The '25-'26 Philadelphia Flyers thread

[zambonir]

Now the league just has to complete its process

Crown will not appeal decision to acquit players in Hockey Canada sexual assault...

[zambonir]

They're ready for the NHL game too clearly. I guess all the infrastructure work will be done by then even if there's still more seating stuff to be finished before next football season.

Penn State men’s hockey to play Porter Martone and Michigan State outdoors at...

[bigegypt0417]

Report: Flyers Interested in Carter Hart Reunion

[phillychuck]

Probably agent BS...but as a goalie-challenged organization, it makes sense we are looking at a free-agent goalie (albeit a very rusty one).

[Docs]

Some interesting things i have read is that he is working out with other players who claim he is in good form. Supposedly the league office told teams not to sign anyone until their eligibility is determined- the league may suspend the players still (although 1.5 years out of the league also seems like time served to a degree) and that some teams have asked the league to consider their free agency status where the flyers could possibly retain Harts rights if the league determines that a qualifying offer was not necessary during these players’s absence.

Hart seems to be the only player who wouldn’t necessarily need to sign a tryout deal.

[zambonir]

I would think the union and the agents would be very opposed to the restoration of the QO, and the league couldn't win that one, since they didn't actually declare the players ineligible until after the verdict.

I suppose if the league made the players choose between considering the suspension to be retroactive (and therefore retaining their FA status from the time it began) and missing more time that could be a negotiation.

Putting aside all the other unknowns, what would the Flyers have to do to actually bring him back, cap-wise? Trades? Buyouts that would carry into '27 and '28? Both?

[Docs]

Aren’t they good with Ellis money once the season starts and they can move him to LTIR? I think they benefit with this dragging out. As i understand, they can only get the cap relief after the season starts and a player is moved to LTIR. New rule this year, teams only get the previous year’s league average salary relief if they want the injured player to be eligible during the season or postseason, which is about 3.8M. If the Flyers want the full salary cap relief, Ellis would not be eligible to come back this season or the playoffs. This closes a recently exploited loophole where teams were making deadline trades and using LTIR players for cap relief, and then activating those players for the postseason, because postseason rosters were not previously under any cap restrictions. Florida did that last season.

[zambonir]

I suppose that's true but they also were already counting on having that to work with over the course of the season. I guess it kicks the can to February at least.

But also Hart was making 4 million and Ellis makes 6.25. If he's an unrestricted FA he's probably getting more than that. And if his RFA status is restored, while the QO was $4.5 that is still not what he was going to sign for. Now, if the entire league imagines getting him on a bargain deal because he's tarnished (and rusty) that's a different situation.

[Docs]

Or if they want to sign him before the season starts - they only have 325k cap space and have 1 buyout and two retained contracts which i thought is limited to 3 total but trying to confirm that. So before the season starts they have to dump salary via trade.

AI response (not always reliable) says max 3 retained contracts and no limit on number of buy outs.

[zambonir]

well it doesn't seem very likely that Bettman is going to reinstate these guys in time to report to training camp. Bill Daly just a week ago:

When NHL’s contract limits will change, Hockey Canada defendants’ status,...

What is the latest on the status of the five players found not guilty in the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial?

It’s under review. Really, nothing new to report beyond the statement we issued when the verdict came down, which is their eligibility is something we’re looking at.

They kind of made a mess of it not suspending them from the get-go. Technically they can claim there was never any "time served" - that it was Hart's decision to take a leave of absence, and also his decision to not pursue a contract once he reached free agency a year ago. While the players and union could counter that they were de facto suspended/blackballed.

[zambonir]

Lappy has moved on, took a scout job with the Islanders

[Austinfan]

I think the "advisor" position was a favor to give him a paycheck until he could find a position elsewhere.
Briere was patient, but the handwriting was on the wall.

"The Phantoms want their systems to mirror the ones the Flyers plan to implement under Rick Tocchet. This includes similar offensive zone and neutral zone forechecks as well as breakouts. In the defensive zone, Snowden and Schultz may implement something very similar to the box-plus-one coverage style at 5-on-5 that Flyers coaches Tocchet and Todd Reirden plan to use."

New (But Familiar) Faces Behind Phantoms Bench | Philadelphia Flyers

[zambonir]

Well, the paycheck was coming regardless, he had a year left on his deal. They just were willing to make him work for it. Now the Islanders will pay down some of it.

[bigegypt0417]

Minor trade...

Flyers Acquire Tucker Robertson from Seattle in Exchange for Jon-Randall Avon |...

[Austinfan]

Nothing burger.
I had hopes for Avon as a 4th line/PK guy, great speed, good size, but he flatlined, hockey IQ?
Robertson looked solid in the OHL, but in two years has done squat in the AHL.

A trade of two AHL bottom six players. I think for the Flyers they got a 4C for the Phantoms for depth.

Rookie camp should be opening soon, rookie games on the 12th and 13th in Allentown.

[kmc1019]

The Athletic did one of their "re-drafts", this time of the very recent 2024 draft.

Good news is that Flyers' 2nd round pick Center Jack Berglund rises 20 spots from 51 to 31. Bad news is that 1st rounder Jett Luchanko, who was considered a riser but still a reach at 13 by most analysts, lands at spot 30. To hear Flyers fans, he is speedy and that means he will be a 1st or 2nd line Center; however, both scouts and stats say he simply does not score enough and has a 3rd line ceiling. Even worse, D-man Zeev Buium who was available at the Flyers original pick zooms all the way to #2.

(Paywall) https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6592343/2025/09/08/nhl-redraft-2024-celebrini-buium-demidov

[zambonir]

Kolosov not participating in rookie camp. No huge surprise I guess. Bjarnason and former Windsor goalie Joey Costanzo on the roster. Of course Fedotov is going to be on the Phantoms.

Also Luchanko has lost the C in junior, some assume that means he will make the Flyers but maybe it also means they'll trade him if he doesn't.

[Austinfan]

It's total BS. One year later is meaningless.
Takes 3-4 years for most prospects to either make it to the NHL, or at least show they're on the verge, or flame out.
And different players have different levels of experience and development history.

Jett, Berglund both got jacked around last season, Berglund spent 17 games in the SHL in 4th line role, then juniors, then finally Allsvenskan, hobbled by knee injury as well, but had a big summer. Jett started with Flyers, then OHL, then WJC in 4th line/PK role, then OHL, then AHL. In AHL 9 points in 16 games including playoffs. So in both cases, wait and see.

Jett is only two months older than Hagens.

Biggest issue to me is number of big players with skating issues, basically betting as they fill out and get stronger (especially lower body) with coaching they can make a big jump as skaters.
Malone (19) 6'3 204
Nesbitt (18) 6'5 200 (rookie camp roster, 186 combine weight)
Kaplan (21) 6'3 210 (198)
Berglund (19) 6'3 209
Ruohonen (19) 6'2 205
Murtaugh (18) 6'1 198
Vansaghi (18) 6'3 212
Gard (18) 6'5 195
Gill (19) 6'4 213 (185)
Amico (18) 6'6 238
Vlooswyk (18) 6'5 207 (200)
Moline (20) 6'5 208 (194)

Will it work? Check back in a couple years!

[zambonir]

You're not gonna believe this, but stories like that are written for entertainment purposes. Doesn't change the reality that Luchanko was a reach pick at that time, nor that most people see his ceiling as 3C unless he smashes through it. Even the Flyers think that based on how they drafted.

It's too bad he can't play be sent to the AHL this year though.

[Austinfan]

It's a bit more complex.
For example, Luchanko was reaching for a center, but then why take Martone over Hagens? Why Luchanko over Helenius if they wanted a center?
Amateurs have Buium as the top D-man in that draft, yet Levshunov #2, Yakemchuk #7, Parekh #9, Silayev #10, Dickinson #11 were all drafted before him. I'd note Parekh is the same size.
I though Hutson outplayed Buium in the WJC-20, and I wasn't impressed watching him against WMU or in a sheltered role in the NHL playoffs.

Sure, they could be dumb as rocks, or they could come out smelling like roses.

Watching Luchanko, he needs development, but he has raw tools, speed, IQ, good passer, needs work on his shot and just more experience (doesn't turn 19 until September). One thing I liked watching him, not afraid to go to the net as a 18 year old playing against men in the AHL playoffs.

Nesbitt comes down to skating, if he was average or above probably is a top ten pick.

Gill comes down to skating and IQ, he has offensive tool kit for a D-man, but his value will be defense first big RHD who can contribute on offense.

Amico comes down to knee being 100%, had he been healthy, good chance he goes in 1st rd.

And so on. Except for elite prospects, I don't think you know what you have until they are 21-22.