With the trade deadline in the past, this is the group of Flyers that will finish out the season. And they will start with a matinee back-to-back, first welcoming in the Seattle Kraken.
This has not been a kind home stand for the Flyers as they've lost the first two games. And neither featured much strong play on the ice from the home team. They'll need to turn that around as the remaining teams left will get tougher as they go.
The Flyers gave up six goals to the Kraken when they first faced at the beginning of the season. It was their third loss in a row, eventually leading to a six-game losing streak. Four unanswered goals in the second period led to Philadelphia eventual 6-4 loss. Ivan Fedotov was pulled after allowing five goals on 24 shots.
Philadelphia Flyers
This will be the first time in over 12 years that the Flyers will play a game without Scott Laughton in the organization. The long-time forward was traded to the Maple Leafs hours before the deadline in a move that needed to happen. The importance will be seeing how the team responds to losing one of their most important leaders. The team culture has been carefully rebuilt, now the rest of the group must prove that it will continue.
The Flyers did not acquire anyone who will step into the lineup this afternoon, instead making a few call-ups to play in place of those who were traded away. Emil Andrae is expected to remain with the team for the rest of the season after the trade of Erik Johnson. Rodrigo Abols and Olle Lycksell will spend at least this weekend on the NHL roster, taking over the spots from Laughton and Andrei Kuzmenko
It will soon be evaluation time for a chunk of the Flyers' prospects. There are others in the minors waiting for their opportunity. There is also a chance that Jett Luchanko could return, but he can only play in five more games before the first year of his contract would be burned. So starting with the Phantoms is the more likely option.
Flyers Projected Roster
Tyson Foerster - Noah Cates - Bobby Brink
Owen Tippett - Sean Couturier - Matvei Michkov
Jakob Pelletier - Ryan Poehling - Travis Konecny
Nic Deslauriers - Rodrigo Abols - Olle Lycksell
Cam York - Travis Sanheim
Nick Seeler - Jamie Drysdale
Emil Andrae - Rasmus Ristolainen
Sam Ersson
Seattle Kraken
Seattle made some moves of their own, trading a day one Kraken Brandon Tanev to the Winnipeg Jets. They also sent Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand to Tampa Bay, getting Michael Eyssimont in return. And Daniel Sprong was sent to the Devils. The Kraken are in a worse spot as the Flyers, sitting 13 points out of a playoff spot. This would be the third year they've missed the playoffs in their four-year history.
They don't currently have a 20-goal scorer, Jaden Schwartz being the closest with 19 goals. He has just one goal in his last 10 games. Eeli Tolvanen has been a good pickup for the Kraken, tying a career-high with 18 goals in his third season with the team. Jared McCann's numbers are down from recent years as he's likely to finish with his lowest point total since 2020-21 with the Penguins.
Joey Daccord has done rather well as the Kraken's starter in the last two seasons. It's been a little bit of a down year for him, but his numbers are still some of the best of his career. He has a 2.64 GAA and a .911 SV% in 43 games played. He has been on the losing end of three of his last five starts, giving up four or more goals in each.
Kraken Projected Lineup
Jaden Schwartz - Matty Beniers - Kaapo Kakko
Jared McCann - Shane Wright - Andre Burakovsky
Eeli Tolvanen - Chandler Stephenson - Jordan Eberle
Michael Eyssimont - John Hayden - Tye Kartye
Vince Dunn - Adam Larsson
Jamie Oleksiak - Brandon Montour
Ryker Evans - Josh Mahura
Joey Daccord
When, Where, and How to Watch
Time: 12:30
Where: Wells Fargo Center
Watch: ABC, ESPN+
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Live Stream: FuboTv
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