The '25-'26 Philadelphia Flyers thread

[Docs]

They have dropped (or rose to) a top ten pick as it stands today, they could get another Jett luchenko or jack nesbitt

[VoteForKalas]

I think the vital question is: will part of Briere's promise to the roster that he will give them the chance to earn a playoff spot this season include adding talent at the deadline or are they "on their own" with the current personnel?

I think the latter is the answer and that next season there will be more incentive & pressure to improve the roster and make the playoffs.

[flyers19rw]

It would be best to add from within. Bonk and Bump, when he’s healthy, Dorwart or even Rizzo. They’re not making the POs. If anything they’re should be shedding some of the veteran stiffs.

[Austinfan]

He gave them a shot with Vladar and Dvorak, but didn't spend to build depth. Injuries have derailed their season.
Next year I expect most of the veterans to be gone:
Hathaway, 1 year left, trade or buyout
Seeler, 2 years left, trade if they feel Murchison/McDonald are ready
Risto, 1 year left, trade if they feel Bonk is ready
If they aren't sure, they might wait until closer to 2027 TDL

Grundstrom, Abols, Juulsen resigned as LHV depth and insurance if they return

Foerster, Martone are locks, Bump and Jett get long look in camp, same with Bonk, Murchison and McDonald.
They can also bring Nesbitt to LHV if they think he's ready.
Don't know if Berglund is thinking about coming over.
Ruohonen will probably stay at Harvard for another season.

[jimbomill]

He gave them a shot with Vladar and Dvorak, but didn't spend to build depth.

They have an impressive hit on dead Cap money. I think NEXT year, with better a cap value to draw upon is when the spending increases.

[bigegypt0417]

In the same way that the start of the season was unrealistic to expect to continue...this is also unrealistic to expect to continue.

If the Flyers have the chance they should sell vets that be attractive but also look to add a young piece if one becomes available.

If they can play somewhere in the middle that will be a good outcome.

[Docs]

Top NHL prospect Gavin McKenna charged with assault

Not flyers news but very interesting hockey news

[zambonir]

what the heck. bar or frat party fight?

Gavin McKenna Facing Felony Charge After Incident On January 31

Penn State men’s hockey forward Gavin McKenna was charged following an alleged altercation in downtown State College late Saturday night. The incident occurred along the 100 block of South Pugh Street, with a report filed at 10:35 p.m.

[dicemen99]

what the heck. bar or frat party fight?

Gavin McKenna Facing Felony Charge After Incident On January 31

Penn State men’s hockey forward Gavin McKenna was charged following an alleged altercation in downtown State College late Saturday night. The incident occurred along the 100 block of South Pugh Street, with a report filed at 10:35 p.m.

Family was out at a local bar with some other families- Doggies - after the game (lots of families were in town, the outdoor game was a big event). A drunken kid was verbally abusing McKennas mother. Several people intervened to try to stop the abuse - supposedly the kid was calling her a whore - but the kid didn’t let up and then McKenna went over and punched him.

Obviously McKenna could have handled things differently, but there’s situations are becoming increasingly common with drunken immature people accosting “celebrities.” See the Jason Kelce situation up there. Sometimes you can only take so much.

Used to be people acted like pricks in public, sometimes they’d get punched in the face and nobody thought much about it. I’m not so sure that wasn’t the better way to handle it.

[zambonir]

Definitely occurred to me that it was people making trouble with the rich famous kid. But, it's on the famous person to not stoop to their level (or to a felony). Back in the day of course the Penn State athlete doesn't even get arrested if the coach doesn't want him to. We'll see if the charges are downgraded or there's a plea. The "victim" should also still be charged with something if that account is true.

[Austinfan]

If he had punched the kid because he was heckling McKenna that would look really bad.

But if early accounts are correct, and the kid pushed his Mom and called her a whore, well, while you may have misgivings about his judgment, you can't feel that bad about the kid ending up with a broken jaw. There are certain things that are generally off limits.

[zambonir]

Not sure who the kid was heckling changes the nature of the felony McKenna is charged with. It might look better for him legally if the victim is eventually charged with assault (if it's true he pushed her) or public drunkenness himself. Could happen to any college kid but even if he skates in the courts it's bound to cost him. Of course if you happen to follow a team that isn't going to have a Top 3 draft pick....

[jimbomill]

Used to be people acted like pricks in public, sometimes they’d get punched in the face and nobody thought much about it. I’m not so sure that wasn’t the better way to handle it.

Maybe the owners of the bar should have thrown out the instigator patron long before he got decked ....

[zambonir]

https://www.inquirer.com/phillies/rob-thomson-weighs-flyers-development-matvei-michkov-20260205.html

Canadian baseball coach Rob Thomson says Tocchet is handling Michkov appropriately

[Docs]

The felony charge against McKenna was dropped, but i'll be honest, I think its incredible risky for any team picking before the Flyers to waste a first round pick on this kid. I advise them all to make a safe pick and avoid a trouble maker. Wherever the Flyers end up picking feels like the right spot to take a chance.

[zambonir]

I assume you are joking around (I.e. you want the Flyers to get him).

Definitely not surprising the most serious charge was dropped. Without that I assume there's no likelihood of NHL discipline, if that's even possible for a player not yet under contract. It looks like Logan Mailloux did have to meet with Bettman to be in the draft (which then went completely badly for the team that took him).

I think the issue will partly be whether or not he plays again this year. His stock was already down from sure-thing #1 to maybe a 3 or 4, would not playing any more games plus this incident actually make him like a 10?

One assume the price he pays for this will be more in the civil lawsuit arena. And he can afford it.

[phillychuck]

I had not heard that his stock was down before. I’ve seen him twice this year and thought he was quite good, but that’s a seriously small sample size.

If the details above are correct, I don’t think the victim would be likely to win a civil suit--he would not make a sympathetic plaintiff if he was heckling the Mom and pushed her prior to being hit himself.

[zambonir]

I think if it's true he pushed a woman he would have been charged with a misdemeanor himself. And any instigation doesn't change the fact that McKenna assaulted him and he'll have medical bills and pain and suffering. But also, they will want it all to go away.

His stock is only down - depending on who's ranking - in that he he was possibly the consensus #1 and now some see him going 4th. Still pretty good! The Athletic ranking only has four players total as possible future stars/surefire #1 type players. And the "stock being down" is also just based on him having some struggles in college, which was to be expected, and is still only in comparison to being a two-PPG player in junior. He had a lot of minus nights in the first half of the season, not so many since.

But, is his season over, or not? Had the felony charge stuck it surely would have been. They are off this weekend.

[zambonir]

Penn State’s Gavin McKenna has preliminary hearing for assault charge...

https://nittanysportsnow.com/2026/02/gavin-mckenna-back-at-practice-following-january-31-incident/

UPDATE: Per Brad Elliot Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald, NHL scouts have been informed that Penn State forward, Gavin McKenna, is expected to play this weekend against Michigan.

[VoteForKalas]

Good wins recently vs Rangers and Bruins, but we are still 7 pts behind for a playoff spot with a pretty tough schedule ahead: TOR, Utah, Pitt, NYR, WSH and MN over the next 10 days.

The key question on the organization's approach remains as the trade deadline arrives this week: Vote for what you think SHOULD be done by the GM.

• Trade Risto for assets if the offer is good enough; otherwise stand pat at deadline
• Make more aggressive moves, including trading Risto, to push for the playoffs this season
• Stand pat; use the off-season to make trades & improve the team based on this season's results

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