The Philadelphia Flyers entered this offseason with positive vibes after they made it to the playoffs and advanced to the second round. This offseason, the Flyers made it a priority to retain their key players, such as goalie Dan Vladar, forward Trevor Zegras, and most recently, defenseman Jamie Drysdale. Now, the Flyers don't have to worry about contract negotiations with any of those players for the foreseeable future.
As for external moves, the Flyers notably took a $90 million swing at Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson on a five-year offer sheet. However, the Ducks matched the offer. Besides that, the Flyers made one substantial trade, bringing in goalie Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for goaltender Samuel Ersson and defenseman Emil Andrae. But did the Flyers do enough to improve their already young roster with upside?
The Athletic's Dom Luszczyszyn recently wrote an article ranking all 32 NHL teams in terms of roster improvement. When it comes to the Flyers, Luszczyszyn ranked them as the eighth-most improved team in the league. While he did praise them for upgrading at backup goaltender and replacing Garnet Hathaway with Noel Acciari, he was critical of the team bringing in Benoit.
The Athletic ranks Flyers as 8th-most improved team of NHL offseason
"On the one hand, the Flyers’ goaltending situation received a major boost going from Samuel Ersson, one of the league’s worst goalies, to Joseph Woll, who has shown flashes of excellence when available. On the other hand, anything gained by that move was immediately lost going from Andrae to Simon Benoit, one of the league’s worst defensemen," writes Luszczyszyn.
"The Flyers’ biggest net gain comes from the improvement in their fourth line, going from Garnet Hathaway to Noel Acciari. The latter showed some serious defensive chops, even while accounting for his lesser role. He helps give Philadelphia one of the league’s deepest bottom sixes."
Entering this offseason, it was one of their priorities to improve their backup goaltending situation behind Vladar. Ersson was expected to fill that role admirably this past season, but he was brutal, posting a .870 save percentage, a 3.12 goals-against average, and a 14-11-5 record in 33 games (29 starts). With Ersson due for a new contract, the Flyers replaced him with Woll, who has shown, when healthy, that he can be a really good option in net. While Woll had a rough 2025-26 season, he has been solid for the Leafs, as he has a 2.94 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage through five years. He should be one of the top backup goaltenders in the league this upcoming season.
Defensively, to acquire Woll, they gave up Andrae, who just came off a strong season, recording two goals, 11 assists, and a plus-15 plus/minus rating in 61 games. Now, they're essentially replacing him with Benoit, who is coming off of a 73-game season with the Maple Leafs where he had a minus-22 plus/minus rating. Given Philadelphia's defensive depth, one would have to imagine they won't rely on Benoit too much, and he'd thrive in a lesser role.
The team did bring in Acciari from the rival Pittsburgh Penguins, who is coming off a great season, as he recorded 13 goals and 12 assists through 67 games. As Luszczyszyn states, he will be a reliable option in the bottom-six forward group.
The Flyers have a chance to improve their roster further if they want to, especially if it's a big move. But after missing out on Carlsson, it doesn't appear that a player of that caliber is available for Philadelphia. Still, they are going to rely on a roster that clinched third place in the Metropolitan Division and secured a first-round series win over the Penguins. Based on the additions they made, the Flyers have improved their roster overall, even if there are some gripes to be had.
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