Flyers coaches long on philosophy, short on answers for floundering power play

by Bob Herpen

Phanatic Hockey Editor

On breakup day for the coaching staff, May 14, Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet provided his most expansive thoughts, philosophy and plan to date about how to shake the club’s consistently dreadful power play out of the doldrums.

The second-to-last question from that media session revolved around the media-driven revelation of defenseman Jamie Drysdale’s “frank admission” following a Game 3 loss to the Hurricanes on May 8 that players often would disregard – though not willfully – what was planned on the power play, with the messaging and its lack of resonance with each unit contributing to its failure.

“I think when it comes to the power play, you gotta see things. Sometimes, it’s gonna take people longer to see things,” he admitted. “I can name 5 or 6 players where, to get technical, you’re playing against an aggressive diamond where the top guy is aggressive, he’s out of position, well, you gotta see that there should be a 2-on-1 in front of the net.”

“If that particular play happens, sometimes we’re not seeing it,” he added. 

Tocchet also referenced that disastrous 50-second, 5-on-3 advantage from Game 3’s 4-1 setback as a prime example of the confusion. He and the coaches instructed the unit that Carolina plays a “2-up” system, which to them, indicated an easy solution to puck movement. 

“Where do you want the puck to go? Down low,” he said. “It’s gotta be a 3-on-2 in front of the net. Well, we did a ‘high’ play. That’s what I think Jamie’s talking about, we’re missing the reads.” 

"Accountability" from the Top

Tocchet offered a general mea culpa, admitting the coaching staff could impart the lesson in a way more conducive to success. But he had no idea, at that point, how the nuts and bolts would work so all involved could understand the correct reads. He wondered aloud where they could find the proper time and space to accomplish a proper regroup and re-teach. 

“Is it better to do on the ice than in video? I’ve already talked about it with the coaches. We might just have a dedicated half an hour power-play practice on one rink, before the (main) practice even starts,” he said. 

The Flyers managed to wrest defeat from the jaws of victory in the regular season, finishing dead last overall with a 15.7% efficiency. In the playoffs, they were 14th, firing at an 8.3% clip. That was after ranking 30th the year before under John Tortorella and Brad Shaw with a *worse* percentage (14.95%). Before that, it was last (12.2%), last (15.56%), last (12.55%) and 18th (19.16%) in the COVID bubble season.

"I think it’s something we’re gonna have to dive into because it’s been a long time here (since the power play worked),” Tocchet said. “We’re really gonna have to do some really out of the box thinking to fix this.”

The mind truly wanders at this prospect. 

When pressed on how, exactly, the skaters involved on the power play could “get better,” Tocchet put it squarely on the players: “If you wanna be on the power play, you’re gonna have to get these reads. How do you get these reads? Study. Live it. Practice it. Rinse and repeat. That’s really what it comes down to.”

We’ll get to this later in the piece, but the class had a whole summer to do the reading, hope they aren’t cramming the last two weeks before camp.

On August 24, the Flyers released a team-friendly, video roundtable with Tocchet and three assistant coaches during which, in their words, “no state secrets” were revealed. Instead, the on-ice braintrust offered a general wide-ranging philosophical take on how the coaches instruct the players to function in all three zones. 

As for the main man responsible for the power play, Yogi Svejkovsky offered a hint of how an internal issue, like, oh … maybe a failure to adhere to the power play system or making a failed read might be remedied in the moment or during a break in play.  

“As a head coach, you have to trust your assistant coaches that, if the system is not followed, it would be my job, specifically, to deal with the player,” he said. “And then, at the same time you have to deal with (the fact that) every player will be different.”

Whole Team Concept?

Symposium facilitator Jason Myrtetus later spoke of having an “alpha” in the offensive zone to set up a power play, like an Ovechkin or Kucherov to which Svejkovsky replied that there is a whole-team concept which relies on the entire unit understanding their roles, rather than a point person with different responsibilities. 

“You look at in the Eastern Conference as a whole, there’s way more diamonds, way more aggressiveness,” he noted.

“The process was understanding how to beat the structure of the opposition. The only way to see how you do, is to see what you create. Out of that, (you analyze later) are we creating?”

And, then, as Svejkovsky explained, with the help of the off-ice assistants who crunch numbers while watching the post-game video, players have a readout of how their o-zone entries affect their play. 

“We were top 10 in ‘Grade A’ chances, it tells you we should probably not be the last team in the league (in PP percentage),” he added, without explaining exactly what stats or metrics comprised such opportunities.

Svejkovsky proceeded to explain there is an overlap of communication from the top down, as Tocchet previously had control of the man advantage in both Colorado and Pittsburgh, as far as receiving guidance on what to address.

“So, what we’re looking at now is, how can we help our players in different ways, over the last 3 months, to give them the tools to improve,” he continued. “And, let’s say you’re the quarterback, that you understand how to get your lanes open, that you have more time to take shots.”

From here, the idea of summer homework from the coaching staff to the players emerged again, with the expectation that this off-ice study was intended as a primer ahead of whatever they do to practice to Tocchet’s specifications. He gave the strongest indicator yet that nothing is set in stone. 

“It’s going to be a fight for them to see who’s gonna be on that first unit, second unit,” Tocchet said. “This year’s one of the year’s (the slots on each unit) is open.”

New Boys for the New Year

On a July 20 video call with local media to announce his new contract, Drysdale provided the only hint at what skills he might further develop to help the cause. 

“I think there’s a lot of little things I can work on, when I get the puck (make a) head fake … a little bit more deceptiveness, obviously the main kicker is shooting more,” he said. “I’ve been pretty continuously working on my shot the last year and throughout the summer, so it’s something I’m going to come in confident with and use it as a weapon.”

Back at the ranch, assistant Jay Varady, whose umbrella also includes the power play, offered the following when discussing the difference between thinking and reacting when a new system is introduced. 

“I think when you’re teaching new concepts, sometimes a player has to think. And then as you develop and start to get comfortable, they stop thinking and they just start playing,” he explained. 

Again, communication is hammered as a key concept, but at least Varady diplomatically acknowledges the players’ responsibility in absorbing the information, then internalizing it as they practice and play. 

“It’s a process you have to stick with as you’re implementing things. You have to know there’s going to be a little time where you see a little hesitation - have a little meeting, have a conversation and as (learning) starts to grow and progress, it naturally becomes the way you play.”

Ok, but that attitude only works with the internal belief that *this* staff with *this* certain set of skills and system can override the mistakes of the past. We’ve seen the failure up front for the fourth regime and counting.

If that’s the prevailing wisdom, maybe one of the “out of the box” suggestions for fixing things should be keeping the longer-termed players (Tippett, Couturier, TK, Risto) away from PP1 and PP2 to avoid the brain rot that comes from veterans having to fully internalize *another* system.

Who among the newer puck-hungry players might be able to provide a remedy? 

Three likely lads are Trevor Zegras, Alex Bump and Porter Martone. For the former, it needs to be beaten into his brain “shoot first, distribute later,” unless he’s the distributor or quarterback for the unit, then, like Drysdale, he's got to focus on the initial read while carrying the puck. For the middle man, a known shooter, he needs to seek the puck, collect the puck and shoot the puck inside 30 feet. For the latter, if he’s the plumber down low, he needs to muscle defenders in front and be quicker to rebounds and loose pucks. 

Following Up

How does this all mesh with the actual nuts and bolts required to make the power play function in real time? 

We didn’t get an answer here, and we won’t have any semblance of an answer until the units have been determined through camp scrimmages and preseason development, then put on display for the first 10 regular-season games or so. 

Given Tocchet’s assertion that coaches review everything from the previous season to detect what needs to be tweaked – and given that zero time was devoted to an answer about the power play when discussing offensive-zone entries – here’s a short list of questions that should be asked, by anyone who covers this team in any capacity:  

• How do you plan on practicing the power play?
• When would you practice it?
• Do you simulate game conditions? If not, why not? 
• If you do simulations, do you approximate any of the other 31 NHL teams’ PK strategies? 
• What time and space will you devote to meshing o-zone philosophy with power-play entries?  
• When practices did occur, how were changes and corrections made? 
• Now that players have had a year’s familiarity and the head coach has uncovered issues per above, how will you approach it this year beyond the timing and length of practice? 
• How, if at all, will the general five-man-unit offensive-zone philosophy impact the actual power play? 
• How will you deal with addressing these issues given the reduction of preseason games from 6 to 4?

Stick with the Phanatic as we ramp up our season schedule, beginning Sept. 15.

The 10 Greatest Losses in Flyers History

by Bob Herpen

Phanatic Hockey Editor

The latest edition of Phanatic Biweekly delves into the times the Orange and Black came up short throughout their first 59 years, but where the setbacks made some kind of noticeable impact on the direction of the franchise.

Touch some grass, soak up the sun. Grab a beverage and turn off your mind. Here’s the 10 Greatest Losses in Philadelphia Flyers history.

10. Dec. 22, 2023: Red Wings 7, Flyers 6 (SO) - Little Caesars Arena. The countdown begins with a major comeback in Motown. Defense was optional throughout the contest, the first period in particular. Permanent nemesis Patrick Kane scored twice and the Wings were up 5-1 after 20 minutes. Curiously, head coach John Tortorella opted to keep starter Carter Hart in goal for the remainder of the night and from there, he was noticeably better than his Detroit counterpart, James Reimer.

The rally began on strikes from Sean Couturier and Morgan Frost in the 2nd, followed by Garnet Hathaway, Scott Laughton and Owen Tippett with 5:07 left to give the visitors the lead. A late tally from Dylan Larkin and shootout winner from Kane put Detroit in the win column but also put Flyers fans on notice that a big leap forward for this young roster was possible.

9.  March 2, 2002: Rangers 6, Flyers 5 - Madison Square Garden. Although Eric Lindros reintroduced himself to the Philly faithful as a Broadway Blueshirt less than 2 months prior, this was his true New York debut. 

Still firing on all cylinders after a year away from the game, Big E rifled home 3 goals in a span of less than 10 minutes of play between the 1st and 2nd periods, staking the hosts to a 4-0 lead and posting his first post-Philly trifecta.

But Simon Gagne, working through his 3rd NHL season and counted on to be the brightest young gun in a youth movement, answered twice, Eric Desjardins and Jeremy Roenick followed early in the 3rd and Gagne added his hat trick score with less than 8 minutes to play. Lindros’ career soon faded due to the after effects of repeated concussions, while Gagne went on to record nearly 300 goals in his 11-year Flyers career.

8.   May 6, 2011: Bruins 5, Flyers 1 - TD Garden. You name it, it ended that night in an awful conclusion to a brutal 4-game sweep authored in revenge by the club on the wrong end of a reverse sweep a year before. 

The goalie carousel which saw 3 different players (Brian Boucher, Sergei Bobrovsky, Michael Leighton) man the nets in 11 playoff outings over 2 rounds. The off-ice rampage of Messrs. Carter and Richards. Dry Island. Kris Versteeg.

Ordered to dredge up a franchise goaltender from the highest of heights, then-GM Paul Holmgren sacrificed the club’s two young leaders 48 days later to snag one Russian space cadet. Their leftover cash also managed to lure Jaromir Jagr back to the NHL and, apparently, off all team pictures in CONSOL Energy Arena. The ensuing 93-game regular and postseason was certainly one for the memory banks. We’re still waiting for Claude Giroux to officially take the mantle of “Best Player in the NHL” from Sidney Crosby, though.

7.   Nov. 29, 1991: Penguins 9, Flyers 3 - The Spectrum. Three words: “PAUL MUST GO”

Baby, if you ever wondered when there was a time Philly fans didn’t either blindly follow Mister Snyder or simply wandered away in apathy, it was Black Friday during Paul Holmgren’s 4th year as head coach.

Mired in the midst of an 0-7-1 string which included a 7-3 home loss to Hartford less than 48 hours prior, Flyers fans didn’t exactly come loaded for bear when this one started, but were screaming for vengeance by the end. When it was 6-0 Pittsburgh late in the 2nd period, two separate, competing three-word chants began at the end seats, repeatedly and loudly clashing at center ice in a distorted symphony of discontent.

The Sniders, with much face to save, certainly heard the angry herd. Because their choice for a replacement bench boss (Bill Dineen) was incognito somewhere south of the Adirondacks, it took 2 more losses and 6 more days before Homer was officially sent packing. Dineen’s avuncular manner would be a factor in Lindros’ development as a rookie the following season. Holmgren wasn’t a significant player within the front office until well after an exile of 3-plus seasons as coach and GM with the Hartford Whalers.

6.   Apr. 16, 2024: Capitals 2, Flyers 1 - Wachovia Center. Who cares whether Tortorella knew or did not know, threw or did not throw, the club’s final game of the 2023-24 season, one in which they needed to win to keep their slim hopes for a playoff berth alive? 

It was the most compelling terminal regular season game for the franchise in almost 30 years. Needing a goal and a win to improve their standing, Torts opted to pull the now-dearly-departed Sam Ersson with roughly 5 minutes left in regulation. T.J. Oshie nailed that coffin shut. 

At the same time, the fates of the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins were held in the balance and more conspiratorial minds made like Charlie Kelly and started stringing 2 and 2 together with a lot of wishes as connective tissue to come up with a conspiracy theory. Problem is, nobody could really put it past the crafty and mercurial head coach. Lose, but never be boring.

5.   March 25, 2025: Maple Leafs 7, Flyers 2 - Air Canada Centre. The exact minute everyone – including Flyers upper management – was done with John Tortorella. Typical for the disappointing Leafs to pile on an inferior foe, but when John Tavares, Auston Matthews and William Nylander all do the Happy Dance on your squad at the same time, someone’s ass had to be grass.

Before this loss, Torts was on record as unwilling to coach a full-on rebuild. After it, the fight between Torts and Cam York was publicized. With assistant Brad Shaw given carte blanche, it was an entertaining 9-game stretch to end the season, giving fans a glimpse of what their young players could do with time, space and a velvet hand at the reins. It was “high-event” hockey at its finest ahead of the sweeping changes that led to the current Tocchet Era.

4.   Apr. 2, 1989: Penguins 6, Flyers 5 (OT) - The Spectrum. After failing to win in Philadelphia for 15 straight years, Pittsburgh scored a pair of victories twice in less than 2 months. This one, in the final regular season game loaded with meaning and playoff seeding, happened thanks to the Pens rallying from an early 2-0 deficit then blowing a 5-2 advantage. 

Desperate for a win which would vault them up to 3rd place, Holmgren’s decision to pull Hextall and try for a winning goal in overtime, resulted instead with Mario Lemieux notching his personal record 85th goal, 114th assist, 199th point and locked the Orange and Black into 4th place and a date with division-winning Washington.

Historically, it was the last of a still-standing franchise record of 17 consecutive seasons reaching the playoffs. It also unwittingly set up a mammoth division finals series once the Flyers upset division-winning Washington, the first postseason meeting between franchises which were welcomed into the NHL in 1967. 

The eventual seven game set to decide Patrick Division supremacy was rife with drama. And while we can make a case that Lemieux’s 8-point night in a 10-7 win in Game 5 of that series might have been a greater catalyst for the Flyers, it doesn’t happen without this Game 80 defeat.

3.   November 19, 1985: Islanders 8, Flyers 6 - Nassau Coliseum. What happens when your defending Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender is dead, his countryman and teammate is back in Sweden to attend the funeral and  your No. 1 blueliner is out with a lower-body injury while the team is riding a franchise record 13-game winning streak? Push the four-time Cup champions to the final second of regulation before their victory is secured.

Keenan’s Kids defied all logic in the wake of Pelle Lindbergh’s death. They won their 11th straight against the defending Cup champion Oilers on an emotional night whose impact has been dissected for decades. After breezing past Hartford, they were down 4-1 to the Islanders late in the 2nd period the next night and you’d think that luck would have run out. Instead, they rallied for 4 straight goals and a miracle OT win.

Two days later, the Isles – whose then-league record of 15 straight wins was on the line – looked like they would crash the party with a runaway as the North Stars did in January 1980 to stop The Streak. Instead, the visitors, down 5-1 after just 22 minutes, roared back with 4 power-play goals and 1 shortie.  Ed Hospodar recorded the only 2 goal game of his entire NHL career. His tally with 2:29 left made it 7-6. Bryan Trottier’s empty netter at 19:59 finally put things to rest, keeping the Isles’ mark secure.

2.   Apr. 2, 1972: Sabres 3, Flyers 2 - The Aud. Maybe the most important quote ever uttered (not written on a chalkboard) by anyone associated with the franchise, what Ed Snider repeated to his players on the flight home, as he said to head coach Fred Shero immediately following the worst loss in team history: “Nobody would lose his job over one disastrous goal.”

That one disastrous goal was scored by Buffalo’s Gerry Meehan with 4 seconds left in Game 78, with the Flyers needing just one point to leapfrog the Penguins and into 4th place in the East Division. 

Twenty-three days earlier, Shero’s team was in solid playoff footing, 3 points ahead of the Golden Seals with 11 games to go. They went 3-4-3, including a 4-4 home tie vs. the Penguins the day before which put them 2 points up with 1 remaining. Pittsburgh would win the head-to-head season series tiebreaker with a win and Flyers loss. Meehan beat an unscreened Doug Favell with a 45 footer to win the game, Philly’s only defeat in their last 6 contests.

“It was like getting shot,” said Bill Clement in Jay Greenberg’s Full Spectrum.

“I feel dead inside,” admitted Bobby Clarke in the same chapter.

The mercurial Snider decided to take the long view for once, as Greenberg related: “It was unbelievable what happened. But once I got used to it, I realized we had made great strides. I was still totally and completely confident.”

The only move of significance the front office made in the wake of the unreal setback was to secure Bernie Parent from the Blazers in the WHA, which had nothing to do directly with Favell’s error. 

Just 777 days later, the Stanley Cup came to Philadelphia.

1.   May 31, 1987: Oilers 3, Flyers 1 - Northlands Coliseum. Until the day they win it all, Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals in Edmonton will stand as the high-water mark for the franchise regarding playoff prowess.

More than any other loss, it stands as a model by which all future Flyers playoff teams will be judged; outmanned and injured, a team with 4 or 5 star players at best took the greatest offensive machine in league history which boasted a half dozen potential Hall-of-Famers down to the final 2 ½ minutes before the championship was decided. 

What if Brian Propp’s shot in the 1st period, minutes after Mark Messier tied the game, actually made it all the way through Grant Fuhr’s pads? What if Ilkka Sinisalo didn’t throw an absolute brick on net from 15 feet away with nobody in sight with the game tied, 1-1, early in the 2nd period? What if the puck hadn’t skipped over Ron Sutter’s stick at the Oilers’ blue line with clear ice ahead early in the 3rd period in a 2-1 game?

Legend has it Keenan brought the Cup into the locker room pregame to goose the ultimate visualization for a roster mentally and physically wiped from 26 games in 53 days and 117 since September. Maybe he should have bribed arena staff to poison a few Edmonton pregame meals instead.

Hextall made 40 stops in his 26th playoff game and 92nd appearance of the season, rightfully earning a Conn Smythe Trophy he’d rather not have won. Wayne Gretzky called him the greatest goalie he’d ever faced.

“I’ve never been shot with a bullet,” said Norris Trophy runner up Mark Howe “But it couldn’t hurt any more than this.”

It will be 40 years next spring, and the bullet holes in thousands of fans have healed but never faded.

NBA, Sixers release full 2026-27 regular-season schedules

The National Basketball Association released the full schedules for all 30 member clubs on Thursday afternoon, including that for the Philadelphia 76ers. 

The new-look Sixers open the season unusually early, Tuesday, Oct. 20 at Madison Square Garden to help the rival New York Knicks raise their championship banner. Two nights later, their home opener welcomes LeBron James' OG club, the Cleveland Cavaliers. And on Halloween Eve (Oct. 30), the Knicks make their first trip back to Philly since their Game 4 blowout victory in the Eastern semifinals on May 10.

The regular season concludes on Sunday, Apr. 11 at home against the Charlotte Hornets. 

In between some key matchups are as follows:

Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 6 pm a national TV contest as Jaylen Brown welcomes his former team, the Boston Celtics, to South Philly.

A Thanksgiving Eve (Wed. Nov. 25) 5 pm start at home vs. LeBron's second team, the Miami Heat.

Of course, the previously-announced 5 pm ET Christmas Day national TV broadcast of the Sixers in Los Angeles to face the Lakers.

New Year's Day finds the Sixers taking on the Bucks in Milwaukee, while Monday, Jan. 16 finds the club with a Martin Luther King Day matinee at Atlanta. Philly will also be on the road for a Presidents' Day afternoon (Feb. 15) tilt in Dallas.

The league ratchets up the drama between the old rivals, as the Sixers play in Boston twice in the latter half of the season: Jan. 21 and again on Mar. 7 -- a matinee start scheduled for ABC.

For the full schedule with dates and times, bang either this link or this one.

Grebenkin locked up, last of Flyers loose contract ends

Late last week, the Philadelphia Flyers managed to puncture the mid-summer doldrums and announce a contract for the last of its restricted free agents.

Nikita Grebenkin, who, unlike teammates Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, was not arbitration eligible, nonetheless returns to the fold on a 2-year deal worth $2.2 million.

The 23-year-old bottom six winger, who was acquired at the March 2025 trade deadline in the deal which shipped Scott Laughton to the Toronto Maple Leafs, compiled 14 points over 55 regular-season games during his first full NHL campaign. 

Brind'Amour supplies Flyers with Cup winning recipe

Courtesy of WRAL

by Bob Herpen

Phanatic Hockey Editor

When Phanatic Offseason Biweeklies left you 2 weeks ago, we asked you to consider the first half of Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour’s blueprint for success – as mentioned on the Nasty Knuckles podcast from July 9 – and whether or not the Philadelphia Flyers front office and roster possess the requisites to duplicate.

In the second of this two-part column, further examining the back half of Brindy’s prime points, we’ll tackle organizational buy-in for longer-term success and player buy-in with the coaching philosophy.

We know ‘Canes owner Tom Dundon wanted to win, but lacked the requisite knowledge and patience most multi-millionaire owners do in pursuit of championships. Does a gestalt entity like Comcast want to win? 

I don’t think Dan Hilferty has ever directly addressed this, on the dais or at breezy downtown lunch hours. Like appeals for a number of chronic diseases, there’s more money in research and development instead of cures, with less risk involved. 

There’s certainly less risk in Flyers GM Danny Briere preaching about waiting for something that “has to make sense” compared to the cap hell that his three predecessors both faced and put themselves in. Nothing about this offseason put a dent in that idea – especially the Carlsson offer sheet, which the opposing GM emphatically stated would be matched, and was.

Tocchet’s on the second of a 5-year deal that history and entropy strongly suggests he’s not likely to finish; Briere’s entering his 4th year at the helm. Sands through the hourglass are about to be falling at a quicker rate – unless they can replicate the Hurricanes’ 8 straight years of reaching at least the conference semifinals.

From a statistical standpoint, the Flyers have only seen one stint in franchise history equivalent to the Hurricanes’ current run: nine seasons from 1972-81 reaching the 2nd round or further, including 2 Stanley Cups and 4 Finals berths.

But that was in a league steadily growing from 14 to 21 teams, with a handful of impatient, maverick owners and GMs willing to throw away 1st-round draft picks for immediate gratification. One GM, Keith Allen, presided and earned the nickname “Keith the Thief.”

This does not exist in the current 32-team league where 16 make the playoffs and 22 are in the running until a week before the regular season concludes. 

Between 2007 and 2012, the Orange and Black won at least one playoff series in 4 of those 5 seasons. That spree bridged two head coaches, John Stevens and Peter Laviolette, but included several major moves which radically altered team chemistry.

Although Brind’Amour has been the on-ice leader this whole time, the Hurricanes acknowledged that even a well-respected franchise icon like Ron Francis was unsuited from the GM chair to transition from a tear-down through a rebuild. Francis was essentially promoted, then his contract terminated. After, Don Waddell, who signed on as both president and GM, was sacrificed in 2024 for the players’ inability to get over the hump. 

They hit the jackpot with Eric Tulsky, who cannot be confused with any traditional hockey mind. 

Meanwhile, the Flyers keep going in the same direction. Cleaned out the perceived cold, corporate personages in the front office only to goose the spirits of the suffering faithful by hiring a bunch of photogenic ex-players to key positions. Which, counterintuitively, if you’re going for a longer term rise to success, it kinda makes sense to give the John LeClairs and Patrick Sharps and Keith Joneses of the world plenty of runway to learn their craft among the league’s administrative sharks.

They’ve already got the Flyers-as-family, “if you’re not for us, you’re against us” attitude down pat. No need to look further than the smear campaign against William C. Gauthier as a tell.

But it’s hard to imagine even Hilferty could keep up the jovial “past is prologue” attitude for another 5 years. He’s on the back nine of his professional and personal life and no doubt would start getting an itchy throat and trembly hands if his shiny new toy doesn’t win a few races soon – or at least gains a few hundred more season tickets in the effort. 

They got a big spiritual and financial boost with a surprise playoff chase that resulted in a second-round appearance but linear continuation is not a reality. It was clear for those who watched, that Briere’s “step back” was couched in terms of a playoff berth or playoff success. The Flyers may win 40 games and lose a round next year; they may win 44 games and not make it. It is no doubt maddening for fans young and old to accept this is part of the process.

In that way, the Hurricanes cracked a code more daunting than Enigma, because they *never* took a step back in 8 years.

When asked about the ingredients for success in his coaching methods, Brind’Amour led with the following: “Everybody’s playing. You just have to get the buy in. There’s no master class on which way to go. It goes back to the leadership stuff. If your top guys are buying in, you don’t have any room for anyone to do it differently.”

Brind’Amour, though, is a unique mixture. He’s the kind of person who’s a) obsessively driven, b) carries a better-than-average hockey IQ (dating back to his playing days) even if he’s not sold on analytics, and c) knows what it takes to win both as a player and direct supervisor.

Tocchet really isn’t an analogue. He’s definitely not a, hasn’t convinced anyone in Philadelphia or anywhere else that b applies (with the possible exception of championing Steven Stamkos when Barry Melrose slagged him off in Tampa), but can skate by with c as he both won as a player in 1992 and stood beside Mike Sullivan for the Penguins’ last 2 titles in 2015-16.

You know who was an obsessive? Mike Keenan, Tocchet’s first coach and architect of the first Flyers Renaissance from 1984 to 1987. Keenan, famously, never powered down from the insecurity that drove him to act like he did, because he didn’t play professionally.

If anything, that buy-in from Carolina players clearly emanates from a deep respect for the guy on the bench. 

We heard a lot of propaganda in the break-up pressers from Flyers coaches and players themselves about how ‘Tocc’ is embracing a more modern mindset with the younger roster – Michkov aside – and how the players are comfortable with the way things are. I hope that supposed concordance will be analyzed and scrutinized beyond this space in the coming year. 

“We’ve been real fortunate. The 23 guys we have here are here for a reason, they get it. The guys who didn’t quite fit, you gotta move on. That’s just kinda how it works,’ Brind’Amour added. 

“That’s our secret sauce. We got the right people in the right chairs and they’ve been able to put the team first, which is … everyone talks about it, but to be able to do it … I see it every day in the way we go about our business,” he noted.

We know there is a significant gap in presentation and belief regarding the Flyers power play, with Tocchet having admitted that one of his young defensemen is publicly at odds with the system. We don’t know whether Sean Couturier – who showed flashes of his old self in the playoffs – can rejuvenate to the level of Jordan Staal (28 goals regular/postseason) or successfully put the team’s needs ahead of his own as he cruises toward retirement on a mega-contract. 

We don’t know what happens to team chemistry when roster changes are necessary. It can’t be playtime in the sandbox all the time. Two or three or more of the current young core may not be here if Briere sniffs the sweat off the Cup and it is up to those remaining to suck it up, learn and grow along the way. 

We don’t know if Tocchet or Briere will preside over things by the time a return to the Finals is made, but continued success and applied knowledge will spur management to find appropriate bridge deals to keep both where they are. 

“It doesn’t guarantee everything,” Brind’Amour concluded. “It guarantees you one thing, and that’s a legitimate chance. That’s what we’ve had these 8 years, we’ve been knocking on the door. It’s much better knowing you have a chance by the way you play.”

Needing a right-handed bat, Phils instead opt for 3-time batting champ Arraez

In desperate need of a right-handed bat to fill out a lineup chronically struggling vs. left-handed pitching, the Philadelphia Phillies opened up the final day ahead of the 2026 MLB trade deadline by acquiring infielder Luis Arraez from the San Francisco Giants.

The deal, as reported by Matt Gelb and Jayson Stark finds Arraez -- a left-handed bat who is expected to play second base and who leads the National League in hitting at .324 over 105 games for the last-place G-men -- and right-handed relief pitcher Caleb Killian heading to San Francisco in exchange for pitching prospects Marty Gair and Ramon Marquez.

In his 8th MLB season, the 29-year-old Venezuelan has won three batting titles with three separate franchises (Minnesota, 2022; Miami, 2023; San Diego, 2024) and may repeat the feat with a fourth if he keeps pace in Philly.

No firm plans were announced for a reshuffling of the infield and outfield, despite much online speculation from beats who should have that information in pocket; however, multiple reports revealed that first baseman Bryce Harper had multiple conversations recently with GM Dave Dombrowski over his willingness to return to the outfield. 

Further, Harper was reported to have brought his outfielder's glove on the recent road trip which concluded in Baltimore with Sunday's rain-shortened 8-0 victory.

These reports were solidified just ahead of the 6 pm (ET) deadline by Inquirer reporter Scott Lauber, who stated on X that the plan revealed by Phils manager Don Mattingly would be: Bryson Stott to 3B, Harper to RF, Arraez to 2B and Alec Bohm to 1B.

Killian's acquisition hopes to offset the loss of the disappointing Brad Keller to pending UCL surgery. The 29-year-old SoCal native went 3-6 with a 4.26 ERA, 53 strikeouts and 20 walks over 45 games for the Giants in 2026.

Another deadline deal announced a short time ago saw the Phils snagged left-handed reliever Brooks Raley from the fading New York Mets in exchange for righty prospect Luke Gabrysh and outfielder John Spikerman.

Eagles, Carter agree to 4-year contract extension

It's the first official day of Training Camp 2026 and the Birds are angling to make the sports headline of the week across the Delaware Valley. 

As reported by multiple non-team sources, the Philadelphia Eagles and defensive tackle Jalen Carter have apparently agreed to terms on a mega 4-year contract extension.

The 25-year-old native of the Orlando region and University of Georgia product stands to make up to $160 million across the length of the deal, which would make him the highest paid player at the position in the National Football League. 

For all the details, watch Phanatic godfather Johnny Mac break it all down:

Sixers make it 'internet official' with LeBron

The Philadelphia 76ers officially announced the signing of future Hall of Fame forward LeBron James via social media late this morning.

James spent the past 8 seasons toiling for the Los Angeles Lakers, helping the legacy franchise win their last NBA title in the 2020 COVID bubble. Over 60 games last year for the Lake Show, James posted 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per contest, alongside a .515 shooting percentage en route to his 22nd All Star selection. 

Since arriving as the No. 1 overall pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, the Akron native has posted averages of 26.8 points, 7.5 boards, 7.4 assists 1.5 steals and 0.7 blocks per regular-season game over 1,622 appearances for the Cavs, Miami Heat and Lakers - the most in NBA history.

Further, while participating in a league-record 302 postseason contests, James has compiled averages of 28.2 points, 8.9 boards. 7.2 helpers, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks while winning four NBA titles (2012, '13, '16 and '20) and appearing in 10 NBA Finals. James won Finals' MVP in each of his club's four championships.

Vibes around the Sixers franchise are at an all-time high due to the signing, with multiple reports of thousands of LeBron jerseys either bought or on order by fans across the region. Additionally, there are multiple unconfirmed reports of astronomical mark-ups on tickets for the team's as-yet-unannounced home opener. 

Nick Nurse's provisional lineup now includes James, along with recently-acquired Jaylen Brown, former league MVP Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ edgecombe.

LeBron's 'last decision' is apparently going to be Philadelphia

King James will apparently finish out his career by balling for South Broad instead of South Beach.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported late Friday morning, that agent Rich Paul stated LeBron will sign a 2-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers worth $8 million.  

James took to X himself shortly after the reports were made, saying in a series of tweets: 

"I thought I was done when the season ended. I wasn't ready to announce it and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and decide if I still love this game.

"I've had an incredible few months with all the people I love trying to figure it all out. This is my last decision. I'm not going for money. I'm not going for for family. What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and have the chance at the feeling of winning another championship.

"I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time."

Once made official, the deal will bring the highest-profile NBA player to this city since Julius Erving retired following the 1986-87 season. 

James, 41, will be heading into his 24th NBA season since his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers took him with the first overall pick in the 2003 draft.

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.