The Philadelphia Flyers are now six games into their 2025-2026 season, and I would say I have been surprised with the way this team has started their 82-game marathon.
The Flyers have a 3-2-1 record, with wins over the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers as well as the Minnesota Wild and the Seattle Kraken. So, how have the Flyers looked early on? And how has this young Flyers squad matched up against some of the best teams in the league to start the season? Let’s discuss the highs and the lows from the Flyers’ first six games.
Here are the highs of the Flyers early on this season:
1. Dan Vladař’s Goaltending
Goaltending was one of the biggest issues Philadelphia had last season. Between the pipes, led by Sam Ersson, the Flyers ranked 28th in goals allowed per game at 3.45. The Flyers also had the worst save percentage in the league last year with a .879.
However, Philadelphia has been introduced to Dan Vladař, the 6-foot-5 goaltender from Czechia who has been lighting it up this season. The Flyers acquired Vladař in free agency over the summer to a two-year deal worth $6.7 million, and he has been playing up to that number and more to start the season. Vladař is 3-1-0 in his 4 games played with a 1.75 GAA and .929 SV%. Having those stats against teams like Florida, Minnesota, and Seattle is quite impressive. Let’s hope Vladař can stay hot in the crease and continue shutting down some of the league’s best to give Philly some big wins.
2. Foerster-Cates-Brink Line
One of the most surprising stories of the season early on is the way Tyson Foerster, Noah Cates, and Bobby Brink have been playing together on the ice. This third line has generated 14 points and 7 goals in the first 6 games. This line has been the most impactful and productive offensive line right now. Nobody on this line is exceptionally fast, or going to finish in the top 10 of the league in scoring, either. However, they have been productive every single game this season.
While the Flyers were in the middle of the pack league-wide with 3 goals per game last season, this line may significantly boost those numbers with the help of teammates Owen Tippett, Travis Konecny, and Sean Couturier.
3. Locker Room Vibes
Let’s be real. If you are watching the Flyers this season, there is a different feeling to this team. Nikita Grebenkin standing up for teammate Garnet Hathaway and dropping the gloves after Seattle’s Cale Fleury laid a dirty hit was magical. Seeing the smiles on Trevor Zegras and even head coach Rick Tocchet during that tilt made me realize this team is different than the last few years.
The Flyers have also begun honoring late legend Bernie Parent by handing out a goalie mask to the “MVP” of the game in the locker room after a win. Stuff like this is exciting for this new young Flyers squad, and I hope the vibes can stay high throughout the season and take them far. You need a good culture to have a good team, and so far, that is shaping up to come to life.
Despite those positives, here are the lows of the Flyers early on this season:
1. Matvei Michkov is still looking for his game
Flyers star Matvei Michkov, the Russian prodigy who took Philadelphia by storm last year, is still looking to find his game once again this season. Michkov led the Flyers with 26 goals last season and came into this one with very high expectations. Michkov said he was dealing with an ankle injury during training camp, which may explain the limited ice time he has seen this season. Some would say to let him go out and play, Tocchet clearly disagrees.
Am I worried? Absolutely not. All players have slow starts, especially when carefully recovering from injuries. Michkov found the back of the net for the first time against Winnipeg and has just one assist through the season. However, Michkov is in the bottom half of ice time per game, and it is assumed that it is because of that injury he is still shaking off. I am not worried for Michkov, and I am excited for him to begin lighting the lamp very, very soon.
2. Tough Competition
This is not as much a low for the Flyers as a team as it is for their placement in the division. The Metropolitan Division is off to a hot start this season, with four teams with 5+ wins. These teams include the Devils, Hurricanes, Penguins, and Capitals. If the Flyers want to compete for a playoff spot, they are going to have to rapidly stack up wins and remain consistently competitive. They will have to remain persistent, which has shown to be a challenge the last few years, and they will attempt to make the playoffs for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Overall, the Flyers have started this season hot with good goaltending, offensive production, defensive strategy, and vibes. If the Flyers can keep this up through the season and stack up wins, this Philadelphia team could very well make it into a playoff spot and compete for the Cup. But for now, we will enjoy hockey and the Flyers being back on our TVs every night.
