deal worth an average annual value of $5.75 million inked with his former club, the Anaheim Ducks.

Drysdale racked up 32 points (8G, 24A) across 78 games a season ago, while also finishing up a 3-year deal worth $2.3M AAV also signed with the Ducks. 

There has been no indication from the Flyers front office as of yet how either contract situation would progress, and no word from either the local, national or international insiders on what might lie ahead. 

Ducks match Flyers' offer sheet for Carlsson; Briere finally 'speaks'

The kitchen sink drama of the week reached its anti-climax on Thursday afternoon, when the Anaheim Ducks officially announced the club matched a $90 million, 5-year offer sheet tendered by the Philadelphia Flyers on July 3 to restricted free agent center Leo Carlsson. 

"Matching the offer sheet was an easy decision, as Pat (GM Verbeek) has intelligently left enough cap space to give us the ability to retain Leo," said Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli in the club's official release. "We have extremely high expectations for Leo. We firmly believe he will continue his strong growth trajectory and become one of the truly elite centers in the league, while continuing to make a strong impact on our community."

Anaheim had exactly one week -- until Friday at 3 pm -- to make a decision to either match or let Carlsson walk. If the latter was chosen, the Flyers would have had to forfeit four 1st-round picks in subsequent seasons as compensation. 

At least until future trades involve these slots, the picks are presumed safe.

"I just really hoped they would match," Carlsson said in a team-based post-announcement video media scrum. "It's kind of like an offer that I think ... everybody would sign, too. It's a pretty simple answer. I always wanted to be (in Anaheim) too.

Notably absent from the instant analysis frenzy which accompanied the news, Flyers GM Danny Briere. It is unknown when he would be speaking publicly or privately on the issue, but several beat writers have confirmed there will be a time he will address the issue.

Briere did finally issue a statement through the club early Friday morning, which said: "We understood this outcome was possible when we made the offer. While the result isn't what we'd hoped for, our goal does not change -- we remain committed to pursuing every opportunity that will strengthen our team and continue to build towards becoming a consistent and perennial contender without sacrificing our future."

Verbeek himself added: "It was surprising to say the least, but I actually feel flattered in the sense that Philadelphia wanted such a great player. It means that we're doing a very good job on our end. Leo is going to show the elite player he is."

With one of the big free agent fish-on-the-line out of reach, Briere may now set his sights on the other big name in need of a new home -- disgruntled Red Wings center Dylan Larkin. 

Earlier in the offseason, Larkin made his displeasure with GM Steve Yzerman and the franchise known publicly; however, Yzerman is reported to be asking a steep price in trade and is likely to begin the regular season with Larkin in the fold.

Regardless, although the remainder of the summer lies ahead, the Flyers do not have a current lock at the 1C position despite investing more than $25M over 5 years on Christian Dvorak.

Getting to the bottom of the 'Brick' Woll

by Bob Herpen

Phanatic Hockey Editor

Although Boston College predecessors Scott Clemmensen, Cory Schneider and Thatcher Demko, along with successors Spencer Knight and Jacob Fowler may have more name recognition at the NHL level, new Flyers goaltender Joe Woll has largely been freed from the burden of expectation.

Woll’s time at BC was neatly wedged in a downturn for the program. It came after current NHLers Colin White, Alex Tuch and Demko led the Eagles to the Frozen Four in 2016, but before college hockey legend and Hockey Hall of Fame coach Jerry York retired and Greg Brown was able to recruit a band of one-or-two-and-done mercenaries which made it all the way to the 2024 NCAA title game. 

The Eagles failed to gain a berth to the national tournament all 3 years Woll worked on the Heights, the first time since they were shut out for 6 straight years from 1991 to 1997. They did, finally, make a Beanpot final in his senior season, but lost to Northeastern.

At the time, Woll was *the guy,” participating in 101 games. Ryan Edquist was the occasional backup all 3 years. Despite the Eagles’ decline, Woll’s save percentages actually rose each season, from .913 to .915 to .919 in a senior year when he finished 13-21-3 with 3 shutouts. At the same time, his goals-against average improved from 2.64 to 2.48 to 2.41. 

As a result of knowing how to deal with the pressure of doing the job for a losing team, Woll’s attitude and demeanor heading into the pros might have been a bit more developed than say, his future Maple Leafs battery mate Anthony Stolarz. 

Stolie infamously made the jump midway through his frosh season at Omaha to the loaded London Knights in January of 2013, before being slammed down to Earth during his first year in Allentown on a losing club trying to gain a foothold in developing players. 

Fast forward to the present, and Stolie had nothing but good things to say about Woll last October, when the latter returned from a leave of absence due to a private family matter. Even former Leafs GM Brad Treliving called Woll ‘a caring person’ upon his return to the fold.

So there won’t be any half truths or click bait over here when I say Woll might be an excellent personal fit for his new team, if only he could loosen up a bit. 

When asked an actually relevant, non-leading question by a local beat during a June 24 video call about how his handling of the tandem with Stolarz in Toronto would inform his time here, Woll opted for the polished, media-ready answer.

“I know that when there are two guys that are going, it definitely benefits the team. You want everyone on the team to be playing to the best of their ability,” he said. “As we found out the last couple of years with different injuries between us, different things happening, both guys are willing to step up at any time.” 

He also had a canned response when pressed further on the Leafs goaltending rollercoaster and how dealing with a flexible situation informed his mindset, saying: “I’ve had experience early on in the NHL of being a backup to a guy that’s really riding.” 

“At the other end of that, I think I’ve had great sections that showed I can carry the torch as well," he added. "I think I’ve played great hockey when called upon. I’ve done a great job at staying healthy and being available when I’m needed in those situations.” 

And even when naturally conceding his own inner competitive fire, the response was predictable. 

"It’s never anyone’s goal in the NHL to be a backup and that’s not my goal,” he said. 

Woll further opted for the forthright, team-friendly nugget about acclimatizing to head coach Rick Tocchet’s system of goalies playing “half the net,” and when asked to elaborate on what he might spend the summer working on, merely offered that there were ‘a list of things’ he’d concentrate on to keep himself sharp. 

One thing about the BC environment, is that its student body are pulled from the top tier in both public and parochial schools which dot the upper-middle to upper-class suburbs and exurbs of big-and-small-town New England as well as the major metropolitan centers in the East and Midwest. 

There has been, and still is, a strong sense of conformity and decorum that permeates the way students carry themselves. This veneer is only peeled back in small portions, such as the 21st century version of the Superfans who made football games at Alumni Stadium from every winning era from the 2000s on look more like the Philadelphia Eagles games I know, than a trip to a best friend’s grandparent’s wake as it was in the late 1990s.

Besides, the former sports information director for hockey, the late, great Dick Kelley – who once famously told me in the fall of 1999 when I walked into his office to tell him I would be broadcasting BC men’s hockey as a senior, “you’re not here to act like an idiot, you’re representing yourself and this school” – who fiercely backed his programs until his 2014 death from ALS, made sure his student-athletes were more camera ready than others.

Not that one could necessarily judge from a single 15-minute introductory presser conducted from what appears to be Woll’s attic 2 weeks ago. But, based on a wealth of experience, I wouldn’t expect Woll to be a great quote for a good, long while. 

Not until he becomes more comfortable with his Philly surroundings and not until he’s assured that the local media circus – a certain segment of which was intent on fomenting bad feelings about a certain Russian franchise corner piece – is nothing like the never-ending hot take Big Top that runs 24/7 in Hogtown. 

There’s already hints he might fit right in. Calling his new head coach “Rick,” the goalie coach “Dilly” and his netmouth partner “Vladdy.” Pure one-syllable monikers are stock in trade.

Still, I can definitely hear Kelley in my ear telling Woll from the Great Beyond, admonishing him in the same way he did to Penn Charter’s own Matt Ryan to be more candid and intelligent with his public comments: “you’re a Boston College graduate, why don’t you try to sound like it?” 

About that. Goaltending tandems are not just graded on balance in terms of workload, but of temperament. Think Bob vs. Bryz. Or Neuvirth & Moose. Or Ray Emery matched against virtually anyone else. I just can’t imagine the awkwardness of the scene once Woll, fresh from his first Flyers victory, attempts to give Dan Vladar a big ol' bear hug that seemed to be his trademark. 

Vladar’s a close-to-the-vest, poker-faced Czech. It might be a situation where 1A is forced to smile on the inside and later is forced to cite 1B's infectious enthusiasm as a perfect counterpoint. 

We’ll see how far into a comfort zone he’ll be able to slide once the daily media grind sets in, and we'll see if he gives anything away when I call on him in late January to dish on the inner workings of the generational rivalries that fuel Beanpot fandom.

Briere reignites rivalry with Ducks, signs Carlsson to offer sheet

Just before the Friday afternoon news dump, and just prior to the long Fourth of July weekend where any news would be memory-holed, Flyers GM Danny Briere announced that the club had inked restricted free agent forward Leo Carlsson of the Anaheim Ducks to an offer sheet worth a reported $90 million over 5 seasons carrying an $18 million average annual value.

Carlsson, 21, finished his third NHL season -- all with Anaheim -- by striking for career highs in goals (29), assists (38) and points (67) over 70 games for the SoCal franchise.

The Ducks now have one week to decide whether or not to match the deal or let Carlsson walk. Ducks GM Pat Verbeek had publicly stated that he intends to match any offer tendered to any free agent. If he does, the emerging club retains one of its cornerstone prospects but sets in motion a high-end target for other future young free agents which may unravel the young core despite an increased cap.

Should Verbeek blink and decide against it, the Flyers would surrender their next 4 first-round picks as compensation. As of now, that would be one selection in the 2027 draft, then two more in the 2028 draft and another in 2029. 

For the Flyers, that would certainly lock in Carlsson as a legitimate first-line center. However, it would also call into question which veteran players would likely be moved in a trade, while also leaving up in the air the question of Trevor Zegras' pending contract status. Zegras, who was shuttled back and forth between center and wing during his first year in Philadelphia, just finished up a 3-year contract worth $5.75M AAV. 

Five Phillies named to National League All Star roster

On July 14, for the first time since 1996, Philadelphia will host the annual Midsummer Classic. Unlike 30 years ago, the host franchise will have more than a token representative.

Major League Baseball on Saturday revealed that five members of the second place club in the National League East will rep the home squad: outfielder Brandon Marsh, first baseman Bryce Harper, designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, along with pitchers Cristopher Sanchez, and Jhoan Duran.

Marsh, with his first career selection, will actually start for the Senior Circuit. Harper was named as a "Legend" pick by MLB commish Rob Manfred, while Schwarber will be a reserve. The 28-year-old is enjoying a career first half, hitting .315 with 15 homers -- one off his career best of 16 set in 2024 -- 15 doubles and 46 RBI over 83 games.

Harper is batting .274 with 16 doubles, 20 homers and 57 RBI in 88 games, while Schwarber continues to set a club record for the most round-trippers before the All-Star break, having slugged a major-league high of 30 in 84 contests. 

Sanchez rocketed up the rotation by going 10-3 with a 2.00 ERA over a major-league best 18 starts, while also compiling an MLB-high 117 innings pitched. The 29-year-old native of the Dominican made headlines earlier in the season by failing to allow a run for the entire month of May en route to 50-plus scoreless innings.

Duran has racked up a league-high 21 saves and 30 games finished alongside a 1.52 ERA despite a 1-3 record.

In 1996, in the midst of a season where they'd finish last in the NL East, the host Phillies lone All Star representative was reliever and current sports-talk radio host Ricky Bottalico.

Fourth-line roulette continues as NCAA champion Acciari signs for 2 years

With the subtractions of Nic Deslauriers and Garnet Hathaway, the Philadelphia Flyers had some minor holes to fill on the bottom forward line.

They managed to snag a veteran grinder to suit their needs early in free agency on Wednesday, announcing the signing Noel Acciari to a 2-year deal at $2.8 million average annual value. 

According to PuckPedia, the deal breaks down to $2.2M salary plus $1M bonus this season, then $1.7M salary and $700K bonus for next year. 

Acciari spent the previous three seasons with the rival Pittsburgh Penguins, totaling 13 goals and 25 points over 67 games in 2025-26, while winning 52% of all faceoffs. He finished the 6-game opening round series defeat to the Flyers by winning 61% of his faceoffs.

An undrafted free agent who was born and raised outside Providence, Rhode Island, he broke in with the Boston Bruins during the 2015-16 season after a 3-year stint with the Providence Friars. Included in that collegiate career was an NCAA title in 2015 and recognition as Hockey East Best Defensive Forward.

Over 585 regular-season appearances and 71 playoff contests, the 34-year-old right-handed shooter has compiled 87 goals and 154 points along with a 51.4% faceoff acumen for Boston, Florida, St. Louis, Toronto and Pittsburgh. He appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals with the Bruins in 2019, a 7-game loss to the Blues.

In another move to snag a fourth-liner from the depths of Hockey East, the Flyers also announced the signing of Northeastern product and former Columbus Blue Jacket spare part, Zack Aston-Reese. ZAR, an undrafted 31-year-old born on Staten Island, is a double-barreled veteran of 416 regular-season and 29 playoff appearances across parts of 9 seasons for the Penguins, Ducks, Leafs, Red Wings and Columbus.

Aston-Reese, who shares the same agent (Dan Milstein) as goaltender Dan Vladar, was brought into the fold on a 2 year deal, which -- according to Milstein himself -- will pay the wandering winger $850,000 1 way for the upcoming season, then a $700k/$900k split in 2027-28.

And a third Milstein-based signing was consummated later in the afternoon, with minor-leaguer Danila Klimovich warranting a 1-year contract. No official terms were released, but several sources indicate it is a 2-way deal worth $850K.

Klimovich, a 23-year-old Belarusian, was originally selected in the 2nd round of the 2021 draft. He spent the last 5 seasons with Abbotsford in the American Hockey League. 

Rounding out the signings headed for Allentown are forward Jack Studnicka and defenseman Cam Dineen. 

Studnicka split last season between Florida in the NHL and Charlotte in the AHL The 27-year-old former 2nd-round selection of the Boston Bruins in 2017 is a veteran of 126 games at the top level. Dineen, 28, is a native of Toms River, New Jersey, having played just 38 games with the Coyotes and Oilers after Arizona selected him in the 3rd round of the 2016 draft.

Flyers extend Vladar for 5 years, Foerster for 8 years

What had been rumored since late last week became official today, as the Philadelphia Flyers announced a contract extension for goaltender Dan Vladar on Wednesday, just after the 12 p.m. free agent deadline.

During the draft last weekend, the one and only report about the new pact came from Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, which cited the deal as for 5 years at $5.5 million average annual value. 

The official pact, which is set to kick in one year from now and expire in 2031, was revealed to be the same term and amount. 

"From the moment Dan arrived in Philadelphia, he exceeded our expectations. He earned this contract extension by the way he competed every time he stepped in net," said Flyers GM Danny Briere. "Beyond his play on the ice, he was an exceptional addition to our locker room, becoming a big leader and positive force for our group. He's a valuable teammate who really gained the trust and respect of his teammates and coaching staff right from the get-go."

While no details were made publicly available by the club, multiple reports citing "Flyers team sources" reported it contains a full no-movement clause over the first 2 years of the deal with a limited no-trade clause over the final 3 seasons. 

For Vladar, who was set to become a restricted free agent next summer, that's both a huge relief and a large chunk of pressure laid on his shoulders. 

The soon-to-be-29-year-old native of Czechia finished his first full NHL season by going 29-14-7 with a 2.42 goals-against average and .906 save percentage across 52 appearances. Vladar shook off an injury sustained in the opening round to finish the postseason at 4-6 with a 2.18 GAA, .922 save pct and a pair of shutouts.

During a 6-game first-round triumph over the rival Pittsburgh Penguins, Vladar became the 6th goalie in franchise history to record at least 2 shutouts vs. a single opponent, joining Bernie Parent, Pelle Lindbergh, Ron Hextall, Roman Cechmanek and Michael Leighton.

Vladar was entering the final season of a 2-year deal worth $3.35M AAV. While the number and term suggest Vladar would be the Flyers' true No. 1 going forward, the acquisition of Joe Woll from the Toronto Maple Leafs for RFA Sam Ersson 2 weeks prior, and GM Danny Briere's suggestion that he work "in tandem" with Vladar suggest a 1A/1B situation. 

What that might signal, is that the club is offering more term to see if Vladar can gradually grow into the role. Other, cheaper veteran backup options were on the table, such as James Reimer, Jonathan Quick and Matt Murray. 

Heading into his 7th NHL season, Vladar has logged only 157 regular-season games for the Bruins, Flames and Philadelphia.

In a shocking move given the expected rise in salary-cap space for the upcoming season, the Orange and Black also reportedly completed a contract extension for forward Tyson Foerster. Elliotte Friedman was first on this just before the noon frenzy, reporting his new deal would be for 8 years with an approximate AAV of $7M per year. 

As reported by the team, the AAV is $7.1M over the length of the 8-year pact, which kicks in next year and is scheduled to expire into UFA status in 2035.

Foerster is still owed 1 more year on his current contract at $3.75M for this season, then becomes an RFA next July 1. The 24-year-old Ontario native missed 4 months with an undisclosed arm injury which required surgery, but rebounded to record 13 goals and 17 points in 29 regular-season games. He totaled just a single goal across 10 playoff appearances.

"He has established himself as an important piece of the foundation we're building here," Briere said. "We have a great deal of confidence in him and believe he'll play a significant role as we continue building toward a successful team for years to come."

Foerster, who the Flyers took with the 23rd pick 2020 draft, has yet to show sustained brilliance which typically accompanies a first-round selection. He's totaled just 100 points in 195 games across parts of four NHL seasons. 

Nevertheless, the lengthy deal signifies that GM Danny Briere has no intention of revisiting certain young players' status via bridge deals in the next few years, while also stamping, in indelible ink, that Foerster is now expected to achieve his potential and grow into a top player in Philadelphia during his prime years. 

"We believe he's going to be a big-time goal scorer and overall player for us," Briere, in a definitively optimistic frame of mind, added at the late-afternoon presser. "And if we didn't do it now, it's going to cost us a lot more down the road." 

Clean-up in Aisle '26: Flyers' draft looks more like shopping list

by Bob Herpen

Phanatic Hockey Editor

At this weekend’s NHL Entry Draft in Buffalo, Philadelphia Flyers GM Danny Briere and assistant GM Brent Flahr identified needs and selected players which best fit their profile and ready-made template across six picks through seven rounds.

Among the haul were multiple defensemen and a pair of goaltenders. Only one of the bunch were under 6 feet tall and just three picks were under 200 pounds – even as teenagers. No wingers, no centers, no scoring. No chances. No risks. Just purchasing in bulk.

When asked on Friday night why they passed on a puck mover with the first-round slot, Briere had this strange, cryptic response: “I think it’s knowing the board and there’s more out there, too. It doesn’t mean that we’re done, that we’re not gonna draft a puck moving defenseman.”

Even stranger, he cracked a crooked smile and forced a laugh at the reporter who asked the question, then added, “We’d like to have that as well. Let’s see what tomorrow brings, hopefully we can bring you a smaller puck defenseman after losing Emil (Andrae) obviously. At the moment, we felt the value was more on that side.”

Spoiler alert: they did not.

Even if head coach Rick Tocchet continues to pine for bigger, tougher bodies – which is a bit of an oxymoron since he’s publicly come out *against* scrums and other after-the-whistle nonsense but actually makes sense if you want to play a bunch of dudes who can pound the opposition – their choices are as specific as they are bizarre. 

Maksim Sokolovskii from the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League was taken as the No. 27 pick after Briere chose to punt on the verge of making the 21st overall selection. Built like an AT-AT at only 17 years old. 6-foot-7, 240 pounds. 

Even the pair of goalies had significant bulk behind them as teenagers: Martin Psohlavec from Czechia clocks in at 6-foot-5 despite his 185-pound frame, while fellow netminder hopeful Marek Sklenicka from Seattle of the Western Hockey League stands 6-foot-3 on a wiry 175-pound body.

It’s like Briere and Flahr wanted less to conduct a draft and instead opted to spend some quality time together gossiping and browsing in the supermarket and it just took some time to come upon the right aisle. Over 6-foot? Check. Over 200 pounds? Check. Another NHL-ready body in the mid-range of the first round? Check. Just like Porter Martone, Jack Nesbitt, Oliver Bonk, Carson Bjarnasson. 

Grab your coupons, ladies. Head to checkout.

For the first time in the 4-year Briere regime, no players were selected who are either currently on D1 college rosters or would head there in the fall. It was also the first time since 2008 (under Paul Holmgren) there were no wingers selected – that year it was 2 defensemen, 2 goalies and 1 center with just 5 picks. 

It may be the first time EVER not a single offensive player was chosen in the 60-year history of the franchise – if you believe one prospect site, Kent Sauer is a center and another says he’s a d-man.

Humangous Beeg

How ridiculous was the scope of the Sokolovskii pick? BoopStats himself, Bob Vetrone, Jr. tweeted that, for just the 6th time since 1967 and first since 2003, the Flyers’ first pick of the draft was actually taller than the Sixers’ first selection. 

With the draft complete, here’s a brief rundown at a majority of the club’s rostered and prospective defensemen and their respective dimensions:

Rasmus Ristolainen: 6-foot-4, 208 pounds Travis Sanheim: 6-foot-4, 222 pounds Simon Benoit: 6-foot-4, 210 pounds Nick Seeler: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds David Jiricek: 6-foot-4, 205 pounds Helge Grans: 6-foot-4, 205 pounds Adam Ginning: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds Oliver Bonk: 6-foot-2, 185 pounds Maksim Sokolovskii: 6-foot-7, 240 pounds Carter Amico: 6-foot-5, 225 pounds Spencer Gill: 6-foot-4, 213 pounds Kent Sauer, 6-foot-3, 200 pounds The only outliers in the bunch are: Cam York: 5-foot-11, 195 pounds Jamie Drysdale: 5-foot-11, 185 pounds Brek Liske: 6-foot-4, 190 pounds Max Laaitikainen: 5-foot-11, 173 pounds Paradoxically, when asked on Saturday about the continued size differential on the back end, Flahr said, “I don’t think it’s as much of a focus any more. I think we’re a smaller team and I think we addressed that last year and some of that was just circumstance.”

I’m unsure what part of the Flyers’ journey this past season made it a priority in either Tocchet or Briere’s eyes to go this big and this brawny on the blue line. It’s all too reminiscent of the darkest period in modern NHL history, known as the Dead Puck Era.

Or as Tocchet might say, the “Low-Event Period.”

There are many threads which led to the tanking goal totals league wide between 1995 and 2004, but for our purposes the principal reason was the size, strength and skill of the Legion of Doom. Eric Lindros, John LeClair and Mikael Renberg were such a menace for a 3-year period that it gave birth to the neutral zone trap but also gave rise to NHL GMs scrambling to draft the biggest, heaviest defenders who could simply impede progress.

First on the slab was Hal Gill. Selected in 1993 out of Providence College, Gill entered the league in 1997 for the Boston Bruins at 6-foot-7 and more than 240 pounds. At the time, then-coach Pat Burns instituted a strict defensive mindset that shrunk the B’s goals-against by 106 goals in one season, thanks in large part to Gill’s ability to get in the way. Then, Zdeno Chara. A true freak of nature at 6-foot-9, 250 pounds, he was taken by the Islanders in the 3rd round back in ‘96 and loosed on the world.

That, in turn, bred the likes of power forwards such as Todd Bertuzzi and Jarome Iginla, while forcing established stars like Keith Tkachuk, Brendan Shanahan and Jeremy Roenick to increase their mass in offseason training.

It was an arms (and hips and legs) race which eventually exploded in the mid 2000s when the league obliterated its 2004-05 season and returned by embracing more opportunistic offense. It took another half decade before touts, scouts and team braintrusts switched to focusing on prospects under 6 foot and under 200 pounds, however.

When assessing this organizational mindset, I couldn’t help but think back to the summer of 2005. Then-GM Bob Clarke took two steps back after the leap forward in bringing 1991 draftee Peter Forsberg home by heralding two major free-agent defensive signings: Derian Hatcher and Mike Rathje – both straight out of the caveman era. Neither player lasted more than 3 years here due to aggressive wear and tear.

It was the signal, before forgetting Claude Giroux’s name at the podium during the next summer’s draft, that Clarke was resistant to change and checked out.

Briere and Flahr look similarly out of step with a league that has done so much to highlight skilled players, embrace more goals, better and more frequent scoring chances alongside increased offense (expansion aside) over the last 10 years.

Yes, the need for defensemen and goaltending was obvious, but what does he and the rest of the Flyers hockey ops expect – that the current bumper crop of winger/centers is going to last forever without injuries or trades?

Or that the guys good enough to advance will either hook on or fade out?

Let’s not forget, it’s a game of Russian roulette to guess which of these prospects, if any, would be ready to be impactful in 3-to-4 years – which is about the typical time Tocchet would wear out his welcome if he’s allowed to stay close to the terminus of his 5-year deal. Then, the next regime is saddled with the previous coach’s wet dreams.

When pressed on the perceived “wide variance” of development projections for his defensive and goaltending picks, Flahr punted on an explanation, instead mumbling nonsense about a clean draft board, the rationale for trading down in the first round and Briere’s desire to keep feeding the pipeline with goalies.

If the strategery works, I’m afraid the Flyers front office may have accidentally kicked off a disturbing league-wide trend. If it fails, well, the worst is that we’ll suffer through some more traffic cones like Randy Jones.

Flyers picks in rounds 2-7 of the NHL Entry Draft

The 2026 NHL Entry Draft  from Buffalo concluded on Saturday with rounds 2 through 7. Here are the remainder of the Philadelphia Flyers' selections:

Another low-range pick, in the second round (No. 53) Brek Liske, defenseman, Everett Silvertips was the choice. 

Liske completed his third season in the Western Hockey League of Canadian juniors by collecting 24 points (7G, 17A) and a plus-36 rating over 52 regular-season games. He added 17 points across 18 playoff games for the WHL champions, including the Memorial Cup, which the Silvertips lost to Kitchener of the Ontario Hockey League. A 6-foot-1, 190-pound right-handed shooter, Liske -- apparently a lifelong Flyers fan through his father -- has totaled 10 goals and 27 assists across 121 games in juniors.

With the 62nd pick (29th in 2nd round), they chose goaltender Martin Psohlavec from Karlovy Vary Jr. in his native Czechia.

In the fourth round, at pick No. 120, the Orange and Black went back into Canadian juniors to snag WHL Seattle Thunderbirds goaltender Marek Sklenicka. Only 17 years old during his first North American season, the lefty-catching native of Czechia posted a 20-12-6 record, 3.21 goals-against average, 3 shutouts and .902 save percentage over 42 regular-season appearances.

At 136 in the 5th round, the Flyers took 18-year-old Kent Sauer, a 6-foot-3, 200-plus-pound right shooting center. Sauer, whose uncle is former NHL defenseman Kurt Sauer, will skate for the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL for the upcoming season, per Elite Prospects. Sauer's final high school campaign was delayed until January due to a serious knee injury suffered at the end of his junior season. 

With their final pick on Saturday, the club dipped into the European prospect pool to select 17-year-old defenseman Max Laatikainen from Kiekko-Espoo of Finland's top professional league. A clear work-in-progress, the right-handed shooter -- diminutive compared to the pipeline at 5-foot-11 and 173 pounds -- and who was born more than a month prior to the Phillies winning the 2008 World Series, racked up 2 assists in 6 appearances.

Flyers trade down, select oversized, underage defenseman from Canadian juniors

The Philadelphia Flyers originally held the No. 21 pick heading into Friday night's NHL Entry Draft, but just ahead of making the pick, traded with the San Jose Sharks to move down the board and take the No. 27 spot.

More than 3 hours into the evening, they eventually selected defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii from the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League.

Sokolovskii, born in July 2008 in Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan, collected 2 goals and 6 assists across 44 games during his first North American season. The 6-foot-7, 240-pound backliner is a left-handed shooter. He has one more season of juniors remaining ahead of committing to the University of Maine for the 2027-28 season. 

"We felt (Sokolovskii) was a guy we could get if we moved back," said Flyers GM Danny Briere late Friday. "There was a little bit of a risk that he could be taken, but we felt it was worth it. Something we don't have, especially, left shots we don't have a lot in the organization so that was a plus."

"We don't expect him to be the next big point producer. That wouldn't be fair. We see him as a big physical force, a defenseman that's gonna be tough to face. What pairing, I don't know yet, it's too early to tell, he could become a top-four defenseman if things fall into place," Briere added. 

Briere cited Sokolovskii's reach as an asset, but noted that his "puck game" needs more improvement. He additionally praised the rangy youngster's skating as a point of improvement over the previous season.

The Flyers previously dipped into the Hunter brothers' blueline largesse in 2023, taking Oliver Bonk with the 22nd overall pick. Since taking the reins in 2002, Knights head coach and former NHL master pest Dale Hunter has led his club to six OHL league championships and three Memorial Cups as the top development franchise in all of major Canadian juniors -- including 2025 when Bonk scored 31 combined goals between the regular season and playoffs.

"It's not a secret, they're one of the better organizations in the CHL. They seem to be able to build winners. There's a lot of guys that go through their program that end up in the NHL. They have a knack for raising those players to become pros," Briere said when asked what drew the front office to consistently choose prospects from London. "For us, it's a no-brainer when we have the chance to take someone, it obviously feels comfortable."

Other defensemen the franchise had previously selected in the first round in recent years include Cam York (14th overall, 2019), Ivan Provorov (No. 5, 2015), Travis Sanheim (No. 7, 2014), Sam Morin (11th overall, 2013) and Luca Sbisa (No. 19, 2008).

Stay tuned for additional coverage of rounds 2-7, which take place on Saturday.

Mattingly tabbed as "honorary" bench coach for NL All-Star squad

Although it might have just been a shoo-in given the game is scheduled for Citizens Bank Park, on Thursday, National League manager Dave Roberts -- from the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers -- named Phillies interim skipper Don Mattingly to be an honorary coach.

Mattingly, who arrived prior to the start of the season as bench coach for Rob Thomson's staff, was himself tabbed as head man on Apr. 28 when the Phils sputtered to a 9-19 record. Since the regime change, the Fightins have compiled a 35-17 mark heading into the finale of a 4-game series with the Washington Nationals.

The All-Star Game is scheduled for July 14. 

Philadelphia previously hosted the Midsummer Classic in 1996, 1976, 1952 and 1943.

Hathaway dealt to Panthers for pair of picks

In a pre-draft world where big moves for big hauls accompanied big sign-and-trades for long term and large AAVs, Danny Briere opted for a small rumble on Thursday.

Garnet Hathaway was shipped to the Florida Panthers along with a 6th-rounder this year in exchange for a 5th-round draft slot in tomorrow's NHL Entry Draft as well as a 4th-rounder in next year's draft.

Hathaway, who spent 3 full seasons in Orange and Black, did not have a stellar campaign in 2025-26, racking up roughly $2.4 million for every goal scored on his current 2-year contract. He posted a single goal and 3 points across 66 regular-season appearances, but added a goal and assist across 8 playoff contests.

The 34-year-old product of Brown University totaled 18 goals, 41 points and 249 penalty minutes over 215 regular-season games here. He joins a Panthers squad looking to reshape their roster in hopes of returning to the Stanley Cup finals for the 4th time in 5 seasons. 

Also included in the deal, the Flyers retained 50% (or $1.2M) for the remainder of Hathaway's contract, which expires into unrestricted free agency in July 2027. His absence leaves a gaping hole in veteran grit that will not be suitably filled by merely slotting in a younger prospect. 

Stay tuned tomorrow for the Phanatic's coverage of the first round of the draft from Buffalo tomorrow night. The Flyers currently hold the 21st overall selection.

What can be done about Trevor Zegras

by Bob Herpen

Phanatic Hockey Editor 

Ed note: This story has been updated in light of the Leo Carlsson offer sheet announced on July 3.

Trevor Zegras shook off some early jitters and a mid-season malaise during his first year with the Philadelphia Flyers, eventually posting career highs in goals (26), points (67), power-play scores (10) and equaled a career best with 5 game-winning strikes while shuttling back-and-forth between wing and center.

A fresh start and 10 games’ worth of playoff pressure was apparently what the Boston University product needed, as he told the media during the players’ break-up day on May 12: “Yeah, it was big. For me, having that excitement about the game was great, to find that passion for winning and success as a team was big.”

“I think I had lost a little bit of that,” he added.

Zegras was one of 7 regulars who finished the season 25 years old or younger. One message that was repeated by players, coaches and front office personnel was the advantage of having so many young, close-knit teammates working through the same learning curve.

“We had a close team. It made coming to the rink every day a lot of fun and enjoyable and I think when you enjoy what you’re doing you’re going to find success and that’s kinda what we had as a team this year,” he noted.

That said, if he truly values the atmosphere in Philadelphia and valued his experience in a higher-pressure but youth-friendly locker room compared to Anaheim, his seventh NHL campaign and second here should be locked in on improving his numbers with more consistency.

Of course, there are two concurrent methods to accomplish this: personal improvement as well as more consistent line pairings and better defined roles initiated by the coaching staff. 

Zegras put together two lengthy point streaks in the regular season: a 9-gamer from Dec. 9 through Dec. 23 (5G, 6A) and a 7-gamer from March 21 through Apr. 2 (1G, 6A). He also collected 15 points over the final 13 contests. 

But the start to his first Flyers’ season was tentative, with just 5 helpers in the club’s first 6 games. It took a near-career threatening incident on Oct. 23 in Ottawa when Sens forward Tim Stutzle came within inches of slashing his exposed wrist, before things kicked into gear.

After that, the first flash of brilliance arrived as he connected for 14 points (6G, 8A) in his next 10 outings. Then, a pit that lasted pretty much for two months followed by the refresh offered after the Olympics and the infusion of fresh offense from key prospects.

True Stats Behind the Snipers

While being shuttled back and forth at will between wing and center, Zegras totaled a career high 26 goals on 167 shots on goal for a 15.6% shooting percentage – second only to Travis Konecny (16.1%) among Flyers who played close to a full season.

Even if that doesn’t sound impressive, he’s in rare company. Here’s a list of the players who scored at least 25 goals for Flyers over the last decade in a full, uninterrupted season, their total SOG and shooting percentages:

2016-17: Wayne Simmonds 31G/224SOG/13.8%

               Brayden Schenn 25G/178SOG/14.0%

2017-18: Claude Giroux 34G/193SOG/17.6%

 

2018-19: Sean Couturier 33G/223SOG/14.8%

               James van Riemsdyk 27G/167SOG/16.2%

2022-23: Travis Konecny 31G/191SOG/16/2%

                Owen Tippett 27G/231SOG/11.7%

2023-24:  TK 33G/244SOG/13.5% 

                Tippett 28G/289SOG/9.7%

2024-25:  Matvei Michkov 26G/200SOG/13.0%

                Tyson Foerster 25G/142SOG/17.6%

When compiling the ideas and stats for this column, I arbitrarily came up with the idea that a true goal scorer – whether currently employed by the Flyers or forever just out of reach – should have a full-season shooting percentage close to or over 20%. Research proved this to be an overshoot.

The last Flyers forward to hit these exact parameters was Danny Briere, whose 2008-09 season was cut short due to a concussion after 11G in 29 games, with his 54 SOG resulting in a 20.4% pct.

You’ll have to go back 25 years to find the last Orange & Black forward to score at least 20 goals and hit close to or over 20% over a full, uninterrupted season – Keith Primeau in 2000-01, when he led the club with a 34G/165SOG/20.6% split. Before that, Eric Lindros did it twice in a row over his first 2 NHL seasons: 1992-93 (41G/180SOG/22.8%) and 1993-94 (44G/197SOG/22.3%). 

That’s right. Everybody’s archetype, Johnny Vermont himself, never came close to a 20% success rate despite five full seasons of 51,50,51,43 and 40 goals from 1995-2000.

Going further back, in 1988-89 alone, the Flyers had 3 players: Tim Kerr 48G/236SOG/20.3%; Rick Tocchet 45G/220SOG/20.5%; Ron Sutter 22G/106SOG/24.5%, but that was in an era when stopping 90% of all shots put goaltenders in superstar conversations.

Future Tense

One of the unintended consequences of head coach Rick Tocchet’s defensive system is that shots on goal are at a premium on the attack; this clearly won’t favor Zegras no matter where he plays or with whom.

A glance at Zegras' season log finds the greatest concentrations of multi-shot games came before Tyson Foerster’s arm injury in early December and after Alex Bump was recalled from Allentown in early March.

You would think that fewer shots per game and per season on a top-six player’s ledger would indicate better shooting acumen, but Zegras was one of the drivers of offense who had fingers pointed at his direction for choosing not to shoot more times than many of us cared to count.

Again, on break-up day, Zegras hinted this might not have been a technical flaw, indicating early conversations with Tocchet revolved around ways to become “a more complete player.”

“That was definitely something me and ‘Tocc’ talked about before the year and I think my goal and mindset was just to come in and be coachable and wherever they wanted me to play,” he admitted. “Just do my best and listen to what the people around me are saying.”

Although he produced five games of 6 shots or more, including three games of 7 SOG – one of which came after the Olympic break – Zegras totaled an incredible 58 instances of either no shots, 1 shot or 2 shots in any game last season. That’s just unacceptable whatever the circumstances. I’d imagine Tocchet’s definition of “complete player” also equals more consistent player.

It’s great Zegras publicly claimed his coachability. It’s great he said he was “fine” playing both wing and center and that center provides more room to play and more room to think. The rest of the issue falls on the coaching staff and their in-game as well as game-to-game adjustments and deployment. 

At the very least, Zegras is forced to play any contest with at least three basic mindsets: what to do as a center, what to do on the wing, what to do on the power play. Subdivide those three into however many game-action situations result from game play and it can be a lot for any young player to absorb and execute in real time. 

This strikes at the very heart of my repeated complaints about the organization, through multiple front office and coaching regimes, routinely treating forwards like amoebas, rather than creating specific roles suited best for each player.

No wonder the perception exists that he's hesitant to shoot or may not be able to find the space; messages and responsibilities in situational play have to scramble his brains.

Driving play means more than puck possession and puck direction. His skating is fluid and quick. Zegras need only look as far as Bump and Porter Martone for how to generate more shots, but probably needs a nod or a pat on the back from the bench to encourage more freelancing.

The gift of youth only lasts so long. Coaching tenures only last so long. Messaging becomes jumbled and mental exhaustion can often precede physical exhaustion. That’s more than enough reason for Briere to snag a true 1C this offseason, at least locking Zegras’ responsibilities in place. 

Short of a trade or free agent signing, isn’t that what they invested $25M on Christian Dvorak for? Even though Tocchet may not know if Dvorak or Zegras would be the steady, full-time 1C, it's not that hard to cement one player in one spot and have the other riding shotgun.

At least now, with Briere having shocked the world just ahead of the holiday weekend news-dump event horizon by offer sheeting Leo Carlsson, *some* clarity exists. If the gambit works, Zegras would obviously shift over to wing and Carlsson takes over 1C.

The matter of Zegras' contract is still up in the air, after he filed for arbitration ahead of the 5 pm deadline on Sunday, July 5.

The external ramifications of the upcoming decision by Ducks GM Pat Verbeek will surely impact Zegras' standing as Briere needs to figure out a) how to adequately address all moving parts -- including the subtraction of some veteran contracts if he intends to keep both Carlsson and Zegras with a minimum of disruption, and b) attempting to not upset his most consistent winger in upcoming negotiations if the situation actually progresses that far.

Although there's no indication from any reputable source that both camps are far apart, I could not see anything other than a fractured relationship if Briere sits across from Zegras, having successfully wooed his buddy away from a bad situation in Anaheim, attempting to shoot holes in what was essentially a career year.