To make it clear as day, the Flyers making the playoffs is not a sure thing this season, but it is not out of the realm of possibility.
There are different things we can look at heading into this season, and say, "If this goes right, we are going to be great", but this is not about the ifs.
The things we want to focus on first are what we know.
The Flyers offense has talent and superstar potential
This is the perfect place to start when it comes to what fans can look forward to during the 2025-2026 campaign. Matvei Michkov, a potential future superstar, should take a step forward. The opening year of the newly acquired Trevor Zegras in Philadelphia. These two players alone add excitement, in addition to the already talented forward core. The Flyers shouldn’t have a problem finding the back of the net this year.
Last season, the Flyers' offense was not impressive by any standard; in fact, they scored 2.83 goals per game, which ranked 24th in the entire league. This number is bound to skyrocket during the 2025-2026 campaign. Not only do the Flyers have year two of Michkov and Zegras headlining the offense, but they also have emerging stars like Travis Konecny and Tyson Foerster, who are looking to build on the excellent years they had last season.
Rick Tocchet's first year in town
Rick Tocchet will be taking over the Flyers' head coaching position. Tocchet, the 2023-2024 Jack Adams-winning coach, should be loved by not only the players but the fans as well. There have been many things that came from Tocchet's last coaching gig, that we can use to see what he will bring behind the Flyers bench.
For example, Quinn Hughes had nothing but high praise for Tocchet, which is a very encouraging sign. During the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Quinn showed how much he and his teammates believed in their former head coach.
"He (Tocchet) got us to believe, and kind of get the stink that was out of here the previous years before this."
If Tocchet can right the ship in Philadelphia and lead this team to a winning record and push for a spot in the playoffs, he will win the city over instantly. The combo of an outstanding offense and a new coach's expertise could be the breath of fresh air that hockey in South Philadelphia has needed.
All new seasons come with a few question marks, and that rings true with the Flyers. There are two that come to mind quickly, those being: goaltending and the power play
A split rotation should benefit Ersson and Vladar
The Flyers lack a true Number 1, workhorse goalie, and that is very apparent. They look to be taking a tandem of Sam Ersson and Dan Vladar into the new year. It is completely fair for fans' expectations to be low on the goalie situation.
However, there could be one silver lining: the split of work between the goalies. Over the years, Ersson has gone on runs where he seems spectacular, but come the end of the season, he hits a wall and seems burnt out. That won't be an issue this season, thanks to Dan Vladar, who himself sees hot streaks every so often. If the two can push each other to become better, along with splitting games somewhat evenly over the year, this position could be more reliable come March and April.
A new voice could lead to power play success
For at least the last three seasons, it always seemed that the Flyers were more inclined to score while shorthanded, rather than on the man advantage. This is one thing that the Flyers must address if they hope to become a competitive team come April. It has been the anchor to the team's total in goals, and it is so demoralizing to watch when they go 0/4 on the power play in a big game.
They have the hard work and dedication to draw penalties, but no offensive threats to put the puck in the back of the net when it was truly needed. They did, however, finally make a coaching change, and Yogi Svejkovsky will be taking control of the units. This should hopefully lead to the Flyers' power play taking a much-needed step forward.
There is some excitement for the Flyers this season. The steps this team will take this year are going to make them exciting to watch as the season is coming to a close. The playoffs, as previously stated, aren't a sure thing for this year's team, but if they put themselves in a spot to be close during the final weeks, they may be able to use the freshness of their goalies and the precision of their head coach to propel them into the playoffs.
The one team that the city of Philadelphia hasn't seen play playoff games in a while is the Philadelphia Flyers. And if all goes well, that could finally change.