We’re a little under a month away from the Flyer’s season opener on the road against the Florida Panthers. Here’s everything you need to know going into this season.
Extensions:
Following his career-best season (16 goals, 21 assists), the Flyers signed 26-year-old Noah Cates to a 4-year, $16 million extension. This deal provides a core stable forward for Philadelphia, as Cates has been a top-line center for the team with wingers Tyson Forester and Bobby Brink.
Defenseman Cam York is staying in Philadelphia following his 5-year, $25.75 million extension this offseason. This deal with the former World Junior Champion aims to provide defensive stability for Philadelphia’s blue line, which is certainly needed after the last few years. While York is known for his elite hockey knowledge and strong skating, the Flyers are looking to see progression in his play after a challenging 2024-2025 season for the defenseman.
Free Agent Acquisitions:
From the Montreal Canadiens, the Flyers picked up forward Christian Dvorak on a one year, $5.4 million contract. The brief deal provides cap space flexibility for Philadelphia, yet Dvorak may stay longer if he proves himself to be a stable bottom-six forward, as he was picking up traction towards the end of last season.
The Flyers picked up goaltender Dan Vladar on a 2-year, $6.7 million contract. With a 3.00 GAA and a .895 save percentage the Flyers look to provide depth and stability following their current goaltender’s combined .872 save percentage.
Defensemen Noah Juulsen signed a one-year, $900,000 contract with the Flyers following two seasons in Vancouver playing under Rick Tocchet, who he reunites with this season in Philadelphia. While he is not a flashy player, his size and physical play look to strengthen the Flyers’ blueline this season. Following 60 shots blocked and 101 hits last season, Juulsen could compete for Rasmus Ristolainen’s spot for the beginning of the season as he recovers from triceps surgery.
The Flyers also added defenseman Dennis Gilbert on a one-year, $875,000 contract. A conservative player, his size (6’2, 215lbs) allows him to be quite a physical player.
Trades:
The most notable offseason move for the Flyers is their trade with the Anaheim Ducks, receiving Trevor Zegras for Ryan Poehling, a 2025 second round draft pick, and a 2026 fourth-round pick. Known for his impressive understanding of the game, exceptional puckhandling, and creative plays, the Flyers look to build Zegras’ confidence after some key injuries the last few seasons. While there is concern regarding his injury bug, this overall was a very low-risk, high reward trade for Philadelphia.
Key Takeaways:
The Flyers’ management focused on short-term contracts this offseason to provide cap space flexibility. They aim to build around young talents such as Noah Cates, Cam York, Matvei Michkov, Tyson Forester, among others. As they hope to see these talents blossom, short-term deals with experienced, consistent players will allow adequate cap space when the team reaches playoff contention. On the blueline, new additions such as Noah Juulsen and Dennis Gilbert will compete with Philadelphia’s prospects such as Egor Zamula and Emil Andre for bottom defensive spots as Rasmus Ristolainen continues to recover from his triceps surgery in March. The addition of Dan Vladar adds stability to our goaltending lineup, while we look to find offensive stability in Christian Dvorak and development in Trevor Zegras. The Philadelphia Flyers look to support the development of their young talents with experienced players on short contracts, as the team aims to be in playoff contention within the next few seasons.
Philly's Next Shift 