Philadelphia Flyers GM Daniel Briere has been working hard this summer to give his team a legitimate chance at making the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
With the selections made at the NHL Draft, plus a big-name trade and some key signings in free agency, the Flyers are gearing up for a jump in the standings.
Flyers’ offseason additions and subtractions
Philadelphia’s biggest move of the summer came before the draft and free agency even began, when the team acquired Trevor Zegras from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Ryan Poehling and two draft picks.
The Flyers were in search of a strong center to complement the first- and second-line wingers in the lineup, like Matvei Michkov and Travis Konecny. Zegras fills the top six role that the team needed, and could very well challenge Sean Couturier to skate down the middle on the top line thanks to his elite playmaking and puck distribution coupled with his strong hockey IQ in the offensive zone.
Despite having the last few seasons marred by injuries, Zegras is a highly offensive-minded player who could jumpstart the Flyers’ scoring, which finished 24th in the league with 2.83 goals per game this past season.
Besides that deal, Briere has made it clear that his focus is on making the team more competitive by adding depth and offense through every possible means, both at the draft and then through free agent signings.
“I said it from day one, we didn’t have enough cap space to go after the big fish. But it’s small steps that are not hurting us for the future… It brings some hope and shows the fans and players on the team that we’re taking steps forward.”
Flyers GM Daniel Briere, via ESPN Radio
At the NHL Draft, Briere continued his focus on competitiveness and increasing offensive output by selecting winger Porter Martone sixth overall. The 18-year-old brings a combination of physicality and scoring instinct that encapsulates the Flyers’ gameplan, and he could be ready to make his NHL debut in 2025-26.
The Flyers also dipped into the free agent market, notably bringing on Dan Vladar to bolster the goalie tandem. He signed a two-year, $6.7 million contract and will compete to serve as the backup to Samuel Ersson. Vladar will have to beat out Ivan Fedotov for the gig, but it’s a welcome addition to have another viable option in the case that Ersson goes down with an injury or falters on the ice at some point.
Christian Dvorak also inked a deal to join Philadelphia on a one-year, $5.7 million contract. He offers a seamless replacement for Poehling in the bottom six with a slighlty greater upside in terms of scoring. Dvorak has topped 15 goals in four different seasons, in addition to six 30-point seasons in nine total NHL campaigns. He plays a strong 200-foot game, with one of his biggest strengths being in the faceoff dot. The signing provides the Flyers with an anchor deep in the lineup,
Can the Flyers make the playoffs in 2025-26?
The biggest problems for the Flyers this past season have seemingly been targeted in the offseason moves. Briere injected some more goal-scoring into the lineup with the additions of Zegras and Martone. There is also some added stability in net with another capable backup in Vladar, something that was lacking in 2024-25.
Having a new face behind the bench in Rick Tocchet is also expected to carry the Flyers farther than they’ve gotten in recent years. As someone who played over a decade in Philadelphia, Tocchet is a players’ coach that will drive his athletes to be more competitive and won’t accept anything less than their best effort.
ESPN has ranked Philadelphia as 20th in the NHL headed into the upcoming season, which would place them right outside of the bubble. But the players are confident that the postseason isn’t an unrealistic goal for 2025-26.
“We were close a couple of years ago, and we just kind of faltered last year. That’s behind us. I think we can bounce back if everyone can have a better year and push themselves, then I think that playoff push is right there for us.”
Flyers forward Noah Cates
